Play Book Tag discussion

This book, like all the best video games is completely addictive. I couldn't put it down, reading it in one evening. Set in a post-apocolyptic future in which fossil fuel sources have been exhausted, the power grid nearly running on empty, and people live in shanty towns comprised of towers of mobile homes known as the stacks this book was a trip down memory lane for anyone who grew up in the 1980s. It is lousy with pop-culture references; music, movies, tv, computers, and video games. I was very young during this time-frame, but still most of the references were quite familiar to me. Cline lost me on the video games and computers, but everything else I knew.

During the near-future setting of this book, people seem to live much of their lives in a virtual-reality environment known as OASIS. When the creator of this program, James Halliday, dies his will announces that he has created an Easter Egg and whomever finds this egg first inherits not only his vast fortune but OASIS itself. From there we are introduced to a cast of characters known as gunters, short for egg hunters, who pretty much live within OASIS, spending every waking moment trying to solve the clues left behind. Five years after Hallidays death, most have given up, but interest is renewed when an unremarkable gunter finds the first key and clears the first gate, only to have four others do so as well within a few short days.

I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did, but it is the most fun I have had reading a novel in a long while. It wasn't perfect, but the pure enjoyment I received while reading it overshadows its imperfections. If this is the sort of book I can expect from Ernest Cline I will defjnitely make a point of reading everything he decides to write.

YAY!!!!!

It was quite fun, wasn't it!

This one was great fun, but IMHO, Armada, was a huge disappointment.

Someone in my IRL book club last night gushed about this. I think it sounds a lot of fun. I'm excited to give it a try, myself. I'm glad you enjoyed it too.

I have the feeling I'm not going to come in so high on this one given Sara's description. Another vote for History of Love for 2018.

Lol, okay, I'm now officially the only one that didn't love this book to pieces.

I don't think there is a single PBT member who gave it less than 4 stars (except me), and most gave it five.

If you like audio this is a perfect book for it.

And I agree with Judith - Armada was a huge disappointment.

Anita wrote: "Lol, okay, I'm now officially the only one that didn't love this book to pieces.

I don't think there is a single PBT member who gave it less than 4 stars (except me), and most gave it five."

Well, I gave it 4 stars because I loved the audiobook. Had I read it in print, it would have been 3 stars.

Anita, I think part of what did it for me was right book, right time. I have been insanely busy with work, hockey, constant meetings with various people to get approropriate an apprpropriate diagnosis and treatment plan for two of my kids. I had a whole afternoon with nothing scheduled and instead of binge watching something which has been all my mind could handle lately I decided to download this. It was a lot of fun, but definitely not without its flaws. It was just so exactly what I needed right now that I was able to completely ignore those flaws and just go along for the ride.

Wow, that sounds super hectic, Sara! I am impressed you read anything frankly. Super glad you liked it! I do wonder why I am the only petson who didn't lol . . .

I think so much of book enjoyment is right place, right time. Glad you picked it up at the perfect time!

Sara wrote: "Anita, I think part of what did it for me was right book, right time. I have been insanely busy with work, hockey, constant meetings with various people to get approropriate an apprpropriate diagno..."

Are you a hockey mom? Please take this with much humour and appreciation as my dad and two of my younger brothers played hockey, but I refused to ever become a hockey mom due to the crazy practice times. In the end, though, none of my kids ever asked to play. That said, there was a year of figure skating lessons, but at least I froze during normal waking hours ;).

I have always said, I won't do "cold, wet, or early." My three altogether play literally every other sport.

I was so obsessed with this book! I literally couldn't put it down and had to find a PDF version so I could keep reading it on my phone when I was in class lol. But yeah, agree with everyone else that Armada was meh. :P

Karin wrote: "Sara wrote: "Anita, I think part of what did it for me was right book, right time. I have been insanely busy with work, hockey, constant meetings with various people to get approropriate an apprpro..."

Yes, a hockey mom, but because of the cost we stick to ball hockey. So no crazy early practice times, but we still spend a ridiculous amount of time running them around. The older two both play travel so in addition to in-house we also have travel practices and tournaments both local and away, plus my husband coaches a third travel team none of our kids play for, is on the board for our home rink, and runs the citywide youth dek hockey organization for all the local rinks. We have one car and kids playing at the same time at different locations. Its nuts!

Also sounds like I will be skipping Armada.

Karin wrote: "Sara wrote: "Anita, I think part of what did it for me was right book, right time. I have been insanely busy with work, hockey, constant meetings with various people to get approropriate an apprpro..."

I wasn't a hockey mom, but I was a hockey wife. My husband played hockey from the time he was 10 - long before organized leagues. When we met ( 1986) he was still playing (he was 32 at the time). He continued to play "midnight leagues" until our youngest daughter was born, he came home and had a bruise from his knee up to his groin. His 3 month old daughter was sleeping in her crib. That was the night I said enough is enough - you cannot risk everything we have for hockey. He did play for a number of years after - but not competitive (after he told me he was playing in an "old man's league - and we bumped into one of his 'team mates' in the local supermarket - he was 18- and I was to put in nicely - not a happy camper). After that he stopped, but would occasionally play with men his own age.

This was a straight-out 5 star ride for me too! I agree it's not perfect (there was a section in the middle that dragged a lot) but it's very clever and I loved all the pop culture and video game references. I reread it a few months ago and loved it just as much second time around

Add me to the list of people who loved the audio. One of my very favorite audiobook experiences. I have Armada, but because of all the mediocre reviews, have not read it.

I did this on audio because of suggestions here, and am SO GLAD I did. I got this for my brother (born in 1975, so was prime age for the 80s nostalgia) for Christmas and he said it was the only book in 2016 he read in two days or less.

Another vote for the audio here. It was one of my very first and helped to create what I think will be a lifetime love of audiobooks.

Ladyslott wrote: "Karin wrote: "Sara wrote: "Anita, I think part of what did it for me was right book, right time. I have been insanely busy with work, hockey, constant meetings with various people to get approropri..."

I stand corrected :). My dad picked up hockey again in his early 40s when we finally got a rink where I grew up, playing in a local commercial league, but my mother didn't go (she had 5 kids by then). He played in that league until he broke his surgery wrist when he got slammed in the boards at age 50. He healed well enough to return to surgery and moved to the over-the-hill league. Later, he played in an over-70 league. He also played at doctor's tournaments. However, he gave it up at some point before he was 80. Did he learn? Now, he wrecked a knee finally playing ultimate frisbee with some of his grandchildren.

Your husband was wiser!!!

My brother-the-actor played a hockey player in a movie once, so actually made money from his hockey skills ;). The other brother who played was a ref, and one of his kids (or maybe two) played.

I am, and always will be, a Montreal Canadiens fan from when there were 6 teams. I am not a very serious fan since I don't follow sports, but it's my one team.

Loved this book too! I enjoyed Armada, but I agree it wasn't great like RPO. But unlike RPO its target was young adults, so I made allowances for that.

This was a surprising book for me too. I didn't think I'd enjoy it so much but I loved it. I listened to the audio and thought the reader did a really excellent job.

This was narrated by Wil Wheaton - I'd heard he was very good (though I don't do audio)!

Wil Wheaton was perfect for the narrator! Added an extra little laugh when he was mentioned in the book!

LibraryCin wrote: "Wil Wheaton was perfect for the narrator! Added an extra little laugh when he was mentioned in the book!"

YES! I thought so, too.

He was great, and he even got to make a Will Wheaton reference!