A Work in Progress - February 2016

[Kristie, Moderator]

Winner of the Memoir & Autobiography award



A Work in Progress by Connor Franta

Summary
In this intimate memoir of life beyond the camera, Connor Franta shares the lessons he has learned on his journey from small-town boy to Internet sensation so far.

Here, Connor offers a look at his Midwestern upbringing as one of four children in the home and one of five in the classroom; his struggles with identity, body image, and sexuality in his teen years; and his decision to finally pursue his creative and artistic passions in his early twenties, setting up his thrilling career as a YouTube personality, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and tastemaker.

Exploring his past with insight and humor, his present with humility, and his future with hope, Connor reveals his private struggles while providing heartfelt words of wisdom for young adults. His words will resonate with anyone coming of age in the digital era, but at the core is a timeless message for people of all ages: don't be afraid to be yourself and to go after what you truly want.

This full-color collection includes photography and childhood clippings provided by Connor and is a must-have for anyone inspired by his journey.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Here is a link to Connor's Youtube page for anyone that wants to check it out: https://www.youtube.com/user/ConnorFr...

[Janina]

So, I've skim-read this book now and well .. as the author himself says at the beginning, he's just 22 and has lived a fairly ordinary life. Which is not the ideal starting point for writing a memoir in my opinion. The book describes the life and thoughts of a teenager or maybe very young adult. I guess if I was 14 and a huge fan of his youtube channel, I would probably devour this and it would make me feel closer to my idol .. or something. But, I haven't been 14 for quite a while now and I tend to prefer to read over watching and I have zero tolerance for people talking for the sake of talking ... so while I'm sure he's a nice guy .. he seems like one (even if slightly annoying due to talking so much) .. I really don't see the point in reading about him or watching his videos (and I did watch a few).

When did I get so old????

[Kristie, Moderator]

Lol! I watched a few of his videos and thought the same thing. I think I'm too old for them. Of course, he's close to my kids' ages not mine. I think the younger generation finds him really entertaining.

[Reija]

Jep, that's the reason why I didn't pick this either, I'm too old for this. Too bad there would have been more interesting books but I guess quite many Goodreaders are younger than me.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Reija - We will get to vote on the nominees later this year and will read our group's choice in August, so there is still another chance at a memoir you are interested in.