Dance With Dragons

A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin, 1016 pages

With this fifth volume in Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, I'm now caught up with the story. As I mentioned in my review for the fourth book, A Feast for Crows, these two books happen concurrently, each focusing on a different group of characters. This one is the better of the two, most likely because we know more of the characters from the outset. (A Feast for Crows suffers from a lot of oddly named chapters and brand new characters in a world that is already filled to capacity with them.) Also, A Dance With Dragons is aided by the fact that the stories of books 4 and 5 converge toward the end of this most recent volume, allowing us to get a little bit more information about those characters we did care about in A Feast for Crows.

I am constantly amazed by the depth of the writing, the strength and nuance of the characters (particularly the female characters), and the well-realized cultural elements in this series. There are so many different locations, each with its own climate, religion, language, food, style of dress, and more; while it is occasionally difficult to keep the multitude of characters straight (especially the minor ones and the new ones), Martin can never be faulted for confusing his readers on where they are. It's an impressive feat, and makes the long time between books understandable. Doesn't mean I'm excited about the LONG wait before book 6, but it is at least understandable. I'd hate for Martin to rush himself and give us something that's not worthy of the series he's created so far.

A Feast for Crows

A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin, 753 pages

OK, this is four books into Martin's epic* Song of Ice and Fire series (which, as you may recall, kills off characters nearly as often as the pages turn), so I can't really go into the plot too much with out spoiling something. However, I will say that this book takes place when most of the war detailed in Book 3 has died down, and everyone is trying to carve out a piece of the pie for themselves. Martin takes the reader through some interesting places, including the Venice-esque Braavos (which included one of the most interesting storylines, at least to me) and through some interesting plot twists. I can't wait to see where these stories are going.

Unfortunately, it will be a long time before I find where these stories go. An interesting note about this book: it takes place concurrently with Book 5, A Dance With Dragons. There are some who have taken the plunge and read both books at the same time, switching back and forth (for a post about that experience, check out Jason's post from February), but I didn't want to try juggling two thick tomes. I did miss checking in with some of my favorite characters, who, save one, seemed to be almost completely missing from this book, but in a short note at the end, Martin promises to check in with all of them in Book 5. Phew! But for the stories started in this book, we won't find out until the long-awaited Winds of Winter is finally released in... um, nobody really knows when. Sigh...

*I mean this in the true, literal sense, not the teenage girl "OMG, that's so epic!" sense.

A Storm of Swords

A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin, 1177 pages

Wow, does Martin know how to kill his characters or what? In this, the third book in the Song of Ice and Fire series, the body count is continually escalating, both with those that you can kind of see coming and those that seem to come out of nowhere. And those are just the well-known, named characters; let us pause a moment to give respect to all the nameless passersby that are slain by Martin's pen.

.....

OK, now that that's done, I'll say that it is nearly impossible to talk about this book without spoiling something, thanks to all those deaths. However, in very broad terms, I'll say that the story continues to get more complex, and as I read, I kept wondering how in the world all of these characters would get out of their predicaments. Martin's as good at keeping the reader guessing as he is at coming up with gruesome ways to kill off characters. Sadly, he's also decided to trade in those rare humorous asides that appeared throughout the first two books, and sub in some all-out creepiness, giving A Storm of Swords a tinge of horror in its high fantasy. I like the scary bits, which is probably good, as I can only see them getting more prevalent as this series continues.

A Clash of Kings

A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin, 761 pages

This is book two in A Song of Ice and Fire (sequel to A Game of Thrones). It's really hard to talk about what happens in this series, since so many people die and I don't want to spoil anything, but we'll suffice it to say that the plot is much more complicated than it was in the first book, with several characters making claims for the crown, almost all of them with some degree of legitimacy, whether it comes in the form of line of succession or love of the people. There are LOTS of battles going on here, as each king and his followers jostle for position. Martin doesn't hold back from his descriptions of battles, which are bloody, brutal, and amazingly detailed; one in particular hit me as something that I really want to see portrayed in the HBO series (which I haven't yet watched, being the purist, book-before-movie dork that I am).

The characters that were introduced in the first book are scattered throughout the Seven Kingdoms and beyond, and Martin has introduced a handful of new characters too. While the plot is confusing at times (and I've heard it gets only more confusing as the series continues), the characters are what I love. As a reader, I honestly have no idea what each one will do, though they're remarkably well-realized and easily distinguishable. I particularly like the sarcastic, humorous asides that take place throughout the book; they may seem out of place in a description like the one I've laid out here, but Martin places them well. Looking forward to book three.

A Game of Thrones

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin, 703 pages

So that's what all the fuss is about! Seriously, this book has been on my to-read list for quite some time, but I was admittedly hesitant to pick it up because of the size and the genre. It's been a while since I've read high fantasy, and I know that books in the genre tend to take a while to pick up steam, what with all the world-building. (Also, my husband read this book last year and it took him three months to get through. Granted, he had other stuff going on, and he's a slower reader than me, but still... three months. It scared me off!)

Thankfully, all of my fears were misplaced, as Martin does a wonderful job of building the world of the Seven Kingdoms (and what a world it is!) while keeping the plot moving; there is action right from the start, and, unlike many other books in this genre, little walking and no songs (yes, that's right, I'm talking to you, Tolkien). I particularly like how he switches points of view between characters, allowing us to hop back and forth among story lines that are happening concurrently. There's plenty of political intrigue, some double-dealing, and a heck of a lot of death. Really, if you take away the fantastical creatures, it could easily be a political thriller. Can't wait to see what's next in this epic tale.

Also of note: the version of Game of Thrones that I read had a nine-page preview of the graphic novel, and since that's what puts me over the 700 mark, I want to quickly mention that as well. The preview at least seems to hew pretty close to the book plot- and dialogue-wise, though I wasn't overly impressed with the art. It could be, however, that the fantastic art of the later Sandman books (which I finished right before diving into GoT) spoiled graphic novels for me for a while. See my next review for a further example.

Haganai: I Don't Have Many Friends - Volume 1-5

Haganai: I Don't Have Many Friends Volume 1 - 5 by Yomi Hirasaka, 960 pages (total)

Okay, forgive me, but it's STORY TIME.

In high school, I had a classmate named Jeremy (names changed to protect the (?) innocent). A lot of people really didn't like Jeremy because he had a particular demeanor to him. He always came across as full of himself, like he thought he was cooler, smarter, better than everyone else. His screen name (back when AOL and AIM were still a big deal, yes I'm old) was even "Superior." Most people found him grating at best, and kind of a jerk at worst.

And then, in college I met Roth (again, names changed). Roth was seriously asocial - to the point that he refused to meet in person for something that could be accomplished online (and often even when it couldn't). He gave off a sort of angry/bitter aura. When you asked how his day was, he'd say "bad," even if it wasn't, just because he hated how rote "fine" and "good" had become as responses. He always had a snide comment to elbow you with.

These are real people I met. But I felt like I understood something about them that others just didn't grasp. Behind their "rough" personalities, each of them was incredibly kind-hearted. Not only would they help you out if you needed, they'd listen to your most insignificant of problems, just so you had someone to talk to. And beyond that, the personalities that most people perceived were misrepresentations - they were both really down-to-earth and self-deprecating, they just had their own way of showing it. If you weren't willing or able to see beyond their surface-level demeanor, you'd never see the wonderful souls underneath.

I feel like that is the spirit of Haganai. At first glance, this is a series about a bunch of high school students that range on the spectrum from bizarre, to conceited, to sadistic. They play horribly mean pranks on one another, mock each other with the most degrading nicknames imaginable, and fight at the slightest provocation. But even at their most offensive, underneath (and despite the title), you can tell that these characters are friends. It just resonates with me, because I've known people like this. And it also hammers home themes of loyalty, family, and (unsurprisingly) friendship.

That's not to forgive it all its faults though. Haganai is a series that consistently goes one step (or two steps, or ten steps) too far. The characters don't just playfully rib each other, they say some downright degrading stuff. It often steps beyond "tastefully offensive" (if such a thing exists) and into sleazy territory. And it revels way too much in its own perversion - it's always played for laughs, but that doesn't necessarily make it okay.

TL;DR I've always liked Haganai, and the manga version is a little tamer, less problematic, (and thus better) than the anime is. I'm not necessarily proud that I like it. Not only would I not fault anyone for disliking it, I think most people would be pretty put-off (or even disgusted?) with it.  But I think completely writing it off does it a disservice. There's some real heart here buried under the vitriol and the perversion. I just suspect most people won't find it worth digging for.

MASH

MASH by Richard Hooker, 219 pages

I am a major fan of the television series, MASH, so I was very intrigued to find out that the television series was actually based on a book. Quite honestly, I'm not surprised; it seems like everything worth watching is based on a book.

The book featured the same antics highlighted in the television series: drunken escapades, practical jokes, and debauchery. However, if you are familiar with the Alan Alda series, you will be quite surprised as to how the characters are depicted in the book. For one thing, Hawkeye Pierce is married (married?) with two kids (kids?!) in the book, and Frank Burns doesn't stick around long enough to make the reader fully loathe the character (pity).

I do recommend this book whether or not you are a fan of the series. The humor is dark at times, but war is always dark. It makes sense. While I found myself laughing out loud quite a bit, I will go on the record to state that the television series is better (the antics last for 11 seasons...how could you not love that?). Plus, the book just didn't allow me to love the characters as much as the television series. And the characters are really what makes MASH a truly wonderful form of entertainment.

Orange is the New Black

Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman, 302 pages

I decided to read this book because I'd heard so many good things about the Netflix series. I assumed the book must be equally good, as it's what the series is based off of. I think I was wrong.
Piper Kerman is white. And blond. And well off. And has to serve a 15-month sentence for a drug-related crime she committed 10 years ago. And she really wants you to feel sorry for her.
While in prison, here are some of the things she must suffer through:

-getting to run on a track every day if she likes, as well as practicing yoga, forcing her to get in the best shape of her life

-learning basic electrician skills

-making friends of all races, ages and sizes, who all love her, because who doesn't love a blond white girl?

-having visitors every week, mail every day, limitless money to spend at the jail commissary

-a lovely job waiting for her when she finishes serving her time

I digress. At times I did feel bad for poor Piper and her predicament, and the jail stories were entertaining at least, but a lot of the time she just seemed whiny. I understand why Elizabeth Gilbert recommends this book.

The Clash of Kings

The Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin, 1009 pages

This book continues the Song of Fire and Ice Series that started with Game of Thrones. This series is amazing and worth reading. However, I would not advise getting too attached to any of the characters because they tend to die rather frequently. The only ones that seem not to die are the ones that you can’t stand. King Joffrey would be a perfect example. While I hoped he would die numerous times, so far no one has been able to kill the brat. But there are still more books to go so my fingers are crossed.

This series has just about everything that a science fiction series needs. It has epic battles, magic, monsters, and everything in between. This book and this book series does contain adult themes and are NOT appropriate for younger readers. In movie ratings it would likely by rated R. 

A Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, 694 pages

A Game of Thrones, the first book in the Song of Ice and Fire series, likely would have gone unnoticed by me if it wasn't for the HBO series with the same name. With the series receiving such high praise and my coworkers talking about it, I requested the first season through the library. Despite hour long episodes the first season flew by and I really enjoyed watching it. Since I knew it was based off a book I mentally added the book and the series to my reading list.

I planned to pick up and read Game of Thrones the next time I saw it on the shelves here at Central. As the months went by and it failed to make an appearance, at least when I looked, I finally decided to put it on request. I now regret waiting.

When I started reading it was like I had read it before. Not only does the HBO series follow it very closely, they even use some of the vary dialog from the book. In some ways this took away from the novel as the parts that were suppose to be suspenseful were not. I knew what was going to happen already, despite the chapter ending on a cliffhanger.

I still would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys science fiction and anyone who liked the TV show. But I would strongly advise reading the book before watching the show.

The Pillars of The Earth, Ken Follett

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett, 973 pages

      I have spent a considerable portion of this last month obsessively getting through this epic novel- I picked it up because I watched the mini- series awhile ago and remembered it as being a show that I binge watched as well. (thank you, Netflix.) I thought the book was great, considering that Follett gives us a medieval story centered around the construction of a cathedral.  He effortlessly weaves in descriptions of the construction, design, and architecture of European cathedrals with the drama of his protagonists.  His cast of characters begins with Tom Builder, a master builder who is struggling to find steady work, who dreams of designing a cathedral of his own someday.  From there the reader is introduced to a group of people (and a couple of  tremendous villains,)  who live in a world that can only be described as alien to the contemporary person today.  The Pillars of the Earth read like Game of Thrones without the magic, which was fairly refreshing for me- Follett gave me a glimpse of what life might have been like for people of several different classes, and what the world was like when there was no such thing as a secular society.  The power struggles between the English monarchs and the church trickle down to many of the characters, who must deal with the consequences in creative ways if they wish to continue building their cathedral.  Entertaining. I have already put the sequel, A World Without End, on hold.