Happy Thursday, my lovely peepsš„!
I used to hate Thursdays, at my old job, because it was the busiest day out of the week. Now, Thursdays are what it ought to be; the day before Weekend Eve!
Today, I bring to you two features in a set of mini reviews dedicated to The Odd 1s Out series by James Rallison. I knew I recognized that adorable marshmallow art style!

Title: The Odd 1s Out: How to Be Cool and Other Things I Definitely Learned from Growing Up
Author: James Rallison
Genre: Nonfiction, Humor, Comics, Memoir, Biography, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade
Edition: e-book > Kindle (Libby)
Length: 237 Pages
Published: 31 July 2018
Publisher: TarcherPerigee
LINKS:
Goodreads:Ā [LINK]
Amazon:Ā [LINK]

Like any shy teen turned young adult, YouTube star James Rallison (“The Odd 1s Out”) is used to being on the outside looking in. He wasn’t partying in high school or winning football games like his older brother. Instead, he posted comics on the Internet. Now, he’s ready to share his hard-earned advice from his 21 years of life in the funny, relatable voice his fans love.
In this illustrated collection, Rallison tells his own stories of growing up as the “odd one out”: in art class with his twin sister (she was more talented), in the middle school locker room, and up to one strange year of college (he dropped out). Each story is filled with the little lessons he picked up along the way, serious and otherwise, like:
* How to be cool (in seventh grade)
* Why it’s OK to be second-best at something, and
* How to survive your first, confidence-killing job interviews
Filled with fan-favorite comics and never-before-seen material, this tongue-in-cheek take on some of the weirdest, funniest parts of life is perfect for both avid followers and new converts.
Title: The Odd 1s Out: The First Sequel
Author: James Rallison
Genre: Nonfiction, Humor, Comics, Memoir, Biography, Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Audiobook
Edition: Audiobook > Libby App
Length: 1 hour 51 minutes
Published: 8 December 2020 (Audiobook)
Publisher: Penguin Audio
LINKS:
Goodreads:Ā [LINK]
Amazon:Ā [LINK]

The sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Odd 1s Out , with all new and never-before-seen content featuring opinions, stories, and signature characters from YouTube phenomenon James Rallison
James Rallison has always felt like he was on the outside looking in. His YouTube videos are all about his “odd” behavior, and with over 13 million subscribers and millions more followers on social media, these animations have found their way into the hearts of fans who also feel like a bit of an odd one.
In this second installment in the Odd 1s Out series, James is back with characters, stories, and opinions,
⢠The upside of the robot uprising
⢠Questionable pizza toppings
⢠Strange yet completely reasonable fears
⢠Inventions that don’t exist, but should
Offering advice on accepting your quirks and growing up in the Internet age, The Odd 1s The First Sequel is sure to be a must-have for old and new fans alike.

Book 1
I was quite excited to come across these books in the library! Iāve watched a few of Jameās videos his channel before, but that was a couple years back and I never knew that he had books out as well! I love his art style and itās unique in a way that you canāt really forget. You lay eyes on the characters and know right away itās The Odd 1s Out. His humor helps make his stories pop and I really enjoyed them whether they were in video, audio, or a written style.
The read was humorous. I know Iāve read a solid few comedy/humor books in the last few years, but not many actually get me to laugh out loud. How to Be Cool and Other Things I Definitely Learned From Growing Up was one of those books that I could easily inhale in a single sitting and probably not [for me] to be read in public because of the random times Iād just bust out with a HAHA. I read a few pages out loud at the dinner table because my brother had also seen a few of Jameās videos before and we enjoyed a few laughs together.
The writing is good. There are moments where James will address us/readers/audience in a way thatās fitting for both an adult and kids. When coming out of or reading this book alongside another book thatās dense or hard to get through, itās a nice breather. Thereās no need to guess what is happening. Simple. I like it simple. Itās easy on my brain.
Again, Iāve always loved the art in The Odd 1s Outās channel and I think (last I visited) theyāve seemed to have improved since the last I frequented the channel. I really enjoyed reading this book and found the illustrations to be adorable and couple with hilarious stories, the comics were great fun and had me laughing. Each chapter consists of a new story and I enjoyed all of them, some more than others.
There were some stories that were a repeat from Jameās videos, but if youāre someone whoās never checked out any of The Odd 1s Outās videos or, if youāre like me who hasnāt watched them in a while, then this is a great book to pick up. Heck, even if youāre an old fan, itās probably still nice to have a physical copy of the comics and all of the funny stories from the videos, even if some of them are a retell.
Some of my favorite stories included: āPerks of Being the Younger Brotherā where he talks about being able to get away with things that his older brother could not have gotten away with; āPEā and how/why does the education system pair varsity students with chess club kids as well as funny locker room stories; āScience Fairā which sparked the memories of poster boards, word art, and hypothesises; and āSon, Itās Time We Talk About the Crickets and the Wormsā where James recalled the time he volunteered to watch over his friendās pet frog but the crickets got loose and they mocked him with their chirps at night, how he ended up having to catch wild crickets to feed the frog, and later on, had to poach worms from his neighborās yard.
All in all, a great and short read with easy wording, funny tales, and adorable illustrations. I loved reading this book and if you need a bit of laugh, I recommend you to pick up a copy as well!
Book 2
The sequel was just as good as the first and the stories were funny to listen to. However, the audiobook version was not as good as when Iād read book 1 as an ebook. There was even a moment where James had mentioned that audiobook listeners might miss out on something and right into the book, you kind of feel this because there was a section where James is picking out a font is actually this really funny drawing of an elaborate flowchart in the physical/ebook (seen in the book sampler). Still, considering this book involves a lot of illustrations and comics, itās only natural to miss certain things than if you were to read it yourself. It still reads fine though and I did crack up laughing in certain stories as well. I donāt mind picking up the physical ebook sometime in the near future either.
Just as light and funny as the first book, this second book got a good chuckle and sometimes LOL out of me, although, I must be honest, I did enjoy the stories in the first book a little more. I didnāt get to fully enjoy the art and illustrations, but I liked what I saw in the sampler so Iām assuming it continues just as well throughout the rest of the book. In fact, it seems like the art was even better than the first book! Some of my favorite stories from this book involved: āSpider Pizzaā…the story about the unfortunate spider baked into a pizza by accidentā¦..; āDog Trainingā and the limitations of how far even the best training sessions can go; and “The Missing Mattressā talking about the frustrations of customer service and how sometimes it takes a third party (friend) to find a very obvious solution while awaiting things to fix itself.
A really fun book that was just as easy to read. A light book that is perfect for me to use as a palate cleanser in between intense and action filled reads. I enjoyed the comedy, the narration, and most definitely enjoyed the stories. Another great book that I listened to as a Libby audiobook and am convinced enough to go back and purchase the physical/ebook version (the ebook version doesnāt show up in my Libby).