Book Club - Ready Player One

"Before long, billions of people around the world were working and playing in the OASIS every day. Some of them met, fell in love, and got married without ever setting foot on the same continent. The lines of distinction between a person's real identity and that of their avatar began to blur."

Today I want to talk about a super cool book that I read recently! Ready Player One had been patiently sitting in my Amazon wishlist for quite a few months, and when my favourite geekery you tuber Comicbookgirl19, mentioned this book at the end of one of her GOT review episodes, I decided to finally go for it. And am I glad I did!

Ready Player One tells the story of nerdy 18 year old, Wade Watts, living in the year 2045. The book describes a dystopian future where humans have been ignoring the planet for years, primarily because of an alternate reality called Oasis.

“If I was feeling depressed or frustrated about my lot in life, all I had to do was tap the Player One button, and my worries would instantly slip away as my mind focused itself on the relentless pixelated onslaught on the screen in front of me.” 

Created by mega brain James Halliday, (a Steve Jobs/Bill Gates type) Oasis is a massively multiplayer online virtual reality simulation, kind of like World Of Warcraft, but much much bigger. The users have virtual reality glasses as well as gloves, so it really feels like they are there, hence the reason most people are totally absorbed in this online universe, rather than wanting to actually experience the real one. It's really an elaboration of the way that technology has taken over our own world in the present. As you read you are able to draw a lot of comparisons to Facebook and other social networking sites. 

“Being human totally sucks most of the time. Videogames are the only thing that make life bearable.”

The book heavily references 80's pop culture, in fact, it is the central theme. There are so many 80"s references you are bound to recognise a few, but unless you are an expert on the era, the majority of them will probably go straight over your head!  Being an 80's fan this was one of my favourite elements of the book. Some of my favourite films and songs are mentioned! And it feels like such a payoff when you 'get' one of the in jokes.

"We visited the planet Goondocks and finished the entire Goonies quest in just one day. Arty played through it as Martha Plimpton's character Stef, while I played as Mikey, Sean Astin's character. It was entirely too much fun."

Anywho, the promise of the book is that James Halliday, the creator, passes away. Having no heir to pass on his fortune to, he has developed an elaborate competition to determine who is worthy of his riches, in the event of his death. A cryptic riddle starts the game off and then the hunt is on for the hidden easter egg within the game. Those that participate are named Gunters (Egg hunters) It just so happens that our friend Wade is one of these Gunters, and we follow his journey unravelling the first clue and all those that follow.

Three hidden keys open three secret gates

Wherein the errant will be tested for worthy traits

And those with the skill to survive these traits

Will reach the end where the prize awaits.

I must say, I LOVED this book! If you are into your 80's pop culture or gaming in any way I would definitely recommend this book. As I was reading it I was thinking how awesome it would be if they made this into a movie. Well guess what? It turns out they are! It's in the very early stages at the moment but it looks like Zak Penn, known for being the writer for The Avengers movie, is likely to take on the adaptation. I just hope they do it justice! 

I like to speculate about the actors that will play the characters when a book is adapted into a movie.  Have you read this book? Who do you think they will cast?

I bought my Kindle copy of Ready Player One from Amazon for £3.49..

“I created the OASIS because I never felt at home in the real world. I didn't know how to connect with the people there. I was afraid, for all of my life, right up until I knew it was ending. That was when I realized, as terrifying and painful as reality can be, it's also the only place where you can find true happiness. Because reality is real.”

Laura xXx

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Book Club - Life After Life

“What if we had a chance to do it again and again, until we finally did get it right? Wouldn't that be wonderful?”

This book was recommended to me by @acaseforbooks on Twitter. She truly knows her stuff where books are concerned and I am delighted to say that I absolutely loved it!

Life After Life explores the idea that a person has infinite lives, when they die they are reborn, and depending on the decisions they make each time, their lives can take all sorts of twists and turns.  Our protagonist is Ursula, and we meet her from the moment she is born in 1910.

Ursula dies repeatedly, in many different ways, but each time she is allowed to begin again (unknowingly) and make decisions which will alter her future each time. To begin with, it is heartbreaking reading the various deaths of a child that you have grown quite fond of. I found myself willing her away from any danger, but the inevitable always happens at some point. However, as Ursula reaches adulthood I began to feel hope with each death, as it marked a new life, and a possibility that she will finally find happiness.

“She no longer recognised herself, she thought. She had taken the wrong path, opened the wrong door, and was unable to find her way back” 

As we learn more about Ursula, so she learns more about herself. The final chapters are quite adventurous, and you might recognise a name or two from the history books! I really loved this aspect, that Ursula could change the course of history not only for herself, but for the whole world! Each life has it's fair share of good and bad, and I feel that Atkinson encourages you to ask the question, in which life is she happiest?

“Ursula craved solitude but she hated loneliness, a conundrum she couldn't even begin to solve” 

If you have read this book I would love to know which life you felt Ursula was happiest, and which life you enjoyed most? If you haven't read this book yet, I think you should! You can get hold of it here.

“You can step in the same river but the water will always be new” 

Laura xXx

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Book Club - Trash by Andy Mulligan

“People say to me, 'I guess you just never know what you'll find, sifting through rubbish! Today could be your lucky day. ” 

In a way, 'Trash' by Andy Mulligan is an adventure story. Three boys out to uncover a mystery, much like the Famous Five!  But instead of living in a quaint little English Village, these boys live in the squats of Behala. Sifting through other peoples rubbish to find anything worth money.

Behind the adventure and excitement of the story is the stark reality of the terrible conditions in which some people live. The book also focuses heavily on police and government corruption, exposing how difficult it is for people in this situation to get out. Of course this is a fictional book, but we have all seen the appeals on the television, children on rubbish dumps living in squalor. This is real! And I feel that Mulligan does a good job of bringing the situation to life in his book.

“I  learned that the world revolves around money. There are values and virtues and morals; there are relationships and trust and love---and all of that is important. Money, however, is more important and it is dripping all the time, like precious water. Some drink deep; others thirst. Without money, you shrivel and die. The absence of money is drought in which nothing can grow. Nobody knows the value of water until they've lived in a dry, dry place---like Behala. So many people, waiting for the rain ” 

The book serves as the diary of the events which occur after one of the boys, Raphael, finds a bag on the rubbish dump. Unbeknownst to him, what is inside the bag is very valuable information which the police are in high pursuit of, and which eventually leads Raphael and his two friends into danger and onto adventure! 

 I really enjoyed the way that the book was narrated, split up between the 3 boys, each taking their turn to tell their part of the tale.  Occasionally we would hear from other characters too, helping to give a fully rounded account of events.   

“It fell into my hand: a small leather bag, zipped up tight and covered in coffee-grounds. Unzipping it I found a wallett. Next to that a folded up map - and inside the map, a key.” 

It didn't take me long to read this book, partly because it wasn't very long and partly because I couldn't put it down! I was rooting for the main characters the whole way through, and was pleased when good was finally able to  triumph over evil. I always love it when a book has a satisfying conclusion! 

“With the right key you can bust the door wide open. Because nobody's going to open it for you.” 

 Laura xXx

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Book Club - Life of Pi by Yann Martel

 “I was giving up. I would have given up - if a voice hadn't made itself heard in my heart. The voice said "I will not die. I refuse it. I will make it through this nightmare. I will beat the odds, as great as they are. I have survived so far, miraculously. Now I will turn miracle into routine. The amazing will be seen everyday. I will put in all the hard work necessary. Yes, so long as God is with me, I will not die. Amen.” 

If you haven't yet read Life Of Pi, chances are that you have at least heard of it, and you may well have seen the film which has had such great success. I am one of the few that hasn't seen the film yet, but I found the book to be fantastic and am eagerly anticipating my chance to get to watch it at long last!

The book is written mainly from the perspective of 16 year old Pi. An intelligent boy who finds happiness in religion, so much so that he practices three of them! He is not only a Hindu, but also a Catholic and a Muslim! Much to the horror of his three religious teachers when they eventually find out!

“Hindus, in their capacity for love, are indeed hairless Christians, just as Muslims, in the way they see God in everything, are bearded Hindus, and Christians, in their devotion to God, are hat wearing Muslims.” 

I found this part of the story really interesting and enlightening. Pi's love for God knows no bounds. Now I am not really a religious person, but this kind of faith makes far more sense to me than any one religion. After all, the holy books were all written by man and therefore are surely prone to error? Pi chooses to love god in all his forms, in every story that is told, taking morals and lessons from all. Anyway, the point of the fact is that religion is an important subject throughout the book.  The way it is implemented alongside the need for survival reminded me of Robinson Crusoe. Another shipwrecked soul doing his best to survive in unfamiliar surroundings with the help of God.

“If there's only one nation in the sky, shouldn't all passports be valid for it?” 

Pi's companion is not so different from Crusoe's Man Friday in actual fact. He is a cannibal and the pair are not able to communicate easily. Pi's companion is a Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker! What a delightful name for a Tiger!

"'I love you!' The words burst out pure and unfettered, infinite. The feeling flooded my chest. 'Truly I do. I love you, Richard Parker. If I didn't have you now, I don't know what I would do. I don't think I would make it. No, I wouldn't, I would die of hopelessness. Don't give up Richard Parker, don't give up. I'll get you to land, I promise, I promise"

You may wonder how exactly a 16 year old boy ends up with a Tiger named Richard Parker for a companion. Pi and his family are emigrating from India to Canada, when their ship sinks during the voyage. The boat is transporting many animals from the zoo which Pi's father owned.  With a stroke of luck Pi manages to get aboard a life boat before the ship sinks. But, once he sees his new crewmates he soon curses the fact. A zebra, a hyena, a tiger and an orangutang are also aboard! The rest of the book documents his survival upon the life boat, through many trials and tribulations.

“You might think I lost all hope at that point. I did. And as a result I perked up and felt much better.” 

This book is a heart wrenching, heart warming, tear jerker that is full of hope. Is it believable? Well, that is another thing all together, and I will let you make up your own mind about that... 

“If you stumble about believability, what are you living for? Love is hard to believe, ask any lover. Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist. God is hard to believe, ask any believer. What is your problem with hard to believe?” 

Life of Pi is available to buy on Kindle from amazon at the bargain price of just 20p! You can find it here. Or you can opt for the good old fashioned book here.

Laura xXx 

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Book Club - The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

“The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.” 

Since I have been reading more recently I thought I would do a review of the books that I particularly like. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern definitely makes it onto that list! I love books that transport you to magical worlds, and this book does just that. However, The Night Circus is based in our own world in the late 1800's and the magic therein is only known by some!

“You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone's soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows that they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift.” 

It is essentially a love story, but rather a complicated one. Not that this is a bad thing, I actually enjoyed this attention to detail very much! Before we are introduced to the love story, we are introduced to a magical competition, or a game if you like. The Circus is to be the setting of that game. 

“Life takes us to unexpected places sometimes. The future is never set in stone, remember that.” 

The characters in this book are complex, but ultimately very likeable. The Circus itself is really the biggest character in the book. Through Morgenstern's words we can smell it, taste it , and see the muted colour in all its glory. We are given delightful insights into the magic inside some of the tents. I loved hearing what was in each tent, and actually, although in the book they are made using magic, I would love to see them re-created in real life. The cloud maze, the ice garden, the labyrinth, the pool of tears, all are even more magical than they sound. One of my favourites was The Wishing Tree, where candles are lit to make a wish, and one wish is used to light another. Widgets tent was my absolute favourite, where whole experiences were kept in jars and bottles and boxes, ready to delight whoever is to open it!

“I made a wish on this tree years ago," Marco says."What did you wish for?" Bailey asks. Marco leans forward and whispers in Bailey's ear. "I wished for her."

This book absolutely enchanted me. I wish they would make a movie of it, although I am sure they could not capture the essence of the Circus as well as Morgenstern has done with her words. Or better still, can someone actually make the circus itself please? It's a goodie, you must read it if you get the chance! Its also a proper bargain on Amazon at the moment.  This is actually Morgenstern's first book, so I am really excited to see what she does next!

Currently I'm reading 'Life of Pi', but I would love to hear your suggestions of what I should read next!

Laura xXx

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