Advice No One Asked For: Essays

by Jenny Hagel

From the Emmy–nominated comedian who created “the best segment in late night” (Vulture) comes this hilarious and practical collection of advice for how to live your best life in love, at work, and in comedy. You’d think with a résumé like Jenny Hagel’s—being a writer/performer for Late Night with Seth Meyers, and head writer/EP of The Amber Ruffin Show—she would describe her greatest accomplishment as something like sharing the stage with Hillary Clinton, or the six times she was nominated for an Emmy. Yet, for Jenny, landing a joke or going to a fancy award show pales in comparison to her true giving people advice. Jenny is so obsessed with (addicted to?) offering unsolicited wisdom that she runs a sold-out live show in New York City called, appropriately, Jenny Hagel Gives Advice. With her debut essay collection, Jenny sets out to backseat drive for as many unwitting strangers as possible. The result is a heartfelt and funny journey through a list of life-changing recommendations, wear black when you travel, buy an analog watch, and just because you can go into the monkey enclosure while visiting Honduras doesn’t mean that you should.

Genres: Nonfiction, Essays, Memoir, Humor, Audiobook

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 2, 2026

Reviews

[Lexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I expected funny, but I didn’t expect how heartfelt these essays were. I found myself snort-laughing and feeling seen throughout each topic. While not all of them applied to me, I still found the essays on these topics interesting and poignant.

I also wasn’t expecting the educational aspect to some of these. I found “Are You Funny” especially interesting with its gender and status lens. I found myself learning a lot about the art of comedy and the work that goes into it. While I’ve always appreciated comedy, I always thought comedians were just naturally funny because they made the jokes look effortless. Lots of trashed jokes happened before I ever saw/heard/enjoyed the jokes and that was so remarkable to me.

Seriously, check out this collection for practical advice on many topics that…you didn’t ask for.

Book recommendation for fans of:
🗒️ funny and tender essays
🗒️ getting advice you didn’t ask for
🗒️ learning and laughing

[Cari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I could not put it down. Hagel was a writer for Seth Meyers and Amber Ruffin, and these essays are hilarious. In addition to giving us the advice we didn't ask for (pro tip - if you have cats, don't invite people over until you know they're not allergic), Hagel reminisces about realizing she was gay, her marriage and how it ended, and her journey with IVF. My favorite essay was the one about procrastination - how Hagel realized she lost so much time by not admitting to herself she was attracted to women, and then how she realized she could have had her son so much sooner if she hadn't waited so long to have him. Hagel also writes about comedy and how certain jokes will land depending on the temperature, time of day, and/or composition of the joke itself. It's a great read.

I got a complimentary review copy from Edelweiss. I promise I didn't pirate this book.

[ScarlettAnomalyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to read things like this all the time as a teen and a older young adult, but it's been awhile. However seeing this one, I felt that old urge to dive back into something similar but that had gotten older like I had, this hit the spot.

I loved these essays, it wasn't just some funny haha comedian stuff, this was actually thoughtful and well done, heartfelt and I felt my eyes prickle on a few of these.

The little tid-bits of wisdom dropped through here go from funny to serious as she talks about her marriage, her struggles and figuring out herself and sexuality.

I really enjoyed this, not everything applied to me, I'm not a mom or comedian but these were such real little looks into life that I enjoyed it anyway and learned some things I hadn't thought about previously.

Thanks Gallery, this was good.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed Jenny's advice and her great sense of humor, this is one I'll add to my bookcase and refer back to when I need a boost OR sensible advice.
Thanks Jenny!

[Macy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, funny, actually some good advice

[Rachel Hutchins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It is uniquely funny, warm, vulnerable, wise, thoughtful, and very fun to read! The essays blend comedic memoir with real, actionable advice. Highly recommend!

[Paola Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my very first essay collection, and I absolutely loved it!

Honestly, it wasn’t what I expected at all — in the best possible way. One of my favorite things was how many times Puerto Rico was mentioned throughout the book.

I was laughing from the very first pages, but I also found so much food for thought and a lot of advice that really resonated with me.

I couldn’t stop tabbing advices throughout the book!

A really enjoyable, engaging, and thoughtful read.

[Holly Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a delight to read.

[Brittney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Advice No One Asked For • Jenny Hagel

One phrase: unsolicited advice, but make it funny 🗒️😂

I expected this to be funny, but I did not expect it to be so heartfelt too.

Advice No One Asked For is a collection of essays from Jenny Hagel, a comedy writer and performer who fully admits she loves giving advice whether anyone asked for it or not. And honestly? I was here for it.

This book covers everything from friendship, procrastination, language learning, motherhood, comedy, identity, aging, and all the random life lessons that somehow become both hilarious and weirdly useful.

Not every essay applied directly to me, but I still found myself entertained, charmed, and occasionally feeling very called out. Hagel writes with so much wit, honesty, and warmth that even when the advice was not technically for me, I still wanted to keep listening.

What surprised me most was how much I learned, especially in the essays about comedy. “Are You Funny?” was such a standout for me. I loved the way it explored humor through gender, status, timing, and the actual work behind making something look effortless.

Because apparently comedians do not just magically appear fully formed and hilarious?

Rude. I wanted to believe in the magic.

But learning how many jokes get trashed before the good ones ever reach an audience made me appreciate comedy even more.

This collection made me snort laugh, think, and feel seen in little unexpected ways. It is practical, personal, and full of advice I absolutely did not ask for but was happy to receive.

✨ Tropes and vibes:
🗒️ funny essays
😂 snort laugh moments
💛 heartfelt reflections
🎤 comedy behind the scenes
🧠 practical life advice
👀 unsolicited wisdom
📚 memoir style storytelling
✨ learning while laughing
💬 candid voice
🥹 charming anecdotes

📚 Read this if you like:
Funny essay collections, memoir adjacent nonfiction, comedy writing, heartfelt life advice, honest storytelling, and books that make you laugh while casually teaching you something.

This was witty, warm, thoughtful, and proof that sometimes the best advice really is the advice no one asked for.

#AdviceNoOneAskedFor #JennyHagel #EssayCollection #NonfictionBooks #BookReview @Gallery

[Rae | The Finer Things Club CA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenny Hagel—a comedy writer and performer who has toured with Second City and worked on 𝘓𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘚𝘦𝘵𝘩 𝘔𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴 and 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘙𝘶𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘸—loves giving advice. She admits she is not qualified to do so, but it is her pleasure and her addiction. Her book 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘕𝘰 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘈𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘍𝘰𝘳 is a collection of essays in which she provides suggestions on a variety of subjects while also sharing snippets of her life story. Topics include, but are not limited to: learning another language, giving birth, overcoming procrastination, making and keeping friends, constructing and delivering jokes, and appreciating your 40s. Since she is writing from the unique viewpoint of a gay, Gen X, and half-Puerto Rican/half-white entertainer and mom of a middle-schooler, occasionally the advice will be irrelevant for some readers, but Hagel writes with such wit, candor, and unpretentiousness that you will at the very least be amused and charmed by her anecdotes.

4.5 stars rounded up. I recommend 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘕𝘰 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘈𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘍𝘰𝘳 for fans of humorous non-fiction, especially those who enjoyed the comedic memoirs of Amber Ruffin, Mindy Kaling, and Tina Fey. Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Lisa Eggershausen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great storytelling, especially in Jenny's own voice in the audiobook. So funny, and also interesting and warm and encouraging.

"at some point in everyone's life, they're gonna have two Wednesdays in a row. And when they do, if you want to be there for them, you don't have to do something perfect. Just do something."

An example of just doing something:

"I'm so sorry your dog died. In his honor, I will spend all day licking peanut butter off a spoon."

🥰

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5 stars)

Thanks to Gallery Books for my gifted physical ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I first encountered Jenny Hagel on Seth Meyers’s show, doing the “Jokes Seth Can’t Tell” segment with him and Amber Ruffin. I jumped at the chance to read Jenny’s book and I am so glad I did! While the title does contain the word “advice,” this is much more of a memoir-in-essays than a self-help book. Jenny is of course funny, she’s relatable, and the book covers both silly and serious topics in an enjoyable, conversational tone. I had a great time learning more about Jenny and her background, and I especially recommend this book to readers who are already fans of hers, or of comedy in general.

Audio thoughts: I loved this as an audiobook and highly recommend that format! The only drawback is that there are visual gags and charts in the book, but Jenny does describe them to the reader in the audio version. Still, it was fun to refer to my physical copy to see what she was talking about.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, my therapist suggested I write reviews of the books I read because I said I felt isolated when I go through my reading binges. Fair enough.

Jenny Hagel gives legitimately good advice, even if it boils down to "don't be a jerk", which is unfortunately not obvious to everyone.

I loved the seemingly random "Hackensack" by Fountains of Wayne shoutout.

[Cwelshhans · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific mix of funny and heartfelt, much like Jenny herself, which makes the writing authentic

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Libby