Aug 2, 2011

Michael can't wait for you to read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. we hear all of your great book and audio recommendations for road trips, and your chance to win one of five Ready Player One prize packs!

One Book I Can't Wait For You to Read

We're changing things up this week as I tell you about Ready Player One at the start of the show, rather than at the end. This thrilling, incredibly fun novel is set in the year 2045. Wade Watts has just solved the first of three quests, hidden in the virtual world OASIS, by James Halliday, the world's deceased creator. The first person to solve all three will win Halliday's fortune and control of OASIS. Filled with real-world threats, an evil conglomerate, and more 80's pop culture references than you can shake a Rubik's Cube at, Ready Player One is the ultimate adventure novel, perfect for the final weeks of Summer.

Books for the Road (7:40)

Thanks to everyone who wrote in or called with suggestions of great books for the family road trip. There are so many great books mentioned, let's hope you're driving somewhere far away!

• The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean
• The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling (multiple recommendations)
• The Princess Bride by William Goldman
• The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
• The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman
• The Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan
• Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
• The Maze Runner by James Dashner
• Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• Ida B by Katherine Hannigan
• A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
• A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck (two recommendations)
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• The Lord of Rings (BBC Audio) by J.R.R. Tolkien
• Tales of Mystery and Imagination by The Alan Parsons Project
• The Mysteries in our National Parks series by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson
• The Big Book of How by Time for Kids Magazine

Do You Want to Play a Game? (23:56)

How about a game where you can win not only an advanced reader's copy of Ready Player One, but also a t-shirt, some buttons and a temporary tattoo? It's the Ready Player One Prize Pack and all you have to do to be entered is tell us about your favorite decade and your favorite piece of pop culture from that decade. For instance, my answer would be the 70's through 80's, the span of the original Star Wars trilogy and all of those great action figures! Leave your answer here in the comments and I'll randomly choose 5 winners on Monday, August 15. (U.S residents only - sorry!)