With her just-right combination of sensitivity, vulnerability, and hilarity, comedian and podcaster Alicia Tobin has won fans among the biggest names in contemporary comedy, from Paul F. Tompkins to Rob Delaney. In her prose debut, the host of Retail Nightmares and Super! Sick! Podcast! takes readers through the funniest parts of sadness and the saddest parts of funniness. While tackling topics ranging from advice on how to be depressed at Christmas to traumatic memories of Velcro shoes, from Vancouver's inexplicable combination of grey rain and palm trees to Montreal's brutal winters and mime couture, from new crushes to old breakups, Tobin softens a barbed wit with a gentle touch in the tradition of the best personal essayists. This frank, tender, and hilarious collection gives one of the brightest (and darkest) lights of Canadian live comedy room to flourish on the page, and the results are unforgettable. Grab a tissue - for either tears or allergies - and treat yourself.

So You're a Little Sad, So What? is the latest title to be published under the Robin's Egg Books imprint. Robin's Egg Books features some of the freshest, smartest, and above all funniest writing on a variety of culturally relevant subjects. Titles in the imprint are curated and edited by comedian, playwright, and author Charles Demers.

Alicia Tobin is a comedian and writer living and working in Vancouver. She is the co-host of two popular podcasts, Retail Nightmares and Super! Sick! Podcast! and the creator of Alicia Tobin's Come Draw with Me, a live, entirely improvised comedy show that has been featured in a number of comedy festivals. She loves baked goods, animals, friendship and her miniature poodle, Hank Tobin. So You're a Little Sad, So What? is her first book.

Alicia Tobin's profile page

In this debut collection of essays, comedian Tobin paints the Canada of her upbringing and adulthood in vivid color. She brings light to darkness by writing about the most tender spots of her existence - breakups, her parents' separation, eviction, and grief - with great humility and sharp wit ... With this collection, a bright light of the stand-up comedy realm proves herself equally luminous on the page. -Booklist

Alicia Tobin doesn't use humour to deflect feelings, but rather to engage with them in a deeper and more profound way. Many of her funniest moments create space to digest challenging and difficult moments as easily as finishing off a pint of Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream all by yourself. -The Tyee

Whether rescuing injured pigeons, hijacking a Macho Man competition (with cheese slices, no less) or exposing the often brutal world of stand-up comedy and the class distinctions that lie between rolled ham and carrot sticks, Alicia Tobin is funny, sad, smart, and endearing. She is also fearless, frank, vulnerable, completely original, and did I mention funny? The world needs more Tobin! -Will Ferguson, three-time winner of the Leacock Medal for Humour

Bold, beautifully written, and irreverent. Whether you laugh out loud or cry in quiet, this book has got you covered. A wonderful glimpse into the mind and heart of a comedic genius. -Kid Koala

Alicia Tobin has always been funny, brilliant, silly, sharp, surprising, and kind. Now she is all of those things but written down. I am thrilled about this book. -Paul F. Tompkins

Like Tobin's comedy, the book is funny in big ways and small, quiet ones. There are laugh-out-loud revelations, stories, and anecdotes, but there are also countless moments of gentle hilarity, wry observations, and fun weird jokes about animal butts. You can feel her heartbeat on every page, whether she's writing about city animals or mental health, chronic illness or sexism in the local standup scene, working retail or her personal relationships. -Georgia Straight