How to Giggle: A Guide to Taking Life Less Seriously

by Hannah Berner, Paige DeSorbo

From the wildly popular podcast Giggly Squad, best friends Hannah Berner and Paige DeSorbo share hilarious and heartwarming advice on how to take life a little bit less seriously.

Finding joy and laughter in the mundane can be challenging at times, but Hannah Berner and Paige DeSorbo have mastered the art of not taking life too seriously. Brought together under the bright lights of reality television, these best friends bonded in incredibly intense circumstances. They quickly came to realize that one of the bedrocks of their friendship is their shared experience with social anxiety. As their friendship deepened, they found themselves constantly devolving into laughter, earning them the nickname “The Giggly Squad,” and with that, their superpower—laughing through life’s hardest moments—was born. Their podcast, Giggly Squad, feels like calling your best friend for a long overdue catch-up. No topic is off limits. No subject too small. And, most importantly, nothing is so serious that you can’t find a way to make it seem less scary by poking fun at it.

Genres: Audiobook, Nonfiction, Memoir, Humor, Self Help, Comedy, Biography

208 pages, Hardcover

Published April 15, 2025

Reviews

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is my confession: when i am not reading books, i am watching bravo's summer house.

this book is never really about the show and never names it or any of the people on it, which i imagine was the brainchild of a very smart lawyer who is familiar with the concept of kyle cooke, but it was fun.

i don't listen to the podcast because, while i would give my human life for paige desorbo, i'm not as huge a fan of hannah (this is not a criticism of anyone so don't yell at me). this made me see the appeal. sometimes.

and now that paige left bravo i have to get my fix from somewhere.

so i guess this repetitive and allegedly unpaid-ghostwritten book will do for now.

bottom line: fine! fun, even!

[Brooks Estrada · Rating 5 out of 5]

No notes

[szreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, I finished the book. It was not what I expected, it was better!! The lists, the ad libs, the pictures, the funny chapter titles, the references, the graphics!! I couldn’t get enough. We also have similar bits which was fun haha.

While reading this book my bf asked if I was reading a picture book so I will be taking the books advice and working on decentring men more.

It felt like reading a book written by a friend. Or like having a convo with a friend while reading. My mom and I loved reading and discussing this book together.

This book reminded me of reading a seventeen or J14 magazine or “The Girls' Book: How to Be the Best at Everything” (I loved both).

Random note

WHY WAS BLUE NOT A NAIL OPTION THO


April 15: I only read the back cover and I’m already obsessed. Instagram psychic and cats 🤭

April 13: THEY FINALLY ADDED PAIGE AS AN AUTHOR.. now they just gotta change the fact that it says Hannah has written multiple German books lol

Feb 26:
I plan on reading this cuz I love PAIGE. Speaking of, the fact that Goodreads doesn’t list her as an author… brb while I file a complaint

[Rebecca Vincent · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok let me preface by saying I truly love these two so much. However I don’t think this book needed to exist. It was really all over the place and derails more and more as it goes on. I do think the style of the audiobook narration was really well done. And good for them for getting their $$ from it. Quick easy listen & included in Spotify premium.

[Emily Zavadil · Rating 2 out of 5]

About what I expected. I love Paige and Hannah/Giggly Squad but this felt like a quick cash grab with a lot of reused content.

[Hailli Fanning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, light, and easy read. Written by women in the arts.

[Burgin O’Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

So glad this came across my desk, no notes

[Rachel]

No notes.

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you know me you know I’m a Bravo junkie. Like straight up put it in my veins kind of superfan. My deal with the devil (a/k/a my own self) of not allowing myself to watch any of the Housewives, Below Decks, Summer or Winter Houses without working out while doing so has so far helped me drop 90 pounds. I am not, however, a podcast listener in general and certainly not a “giggler.” (In fact, Hannah was one of the worst parts about Summer House as far as I’m concerned and I celebrated the day she was no longer on there.) I do, however, love all things “bed bug” related and while Amanda Batula will be the one who truly holds the key to my heart, Paige’s snark has always been a perk of the show as well. I should also mention I’m geriatric, so this little “advice” book wasn’t really something I actually needed in my life. But I’m always down for people cashing in on their fame and also for an audiobook to accompany my walks. This was a quick listen with a handful of giggles thrown in to the mix. I could have lived without the constant “women in science/women in STEM” references (proof once again that Hannah is inherently unfunny/doesn’t know that a one-time mention actually might generate a chortle, but using the same line on endless repeat becomes insufferable).

Like nearly all reality stars who experience more than their allotted 15 minutes of fame – these two will eventually lead to their own demise (seems like it may have already started). So get your bag while you can, gals!

[Alycia · Rating 5 out of 5]

No notes. This is perfection. Life advice and giggles all in one, from two badass women. What more could you want in a book?!
Seriously, all women (and honestly, most men) should read this book whether you’re a Giggler or not. Just do it.

[Lauren Hardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

No notes. We support women in the arts.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love these two so much lmao. 5 star narration, 4 star formatting.

[Kellyn Kunkle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am such a giggler but this was an expensive let down money grab :( had so much potential but ended up just being lists of random things on random topics and repeated the same sentences and ideas over and over. Some moments of fun, recalled stories and insights into life, but mostly surface level. Disappointed and was soo hard to continue to read :(

[Katherine Aylesworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven’t watched Summer House or listened to their podcast, but TikTok keeps serving them up, knowing their humour is right up my alley. This is such a quick, easy read—I love their friendship, but more importantly, I’m heeding their invaluable warning about men.

[Amanda Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Huge fan of women in the arts

[heather | booksbyheath]

Obsessed & would read again & again & again

[Paige Fulkerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe this 5 star is biased bc I am obsessed with Paige&Hannah&giggly squad, but the book is so authentically them and has such a good balance of silliness / fun sections and also chapters that made me feel like a very empowered woman. I love having them as role models and I love being a giggler!

[Mary Claire D'Arrigo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think i would have liked this at 22 but this was a blatant cash grab that felt like one long ad. Also, i’ve listened to Giggly Squad most weeks for years and this is the least funny they’ve ever been. Would not recommend

[Celeste Velocci (bookrecs_by_celeste)]

This one had me giggling! I throughly enjoyed it and found myself laughing out loud multiple times. I love listening to a nonfiction read so when I saw this audiobook I said sign me up! I’m a fan of these two from the world of Bravo and stand up comedy. It was relatable , real, and enjoyable. I recommend if you are looking for a fun read to laugh your way through life with!

[Brooke Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, easy and feel good read. Love to support women in the arts✨

[Lauren]

I’ve been thinking about this book since listening to it, debating on telling my thoughts. (Also I love how the slight change from “book” to “audiobook” is made in the text when the book is referenced.)

I love Paige and Hannah, I would consider myself a Giggler and I enjoy their content so much that I started watching Summer House. However, this audiobook fell a bit flat, which is so hard for me to say as a supporter of “women in the arts”. I know I should take this book as it is, a light-hearted read, but I so wish it went deeper into them and their lives. Ie: “red flags about men” covered some generic words of advice, and lightly touched on Paige’s ex (who I can only assume is Perry) and I sooo wanted to hear more! I think they both have great insight into doing things that aren’t easy or comfortable, and how they’ve navigated their come to fame. Unfortunately this book didn’t give any of that, it felt very safe and lacked authenticity besides their coined phrases and “bits”.

I think reading this book instead of listening to the audiobook might have been different for me since I do see in these reviews the images were a great addition. I do think these girls have so much to tell and I hope they both get solo memoir deals at some point.

[Ellie Pepper · Rating 5 out of 5]

No notes lol - so fun, girl coded, inspiring & relatable. I love these two but they really are such healthy and cool role models, I want to be their friend. Similar to tinx's book or like a girl coded Mel Robbin's. Def recco!

[Beyond_thebindings]

Good for 20 year olds and maybe 30 year olds who are still trying to figure out dating and their career goals.

[Madeline Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haven’t gotten this book in the mail yet, but wanted to be the first review haha! Anyways will update once I receive the book and read!

[Ames · Rating 5 out of 5]

Supporting woman in the arts 😌

[Rachael Sage · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate to say it bc love them, but this felt like a money grab and very juvenile. There’s a reason why people write books later in their career/life. I think this would be a good read for someone in their early twenties maybe?

[Kelsey Darragh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a fun good time 💕

[Rae Bar · Rating 5 out of 5]

No notes. 💁🏼‍♀️ Perfect book for a guest room bedside table.

[Staci Curry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listen ones to this one as an audio book! Def recommend for this book because it is narrated by Paige and Hannah. Made me laugh just as much as if I was listening to their podcast!

[gretch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did I rate this on the same scale I use to assess books on Goodreads? Obviously not, but I couldn’t call myself a giggler if I gave this anything other than 5 stars.

This was SO CUTE and surpassed my expectations! I was a little nervous it would be the same content from the lives shows but it was totally unique and such a fun read. Nothing too serious, but so fun. Perfect quick lil airplane or beach read (or nail salon Kindle app on your phone read which is how I got through the first 45%).