Ready Player One by Ernest Cline -> Restarting August 6th 2021

[Martha]

It's the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.

Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.

And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune--and remarkable power--to whoever can unlock them.

For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday's riddles are based in the pop culture he loved--that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday's icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes's oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig.

And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle.

Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt--among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life--and love--in the real world he's always been so desperate to escape.

A world at stake.
A quest for the ultimate prize.
Are you ready?

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Sapir and I will be reading this 25th July :)

[Sapir]

I'm really excited about this one!! I've heard great things :)

[Martha]

Yeah me too! :D

[Leigh]

I'll join you :)

[Martha]

Yey!

[Jenny]

I'll try to join in on this one, I just picked up the library book!

[Martha]

pg 116 – I'm finding this so addictive at the moment! The world building at the start was pretty intense but still interesting to read. The concept is amazing! (view spoiler)[ I love Art3mis! She's so sweet and nerdy. I hope they end up teaming up or something! I'm feeling a bit worried for Wade though. Everyone will surely be trying to find him now that he's got the key AND unlocked the gate. And I doubt everyone will have friendly intentions. The Sixers sound scary! Cannot wait to read on! (hide spoiler)]

[Sapir]

Arrg how are you reading so fast? xP
I'm not sure if I can start today, but I'll try to catch up with you tomorrow.:P

[Martha]

Hehe it's just because I'm finding it so addictive! No worries :)

[Martha]

pg - 313 (84%) (view spoiler)[I lost a bit of interest because Wade seemed to be so completely obsessed with his hunt that he became a bit less likable to me. I also wanted to get back into the action! Now that the story is reaching the conclusion I'm excited to read on though :) (hide spoiler)]

[Martha]

pg 318 - (view spoiler)[ Haha I totally had a feeling that Aech was actually a girl! :P (hide spoiler)]

[Mei]

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Alley and I will be reading this on the 1st of October. Everyone welcome :D

[Mei]

It has a great start! I've never read anything like this before. It's addicting already!

[Alley]

My uncle said it was REALLY good. I plan on starting it tomorrow.

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Date changed ☺

[Mei]

12% - Their geekdom about Halliday's favorites and all about those games are fascinating! I'm not a gamer, but if it's something I'm really addicted to, I'll be like Aech and Wade.

I was able to clearly picture the OASIS interface and I loved how the world building isn't complex or a lot to take in.

[Mei]

I don't know why I didn't get bored with all these histories about Gregarious Games, the OASIS and how Morrow and Halliday developed the games, and what technology they used. For a computer major like me, I was satisfied and impressed. It's amazing how the author knows so much about it, and how much he referrenced the 80's culture although it's the year 2044. Halliday really has a big influemce to the public.

I'm also impressed how the protagonist, Wade, idolizes Halliday. He knows every movie Halliday's favorite directors made, watched all of his favorite films, shows or cartoons, read all his favorite comic books, know everything there is to know about the 80's and so much more! Total geek!

[Mei]

I like how they are able to mute users and they are notified about it. I could really use that in real life! LOL

[Mei]

34% - (view spoiler)[Now that the location of the Copper Key is out, Wade's going to have a lot of competitors!!! Some users are such fools to spread it!

It's good that the system automatically displays the names of the persons with the most points in the Scoreboard, but somehow I hope that the usernames are also anynomous to public, only the developers know it, so it wouldn't be difficult to hide their identity. This part of the book is becoming really fast paced! (hide spoiler)]

[Mei]

39% — (view spoiler)[I'm scared for Wade. I know he and his aunt aren't in terms, but a lot of people got affected by the blast! I wish Wade gave OPS fake details just like Aech did. Things people do for fortune and power -.- (hide spoiler)]

[Alley]

Starting tomorrow. Homework is not friendly to reading schedules.

[Alley]

Starting now! :)

[Mei]

61% — (view spoiler)[Poor Daito got erased from the Scoreboard and was killed! (hide spoiler)]

[Mei]

63% — (view spoiler)[How come the Sixers cleared the Second Gate and obtained the Crystal Key so fast!!?? Argh! (hide spoiler)]

[Mei]

67% — (view spoiler)[Shoto was very lucky to have escaped. Daito's true story was maddening. The Sixers are so cruel to even kill him, in real life! And to think the news are saying he committed suicide!

The Scoreboard is now filled with Sixers. This isn't good. Having that tablet in possession gives them a really huge advantage. Why would the owner sell it anyway? What a waste! (hide spoiler)]

[Mei]

84% — (view spoiler)[Finally! They'll all be meeting in real life! This is exciting :) I'm just worried how the prize will be distributed in the end? Since all 4 of them made efforts to this Hunt? And so glad Ogden is keeping the spirit of this contest! (hide spoiler)]

[Mei]

91% — (view spoiler)[Shoto's avatar may have died, but at least he got his revenge to Sorrento thanks to Wade!

For a moment I thought having the glory of high score in PacMan was nonsense if you don't get the Egg, but now, I guess not! Awesome! It costs an extra life! But what happened to Aech and Artemis? (hide spoiler)]

[Mei]

I forgot to add that I finished this. Well...anyway I definitely ENJOYED this book and would absolutely go for a reread. This really kept my andrenaline rushing! I would've preferred a different closure though. But other than that, I love this book :)

[Alley]

I'm a little over a third of the way into it. I didn't expect to enjoy this book, and the beginning was a little slow, but it's getting really good.

[Alley]

Mei wrote: "61% — [spoilers removed]"

That shocked me a bit!

[Alley]

72%

Loving how Rush was intertwined with the Crystal Key. Now I want to go listen to 2112.

[Alley]

Finished. I enjoyed the book for sure. I have to agree with you on the ending. It felt a bit rushed once he had the egg. I felt Art3mis should have been a bit more stubborn and that there should have been some awesome confrontation between Wade and a Sixer in the game hall.

[Princess]

Please change the date for Jan 19 :) Thank you

[Sarah Elizabeth]

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Date changed. Restarting January 19th 2015. Happy Reading ☺

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[Sajid]

super excited to read this one!!

[Abi]

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Reading from the 10th of August 2015

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[Petuli]

I am going to start tonight :) I'll read the Czech translation so I hope all the names and stuff will be the same :)

[Rachael]

I'm excited to read a futuristic novel! Hope it's good.. I'll be starting this shortly.

[Rachael]

Chapter 1 - (view spoiler)[ Very interesting world here.. The fact that he was raised completely by this virtual reality is crazy to me. (hide spoiler)]

[Petuli]

Chapter 2 (view spoiler)[ I find the idea of education in a virtual reality quite intriguing... And I can stop thinking about The Sims... But it's very interesting so far (hide spoiler)]

[Rachael]

Hahah yes! The future of The Sims!

[Petuli]

Chapter 3 (view spoiler)[ The conversation about Star Wars made me smile! It's so good to read about something you enjoy! (hide spoiler)]
Chapter 4 (view spoiler)[The transportation system is very interesting. I just had to imagine some wizard helping to move a space ship - hilarious!! (hide spoiler)]
Chapter 7 (view spoiler)[ Yes! I thoought Ludus might be a place where Wad would find some answers... (hide spoiler)]

[Petuli]

Chapters 8-10 (view spoiler)[This is getting really good! Mayybe Art3emis and Wade will start cooperating... that would be interesting. (hide spoiler)]

[Petuli]

Chapters 12-15 (view spoiler)[ so we have new characters - Daito and Shoto... I was wondering whether the five will make some sort of an alliance - I think they should have...because Sorrento is a horrible person with too much power (hide spoiler)]

[Rachael]

Through chapter 9 - I'm loving this so far! (view spoiler)[ Parzival & Art3mis are totally gonna fall in love.. What's gonna happen when/if they meet in real life though and they look nothing like their avatar.. (hide spoiler)]

[Petuli]

Chapters 19-26 (view spoiler)[It scares me how much effort they put into making virtual reality seem real. It could happen one day - really scary. When Daito's name disappeared I was worried that not only his avatar is dead. It makes me hate the sixers even more... (hide spoiler)]

Sorry to put all these chapters together... I just couldn't stop reading :D

[Rachael]

Chapter 14 (view spoiler)[ Omgsh! I can't believe they bombed the trailer park... Now Wade has absolutely no family. How sad, where will he live!? (hide spoiler)]

[Rachael]

Chapter 17 (view spoiler)[ This is kind of a mind f***! There is such intense things going on in the virtual reality and sometimes they carry over into the real world.. I forget what world we're in sometimes (hide spoiler)]

[Petuli]

Chapter 32 (view spoiler)[yes! Yes! Ogden has to help them... After all this they need help!! (hide spoiler)]

[Petuli]

Rachael wrote: "Chapter 17 [spoilers removed]"
(view spoiler)[ I have the same issue... OASIS seems so real that I simetimes forget what's real and what's not (hide spoiler)]