TSS: Mid year Re-Cap

Hello everyone, 

I'm a bit late to this post, and it won't be that original, since I think almost everyone of us did the half year re-cap, but here I am. 

I have to tell you, I'm a bit disappointed this year. Yes, I have read 30 books already of my 42 year challenge...but I haven't LOVED most of them. Don't get me wrong. I've enjoyed my reading life this year; is just that I haven't fell over heels over that many books and that makes me wonder whether I have  become more critical, or I just haven't found my sweet spot in reading yet.I cross my fingers is the latter.

 

On the other hand, and thanks to the book club I'm part off, I've widened my reading spectrum, and, a big plus, this year I don't have a book that I didn't like at all, thus far. That's a great thing you guys, last year, with Jersey Angel I was so frustrated!

Also I have to consider something, and that is that there are several books that I have keeping untouched, waiting for the R.I.P. Challenge this year, as well as the autumn read-a-thon. So, fingers crossed, that will tip the balance to a more "loveable" reading year. 

So far, my favorite book of the year has to be between Ready Player One and Gone Girl; both very different and both kept me reading past a decent hour. Least favorite has to be, hands down I Don't know how she does it. Not much to say on that one; I wasn't expecting a great book out of it, but even with low expectations I ended up very disappointed. 

Anyway, here is to a great rest of the year for all of us!!!

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

What's the book about?

Wade is a teenager leaving in the year 2044. He leaves with his aunt that only took him because she could have access to extra food by taking an extra mouth. He is orphan, poor and overweight. The only moment when he feels sort of happy is being at the OASIS, a virtual world, a MMORPG that has taken unprecedented fame, particularly after his creator, James Halliday died giving the world a simple message: whoever's finds and solves a series of puzzles hidden in the game itself will find "a golden ticket", an egg that will grant him or her with the ownership of his former fortune and the company he founded years ago. Unlikely here, Wade is the first person to find the first of the puzzles and this will change his life in ways he never expected, beyond the prize, beyond the virtual realm.

What was the thing I liked the most? 

The book is full of 80s references and is a gamers dream...well I think so being a gamer (albeit not hardcore like Wade himself) myself. It was a well written piece, with superb rhythm and nice character building. 

What about the main character?

Wade, as I mentioned starts as a very average teenager who's been out of luck for a while. As any teenager he has this moment of feeling completely invincible and off course that's when things turn bad for him. But at the same time, he is a loyal character, he learns from his mistakes, more than I expected him to. He is likable, but not adorable; he has blunt flaws but he manages to overcome them for enough time so he can make it up to his friends. 

Final thoughts

I really, really liked this book. Not only the references, but the interaction between characters. I particularly like the twist with H (no spoilers, promise). I liked it so much that I pretty much made my boyfriend read it too so we could discuss it together, and he devoured it. I've read some posts wondering about a sequel, which I think are plausible with some of the things that were mentioned at the end of the book, but the novel stands pretty nicely as an alone piece. Funny enough is the type of book that I would rather not be made into a movie; for I would be afraid it would miss all the subtext that I got from the book itself.