From Sh*tshow to Afterglow

Putting Life Back Together When It All Falls Apart

By: Ariel Meadow Stallings

Narrated by: Ariel Meadow Stallings

Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's Summary

Rebound after loss, grief, and the other cruel crises life throws your way with this irreverent guide - the perfect anti-self-help book.

Sometimes your foundation crumbles. Sometimes you realize there wasn't a foundation to begin with. Maybe your relationship ended in a breakup or divorce, or you lost your job, or a loved one died. Whatever crisis showed up to screw with you, it brought everything else crashing down, and suddenly life became confusing, disorienting, out of control. A total shit show. You. Need. Help.

Therein lies the problem: Traditional self-help guides just aren't for you. You're an individualist, an iconoclast, a follow-your-own-drumbeat kind of person. The typical sunshine-and-rainbows, "live your best life!" books in the "personal growth" aisle aren't going to speak to your worldview - you need an embrace-your-weirdness vision for growth and rebuilding.

Enter Ariel Meadow Stallings, who has experienced a few life catastrophes of her own and emerged from them with newfound clarity and strength. In From Sh!tshow to Afterglow, she offers a lifeline of support and outside-the-box thinking for times of crisis and confusion, sharing plenty of tactical tips for getting your shit together. Along the way, she never lets listeners forget that sometimes a life has to be taken apart before it can be put back together better than ever.

Without sugar-coating how deeply it sucks to have your world shattered, From Sh!tshow to Afterglow gives listeners a reassuring plan to for putting the pieces back together and emerging stronger than ever.

©2020 Ariel Meadow Stallings (P)2020 Seal Press

Critic Reviews

"Look: I'm not saying anything bad will happen to you, but if it does, From Sh!tshow to Afterglow is the only book you'll want to see on the bedside table. Ariel Meadow Stallings is no-bullshit - and all kinds of funny, frank, and smart. I'm glad this book exists to help readers pick up the pieces" (Sarah Knight, New York Times best-selling author of Calm the F*ck Down)

"This is the perfect book for anyone who's been metaphorically thrown from the horse of life. With intense honesty and wit, Ariel Meadow Stallings guides us through the darkest shadows of her (and our own) fears while sprinkling in just the right amount of scientific research and practical tips in every chapter." (Buster Benson, author of Why Are We Yelling)

"Ariel Meadow Stallings' compassionate insights, wicked sense of humor, and sharp, self-deprecating writing make this book a balm to soothe even the most raging of shitshows. Deftly addressing the mental, physical, and metaphysical impacts of trauma and heartbreak, From Sh!tshow to Afterglow is a raw, honest, and accessible tool for healing in these wildly uncertain times." (Kristen J. Sollée, author of Witches, Sluts, Feminists)

"A much needed book for anyone who has ever dealt with loss at any level. Ariel is the friend with the exact advice and reassurance you've been searching for. You'll laugh, cry, and finally feel at peace with life's constant changes that are out of our control." (Samantha Matt, author of Average is the New Awesome)

Self help served with a side of sass

I can't even remember the last time I wrote a book review, so you know the fact that I'm doing this means this memoir/self help tome had a pretty profound impact on my life! This book is a delicious mix of Pema Chodron-on-a-Harley spirituality and sass, bestie in your pocket real talk and wisdom, and cozy "you are held and loved by the universe and it's ok to feel all the feels" comfort.

Released in a moment when we are all going through our collective shitshow (hi, COVID-I see you), narrator and creatrix Ariel Meadow Stallings takes us on a journey through one of the hardest years of her life as her marriage of 18 years dissolves and she confronts limiting beliefs, trauma, worthiness, and a whole plethora of other outstandingly hard to tackle topics head on. Despite the heaviness of these topics, the author somehow manages to make us laugh, snark, and take ourselves just a little bit less seriously in the process-thereby making for a super enjoyable read. This book reminded me of a mix between Glennon Doyle's Untamed and {insert your favorite personal development book here}, and I found myself savoring it chapter by chapter because I didn't want it to end.

Other added bonuses-my chief complaint with audio books is often the narrator, but I found myself thinking that whoever she was, she had absolutely nailed the comedic timing and most dramatic moments of the book. When I went to check out the heck she was, I was surprised (and also not surprised at all) to see that it was narrated by the author herself.

Overall, you cannot go wrong in buying this book-no matter where you are in your life, there is something in here for everyone.-promise! Best book I've read in a long time :)

So good!

Awww I just finished listening and I am so touched and inspired. Ariels writing is so magical. She literally got me through my own shit show as I followed along her journey on Instagram. You are even luckier because you have the opportunity to read this book as you go though yours.

Honest talk for the modern gal

Ariel says it EXACTLY as it is. When your Shitshow gets real, or you need to recover from a Shitshow hangover, she is your gal.
Read by Ariel which brings the extra touch to really feeling and digging deep when dealing with life's curveball, earthquake and tornado all wrapped up in the Shitshow.

A must read!

I love this book so much! So entertaining and funny while at the same time providing such helpful insights to moving through a breakdown. I got so much out of this book and really enjoyed it. Highly recommend!