My Thoughts: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (Audiobook Review)

Ready Player One
by Ernest Cline
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Publication Date: August 16th 2011
Publisher: Crown Publishing
Pages: 374
ISBN: 9780307887436
Genre: Young Adult | Sci-Fi | Dystopian
Source: Own

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In the year 2045, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape. (Goodreads)

You know those books that you’ve had one your shelf for way too long, and it seems like everyone has read it but you? Ready Player One by Ernest Cline is one of those books for me. I think almost everyone I know has read this book, and while I have wanted to for a while now, I never managed to pick it up. Then I saw the trailer for the movie, and I decided that I would have to read the book as soon as possible. I am so glad that I finally read it. Everyone warned me that I would absolutely love this book, but I totally did not expect to love it as much as I actually did. It was great!

I didn’t really know what to expect going into the book, as neither the summary for the book nor the movie trailer explain much, but I have to admit I was pretty curious by what little I knew of it. Having finally read the book, I have to say that there was so much that I liked about it! I don’t want to give too much away, as I’d rather you read the book for yourself to see what you like about it, but… The world-building for the book was pretty insane. Not only because of the dystopian type future that the main characters lives in, but also in the virtual reality world that has been created. Imagine being able to escape the reality of life and go to a place where you could be anyone or anything that you wanted to be.( For an introvert like me that’s a dream come true. Bahaha!)

Besides the world-building, the storyline for the book is completely engrossing as well, and there are a lot of great characters throughout the story, including the main character, Wade/Percival. I spent a good chunk of the book rooting for him, and for his friends as well. My favorite part of the story, hands down, is the 80’s nostalgia. (I’m an 80’s baby, if you haven’t guessed. *wink*) I LOVED this! So many of the games I played growing up where mentioned, as well as all the 80’s movies that I’ve never had a chance to watch, but totally plan to binge-watch as soon as possible. (This will be happening ASAP.) Put all these things together, and you have an excellent story to read.

Though I own a physical copy of this book, I opted to listen to it in audiobook format, because I had so many people tell me that it’s a great to listen to. And, it’s narrated by Wil Wheaton, so there’s that. Wil did such an awesome job narrating the story. I totally spaced out many times while he read the story to me, and I could picture everything perfectly in my mind. They say the narrator definitely makes the story, and that’s definitely the case with this one. If you have the opportunity to check out this book in audio format, do it!

Overall; I didn’t expect to love Ready Player One by Ernest Cline as much as I did, but I totally do. I’m super excited to get my hands on his next book, Armada, which I hear is another pretty awesome read, and is apparently being made into a movie (or tv show?) as well. (Yes, I plan to listen to the audiobook for it too!) If you’ve not yet checked out Ready Player One, I strongly recommend that you do so, and I hope you enjoy the book just as much as I did.
audiobook-review

My Thoughts: Bonfire by Krysten Ritter

Bonfire
by Krysten Ritter
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Publication Date: November 7th 2017
Publisher: Crown Publishing
Pages: 288
ISBN: 9781524759841
Genre: Adult Fiction | Mystery | Thriller
Source: For Review

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Should you ever go back?

It has been ten years since Abby Williams left home and scrubbed away all visible evidence of her small town roots. Now working as an environmental lawyer in Chicago, she has a thriving career, a modern apartment, and her pick of meaningless one-night stands.

But when a new case takes her back home to Barrens, Indiana, the life Abby painstakingly created begins to crack. Tasked with investigating Optimal Plastics, the town's most high-profile company and economic heart, Abby begins to find strange connections to Barrens’ biggest scandal from more than a decade ago involving the popular Kaycee Mitchell and her closest friends—just before Kaycee disappeared for good.

Abby knows the key to solving any case lies in the weak spots, the unanswered questions. But as Abby tries to find out what really happened to Kaycee, she unearths an even more disturbing secret—a ritual called “The Game,” which will threaten the reputations, and lives, of the community and risk exposing a darkness that may consume her.

With tantalizing twists, slow-burning suspense, and a remote, rural town of just five claustrophobic miles, Bonfire is a dark exploration of the question: can you ever outrun your past? (Goodreads)

My Thoughts...
I have to say I was super curious to start Bonfire, not only because the summary for the book sounded really interesting, but also because it was written by actress Krysten Ritter, who seems pretty awesome. So when I was handed the opportunity to read the book, of course I jumped on it! And I’m so very glad I did!

Let me start by saying that I went into this book not really knowing what to expect, other than reading the summary. I purposefully stayed away from reviews of the book because I wanted to go into it not knowing much. I’m so glad I did! Meeting Abby Williams was interesting, and going back to her hometown with her, after being away for more than a decade, was also interesting, and, at times, incredibly painful. I can’t imagine being in her shoes, and having to reface the past that she left behind. But, I loved her willingness not to let something go, even when everyone around her was telling her to do just that. She was much stronger a person than she gave herself credit for, and that made me like her even more.

The storyline for the book was definitely interesting, and held my curiosity as I turned the pages. I did figure out most of the plot pretty early in the story, and I would say that’s because I’m good at stuff like that, but it’s really just because I’m naturally pretty suspicious of anyone and everything, and I guessed right pretty early on. (I’m totally weird like that.) Regardless, I still really enjoyed the book, and flew through the pages in no time. This book was a really quick read for me!

Overall; I really enjoyed reading Bonfire, and I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for more books by Krysten Ritter in the future! If you love a good mystery, do check out Bonfire for yourself, and I do hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

My Thoughts: Artemis by Andy Weir

Artemis
by Andy Weir
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Publication Date: November 14th 2017
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Pages: 384
ISBN: 9780553448122
Genre: Adult Fiction | Science-Fiction
Source: Review Copy

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Jazz Bashara is a criminal.

Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you're not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you've got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent.

Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down. But pulling off the impossible is just the start of her problems, as she learns that she's stepped square into a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself—and that now, her only chance at survival lies in a gambit even riskier than the first. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts...
I’ve just recently become obsessed with all things about space and that is partially due to Andy Weir’s first book, The Martian, which I read back in 2015 and ended up absolutely loving. So, of course Andy’s newest book, Artemis, was one of my most anticipated I wanted to read this year. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book, and having just finished it, I can honestly say, I loved it just as much as The Martian!

Can I start off by saying that there are SO many fun characters in this story, including the main character, Jazz, who is a pretty awesome bad-ass. Yeah, she may be kind of a criminal, but really more of a harmless smuggler, who is actually way smarter than I feel she gives herself credit for. There’s so much to love about her; her confidence and determination, and her ability to keep calm in difficult situations are just a few. She doesn’t always make the best of decisions throughout the story, but she has a way of making things work the way she wants them to, and you have to give her that! She’s seriously pretty awesome, as are so many of the other characters in the story. Read the book so you can meet them for yourself!

As I mentioned above, I’m pretty obsessed with The Martian, (both the book and the movie), and I was super excited to see how Artemis would compare. Of course I knew the story would be completely different, but the writing was so familiar as well, the style reminded me very much of that in The Martian. And, either Andy is super smart about science, or he *really* does his homework beforehand, because he does a great job at explaining all the science-y things that I don’t have a clue about. One would think I would completely space out at these parts, but instead I find them completely fascinating. I also love that the story had me in giggles more than a few times as well as I flew through the pages. That just made me love the story even more. Basically I loved everything about this book, and I ended up reading it in just a few hours time! (That doesn’t happen very often lately, so you KNOW it had to be an enjoyable read for me.)

Overall; I really enjoyed reading Artemis! I love the book just as much as The Martian and I hope they end up making a movie for this one as well. I’m patiently waiting for my library to get the audiobook in, which is narrated by the amazing Rosario Dawson, and I totally plan to listen/read the book again as soon as possible. If you’re a fan of The Martian, do check out Artemis! I know you’ll enjoy it as well.

Waiting on Wednesday #291 - Artemis by Andy Weir

Artemis
by Andy Weir
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Publication Date: November 14th 2017
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
ISBN: 9780553448122

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Available for Pre-Order:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Jazz Bashara is a criminal.

Well, sort of. Life on Artemis, the first and only city on the moon, is tough if you're not a rich tourist or an eccentric billionaire. So smuggling in the occasional harmless bit of contraband barely counts, right? Not when you've got debts to pay and your job as a porter barely covers the rent.

Everything changes when Jazz sees the chance to commit the perfect crime, with a reward too lucrative to turn down. But pulling off the impossible is just the start of her problems, as she learns that she's stepped square into a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself—and that now, her only chance at survival lies in a gambit even riskier than the first. (Goodreads)

I have been waiting to read this book for what seems like forever,

and now I have an eArc of it, AND I'M SO EXCITED!!
I loved The Martian so much, and I'm super excited for this new book,

which is set on the MOON! Yeah!

Waiting on Wednesday #289 - Fragments of the Lost by Megan Miranda

Fragments of the Lost
by Megan Miranda
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Publication Date: November 14th 2017
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9780399556722

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Jessa Whitworth knew she didn’t belong in her ex-boyfriend Caleb’s room. But she couldn’t deny that she was everywhere—in his photos, his neatly folded T-shirts, even the butterfly necklace in his jeans pocket…the one she gave him for safe keeping on that day.

His mother asked her to pack up his things—even though she blames Jessa for his accident. How could she say no? And maybe, just maybe, it will help her work through the guilt she feels about their final moments together.

But as Jessa begins to box up the pieces of Caleb’s life, they trigger memories that make Jessa realize their past relationship may not be exactly as she remembered. And she starts to question whether she really knew Caleb at all.

Each fragment of his life reveals a new clue that propels Jessa to search for the truth about Caleb’s accident. What really happened on the storm-swept bridge? (Goodreads)

It's been a while since I've read a book by Megan Miranda,

but... I really enjoy the last one I read,
AND I have two of her other books on my Fall TBR that I'm super excited to read.
I'll just add Fragments of the Lost to my ever-growing list of Megan's books!
I can't wait to check it out. :)

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

Review: The Martian by Andy Weir

The Martian
by Andy Weir
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Publication Date: February 11th 2014
Publisher: Crown
Pages: 369
ISBN: 9780804139021
Genre: Adult Fiction | Sci-Fi
Source: Library

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Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him & forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded & completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—& even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—& a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him? (Goodreads)

To be honest, when I first picked up The Martian by Andy Weir, I didn't really think I would be interested in the book at all. But, the husband wanted to see the movie, and I just can't see a movie without reading the book first, in most cases. So, I picked up The Martian at the library, and a little begrudgingly started the book. However, the more I turned the pages, the more I became completely obsessed with this book!

Mark Watney not only had a brilliant mind, but he was funny as hell too. I loved how he came up with solutions for all the different problems he faced throughout the story, and while some didn't exactly work the way he expected them to, he always found a way to make things work.  Also, he had the absolute best sense of humor; he was just an all around fun guy, and it was impossible not to love him. I was rooting for him the whole time!

I'm not a huge fan of science-fiction books, but I do read some every now and then, and always find them entertaining. Same goes for The Martian. While a lot of the scientific stuff throughout the story went completely over my head, I still managed to keep up with the storyline, and was completely engrossed throughout. Now I'm even more excited to see the movie with the hubby, hopefully before it is out of the theater!

Overall; I totally did not expect to like The Martian as much as I did. The reviews don't lie, it really is a good read.  I'm so glad I worked it into my reading schedule, and I've added Andy Weir to my list of authors to keep my eye out for! I'd love to read something by him again in the near future.