Sh*ts & Giggles

by Amy Martin

Did your first breastfeeding experience feel astonishingly unnatural? Are you guilty of audibly swearing when your child’s strep test is negative? Have you taken a potty-training child to Disney World or tried to reason with an embryonic frontal lobe (a.k.a. teenager)? And have you ever taken a quiz to determine what kind of mom you are…and lied on the quiz? If you answered yes to any of the previous questions or want to laugh at someone who went six for six, then welcome to Sh*ts & Giggles.

From delivery room to dorm room, this collection of unfiltered humor essays—think Lord of the Flies meets Dan Gets a Minivan—spills the dirty little secrets of motherhood. Told from Amy’s perspective as both a first-time and seasoned mother over two decades, these hindsight epiphanies are a brief comedic escape for mothers while they momentarily hide from their children (typically while in their car or on the toilet). Juxtaposed against many of her husband’s glamorous experiences as a professional athlete, Amy’s less-than-glamorous realities as a mother are universally relatable. No matter who you are or what you face, raising children is nonsensical, yet hilarious, as long as the greatest tool in the maternal arsenal is heavily relied laughing in the face of the absurd.

Ridiculous but true subjects include President George and First Lady Barbara Bush’s postpartum barbecue, a spousal drowning by breastmilk, vomit vs. the Royal Family, a LaGuardia Airport Delta Lounge ban, Norovirus-inspired décor à la the Australian Open, college applications with a side of bourbon, an inadvertent indecent proposal to a FedEx driver, and teaching a child to drive armed only with Depends and the soothing sounds of maternal panic.

Confessions and chutzpah reign supreme through Amy’s pee-in-your-pants lessons and escapades. So enjoy this Jane Austen-like literary journey . . . if Jane had children . . . in the twenty-first century . . . and had no chance of being appreciated posthumously.

HALF OF NET PROCEEDS GO TO GOLF FIGHTS CANCER (GOLFFIGHTSCANCER.ORG) AND TOM COUGHLIN JAY FUND (TCJAYFUND.ORG)

209 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 20, 2025

About the author

Amy couldn't read until second grade and stupidly didn't take a single writing course in college. However, lack of development and formal training didn't preclude her from achieving esteemed literary accolades, including the 1989 Sparta Junior High School Young Writer's Award, a 1992 recipient of an abysmal SAT verbal score, and a 1995 dyslexia diagnosis (this explained a lot).

Reviews

[Cash Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

You NEED to read this. Regardless of your gender or stage in life, this collection of irreverent retrospective comedies can & will grasp the attention of anyone who’s lucky enough to read a page. Very excited that Amy’s unique voice is finally commercially available—she’s sure to crack you up. Her quick wit, broad vernacular, and *vivid* imagery make for an unmissable read.

[Miriam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this a librarything giveaway. It is a series of very funny essays about motherhood. Some place had me nodding and saying “been there” and others had me chuckling out loud. Recommended for mothers of all ages.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a hilarious outlook on motherhood and parenting. I laughed out loud reading it and regularly hollered for Josh so I could read aloud sections to him. Quite fun and enjoyable to read. Short essays that were easy to finish and then go answer a child before reading another. There is language, as seen by the title, but it was still a fun romp

[Kristen Hintz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laugh out loud funny

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sh*ts and Giggles is my first experience with Amy Martin's writing. I have to say that it will not be the last. I laughed so hard all throughout the book. I definitely found the book to be relatable. It felt so good to get away from the stresses of life and parenting and have a much needed good laugh. I loved it. It was hilarious and readers will not want to miss it.

I am giving Sh*ts and Giggles five stars. I highly recommend it for moms who are looking for some laughs relating to parenting. I would love to read more like this one from Amy Martin in the future.



I received a paperback copy of Amy Martin's Sh*ts and Giggles from the publisher, but was not required to write a review, nor a positive one. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
Amy Martin

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not a mom or a mom-to-be, yet I appreciated Amy Martin's endless hilarious anecdotes about motherhood. It was refreshing to read that motherhood isn't all about living Hollywood Hallmark moments. She details the realities of breastfeeding, the beyond disgusting times, of which there are many, and the traumatic teen years with sharp humour. You may as well laugh, or all you'll do is cry. I like that she never let us forget that her celebrity husband traveled a lot. 😏 She keeps it real throughout. Also, 5*s for the fantastic illustrations!
I won this in a LibraryThing giveaway for my Little Free Library. #Verobeachlittlefreelibrary