Ready Player One

[Sarah]

Tasha, Mariab, Tejas Janet and I will be reading Ready Player One by Ernest Cline during November for the monthly theme of "Numbers in Titles". Feel free to join in... the more the merrier!

Like with the group reads, it can be read anytime during the month of November - I think this is probably best rather than trying to pin down an exact date for us all to start. Is that ok?

[Cherie]

When you are done reading, just remember to post your book in the alternate group read thread so the group read moderator knows what you read. It isn't fair to make them hunt down all of the folks doing buddy reads for group read books.

I read this a couple of months ago, so I will chime in with comments as they come up. I listened to Will Wheaton read the story. He was great! I also re-read it in print. I loved it!

[Sarah]

I will definitely do that Cherie once the thread has been created - I don't want to miss out on a badge ;-)

Quite a number of my GR friends have given this book 5 stars so I am very much looking forward to it - it sounds right up my street! I have just purchased the kindle version so I'm all set to go!

[Tejas Janet]

I've put in a hold request and should have a library copy soon. Looks good.

[Sarah]

Excellent TJ.

[Mariab]

Ok. I habe the book already.
Thanks for posting the thread

[Cherie]

Sarah wrote: "I will definitely do that Cherie once the thread has been created - I don't want to miss out on a badge ;-)

Quite a number of my GR friends have given this book 5 stars so I am very much looking f..."

I am sure you will love it, Sarah! It has some great dialogue and the history is right up your alley. It is also pretty funny in many places. I do not think there is one slow place in the whole book and you will be surprised about things that happen too. You will not want to put it down once you start, but don't rush through it or you will be doing an immediate re-read, like I did. :)

[Esther]

It's on hold but i may not get it in time. I am 3rd in line...

[Sarah]

Esther wrote: "It's on hold but i may not get it in time. I am 3rd in line..."

Fingers crossed Esther!

[Stephanie]

Woohoo Ready Player One is available at the libraries here. Should be at the library I go to in the next couple of days :-)

[Melissa]

Now that I've completed my first Toppler--I'm in! :-)
The library is holding it for me and I will pick it up today!
I'm a newbie, so not sure how the buddy read will work?

[Sarah]

Glad you'll be joining us Melissa! Generally, we just read the book at our own pace and come to this thread and comment on the book as we go.

We use spoiler tags to hide details of the book so unsuspecting people don't stumble across a vital plot twist for example!

I normally write something like - "read to chapter X" then put the spoiler there. For those who do not know how to use the spoiler tags, you can copy and paste the following <*spoiler>WRITE YOUR SPOILERS HERE<*/spoiler> - Just remove the * from the two tags before posting.

[Melissa]

Thx Sarah! I needed the tip on the spoiler tag! I don't even know hoe up tag a book! :)

[Lori]

I loved this book!! I will definitely have to re-listen to it. The audiobook was fantastic!

[Melissa]

Hoe up?? That's awesome...
I'm pretty sure I tried to say How To...yikes...

[Sarah]

Melissa wrote: "Thx Sarah! I needed the tip on the spoiler tag! I don't even know hoe up tag a book! :)"

To tag a book, if you click on the "add book/author" link just above the comment box that you write in when creating a post, it will bring up a search facility - type in the book name and click search and it will come up with the book, select the book my clicking "add" and then it will appear in your post and will link. There is thread here where you can ask questions about what to do on Goodreads (plus loads of answered questions) which you might find useful.

[Sarah]

I will probably get to this book mid-month as I am doing another buddy read too and that one is a chunkster! But they are very different books so I might have both on the go at the same time! I can't wait to read this.

[Melissa]

Thx again Sarah! I will have to read more tips about Goodreads. I have been a member forever, but joined my first group only a month ago! :)
I will probably start reading this buddy read Nov 1st! Hehe
Hope I will feel like I can take my time now that I'm not doing the Toppler! Which was a lot of fun :)

[Mariab]

@Sarah
You and me, we both Sarah! I was wondering if I have taken to much on my hands

[Stephanie]

Yay, Melissa!! The library here has it available as well so I should be able to start the same time as you :-)

[Melissa]

Good! I would have waited for ya ;)

[Sarah]

Mariab wrote: "@Sarah
You and me, we both Sarah! I was wondering if I have taken to much on my hands"

Yes I was thinking that too especially as I also said I'd do the A Discovery of Witches buddy read too! Oh and not to mention the 2nd book in the Dark Tower series. There are just too many good buddy reads going on at the moment in YLTO. We all have impeccable taste ;-)

[Mariab]

We sure do!

[Canadian Dragon]

All ready to go with the audio book

[Sarah]

I'm going to work my way through my current book a bit more before I start this one, although I'll probably have both on the go at the same time. I have the print version of this book.

[Stephanie]

I have my copy from the library!! Can't wait to start!! This will be my first buddy/group read :-)

[Esther]

I am still 4th in line. I guess I am not going to join you...

[Tejas Janet]

Ready to go with my library book, yay :-)

[Tejas Janet]

Melissa wrote: "Hoe up?? That's awesome...
I'm pretty sure I tried to say How To...yikes..."

Hoe up, a gathering of gardeners? A hybrid of "hoe down" and "meet up" ; )

[Melissa]

Tejas Janet wrote: "Melissa wrote: "Hoe up?? That's awesome...
I'm pretty sure I tried to say How To...yikes..."

Hoe up, a gathering of gardeners? A hybrid of "hoe down" and "meet up" ; )"

HAHA Of course, that's exactly what I was trying to say. Glad someone finally understands me ;)

[Melissa]

I'm ready to read on Saturday! So excited to start reading this buddy read that I can't even get into my backup book...Hurry up, Saturday! :)

[Mariab]

I will be starting after Swan Song (chunkster alarm!).
So dont be concerned @Esther, I will be there (here) to read along you when you get your copy

[Melissa]

First page with a Ghostbusters quote?! I think I'm a gonna like this book ;-)

[Cherie]

Oh, yeah! That's exactly how I felt too!

[Stephanie]

I'm only 18 pages in and I feel so bad for the main character, Wade.

[Canadian Dragon]

Up to chapter 3, this is a really interesting book I already put it on my wish list to own
(view spoiler)[it is very sad how Wade is bullied thoughout his public and highschool years. I am glad he is comfortable in the online world and I think it is funny you can mute people. There are a lot of people in the world I would like to mute --lol (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah]

I started the book this morning. I have only read 10 pages but I am really liking the writing style, all the 80's references and the willy wonka-esque "quest" which has been set. I also am loving the video game angle - it plays to my inner geek (who am I kidding - there's no inner, I just am!).

The author is American and so naturally the pop culture references are to do with the American 80's as opposed to the British 80's and while a vast majority of that decade is shared, there were also many differences. So some of the references I have caught while others I haven't but either way, I don't mind.

Even though I'm early on in the book, I've just added the author's next book which is due out next year.

[Stephanie]

I love the 80's references as well! Especially when he talks about the show Family Ties! One of my favorite shows growing up. I used to call it the Sha-la-la show (because that was the way the song ended of the opening song of the show).

[Sarah]

I have read up to the end of chapter 2 (view spoiler)[I am loving OASIS - how they lead a normal life within OASIS while life in the real world is messed up. There were some great points made in these chapters and I can see our world going this way with the increase in social media - people can build relationships online and "be themselves" but when it comes to face to face real life interaction, people struggle to communicate, feel self conscious and retreat in to themselves.

The trailer stacks sound pretty awful to live in - they sound like they could all come crashing down at any moment.

Wade's home situation does not sound ideal at all. I felt for him when his Aunt took his laptop off him to sell for the rent. That's almost my worse nightmare!

I don't like the sound of the corporate gunters (I think they were called Sixers) - I'm not surprised the other gunters don't like them much especially when the company's aim is to take over OASIS if they crack the easter egg.
(hide spoiler)]

[Stephanie]

Sarah wrote: "I have read up to the end of chapter 2
I totally agree with you, Sarah's! I am up to chapter 5 so far :-) I am really liking this book!

[Mariab]

I can't wait to beginn reading!!

[Canadian Dragon]

I just bought a copy of this one I am enjoying it. Is anyone else listening to the audio? I think it is good. The narrator is Will Wheaton, he is funny in Big Bang Theory as Sheldon's nemesis.

[Canadian Dragon]

Stephanie wrote: "I love the 80's references as well! Especially when he talks about the show Family Ties! One of my favorite shows growing up. I used to call it the Sha-la-la show (because that was the way the song..."

I loved that show as a kid. Had a huge crush on Alex

[Lori]

Tasha wrote: "I just bought a copy of this one I am enjoying it. Is anyone else listening to the audio? I think it is good. The narrator is Will Wheaton, he is funny in Big Bang Theory as Sheldon's nemesis."

I'm listening to the audiobook for a third time. Wil Wheaton is the perfect narrator.

[Stephanie]

Love Will Wheaton! wheeaaton:-)

[Stephanie]

Tasha wrote: "Stephanie wrote: "I love the 80's references as well! Especially when he talks about the show Family Ties! One of my favorite shows growing up. I used to call it the Sha-la-la show (because that wa..."

It was such a great show :-) wish there were more shows like that these days...

[Sarah]

Will Wheaton is a good choice for the narrator given he was in Star Trek during the 80s and there have been some references to Star Trek already in the book.

As for Family Ties, I have no idea about the show - I can see Michael J Fox is in it so maybe it was aired here too as he was pretty big here during the 80s but I can't remember ever seeing it.

[Mariab]

Family Ties. It was funny. The comedy about a couple of ex-hippies who have a yuppie son.

[Sarah]

OK, so I asked my partner whether he remembers Family Ties and he said it rang a bell so it clearly aired here in the UK - I just didn't watch it.

I have read up to the end of chapter 5 (view spoiler)[I thought that the lessons they have at school sounded so much better than school nowadays - being transported to that time period or that planet to check things out and learn! We all learn in different ways - I am quite a visual person and I think learning this way would have been better for me and I'd have wanted to go to school more ;-)

I love Spaced - it's a British comedy so I was quite surprised to see it mentioned in the big - is it big in the US too? I could have sworn it was late 90s early 00s that it was on though.

Loving the C64 mentions - I had one of those as a kid and I also had a Commodore Vic 20. I remember an Uncle of mine gave me a BASIC programming book for one of them (can't remember which) and I sat there all night typing out all the code, getting to the end and pressing run and it coming up with an error and being really annoyed. As a teenager and early adult I programmed on a PC and technology had gone a long way by then and it was so much easier to find a syntax error and be able to rectify it. I don't think you could make changes to the Commodore code once you'd typed it so you had to get it right first time (from what I recall anyway).

I felt bad for Wade not being able to explore OASIS like the other kids due to lack of funds. I liked the line he used about feeling like a kid in an arcade having to watch others play the games he can't afford to. (hide spoiler)]

This book is AMAZING! It is Geek-tastic! I've been raving about it to my partner. I might have to find a copy of Airplane to watch...don't call me Shirley!

[Stephanie]

I'm up to chapter 13..I have had a hard time putting this book down because I just can't wait to see what happens next :-) I am loving the flow of the story! And since my childhood was the 80's I am loving all of the 80's stuff! I'm on the phone app so I don't want to say too much :-) gotta go make dinner and take the dog out, not necessarily in that order :-)