Ratings122
Average rating4.3
The instant New York Times bestseller from “queen of the geeks” Felicia Day, You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) is a “relentlessly funny and surprisingly inspirational” (Forbes) memoir about her unusual upbringing, her rise to internet stardom, and embracing her weirdness to find her place in the world. When Felicia Day was a girl, all she wanted was to connect with other kids (desperately). Growing up in the Deep South, where she was “home-schooled for hippie reasons,” she looked online to find her tribe. The Internet was in its infancy and she became an early adopter at every stage of its growth—finding joy and unlikely friendships in the emerging digital world. Her relative isolation meant that she could pursue passions like gaming, calculus, and 1930’s detective novels without shame. Because she had no idea how “uncool” she really was. But if it hadn’t been for her strange background—the awkwardness continued when she started college at sixteen, with Mom driving her to campus every day—she might never have had the naïve confidence to forge her own path. Like when she graduated as valedictorian with a math degree and then headed to Hollywood to pursue a career in acting despite having zero contacts. Or when she tired of being typecast as the crazy cat-lady secretary and decided to create her own web series before people in show business understood that online video could be more than just cats chasing laser pointers. Felicia’s rags-to-riches rise to Internet fame launched her career as one of the most influential creators in new media. Ever candid, she opens up about the rough patches along the way, recounting battles with writer’s block, a full-blown gaming addiction, severe anxiety, and depression—and how she reinvented herself when overachieving became overwhelming. Showcasing Felicia’s “engaging and often hilarious voice” (USA TODAY), You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) is proof that everyone should celebrate what makes them different and be brave enough to share it with the world, because anything is possible now—even for a digital misfit.
Reviews with the most likes.
An amazing read! Thank you Felicia for sharing this with us <3
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 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!
Books
7 booksIf you enjoyed this book, then our algorithm says you may also enjoy these.
Featured Prompt
79 booksLooking for all sorts of themes, but focused on books praised by the quality of narration as well as content