Last Tango in Cyberspace by Steven Kotler

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

I've always enjoyed sci-fi, and to be honest I don't read enough of it. That's why I was so excited to try this one. Last Tango in Cyberspace by Steven Kotler is a unique and unusual mashup of science fiction, adventure, mystery, animal rights, and a look into the human condition.

Lion Zorn is an em-tracker. He can sense empathy, which allows him to get a feel for the future. When this skill gets him a high-paying job with a major company, Lion finds himself immersed in a world of drugs and ecoterrorism. What is this new drug that is popping up making people free animals from cages and commune with them in the wild? Why is someone's taxidermied head hanging on the wall of his home? And how is all this connected to Arctic, the company Lion has been hired by?

This was such an amazing read! I was nervous at first because it was heavy from the beginning, as many sci-fi reads tend to be, and I was having a hard time grasping overall concepts for the first few chapters. I quickly got a hang of the writing style and figured things out though, and was completely enthralled with the plot and the world that Kolter has created. 

It addressed a lot of important topics in addition to having a fantastic plot. From animal rights and ecological issues, to how humans constantly find a new way to rebel and culture shifts, to the giving and taking of rights and melding of cultures, this book was a great look at how society advances and both the good and bad things that come with that advancement. I would definitely be pleased if there was a sequel to this read!

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Thanks so much to St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this read! Last Tango in Cyberspace by Steven Kotler is out now!

Magical Readathon: OWLs Exams

I've been looking for a good readathon to participate in, and when I saw someone share this one I knew it would be the perfect one to do. This is hosted by Book Roast over on YouTube, so if you want more information be sure to check out the video below.

Basically, the goal of this readathon is to pass your OWLs just like the students at Hogwarts. There are 12 different subjects to choose from, but to pass your OWLs as acceptable you only need to successfully complete 2 subjects. If you want to overachieve, like Hermione, you can pass 3 to exceed expectations or 5 to pass as outstanding.

The OWLs Exams readathon takes place from April 2 to April 29.

I didn't want to disrupt my TBR too much with this readathon, but I knew I could easily squeeze a few of these in (and still pass higher than acceptable!) with books that were already on my radar. I may try to attempt more if I'm having a good reading month, but I wanted to start with just a few. Here are the subjects I've chosen to sit my OWLs for, and the books I will be reading for them:

• Astronomy (a science fiction book): Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

• Charms (a fantasy book): The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

• Herbology (a book with a nature-related word in the title): The Girl and the Grove by Eric Smith

Here's to passing my OWLs with an exceeds expectations rating! Have you participated in readathons before? Which was your favorite?

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Cover Art Courtesy of Goodreads

I think I may have been the last person in the world to read this book. But just in case I wasn't, I wanted to write a review anyway on the off chance that one of you reading this has been hesitating about picking up this novel. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline is one hell of a read, which is probably why a movie version is releasing next month. Like your typical bibliophile, I wanted to make sure I read the book before seeing the movie, so I made it a priority on my TBR and I'm so glad I did.

This story follows Wade Watts (username Parzival), your average teenager looking for an escape. It's set in the future, and we're out of space and almost out of resources as a human race. Trailer parks have turned into trailer towers to maximize land, and food rations are doled out on a voucher system. The only comfort is the Oasis, a completely immersive (and free) virtual reality, containing schools, jobs, shopping, and almost everything else you need to live. When the creator of the Oasis dies and leaves his fortune to whoever solves the puzzle hidden within the Oasis itself, Wade knows that winning this fortune is his only way out of his daily hell. 

But with about half a trillion dollars and complete Oasis control at stake, obviously Wade isn't the only one seeking out the prize. Powerful industries have also taken an interest in the winnings, wanting control of the Oasis with plans to start charging for access, and companies have created special "gunter" departments who dedicate every second of their time to solving the puzzle. These people will stop at nothing to win that prize, even killing off their competition if that's what it takes.

This book was fantastic! I don't even know where to begin with everything I liked. The amount of 80's references was wonderful, and the descriptions of this world were elaborate and painted an intense picture of life in the future...both inside and outside the Oasis. I felt for Wade...he was a good kid that just wanted a better life for himself, which really made you root for him to win. I really liked Art3mis as a character as well and wish we learned more about her. 

My biggest complaint is how abruptly it ended. There's a lot of debate as to whether this will have a sequel or not...nothing has really been confirmed by Cline one way or another. If this really will be a standalone, I would have liked to see it go a little more into what happens after the big battle. If it is intended to be a duology/trilogy/whatever, knowing that would have alleviated some of that disappointment.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars