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<\/a>In 2012, Ernest Cline took his love of video games, drenched it in \u201980s pop-culture nostalgia, and used it as the background for a rollicking adventure tale with his book \u201cReady Player One.\u201d Described by many as \u201cCharlie and the Chocolate Factory\u201d meets \u201cThe Matrix,\u201d it\u2019s about a near future where virtual reality has become more popular than the natural variety. In this world, the planet\u2019s richest man has hidden clues to claiming his vast fortune sprinkled throughout this simulated, video game-inspired universe \u2014 a quest which our protagonists are hell-bent on solving.<\/p>\nA number of popular video games for children have made their way into the book world. The popular building\/adventure game \u201cMinecraft\u201d has spawned many books, ranging from titles like \u201cMinecraft Blockopedia\u201d and \u201cMinecraft Hacks,\u201d which give advice and tips on playing the game, to \u201cAn Unofficial Gamer\u2019s Adventure\u201d series, with thrilling tales of characters in the Minecraft universe.<\/p>\n
Younger readers will enjoy the novels and picture books of \u201cPlants vs. Zombies,\u201d based on a goofy mobile phone app where cartoonish armies of undead battle a carnivorous garden. And although its dominance has dimmed, \u201cAngry Birds\u201d also has its share of children\u2019s books, including the bizarre mash-up of \u201cAngry Birds Star Wars,\u201d where the game\u2019s birds and pigs are combined with popular \u201cStar Wars\u201d characters.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnbroken\u201d is the biography of Louie Zamperini, an Olympic athlete who\u2019s career went off course after he joined the army to fight in World War II. But that is just the start of a story of his wartime exploits, capture and captivity in a vicious Japanese POW camp, and the rough path to survival once returning home.<\/p>\n \u201cRowdy\u201d Ronda Rousey took the world by storm with her surprising victories in the male-dominated world of MMA fighting. Her new autobiography, \u201cMy Fight\/Your Fight,\u201d<\/em> is a story as gripping as any championship battle. She faced all manner of health problems, family tragedy, and mental illness before<\/em> she began the ruthless training for the Olympics and beyond.<\/p>\n The library will begin its Summer Reading Challenge on June 1, where you can win prizes and raise money for charity by reading books. You can also attend our dozens of library programs to keep you entertained and inspired during the hot summer months. Information at sdcl.org\/src<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/a>Publishing powerhouse James Patterson\u2019s upcoming novel is centered around the Olympic games in \u201cThe Games,\u201d his latest book in the \u201cPrivate\u201d series. His recurring character Jack Morgan has been hired to provide security for the sporting extravaganza in Rio de Janeiro, only to discover a deadly plot to sabotage the games and destroy the city. The book won\u2019t be released until late June, but I presume that (*spoilers*) in the end Mr. Morgan is okay and manages to prevent tragedy.<\/p>\n<\/a>And finally we have a memoir from local athlete Bill Walton. Walton was born in La Mesa, played basketball for Helix High, and went on to great success in college and professional basketball. In his new book \u201cBack from the Dead,\u201d he discusses his life in sports, the numerous injuries that forced him from it, his subsequent career in sports broadcasting, as well as his unexpected love of the Grateful Dead.<\/p>\n