A Game of Thrones

I can't believe how long it has been since i posted, but my time has recently been consumed by a family vacation at the beach, traveling for work, the unexpected death of my dear friend's brother, my ongoing adoption process, and reading Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin.

I brought GOT with me to the beach  thinking it would take a full week to read the hefty book. I obviously underestimated things! It took well over a month to get through this thing...and I loved every minute if it!!  The only word I can think of to describe it would be 'epic'. It's definitely not light reading, as there are several main characters and what seems like at least 50 secondary characters to keep straight. (I went the nerdy route and printed out a family tree I found online to refer to throughout) I found that I connected quickly with the Stark clan, and in a moment of unapologetic geekyness I decided it would be amazing if I got a tattoo of of their motto "winter is coming" on my body. Luckily I came to my senses  the next day.  Mom would be proud of my grown up decision.

When I picked up the book (the ebook actually) I was under the assumption it was a full-blooded fantasy book, with wizards, unicorns and the like. I was surprised to find it was more of "fantasy-light", which was perfect for me as I'm new to the fantasy genre.

I would absolutely recommend this first book of the series to anyone who likes the idea of Pillars of the Earth with an edge. It's definitely not for the faint of heart. I wanted to wait to watch the HBO series until I read the book, but I've been putting it off until I'm in the right place to watch the bloodshed, animal death and awkward incestuous relationships played out on my tv. Ugh, still doesn't sound overly appealing!!

The Irresistible Henry House

I have a friend who once told me that he can tell if he'll like a book just by reading the first sentence.  I never believed that this actually worked until I opened up The Irresistible Henry House by Lisa Grunwald.

"By the time Henry House was four months old, a copy of his picture was being carried in the pocketbooks of seven different women, each of whom called him her son."

After reading this line I was immediately anxious to continue reading to find out what this meant and how this baby's life would be impacted by it.  

The book is about a young man who served as a "practice baby" for a college's home economics course.  Each semester a different group of young women would be entirely responsible for the care of that year's borrowed orphan.  (I was amazed to find out that this actually happened from 1919 through the 1960's.)

I thought the character development was wonderful.  Henry spent his childhood being smothered with love, which had a profound effect on his life as seen in his interactions with the many women who continually throw themselves at him. His character is a bit of a cad, but one you can sympathize with because of what he has gone through.  He reminded me of a less lovable version of Forest Gump, as the book follows him through his trials and tribulations as he matured during the '60's.  Throughout the book the characters have entertaining interactions with such pop culture icons as Dr. Spock, Walt Disney, and the Beatles.  This is a quick, entertaining read that I would recommend to others.

Follow Friday

Why not join in on the Follow Friday fun?? This is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.   Take this chance to catch up on your favorite book blogs and discover some new ones while you're at it!

This week's question:

“Have you ever wanted a villain to win at the end of a story? If so, which one??"

Answer:  I have something to admit...I often want the villain to win (to an extent).  I have a weird ability to romanticize the villain in most books I read.  Dracula?  Love him.  Count Vosco from 'The Woman in White? I'd probably hang out with him.  I'm the same way with movies.  Since I'm admitting things I'll go ahead and tell you that I'm strangely attracted to Stormtroopers.  I swear I'm not a creepy person.  I draw the line at more realistic villains.  I always want those types to lose.

The Art of Detection

The Art of Detection was a fun little novel centering around Sherlock Holmes and drag queens.  Never thought you’d hear that one did ya? I picked this one up as I’m a fan of Laurie R. King’s series centering on the exploits of Sherlock’s Holmes’ young wife, Mary Russell.  This particular novel is not part of the Mary Russell series, but does center on a murder mystery involving the death of a Holmes enthusiast who lives a strict Victorian lifestyle straight out of a Holmes story.   The reader quickly finds out that this death is in some way tied to a secret Holmes manuscript.

I really got into this book.  It could have something to do with the fact that I often fantasize about converting my house into a giant replica of 221B Baker Street, complete with gas lights, Victorian garb and all.  Then I realize it would suck…and my family and boyfriend would probably have me committed.

Anyway, this was a good read for a Sherlock Holmes fan, especially since it wasn’t the typical “new adventure” of Holmes that you usually see out there.  If you’re (*gasp*) not a Sherlock Holmes fan, you might want to skip this one.  For all of you Holmes fans out there, what's your favorite non-Doyle Holmes related book, or short story?

Maine

Wow, it’s been awhile since I’ve updated my blog.  This blogging thing isn’t as easy to keep up with as I thought it would be!  With a friend visiting from NY for 3 weeks, and spending a vast amount of time with the whole adoption process, I haven’t had much time to read at all. 

However, I just finished up Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan last night.  Hmmm, still not sure how I feel about this one yet.  This is the story of three generations of women in the Kelleher family, who spend each summer at the matriarch, Alice’s, beach house in Maine.  Their relationship is strained at best, and everyone has a secret they’re keeping.   Within the first few pages of the book you learn that Alice is keeping a pretty big secret regarding the house that will affect the whole family.

 I thought the book started out really well, and it definitely had the potential for a big showdown between the primary characters in regards to Alice’s secret.  Each chapter of the story was told from the point of view of a different woman in the Kelleher family.  I became completely invested in these 4 women, and held my breath waiting for how it was all going to be pulled together, and then….nothing.  The book just ended, just like that.  I even went back and read the last few pages again thinking maybe I missed something key, or maybe I completely blacked out and skipped, like, 20 pages.  Nope, it just kind of ended.

Oh well, it was entertaining while it lasted.  I did enjoy the characters, and the daughter-in-law’s obsession with dollhouses was rather amusing and added a layer of lightness to a book filled with secrets and good old Catholic guilt (which I’m oh so familiar with).  This is one of those books I would feel weird recommending to others because there’s not a good final payoff, but it really was a decent read.

Clockwork Angel

It’s taken me forevah to read this book since I’ve been in major decluttering mode at the house recently.  I've apparently watched one too many episodes of Hoarders.


Despite only reading about 20 pages per sitting…I LOVED this book!!  I’m not even going to bother with a synopsis because I’m pretty certain I’m the last person to read this book.  I was a little bit unsure about it at first because I don’t read a lot of YA, and I’ve never read any steampunk novels.  Now I’m hooked. I’m about one antique store away from hanging giant gears all over my walls.

This was the perfect read for me.  I enjoyed the main characters, and I’m kind of crushing on poor, sickly Jem.  I  loved all the twists and turns of the plot, which kept me guessing about the true identity of the Magister throughout. I hope in future books Tessa learns to embrace her unique abilities a bit more, as sometimes I felt she was portrayed as the stereotypical weak female. 

I’m so intrigued by the secret that Will is keeping, and can’t even begin to guess what it is.  I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

How does everyone else feel about the steampunk genre? 

What I've Been Reading Lately