I am a child of You Tube. Well not literally, but I spent an awful lot of my time during GCSEs and A Levels watching internet personalities. I can confidently say that You Tube was my Netflix. I still love watching some channels now, despite being more wise to the business and promotional aspects of You Tube. From accusations that Zoella ghost-wrote her first novel, to arguments that these young internet personalities are simply too young to write revealing and worthwhile autobiographies, it is clear that there has been a lot of controversy surrounding You Tubers and their growing collection of books. But some books really are great reads. I wanted to share with you my top three.
1. Binge by Tyler Oakley
Tyler Oakley has always made me laugh. On more than one occasion he has made me cry with laughter. But prior to this book he was a little bit of an enigma. I knew he was gay, lived in LA and did a lot of charity work with the Trevor Project. After reading this book I really felt like I knew more about him and understood his personality and videos better. I have to say, this is not a book for children, despite bookstore advertising! There is quite a bit of adult humor that perhaps you wouldn't even be comfortable with your Nan reading... For me, Tyler's readiness to tell his most embarrassing stories, and also some of his most personal struggles was really inspiring. Surely if he can publish them in a book, we should all be able to make peace with our own by ourselves? I would really recommend this read if you want to laugh, a lot, gain a greater appreciation for life, and most importantly learn what Michelle Obama smells like!
2. Grace's Guide: The Art of Pretending to Be a Grown Up by Grace Helbig
1. Binge by Tyler Oakley
Tyler Oakley has always made me laugh. On more than one occasion he has made me cry with laughter. But prior to this book he was a little bit of an enigma. I knew he was gay, lived in LA and did a lot of charity work with the Trevor Project. After reading this book I really felt like I knew more about him and understood his personality and videos better. I have to say, this is not a book for children, despite bookstore advertising! There is quite a bit of adult humor that perhaps you wouldn't even be comfortable with your Nan reading... For me, Tyler's readiness to tell his most embarrassing stories, and also some of his most personal struggles was really inspiring. Surely if he can publish them in a book, we should all be able to make peace with our own by ourselves? I would really recommend this read if you want to laugh, a lot, gain a greater appreciation for life, and most importantly learn what Michelle Obama smells like!
2. Grace's Guide: The Art of Pretending to Be a Grown Up by Grace Helbig
Grace Helbig has written the how to adult guide that EVERYONE under the age of 30 was waiting for. She doesn't focus on the deep meaning of life, existentialism, how to raise a child, or how to decide which curtains match your sofa the best. She address the real issues of today; how to hang out by yourself, how to date online, how to manage anxiety, and most importantly how to cook like a kid for adults. Okay, not all of her advice is sound, but it's very relatable. She understands that we don't have time to successfully adult quite yet, and reassures us that that's totally fine. I've learnt a lot about pretending to be a grown up in the last two years, and a lot of that is down to Grace.
3. The Amazing Book Is Not On Fire by Dan Howell (Danisnotonfire) and Phil Lester (Amazing Phil)
This book is simply a collection of everything viewers love about Dan and Phil, but in a permanent form. Reading it brought back a lot of fun memories from when I used to religiously wait for uploads and watch their videos. I could also tell that they had written it themselves, their personalities really shine through, plus there is a lot of previously unknown facts and unseen photos - so that was quite a bonus! By far the best aspect of the book was the tie-in tour The Amazing Tour is Not On Fire. Me and my friend Alice were lucky enough to get tickets, and honestly we just had the best afternoon. I genuinely felt a part of the Dan and Phil community, and I had fulfilled a childhood dream. The show was just as well constructed as the book; I wont give away any spoilers though - they're planning on taking the tour around the globe and asked us not to spoil anything!
Well there you have it, my top three YouTube books. A lot of people think they are a waste of money and paper. But I see it like this; YouTube is by no means a permanent feature in our lives, there is no guarantee we will be able to access these videos and personalities in 20 years time. These books allow fans to hold and keep a tangible copy of a media which has truly impacted upon their childhood, much like older generations today own memorabilia from their younger years. I want my future children and generations further down the line to experience the things that I grew up with. YouTube is one of those things!
