Ready Player Two

The reviews were overwhelmingly negative for this book so I went in skeptical - but honestly it was an enjoyable ride. Was it necessary? No. But it was still fun. The pop culture references were a bit overkill (imagine ten times more than the first book) but what Wade is fighting for is really unique and imaginative. Same with the ending - I didn't expect it to go where it went. Basically - it boils down to - there is another quest - Seven Shards of the Siren's Soul - and Wade is under a HUGE time crunch to solve it before something unimaginable happens to all the people he loves. He gets the crew back together (along with a few new friends) and they have to combine all their obscure pop culture knowledge to save the world (literally). Fun and supremely over the top. This won't be everyone's cup of tea and if you would prefer to skip it - it's not a needed sequel. 

Seven Deadly Sins: Settling the Argument Between Born Bad and Damaged Good

"The way is never shut if the light you seek is bright enough. If you are feeling a little dark, you can always change the bulb. Never let the limits of your understanding dictate how far you can go. We can be better."

Personally, if you had told me that a high school drop out, former addict, and heavy metal rock star had written that I would have laughed at you, but I guess I like to be proven wrong. This book was nothing what I expected, but FANTASTIC none the less. I had imagined that this book would be a rock and roll biography but I was happily proven wrong when it turned out to be a collection of essays on the "7 deadly sins" and why they aren't really sins and aren't deadly. It was pure unadulterated genius.

Corey Taylor writes like a mix between Hunter S. Thompson and Chuck Klosterman, all over the place and full of pop culture references making it impossible to put down. This book reads like part biography, part philosophy, and is all around kick ass. It really challenges you to think about what sin really is and how do we identify or grow past it. Are there new more current deadly sins? You bet! Taylor identifies what he thinks are our societies biggest pitfalls at the end of the book, his choices are actually spot on.

I highly, highly recommend this read, it's full of great quotes and stories, and insights on our society today. I truly hope that Corey Taylor doesn't put the pen down and starts working on another. Bravo.