Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered: The Definitive How To Guide
Karen Kilgariff, Georgia Hardstack, 2019
Tom Doherty Assoc.
304 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781250178954
Summary
Sharing never-before-heard stories ranging from their struggles with depression, eating disorders, and addiction, Karen and Georgia irreverently recount their biggest mistakes and deepest fears, reflecting on the formative life events that shaped them into two of the most followed voices in the nation.
In Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered, Karen and Georgia focus on the importance of self-advocating and valuing personal safety over being "nice" or "helpful."
They delve into their own pasts, true crime stories, and beyond to discuss meaningful cultural and societal issues with fierce empathy and unapologetic frankness. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
Karen Kilgariff
Known for her biting wit and musical prowess, Karen has been a staple in the comedy world for decades. As a performer, she has appeared on Mr. Show, The Book Group and Conan. She was the head writer for the first five years of The Ellen DeGeneres Show, then transitioned to scripted, writing for shows like Other Space, Portlandia, and Baskets. Her musical comedy album Live At The Bootleg was included in Vulture's Top 9 of 2014 and in Stitcher's Top 11 of 2014.
Georgia Hardstark
Georgia has enjoyed a successful career as a food writer and Cooking Channel on-camera personality, including co-hosting a travel/adventure/party show called Tripping Out, and a regular gig on Cooking Channel’s #1 show, Unique Sweets. She caps that off as a frequent guest narrator on Comedy Central’s hit show Drunk History. (From the publisher.)
Book Reviews
Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark share practical wisdom in Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered, which is a No. 1 debut on our advice, how-to and miscellaneous best-seller list.
New York Times
Hardstark and Kilgariff’s podcast takes on crime, death and other gory subjects, all filtered through the pair’s subversive wit as they riff on life’s craziness, often sharing details from their own mental health and substance abuse struggles. This openness translates onto the page. A kind of life guide…the book is just as funny as the podcast but often goes deeper into painful subjects.
Los Angeles Times
In many respects, Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered distills the My Favorite Murder podcast into its most essential elements: Georgia and Karen. They lay themselves bare on the page, in all of their neuroses, triumphs, failures, and struggles. From eating disorders to substance abuse and kleptomania to the wonders of therapy, Kilgariff and Hardstark recount their lives with honesty, humor, and compassion, offering their best unqualified life-advice along the way.
Entertainment Weekly
Discussion Questions
We'll add publisher questions if and when they're available; in the meantime, use our LitLovers talking points to help start a discussion for STAY SEXY AND DON'T GET MURDERED … then take off on your own.
1. The authors' past mistakes encompass a not uncommon list: parents, boys, drugs, and alcohol, mood and eating disorders, and a few more. Have any of these ever pertained to your own life or to someone's you know? How have they affected you even (say, if a family member) at a distance?
2. If there is one thing the authors recommend—strongly—it is counseling. What are your thoughts? What do you think of the 10-step breakdown of what to expect in therapy?
3. Kilgariff recounts how at 14, fresh out of rehab, she fell in love with Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles and then kept on reading. During periods of turmoil in you life, what offered you solace? Books? If so, which one(s), and why—why reading and why the particular books you chose?
4. Talk about chapter in which Kilgariff recreates the afternoon of a latchkey kid. What about her slightly sadistic older sister? Did you laugh… or want to cry… or both?
5. What about the phrase, "stay out of the forest." What do the authors mean, and how does one avoid the forest? What do you think of their warnings and advice? What advice would you give… and to whom?
6. Talk about the how the authors view "niceness" and "helpfulness". What are your thoughts? What's the point of being nice or helpful? What's the danger?
7. Overall, what are your impressions of Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered? Did you find it helpful… wise… insightful… off-the mark… shallow… funny… poignant? What about the book's tone and language?
(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online and off, with attribution. Thanks.)