The Geek's Guide to Dating

I didn't read beyond the cover, so I was unsure as to what to expect. For some reason I thought this would be a fictional book, but to my surprise (because I clearly don't read descriptions!) it truly was a dating guide. It was definitely fun to listen to the audiobook version because the narrator had great inflection and helped make it more fun. This guide is actually filled with pretty solid advice (it is geared solely to males, but you can get a general idea on most sections as to what applies to the ladies) and is very punny. Eric Smith has it loaded with references from every fandom, video game, and pop culture hamlet you can think of. He often uses common scenarios found in pop culture to illustrate certain points or to point out what is super unrealistic in what to expect in a relationship. Very funny and creative way to frame a dating book.

Ready Player One

Officially the BEST book I have read this year! Simply stunning and fantastical! The world that Ernest Cline creates is unique and so damn imaginative. Why have I waited so long to pick this up?! I literally DID NOT want it to end!

Had I read this in paper form I probably would have read the whole damn thing in one sitting, but I instead opted for the audiobook version read by the super talented and super sexy and super geeky Whil Wheeton (Stand by Me and Star Trek Next Generation star among many other talents). Overall, it took me about a week to get through 13 discs. Even though it takes longer to listen to than to read I would HIGHLY recommend the audiobook version because Whil Wheeton does a superb job of narrating. It's easily the best voice narration I've ever listened to in an audiobook.

So what exactly is this hella amazing book about you're wondering? Well let me try to tell you. It's like the fantasy classic "Snow Crash" mixed with every 80's pop culture reference, video game, nerd trivia, and Goonies like adventure. In the not to distant future everyone escapes the falling to shit planet by logging into the "oasis," a virtual reality world that lets people forget about their problems. It contains thousands of planets, quests, schools, entertainment options and literally everything you can imagine.

When the famous creator of the Oasis dies he leaves behind a golden egg hidden in the virtual reality that contains his ENTIRE fortune, billions and billions of dollars. Nearly everyone on the planet spends years trying to find the three keys and gates that will lead to the egg. In order to decipher the riddles and clues these searching souls must be well versed in 80s pop cultures, nerd lore, video game history, and other things the eccentric billionaire was interested. After years people begin to give up hope that the egg will ever be found and interest wanes. That is until a dirt poor teenager named Wade discovers the first key. "Ready Player One" is the story of his quest, the friends he meets along the way, and the discovery that living in the virtual world may not and should not be a substitute for living in reality.

READ THIS BOOK!