Ready Player One

Wade Watts is a teenager that lives in a trailer. The only time he feels like his alive is when he is plugged into the Oasis, a virtually reality world where nearly everyone lives their lives. It's how he attends school and has social interactions. But like any virtual reality, there is a creator behind it. In this case the creator of the Oasis is ready to pass on the torch for maintaining and running the Oasis. The Oasis creator has hidden clues and puzzles in the Oasis and the new game master has to find all the keys. Wade Watts finds the first key and the race is on. Ready Player One.

The story is a throwback to many pop-culture gaming references including Pac-Man, Dungeons and Dragons, and more. I listened to most of the book which is read by Wil Wheaton. Wil is the perfect person to read this book. He does a very good job and as a listener, I know that Wil is a gamer at heart. He gets the story. I did return the audio book because it was taking me a long time to read it, so I finished up reading the print edition.

Overall, I found the story interesting and engaging. The author does a good job delving into the Oasis but also pulling out and seeing the real world. But, the story does start to drag about three-fourths of the way through. I simply got bored of the ongoing quest to find the next key. I did get most of the references mentioned in the story, but only because I lived through some of the things mentioned. I had to wonder if kids today would understand it. But as kids borrowed the book at the library, they did.

I was curious about the movie adaptation. I haven't seen it, but I have wondered how the movie would portray the Oasis. There is also the problem of all of the gaming references, which would require extra rights to mention or portray. From what I have read, the reviews were mixed and the movie over-all did not do as well as expected. Still, I'm curious and may watch it one day.

Book Rating: 4 stars

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog.

Everything I Never Told You

I picked up Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng because I was intrigued by the mystery. The story is centered around a Chinese-American family living in Ohio. All of the parents hope are placed on their daughter Lydia to make something of herself. She is under intense pressure to perform and succeed. On an outing at a local watering hole, Lydia is found dead. Did she commit suicide or was she murdered? No one can quite figure out what happened.

As the story unfolds, the family must deal with their grief and guilt. The pressures of the investigation cause the family to fall apart. The mother and father drift apart, blaming each other. Siblings turn on each other and their parents. Secrets are slowly revealed.

I only continued reading this book to see if there was any resolution to Lydia's death. Otherwise the story is just so depressing. Individuals make decisions that are just despicable. Do people really do these things to their family? Maybe some do but I find it hard to read. I always hope that in the midst of tragedy a family would pull together for comfort and strength no drift apart and begin despising each other.

I don't know if I can recommend this book completely. If you are ok with a depressing story, this might be for you.

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog, which are affiliate links.

Pines

I immediately liked the premise of Pines by Blake Crouch. It had a definite X-files vibe. The main character reminded me of Mulder. In this case Agent Ethan Burke is sent to Pines, Idaho to find and retrieve two agents that have gone missing. Shortly after his arrival, Ethan wakes up in a hospital with no i.d. and no idea how he ended up there. As he begins to explore the town, things don't seem quite right. There is a secret in Pines and none of the inhabitants seem too willing to talk. The town seems to be stuck 50 years in the past. No smart phones. No internet. And yet, the inhabitants seem to get along just fine. As hard as Ethan tried to escape, the more entrenched he becomes in Pines.

The mystery unravels slowly, but keeps you interested and intrigued. I could visualize the story as though it were a TV show. In fact, as I was reading I kept thinking that it should be a TV show, which eventually did happen.

I found the first story in the series to be really good. It had an intriguing and engaging story. You secretly hope Ethan can find a way to escape while also learning the town's secret. The first story does leave you hanging, so there are two more books in the series.

A Room with a View

A Room with a View by E. M. Forster is a classic. I picked up the book because I liked the movie version with Helen Bonham Carter and Maggie Smith. The book and movie are quite similar, though the book has a bit more depth.

In the story Lucy and her older chaperone, Charlotte, are traveling Europe. In Italy they were expecting a room with a view of the river Arno but are disappointed on arrival that they did not. After much discussion another hotel guest agrees to switch rooms with them. That hotel guest is a very handsome young man that is also a bit of a free spirit. Lucy forms an attachment to him and a romance ensues. As their journey continues to Rome, Lucy meets Cecil, a person who is more serious in life and a more likely life partner.

The story is an allegory, from what I've read. I guess I didn't think all that deeply about it. On the surface the story is a love triangle. It is also a story about a young woman coming into her own as an independent woman who knows her own mind. Regardless, I liked the story and the movie.

Book Rating: 5 stars

I am number four

I am number four is a young adult book by Pittacus Lore. The main character is John Smith, a teenager who is trying to keep a low profile. He and several other children escaped their planet to hide out on earth until they can develop their legacies (or powers). Each child has a guardian who protects and hides them. But the bad aliens from their home planet is hunting them down one by one. John Smith is number four, which means three others before him have been found and killed. This is John's story of survival.

I also read book 2 and 3 in the series, The power of six and The Rise of Nine. The books are great action reads. The story is interesting, though a bit predictable like others with similar storylines. (How many kids with special powers/abilities do we really need?). I probably would have finished the series out if the last book had not been checked out when I was ready for it. I kind of lost interest waiting. Still, these would be great stories for reluctant teen boys, and girls seem to like it just as well.

An I am number four movie was made based on the first book and I remember liking it. It didn't seem to get much traction and no other movies have been made.

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog.

Cedar Cove Series

I confess, I read the entire Cedar Cove series by Debbie Macomber. I read the first couple of books in the series before I started watching the Hallmark series. I then watched the series and later caught up with the rest of the stories. The tv version was canceled after two seasons and starred Andie McDowell and Dylan Neal. The tv version deviates from the original source material in the story lines, though the character names are the same.

Each book in the series in an address in the small town of Cedar Cove. Olivia Lockhart is a judge and often oversees the towns squabbles much in the same way Andy Taylor did in Mayberry. Jack Griffin is the recently sober journalist trying to rebuild his life after taking over the town's newspaper. Jack becomes the love interest of Olivia. There is a whole cast of characters that show up in the books. Each story focus on a different character with the others weaving in and out of the stories. This story writing style is similar to Macomber's Blossom Street series.

I liked the series for the most part. Macomber is a bit of a guilty pleasure because her stories have a bit of romance without being trashy and interesting characters.

16 Lighthouse Road - introduces many of the characters who show up in later stories. Focuses on Olivia Lockhart and Jack Griffin. Disappearance of Grace's husband Dan.

204 Rosewood Lane - lots of characters and sub plots to keep track of. Story ends on a cliff hanger. Resolution on Grace's husband who disappears.

311 Pelican Court - Rosie and Zach's divorce is finalized and kids get to keep the house. All kinds of fallout from that. Maryellen has her baby and her relationship with Jon Bowman grows. Grace almost makes a serious mistake. Big changes for Olivia and Jack. A bit of mystery surrounding a man who dies at the Thyme and tide.

44 Cranberry Point - the murder at the Thyme and Tide is solved. Grace's relationship with Cliff is rekindled. Olivia and Jack have newlywed problems. The story drags.

50 Harbor Street - Roy the private investigator gets mysterious postcards questioning his past. Grace and Cliff's relationship is back on, and Cliff's assistant, Cal, falls for Linette.

6 Ranier Drive - Justine and Seth lose their restaurant and have to figure out a new future. Cal heads off Montana.

74 Seaside Avenue - Teri Miller who works at the nail salon worries her husband is hiding something. Also her friend Rachel has two love interests.

8 Sandpiper Way - Emily is afraid her husband Dave, the local pastor, is having an affair. Also the sheriff's long lost love moves back to town.

92 Pacific Boulevard - Troy, the sheriff, and Faith break up. Olivia is going through chemo.

1022 Evergreen Place - Mary Jo is in love but worries her ex may sue for custody of their daughter.

1105 Yakima Street - Bruce Peyton's wife is missing, his daughter is giving him trouble, and Olivia's mother is becoming more forgetful.

1225 Christmas Lane - my least favorite book of the series and also the shortest. Nearly everyone is having a disagreement with someone else. One character tries to place homeless puppies and also resolve a marriage conflict. This story focuses on an extremely minor character from the previous books and very few of the other characters show up.

Steelheart

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson is a different kind of superhero story. It would be easy to assume that Steelheart is the superhero but instead he is the bad guy.  David Charleston is a teen who want to avenge his father's death. His father was killed by Steelheart, a person with the ability to turn things into steel. Because of his ability, he has risen to power because no one can seem to overcome his super power. He reigns as a king in Chicago. David knows Steelheart's weakness, but will it be enough to avenge his father and free people of his tyranny?

Steelheart is book one of the Reckoner's series and Brandon Sanderson's first young adult story. I have not read any other of Brandon Sanderson's books, but he is a good writer. His take on superheros as villains is enough of a twist for people to pick up the story and read something new. But as a young adult story, you can expect to have the typical young adult story elements including romance.

Book Rating : 4 stars, worth a try

What Alice forgot

In a bizarre accident, Alice comes to on the gym floor with no memory of the last 10 years. From her perspective she is 29 years old, pregnant with her first child and very much in love with her husband. In reality, she is 39 years old with three children and in the process of going through a divorce. As she rediscovers her life, she's not sure she likes what she finds. She has become this high strung, type A personality that plans every detail of her life, and alienating those close to her. Does Alice try to reclaim what she had at age 29, fix what she has age 39 or create a new life?

What Alice Forgot was entertaining with bits of humor as Alice adjusts to what her current life is while dealing with her feelings from the past. I did finish the story, but I left it a bit unsatisfied. Some of the story was predictable and you can see Alice make choices that I did not like. I guess that is part of the journey of any life, and as an observer it is easy to sit on the sidelines and say, don't do it. We all want the happy, Disney ending, but it doesn't always work out that way. I think in Alice's situation, she made the decisions that were right for her.

Maze Runner Series

The Maze Runner series. I picked up the first book, the Maze Runner, on audio to listen while on a road trip. A kid wakes up in an enclosed environment with other trapped boys and no memory of his previous life. Each day a wall opens up and selected kids run through a mysterious maze hoping to find a way out. Each day, the maze changes and includes dangers from monsters. Each day there are new challenges among the inmates. And then a girl enters the maze as well.

The first story in the series is a take off of the Lord of the Flies. The kids setup a pseudo government with rules and punishments. The maze challenge makes you think of Hunger Games because there are people watching the kids and manipulating them in a contest type situation. Still, the first book has excitement, adventure, and a bit of a mystery. Worth the time to read it.

The series begins to crumble with the second book, The Scorch Trials. The second book of the Hunger Games lacked in the story department too, so not really a surprise. The Scorch Trials is a bridge to the third book. The kids have to traverse a desert landscape in hopes of arriving at the last "safe" city where people who are immune to the plague live. It's not entirely clear why they must do this, but that is the power center of the remaining healthy humans. They lose a few companions and some become infected by the plague. I found the second book boring, tedious, and rather predictable.

The Death Cure is exactly that. The kids search for a cure for the plague to save one of their own in the city. There are underground movements of people trying to gain safety, others looking for revenge. In the midst of this, will the one person who can save the entire world do so or will he let the corrupt government implode on itself. The ending was better than I expected, though some readers will be disappointed.

I also watched the movie trilogy. Like the books, the second movie was boring and a bit annoying and a bridge to the third. In some scenes you can tell when the director said action and the actors start to run. The first move was great. The third was better than I expected.

Starting Now

I read Starting Now by Debbie Macomber three years ago and I can't remember much of the story. Lydia is a recently laid off lawyer and she is trying to figure her life out. She ends up on Blossom Street and forms a friendship with the shop owner. She also meets a doctor and begins a relationship.

Not being able to remember the story is probably true for many of Debbie Macomber's stories. I have read most of the Blossom Street series and only a few of the stories stand out in my memory and one in particular affected me. But many of Debbie Macomber's stories are fluffy romances and this story is apparently one of them. At the time I read this, it filled a need for a light read.

Book Rating: 3 stars because the story was forgettable.

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.

River of time series

Confession time.  I devoured a young adult romance series in about a week. Well, at least the first three books in the series. The River of Time series is written by Lisa T. Bergren, which includes Waterfall (book 1), Cascade (book 2), and Torrent (book 3). The author has since added Bourne and Tributary (book 4) and DELUGE (book 5). I have not yet read Deluge because I did not know about it till now. It is going on my to-read list now!

So what is it about? In Waterfall, Gabi and Lia are sisters stuck at an archeological dig over the summer with their mother. Gabi decides to explore a part of the dig in a cave and places her hand a top a hand print on the cave wall. Suddenly she finds herself in 14th century Italy complete with warring knights and castles. Lia somehow is transported back in time but is separated from Gabi. Gabi and Lia must find a way home to their own time, but adventure and love are in the past.

In Cascade, Gabi, Lia, and their mother return again to the past only to discover that months have passed since they last left. In that time tensions between the Florentines and Sienese have reached a breaking point and war is on the horizon. Gabi and Lia, both known as "she-wolves", rise to the occasion to help win the battle. Meanwhile Gabi falls more deeply in love with Marcello and must make a decision about whether to stay.

In Torrent, the girls decide to save their father from an untimely demise and bring him into the past. Meanwhile, there is more adventure and romance for Gabi and Marcello. Gabi must make the decision whether to marry Marcello or not. Can she forever give up the future? There are lots of twists and turns in the story and it moves pretty fast. And yes, Lia also finds some romance. This was supposed to be the final book of a trilogy, but the author has added two more books.

Bourne and Tributary are two novellas the author added to help tie up loose ends. Parts of Bourne are told from Lia's point of view and the rest by Gabi. We get to see Lia and Luca come closer together. In Tributary, we get Lia and Luca's point of view. Lia, who is younger than Gabi, also must deal with all the experiences she has had that would traumatize anyone. Both stories have more action and adventure.

If you can ignore the silly time traveling device and the fact that Gabi and Lia seem to be able to understand medieval Italian, the stories are very good. There is just the right mix of adventure, medieval warfare, and romance (nothing too naughty here because it is classified as a teen Christian romance). I would finish one book, close the cover and state, "I need the next book now!" I would call these books a guilty pleasure.

Book Rating: 5 stars

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.