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. 

Otherworld

I'm astonished at how much I loved this book. I got sucked in from the get go and raced through it to see how the story could possibly get solved (spoiler alert it's in the first of a series). I also couldn't believe that Hollywood actor, Jason Segel, wrote this. How cool! Apparently he's also written other  books as well! This book is like Ready Player One and Westworld if it had been written for teenagers. There is a new virtual reality called Otherworld and it's just been released on the market to 2,000 lucky beta testers. Simon and his best friend (and romantic interest) Kat, get to be some of the lucky first few to experience it. Real life is so boring is boring compared to realness and power of Otherworld. But when Simon discovers that this may be more than a game and it has the potential to kill certain players during the testing phase, he is determined to go back in there and save Kat (who at this point, is being forced to stay in the Otherworld against her will). Engrossing, funny, imaginative, and surprisingly believable; this book will garner teen fans and quite a few adults too. I can't wait for the next one!

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!