Another solid effort from Cline- just like Ready Player One, he does not disappoint. The way that Cline seamlessly sews in pop culture references into his stories has quickly pushed him near the top of my favorite authors. Now, is it better than Ready Player One? No, but that book is amazing, so you can only try to compare. Armada is a mix of Destiny, Iron Eagle, Star Wars, a smidge of Top Gun, and sprinkled with Independence Day (WELCOME TO URRF). To go into detail would be giving too much of the story away, so I don't want to spoil it for anyone.
Basically, earth is about to be absolutely destroyed by aliens inhabiting Europa, one of Jupiter's moons. Each sci-fi game, book, movie, you name it, had subliminal messages in them to train the population to be prepared for an alien invasion. Ever since Star Wars came out, the US has been subliminally and secretly preparing the public for an alien attack. They have also been training everyone (well, video gamers) to be the best of the best of the best (with honors) through video games. Turns out, they have all been battle simulators against aliens. Destiny, Halo, Resident Evil, Wow, all have been a part..
I REALLY enjoyed this book. It was a fast read as well, but I think that was partly because I was super into it and wanted to keep going. The way it plays out works really well, with the majority of the story happening within 2 days. It definitely keeps you hooked until the end. I can't recommend Ernest Cline enough, so I'll just keep reading as long as he keeps writing. Maybe I'll run into him in Austin one day! That would be too cool, and I would totes buy him a beer. If you're a fan of books with pop culture references, check this out. Now, for readers that won't touch SF with a 10ft pole, this book isn't as sci-fi oriented as it appears, so you're safe! I mean, 2 of the characters smoke pot on the dark side of the moon listening to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. BECAUSE WHY WOULDN'T YOU.
Middy's rating: 7 out of 10
p.s. I will not apologize for the Independence Day/M.I.B references. #noregerts #willsmith #formerkingofjuly4thboxoffice
The Royal We
Since I love the Royal Family (well, most of them. LOOKING AT YOU, CHARLES AND CAMILLA.), but especially William and Kate, I was really looking forward for this title to show up in my hold box at the lieberry. The, when I realized it was written by the girls who write the blog, 'Go Fug Yourself,' I was super stoked. No seriously, I had people at my house at 4 am to watch the Royal Wedding and I bought that bitch on dvd the same day. Once again, #noregerts.
American Bex (a twin) shows up at Oxford from the Midwest and somehow manages to become part of Nicolas' (the future king) inner circle. She has no motive to do so, it literally just happens. The next is a whirlwind of the highs and lows of royal society, and the evils of the never-ending paparazzi. We see a couple fall in love, break up, attempt to move on, and the pick up the pieces and start over. The supporting characters are also great, even with all of their faults, because some of them have SEVERAL. They do contribute to the story, so it’s not like they’re just thrown in there for funsies.
I enjoyed this book, but not as much as I thought I would. While I found myself flying through the pages, it WOULDN'T END. There were a few times where I felt certain parts were just thrown in as a diversion or filler. It reminded me of Order of the Phoenix- great, but super long and full of filler. Now, do I think the book would've been better shortened or split into 2 books? No, because it would take away from the story. I also think because I know the Will and Kate story so well, I found myself making comparisons, but not being judgmental. Cox and Morgan created their own world that doesn't seem like fan-fiction or any crap. There are obviously some real-life comparisons for some of the characters, but each of them stand on their own. If you're a fan of the Royal family, you should totally ready this.
Middy's rating: 6 out of 10
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