Ready Player One

This has got to be one of the best novels that I've read in the past decade so I wanted to, nay, needed to tell you all about this genius of a book!  My sister bought it for me for my birthday, because she and her husband both read it and LOVED it!  After reading it myself, I have to admit, it is now one of my top five favorite books of all time!

Here's what is written on the inside flap of the hardcover copy:

"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 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 the giant network 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 that he loved-that of the late twentieth century.  And for years, millions have found in this quest another means for 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!"

Pretty cool, huh?  What's even cooler is that they are in the process of turning this into a major motion picture, due to be released in 2016!  This was the most fun that I've had reading a book in a long time!  And I read a LOT!  The 80's references were the draw, but the plot and the writing suck you in.  This is an absolutely incredible novel.  If you are a fan of anything that has to do with the eighties, this is a must read!  GO OUT AND BUY THIS BOOK! Kudos to my sister and brother-in-law for having me read this!  Let me know what you think after reading it!  You can reach me at comconocave@gmail.com.  I would love to talk about this book with other people!  Enjoy! :)