Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Finally finished Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. Fantasy/sci-fi...it's 2044, earth has used up all the energy & basically gone to crap. The most famous video game inventor, Halliday, has died and will leave his billions to the person who beats his last game. We find out from the start that the young main character, an online high schooler, has won the game but the media's coverage got it all wrong. So he's telling his story. No one actually meets in person anymore...gasoline is way too expensive, cars rot on the side of roads, everyone lives their lives online. Not too hard to imagine, eh? But the fun part of this book is all the prolific references to the '80's. From video games, movies, music, television...it's all here. As we read, we find ourselves wanting to go back and watch all of these movies, hear all the songs, play all the games. But it's the characters that make this book. Rooting for the underdogs is what will keep you enthralled! 4 Stars! Audio by Will Wheaton is superb. Spielberg to direct movie! We have hope.

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

Avoided this series until I just couldn't ignore it any longer, it was being mentioned constantly. I rolled my eyes, "Really...another take on Cinderella? Oh, okay, I'll try it." I love audio books and WOW, narrator Rebecca Soler is perfect! Loved the series so much, I bought all the hardbacks, too. Hubby just finished Winter yesterday. Daughter-in-law Kelly will get it next! We agreed that each book was fantastic! The way she brought in new fairy tale character per book was so fun. When I first got Scarlet, I panicked, my brain was screaming, "where's Cinder, where's Cinder? Ahhhh, there she is", and then I fell in LOVE with the additional characters and how she imagined each story. While listening to Winter, I would say to hubby, "Uh-oh....how in the world are they going to get out of this mess?" And while hubby was reading, I'd have him tell me what was happening! 

When I tell people about the series, my last carrot is always, "you know the scene at the ball? She doesn't lose her slipper, she loses her cyborg foot!" 

OH MY GOSH!!! Just went here http://thelunarchronicles.com/books/stars-above/ and she has a companion book coming out in February called Stars Above, separate new stories for all of us fans to gobble up! WOOHOO!!!!! CAN'T WAIT!! 

Scott Westerfeld's Books

I must, must, must thank teacher Donalyn Miller, author of THE BOOK WHISPERER, for recommending  Scott Westerfeld. Go to his website and see REALLY cool videos. I can't wait to show the 5th graders!

I read his UGLIES series (scroll down) a couple of years ago but had not read any of his other books. Donalyn's 5th graders highly recommended THE MIDNIGHTERS series and I am hooked! . The first book is subtitled THE SECRET HOUR.

Here's a blurb: A few nights after Jessica Day arrives in Bixby, Oklahoma, she wakes up at midnight to find the entire world frozen, except for her and a few others who call themselves 'midnighters'. Dark things haunt this midnight hour - dark things with a mysterious interest in Jessica. The question is ... why? The Secret Hour is a compelling tale of dark secrets, midnight romance, eerie creatures, courage, destiny, and unexpected peril.

From Scott's website: Uglies

Uglies is set in a world in which everyone has an operation when they turn sixteen, making them supermodel beautiful. Big eyes, full lips, no one fat or skinny. You might think this is a good thing, but it’s not. Especially if you’re one of the Smokies, a bunch of

radical teens who’ve decided they want to keep their own faces. (How anti-social of them.)

Uglies is a trilogy-plus-one, with Extras being a “companion novel” and told from a different point of view. All four Uglies books have been New York Times bestsellers!

Then there's his LEVIATHAN series that really sounds intriguing:

Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men.

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She’s a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn’s paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.

This man must write 24/7...go check out the REST of his books, I'm sure you'll find something that will delight you!

FAIRIES or FAERIES?

Kept seeing FABLEHAVEN everywhere I went. Would pick it up and put it back down. Read a recommendation somewhere and thought, "Oh, yea, that's that book I keep passing up, maybe I should go get it at the library." So I did. Yay libraries!

I am on page 205 of the first book in the series with the same name, Fablehaven. It took until page 73 to get hooked. See if you can find the three little words that did it!

What an imagination this man has! I always wonder how an author's take on an old subject, in this case fairies, can possibly make it fresh and new. Well, he's done it, and more so. If you like fantasy books, especially about fairies, check it out.

Two other fairy series I'm crazy about: Victoria Hanley's (see earlier post) VIOLET WINGS and Herbie Brennan's FAERIE WARS.    

Author Victoria Hanley

I must post about one of my favorite authors, Victoria Hanley, whom I've met. She lives in the nearby town of Loveland, Colorado. (Yes, Loveland is all a frenzy around Valentine's Day, but that's another story, maybe in February.)

Victoria presented at one of my media meetings and she was just delightful and amazing. I sat in awe and I introduced myself and probably mumbled something about loving her books. She was very gracious. I am a closet writer, so that is one of the reasons for my book obsessions, I live vicariously through authors. They work so hard to perform their magic, and I do mean MAGIC. Because I've tried to make magic with words and it's DARN hard.

I've read ALL of her books and loved them all. Her two books about writing are so helpful, I give them as gifts.

One of my favorite "stories" about her books involves my sweet husband of almost 35 years, George. He reads the paper every morning, and I swear he reads EVERY word. He's one of the smartest people I know and I love him dearly. BUT...and this was a very sad BUT for me. Are you ready? He didn't read books. Not since college. Oh, the occasional book about golfing or Las Vegas but not a REAL book.

Well, he retired two years ago. I was reading out loud to him because now he's captive audience. He enjoys it, actually.

Reading a book out loud to George is one of the biggest compliments I can give a book, it means I LOVE it A LOT!

Well, I was reading Violet Wings, her newest. He picked it up and READ it! I came home after school one day and he said, "I finished the book." I congratulated him but he didn't look too happy. My heart just sank for a moment. "It just ended. Right there. It, it....JUST ENDED." I started laughing when I realized what he was talking about. "Honey, it's a series. It's called a cliffhanger. I promise you there will be more." "But when?" "Well, in about a year or so." "A YEAR OR SO???!!!" I just laughed again and said, "Welcome to MY world!"

I am one of Victoria's FB friends so I get to hear about things like the next title, INDIGO INK, how she's finished the draft and working on the editing and George gets ALMOST as excited as I do to hear the news.

Oh Boy! INDIGO INK! Sigh... ♥

Hurry up, Victoria, George and I are patiently waiting. Please.