*I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I full heartedly admit that I judged this book by its cover...you'll see what I mean, just keep reading past this disclaimer.

I never thought I would get to this point in my life. Maybe it's because I'm older. Maybe it's because I have a kid now.

But I have no idea what to do with this Christmas money.

Back in the day, I could burn through it like nobody's business. That money would not make it into the New Year.

So when I got the chance to review Women in Gaming: 100 Professionals of Play by Meagan Marie, I thought to myself "Man, this would be something I'd spend my Christmas money on."

Here's a little background on this book. The author, Meagan Marie, is not new to the gaming industry. In fact, she has not only written about gaming before (20 Years of Tomb Raider, Playing with Superpower: Nintendo's Super NES Classics), she's also the Senior Community and Social Media Manager at Crystal Dynamics.

According to the official description of the book, "Women in Gaming is a celebratory look at accomplished women in the video game industry. It illustrates how women have played --and will continue to play-- important roles in the burgeoning video game industry. Containing interviews with 100 prominent and influential women, ranging from high-level executives to programmers to pro-gamers, Women in Gaming aims to highlight their impact on the gaming industry and reveal their lessons learned in the workplace."

Now, with that being said...

Judging A Book By Its Cover

This book has... it's me!!! ITS ME ON THE COVER YALL!!!

Ok, it's not me, but something about seeing not only a woman holding a controller but a BLACK woman...not just tucked away in the book... ON THE FLIPPING COVER???

I hollered. I did a praise dance. I expressed my joy in so many ways at this.

SHE'S GOT CURLS TOO!! NOT STRAIGHT HAIR!! LAWD!!!

Honestly, I want to arrange a lunch with Meagan just to fangirl over discuss the cover, because it is a thing of beauty.

Biggest Con: You Cannot Read This Book In One Sitting

Sure, maybe you are a master at speed reading. Or maybe you have a superhuman ability to read an entire book by touching it. But for the rest of us...

This is not a book where you sit with a cup of coffee and complete it by the end of the night. I'd say this is the biggest con but...that's not really a bad thing.

The book, in itself, is an adventure. You pack your things but you're gonna have flight layovers, you're gonna need a break for a snack, maybe even a full meal. And just like on a flight, the way you get to your final destination will quite possibly not be linear (I once took a flight from Chicago to Seattle just to get to Denver, Colorado...yeah)

You can definitely go out of order with this and take your time discovering each new section. It's a great book for someone to thumb through on the coffee table or even just someone (*cough* me *cough*) who has a small baby and has to start and stop constantly.

Your adventure will consist of traveling through a directory of amazing women in the gaming industry. It also has engaging essays throughout. Some, you'll want to read it on repeat.

You'll hit detours, you'll visit the contents page and skip around. You'll take a nap and get back to it. But it's all good. This book is your adventure. Just pack lightly 🙂

Love At First Flip

I wanted to give you a breakdown of the book itself but, I stand by what I said earlier, which is this book is an adventure. And I would love for you to grab a copy for yourself and see how your adventure turns out.

No spoilers on the essays. No spoilers on who is featured in the book.

Trust me on this. Get it now. And luckily it's available on Amazon (which is my jam #notsponsoredbutiwishitwas)

If Someone Doesn't Like This Book Simply Because It's About Women in Gaming

Throw it at them. It's heavy as hell and will do quite a bit of damage*

*In no way am I advocating violence. I would hate for this book to be damaged when it comes in contact with some ignorant persons hard head. Handle this glorious book with care.

I can hear the chorus of people hating on the book, saying "Why don't we have a book called 100 MEN in Gaming?? Wahhh!!!" and I don't even....want to get into that right now. This book is such a beautiful work of art. Such an amazing thing that I don't even want to dive into the negative vibes this may cause.

Buy the book. Throw it at fuckboys. Enjoy.