My Thoughts: Ready Player One By Ernest Cline

In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the  OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.

I have been dying to read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline for ages now! Some of my go-to reader peeps highly recommend this book and I have not really heard anything bad about it. So, in order to convince myself to read it, I added it to my List of Twelve and read it back in January- Finally! Here's the kicker- I am probably in the minority when I tell you, I didn't love this book.  That's not to say I didn't like it, I just wasn't blown away by it.

Ready Player One takes place in the future- a future where the world's resources are limited and poverty is everywhere. People have resorted to interacting with one another through the OASIS, a sort of virtual reality- it's actually pretty cool. When the founder of this system dies, he plants an Easter Egg in the game and who ever finds it wins his fortune (which is a crazy amount). Naturally, everyone and anyone has been trying to find this egg, including our protagonist, Wade.

Ready Player One is a fun story. Really- the idea of an quest and an Easter egg was so intriguing. I really enjoyed the challenges and would get totally stressed out when Wade was in the middle of one, or when he was trying to decipher a clue. I was really rooting for him. I loved how obsessed participants of the Oasis were in finding this egg and winning this fortune, that they became scholars of 80's pop culture. It was pretty intense- albeit a little unrealistic- but it was fun none the less.

I also really like the friendships Wade was able to make with some of  the other folks who were also hunting. Everyone was very apprehensive of one another and extremely distrustful, so when actual friendships were developed- it was pretty great. There were also some pretty nasty villains who do some pretty terrible things.

But, after all that, why wasn't this book as magical for me as it was for others. Here's the thing- Ready Player One pays homage to the 80's. And yes, I appreciated all the 80's references, but in all honesty, more than half of them were lost on me. I am a child of the 90's and give me anything from that era and we're golden, but the 80's that's a little tougher for me. Therefore, in that sense, I just could not connect with the story. All the references to movies and television shows were not that exciting to me. I wanted to be excited though, cause it's a pretty awesome idea! I want a book like this for my decade.

There were also times that I felt like the story was taking to long to go anywhere- Wade does something about three quarters in that I am not 100% certain was totally necessary for the overall movement of the plot. I found there was a lot of stagnant space, where I was on edge and waiting for something to happen or be revealed and nothing did or it was really slow coming. Now, this maybe just a style of story telling I am not used to, and therefore don't fully appreciate.

Overall, Ready Player One is such and unique and entertaining read that I would recommend this to everyone. I loved the gaming world (and no, you don't need to be a gamer to enjoy this book), I loved the adventure and I loved the quests. I am indeed curious about Cline's other work, Armada. I am pretty sure I will read it some day- soon.

Happy Reading Everyone!

 

January Recap

Let's try this.

I know it's like almost the middle of the month. But whatever- let's get to it.

Number of books completed

10 

Physical books

5

Audiobooks

  5

 

 

Favourite Read of the Month

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

 How is it possible that I have never read this book before- It was fantastic. So clever and fun, and I got all the feels reading it. 

Favourite Listen of the Month

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

After my experience with I'll Give You the Sun last year- I knew I needed more Nelson in my life. This one is narrated by Julia Whelan and I really liked what she did with the story.

How am I doing on my bookish resolutions? 

Not to bad- I wasn't able to get to a debut, but I did read TWO books from my List of Twelve.  So, I don't think I am doing to badly. 

That about sums up the month of January for me. 

~Happy Reading Everyone!

Vacation Reads

 As you are reading this, I will be sitting on the beach, with my stack of reading material. That's right folks, I am on vacation in Mexico- Tulum to be exact. I have never taken a tropical/beach vacation before and I am really looking forward to it. I have a feeling I may become completely hooked.

As my friends were deciding on what to clothing and swim suits to bring, I was thinking about which books to fit into my luggage. I thought I would quickly share with you what I have decided to bring with me.

I didn't want to be to weighed down by physical books, so I loaded up my Ereader with a bunch of stuff. I will either read a ton, or not at all, best be prepared for it all.

Happy Reading Everyone!!

My Thoughts: Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A.S. King

Graduating from high school is a time of limitless possibilities--but not for Glory, who has no plan for what's next. Her mother committed suicide when Glory was only four years old, and she's never stopped wondering if she will eventually go the same way...until a transformative night when she begins to experience an astonishing new power to see a person's infinite past and future. From ancient ancestors to many generations forward, Glory is bombarded with visions--and what she sees ahead of her is terrifying: A tyrannical new leader raises an army. Women's rights disappear. A violent second civil war breaks out. And young girls vanish daily, sold off or interned in camps. Glory makes it her mission to record everything she sees, hoping her notes will somehow make a difference. She may not see a future for herself, but she'll do anything to make sure this one doesn't come to pass.

So- let's talk about Glory O'Brien's History of the Future and my feelings on it. What a STRANGE little book. I started reading this when I spent a cold winter day at the cabin. I thought, I'll spend the 2+ hours driving there reading, read while at the cabin and finish it on my home- no. This book took me ages to sink into. I think it's  because this book was so weird, and I needed time to figure out where the author was going. I never did, I just gave up and went with it.

Essentially, Glory O'Brien's History of the Future, tells the story of Glory O'Brien and her buddy-Ellie- drinking the remains of a dried bat (ya see- strange). Which, totally does something to them, and they start to see things. In Glory's case, she's getting snippets of the future- and to be honest- it's pretty bleak looking. Full of civil war and human trafficking and all kinds of ugliness. Naturally, this causes Glory to panic a little... and go a little cuckoo.

What bothered me about this book was Glory- she was major Debbie Downer. I like to think of myself as a fairly optimistic individual, I don't tend to think the worst of people or situations, and I usually like people. This wasn't the case for Glory, and I really struggled with that. She was kind of a jerk. Some would say she has good reason to be so miserable- she's still confused about her mother's death and angry at the world because of it, add now that she's now seeing the end of the world- I guess that would weigh on a person. But I couldn't connect with her. I found that she used her situation and her mother's death to keep people at arm's length. When people got to close she would antagonize and insult them, which I just found mean. However, she wasn't all bad (sigh)...What really saved Glory for me was how she cared for her dad- she wanted him to be happy and to live a happy life. She didn't want him to be stuck loving her long dead mother and never living again. This was really important to her and it really revealed her heart. You would get at these little nuggets of a kind and loving Glory through out the novel and truly, that's what kept me going. She does evolve and comes into herself- like I said, she's not all bad. But, I didn't really like her.

What I did like was the secondary characters, I liked Ellie a lot. She was this little hippie girl, who was torn between loyalty to her family and the life she was raised in, and wanting to break free and live her own life. She was self-involved, but she tried. I think she was my favourite. I liked Glory's dad and how strange he was.

The story was interesting. The concept of a second American Civil War and what it stems from was super intriguing. I often found myself thinking, 'this could never happen... could it?' Kudos to A.S. King for that. I don't want to spoil to much here. But I looked forward to these parts of the book, where we would get snap shots of the future.

Overall, I am torn. I couldn't love this novel because I really didn't like Glory and her attitude. But at the same time, the concept and the way it was told was really cool. So, I don't know, I really don't know. Try it for yourself.

~Happy Reading Everyone,

The List of Twelve

Hello Friends,

 I have mentioned in the past, I don't do well with strict TBR lists. I am to much of a mood reader for that. I like reading what I want when I want. So being constricted to a set of books per month kind of sucked for. This would often result in me reading less. However, I REALLY love lists- more, I love completing a task and and crossing that task off. There is nothing more satisfying.

Moving on- as many of you know first hand- there are so many books and so little time. I could fill pages and pages in a notebook with all of the books that I would like/need to read. Whenever I am with friends who read (or worse fellow bloggers), I find myself often saying "Oh, I haven't read that" or "I have been meaning to read that" or "Not yet, but it's on my TBR," So many times, it's embarrassing.

SO- The List of Twelve- which I mentioned briefly in my 2016 Bookish Resolutions-  twelve books I want to read in 2016. This is a random selection of novels, some I have been saying to myself I have to read, some are classics that I ashamed to say I haven't read, others are books I am just curious about and want to experience. It's an odd assortment. And I am very excited to tackle it.

1) Pride and Prejudice
(January)

Jane Austen 

2) Jane Eyre 

Charlotte Bronte

3) The Little Prince
(February)

Antoine de Saint-Exupery 

4) The BFG 

Roald Dahl 

5) Ready Player One
(January)

Ernest Cline

6) An Abundance of Katherines 

John Green

7) The Shadow of the Wind 

Carlos Ruiz Zafon

8)The Five People You Meet in Heaven 

Mitch Alboom

9) The Archived 

Victoria Schwab 

10) Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe 

Benjamin Alire Sanez 

11) To Kill a Mockingbird 

Harper Lee

12) Dracula 

Bram Stoker

Note- I am starting the year with Pride and Prejudice, but I am not reading these books in this particular order, I am going to read them when I feel like it- the goal is just to read at least one per month. I love the diversity of this list and I am excited about it. I can't wait to look back on it next January and see if I completed this mini challenge for myself. I'll be referring back to this post throughout the year to help me stay on track and to scratch off the books I have completed. 

~Happy Reading Everyone
 

Best Read of 2015

Again, I know I am a little behind on this- but better late then never. I thought about not posting it, but I felt like I needed to round out 2015 and share with you my favourite five reads of the year. Yes, there are only five.

A few months ago I shared a similar list- my favourites so far- and reviewing it, there is some overlap (2 books), but I read some really fantastic books in the last quarter of the year.

So here they are:

5) Vicious by VE Schwab

I was actually very surprised with how much I enjoyed this one. I really loved the concept of what makes a super hero and what makes a villain (I have a thing for super heroes). This book just did it for me.

4) Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

It's maybe a little cliche to have this one as a favourite- but this book made me think about life and what living really means. It stuck with me. If you haven't read this, you really need to.

3) Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

As I mentioned in my review of Attachments, I felt like it could have been talking about MY life. It was freaky. But the way Rowell told the story was so beautiful and honest. I really appreciated that. Being a grown up is hard, but you gotta  do it, and you gotta move with the shakes.

2) Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen

This one kind of snuck up on me. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. For me it was very reminiscent of Huntley Fitzpatrick's The Boy Next Door. I really liked Sydney and how her character developed. I also appreciate the role of the parents in the majority of Dessen's novels (I've only read 3). I find in a lot of YA, the parents are very absent (sometimes for no reason).  However, in this book the parents were very present and played a significant part.

1) I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Despite how I felt when I initially read this book (my thoughts), I absolutely adored it. Going through all the novels I read in 2015, this book stuck with me. I really feel like I want to reread this book and experience it all over again. It truly is a beautiful story- and the way Nelson tells it... breathtaking.

So, there you have it. My top five of 2015. I hope you enjoyed. I am really looking forward to reading even more amazing novels in 2016. I feel fired up to read. 

Happy Reading Everyone! 

2016 -Bookish- Resolutions

Hello Lovelies,

Well, I know I am a little behind when it comes to sharing my 2016 goals- this is mostly because I have been thinking and pondering about them and wanting to make sure that I am setting realistic goals/resolutions. So I have been thinking and planning (my new favourite thing).

I don't have a lot of crazy bookish resolutions. They are simple, but at the same time, I think they will also challenge me. So, here goes.


2016 Reading Challenge

This year I have been a little ambitious with my reading goal- I have aimed high and set a goal of 90 books for 2016. 2015 I only read 72 books (and let's be honest, a good chunk of those books were audiobooks). Really, I got a little lazy in 2015--more, I was focused on other things and reading was put on the back burner. Which is totally okay, but I certainly felt like something was missing and I wasn't as relaxed. So, 90 books this year.




Finish at Least ONE (1) Book a Week

I actually mean read read. Audiobooks were my thing in 2015 and I am sure they will continue to be my thing in 2016, but I find sitting down and reading a physical book extremely comforting and truly relaxing. So that is my plan- one book a week. Ideally I would finish one book Monday-Friday and another on the weekend, but come on, I also am hoping to maintain what little of social life I have.

Read One Book a Month From my List of Twelve (12)

In the past, I have tried to do monthly TBRs- Those didn't really work out for me. I am a mood reader and can't be contained to a specific set of books each month. However, there are a number of books I have said I wanted/needed to read. I would like to tackle this list. While I don't have the list completed yet, here is a sample:

Pride and Prejudice (Can you believe I haven't read this book yet? terrible).
Jane Eyre
The Little Prince
An Abundance of Katherines (This is the only John Green novel I haven't read).
Room 
Ready Player One
The Shadow of the Wind
 

The idea behind this is to broaden my horizons. I tend to read a lot of contemporary/romance-y type novels. Which I am totally okay with. However, in the last few years I have tried to move away from my usual and try fantasy a bit and discovered some really amazing novels and authors. Again, I am wanting to stray from my comfort zone a bit. One book at a time.

Read One YA Debut Author a Month

I am not officially participating in the 2016 YA Debut Author challenge (I have in the past and it was a really wonderful experience for me) and I really love the concept of it. There are so many new authors releasing their books this year and I want to read them. I have explored the list on Goodreads a bit and was excited with what I saw. If you have any recommendations on what I should read- let me know.


Tidy up my Goodreads bookshelves. 

They are a mess and I need to clean house.