Review: Binge by Tyler Oakley

Binge By Tyler Oakley

Published: October 20th 2015 by Gallery Books

Number of Pages: 303 Pages (Hardcover)

Series: No

   Pop culture phenomenon, social rights advocate, and the most prominent LGBTQ+ voice on YouTube, Tyler Oakley brings you his first collection of witty, personal, and hilarious essays written in the voice that’s earned him more than 10 million followers across social media. (goodreads.com)

Check him out online!
YouTube Channel
Twitter: @tyleroakley

“I was taught that being myself was not only okay, but encouraged - and by being unapologetically yourself, you thrive and inspire others to thrive.”

   Binge by Tyler Oakley is a honest and intimate look behind the scenes of what we don't get to see each week on YouTube, through tweets or pictures on Instagram. Throughout Binge the reader is guided through all sorts of different stories taken straight from Tyler's life, from childhood stories up until 2015. As always, he is unapologetic about who he is and what he's been through so far in life and isn't afraid to share and talk about many different things, including his father's reaction to him being gay, his eating disorder or the dark time he faced back in 2014.

   As someone who watches YouTubers will a burning passion, I can safely say that sometimes you find yourself thinking that these people you watch, that they lead the perfect, happy, successful life free of concerns and problems, because all you get to see are these perfectly edited 3-10 minute videos. Binge proves that there are actual humans behind these videos, that Tyler went through lots of things to be where he is today.

“When life throws a wrench in your plans, catch it and build an IKEA bookshelf.”

   I love the fact that, because Tyler himself wrote Binge, his brilliant personality and sense of humor transcends through the pages flawlessly. If you happen to listen to the audiobook, like I did even though I also have a physical copy of it, the fun is even greater because you get to listen to Tyler read you the book.

   Binge is very informative and interesting, no matter if you already know him through YouTube or stumbled across the book on accident at the bookstore. There are many things you can learn through the stories Tyler tells, and also through the different themes discussed. Tyler shows that being gay is okay, awesome even, nothing one has to be ashamed of, which I think is something many kids and teens could find useful while they face trying to figure out their sexuality.

   Furthermore it also shows that although being a YouTuber might seem like such an easy job from the outside, it's actually just like any other job, too. You still have stress and pressure, the fear of letting people down, of not delivering what others might want to see, that you have to always be better and better, do more and more, even to a point where you just feel exhausted beyond all measures. I think it's amazing that Tyler felt brave enough to talk about this, that being a YouTuber can sometimes even be scary when attending conventions after you reach a certain number of subscribers, which I am quite sure not many people think about.

“Every relationship ends, unless one doesn't. And everything we've learned from the relationships leading up to that last one has been the training we needed to make that final one last.”

   As I mentioned before, Binge talks about hard things like Tyler's eating disorder, dark thoughts and even abusive relationships, many things that I'm sure were not easy for him to go back to and discuss in a book for everybody to read. Nonetheless I think it's important and valuable that he did because now, whoever might read Binge, might learn the importance of asking for help, seeking out what makes you unhappy and fixing it, but also that sometimes love isn't enough to excuse another person's behavior toward you.

“Sometimes doing what's right for your conscience is not always the most popular decision, but I can guarantee that in retrospect you won't regret the choice you made.”

   But personally, my favorite thing about Binge was the fact that I now feel like I actually know Tyler, despite the fact that I've unfortunately never met him before. Through the way Tyler narrates Binge you feel like you're sitting right next to him over a coffee listening to him tell it to you personally, which is great.

   The best things you can take away from this book are such things like the value of taking chances, the importance of pushing beyond our comfort levels, dusting ourselves off after humiliations, and remaining open to the life, feelings and possibilities that are happening while we are busy either chasing success or trying to outrun our fears. Thank you, Tyler.

   All in all, Binge is a very honest and apologetic novel showing the reader the world behind the scenes, the real life of Tyler Oakley. The book offers a thick layer of the typical Tyler humor along with very honest stories chronicling his life and experiences offering many lessons to be learned. I think, no matter if you're a fan of his, a casual viewer or someone who has no clue who he is, you can still enjoy this book. It's unapologetic and 100% Tyler Oakley. It will make you laugh out loud, think and relate to him.

I give Binge by Tyler Oakley 5 out of 5 stars.

Cover Lust Friday: Binge by Tyler Oakley

   Cover Lust Friday is a new weekly meme that's all about covers. Pick a cover that stands out to you, add your reason why you've chosen that particular one or what you like about it. Let's have fun with it and share the love for our favorite covers.

   The Cover:

Binge By Tyler Oakley

Published: October 20th 2015 by Gallery Books

Number of Pages: 303 Pages (Hardcover)

Series: No

Pop culture phenomenon, social rights advocate, and the most prominent LGBTQ+ voice on YouTube, Tyler Oakley brings you his first collection of witty, personal, and hilarious essays written in the voice that’s earned him more than 10 million followers across social media. (goodreads.com)

Tyler Oakley himself actually
liked this picture on twitter
so that's pretty awesome!
@Alice_Reeds

   The Reason:

   As you guys know, if you follow my twitter and/or Instagram, is that I adore Tyler Oakley. He is an amazing YouTuber and seems to be an extremely fun person that actually as something to say and uses his "fame" to do good. 

   I love the cover for Binge because it fits both the title and Tyler perfectly. It's colorful, eye-catching and fun. I have the book displayed on my bookshelf cover out so everyone who comes over can admire the beauty of it. And, above that, I was lucky enough to actually get a signed copy that nicely matches my signed poster, which you can see on the picture on the right. 

* * *

   Want to join in? No problem! Just follow the 'rules' below:

1. Write a blog post (or post it on Instagram using #CoverLustFriday) about a cover you love.
2. Add your link in the comment section of the original post (click here) so we can have something like a list going on.
3. And if you’d be so kind, I’d appreciate a link back from your own post.
4. Check out other posts, and have fun!

Review: The Amazing Book is Not On Fire by Dan Howell and Phil Lester

The Amazing Book is Not On Fire by Dan Howell and Phil Lester
Expected Publication: October 8th 2015 by Ebury Press
Number of Pages: 224 Pages (Hardcover)
Series: No

   Hello reader,
   In this book is a world. A world created by two awkward guys who share their lives on the internet!
   We are Dan and Phil and we invite you on a journey inside our minds! From the stories of our actual births, to exploring Phil's teenage diary and all the reasons why Dan's a fail.
   Learn how to draw the perfect cat whiskers, get advice on what to do in an awkward situation and discover which of our dining chairs represents you emotionally. With everything from what we text each other, to the time we met One Direction and what really happened in Vegas... (goodreads.com)

   This was an incredibly fun read that made me laugh loads thanks to Dan and Phil's humor that so nicely translated onto paper. As someone who really likes to watch their videos having the ability have something from them, especially in book form, standing on my shelf is really nice, which I guess is also exactly what they've been going for. For this review I will try to keep my inner fangirl at bay and try to be as objective and unbiased as possible.
   When the first YouTuber book wave hit the news I groaned inwardly because when I think of a book I imagine a novel and not a collection of stories, pictures, or pieces not even written by the YouTubers but someone else. But, when I heard that danisnotonfire and AmazingPhil were working on a book I got really excited and hoped for it to be something fun. Luckily I got just that.

   I enjoyed this conversation type vibe that a big chunk of this book had going on because it almost felt like reading a transcript of their video(s). I also really liked how different their writing styles were, which was also underlined by two certain stories that can be found inside the book(those who have read it will know which ones I mean). Dan uses longer, wonderfully articulated sentences, whereas Phil's parts felt a bit simpler, typically Phil like (which will probably only make sense to those who've watched his videos), but funny and intriguing nonetheless.
   Another good thing was that despite the fact that, for example, I've seen almost all of Dan's videos, and a number of Phil's, I still learned so much new stuff about them in this book. I really enjoyed the way they described their University life and, once again, felt awe when reading that Phil is so smart and has a Bachelor and a Master.
   The format of this book was also quite fun. There were many colors used, many really cool and interesting pictures to look at, and the story about what really happened in Vagas was brilliant. Let's also not forget the part where they talk about the time they met One Direction. Even someone like me who isn't really involved in the One D world nor really listens to their music, I could feel the emotions that Dan and Phil were describing and I could perfectly understand them. I applaud them for that.

   All in all I think The Amazing Book is Not On Fire is incredibly funny, interesting, and immensely entertaining. I finished it in under twenty four hours because I could just barely make myself stop. This was definitely a YouTuber book that did not disappoint me, but rather made me want to pick up more of them, though I only think there is like one more out there that I really want to have. So if you're a fan of Dan and/or Phil, I think you're very likely to enjoy this read, and even if you're not, you could still give it a try even if only for the laughs and giggle.

I give The Amazing Book is Not On Fire by Dan Howell and Phil Lester 5 out of 5 Stars.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Amazing Book is Not on Fire by Dan Howell and Phil Lester

   Hey guys!
   Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine in which we discuss our most anticipated upcoming releases.

   The book:

The Amazing Book is Not on Fire by Dan Howell and Phil Lester
Expected Publication: October 8th 2015 by Ebury Press
Number of Pages: 224 Pages (Hardcover)
Series: No

   Hello reader,
   In this book is a world. A world created by two awkward guys who share their lives on the internet!
   We are Dan and Phil and we invite you on a journey inside our minds! From the stories of our actual births, to exploring Phil's teenage diary and all the reasons why Dan's a fail.
   Learn how to draw the perfect cat whiskers, get advice on what to do in an awkward situation and discover which of our dining chairs represents you emotionally. With everything from what we text each other, to the time we met One Direction and what really happened in Vegas... (goodreads.com)

   My thoughts:

   I never read this types of books but I really, really like Dan and Phil so when I heard that they were writing a book I immediately know that I would make an exception for them, no matter what type of book it would be.
   Would I prefer a novel over what this book is? Definitely.
   Do I mind that this book isn't a novel? After that whole Zoella ghostwriter chaos/drama months ago, not at all.
   Dan and Phil are super funny and have so many different, interesting and fun stories to tell that I'm sure this book will be great. If you don't know these two yet, however that would be possible, go and check out their YouTube channels.

NaNoWriMo Winner!

Hello everybody!

     November is almost over and you know what that means? Exactly, NaNoWriMo is also over, which is very sad because it was a lot of fun but I have really good news for you guys: I made it!   

 
   I finished my entire second book for the Hunting Freedom-Trilogy throughout the past 30 days - 61.619 words in total. I reached the magical 50.000 words line on the 23.11.13 but I waited with validating my novel till yesterday night.

   Personally I think NaNoWriMo was a great experience and a great motivation to really sit down every evening after school and write, at least a bit, even on really busy days. I even tried to attend a NaNoWriMo meeting in my city but unfortunately no one besides me showed up, which was disappointing but okay. 

   When I first came up with the idea of participating I didn't really think I would make it, I thought that writing 50.000 words in 30 days is something almost impossible as I didn't think I would have enough determination to really focus on writing and really pull through.

   Now, after everything is over I am really happy that I have proven myself wrong and actually made it. A lot of my friends or classmates were totally shocked as to how I have to time and the imagination to write an entire novel in just one month, and really, I have no idea. I guess it has a lot to do with preparation. Before NaNoWriMo started I made a plan as to what would happen when, who would interact with whom when and where. Of course while writing I added a few things here and there or changed things that I didn't like that much after all, but that’s normal. 

   Throughout December the editing process awaits me, reading the whole thing, adding/changing/deleting things that I don't like and many more. It's going to be a lot of work but I'm still looking forward to it. I also already have a title for the novel, which I'm not going to reveal just yet.

   I also want to thank LittleBookOwl from YouTube. She is a great BookTuber and thanks to her I even got to know about NaNoWriMo so I owe her a big, big thank you. So guys go and check out her channel, it's worth it. Tell her I've send you over. (;P)

   Just before I say goodbye I have a question for you guys: I know that a lot of people like all this social media interaction so I was wondering what you guys think about the idea of me setting up a instagram profile so we can get more in touch and such?

Anyways, that's all for today!

Cheerio!