Binge

by Tyler Oakley Narrated by Tyler Oakley

Overview

Read by Tyler Oakley!

Pop culture phenomenon, social rights advocate, and the most prominent LGBTQ+ voice on YouTube, Tyler Oakley brings you his first collection of witty, personal, and hilarious essays written in the voice that's earned him more than twenty-one million followers across social media.

For someone who made a career out of over-sharing on the Internet, Tyler Oakley has a shocking number of personal mishaps and shenanigans to reveal in his first book: he experienced a legitimate rage blackout in a Cheesecake Factory; he had a fashion stand-off with the White House Secret Service; he crashed a car in front of his entire high school in an Arby's uniform; he projectile vomited while bartering with a grandmother. With millions of fans clamoring for more Tyler Oakley, he delivers his best untold, hilariously side-splitting moments with trademark flair in Binge.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Audio

11/30/2015
Social media pioneer Oakley, who gained fame as YouTube star in 2007 and has since become an advocate for LGBTQ youth, draws successfully from his unique blend of snarky candor and down-to-earth Midwestern accessibility in the audio edition of his memoir. Perhaps the most entertaining—and also affirming—sections of the recording involve Oakley’s knack for calling himself on occasional outbursts of diva histrionics through personal pep talks. These include a period of heartbreak and recovery surrounding his first serious college boyfriend and—more recently—his meltdown in front of mobs of adoring fans at a YouTube convention. The material includes some frank discussions of sexuality, and Oakley projects a tone of friendly irreverence rather than over-the-top rudeness or crudeness. A Gallery hardcover. (Oct.)

The Guardian

"[Binge] explores every emotion: you will laugh, then you will cry for sure too, you will gasp and you will be terrified, and then you will have too many emotions and will want to stab the book and throw it out of your window! (But you will not actually do it because by that time the book will be very dear to you.)...very meaningful and a fun voyage."

A Crowded Bookshelf

"With his first book, Binge, Oakley takes apart the smiling, genial celebrity and shares some harrowing stories of poverty, addiction, abuse, and redemption... This book isn’t a tale of regrets but of survival – it’s a book that celebrates misfits and weirdos and imparts a message of hard-won appreciation of life."

Vanity Fair

"Hilarious, shocking, and devastating, Tyler delivers a coming-of-age memoir for the digital generation."

International Business Times

"Of all the books released by YouTube vloggers, Binge might be the most brutally honest yet."

Out Magazine Online

"With a confident voice and clear message, Oakley blends giggle-inducing humor with serious discussions of his personal battles...an accurate reflection of the man himself."

New York Daily News

"Oakley has managed to produce a quick read of tales to make you laugh, cry, ponder and cringe...a worthy debut and one that will captivate and comfort existing fans of the Internet celebrity, while helping him gain new ones."

Salon Online

"Oakley uses his unique perspective on YouTube to write a touching and timely book. In “Binge,” already a New York Times bestseller, readers find Oakley at his realest."

Pop Culture Beast

"I devoured [Binge]...I think you’ll find it as hard to put down as I did. You might be shocked at times, but in the end you’ll walk away loving him even more."

New York Daily News

"Oakley has managed to produce a quick read of tales to make you laugh, cry, ponder and cringe...a worthy debut and one that will captivate and comfort existing fans of the Internet celebrity, while helping him gain new ones."

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170946389
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Publication date:	10/20/2015
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	1,051,393

Read an Excerpt

Binge

GO AHEAD, BINGE.

I’m not saying go out and snort a bunch of cocaine or do anything that’s going to seriously put you or the people around you in danger, obviously.

Binge on the things that bring fulfillment and happiness and satisfaction and make you feel alive. Binge on people who fascinate you and love that wakes you up from monotony. Binge on exploring, both your hometown and the farthest continent. Binge on the time you spend bettering yourself and petting dogs. Binge on picking your grandma’s brain and learning the story of the time she got catfished. Binge on giving, in all senses. Binge on indulging.

We’re told every day from an early age that moderation is key. Count your calories, wait a while before you tell someone you love them, and remember that balance is the path to happiness. While all of those are great in theory, does a lesson taught from someone else’s mistakes resonate just as deeply as the ones you learn yourself? When you binge, you find your own boundaries.

Even if I spend every waking moment attempting to keep my life in balance, I’m going to fuck up. Having already fucked up quite a few times in my life, and having lived to tell the tale, I don’t regret any of it.

I’ve binged plenty of times in my life, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. Regardless, I indulged. This collection is the result.

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