Buy the F*cking Lilies: And Other Tools to Fix Your Life, from Someone Who's Been There

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Compelling, persuasive, and useful no matter where you are in your life.”—Chelsea Handler, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Life Will Be the Death of Me In this fun, debut memoir-cum-guide to “reparenting” oneself and living one’s best life, Schuster, a Comedy Central executive, candidly shares her worst experiences and what’s she learned from them. She writes of how she went from self-medicating and self-sabotaging to reclaiming her life by developing healthy rituals such as journaling, writing thank you notes, using vision boards, and cultivating gratefulness. She also divulges sage advice she’s been given from mentors and friends, including Jon Stewart and Anjelica Huston. Other advice includes tips on how to build a “lady harem” (or dream team of supportive friends), make peace with frenemies, keep one’s home dinner-party-ready, and how to best manage money. For the final chapters, she shares what she’s learned in her relationships with men and members of her family. Schuster is jovial throughout and relies on the authority of her experience as she surveys but never overly lauds her impressive career. Filled with gems of wisdom, Schuster’s chronicle of her ups and downs is a winner. (Feb.) Compelling, persuasive, and useful no matter where you are in your life." (Chelsea Handler, number one New York Times best-selling author of Life Will Be the Death of Me) I have to wonder what my life would have been like if I’d had a friend (or imaginary friend) like Tara Schusterwhen I was in my twenties.Her candor and sincerity are unimpeachable. The lessons she’s extrapolated from her unsentimental education arecompelling, persuasive, and useful no matter where you are in your life. Good work, Tara!” —Chelsea Handler, #1 New York Timesbestselling author of Life Will Be the Death of Me In thisfun, debut memoir-cum-guide to ‘reparenting’ oneself and living one’s best life, Schuster, a Comedy Central executive, candidly shares her worst experiences and what’s she learned from them. She writes of how she went from self-medicating and self-sabotaging to reclaiming her life by developing healthy rituals such as journaling, writing thank you notes, using vision boards, and cultivating gratefulness.She also divulges sage adviceshe’s been given from mentors and friends, including Jon Stewart and Anjelica Huston. . . . Schuster is jovial throughout and relies on the authority of her experience as she surveys but never overly lauds her impressive career.Filled with gems of wisdom, Schuster’s chronicle of her ups and downs is a winner.” — Publishers Weekly(starred review)

Compelling, persuasive, and useful no matter where you are in your life." (Chelsea Handler, number one New York Times best-selling author of Life Will Be the Death of Me )This is the book so many of us need right now: a fierce-but-tender guide to conquering our self-doubt so that we can breathe, be kind to ourselves, and enjoy the one life we’re given.” —Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love Warrior

I also really liked the "I'm in this with you" tone to the book. Part of it could be defined as a memoir as she takes you through some of her own experiences and, most importantly, what she learned from them. There's a definite "things don't have to be as hard for you as they were for me" kind of sentiment to the book that makes it incredibly relatable and approachable. A lot of the book comes off a bit elitist, to be honest. When someone says they went to a really nice private school, followed by Brown University, and then flippantly states how "poor" they were, it irks me to no end. There are moments when the author realizes her privilege, but most of the time, I think the things she has to say come off as incredibly tone deaf.A candid, hysterically funny, addictively readable, practical guide to growing up (no matter where you are in your life.) You’re going to want Tara Schuster to become your new best friend.”—Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Timesbestselling author of Untamed This isn’t just a memoir; it’s too helpful for that. But it’s not a self-help guide either; it doesn’t promise to cure your ills and it won’t make you roll your eyes. It’sa bracingly honest, funny read that will make you feel you’re not alone in the world. Tara Schuster’s debut islike Wildmeets You Are a Badass, andher reflections offer hopefor Millennials that if your parents didn’t quite ace their roles, it’s not too late to re-parent yourself.” —Adam Grant, New York Timesbestselling author of Give and Take, Originals, and Option B I have to wonder what my life would have been like if I'd had a friend (or imaginary friend) like Tara Schusterwhen I was in my twenties.Her candor and sincerity are unimpeachable. The lessons she's extrapolated from her unsentimental education arecompelling, persuasive, and useful no matter where you are in your life. Good work, Tara!” —Chelsea Handler, #1 New York Timesbestselling author of Life Will Be the Death of Me Brutally honest, often hilarious, hard-won lessons in learning to love and care for yourself from a young vice president at Comedy Central who was called “ahead of her time” by Jordan Peele

After my twenty-­fifth birthday, on my floral duvet, I decided to start where I was. I knew that when it came to healing my own mind, I would have to apply the same persistence, care, and attention I brought to that coffee machine. I would have to show up, figure out what was wrong with the water tank, and work like hell to fix it. I would have to be vigilant and patient, knowing that for no reason at all, sometimes the machine would have a total meltdown and refuse to work, and I’d be left with an ominous red light staring me in the face. While I didn’t have an owner’s manual to my own mind, I did have a quote from Jay-­Z to guide me:“Only thing to stop me is me, and I’ma stop when the hook start.” I ardently believe in the first part; I don’t totally know what he means about the hook starting. This isn’t just a memoir; it’s too helpful for that. But it’s not a self-help guide either; it doesn’t promise to cure your ills and it won’t make you roll your eyes. It’s a bracingly honest, funny read that will make you feel you’re not alone in the world. Tara Schuster’s debut is like Wild meets You Are a Badass, and her reflections offer hope for Millennials that if your parents didn’t quite ace their roles, it’s not too late to re-parent yourself.” —Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take, Originals, and Option B There are many other better books on self care and having successfully used other self help/self care books does not make you an expert. This book comes across as an immature self-congratulatory romp through things the author has tried while giving you "permission" to do the same. After my twenty-­fifth birthday, on my floral duvet, I decided to start where I was. I knew that when it came to healing my own mind, I would have to apply the same persistence, care, and attention I brought to that coffee machine. I would have to show up, figure out what was wrong with the water tank, and work like hell to fix it. I would have to be vigilant and patient, knowing that for no reason at all, sometimes the machine would have a total meltdown and refuse to work, and I’d be left with an ominous red light staring me in the face. While I didn’t have an owner’s manual to my own mind, I did have a quote from Jay-­Z to guide me: “Only thing to stop me is me, and I’ma stop when the hook start.” I ardently believe in the first part; I don’t totally know what he means about the hook starting. I have to wonder what my life would have been like if I'd had a friend (or imaginary friend) like Tara Schuster when I was in my twenties. Her candor and sincerity are unimpeachable. The lessons she's extrapolated from her unsentimental education are compelling, persuasive, and useful no matter where you are in your life. Good work, Tara!” —Chelsea Handler, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Life Will Be the Death of Me

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Nearly every chapter follows the same formula: My life was a mess, but I read/heard/was told this thing that helped me, here's exactly what I did (usually with talk about putting glitter on something), and ends with the sentence or a paragraph "what is your _____?", inviting you to draw comparisons about your own life, without providing anything insightful and glossing over any details she may have learned other than what worked for her. Also, Tara, glitter is an environmental nightmare. Brutally honest, often hilarious, hard-won lessons in learning to love and care for yourself from a former vice president at Comedy Central who was called“ahead of her time”by Jordan Peele Every afternoon after rehearsal, Jon would make himself an iced coffee in a little kitchen nook outside the studio door. I noticed that the machine was often dirty, out of water, or—even worse—broken, and I imagined how annoyed that must make Jon. Here he was trying to get one of the funniest, most important shows on the air, and he couldn’t even get a mediocre capsule coffee? Not on my watch! I saw my first little break.