In the not-so-distant future, people spend most of their day (if not all of it) jacked into OASIS, living online lives not possible in the burned out reality of 2044. When the creator of OASIS, James Halliday, dies and leaves his entire fortune up for grabs, millions of players race to solve Halliday’s final puzzle: a complex game based on everything he loved about 80s pop culture. Wade Watts is a dedicated player, but when he becomes the first person to earn a place on the game’s scoreboard, he becomes the target of every player in the system who seeks Halliday’s prize-including some who are willing to kill for it. Ready Player One is a fun read and a real treat for fans of gaming, nerd culture or 80s nostalgia.
Book Lovers
Ready Player One
Apr 11, 2012
Megan
Why Be Happy When You Can Be Normal?
Jeanette Winterson has long included aspects of her life in her works of fiction, but now she finally has written her story directly. Why Be Normal When You Can Be Happy? is her new autobiography addressing her upbringing by her extremely religious adopted mother, her quest to find her real mother and her dealings with literary success at such a young age. Having a tough childhood, it would be easy for Winterson to be angry at her mothers and her experiences. Instead, we see the redemptive capabilities of love and forgiveness. Beautifully written and a quick read.
Apr 10, 2012
Andrea
The Mothman Prophecies
Fans of UFO legend and the paranormal will enjoy John Keel's The Mothman Prophecies. Between 1966 and 1967, John Keel investigated the mysterious Mothman phenomenon occurring in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, a quiet town of 6,000 people. Among numerous reports of UFO sightings, residents also claimed they saw a large, winged monster with piercing red eyes. Culminating in the tragic collapse of the Silver Bridge, the Mothman sightings and the other supernatural phenomenon that blanketed the town were said to be an omen of the tragic event to come.
While The Mothman Prophecies of course tells the familiar tale of John Keel's bizarre experiences in Point Pleasant, it also ventures into some of the UFOlogist's intriguing conspiracy theories about the Men in Black and other paranormal events.
Apr 9, 2012
Liz
The Knife of Never Letting Go
There are no real secrets in Todd’s home town. All his life the thoughts of all men and animals have been transmitted involuntarily, as “Noise.” There are also no women. They all died when the Noise came…or so he had always been told. One day Todd stumbles across a glaring, person-shaped silence on the edge of town, and with no way to hide this new knowledge, Todd leaves the place he has always known and learns the truth about being a man in a world full of Noise. Recommended for mature teens and adults-a great book for readers who enjoyed The Hunger Games.
Apr 6, 2012
Megan
Trail of the Spellmans: document #5
If you are a fan of the Spellmans series, the latest offering won’t disappoint. Document #5 continues the zany saga of the Spellmans, a family of private investigators. Although the two eldest “children”, Izzy and David are in their 30’s and the youngest, Rae, is attending college, parents, Albert and Olivia, maintain a tight rein by using their P.I. skills to keep their family in line. The rest of the Spellmans use their own P.I. skills to muddle through their own lives.
A few new characters are introduced in this book, each with a unique, albeit, quirky nature, And while the Spellman children seem to experience what seems to be an emotional growth spurt, it doesn’t last too long before things go haywire, misunderstandings ensue and life, once again, is off-track.
Although this book can be read as a stand alone, (Izzy Spellman provides footnotes throughout the book and a brief description of each character at the end) read the entire series, the laughs will be worth your time.
Mar 29, 2012
Marilyn
Hope: A Tragedy
Who would've thought a book about a family moving to a farmhouse in rural New York only to discover Anne Frank (yes, the Anne Frank) living in their attic could be so funny? Shalom Auslander's Hope: A Tragedy is a hilarious meditation on history, remembering and optimism. This book is truly brash, bold and will undoubtedly make you think for long after you reach the last page.
Mar 28, 2012
Andrea
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
If you are an introverted person and have ever felt bad about it, Susan Cain's Quiet will change how you feel about something you might have thought of as a flaw. Introverts are not necessarily shy and are responsible for some of the world's greatest contributions. This book is empowering because it is never extreme in its praise of introversion, never once saying that introversion is absolute. Instead, Cain promotes embracing those who are introverted and recognizing the strengths that only introverts can provide.
Mar 26, 2012
Andrea
Robopocalypse
After the end of the New War, Cormac Wallace finds a block box that has recorded events that took place leading up to Zero Hour – when the robots rebelled – until Archos, the sentient robot who began the attack on mankind, was defeated. Based on the recordings and his own experiences, Cormac relates the stories of several groups of humans who fight against the robots. This gut-wrenching and suspenseful apocalyptic tale lauds the determination and ingenuity of the human race in the face of insurmountable obstacles put forth by the very machines man created.
Mar 22, 2012
Tara
A Man of Parts
A Man of Parts looks at the life and, especially, the many loves of the prolific novelist H.G. Wells. Stymied in his marriages, Wells acted the part of the Bohemian free-love practitioner. Interspersed with his domestic life are the stories of how his stories came about and how parts of his life are in each.
Mar 20, 2012
Susan
King Peggy
On first thought you may find yourself questioning whether this book is a biography or pure fiction, but, have no doubt this is real. That’s why this book is so fascinating. In 2008, a secretary, Peggielene Bartels, working at the Ghanaian embassy in Washington D.C. received a phone call at 4 am and was informed by a relative that in accordance with Ghanaian rituals she was the new king of their village, Otuam, as their past king, her uncle, “had gone to the village and he’s not coming down any time soon”. This idiom in Ghanaian royal culture means a person has passed away.
Such begins the fascinating story of how King Peggy Bartels began her new role governing the people of Otuam, while still working at the embassy – a commuter king. Though this may sound like a light-hearted story, the reality is that in 2008 the residents of Otuam didn’t have running water in their homes; instead, children walked nearly 30 minutes each way, every morning, before school to one of two bore holes in the village to get water for their family’s daily needs. No high school existed in the village, nor bank, nor radios or even televisions. Though cell phones were abundant, the Internet was unheard of. Transportation throughout the village was on foot and other than cabs, cars were rare. Actually, this wasn’t such a bad thing, since the roads – dirt roads that is – were filled with potholes. Corruption ran rampant and the government had no money in its coffers.
King Peggy tells the story of how personal strength, determination, guidance from the Gods, humor, and the kindness of others continues to guide the future of a village.
Mar 19, 2012
Marilyn