Books about video games that you should add to your TBR
Books about video games is a post that I have been wanting to make for a while now but I have been putting it off. I’m not even sure why but it’s a post that I have been struggling to push myself to make. I think that’s mostly because I wasn’t sure if there would be any interest in it.
But now I’m just saying f-it because I know if I have an interest in it then I’m sure others do too.
Most of the books that I have on here though aren’t for a specific age group, so I have a combination of books for adults, YA, and kids. So, if there’s one that catches your interest make sure to check the age range for it.
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Books about video games
Video games have been on the rise for a long time now and for good reason. Video games are so much fun and there’s something out there for just about everyone. But I know a lot of you probably want to get some reading done. So why not have some books about video games?
Ready Player One
I know a lot of you probably already know about Ready Player One. It’s one of the more popular ones and has a movie out for it.
In case you haven’t heard of Ready Player One then this is one of the books about video games that you won’t want to miss. Here is what it’s about.
The year is 2044 and the world is so ugly and overpopulated. The only way for Wade to feel alive is by connecting to the virtual world called Oasis.
Wade has devoted his life to studying the puzzles that are in the game. These puzzles revolve around pop culture and they promise power and fortune to who can unlock them.
When he stumbles with the first clue he soon realizes that the other players are willing to kill in order to get what they want. If Wade is going to survive then he’ll have to win and confront the real world that he’s been so desperate to escape.
Ender’s Games
Ender’s Game is such a fun read and I know a lot of people who love video games will love this one as well. That is if you enjoy war-related games. This book is mostly aimed towards a younger audience but I’m sure adults will like this one as well.
Here is what Ender’s game is about.
Andrew “Ender” loves playing war games but is unknowingly engaged in something far worse while playing them. Ender just may be the genius that Earth needs in a war against aliens who want to destroy all human life. The only way for them to be able to find out is to throw Ender in harsher training to chip at the diamond inside of him. Either they train him to be the best or it’s going to eradicate him. It all starts when he is 6 years old.
The war with the aliens has been going on for a hundred years, and trying to find the perfect general has been going on just as long. Ender’s older siblings, Peter and Valentine, are just as unusual as he is. Peter gets too uncontrollably violent and Valentine doesn’t have the capability of violence at all which means that neither of them is suitable for the position. In the end, both of them are driven by their jealousy and their drive of power. Peter wants to become the ruler. While Valentine’s anger turns towards subtle control. Hiding behind the computer networks, the two of them start working together to get what they want.
Warcross
Warcross is one of those books that I have been meaning to read but haven’t gotten to yet. I remember it being pretty popular at one point! This will be one that I try to pick up from the library soon.
Here is what Warcross is about.
Millions of people log into Warcross every day. For them, it’s not just a game but a way of life. The obsession with the game started ten years ago and now the fan base spans across the globe. Some are eager to escape and others are wanting to make a profit. Emika Chen is struggling to make ends meet and her job is a bounty hunter who tracks down players who bet on the game illegally. The bounty-hunting world is competitive and survival doing it has not been easy. In hopes of making quick cash, she hacks into the opening game of the international Warcross Championships. She accidentally glitches herself into the action and becomes an immediate sensation.
She thinks she’s going to be arrested but instead, she gets a call from the game’s creator with an irresistible offer. He needs someone to spy on the inside of the tournament to uncover a security problem and Emika is who he wants for the job. She travels to Tokyo to get to work but soon in her investigation, she uncovers a sinister plot.
Invitation to the Game
You can tell that this is a much older book just by the cover art. But I still feel like this would be a really good read for those who like video games.
The cover art kind of reminds me a lot of what R.L. Stine’s book covers used to look like (or still look like for that matter). I guess that was just a 90’s thing!
This book may be hit or miss for kids now but I wanted to add it to the list of books about video games for the older audience that may be reading this. I feel like this story would have aspects to it that would bring some nostalgia to it.
Here is the Invitation to the game is about.
Lisse is unemployed after high school and doesn’t know what to do with herself. She lives in a robotic society of 2154. She and her friends are defeated and expect to have a boring existence in the area they are supposed to stay at. That is until the government invites them to play The Game.
Otherworld
It has been a while since I’ve read Otherworld but I remember enjoying it when I did read it. I also thought it was really cool that Jason Segel was a co-author of the book. I guess part of me is always kind of surprised when I see celebrities who write fictional books mostly because most of them have ghostwriters who write biographies about them.
Not that a celebrity can’t have multiple interests. You just don’t see it much in fictional books.
Here is what Otherworld is about.
Otherworld is just a game, right? At least that’s what Simon thought only to find out that he was completely wrong. Turns out that the game is the next phase of reality. It’s what everyone wants.
The game is about to change the world forever.
Welcome to the game that no one could have seen coming.
Echo’s Revenge
I can see a lot of middle schoolers who love video games enjoying this one! Heck, even I as a grown adult would probably have an interest in this one.
If you have read Echo’s Revenge already then let me know in the comments on what you thought about the book!
Here is what Echo’s Revenge is about.
The top gaming competitor, Claire Hamilton, along with many others is in awe of Reggie King. He’s just fourteen years old and is able to take minutes to destroy a really huge boss. When the game updates with a new boss, he can’t wait to test his skills. Echo’s Revenge is more than just a game for Reggie. He has a horrible home life so the game is a way for him to be able to escape.
Unfortunately, there’s a glitch in the updated game, and instead of the boss just being released in the game there’s also a live version of it in the real world. Now the boss is after him.
Reggie’s brother is almost just as good as him so he fears that the boss will come after him as well. Reggie is determined to keep him safe, so he hatches a plan to get rid of the monster and save other gamers. But he’s struggling to figure out how to use his gaming skills in the real world. Can he figure out who he is so he’s able to reach the next level?
Slay
Slay would be a great start when it comes to books about video games. I feel like girls playing games is still a bit of a sore subject. It sucks and I love the idea of having more books that revolve around girls that play.
I think this is one of the few on the list of books about video games that has been turned into a movie. So, this is a good one to read first then watch the movie later!
Slay is a good option on the books about video games to read. This is one of those books that would be great for those who kind of feel alone when it comes to being one of the only ones playing video games.
Here is what Slay is about!
During the day Kiera Johnson is a college student. She’s seventeen and one of the only black kids at Jefferson Academy. At night, she’s a part of thousands of black gamers who duel worldwide in a secret online role-playing card game called SLAY.
No one knows Kiera is the developer of SLAY. This includes her boyfriend, Malcolm. A teen in Kansas City is murdered over an argument in the SLAY world. So now the media is labeling the game as an exclusionist, racist hub.
Threats start coming from inside and outside of the game and Kiera needs to fight to save the safe space she has created. Can she protect the game without losing herself?
Invasion of the Overworld
It amazes me how popular Minecraft is with the kids, but I can kind of understand why. Considering how much I love Animal Crossing and building things through that I can understand why kids would want to build worlds in Minecraft. In fact, I may have to get into Minecraft and start building my own worlds too.
If you’re little one loves playing this game then maybe they will enjoy the books that revolve around it too and it can involve more reading too.
Here is what Invasion of the Overworld is about.
Gameknight999 loves Minecraft. He loves building amazing structures, playing on servers, and creating custom maps. He claims to be the KIng of Griefers. Gameknight plays the game for himself at the expense of everyone else. This keeps the list of friends in the game very short.
One of his father’s inventions teleports him into Minecraft. He is forced to live out an adventure within the digital world of Minecraft. Playing inside of the game he’s unsure if he would be able to respawn or be completely killed off in the game. Maybe he’ll just disconnect… or maybe he’ll die.
His entry into the game triggers a war that threatens the game and maybe even the physical world as well. Gameknight has fought through the world with his NPC friend, Crafter, and his only user friend, Shawny.
New World (Gillian Cross)
New World is one of those books about video games that I might just have to check out. I haven’t heard of this one and most of the ones that are on this list I have come across at some point.
This is one that was written a while back but I still think that it can be relevant to a lot of readers today.
Here is what New World is about.
Miriam is delighted when she is asked to test a new virtual reality game. She’s not so thrilled with Stuart, her partner in the test, but once they’re inside the game she forgets their differences and the outside world completely.
Then things start to go wrong. Something – or someone – is playing on Miriam’s deepest fears and on Stuart’s too. Could this be a part of the tests?
Or is there someone else in the game?
Zero Lives Remaining
Zero Lives Remaining is one of those books that I’m going to have to check out. This one seems to be a little bit on the creepy side.
The fact that a “ghost” is living in a game piques my interest and I know I’ll have to get my hands on this one soon.
I have to be honest, I haven’t read too many books about video games but I do want to start and I think Zero Lives Remaining is probably one that I will start with.
Here is what Zero Lives Remaining is about.
Robby Asaro is dead, but also alive.
He’s a ghost in a machine and he has been keeping an eye on the arcade. Unfortunately, this is where he lost his twenty years ago. To him the afterlife is good. It is the best thing that has ever happened to him. When he decides to protect Tiffany Park from a bully he sets loose violent supernatural events that no one can stop.
A group of people along with Tiffany are stuck in the arcade, and with the kill count rising they have to work together to escape from the place that used to be their favorite place on earth.
Click Here to Start
I feel like Click Here to Start is a really good option to read for kids who enjoy video games. This is one book that seems like it will take you on an adventure and keep you interested throughout the entire book.
The idea of this story is really interesting. I don’t know how I’d feel if someone in my family left me all of their things and kind of made it into a game. It would make me a bit sad but it would also leave me a little excited. I would love to be a part of that family member’s life even a little bit after death.
Here is what Click Here to Start is about.
Ted Gerson is twelve years old and has spent most of his summer playing video games. When his great-uncle dies and gifts him his “treasure” in his apartment, Ted tries to explore it like it’s another level to beat. To his surprise, he realizes that his great-uncle has the apartment set up like a real-life escape-the-room game.
Using his skills, Ted heads off to win the best game he’s ever played. He has help from his friends Caleb and Isabel and together they discover that Uncle Ted’s “treasure” might be just that. There’s real gold and jewels and with each puzzle they solve they get closer to unraveling the mystery. What Ted doesn’t know is that someone is hot on his heels to take that treasure away from him.
MetaGame
Meta Game is another that kind of caught my attention. Turning life into a “video game” has been something I have always wanted to do. Sometimes I kind of feel like life can be so mundane so turning it into a game can kind of change it up a bit.
I just don’t know how I’d feel about it turning into a game just to win a life of being able to live forever. Would I want to live forever without my family around?
I still find the story an interesting concept and worth reading.
Here is what Meta Game is about.
Life is a game. The winners earn immortality and the losers are condemned to aging and death. D_Light, a talented player, is willing to do anything to win. He’s even willing to kill. When he’s given the chance to enter a MetaGame he’s quick to join.
At first, it starts well enough and his first quest is to hunt down a dangerous fugitive. It’s not until later that the tables start to turn on him.
Such Lovely Skin
Such Lovely Skin is the one book on this list that is at the top of the list of what I want to read. I love scary books!
This is a story that is a horror book aimed at young adults but I still really enjoy reading YA books. I’m pretty excited to read this one once it’s released. It sounds like it’s right up my alley.
Here is what Such Lovely Skin is about.
Viv has spent her entire summer guilt-ridden about causing the accident that killed her sister. But now the determined gamer and chronic liar is returning to Twitch streaming. She’s hoping to make it big through streaming and make enough money through that, so when she tells her parents about the accident she will be somewhat forgiven.
The week before school starts she finds the perfect horror game in order to make her Twitch comeback. During her offline practice run, a NPC asks Viv for a secret. She tells the truth about her sister’s death. What’s the worst that could happen? It’s not like it could tell anyone. But after doing this she accidentally welcomes a demonic mimic into her life.
When she tries to tell the truth about the evil doppelganger no one believes her. She has lied so much for attention, so no one can trust her. The only person who believes her is Ash. He’s a cute social outcast that at one point Viv bullied. While she tries to get rid of the mimic, she discovers that her lies have hurt people who didn’t deserve it, including herself.
Game Over Girl
This is another novel that really caught my attention. I just wish that our library had half of these books so I could check them out.
I know if I was given this situation I would probably break the the rules just like Lola. If I’m told not to do something then I’ll more than likely still do it.
Here is what Game Over Girl is about.
Lola is lucky because she got picked to test a VR game at her new boarding school. The game is called Better Than Life.
The only rule of the game is to not create real people, places, or memories. Right off the bat Lola breaks the rule and builds a version of a house she left behind in mysterious circumstances.
In the game her life is perfect. It doesn’t take long before she starts skipping classes to play. She doesn’t know it but there’s a secret hidden in the basement of her VR house. No matter how hard she tries to keep it locked away, the dark memories surface.
Game Runner
Game Runner is probably the main one on this list that I’m not fully interested in. But I know there are probably a lot of boys who would probably like this one. Especially since the main character is a boy.
I don’t know if it’s just me but it seems like a lot of books that are coming out have female main characters. Not that there is anything wrong with that but it seems like the boys are starting to get left out a bit. I tried to be a little intentional with adding books that have male main characters so the boys will have someone to relate to a bit.
Here is what Game Runner is about.
Rick is what you call a Gamerummer. His job is to test that there are no glitches in a game called The Maze. It’s a computer game that is a lot more than just a game. In the game, you can physically become your game avatar.
In the game, you’re able to fight and run and avoid all of the traps that come out of nowhere. Unfortunately, Rick hasn’t known anything outside of the game and his life at the headquarters that created the game.
When his father winds up getting sick, Rick is faced with being kicked out of the headquarters and into the real world, a world with gangs and flesh-dissolving acid rain. Now Rick has some life-changing decisions to make.
Did I miss any of your favorite books about video games? I would love to hear about some of your favorites. Let me know in the comments if you have read any of these and what you thought!
