You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day (9781476785653): Touchstone (2015)

Felicia Day is an internet icon. She’s an actor, writer, and all-around content creator. She is also known for her work outside of the web on such shows as Eureka, Supernatural, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She’s truly a powerhouse of talent and personality. You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) is her memoir. It details her unusual childhood, her entry into early online life, her experience as a violin prodigy, the creation of her hit web series The Guild, and her subsequent internet stardom and the fallout of that experience.

Felicia (I feel like I’m on a first-name basis with her) tells her story with her signature quirky personality and sense of humor. But what sets this book apart is the sincere vulnerability that she lays bare on the page. The anxiety and angst of her struggle as an actress and nascent screenwriter; the crippling depression and anxiety that she experiences as she runs her new multimedia company on her own terms; all of this is shared with humor, but with surprising candor. Where one may expect an fluff piece filled with empty platitudes of “I can do it, you can do it, too,” Felicia is actually inspirational in that she shares that her journey was hard and recognizes that fact. But because of her journey, she knows that, yes, if she can overcome what she has, you can succeed, too.

So, yes, this is a humorous book, but it is also genuine, heartfelt, and an inspiration. The chapters in which Felicia talks about her breakdown managing the Geek and Sundry network and in which she breaks down the #GamerGate controversy are especially stirring. While she shies away from it, this book solidifies the claim that the title “Queen of the Geeks” is a title well-earned.