The History Book Club discussion

Jason, this is your thread for 2018. I have included the link to the required format thread and an example. If you had a 2017 thread - it will be archived so when you get the opportunity move over your completed books and formats to the 2018 thread - but we will allow time for you to do that.

Please follow the standard required format below - I hope you enjoy your reading in 2018. Here is also a link for assistance with the required guidelines:

Link: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Our Required Format:

JANUARY

1. by Winston S. Churchill
Finish date: January 2018
Genre: (whatever genre the book happens to be)
Rating: A
Review: You can add text from a review you have written but no links to any review elsewhere even goodreads. And that is about it. Just make sure to number consecutively and just add the months.

IMPORTANT - THE REVIEW SHOULD BE SHORT AND SWEET - THERE ARE NO LINKS OF ANY KIND IN THE BODY OF THE REVIEW ALLOWED. NONE. DO NOT REFER TO ANY OTHER BOOK IN YOUR BRIEF REVIEW. THE ONLY BOOK CITED IN YOUR REVIEW IS THE ONE YOU ARE REVIEWING - NO OTHERS. ALL LINKS TO OTHER THREADS OR REVIEWS ARE DELETED IMMEDIATELY - THERE WILL BE NO WARNING. WE CONSIDER THIS SELF PROMOTION AND IT IS NOT ALLOWED AND IS IN VIOLATION OF OUR RULES AND GUIDELINES.

Jason, I believe you are new to these threads - we are here to help you with the standard format which once you get it under your belt is extremely easy. Check out the How To thread because it gives you all of the details you need to be successful. It takes everybody a couple of entries to get the knack and you can always rely on looking back at the example in comment box one if you forget.

We are here to help and hope you enjoy your thread in 2018.

Regards,

Bentley

JANUARY

1. by Ken Ilgunas
Finish date: January 2018
Genre: non-fiction, Autobiography, Travel
Rating: A
Review: Fascinating read. Makes you realize how many things you don't need. The main question I walked away with after reading this was what is more important possessions of experiences.

2. by Joe Russo
Finish date: January 2018
Genre: non-fiction, Autobiography, Travel
Rating: A
Review: Joe and Kait Russo are a couple that lived and worked in the Los Angeles area. Like many of us in this area, they worked very hard and their perspective companies expected a lot of them every day. Living this way grew tiresome to the Russos and one day out of nowhere Kait said let’s just leave it all behind and travel. So began the Russos adventure. The non-fiction book chronicles the Russo’s life while they make their transition. Joe doesn’t disappoint. He dived in with detail on their adventure to buy an RV and start their adventure. While we wait there is always Joe and Kait’s new videos every week on YouTube. Joe’s first book earned 5 stars from me.

Bentley wrote: "Jason, this is your thread for 2018. I have included the link to the required format thread and an example. If you had a 2017 thread - it will be archived so when you get the opportunity move over ..."

Thanks, Bentley!! This is going to be fun!

It is a lot of fun and the folks in the 50 Books have a lot of camaraderie with each other.

Update: Thanks for your updating. Good job.

Bentley wrote: "You only have to put the month in caps and bold above the first book completed in any month. So the next time you add the month in bold and caps is above the first book in the month of February and so on. "

Thanks, I updated the post.

MARCH
3. by Ernest Cline
Finish date: March 2018
Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult
Rating: A
Review: This is the best book I have read in many years. It may be my new favorite book of all time. After reading the book I feel like Wade Watts the main character. I feel like I too have achieved what he did in the book. Like many 30 somethings, this book really spoke to me. I grew up in the 80’s. It was my decade. The characters in the book study that era to be better able to player Oasis an immersive world that they access via fancy virtual reality (VR) rigs.

This book reminded me of so many things all at once. How much I loved growing up watching TV shows like Silver Spoons and Family Ties. Playing the same video games that the characters mastered in the game: Adventure, Joust, Defender, Zaxxon, etc.

Of course, right now there is a ton of buzz about this book because it has been made into a movie. A movie with a trailer that is pretty spectacular. the movie will be released later this month (3/29/18) and the director is none other than Steven Spielberg. Who better to direct a movie about the 80s than the man who helped make the 80s with his amazing movies. The amazingly brilliant mind behind E.T. and Raiders of the Ark, both came out in the 80s.

This book also reminded me of Second Life a lot. That’s the immersive computer simulation where people can make the avatar anyway they want and you can actually make money in the game. Or Lindens, that can be traded in for real cash. Or at least that’s how it was years ago when Second Life was a big deal. I tried Second Life a long time ago, but even after reading this book I have no desire to log back into that virtual world.

Before reading this book I didn’t know anything about Ernest Cline. Now that I have read one of his books, I can’t wait to read more. “I love it when a plan comes together!” 5 Stars!!!

Jason - you may want to go back and place some blank lines between your paragraphs - that is of course allowed.

This sounds like a very interesting book.