You're Never Weird on the Internet

This was an example of reading the right book at the right time for me. It was funny, and frequently self-deprecating, as well as honest about big life changes, mental health, and growing up strangely. The advice never felt heavy-handed or self indulgent which was really nice after reading two or three other memoirs this year that were. Andddd it almost goes without saying that I admire Felicia a LOT for making female-driven content about gaming. I wish it had existed when I was younger and felt pretty lonely being the only female I knew who played. The Guild and Geek and Sundry were super comforting after I discovered them coming out of 6 months of unemployment filled with depression and playing 8+ hours of Guild Wars a day. My husband would come home and all I had to talk about was my day of mining and how my Guild leader Fang took his kids trick or treating without his wife (who he only referred to as “the dragon”). I have a better relationship with games now that I'm busy (i.e. Avoid MMO's and sell your soul/time to a university), but I still love playing and want to see women represented. I haven't decided if I want to go into the game industry when I finish my CS degree, but I'd be lying if I said GamerGate didn't make me second guess the industry. Felicia does a great job describing her hesitation in dealing with them though, and by the end of the book I felt pretty heart-warmed about life in general.

This was an entertaining book and I enjoyed hearing the story of Felicia's life. While I did roll my eyes at some of her retellings because of the style at which she addressed areas of her life, overall it was really enjoyable. I particularly enjoyed hearing more about the making of The Guild and it was fun to go back and rewatch some of The Guild after reading it.

I've been a fan of Felicia Day for an embarrassingly long time. Buffy, The Guild, Geek & Sundry, Dollhouse, Eureka – and of course Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. Her memoir increased my respect for her even more. She majored in math and violin? That's crazy dedication right there. Hearing her stories of meeting people from the online world mirrored some of my experiences at the time. The build up to starting The Guild was enlightening to hear about as well. It's easy to see something that's created and assume the path was easy. Knowing just how uphill and scrappy a battle it was is inspiring for me in my own creative endeavors.

I really don't know how to review this without sounding cliche. Well first I loved it. I laughed, out loud, especially during the first chapters. I nodded along at some of the growing up moments and read in awe in others. I cried in some of the later chapters, for her honest and the personal realisations they helped me with in my life. This is a memoir I think I will be still learning from in years to come.
Let's get some of the great motto coffee cups out there!