The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy: A Handbook for Girl Geeks, by: Sam Maggs

       Fanfic, cosplay, cons, books, memes, podcasts, vlogs, OTPs and RPGs and MMOs and more—it’s never been a better time to be a girl geek. The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy is the ultimate handbook for ladies living the nerdy life, a fun and feminist take on the often male-dominated world of geekdom. With delightful illustrations and an unabashed love for all the in(ternet)s and outs of geek culture, this book is packed with tips, playthroughs, and cheat codes for everything from starting an online fan community to planning a convention visit to supporting fellow female geeks in the wild.

Click Here to Read More

My Rating: ★★★★☆

       Where do I start with this book? It has everything a fangirl would want to know, whether he or she is a newbie to the world of fandoms or a seasoned pro of all things geeky. Looking for tips on attending your first con? Check. Need a beginner’s fangirl glossary? Covered. Do you need to find something new to fangirl over that has a strong heroine and lots of feminism? It’s in there. This book is the perfect crash course in both fangirling and feminism for both the n00bs and the hardcore girls.
       Before I lose all my male readers out there, (if I haven’t already…) don’t fear! This book is perfect for all people who are fans of something. Even if you don’t see yourself as an extreme feminist, and identify as a low-key advocate for equality, this is a fabulous book for anyone in any fandom. Sam Maggs does an incredible job including every type of fandom, including gaming, anime, comics, books, movies, and television.
       Now, if I’m being honest with myself, I’m on the harder end of the Hardcore Scale for Fangirls, (I run a book blog for God’s sake.) and even I learned a BUNCH from reading this about the fandom community. For starters, who knew there are so many different cons? (Spoiler Alert: there are tons.) Sam provides the average fangirl with all the information she could ever want while keeping a humorous tone throughout the book. If you’ve been following my reviews for a while, you’ll know that I love books that make me laugh, and this book was no exception. 
       One of the best things that I took away from this book was all of the different topics there are to fangirl over that I’d never heard of. Sam mentions multiple comics, games, and even animes that I thought sounded like tons of fun to get into. I’ve always wanted to find time for these other fandom outlets (specifically comics) to try, and I am planning on finding a way to start delving into them. I feel that as a fan of so many things, it can be overwhelming to dive into such vast universes without much background knowledge. Luckily, she does a great job of not only explaining what these worlds and protagonists are all about but provides a great little snippet about where to start. It’s super helpful to get that small nudge you may need to try something new.
       If you are not too familiar with the feminist views in the fandom universe, (where have you been), Sam is sure to fill you in on everything you’ve been missing. From the treatment of cosplayers to strong female protagonists, she covers it all. As someone a feminist, this book not only provided more insight into the specifics of geek culture but brought a logical view to the concept. As she writes in the book, “Do you want every human everywhere—regardless of gender, race, class, sexuality, or fandom—to have the same rights? Then congrats: you are a feminist. Huzzah!” 

---

       If you consider yourself a fan of anything, (and you probably do. You’re reading this blog post.) this book is a must-read.

Your well-informed fangirl,
Ashton

Book clubs are totally dope—like English class if you were allowed to read only books that you actually like and snack and sip while discussing them.

― Sam Maggs, The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy: A Handbook for Girl Geeks