I’ve never liked a book so much that, right off the bat, I wanted to grab everyone and tell them to read it. Roger Ebert just does that to people, I guess.
Also, he was such a Nerdfighter. He may not have known it, but he was. :)
The NotGDCA
Reading Room
Book reviews & recommendations from the Nerdfighters of the Greater DC Area. Made of Literature.
The IRL Bookclub for the month of February read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.
This book is a futuristic story set in a world where the recession has lasted decades and the people of the Earth cope by immersing themselves in the computer world of OASIS. OASIS is similar to “Second Life” where people have Avatars and go into a virtual world. There they can attend work or school and basically live life on the internet. The story begins by explaining how the creator of OASIS, Halliday, left his Will and Testament on the web as a video before he died. It said that whoever finds the various keys and gates within OASIS and unlocks its Easter Eggs will win his entire fortune and the OASIS company. For 5 years after his death nobody had come close to finding any Easter Egg… until our protagonist, a teen named Wade/Parzival.
Overall, we really liked this story and found it to be a fun adventure that was really easy to get lost in. However, the most interesting bits of the novel were the online world that was created and its creator. Through Wade/Parzival and the treasure hunt, we learn about Halliday and get a glimpse of why he put his fortune up for grabs through a treasure hunt that rewards fans of 1980’s movies and classic video games. The club also got a chance to discuss what it would be like to live in a world that favors a virtual world. Are we in fact headed in that direction right now will all we can do on the web?
It’s a very interesting concept and the IRL bookclub would recommend it to anyone who loves ’80s nostalgia, video games, adventure, and large virtual ass-kicking robots.
Edwin A. Abbott’s brillant satire and novella Flatland is so good for so many reasons. First of all, if like me you’re a language-minded arts-brain with absolutely no concept of why anyone finds mathematics interesting (or no ability to understand it at all), this book will do the trick. Dimensions are cool, guys. Math is fascinating, y’all. This book will change your mind, literally.
But even more awesomely, this book is full of Victorian satirical sass and I love it. Flatland, like Victorian society, is ridiculously classist and misogynistic, very rigid and not at all respectable. It’s fantastic to spot all the parallels and watch the novella’s narrator realize his world’s own nothingness. Kind of cathartic that way.
Read it read it READ IT.
The IRL NotGDCA Bookclub read “The Song of Achilles” by Madeline Miller this month and overall, we thought it was good and we had plenty to discuss.
The book is a re-telling of the Greek legend of Achilles and the Trojan war. It is told through the point of view of Patroclus, Achilles’ childhood friend and, later on, lover. Through-out the story we see them battle not only Trojans, but also their personal struggles as they come of age. Towards the end sacrifices are made and their relationship is pushed to the edge as they find out if they can fight their own pre-ordained destinies.
Based on our discussions during our meeting, we all thought that this retelling of the story truly humanized the character of Achilles in a way that has never been done before. Typically portrayed as an arrogant asshole, Achilles has a compassion for Patroclus that you wouldn’t predict from a pride-full god-like warrior.
One of the only negative comments we had was that the language that Miller uses is a bit nuance-y. There is a time and place for that, but we felt that she could have been more direct in certain parts in order for the reader to understand fully the character’s emotional intent.
Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction, fantasy, legends, Greek mythology, and romance.
Warning: Contains violence and sex. Appropriate for high schoolers and above.
This nonfiction exploration of London’s underworld by Peter Ackroyd isn’t the most well-written of histories, but its subject is so fascinating that it’s well worth a read. I particularly recommend it for fans of Maureen Johnson’s The Name of the Star series — it gives some good background for some of that series’ locales!
“Even if you know what’s coming, you’re never prepared for how it feels.”
-Natalie Standiford, How to Say Goodbye in Robot
Setting this up with a disclaimer that I am a big fan of Natalie Standiford. I love not only the local (Baltimore) flavor of her writing, but also her humor and especially her characters!
This is a book I think many of the Nerdfighters in this group would enjoy. David Levithan called it a ” love story that isn’t a romance” and I think that is a perfect description. Bea the main character finds her platonic-match in Jonah, and their relationship develops gradually through a late-night call-in radio show. The radio callers are closely knit for a relatively anonymous community. They’re just a bit eccentric, and equally wonderful - (which reminds me of…?). Between her problematic mother and his missing brother there’s enough story to keep your pages turning, but where her writing really shines is in her characters. I see so many Bea’s and Jonah’s in real life - but haven’t read about too many of them. If you’re looking for something refreshing, and just a bit off-beat I would highly recommend this book.
George Orwell’s Down and Out in Paris and London is a largely autobiographical account of a British writer’s encounters with urban poverty. It’s a shining example of journalism, a brilliantly told story, and a well-written journey with a very simple premise: what is it like to be poor in Paris and London? The comparison serves to highlight cultural differences without getting particularly prejudicial, and the resulting story is neither political nor preachy but simply human. That is why it is so powerful, and for me, one of the best pieces of nonfiction I have ever read.
Warning: this book comes with an obvious content warning for socially abusive, difficult lifestyles, as well as various medical problems and other traumas. However, keep in mind this is also a 1930s account of white, male poverty; offhanded sexist, anti-Semitic, and racist comments do make an appearance here and there. It’s something to know going in, but it is not so frequent and pervasive so as to make the book impossible to enjoy.
Before buying the book online, does anyone know what independent book stores would have this?
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AnonymousI really sorry, but could you clarify what you are asking about?
Inspired by a NOTGDCA Facebook thread…
If YA Authors were Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers who would be on your team?
My thoughts:
Maureen Johnson= Blue Ranger(envelopes),
Yellow Ranger = David Levithan (he’s so sunny!),
Libba Bray= Pink Ranger (of course!),
Suzanne Collins = Red Ranger (ie. the ranger on fire)
and because I can’t resist name puns-
John =Green Ranger, Holly=Black Ranger.
….Also I might have to cast Terry Pratchett as Zordon.
If you haven’t read these authors yet, you’re missing out!
What makes a book one of your favorites?
A book has been chosen for the IRL DC Nerdfighter Bookclub! It is The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller.
Amazon.com book summary:
“Achilles, “the best of all the Greeks,” son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful— irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods’ wrath.
They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.”
If you are intimidated by Greek Mythology, don’t worry. You do not need to read the Illiad to understand this book. Treat it just like any other adventure/love story. (And prepare to feel FEELS!!!)
Please read this between now and our next meeting on Sunday, February 24th. We will be meeting at the Reynolds Center (aka: Smithsonian Museum of American Art and National Portrait Gallery) at 1:30pm. There will be baked goods again, as well as some fun discussions.
Hope to see you all there.
-Elizabeth
The 1st IRL Book Club will meet at the MLK Memorial Library on January 26th at 9:30am. We will meet in the lobby and there will be baked goods. (YAY!)
This is a meet and greet, so you do not have to read a book yet, but we will be discussing the book club general rules in addition to doing some semi-lame ice breakers.
For more information, check out both the Facebook event and the Book Club file.
https://www.facebook.com/events/323311017774481/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/nerdfightersDC/doc/450789024977879/
Hope to see you all soon!
-Elizabeth
What book are you most looking forward to reading this year?
