Binge Paperback – November 22, 2016

If you are not comfortable reading about the gay lifestyle, sexual innuendos, one-night hook-ups or male hand-holding and kissing, then kindly check out a different book instead. This one is not for you.My reading tastes are wide and varied. I get tired of the same old thing and am often drawn to something out of my norm. This is one of those books. I have been a fascinated fan of this author long before he even decided to pen his memoir, I suspect. He has personality-plus, is a brilliant superstar in the YouTube and social media world (with subscribers in all mediums combined totaling over seventeen million!) and earns his living making videos and podcasts (no topic is off limits) and posting them for all the world to see. He is 26, charismatic, smart, gay, humorous, up on current happenings in the entertainment world and well beyond, and is an activist dedicated to LGBTQ+ youth, rights and healthcare, education and the prevention of suicide among LGBTQ+ youth.Just to give you an idea of his celebrity, he has met with President Obama, made a video with First Lady Michelle Obama, works with The Trevor Project on a national scale, has gone on an international "Slumber Party Tour", appeared on The Ellen de Generes Show, published this book, just released a documentary on his life, and, with friend Korey Kuhl, is a contestant on the upcoming 28th season of The Amazing Race.I'm telling you all this to illustrate what an interesting young man Mathew Tyler Oakley is and why I think you would enjoy this book. (His name is one small spoiler from the book and is an endearing story by itself.) This volume is filled with a series of funny and varied short stories and pictures that begin at Tyler's toddlerhood and continue sequentially until we see him as the man he is today. He takes us through his parents' divorce (a shout out to his mom, affectionately known to his fans as "Queen Jackie", who seems to take his fame in stride), the strangeness of going through school while feeling different, his love of school theater from a young age, body issues and his bout with eating disorders, his lisp, coming out to his parents and the world, how his first YouTube videos started and more. He also describes, in a last chapter, how he had to really take stock of who @tyleroakley the "brand" was versus Mathew Tyler Oakley the person, which was very poignant and related back to the chapter about his name near the beginning, bringing the book to a thoughtful close. 5 of 5 stars.

Seriously, one of the most enjoyable books I have ever listened to and trust me there have been many. I actually stumbled across Tyler, being that I am not really in his demographic because I am much closer to Queen Jackie's age, by accident. See, I am a fan of Pentatonix and I started watching Mitch and Scott on their You Tube show Super Fruit and this adorable, happy, smiley, young man named Tyler Oakley was one of their guests. I was a fan immediately and this sweet face has made me giggle, snort, laugh and even tear up on numerous occasions since. When I saw that he was not only writing a book but I could get his book on audio I was super excited!! Better yet Tyler Oakley, himself, was going to read his story to me? SIGN ME UP!! I was hooked from the moment he started speaking. His voice makes my heart smile and his book is full of wonderful stories about his life and his "brand."Tyler spoke eloquently and honestly about his life. He bravely opened up about so many things that have happened to him and how he made it through all sorts of situations, good, bad, funny, embarrassing, scary and crazy. I applaud Tyler for being so honest and I loved every minute of the book. I was truly sad that it had to end.Should you buy this book... well that is met with a resounding HECK YEAH... whether you choose to listen to his voice or hold his writing in your hands, trust me you will not be disappointed.Pause for self promotion: hit me up on Twitter Tyler Oakley - @lisakttn And thank you for sharing your story!!!

I must admit, the only time I ever watched Tyler Oakley videos before reading this book were when he was collaborating with YouTubers I watch (Danisnotonfire, Caspar Lee, Zoella, etc). I honestly only bought the book because it wouldn't stop showing up on my recommendations (and I thought that he was kind of funny).About five minutes into the book, I was hysterically laughing at his description of his fear of Chuck E Cheese (because, let's face it, that place is where nightmares are born) and thinking to myself "How am I not subscribed to him yet??!!".If I'd had the option, I wouldn't have put this book down at all, but my family was on our way to dinner the night I (finally) bought it, and the next day I had to take the SAT (THAT was a fun experience - please note the heavy sarcasm), but at my high school's graduation ceremony, sitting with the band, watching the kids receive their diplomas, I read about 75% of the story in the three hours when I wasn't playing my flute, and I think it's safe to say that those were some of the funniest/most depressing hours I've spent lost in a book. You will cry with laughter and cry in sorrow-I read that in a few other reviews and I (shamefully) admit that I didn't think that the second part was true. I had no idea of a lot of the things that happened to him actually happened.Overall, a very good book, and it's safe to say that Tyler Oakley has just gained a new subscriber :-)

I wasn’t too sure about books by YouTubers when they first starting appearing on the shelves but after being subscribed to Tyler Oakley for only a few months, I knew I had to have his book. His videos never fail to make me smile and laugh so I had high hopes for his book too.Binge is a collection of anecdotes about Tyler’s life starting from when he was a small child struggling with an eating disorder, to his recent success and how it affects him emotionally and mentally.I found this to be a really honest and open book and I think it’s a great insight into what makes Tyler, Tyler. You can see his sense of humour in his writing but he also covers a lot of serious topics as well.There isn’t a lot that you can say about this book really. Tyler shares the journey he has taken to get to where he is now through a collection of short anecdotes about his life – everything from his dorky days at school and his parents’ divorce to losing respect for someone he admired and meeting Michelle Obama!If you are a fan of Tyler Oakley’s – new or old – this book is a new way to get to know him. If you’re not a fan, this book gives you an insight into a talented and hilarious young YouTube star. Well worth picking up and this is one that I would recommend to anyone.

There are very few YouTube channels I follow and Tyler Oakley's isn't one of them. It's not because I don't like him though...I just never heard of him before. I know, where have I been hiding???While waiting for my next library hold, I saw Binge was readily available via audio. It was categorized as humor so why wouldn't I read something mood lifting? I ended up really liking it...and really liking Tyler. From my reading experience, I can honestly say Tyler's book is enjoyable whether you are familiar with him or not. Regardless, I feel like I know him now and I might even consider checking out his channel, so if that was an underlying reason behind this book then it worked.Tyler writes with substance as well as plenty of humor. He discusses his experiences with eating disorders, suicidal thoughts, abusive relationships, coming out to a religious parent, advocacy, and his slow rise to fame in the world of social media. Tyler shared that he wrote Binge with the wish to demonstrate "the value of taking chances, pushing beyond our comfort levels, dusting ourselves off after our inevitable humiliations, and remaining open to the life and feelings and possibilities that are happening while we are busy either chasing phantoms of success or trying to outrun our fears." Personally, I think he succeeded.The audiobook version of Binge was a fun experience for me. Tyler self-narrated and spoke directly to the listener, even letting the reader know if there was a screenshot or something they were visually missing in which case he tried to summarize/describe it the best he could. The audio was well-done in my opinion and I would recommend it. Check it out!My favorite quotes:"A good mom is supportive of you but the best moms are supportive of your growth. Even when it doesn't seem like they're on your side, great mothers are on the side of your becoming a better person and you'll be so much better off in the long run. So pull out your flip phone and text a quick thank you to your mom. She has your best interest at heart even if you are sometimes a dick."Note: So who is Tyler Oakley? He is a strong presence on YouTube and all of the social media outlets. At the time of this review, he has 7,737,335 YouTube subscribers, 5.3m Instagram followers, 4.75M Twitter followers, 2,811,812 Facebook likes, and an impressive number of Snapchat and Tumblr fans. He has this book (obviously) as well as an upcoming documentary titled Snervous set to release December 2015. After some research, I learned that Tyler is not only a social media obsession but he is also an advocate for LGBT rights and The Trevor Project, an organization that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth ages 13-24. I have to admit, I find it impressive that Tyler uses his popularity and influence to do good. Keep up the good work Tyler!(less)

I have been watching Tyler Oakley on YouTube for a while now and I have never been so proud of him as I am now. This book was beyond amazing and exceeded all my expectations. It threw me in an emotional roller coaster and I've never cried, laughed, cringed and smiled so much in the three hours I spent reading this book. I'm not a huge fan of non-fiction books but wow, this has quickly become one of my favourite books in all time. You can practically hear Tyler in the book (it's also available on audible.com, gotta get that promo) and it's very easy to fall in love with the humorous, casual way he writes. His thoughts are a blessing to the universe. I've never thought that anyone could write about fecal matters or rage in cheesecake factories in a way that is so entertaining that your clutching your sides in laughter. But, although this book is extremely funny, there are sad, heart-warming moments in the book like the chapter in which Tyler writes about one of his relationships. Those moments are when you realise that, despite being a celebrity and experiencing so many things that the average human being can only dream about, Tyler is still also human and has ups and downs in his life just like anyone else. I'm so in love with this book and I'd recommend it to anyone, even if you're not a fan, it's still an entertaining, one-of-a-kind book that tugs at your heartstrings and brightens your day.

Great book for all the members of #TeamInternet. I wouldn't recommend for those who're not Tyler's fans cause it's full of TMI moments. At the same time there are chapters that everyone should read the ones where Tyler speaks about his eating disorder, the time he was physically abused, dealing with the end of his first relationship, the strains of his unconventional job - it's not just glamour and fun cause even if you've never faced some of this situations someone close to you might have and it'll give you a better understanding. Reading Binge is like watching 32 of Tyler's videos - I could literally hear his voice in my head and see his mannerisms. So for Tyler's fans I'll say go ahead and Binge and for the others you might want to check it out just skip some chapters or don't - you never know what you might like.

MY QUEEN <3 Oh holy crap Tyler your book is amazing!! I'm reading along with the audiobook right now and it's absolutely flawless, I can't get enough of it! It's hilarious and truthful and full of amazing stories. I just finished All the World's A Stage and I'm in love. Tyler's writing style is beautifully conversational and his voice is so relaxing to listen to. I feel like this is the kind of audiobook I could fall asleep listening to. Tyler, I love you so immensely and I am honestly loving every single word of this book <3