Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1), by Annie Kaufman → Start Date: December 5, 2015

[Vicki]

Trisha and I would love to have others join us when we read this book that promises to be the first in a really good series!

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

yay! So excited! thx for making the thread!

[[deleted user]]

I might join this

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

I hope you do, NancyMaire!

[Laura (acquariusgb)]

Yeah, this is on my tbr list, may I join in?

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

yay!! Welcome Laura and Ang! We'd love you guys to join us!

[Vicki]

Hey everybody, I'm so sorry if I've seemed MIA, but my mother-in-law was in her last days and she passed away last night. It's been a LONG couple of weeks.

It's REALLY good to welcome both of you, Laura and Aug. I think this will be a good one!

[Jacquelyn, thebrunettebooknerd]

I'm not participating in this buddy read (I hope you all love it) but I am so sorry to hear that, Vicki. Your family will be kept in my prayers and thoughts during this hard time. :(

[Vicki]

Thank you, Jacque.

You HAVE to find the book in hardback and check out the cover, underneath the cover, AND the inside. It's all so cool!!

[Jacquelyn, thebrunettebooknerd]

I put it as my #1 most wanted book for Christmas so I'm hoping I get it! :)

[Vicki]

Oh, YAY & YIPPEE!!!! Have you seen it? If not, then I would wait until Christmas and be surprised. It is so unique! I can't wait for you to receive and peruse it!!!!

[Jacquelyn, thebrunettebooknerd]

I have seen it but I am sure it will be even more amazing in person! I've only seen it on videos/pictures.

[Vicki]

Oh, okay. You are in for a treat! :)

[Crystal]

Yay! Can I join? Sounds so good :)

[Vicki]

Absolutely, Crystal! YAY!

[Brooke]

I hope you guys enjoy this book it was one of my favorites this year

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

I'm so glad to see that Brooke! I was getting nervous about this one. I hope we love it too!

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

It's a big book. today was crazy so I got a little behind in my reading
so I'll be starting this late tomorrow!

[Laura (acquariusgb)]

Have you started? I'm about 50 pages in.
It's really good and original. It's a bit strange because there aren't any chapters. I've got an ebook edition but, because of its structure, I think it's better having a hard copy. I don't know if you I should order the paperback version and wait for it to arrive before continuing reading.

[Vicki]

I have the hardback version and it is beautiful and worth the money! I'd have to say that I agree that for this particular book the ebook wouldn't work as well.

I had a busy day with my grandson's 21st birthday and other things going on, so I don't think I'll get to this one until Tuesday since I have to read my blind date book.

[Ren]

I hope you all will enjoy reading Illuminae! This book seriously left me mind-blown. And yes, it's better to read it on a physical copy. I believe it's more enjoyable than reading it on an ebook, especially for the galaxy images and such (those are beautiful).

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

Yes, I'm reading it! Sorry, life has been really really busy....

I've stopped at Countdown 58 hours: 41 Minutes

Kady(view spoiler)[ i"m not sure what to think of her. I mean, she's resourceful and I'm interested to see what she uncovers but I"m not sure if what she's doing is helping (hide spoiler)]

Ezra(view spoiler)[ I like his story line since he is in the thick of it. and I think he has a better idea than Kady what's really on the line and what's going on
but I hope he makes it out of this..... (hide spoiler)]

Aidan(view spoiler)[ the computer wasn't so wrong to kill everyone
that little girl stabbing James....I wonder if the "stop looking at me" is the final stage of the Phobos disease (hide spoiler)]

I really like the way this story is told through the odd pages, designs and photos. I like the forms that are lined through too! LOL and the "debrief" pages. It's an interesting way to tell the story...

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

another update. I've stopped at Death Toll aboard battlecarrier Alexander since attack at Kerenza: 67

(I'm going about 100 pages between updates)

Aidan(view spoiler)[ okay...so what?! He's back on and 'aware' and....he wants to not get shut down again...
but does he also want Kady and Ezra to be together? (hide spoiler)]

I can't believe(view spoiler)[ the way they stormed that ship, killed the captain and demanded...2 people. Really? You killed at least one for 2 people? (hide spoiler)]

there's still(view spoiler)[ a lot of pages of this book left. I'm not sure where this goes from here.... (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

about 400 pages, stopped at: Phobos virus: 34.34%

Aidan(view spoiler)[ i'm not sure what he's doing....I'm not sure if Kady is enough distraction to get Aidan taken down by Zhang
or if Kady is going to show him a different viewpoint on people as a whole and will stop him from killing everyone (hide spoiler)]

Kady(view spoiler)[ but my hope of all hopes is that he lets Ezra and Kady leave via POD (hide spoiler)]

Ezra(view spoiler)[ I hope she gets to him...he is in a really tough spot (hide spoiler)]

this is a page turner right now, still going good!

[Whitney]

i also got this book from the library I really wanted to do the audio because I think it would immerse me better into the world and the book.

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

no...the pages are odd - told through different chat logs, im's, photos and....scenes from space with writing. It really is a part of the experience.

I hope you like it!

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

I'm done.

Ezra(view spoiler)[ I couldn't believe it!! He's alive!! YAY! (hide spoiler)]

Aidan(view spoiler)[ WOW! he lived too! I'm kind of glad he did since he turned his attention to Ezra's mom (hide spoiler)]

Who knew(view spoiler)[ that Ezra's psycho mom was behind all of this
especially the disease that killed so many :/ (hide spoiler)]

Kady(view spoiler)[ I can't believe she made it through all that. she totally deserves her happy ending (hide spoiler)]
I loved this one!

[Whitney]

Trisha wrote: "no...the pages are odd - told through different chat logs, im's, photos and....scenes from space with writing. It really is a part of the experience.

I hope you like it!"

not sure if you meant me. but I think the audio book would make the logs come to life even more. This is what I meant. I am enjoying it though.

thanks. :)

[Brooke]

Chakara wrote: "Trisha wrote: "no...the pages are odd - told through different chat logs, im's, photos and....scenes from space with writing. It really is a part of the experience.

I hope you like it!"

not sure ..."

I have heard the audiobook is great and I might listen to it when I reread this book :)

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

Audio book vs book? Do you think?
I liked having to turn the book and having the pictures that were just words but that showed a face or space or the ship (or the flower! that was cute)
also when they show the names or when Ezra blows something up! all of those pictures with words were much more powerful, for me, than just the words alone told through audio

or the words that flow like missiles or when they were the ships and showed what their coms were saying (picture and words again).

I even loved that her diary logs were all black pages with the skull and cross bones and that the countdown pages were also all black. (it was telling once they changed into a different countdown and added stuff or when it was just symbols)

I think half of the fun, for me, was the experience

I think I would lose part of the magic if it was just logs. There is so much more to the story

even the lined out words and the blacked out swear words were funny when read (I'm not sure how they would translate via audio) Would the person reading explain which words were blacked out? or lined through?

[Whitney]

Trisha wrote: "Audio book vs book? Do you think?
I liked having to turn the book and having the pictures that were just words but that showed a face or space or the ship (or the flower! that was cute)
also when t..."

I've heard the audio is more lively than just one or two people reading. they supposedly really bring it to life. I haven't really listened to even the sample but now I think I will. People who have said they liked the audio said they did both book and audio at the same time which increased the experience. I can understand what you mean though. Some people are audio and some are more visual and enjoy it better. I have a best friend who despises audiobooks. She has to read them, said she can't get into audiobooks and gets easily annoyed by them.

[Whitney]

I'm up to page 70 or so and its finally getting good though the voices of the two main characters sound just a like to me ( another reason audio might help) I like the shock value that kept me turning the pages though.

[Vicki]

Trisha, I listened to the audio version of another book that had lined through words/phrases and it had the sound of a pencil marking through it. I haven't had the chance to start this one, but I have skimmed the pages and would definitely agree with your assessment that this book is absolutely an experience!

There are certain books that I've enjoyed both reading and listening to the audio either together or read one time and continue with audio another. For example, if I'm washing dishes or driving the car I can further my reading by using the audio version.

The main issue I have with audio is that some books' character names are unusual and I need to SEE the names in order to really know them, if that makes sense.

The beauty of this book alone is worth the purchase cost just to share it and look at it again later in life!

[Laura (acquariusgb)]

I've just ordered the hard copy, so for now I'm putting it on hold until it arrives next week.

[Vicki]

You are going to LOVE it, Laura!!

[Laura (acquariusgb)]

The hard copy just arrived so I'm going to continue where I left :-)

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

yay! I hope you love it Laura!!

[Vicki]

Oh my goodness, I totally forgot this one. Lol

[Trisha, lives on coffee]

awe, no worries :)