Some of my favorite non-fiction books are ones where the author uses stories of his/her life to make their point – Anne Lamott does this and so does Fr. Greg Boyle. And now I have a new favorite – Tyler Merritt. What a heart this man has. This is the story of Tyler’s ongoing cancer battle, and he tells it with humor and grace. It’s one of the few books I’ve read where I’ve actually laughed out loud, but it also brought tears to my eyes on several occasions. He throws in some history, musical theater references, and thoughts on his faith. I also love a man who speaks openly about his love for his mama. Many thanks to NetGalley, Worthy Books, and Mr. Merritt for the ARC of this title.

This book is everything. I read the ebook ARC but also purchased the Audio to listen along. Tyler Merritt is an author whose audio versions are even better than the printed version. I am recommending this book to everyone I know. It is so important and it moved me profoundly. I look forward to reading more books by Tyler Merritt.

Phew. This was a gorgeous book. And it was funny! (As the title suggests!)
This is the authors story of his cancer diagnosis and treatment but it’s also a lot more than that. It’s the sort of musings that happen when your life is turned upside down and you rethink everything.
I appreciated the structure of this book - it flips from the cancer timeline, to his perspective on events like George Floyd’s murder, to hilarious lists (my favourite was the White People Food list), and it’s all annotated with very VERY funny footnotes.
The end had me tearing up.
Read this book and remember to LIVE.
5 stars.
(Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC)

I started reading the newest book by Tyler Merritt and I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! This is how books should be! It will grab you from the start! ⁣
When Tyler Merritt was diagnosed with cancer, everything he thought he knew about what mattered in life changed. This book is a humorous and optimistic love letter to this beautiful life. ⁣He sprinkles serious passages with lyrics from musical theater and songs and I don't know him in real life, but the book reads like we are sitting down for a conversation! Highly recommend!

✨Book Review✨

This Changes Everything - Tyler Merritt

📖 This book is a memoir about Tyler’s life in the last few years. He received a cancer diagnosis and suddenly the little things were the big things, and his outlook on life needed an update. He talks about race, cancer, faith, history, and plenty of other topics - and he somehow ties it all together with humor yet also a deeply meaningful message about how precious our time is.

📚 I read Tyler’s first book (I Take My Coffee Black) because I am a Jen Hatmaker fan, and if she endorses [*read dates*] someone then I take that person seriously. I read This Changes Everything, because I knew Tyler has important things to say. This book was hard to put down. It made me laugh and cry, it kept me up past my bedtime. Tyler put in work to face his fears and wrestle doubts while telling his story. This book felt like becoming friends with Tyler.

🌟 Everyone should read this book. Tyler’s reflection on his life is something that all of us can learn from. This Changes Everything.

HUGE shoutout to @thetylermerrittproject and @worthypub for the advanced copy of this book. It will have a special spot on my shelf!

#TylerMerritt #TheTylerMerrittProject #ThisChangesEverything #BookReview
#BookRecommendation #Bookish

While I’ve been aware of Tyler Merritt for awhile, this is my first experience with his work.

I loved everything about it – even the bits that I didn’t understand or weren’t written with me in mind.

I loved the musical referrences.
I loved hearing him talk about his faith.
I loved how he walked us through his medical journey.
I loved the Best Dogs List, even though I cannot, in good conscience, agree.

Where’s Sandy, Tyler? WHERE’S SANDY?!

The sun sure ain’t comin’ out tomorrow without that dog.

Toto was an ankle biter.

SANDY SAVED ORPHANS.

Cough.

As for the rest: For the love, can we get this guy a bench?

This Changes Everything by Tyler Merritt--This memoir releases on Jan. 14. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance digital copy. This book is a delight! You may wonder how a book about cancer, race in America, and faith can be a delight? It is because Merritt skillfully balances laugh-out-loud humor (For real! I actually did.) with emotional vulnerability and wisdom. He has a friendly conversational style that I predict would be excellent in the audiobook which he reads himself. I loved this one.

This is a book about a hard topic. Cancer diagnosis and what happens next are topics we don’t often read about. Tyler’s voice shines through brightly. This book is like a long talk with a dear friend. His footnotes are fantastic asides that absolutely must be read! This second memoir paints a picture of a man I’d love to call my friend.

In Tyler's second memoir, he shares the experience of facing and dealing with a cancer diagnosis. From reading Tyler's first memoir, hearing him speak at an event, and following him on Instagram, his voice just leapt off of these pages and his humor shines through as he describes difficult medical events, as well as the time of reflection and approach to life that he has gone through since his diagnosis. Tyler's openness provides an opportunity for readers to better understand an experience that they may not have gone through personally. I am happy for Tyler's humor and found myself eagerly scanning each footnote at the end of the chapter. I am excited to listen to the audiobook version as well, as I can only imagine how great Tyler's narration is!

Tyler Merritt is a joy to listen to, or read. His writing style is conversational and his humor is contagious. If you are a Merritt fan, or enjoy books written directly from the heart, you'll love this! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Pub Date is January 14, 2025.

#ThisChangesEverything