A Game of Thrones
by: George R.R. Martin

Series: A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1

Challenges: Read Your Name Challenge, 1st in a Series Challenge

Published: 1996

# of pages: 835



If you haven't already discovered this from reading my blog - I love fantasy! For the past couple of years I've been meaning to start the series "A Song of Ice and Fire," which I've heard is a classic for fantasy lovers. The first book in the series is A Game of Thrones. And what a beginning it is!

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. For some reason I was thinking this would be one of those fantasy books. It's hard to describe, but it seems like so many fantasy series out there aren't written very well. It's like the authors just wanted to crank out a series to make money. Either that or the series is SO detailed and the world is so unfamiliar that it loses me. Anyway, I figured this book would be the first of one of those types of series. However, I was wrong. This was a very well written book and although the world Martin created is intricate, it's not too "out there" for me to follow. It is similar to medieval Europe actually.

The chapters alternate between different narrators. Ned and his wife Catelyn, who live in a castle in the northern part of the kingdom; their children Bran, Arya, and Sansa; Ned's illegitimate son Jon; Tyrion, the king's brother-in-law; and Daenerys, who used to be the princess of the kingdom and is now an outcast on an eastern island.

Ned is chosen to be the "Hand of the King" and has to move south to live in the capital of the kingdom. He takes his daughters Arya and Sansa with him so they can experience court life. Bran was going to go along, but an "accident" prevents him from leaving his home. Catelyn ends up following her husband and daughters to warn them of treachery as Jon heads farther north to help defend the kingdom's border from otherworldly darkness. Tyrion is a sarcastic dwarf who is caught up in his family's plots to overthrow the kingdom. And Daenerys (the most fascinating character) is married to an eastern lord and goes from being a timid girl to a confident queen who has her own ambitions.

There are so many storylines, but this gives you an idea of what goes on in the book. There's another story about the wolves that are found at the beginning of the book. Each of Ned's children receives a wolf for a pet. They all play a part in the story, but not a major part. However, I feel as if they must still be significant. Wolves and dragons are two major symbols in A Game of Thrones and it will be interesting to see if that continues in the following books.

The only negative to the book is that it is SO LONG. It's very detailed and interesting, but it wasn't easy for me to take the time to read it at this point in my life. I think it would be a great vacation book, something to read when I have large chunks of time. So it will be awhile before I pick up the second book in the series, A Clash of Kings. Yeah...I really do wish it was shorter because I think this is a book my husband and brother would enjoy, but I know neither one will be able to stick with it because of its length!

Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

is a fun site! I check books out from the library (and I hoard books, they are my most precious possessions) so I thought I wouldn't use this site very much, but it's coming in handy to fill in my series that have books missing, to get large books that I typically have to renew multiple times from the library (and still end up having to pay a late fine), and to get books that my husband and brother will also enjoy so that I can pass it on to them. And I managed to clean off my shelves a little, as hard as it was.

I just discovered that the site has a map that shows you where you've shipped books to and where you've received books from. Very cool! Of course, I am a geography major, so I guess I'm kind of geeky like that. ;-)

Her Fearful Symmetry
by: Audrey Niffenegger

Challenges: TBR 2010

Published: 2009

# of pages: 416


What a unique and interesting book! Niffenegger also wrote The Time Traveler's Wife and while Her Fearful Symmetry isn't as good (in my opinion), it is still a great read.

The story follows twins Valentina and Julia as they travel from their home in America to London, to move into their deceased aunt's home. Their aunt leaves mysterious instructions, which adds to the mystery of the London flat that overlooks Highgate Cemetery. The girls meet some interesting characters as they settle in: a man who was the lover of their aunt and an OCD man who hasn't left his flat in years. The twins have always been inseparable, but they start to drift apart in their new home after being drawn to different men and discovering that there's a reason why Valentina often feels like she's being watched in the apartment.

The story is creepy, but not scary. It's definitely a Gothic tale, but I felt that it flowed well unlike many Gothic stories I've read in the past that seem disjointed in parts. I liked the connections Niffenegger made between Valentina and Julia and Elspeth and Edie. The ending was a complete surprise, I have to admit I didn't see it coming at all. There were actually several surprises throughout the novel, but the actions of Valentina and Elspeth shocked me.

This would be a great book club choice. It's interesting that I often think that books that don't have happy endings or go the way I want them to go make good book club reads. I think it's because they are thought provoking. After I finished this story I told my husband about it because it's a little frustrating...it made me want to tell someone just so they could say, "weird," haha. It's not that I didn't enjoy the book, I thought it was great, but it is definitely not at all like The Time Traveler's Wife. I want to read it again now that I know how it turns out because it's one of those books you can read multiple times and continuously discover new things.

I recommend this to lovers of the Gothic genre or anyone looking for a book that is full of surprises.


Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.
book-a-rama

In order to take part in the Blog Luv Fest, I wanted to list a few books that contain some of my favorite love stories. They aren't technically romance books, but they are still great love stories.



Daughter of the Forest by: Juliet Marillier

The story of Sorcha and Red is one of my all time favorite romances! This book is the first in the Sevenwaters Trilogy, which is a great fantasy series. This book is my favorite of the three for several reasons, but mainly because of the romance.

I haven't reviewed it, but HERE is a review by Nymeth from things mean a lot.





The Gargoyle by: Andrew Davidson

This is a unique love story because it doesn't contain your typical romance. The main characters experience true love that goes beyond physical attraction. I think it's very touching and shows how strong love can be...it survives all else.







The Host by: Stephenie Meyer

The Twilight books by Meyer get all of the attention, especially as far as romance novels go. And rightly so! But The Host is not only a cool sci-fi novel, it also has one of my favorite romance storylines. I can't talk about that part too much without giving something away, but it's worth getting through the first few chapters (which I admit, are slow moving).







The Zion Covenant Series by: Bodie and Brock Thoene

One of my favorite series of all time which contains one of my favorite love storylines of all time. This is a Christian historical fiction series that takes place in Europe just before the outbreak of WWII. Elisa and Murphy cross paths and start a crazy relationship in spite of (well, because of, really) Hitler's restrictions and the groups that form to save those he is persecuting. Murphy is one of my favorite characters of all time: funny, smart, brave... what I wouldn't give to be Elisa. ;-)



The Mark of the Lion Series by: Francine Rivers

Once again, one of my favorite series...mainly because of the love storyline. It's Christian historical fiction that takes place in the Roman Empire. I can't go into many details, but although there are several storylines in the series, my favorite follows Haddassah, a slave. I have to admit, I loved this series so much that I wanted to name a future daughter Haddassah (my husband talked me out of it, lol).





I'm sure I could think of more, but this is it for now!

In Search of Eden
by: Linda Nichols

Published: 2007

# of pages: 443


First of all, I thought the cover of this book was really cute. :-)

I received this book for Christmas from my grandmother. When I was in jr high and early high school I used to read Christian romance novels all the time. That and Christian historical fiction were my favorites. There's a lot of great Christian fiction out there, but it got to a point where I felt like I had exhausted the well written Christian novels and series (except that a couple years later I discovered Ted Dekker, who wrote some great books!). Now I rarely take the time to read Christian fiction, but my grandma gave me this book and a few others for Christmas, so I'm reading and reviewing them along with the books I normally choose for myself. Anyway, I have to admit this book is nothing special as far as the writing quality, but it was an easy, nice read.

The story follows Miranda as she moves from place to place in search of home. Her life has been rough so far: her father left, her mother is overbearing and critical, and she has a baby at 16 years old and is forced to give it up for adoption. 11 years later she is still wondering about her baby: if it was a boy or girl, if it is happy, if she should try to find it. A series of events happens and she decides to track down her child...even though she still hardly has any information about it.

She ends up in a small Virginia town and everything (miraculously) comes together. She learns about her parents' past (which explains a lot about her own past), meets a nice family (including a certain 11 year old girl named Eden), meets a great guy (of course!), and finds a home.

To be honest, a lot of times Christian fiction frustrates me because of all the sermons that take up so much of the text. I feel like those sermons shouldn't be there. If you are a Christian, the last thing you should want to read is the same repeat sermon that is in every other Christian fiction novel. If you aren't a Christian you don't want to read a stuffy sounding sermon full of words and phrases that aren't familiar and that takes up an entire page. Either way, you skip it. The secret to writing good Christian fiction is to put encouraging and informative things about Christianity in there without having to make it in a sermon form. Just talk about a Christian character living their life. You don't have to use specific Christian terms and you don't have to make it a sermon. It can be simple, which is what people in this day and age need!

Anyway, I think I only skipped a few paragraphs of this novel, so it really isn't that bad. Would a non-Christian enjoy this novel? I think so if you are interested in the story. Like I just said, it isn't overwhelming and the story is interesting. I recommend this to all adults who like a good sentimental story or who enjoy the Christian romance genre.


Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

Fire
by: Kristen Cashore

Published: 2009

# of pages: 480


Fire is the prequel to Graceling. A prequel that I thoroughly enjoyed, much more than Graceling. You don't need to read Graceling in order to read Fire. As a matter of fact, I think I recommend reading Fire first. In my review of Graceling, I mentioned how annoyed I was at the weird similarities between that book and The Hunger Games. Now I am a little annoyed at the similarity of the titles in this book and the second book by Collins, Catching Fire. It's weird!

However, I found Fire to be a unique story about a girl named Fire. She is a monster, but not in the way we think of monsters. In her world, monsters are the most beautiful creatures on earth...and the most dangerous. There's only one human monster left and so mostly Fire leads a lonely life although she does have a few close friends when the story begins.

The book follows Fire as she struggles to accept her own existence and fulfills duties that only she can perform while making sure that she upholds her values along the way. I liked the character of Fire and her strength. She is such a compassionate person and I felt like she was a more likable character than Katsa in Graceling. I also related to some of the desires she has that she feels will not happen in her life. Of course there is a little bit of romance which I also liked much more than the romance in Graceling.

Anyway, I highly recommend this book to older young adults (haha, that sounds funny) and adults who enjoy the fantasy genre. Also, if you liked Graceling, I have a strong feeling you will like Fire even more!


Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

My Sister's Keeper
by: Jodi Picoult

Published: 2004

# of pages: 448


I enjoyed this Picoult novel much better than Plain Truth! It was very well written and the story was unique and thought provoking.

The story follows several characters and, similar to Plain Truth, narrated by the different characters. The main character is Anna, a 13 year old girl who sues her parents for medical emancipation. You see, Anna was specifically conceived to be a donor for her older sister Kate, who is 3 years older than she is. She has donated to her sister several times and finally sues her parents when she is asked to donate a kidney.

Anna hires a lawyer, Campbell Alexander, to help with her case. He's intrigued by the girl and says yes, not realizing how much he would be sucked into Anna's personal life, not just her case. I enjoyed his character a lot. He's mysterious and funny and I couldn't help but like him. He meets an old love (sounds a lot like Plain Truth) and has to analyze his feelings for her and overcome his personal fears.

It was interesting to see how this book was similar to and different from Plain Truth. I couldn't help but compare them. They were so different but then again...so alike. I read multiple books by the same authors all the time, but for some reason I had to directly compare these books. I guess because they did have so much in common. It makes me want to read more of hers. I plan to read Nineteen Minutes next since I started reading it at my mom's a few months ago, but had to put it down because I had so many other books on my list to read.

There's a movie that just came out on DVD a couple of months ago. I really want to watch it now that I've read the book, although I heard that they changed the ending and that it isn't as good. It makes me wonder just how they changed it. If you've seen the movie, did you like it? As much as the book? If you didn't like it, why not? Try not to completely spoil the movie for me though, since I haven't seen it yet!

Anyway, I recommend this to adults although with the same warning I gave in my review of Plain Truth, it's not for the very sensitive person. This one wasn't as hard for me to read since it didn't involve infant death, but it was still a touchy subject and still hard for a mother to read. I couldn't help but place myself in the shoes of Sara, Anna and Kate's mother. Oh yeah, this would be a great book club book!


Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane
by: Katherine Howe

Published: 2009

# of pages: 384


I have to admit, I was disappointed in this book. I waited on it to become available in the library system for months. I had skimmed through some reviews and seen it on several TBR lists and it was obviously a popular book at the library! However, there were a few things I didn't like about the book in spite of how original the storyline was and the interesting content (Salem Witch Trials).

The book's main character is Connie, a graduate student who spends the summer cleaning out her grandmother's abandoned house while she should be searching for the perfect thesis subject. While in Salem, she discovers clues about a physick book that belonged to a woman named Deliverance Dane. Connie also discovers romance and evil and it all jumbles together and Connie has to sort it all out. Obviously the book becomes the subject of her thesis...she just has to find it first!

The story alternates between Connie in modern Salem and other characters from the past, including the years surrounding the Salem Witch Trials. It's interesting how it all ties together, although it sure takes Connie long enough to connect all the dots!

So the story is neat! However, Connie's character annoyed the heck out of me. Seriously, how is that I know more about the history of colonial America than she does, a grad student studying that period of history!? The girl acts clueless about what I am pretty sure is common knowledge among anyone interested in history. I know about that stuff and I haven't even studied American history in depth. Also, at the end there's a pretty important job she performs and yet she completely neglects a major part of the preparation until it's too late. Then she's like, "oh, whoops. I forgot about that part." I mean, there was a lot at stake, how could you miss such a major part?? You'd think it would have at least crossed her mind at some point. She was pretty ditsy several times throughout the novel as she investigates the clues to the physick book's whereabouts. And a lot of it was common sense.

I suppose the story is very predictable as well. That didn't bother me as much, but Connie's lack of perception made it worse. I did enjoy the historic flashbacks that occurred. I thought those characters and their actions were cleverly written. It's just too bad that the same can't be said for the main character.

So, I recommend this to adults who are interested in historical fiction and/or the Witch Trials. This is a unique view on that event, whether or not you like the character of Connie.


Other reviews:
Bookfoolery and Babble
book-a-rama
Dolce Bellezza

Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

Plain Truth
by: Jodi Picoult

Published: 2007

# of pages: 432


My first Picoult book and it was.... kind of disturbing. I have to admit, one reason I felt this way was because I have an infant son. If you are a new mother, you may want to save this book for later if you are a sensitive person.

The story is about an 18 year old Amish girl, Katie, who is accused of hiding her pregnancy, delivering her baby in secret, and then killing him. Katie denies all of these charges although there is evidence against her. Ellie is a big city lawyer who is caught up in the drama while visiting her aunt who is related to Katie and her family. Ellie ends up living the Amish life, connects with Katie, and runs into a long lost lover.

I felt annoyed with Katie and thought that the story was very repetitive and didn't flow because of her character. It was also hard for me to read about an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy that ended so horribly. I don't believe in not reading a book just because it contains sensitive content or is upsetting in some way. I think it's good to be educated and read things that are thought provoking. However, while I'm glad I read the book, I couldn't enjoy it or even say that I like it.

I think that this is a common tone in Picoult's novels though. I just finished My Sister's Keeper and will be reviewing that soon. It seems like Picoult addresses sensitive issues in her novels and doesn't gloss over the bad things.

Interesting note: the only other books I've read that take place in an Amish setting were Christian novels (by Beverly Lewis). There were several times I was reading Plain Truth and was suddenly reminded that it was not a Christian novel. Haha! It was easy for me to think it was a typical Christian book, so the occasional curse word or sexual reference would come as a surprise.

So, I recommend this to adults who are not afraid to read such a sensitive story. I assume that if you are a fan of Picoult you would also like this read.



Have you reviewed this? Let me know and I'd be happy to post yours as well.

I've compiled all of my challenge lists into one post this year. So keep scrolling if you don't see the challenge list you are looking for! The books I've completed are linked to my review.



TBR Challenge
-------------
1. My Name is Asher Lev by: Chaim Potok
2. The Terror by: Dan Simmons
3. The Great Gatsby by: F. Scott Fitzgerald
4. The Pillars of the Earth by: Ken Follett
5. Adam by: Ted Dekker
6. Kiss by: Ted Dekker
7. Cloud Mountain by: Aimee E. Liu
8. Middlesex by: Jeffrey Eugenides
9. The Angel's Game by: Carlos Ruiz Zafon
10. Her Fearful Symmetry by: Audrey Niffenegger
11. 84, Charing Cross Road by: Helene Hanff
12. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by: David Wroblewski



YA Challenge
------------
1. Inkheart by: Cornelia Funke
2. Inkspell by: Cornelia Funke
3. Inkdeath by: Cornelia Funke
4. Eragon by: Christopher Paolini
5. Eldest by: Christopher Paolini
6. Brisingr by: Christopher Paolini
7. The Two Princesses of Bamarre by: Gail Carson Levine
8. Deenie by: Judy Blume
9. The Subtle Knife by: Philip Pullman
10. The Amber Spyglass by: Philip Pullman
11. River Secrets by: Shannon Hale
12.



What's in a Name? 3 challenge
-----------------------------
A book with a food in the title: Five Quarters of the Orange by: Joanne Harris
A book with a body of water in the title: River Secrets by: Shannon Hale
A book with a title (queen, president) in the title: The Two Princesses of Bamarre by: Gail Carson Levine
A book with a plant in the title: Girl in Hyacinth Blue by: Susan Vreeland
A book with a place name (city, country) in the title: Shanghai Girls by: Lisa See
A book with a music term in the title: Music for Chameleons by: Truman Capote




Read Your Name Challenge
------------------------
A - Adam by: Ted Dekker
N - Nineteen Minutes by: Jodi Picoult
D - Dead Until Dark by: Charlaine Harris
R - River Secrets by: Shannon Hale
E - Eragon by: Christopher Paolini
A - A Game of Thrones by: George R.R. Martin




First in a Series Challenge
---------------------------
1. Inkheart by: Cornelia Funke (Inkworld Trilogy)
2. Eragon by: Christopher Paolini (The Inheritance Cycle)
3. A Game of Thrones by: George R.R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire)
4. Dead Until Dark by: Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse Series)
5. Last Light by: Terri Blackstock (Restoration Series)
6.