Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered by Karen Kilgariff, Georgia Hardstark

Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered

by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

The Sunday Times bestselling debut from Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, the voices behind the #1 hit podcast My Favorite Murder!

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 podcasting world.

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.

"My Favorite Murder started as a way for Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark to work through their fears. Now it's a worldwide community.... Even its darkest moments are lightened by Karen and Georgia's effortlessly funny banter and genuine empathy." - RollingStone.com



Praise for My Favorite Murder:
"Wildly popular.... In many ways, the subversive charm of [My Favorite Murder] is today's answer to riot grrrl, the D.I.Y. feminist punk movement of the 1990s." -The New York Times

"[My Favorite Murder] empowers listeners by offering practical advice for survival and self-care and by using comedy to deflate the scariness of these topics." -TheAtlantic.com

"Morbid [and] mirthful." -Entertainment Weekly

"Truly next-level.... hilarious, brutally honest, and totally addicting." -Nylon.com

"Wildly entertaining." -Refinery29

"One of the most successful podcasts in history." -TheWashingtonPost.com



Known for her biting wit and musical prowess, Karen Kilgariff 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 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.

Reviewed by Stephanie on

5 of 5 stars

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This review was originally posted on Once Upon a Chapter



I have to admit I was a bit confused when I started reading Stay Sexy & Don't Get Murdered by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. I was expecting more of a linear biography but it's more a collection of stories.

The formatting truly didn't detract from the book one bit! There is so much raw emotion and honesty in this book. It's amazing how much life experience these two have to share....and are willing to share.

Their passion and personalities definitely shine through on the page. I was pissed off and terrified during the photo shoot, cried with Karen (audio version) as she did a live reading about her relationship with her sister, and felt complete helplessness learning what loving and caring for someone with Alzheimer's is like for family caregivers.

While it wasn't quite the book I expected it to be, it is definitely a book that I will probably listen to over and over when I need to be reminded that we are all human, we all make mistakes, and those mistakes don't define us forever.





I've become a little leery of the Woman's Murder Club. The 19th Abduction by Maxine Paetro and James Patterson was okay. Frankly I feel like we don't really spend any time with the characters anymore. It is all 100% plot driven, which isn't a bad thing, but it isn't my thing.

Basically, I feel like the Women's Murder Club is the book equivalent of a certain fast driving family unit movie franchise. I'm always entertained but the story doesn't stick with me past the time spent reading. I don't really care about the characters anymore and I've stopped expecting to be blown away by them.

I also need to remind myself that these are books that are best borrowed from the library and save my $15.





Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep is the first book I've ever read by this author. I really enjoyed it! It was light hearted enough that I didn't get overly wrapped up in it but also involved enough that I didn't want to set it aside.

I loved the paranormal elements to this story and really felt that they blended seamlessly into the storyline. The world of Cloudburst Falls doesn't seem any different from our current day so when the mention of monsters came about I had to readjust my thinking.

I really enjoyed the story and the banter. When I listen to audiobooks though I catch phrases being used over and over and over again. I don't catch it as often as when I'm reading but hearing it out loud seems to make more of an impact. In this particular instance it was that people "snarked" a lot. I didn't even know that was a verb! :)

Regardless I really enjoyed this book and I'm glad to have a new YA series to dive into.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 9 June, 2019: Finished reading
  • 9 June, 2019: Reviewed
  • Started reading
  • 9 June, 2019: Finished reading
  • 9 June, 2019: Reviewed