New York Times bestselling author Ann Leary offers a literary feast of humor and wisdom told from the perspective of a recovering people pleaser.

On Sale June 4, 2024

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About Ann

Ann Leary is the New York Times bestselling author of a memoir and four previous novels, including The Good House, which was recently adapted as a film starring Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Kline. Her work has been translated into eighteen languages and she has written for the New York TimesPloughshares, National Public Radio, Redbook and Real Simple, among other publications.

About I've Tried Being Nice

Having arrived at a certain age (her prime), Ann Leary casts a wry backward glance at a life spent trying—and often failing—to be nice. With wit and surprising candor, Leary recounts the bedlam of home bat invasions, an obsession with online personality tests, and the mortification of taking ballroom dance lessons with her actor husband. She describes hilarious red-carpet fiascos and other observations from the sidelines of fame, while also touching upon her more poignant struggles with alcoholism, her love for her family, her dogs, and so much more.

Praise for Ann's Books

“[A] winning essay collection…The humor lands and the lithe prose elevates Leary’s musings on life’s mundanities. This is a gem.”

—Publishers Weekly (starred) on
I’ve Tried Being Nice

“Leary is such a virtuoso...Book clubs, uncork your bottles.” 

—The New York Times on
 The Foundling

“One of the best works of Massachusetts fiction in recent memory.” 

—Boston Magazine on
The Good House 

“[Leary’s] candid essays invite readers to laugh and cry along with her… She fluidly guides us through her thought processes, while finding humor and displaying a refreshing vulnerability. A humorous and honest tale of a woman and her struggle as a people-pleaser.”

Kirkus Reviews on
I've Tried Being Nice

Ann Leary is a damn delight. Reading this book was like curling up on the couch with an honest, hilarious, sane friend. Not too sane, though - just the perfect amount... Read this book!

—Glennon Doyle, author of #1 New York Times Bestseller Untamed, Founder of Together Rising on
I’ve Tried Being Nice

"An irresistible teenage narrator and the jaw-dropping caper she pulls off make this novel a kick."

People Magazine