Tiny Pep Talks: Bite-Size Encouragement for Life's Annoying, Stressful, and Flat-Out Lousy Moments

by Paula Skaggs, Josh Linden

Overview

A USA Today Best Seller

“It’s like a book version of online therapy.”—Brian Boone, Vulture

Two comedians offer hilarious encouragement for your most mundane struggles.

Anybody can tell you “You can do it!” before the big job interview, or before you walk down the aisle, or before you blast off on the first human-powered mission to Mars. But who’s going to gas you up for all of life’s low-stakes situations when you need an extra push?

Comedians Paula Skaggs and Josh Linden are here to cheerlead you through your daily challenges. You’ll find specific, constructive, and—most of all—very funny motivation for:

• Sending a scary email (if you died and came back as a ghost, wouldn't it suck if this was your unfinished business?)
• Getting through a breakup (did you know the grocery store will sell you a cake on any day for any reason?)
• Remembering that all your friends are not secretly mad at you (they're busy worrying all their friends are secretly mad at them)
• ...and many more!

If you’re going through it, have ever gone through it, or will maybe go through it in the future, let Tiny Pep Talks give you the boost you need.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781683694441
Publisher:	Quirk Publishing
Publication date:	11/19/2024
Series:	Tiny Pep Talks , #1
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	4.50(w) x 6.10(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Paula Skaggs and Josh Linden are Chicago-based writers, comedians, cocreators of the game No Wrong Answers: Cards for Better Conversations, and cohosts of Being Earnest (A Very Sincere Podcast).

Read an Excerpt

For When It’s Time to Get Off the Couch and Go to Bed

     Okay, buster—the jig is up.
     It’s past your bedtime, yet here you are: on the couch, barely awake, with no intention of getting up and going to bed.
     This is a classic case of Newton’s first law of motion: objects at rest stay on the couch. We have a suspicion that you’re scrolling on your phone while somehow also mindlessly watching a show you’ve already lost interest in, simply because the gravitational pull of the couch is too strong. So you need to make getting up and into bed as easy as possible.
     Here’s what you’re going to do (and what we’re confident you can do): get up and go to bed.
     And here’s what you’re not going to do (and what we’re confident you wouldn’t have done anyway): anything else beyond that.
     Too tired to wash your face? We’ll worry about it tomorrow! Don’t want to brush your teeth? Molars aren’t that useful anyway! Too sleepy to put on PJs? Your jeans are plenty comfy!
     The one and only goal right now is to get into your bed. We know you can get there. Because the alternative is waking up in the middle of the night, confused, with a crick in your neck and a sinking feeling that you should have just gotten up and gone to bed in the first place. Then Newton wins, and nobody wants that.

Editorial Reviews

Handling even serious subjects with a touch of sass, Tiny Pep Talks feels like an afternoon spent with your favorite vodka aunty who’s always had your best interests at heart.”—BookPage

“This book’s vivid and welcoming layout contributes to the motivational vibe found in its pages. Recommended for readers needing inspiration for confronting common but still daunting situations.”—Erica Swenson Danowitz, Library Journal

“Perfect for someone going through a hard time or a big life change, or anyone who could use a pocket-size hype man.”—BookTrib

“It’s like a book version of online therapy.”—Brian Boone, Vulture

From the Publisher

10/01/2024

Comedians and card game creators Skaggs and Linden (cohosts of the podcast Being Earnest) use their comedic talents to provide short "pep talks" to assist readers in tackling life's everyday challenges and predicaments. The authors offer more than 80 pep talks for a variety of situations that might arise at home, in social settings, in the workplace, or on the dating scene. No topic is too big or too small, including asking for forgiveness, cutting back on coffee, using dating apps, getting dumped, experiencing insomnia, trying to parallel park, running late, singing karaoke in public, and contemplating rage quitting. Most of the pep talks are in essay format, but there are also haikus, crossword puzzles, and customizable "DIY" talks that resemble a game of Mad Libs. The authors employ a humorous tone with most of the topics, but they also provide valuable advice, especially when addressing grieving. Skaggs and Linden acknowledge that they're not trained psychologists but two people who use humor to face life's challenges, whether mundane or more emotional, with a positive outlook. VERDICT This book's vivid and welcoming layout contributes to the motivational vibe found in its pages. Recommended for readers needing inspiration for confronting common but still daunting situations.—Erica Swenson Danowitz

Library Journal