December 2020 Not First in a Series BOTM - Ready Player Two, by Ernest Cline

[Alaina]

An unexpected quest. Two worlds at stake. Are you ready?

Days after Oasis founder James Halliday's contest, Wade Watts makes a discovery that changes everything. Hidden within Halliday's vault, waiting for his heir to find, lies a technological advancement that will once again change the world and make the Oasis a thousand times more wondrous, and addictive, than even Wade dreamed possible. With it comes a new riddle and a new quest. A last Easter egg from Halliday, hinting at a mysterious prize. And an unexpected, impossibly powerful, and dangerous new rival awaits, one who will kill millions to get what he wants. Wade's life and the future of the Oasis are again at stake, but this time the fate of humanity also hangs in the balance.

[D.G.]

I'm scared that this book will suck but I was early fan of RPO so I'll still give a shot. :)

[Alaina]

Oh man I hope it’s good’

[Jammin Jenny]

Me too!

[Trisha]

Through 005 (almost 100 pages)

that was dense. lol to get caught up on everything that's happened. HUGE info dump.

(view spoiler)[ I'm sad that power and money and differing interests has completely thrown this rag tag group to the farthest corners but it makes sense. They were only so close as they tried to fight against one evil and solve something that gave them power and money

Now they can live the life they would have wanted....which were different for all of them (hide spoiler)]

7 Shards(view spoiler)[ interesting to see new technology and a new riddle. I'm already enjoying the references to previous stuff (I mean the Princess Bride?! Awesome!) so I'm enjoying it so far (hide spoiler)]

[Aly]

Reading now!

[Aly]

Trisha wrote: "Through 005 (almost 100 pages)

that was dense. lol to get caught up on everything that's happened. HUGE info dump.

I'm sad that power and money and differing interests has completely thrown thi..."

Agreed, lot of info at the beginning, just like book 1. (view spoiler)[ I'm bummed that Wade has become reclusive and pushed away Artemis (hide spoiler)]

[Aly]

Level Four (view spoiler)[ It's sad that Wade, Aech, and Shoto don't see that people fully plugging into the Oasis will hurt the real world. I agree with Artermis/Samantha and I'm mad that Wade was so mean to her. And now Sorrento is back and pulling their strings (hide spoiler)]

[Aly]

0018 (view spoiler)[ I do enjoy the quests and even more since they're all working together, but I'm not as interested in this book as the first one. Maybe things will amp up soon (hide spoiler)]

[Aly]

Level Five (view spoiler)[ The Prince battle was funny. I'm glad Samantha came to Wade's rescue and they got the shards. Now what? (hide spoiler)]
Finished (view spoiler)[ It was sweet the Og and Keira were reunited at the end. And they sent all those AI's, embryos, and information to another planet. I don't know that we really needed this sequel, but it was okay. (hide spoiler)]

[Trisha]

Aly wrote: "0018 [spoilers removed]"

I completely agree. I even love the nostalgia!

and honestly, who doesn't want a running soundtrack in the background of their life!? lol I love it!

(view spoiler)[ but the quests just don't have the same draw they did in the first one. I'm finding myself bored, checking laundry and doing dishes instead of reading! Never a good sign! LOL (hide spoiler)]

although(view spoiler)[ I do like a lot of the info. I don't know much about these movies (I'm old but not quite that old!) but it's interesting to hear that Pretty in Pink info and about Roberty Downey, Jr!
and that math place?! Maybe math would have been easier for my kids if they would have had a cool Calculus mountain! LOL (hide spoiler)]

[Aly]

Trisha wrote: "Aly wrote: "0018 [spoilers removed]"

I completely agree. I even love the nostalgia!

and honestly, who doesn't want a running soundtrack in the background of their life!? lol I love it!

[spoiler..."

I felt the same about the quests not drawing me in. And I didn't know the Pretty in Pink thing either!

[Trisha]

Through level Five (view spoiler)[ and I'm definitely just pushing through to get to the end
The prince fight was funny but only....kind of. I don't know, it just doesn't have the draw. Maybe this would be better as a movie?

I'm so glad Arty dropped from the sky!! (hide spoiler)]
and I'm hoping(view spoiler)[ that those that "died" in the game are just, like, sleeping. I hope nothing is happening to Shoto (hide spoiler)]

[Aly]

Trisha wrote: "Through level Five and I'm definitely just pushing through to get to the end
The prince fight was funny but only....kind of. I don't know, it just doesn't have the draw. Maybe this would be better..."

Yeah I get you. It's kind of like the author was pressured to write a sequel even though we didn't really need one

[Trisha]

YES! I agree, it feels forced!!

I'm finally done(view spoiler)[ and I do really like the last chapter - letting us know it's written by his copy or consciousness that was downloaded before the plane left.
I don't know that I buy Z was just magically great over night (I find Wade to kind of be an ass but meh) but I liked that last chapter so much more. The writing felt - easier, more mature....something. It definitely made me give it another star.

and I don't mind the whole HEA we get with everyone being revived and everyone being okay! LOL hopefully we're done with a duology! :D (hide spoiler)]

[Jammin Jenny]

Through Chapter 10

I forgot some of what happened in the first book, so I'm glad it started out with a little memory dump. I'm listening to the book read by Wil Wheaton who I love as a narrator.

(view spoiler)[The idea of an ONI device that lets you feel what others are feeling is a good premise, but I can see how it would be used for evil as well. We'll see what happens... (hide spoiler)]

[Jammin Jenny]

Trisha wrote: "Through 005 (almost 100 pages)

I loved the reference to (view spoiler)[The Princess Bride (hide spoiler)] too!

[Aly]

Jammin Jenny wrote: "Through Chapter 10

I forgot some of what happened in the first book, so I'm glad it started out with a little memory dump. I'm listening to the book read by Wil Wheaton who I love as a narrator.

..."

Wil Wheaton is great!

[Jammin Jenny]

Through Ch 20

(view spoiler)[I love that he saw a bunch of characters from The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink when he was using the ONI (hide spoiler)]

[Jammin Jenny]

Aly wrote: "0018 [spoilers removed]"

I agree I liked the first book better so far, but there are still moments of greatness here and there - loved the scenes in the high school...

[Jammin Jenny]

Through Chapter 27

(view spoiler)[ I love the "prince" land where everything is related to the artist formerly known as prince. Raspberry beret, red corvette, purple rain...love it. (hide spoiler)]

[Aly]

Jammin Jenny wrote: "Through Chapter 27

[spoilers removed]"

Yeah that was really fun

[Jammin Jenny]

Finished!!

I really liked this sequel to Ready Player One. I'm not sure I liked it as much as the first book, but there were moments of brilliance. I especially liked the ending where we find out (view spoiler)[who is actually telling the story (hide spoiler)]. I liked the AIs in the book too.