“How to Giggle: A Guide to Taking Life Less Seriously” lands as a chatty, diary-meets-group-chat book from Hannah Berner and Paige DeSorbo. It’s part pep talk, part comedy bit, and part big-sister checklist, wrapped in glossy design and punchy one-liners. If you need a pick-me-up that reads fast and feels like a couch hang, this review spells out what clicks, what doesn’t, and who will get the most from it.
How To Giggle Book Review For Real Readers
The authors turn their podcast chemistry into a page format that swings between short essays, bullet-style riffs, and magazine-style quizzes. The tone stays loose and conversational, with frequent asides and wink-nudge humor. The throughline: laugh at the weirdness of daily life while spotting habits and relationships that deserve better boundaries.
| Quick Topic | Details From The Book | Reader Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Core Theme | Light self-help with comedy beats: friendship rules, dating, career nerves, personal style, and social media manners. | Readers who like list-driven tips and punchlines over dense theory. |
| Structure | Short sections, quizzes, and bit-sized stories; easy to dip in and out. | Busy schedules, commute reads, and weekend sips between errands. |
| Design | Glossy layouts with headers and pull-quotes that mirror teen-mag energy. | Visual readers who enjoy flip-through variety. |
| Formats | Hardcover, ebook, and a lively audiobook read by the duo. | Pick print for the art; pick audio for the banter. |
| Length | On the shorter side; built for a one-to-two-sitting read. | Anyone craving momentum and quick wins. |
| Content Notes | Spicy language, adult topics, frank takes on sex and dating. | Fine for mature teens and adults; not a children’s title. |
The book’s promise is simple: life gets messy, so add a giggle and keep moving. Chapters nudge you to call out red flags, laugh off awkward nights, and stop bending yourself into shapes that don’t fit. When the jokes land, they land hard; when they miss, the pace keeps you scrolling to the next bit.
What Works Right Away
Voice And Humor
Hannah’s crowd-work snap and Paige’s fashion-girl side-eye translate into a tag-team voice. Jokes are quick, sometimes delightfully unhinged, and rarely overstay their welcome. Even the pep talks carry punch. You can hear the podcast cadence in line breaks and section titles, which makes the pages feel alive.
Interactive Bits And Quizzes
The quizzes lean playful, not clinical. Think “Which kind of friend are you in a group chat?” or “What does your go-to manicure say about your mood this month?” These palate cleansers split up advice into snackable checkpoints and help new readers find a foothold without prior knowledge of the Giggly universe.
Friendship Playbook
The strongest thread is friendship hygiene. The book names the flaky friend, the main-character friend, the chaos agent, and the fair-weather cheerleader. Instead of heavy theory, the pages offer bite-size scripts and clear exits. If your circle brings more dread than joy, those pages hit like a cold splash of water and a warm towel after.
Where It May Not Click
Tone And Audience
The slang, meme references, and party stories skew young. That isn’t a flaw; it’s a lane choice. Readers far outside that lane may feel like bystanders at a party they weren’t invited to. If you’re here for clinical depth or footnoted research, you won’t find it.
Familiar Beats For Superfans
If you follow the podcast closely, certain bits can ring familiar. The energy stays fun, but you may catch echoes of live-show shtick and running jokes. That said, the packaging gives those moments fresh charm, and the pacing keeps the riff train moving.
Spice And Salt
There’s cussing, raunch, and blunt sex talk. Many will find that cathartic; some won’t be into it. If your taste runs PG, sample first.
Taking How To Giggle: Review Notes On Format & Flow
Print, Ebook, Or Audio?
Print puts the design on full display and makes the quizzes shine. Ebook works fine for travel. The audio stands out because both authors narrate, leaning into timing and sarcasm in a way that text can’t. If you like podcast-style banter, the audio plays like an extra-long episode with a tighter outline.
Best Way To Read
A front-to-back sprint gives the best vibe check. After that, treat it like a pick-me-up on slow mornings: flip to a quiz, reread the friendship section, or cue up a favorite riff on audio while you get ready. Dog-ear lines that feel like boundaries in sentence form.
| Best For | Maybe Skip | Try This Next |
|---|---|---|
| Fans of the Giggly Squad who want a keepsake with new bits and pep-talk energy. | Readers hunting for data-heavy research or sober, textbook tone. | Breezy essay collections and comic memoirs from stand-ups and TV voices. |
| Graduates and early-career readers who need practical scripts for messy social life. | Anyone who prefers clean language and zero adult topics. | Humor-leaning advice books read by the authors on audio. |
| Book clubs craving a fun, low-pressure pick with built-in conversation starters. | Readers who dislike listicles, quizzes, or internet slang. | A light, upbeat audiobook for errands and commutes. |
Memorable Bits Without Spoilers
One-Line Mantras
“Laugh, then decide.” This is the spirit that threads through dating decisions, job jitters, and friend drama. The text nudges you to swap knee-jerk doom for a quick giggle plus a simple next action. The result feels like relief on a page. These lines read well aloud and work as sticky notes on a mirror.
Red Flags, Made Simple
Friendship checkpoints come rapid-fire: the pal who only shows up for tears, the party-only pal, the attention magnet, the leech. You get straight talk on spotting patterns and stepping back without turning life into a courtroom. The tone stays candid, not cruel.
Awkward Moments Toolkit
There’s a quick set of scripts for Uber pukes, day-after cringe, and the morning dread that follows. The advice is plain: own it, send a short text, hydrate, move on. No pity party, no spiral. It’s the kind of framing that helps you reset your brain when anxiety tries to run the show.
Work And Money Nerves
Short pages tap on impostor feelings and comparison doom. You’ll see reminders to ship the thing, post the clip, and stop waiting for a perfect mood. The writing never promises a magic fix; it leans on bite-size shifts that stack.
How This Review Weighed Things
What The Book Says It Is
The publisher bills it as a jokey, candid guide from two friends who built an audience on unfiltered banter. That label fits. The strongest parts keep the voice front and center and serve readers who want a laugh with their notes-to-self.
What Readers Will Notice First
Speed. You can jump in anywhere, and the book will still make sense. The journal-like layout lowers the bar to entry; you don’t need long blocks of attention to get a lift. On the flip side, the short sections leave little room for slow, reflective passages.
Net Take
If you want a warm, funny push to set boundaries, meet mess with humor, and keep your days light, this lands. If you want citations and lab-coat rigor, pick a different shelf. Either way, there’s real value in the way the authors model friendship that celebrates wins and calls out nonsense without shame.
Verdict
Four giggles out of five. The voice is crisp, the pacing stays brisk, and the audio adds spark. The book knows its crowd and serves them well. For fans, it’s an instant add. For newcomers, it’s a friendly intro to a duo that treats laughter like a daily vitamin. Keep it nearby for shaky days when you need a laugh and a nudge to start again.
Helpful Links
Peek at the publisher page, read an People excerpt, or sample the audible edition.