Unforgotten

On PBS Passport - Nicola Walker (River) heads up the cold case division. When bodies are found that are ancient history so to speak she and her group of detectives try to solve the old murders. It's 3 episodes in season 1 and season 2 each focus on their own case. Season 3 it more episodes because they are only about 45 minutes long instead of 2 hours. The last season focuses more the personal lives of the 2 main detectives and a serial killer is unearthed. All in all, I say: SEE IT.

Spider-Man: Far From Home

The new Marvel movie which takes place after the last Avenger film starring Peter Parker on his school trip to Europe. He does a good job - he is a good actor. I thought the movie was funny. There is some action, but after an Avenger movie it's not a lot of action. It's more of a movie to help us and the character get over what happened in the last film. All in all, I say: SEE IT

Super 30

Based on the true story of a math teacher in India. It's 3 hours long and there is singing and dancing. IMDb writes, "Based on life of Patna-based mathematician Anand Kumar who runs the famed Super 30 program for IIT aspirants in Patna.". All in all, I say: SEE IT if you can handle those things.

Frankie Drake Mysteries

On PBS with season 2 about to start I binged on season one. It's fun and light-hearted a lot like Murdoch Mysteries. IMDb writes, "The series follows Frankie Drake, a female private detective operating in Toronto in the 1920s.". All in all, I say: SEE IT

A Ghost Story

Casey Affleck (Fencer) is a newly married man who moves into a home with his wife Rooney Mara (Lion). He dies and becomes a ghost. His ghost stays at the house over the years and he sees his wife place a note in the wall. He tries to get it and he can't. Somehow he goes back  in time and is able to get to the note. It's a strange movie - and there is little to no talking at all the entire time. All in all, I say: SKIP IT on Amazon

Willed to Kill

This was so bad - bad writing, bad acting, bad editing, and bad plot. IMDb writes, "A homicide detective is forced to work alongside her ex-fiancé to investigate a murder that bears all the hallmarks of an infamous serial killer.". All in all, I say: SKIP IT

I Still See You

Based on a book - a world where the ghosts of the dead start to appear to the living because of an accident in a nearby lab. One of them may or may not have the intention to kill a living girl - Bella Thorne (Southland). It's strange - not horrible - not great. All in all, I say: SEE IT if you like supernatural kind of stuff SKIP IT if you like quality.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

An animated movie. A young man gets bitten by a spider that makes him into Spider-Man. Because of the bad guy opening a portal - the multiverse breaks open and several spider men/women from different Earths all arrive and team together. It's funny and well written. All in all, I say: SEE IT on Netflix

Occupation

An Australian movie about an alien attack and how one small town fights back. It's pretty bad - acting, plot, and action. All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Always Be My Maybe

Ali Wong (Animals.) is a successful chef who has always been in love with her best friend. Her best friend is Randall Park (Fresh Off the Boat) is having a hard time finding his way int he world. He needs to decide what's more important his love or his comfort. It's funny and well done. All in all, I say: SEE IT on Netflix

The Silence

Stanley Tucci (Big Night) is a father trying to get his family to safety when prehistoric creatures emerge to wipe out humans. They can't see since they have been in dark caves for centuries, they hunt based on sound and hatch eggs inside the remains of humans. Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men) is the deaf daughter. A group of zealots attack the family trying to get to her because they believe since she's deaf she is someone a savior of some kind. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. All in all, I say: SKIP IT on Netflix

Agatha and the Truth of Murder

Ruth Bradley (Humans) is Agatha at a time in her life where her husband wants a divorce, her daughter ignores her, and she has writer's block. She agrees to go to a home in the country to find the murderer in a cold case. The suspects are all brought together and interviewed when one if them is murdered. A case within a case, and it gives her what she needs to begin her writing again. All in all, I say: SEE IT on Netflix.

Yesterday

Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) directs this fun movie. The Earth goes dark and when they come back on some things are missing like Coke and The Beatles. This gives an unsuccessful singer a way to make a name for himself. Will he let fame get to him or will he find love. It is so funny and really well written, acted, and directed. All in all, I say: SEE IT

Secondborn

I got this free for Kindle - to get me hooked on the series I guess. It started out so good - good wit from the characters, interesting characters, and plot seemed cool. Then toward the end it one conspiracy after another and tons of secret societies and secrets. Too many characters to focus on and I got uninterested. It was overly complicated and I'm not going to read the others in the series. Amazon writes, "On Transition Day, the second child in every family is taken by the government and forced into servitude. Roselle St. Sismode’s eighteenth birthday arrives with harsh realizations: she’s to become a soldier for the Fate of Swords military arm of the Republic during the bloodiest rebellion in history, and her elite firstborn mother is happy to see her go.

Televised since her early childhood, Roselle’s privileged upbringing has earned her the resentment of her secondborn peers. Now her decision to spare an enemy on the battlefield marks her as a traitor to the state.

But Roselle finds an ally—and more—in fellow secondborn conscript Hawthorne Trugrave. As the consequences of her actions ripple throughout the Fates Republic, can Roselle create a destiny of her own? Or will her Fate override everything she fights for—even love?". All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Claimed

This is the sequel to a science fiction book I got for free from Amazon on kindle - trying to get me hooked on the series. Problem is the second book is just more of the same and takes too long to get the point. The climax of the novel doesn't really come until around the last chapter. Amazon writes, "In this urban fantasy, brilliant scientist Galena Margolis is determined to fulfill her destiny and develop the vaccine that could save millions. Yet when Galena’s test subjects meet with foul play, it’s clear that someone is still determined to stop her, and that Galena herself is a target. As the Ferry empire forges a plan to keep her safe, Declan Ferry, the politics-hating black sheep of the family, steps forward to protect her—but the emotional cost may be more than either of them is willing to pay.
As unknown enemies close in, it becomes terrifyingly clear that they threaten to destroy not only Galena’s lifesaving work but also the very fabric of fate. As Galena and Declan race to uncover the traitor, they also forge a special bond that could save both Galena and those she’s sworn to help. Torn apart by the past and hunted by those she trusted, can Galena find room amidst her fears for a passion that could make her stronger than ever? And even if she and Declan can find their way together, will it be enough to keep the future from coming apart at the seams?". All in all, I say: SKIP IT

A Strange and Bitter Fruit

This was not well written - sort of boring as far as details - and kind of graphic. It was free for Kindle because it's a self-published by the author who I believe must be a very angry person. Amazon writes, "A chilly spring night in rural South Carolina at the tail end of Reconstruction, the murder of innocents. This is the setting for the initial chapter of the historical thriller, A Strange and Bitter Fruit. Thomas "Tee" Powell, 15, manages to escape as his family is lynched. His father, Zeke, mother Hessie and young sisters Lannie and Effie were hung to teach the blacks of Aiken that voting is not the right of the former slaves, not anymore. He is angry, but instead of wildly lashing out at the Klansmen that murdered his family, he runs away. After a disastrous detour to Tallahassee, Tee joins the Army and ends up in the West, at a remote Army outpost on the lip of the Black Hills. Here, he grows up and begins to accept responsibility for his life and for the lives of others. After six years, the past, in the form of two of the Klansmen, one now a U.S. Senator on a mission to sign a treaty with the Indians, confronts him. He had buried his past deep, even changing his last name. Now, he has to confront it head on, starting with the two killers that entered his fort. Trained by the Army to kill, Tee emerges from his exile and takes revenge on those that committed the murder of his family, beginning with the two men. His purpose is now clear, he must take revenge, and he proceeds ruthlessly to do so. But revenge has its own cost, and Tee suffers that price. Many innocent people are killed, and he struggles with the guilt. A Strange and Bitter Fruit is the story of revenge and its consequences. It is a story of violence and race, a true American story. The novel raises serious questions: Is there a limit on revenge? Is there an act so horrible that any response, no matter how vicious, is just? A Strange and Bitter Fruit, although it takes place in the 19th Century, confronts the reader with many of the issues of race and violence that we continue to live with today". All in all, I say: SKIP IT

The Winter Over

A mystery about murder at an Antarctica science station during the winter - when they are all trapped there until summer. The beginning is so good - the main character and the layout & info about the station - then things go crazy. It's not believable or interesting mystery at all. Amazon writes, "Each winter the crew at the Shackleton South Pole Research Facility faces nine months of isolation, round-the-clock darkness, and one of the most extreme climates on the planet. For thirty-something mechanical engineer Cass Jennings, Antarctica offers an opportunity to finally escape the guilt of her troubled past and to rebuild her life.
But the death of a colleague triggers a series of mysterious incidents that push Cass and the rest of the forty-four-person crew to the limits of their sanity and endurance. Confined and cut off from the outside world, will they work together or turn against one another? As the tension escalates, Cass must find the strength to survive not only a punishing landscape but also an unrelenting menace determined to destroy the station—and everyone in it.". All in all, I say: SKIP IT

To Catch a Bad Guy

Information on characters that weren't important. Background that didn't add to the story. Th eplot simply uninteresting as well. Amazon writes, "Janet Maple's stellar career ended with a layoff and her boyfriend of five years told her that he wants to be just friends. When she lands a job at one of New York's premier boutique investment firms, Janet begins to hope that her luck is finally turning for the better. Not only is she happy with her new paycheck, but things also seem to be looking up on the personal front, as the company's handsome attorney expresses keen interest in Janet. However, her euphoria is short-lived, as Janet soon discovers alarming facts about her new employer's business tactics. When her boss dismisses her suspicions as groundless, Janet finds herself confiding to a cute IT engineer, Dean Snider. The closer she gets to Dean, the more Janet is tempted to break her rule of not dating co-workers, but what she doesn't realize is that everything she knows about Dean, including his occupation and even his name, is a lie.

Dennis Walker is a top-notch white collar crime investigator who will stop at nothing to put culprits away. When an opportunity for an undercover assignment at one of New York's premier boutique investment firms comes up, Dennis jumps at the chance, adopting a persona of geeky IT engineer, Dean Snider. While he may be an ace at his job, years of experience fail him when Dennis meets Janet Maple and finds himself torn between his professional obligations and his personal desires. Will he have to choose between his feelings and duty, or will he find a way to satisfy both?". All in all, I say: SKIP IT

The 4th Man

Another short story on the character DD Warren who must solve an old case. Amazon writes, "A young woman is found strangled in the stairwell of a college library, only her sneakers missing. With no physical evidence, no signs of sexual assault, and no witnesses, all the police have to go on are the three men who were in the library with her: her boyfriend and two campus security guards...all of whom have secrets, none of whom can be proven guilty.

Five years later, ex-FBI profiler Pierce Quincy and his wife, former police officer Rainie Conner, agree to consult on the still-unsolved case, delving into deep background to comb for any clue that will lead to the woman's murderer. But with no leads and the case colder than the body, will they be able to build a case against one of the three suspects, or is there a fourth man out there? And if the killer has eluded the police this long, how far will he go to ensure justice is never served?". All in all, I say: READ IT if you like the DD series.

The Guy Who Died Twice

A short story where DD Warren talks about an interesting case about a man who goes to the police to report that he is dead. Later, he is found dead. All in all, I say: READ IT if you've read the other DD books.

Harden

It's gotten to the point where it's not really about the zombies, but about people taking advantages of others. Amazon writes, "Reintroducing one of the most beloved heroes in post-apocalyptic fiction, HARDEN immerses you in a reality of desperate gambits, where wrong moves could cost the lives of thousands, but saving them could cost your humanity. The only rule is NEVER STOP FIGHTING.It’s been three years since Lee Harden emerged from his bunker into a world gone mad. Governments have fallen. And new ones have taken their place. In the United Eastern States, Lee and his team of battle-hardened operatives walk a tightrope of survival, keeping their fledgling society safe from the creatures beyond their gates--and from the enemies within.Then, an ambush in hostile territory reveals a traitor in their midst--and leaves Lee barely clinging to life. Wounded and on the run, Lee and his team race to uncover the leak before it’s too late. Through a background of destruction, betrayal, and newly-evolved apex predators, they must stay one step ahead of a ruthless organization spreading out of the south--an organization that has allied with someone who wants Lee dead, and the United Eastern States demolished. But how do you stay ahead of an enemy that knows every move you make?". All in all, I say: READ IT if you've read all the others in the series.

Mr. Kiss and Tell

SO, good to read the characters again. Amazon writes, "The Neptune Grand has always been the seaside town’s ritziest hotel, despite the shady dealings and high-profile scandals that seem to follow its elite guests. When a woman claims that she was brutally assaulted in one of its rooms and left for dead by a staff member, the owners know that they have a potential powder keg on their hands. They turn to Veronica to disprove—or prove—the woman's story.
 
The case is a complicated mix of hard facts, mysterious occurrences, and uncooperative witnesses. The hotel refuses to turn over its reservation list and the victim won’t divulge who she was meeting that night. Add in the facts that the attack happened months ago, the victim’s memory is fuzzy, and there are holes in the hotel’s surveillance system, and Veronica has a convoluted mess on her hands. As she works to fill in the missing pieces, it becomes clear that someone is lying—but who? And why?". All in all, I say: READ IT if you're a marshmellow.

The Moment of Lift

Gates looks at what key things we need to bring women up out of poverty or their dire circumstances. She uses stories of women she personally has met with, too. Amazon writes, "'We need this message more than ever' Malala Yousafzai 'Powerfully illustrates issues that need our attention' Barack Obama 'Melinda Gates's book is a lesson in listening. A powerful, poignant, and ultimately humble call to arms' Tara Westover, author of Educated 'The Moment of Lift is an urgent call to courage' Brené Brown, Ph.D., author of New York Times #1 bestseller Dare to Lead A debut from Melinda Gates, a timely and necessary call to action for women's empowerment. 'How can we summon a moment of lift for human beings and especially for women? Because when you lift up women, you lift up humanity.' For the last twenty years, Melinda Gates has been on a mission to find solutions for people with the most urgent needs, wherever they live. Throughout this journey, one thing has become increasingly clear to her: If you want to lift a society up, you need to stop keeping women down. In this moving and compelling book, Melinda shares lessons she s learned from the inspiring people she s met during her work and travels around the world. As she writes in the introduction, That is why I had to write this book to share the stories of people who have given focus and urgency to my life. I want all of us to see ways we can lift women up where we live. Melinda s unforgettable narrative is backed by startling data as she presents the issues that most need our attention from child marriage to lack of access to contraceptives to gender inequity in the workplace. And, for the first time, she writes about her personal life and the road to equality in her own marriage. Throughout, she shows how there has never been more opportunity to change the world and ourselves. Writing with emotion, candour, and grace, she introduces us to remarkable women and shows the power of connecting with one another. When we lift others up, they lift us up, too.". All in all, I say: READ IT

Ashes

The 2 main characters from Chains are back together again. It's the end of the war  - there's more meat to this third book in the series. Amazon writes, "Return to the American Revolution in this blistering conclusion to the Seeds of America trilogy that began with the bestselling National Book Award Finalist Chains and continued with Forge, which Kirkus Reviews called “the best book you’ll ever read.”

As the Revolutionary War rages on, Isabel and Curzon have narrowly escaped Valley Forge—but their relief is short-lived. Before long they are reported as runaways, and the awful Bellingham is determined to track them down. With purpose and faith, Isabel and Curzon march on, fiercely determined to find Isabel’s little sister Ruth, who is enslaved in a Southern state—where bounty hunters are thick as flies.

Heroism and heartbreak pave their path, but Isabel and Curzon won’t stop until they reach Ruth, and then freedom, in this grand finale to the acclaimed New York Times bestselling trilogy from Laurie Halse Anderson". All in all, I say: READ IT

Forge

The 2nd book in Chains series. It focuses on the male main character, but it's so war heavy I got bored. Amazon writes, "

The Patriot Army was shaped and strengthened by the desperate circumstances of the Valley Forge winter. This is where Curzon the boy becomes Curzon the young man. In addition to the hardships of soldiering, he lives with the fear of discovery, for he is an escaped slave passing for free. And then there is Isabel, who is also at Valley Forge—against her will. She and Curzon have to sort out the tangled threads of their friendship while figuring out what stands between the two of them and true freedom.". All in all, I say: SKIP IT

The Christmas Scorpian

A quick fun read for anyone who is a fan of Jack Reacher. Amazon writes, "On Christmas Eve, Jack Reacher stumbles into a no-name bar in the California desert, desperate to take refuge from an unexpected snowstorm. Reacher came to Barstow for a little R&R. Instead, he’s sequestered in a dark little roadhouse with a bartender, a bewildered elderly couple—and two members of Britain’s Royal Military Police. They tell Reacher they were escorting a VIP to a top-secret meeting at a U.S. military base when they became separated from their charge. That’s when the threat came in from a notorious assassin: the Christmas Scorpion. Now they need a miracle to save the day. Or maybe all they need is Jack Reacher.". All in all, I say: READ IT

Page by Paige

This is written in a graphic novel style. I like how she gains her confidence and learns how to be a good friend. This would be inspiring for any child. Amazon writes, "Paige Turner has just moved to New York with her family, and she's having some trouble adjusting to the big city. In the pages of her sketchbook, she tries to make sense of her new life, including trying out her secret identity: artist. As she makes friends and starts to explore the city, she slowly brings her secret identity out into the open, a process that is equal parts terrifying and rewarding.

Laura Lee Gulledge crafts stories and panels with images that are thought-provoking, funny, and emotionally resonant. Teens struggling to find their place can see themselves in Paige's honest, heartfelt story.". All in all, I say: READ IT

Sing You Home

Religion - divorce - infertility - lesbianism. All these are themes in this Picoult novel. The closed minded people - chapters - in the books are very frustrating. Although there is kind of a happy ending - there are at least 2 characters that we never discover their ending. They just sort of disappear at the end. Well written and researched as always. Amazon writes, "Every life has a soundtrack. All you have to do is listen. 

Music has set the tone for most of Zoe Baxter’s life. There’s the melody that reminds her of the summer she spent rubbing baby oil on her stomach in pursuit of the perfect tan. A dance beat that makes her think of using a fake ID to slip into a nightclub. A dirge that marked the years she spent trying to get pregnant. 

For better or for worse, music is the language of memory. It is also the language of love. 

In the aftermath of a series of personal tragedies, Zoe throws herself into her career as a music therapist. When an unexpected friendship slowly blossoms into love, she makes plans for a new life, but to her shock and inevitable rage, some people—even those she loves and trusts most—don’t want that to happen. 

Sing You Home is about identity, love, marriage, and parenthood. It’s about people wanting to do the right thing for the greater good, even as they work to fulfill their own personal desires and dreams. And it’s about what happens when the outside world brutally calls into question the very thing closest to our hearts: family.". All in all, I say: READ IT

Past Tense

There are 2 stories in 1 in this novel. The entire book felt like it was written by only one author - sometimes it feels like 2 in his other books. Jack is trying to find his father's roots and discovers some interesting facts, as well as, getting himself in trouble like usual. Amazon writes, "Jack Reacher hits the pavement and sticks out his thumb. He plans to follow the sun on an epic trip across America, from Maine to California. He doesn’t get far. On a country road deep in the New England woods, he sees a sign to a place he has never been: the town where his father was born. He thinks, What’s one extra day? He takes the detour.

At the same moment, in the same isolated area, a car breaks down. Two young Canadians had been on their way to New York City to sell a treasure. Now they’re stranded at a lonely motel in the middle of nowhere. The owners seem almost too friendly. It’s a strange place, but it’s all there is.

The next morning, in the city clerk’s office, Reacher asks about the old family home. He’s told no one named Reacher ever lived in town. He’s always known his father left and never returned, but now Reacher wonders, Was he ever there in the first place?
As Reacher explores his father’s life, and as the Canadians face lethal dangers, strands of different stories begin to merge. Then Reacher makes a shocking discovery: The present can be tough, but the past can be tense . . . and deadly". All in all, I say: READ IT

Say Goodbye

Takes place in Georgia and it's Lisa Gardner, so I thought I'll try it. There are a lot of spiders in this, but I said I can do it. When finished I was sick to my stomach - I should have stopped. It never got better it just got worse and worse. It was disgusting. Amazon writes, "Come into my parlor . . .

For Kimberly Quincy, FBI Special Agent, it all starts with a pregnant hooker. The story Delilah Rose tells Kimberly about her johns is too horrifying to be true—but prostitutes are disappearing, one by one, with no explanation, and no one but Kimberly seems to care.

Said the spider to the fly . . .

As a member of the Evidence Response Team, dead hookers aren’t exactly Kimberly’s specialty. The young agent is five months pregnant—she has other things to worry about than an alleged lunatic who uses spiders to do his dirty work. But Kimberly’s own mother and sister were victims of a serial killer. And now, without any bodies and with precious few clues, it’s all too clear that a serial killer has found the key to the perfect murder . . . or Kimberly is chasing a crime that never happened.

Kimberly’s caught in a web more lethal than any spider’s, and the more she fights for answers, the more tightly she’s trapped. What she doesn’t know is that she’s close—too close—to a psychopath who makes women’ s nightmares come alive, and if he has his twisted way, it won’t be long before it’ s time for Kimberly to . . . ". All in all, I say: SKIP IT

The Other Daughter

I thought it might go somewhere interesting, but the ending felt ridiculous. I think a mother would know her her daughter is all I'll say about that. Amazon writes, "Twenty years ago, Melanie Stokes was abandoned in a Boston hospital, then adopted by a wealthy young couple. Gifted with loving parents, a doting brother, and an indulgent uncle, Melanie has always considered herself lucky. Until the first cryptic, threatening note arrives: “You Get What You Deserve.”

Melanie has no memory of her life before the adoption. Now someone wants her to remember it all—even the darkest nightmare the Stokes family ever faced: the murder of their first daughter. As Melanie pursues every lead and chases every shadow in search of her real identity, two seemingly unrelated events from her past will come together in a dangerous explosion of truth.". All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Year One

This was super strange. I didn't understand what she was trying to convene. Less than half way through I gave up. Too weird for me. Amazon writes, "It began on New Year’s Eve.

The sickness came on suddenly, and spread quickly. The fear spread even faster. Within weeks, everything people counted on began to fail them. The electrical grid sputtered; law and government collapsed―and more than half of the world’s population was decimated.

Where there had been order, there was now chaos. And as the power of science and technology receded, magick rose up in its place. Some of it is good, like the witchcraft worked by Lana Bingham, practicing in the loft apartment she shares with her lover, Max. Some of it is unimaginably evil, and it can lurk anywhere, around a corner, in fetid tunnels beneath the river―or in the ones you know and love the most.

As word spreads that neither the immune nor the gifted are safe from the authorities who patrol the ravaged streets, and with nothing left to count on but each other, Lana and Max make their way out of a wrecked New York City. At the same time, other travelers are heading west too, into a new frontier. Chuck, a tech genius trying to hack his way through a world gone offline. Arlys, a journalist who has lost her audience but uses pen and paper to record the truth. Fred, her young colleague, possessed of burgeoning abilities and an optimism that seems out of place in this bleak landscape. And Rachel and Jonah, a resourceful doctor and a paramedic who fend off despair with their determination to keep a young mother and three infants in their care alive.

In a world of survivors where every stranger encountered could be either a savage or a savior, none of them knows exactly where they are heading, or why. But a purpose awaits them that will shape their lives and the lives of all those who remain.

The end has come. The beginning comes next.". All in all, I say: SKIP IT

Fish in a Tree

I love, love, loved this book. For a kid with a learning disability or any kid that feels out of place. It's short, sweet, and well worth the read. Amazon writes, "Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions.  She is afraid to ask for help; after all, how can you cure dumb? However, her newest teacher Mr. Daniels sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns not to be so hard on herself and that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally feels free to be herself and the world starts opening up with possibilities. She discovers that there’s a lot more to her—and to everyone—than a label, and that great minds don’t always think alike.". All in all, I say: READ IT

Hunting Prince Dracula

It started out okay, and the characters are interesting. The flow of the plot was just convoluted. I had trouble staying interested. Amazon writes, "Following the grief and horror of her discovery of Jack the Ripper's true identity, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has no choice but to flee London and its memories. Together with the arrogant yet charming Thomas Cresswell, she journeys to the dark heart of Romania, home to one of Europe's best schools of forensic medicine...and to another notorious killer, Vlad the Impaler, whose thirst for blood became legend.

But her life's dream is soon tainted by blood-soaked discoveries in the halls of the school's forbidding castle, and Audrey Rose is compelled to investigate the strangely familiar murders. What she finds brings all her terrifying fears to life once again.". All in all, I say: SKIP IT unless you really want to delve into the enter series.

Armada

Written by the same author as Ready Player One and also focusing on 80s music, movies, and games. Warning, it's not as good as ready player. I couldn't get into the characters. I found the action scenes difficult to follow. Amazon writes, "Zack Lightman has never much cared for reality. He vastly prefers the countless science-fiction movies, books, and videogames he's spent his life consuming. And too often, he catches himself wishing that some fantastic, impossible, world-altering event could arrive to whisk him off on a grand spacefaring adventure. 

So when he sees the flying saucer, he's sure his years of escapism have finally tipped over into madness. 

Especially because the alien ship he's staring at is straight out of his favorite videogame, a flight simulator callled Armada--in which gamers just happen to be protecting Earth from alien invaders. 

As impossible as it seems, what Zack's seeing is all too real. And it's just the first in a blur of revlations that will force him to question everything he thought he knew about Earth's history, its future, even his own life--and to play the hero for real, with humanity's life in the balance. 

But even through the terror and exhilaration, he can't help thinking: Doesn't something about this scenario feel a little bit like...well...fiction? 

At once reinventing and paying homage to science-fiction classics, Armada is a rollicking, surprising thriller, a coming-of-age adventure, and an alien invasion tale like nothing you've ever read before.". All in all, I say: SKIP IT unless you are a hardcore 80s fan.