Batdad's Book Club:Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

So a few weeks ago I posted my Loot crate unboxing. One of the things I got was a book titled Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. I mentioned that I intended on reading it and then discussing it in my blog. I do, and I will. But, I wanna try something. In celebration of having 150 people follow me on Facebook I am going to start a book club.

The First Rule of Book Club

Everyone should talk about Book Club. I have one comment among my 16 blog posts.  That sucks. I want to interact with all of you. Even if you don't read the book and want to read the blog articles for synopsis. Then weigh in on the subject matter. I am totally cool with that. Discussion will improve all of us. That is the main point of my blog after all.

If you do read the book tell me what you think. No spoilers though until the appropriate time. The book is split into 3 parts. So, I will do a 3 part blog on it. If you finish the book in one night don't tell me or anyone else what happens.

Choosing Books to Read

This particular book was something I mentioned reading and that is why I chose it for our first book club book. But, going along with the feedback from my reader friends from rule number one, I would love some input on this. I am unsure how to put polls in here. I might have to put one on my facebook page or something. But, if you have any suggestions for future books you would like to read and maybe others would like to read, please tell me in comments or on my Facebook page or somewhere.

I will accept suggestions from any genre. I love to read. Sci fi, fantasy, thrillers, fiction, non-fiction, gaming supplements, short stories, graphic novels, mystery, self help, whatever.put it in the comments here. I will figure out a way to have a poll in place.Then we will decide as a group what to read.

How do I plan on meeting up with all of you for  a book club?

When I started this blog I didn't exactly make an editing calendar or anything. So, this will be my first regular piece (hopefully). Tuesday seems like a perfect day for book club. Every 2 weeks to finish a third of a book seems like enough time. So, I will be back in 2 weeks with my review of Part One of Ready Player One. Hopefully I will have some blog viewers ready to discuss the book with me.

BATDAD: YEAR ZERO part I

As I take this journey to follow in the footsteps  of my favorite hero, I need an origin story. 

I feel like my childhood was very similar to others my age. We watched lots of TV(and MTV). We witnessed a huge push in technological advances. We had money (middle class) then we didn't. We rode our bikes around the neighborhood going in and out of friends' houses without scheduled play dates.

Of course I had seen the Donner Superman movies. I enjoyed them as much as the next kid. Super Heroes are and were always a good time for me. Christopher Reeve made me proud to be an American, despite his Kryptonian origins.There were other movies that had made me feel patriotic as well though. Superman to me was always someone to look up to even if he was an unattainable alien fantasy.

Batman had been a joke show from the 60's on Nick at Nite with Adam West and Burt Ward. It was dated to me. I still watched every episode I could, cause....super heroes. I loved the colorful villains. Even in a comedic, over-the-top setting, those villains somehow made sense and drew me in. There was something there that I couldn't quite put my finger on. But, in 1989 something special  happened. Tim Burton breathed new life into what would turn out to be my favorite Hero of all.

I had been a Tim Burton  fan for years without even knowing it. One of my early favorite movies was Fox and the Hound, which he animated on. Then the black  Cauldron and Tron, both animation credits of his. Then he directed Pee Wee's Big Adventure. I must have watched that movie at least a hundred times. Then Tim Burton directed Beetlejuice. Same reaction only with a slight crush on Winona Ryder this time. Don't even get me started on the amazing soundtrack and score from both of those films (Thank you Danny Elfman!). This guy had me hooked before I was even 10 years old. I could write an  entire post on him. (keep an eye out for it). Now he managed to make(break?) my childhood with this realistic, dark, gritty version of Batman with a truly psychotic vision of the Joker played by Jack Nicholson. That was my REAL introduction to the Dark Knight.

I had Batman trading cards. I drew Joker and Batman over and over. I bought random Batman comics and tried to piece together the story of Bruce Wayne and found out some guy named Azrael was Batman now and Superman had died.Craziness! Oh and don't forget The Snickers commercial. Batman was the coolest thing I had ever seen.

Batman was a human. I was, and still am human.Batman was intelligent and reclusive. Check.Batman had fun toys and cool vehicles. I had slightly less fun toys and an awesome bike that had a stick gear shifter(Thanks Mom and Dad!). I was nine years old and I wanted to be Batman. Anyone else who has been nine years old can also tell you I was invincible. This was a great time to be a Batman fan or a kid in general maybe. That is only the beginning of Batman's impact in my life.

In Part II I will review my teenage years and how I got through them.

Batdad Begins

Batdad Begins

My journey to becoming Batman

In the past few years or so I have toyed around with the things I want to do with my life and the type of person I want to become. I have read organization books, goal setting books, leadership manuals, and everything I could get my hands on. I have even thought about blogging about my experiences, despite never blogging before in my life.

One day I was perusing the vast expanse of the internet(avoiding doing something important I am sure.)I stumbled across yet another funny internet meme. I looked a little closer because there was the bat symbol beckoning me. The meme read: Be yourself. Unless you can be Batman. ALWAYS Be Batman.

This silly internet meme gave me a chuckle. I showed my wife and she chuckled. I continued to waste my time.I have wasted a lot of time.

That phrase got me thinking. I have always been pro "be yourself". I like me pretty well.

Despite a lengthy fascination with Batman beginning at  an early age, I had never considered being Batman.

 The more practical amongst you may say that I have never considered being Batman because,....well.....reality. I consider your point valid. Hopefully, you will stay with me anyway as I try to give reality the finger. The rest of you who think it ridiculous that I have never considered being Batman can help encourage me and keep me  on the straight and narrow.

This will follow my journey to becoming Batman. I feel like a disclaimer is in order. I will not be dodging bullets and vigilanteing (is that a word?). Not yet anyway.