To say we are huge fans is an understatement. Twice a week, Ed and I look forward to logging onto YouTube for 3 and a half minutes of education, entertainment, and hilarity. We are Nerdfighters. And we are proud.
John Green is an author of some very awesome young adult books. And Hank is his brother. Five years ago, they started Vlogbrothers, a YouTube channel to keep in touch when they couldn’t be together. Now, they still continue the tradition, but with an avid audience with over 1,000,000 views. Their shows are brief, funny, and oftentimes thought-provoking and philosophical. Just what any TV channel should be!
John recently released a new book, The Fault in Our Stars. The book is amazing, and again, the word is inadequate. It’s about two cancer patients and their experiences with life, sickness, love, and heroism. I read the entirety of it in two evenings. And I have 4 children. That’s saying something. I laughed, I cried, I was immersed. But mostly, I was touched. This story touches you, whoever you might be.
So when I found out that the Tour de Nerdfighting was coming to New Orleans one day after we were scheduled to leave our conference, I quickly bought tickets and extended our stay by one more night. This was no ordinary book signing. It was a show. John and Hank are touring together, and the evening was as entertaining as their YouTube channel, including a reading, some puppetry, several songs, questions and answers, mild electrocution, and even some dancing. And at the end, we got to meet them both and get our books signed.
The show was held in the Temple Sinai in New Orleans. The first time I’ve ever been in a synagogue. The ceiling was pretty awesome. Over 600 people (mostly teenagers) came. I think that’s even awesome-er.
John started out by reading a chapter of his new book.
Questions and answers and lots of singing ensued. Hank’s A Song About Anglerfish is still my favorite…
But Shake-a-Booty was also very popular, as illustrated by the crowd.
The very-long-but-steadily-moving signing line.
There’s a point in TFIOS where Hazel, the main character of the story, says this:
“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.”
-John Green, The Fault in Our Stars
That’s how I feel about this book. And about Vlogbrothers. If you’ve never seen them, go check them out right now. It will only take 3.5 minutes of your time. Except that then you will be hooked. So it will take 7 minutes out of your time each week. But I promise it’s worth it. DFTBA. Cheers!
I may not have brownies, but I am awesome at cyber hugs!
