Leslie is a funny and quirky writer with some cringe-worthy universal truths. I think this book is well written but the content and structure of the book fell flat for me.

There were a lot of really funny and entertaining moments in this book. For me, the disconnect that made it hard to read was the fact that I have no first hand experience with the beginnings of the internet with chat rooms and dial-up. Yes, I was alive during that time, but I didn't get a computer with the internet until college in 2009. I feel that by missing out on that part of the early internet experience, I couldn't relate to the story, and ended up confused by some of the situations.

For those that do remember what it was like to navigate the internet when everything was new, this is a book that will bring back memories, whether good or bad I can't say.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Author: Jess Kimball Leslie
Publisher: Running Press Adult
Publication Date: 25 Apr 2017

Once upon a time it was the first Internet address - mine was hotmail - and the chat rooms, and the MySpace and the Mozilla, and so many wanders hard to describe to someone that grew up with. Besides the technological novelty, the Internet brought a tremendous change in the realm of human relationships, creating that easiness of talking with strangers and in many cases, encouraging people to be themselves, at least while online. Although I have no therapist background at all, I am sure that for many, it helps a lot to create that strength of coming up in the real life too.

In a this funny collection of short stories from the very first time of the Internet - which were not so old times at all, by the way, Jess Kimball Leslie is sharing her own experience of life, identity and love stories. The angle outlining how the birth of the Internet contributed to empower her identity and help her be in touch with people sharing the same interests adds relevance to her story itself. It shows the impact of the late decades of technological development on human behavior and the ways in which Internet and its communication tools helped create better stories. Obviously, there are so many downsides and dangers and unpleasant and even tragical occurences that took place under the anonymous cover of the Internet, but in the case of 'I Love my computer because my friends live in it', there is a positive vibe which make you think that there could be good Internet-related news too, and not only short-lived chat room romances.

This collection of stories by Jess Kimball Leslie is that kind of book that you can read easily but not without leaving you with some deep thoughts about how the Internet changed - with its good, bad and ugly - your life. I loved the (self)ironic style and the authentic strong voice of the author. She is a good storyteller and would love to read more from her.

The book started out great, full of nostalgia to the days when the internet was new and exciting. The author's style is very enjoyable and easy to read.

I'm not exactly the best person for this book, I din't live the early years of internet so when I enter to this world TONS of things have change, but I truly understand the feeling of the stories.

I liked this book. It was everything you would expect it to be, and so much more! More people need to get this book!

Sophie grew up alongside the internet, getting her first computer in the late 90s and taking her first online steps into a world that consisted of USENET groups, chat rooms, and eye-watering animated backgrounds. I Love My Computer Because My Friends Live In It by Jess Kimball Leslie is a book for people who have watched the internet change beside us and watched it change the world as it went. It is also for those fascinated by how those changes came about – the journey from early news features that laughed at the nerds proclaiming that the Internet was the future, to today when we all go about with permanent connections in our pockets or strapped to our wrists, panicking if we have to go even a few hours without access.

The book is something of an internet-focused memoir. It follows Jess from her earliest internet days as a reclusive teenager finding solace in niche chatrooms with like-minded strangers, through the rise and fall of MySpace and Gawker, to the sheer insanity of today’s corporate Twitter marketing. The internet has changed an astonishing amount in the twenty years since it became a household name – the days of dial-up and having to check if anyone was using the phone before we went online seem a lifetime ago. Sophie didn’t feel like she learned much from the book – although she imagines those born even a few years after her might be amazed to read about what “going online” used to be like – however it fed a certain nostalgia in her. The days of the early internet didn’t last long and are its beginnings are likely to only be remembered by those few who dared to take those tentative steps into a brave new world, never realizing just what it would become. You had to be there she supposes.

Yawn. I’m sorry but that’s how I felt about this book. I was excited to read about the progression of social media and the internet from someone who is around my age and experienced the same evolvement that I did but oh my god it was so boring. Kimball Leslie unfortunately (for me) goes into minute details about different social media channels, chat rooms and more when I would have enjoyed less of a lesson and more of her own experiences. Because when she went into her own experiences, they were funny!

I Love My Computer Because My Friends Live in It: Stories from an Online Life was a spur of the moment request from Net Galley. I read the blurb and knew I had to give it a go. I love learning about new technology and how it’s going to aid our lives in the future. I’m a little bit of a contradiction because although I love all things traditional – paperback books, time away from a screen, etc – I also love computer-aided ‘things’ – Social Media, Computers in general, smartphones, etc.

Hands-down this book is one of the funniest things I’ve read in 2017, as well as being brutally honest and thoughtful. Jess Kimball Leslie essentially takes you on a journey starting with her childhood, detailing her teenage years and then the list of jobs she has within the technology industry. You’ll find out about the things to do with the growth of the Internet, when we all LOVED MySpace (remember Tom?) and onto the present where we learn about the dominance of Facebook and the art of the selfie.

Nostalgia is probably the best word to describe this book because it made you realise just how rubbish the Internet was back in the day. I remember when you had to wait about 5 minutes for the computer to load ANYTHING, if your family were on the house phone you couldn’t use the Internet, and how MySpace was the best thing since sliced bread. If you’ve never experienced the anger of the dial-up modem, you’ve never lived. However, if you’ve never been apart of the 90’s Internet, I’m not sure if you’d appreciate the book as much. Saying that, it may be an eye-opener for those that are used to fast broadband and their Social Media addiction!

If you’re after a funny, light-hearted and nostalgic read I love My Computer is just for you.

Oh I loved the writing and the reminiscing back the old days with AOL, Chat rooms, just hilarious funny. I received a free ARC for an honest review.

This is a good book to pick up, for those that started with our first computer back in the 80's.

Just very entertaining. I wish I could really go back in time. Best days of my LIFE!

I completely forgot to write a review for this. The first thirty percent of this was great. It was a nice walk through memories of what it was like when the internet was “new” and exciting. As someone approximately the same age as the author, I identified a lot with the first third. The memories! The nostalgia! So many things I forgot about!

Then it took a turn. What started off as a book that seemed like a little love letter to online friendships and connection ended up turning into “Here Is What I Have Hated on the Internet.” It had such promise! As soon as the author came to work in social media, everything that made this an enjoyable read just stopped. The closer we got to current times, the more bitter and jaded the author came across. Once we got around to start-ups, it was heavy, slow-moving mud.

Overall, the author has a easy-to-read writing style and is able to inject humor and wit into many familiar situations. That’s what made the first part of the book so enjoyable. The rest…. Sigh. No. It wasn’t even complaints with witty banter, it was just complaints. And that’s too bad.

Required disclaimer: I received an advanced digital copy from the publisher and Netgalley for review.

While well-written this just wasn't my cup or tea. I enjoyed the trip down memory lane but just couldn't get into this one.

I received this book from the publisher at no cost, pre-release. It looked like it would be an interesting read for me, having worked in IT for the last 20 years. I was looking forward to a personal account of the writers interactions with computing over the years and how it shaped their life. It started really well and was an interesting description of growing up in the late 80's/early 90's with a tecky dad who embraced the technical developments of the time. However, for me I lost interest the further I got as it turned into more of a hipster's reflections on life in journalism and was a bit too 'Devil Wears Prada' esque for me to really enjoy it. Towards the end the writer managed to get a job that was related to IT and it got interesting for me again. I wonder whether I would have picked it up if the 'blurb' had been a bit more honest? I suspect not.

It did not sit well with me, the way it was written and the topic were just not my interest but well written, cohesive and for that it is 5 stars.

The cover was catchy and the title was clever, but unfortunately I found the content of the book to be far different from what I was expecting. The first part of the book was what I was expecting in terms of content, it was interesting listening to the author's experiences first getting to know the internet. Her stories about meeting celebrities in chat rooms and becoming quick friends with them was entertaining, but definitely not relatable. At some point the book took a turn from the initial nostalgia and felt more like a constant rant about different types of social media, the author's former boss, and interns in NYC. While the writing style was concise and easy to read, I found some of the humor overshadowed by cynicism.

I really, really enjoyed this book! It reminded me of a lot of my early Internet history, and had a lot of laugh-out-loud moments. Give this one a shot!!

I was disappointed with this book, but it is my own fault as I thought it was something way different.

I was hoping for a stroll down memory lane with this story, full of interesting tidbits and personal recollections. What I found was a book that had way too many details and way too much information overload that removed from the quaintness and interest for me.

This book resonated with me because it brought me back to my early internet days (dial-up, AOL chat rooms!), all the way to modern day. It was well-written and funny!

I'm between 3 and 4 stars, so I'll split the difference with 3.5. I fell completely in love with this book in its early chapters, describing a kid who sounded suspiciously like me nagivating the early new waters of that thing called the Internet. It was equal parts squeamish nostalgia and hilarity and I only wish the entire book stayed in that setting, but technology progress is told through the author's life experience in New York. This is the point where my love took a sharp nose dive and by the time it came to the Internet start ups and step-parenting, I was finding it a challenge to finish chapters without falling asleep (not helped by the fact that I read in bed). What began as relatable quickly deteriorated into more of that New York/Brooklyn-air of privilege and no longer the fun jaunt down memory lane.
Quick side note though on the subtitle--Stories from an Online Life. It feels like the chapters should be stand alone little stories, a la David Sedaris or Dave Barry, but that isn't really the case. The "online life" is really just a stream of consciousness progression from childhood through adulthood with the Internet as a tenuous connecting thread. It would have made more sense to be "a story" singular.
All said, I do hope to read more from Jess Kimball Leslie; she has a distinct "voice" I can relate to when she's tying into the collective experience.

In I Like My Computer Because My Friends Live In It, author Jess Kimball Leslie shares a variety of stories all about the internet. From Bette Midler fan forums to working in social media, online dating, the introduction of emails on-the-go and even online pet adoption, the book is a fun and nostalgic look back at how technology has shaped her life.

Whilst I was expecting the book to focus a little more on the history of the internet, including general experiences and examples of how it has changed our daily lives rather than such personal ones, the friendly tone and variety of essays made for an enjoyable read. The book is a fun trip back in time and will be particularly relatable for anyone who, like the author, grew up in the 90’s. Unfortunately the eARC copy I read didn’t include the images which I think will also add a little something extra to the overall experience. As with many non-fiction titles I found some of the sections to be a little more interesting than others but overall the book was a quick, fun read filled with stories that many people will identify with.

*Review link provided will go live on March 22nd.