A Game of Thrones

     Warning: this post contains vague, general spoilers.

     The first book in A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, lays the ground rules for a truly magnificent series. You learn quickly to correct your thinking from the lazy "How on earth will our hero make their way out of this one? Cause I know he will." to the more realistic excitement and terror of "Wait, could they really die? Is this really happening? I THOUGHT YOU WERE PROTECTED BY MAGIC MAIN CHARACTER FORCEFIELDS."

     A Game of Thrones is told from changing character perspectives with each chapter, which is one of my personal favorite ways to tell a story. Winters can last decades, rumors of lost heirs and dragon eggs are whispered about the kingdom of Westeros, a 700 foot wall keeps whatever may lurk in the wild, terrible north at bay, and murderous plots change loyalties and spark rivalries between the great houses of the unyielding Starks of the cold north, and the powerful Lannisters of King's Landing (and don't forget about the Baratheons, and the Targaryens, and...).

     I always get a little hesitant when recommending this series to anyone because it is so graphic and explicit in pretty much every way you can think of. If you're bothered by explicit language, violence, or sexual content I would most likely steer you in another direction, and that's ok. I never thought I would be such a big fan of something that came with that disclaimer, but here's why:

     Those things are not glorified. They are purposefully depicted as complicated and messy, and they have lasting consequences.

http://iceandfire.wikia.com/wiki/A_Game_of_Thrones

     I don't feel like I'm exaggerating when I say Martin is a genius. Yes, all authors create worlds when they write. But Martin creates worlds that are large and complex enough to be real. He truly thinks of everything from filling out realistic social classes (rather than just having a fantasy world of royalty, knights, and peasants and calling it a day) to proving that there are rippling consequences to everything (which sometimes take several books to come to fruition). The amount of characters to keep track of is like keeping track of every person you've ever met in real life, but his writing is so brilliantly detailed that you will actually surprise yourself with how many you can keep straight.

     I love how there are no "throw away" characters, either. Every innkeep, servant, and soldier on the battlefield has a name, a family, and a backstory. The scope of his focus extends further than what is typical in the fantasy genre - heroic men have very real weaknesses and emotions, and women and children are written with just as much strength and intelligence as the men - aka, they are also written as real people (gasp!). Families have realistic problems, and the characters you want so badly to label as villains have surprising humanity (with the exception of maybe a certain blond tyrant...).

     And the plotting! I can easily say this is the most complex series I have ever read. It's not a simple good vs evil plot line, although there are reflections of that at times. I've noticed he has taken some inspiration from European history as well as Biblical accounts, which I think is always fun to notice as a reader. A Game of Thrones is packed with political intrigue and conspiracy where EVERYONE is a key piece in the game, and thankfully everyone has a realistic and for the most part understandable motivation to what they do, and somehow he managed to brilliantly weave them together to create a fantastic tapestry of ill omens, old magic, and fierce battles for the ultimate seat of power.

     I realize that this seems like it could easily be a review for the entire series, and I can say that everything I said here rings true for the books to follow as well. The first book introduces the world with a bang, and somehow the momentum gains with each new installment. Future posts regarding the books to follow will be more specific, but just as a reader exploring the wide world of Westeros for the first time, it's hard not to just stand back in awe at the sheer scope and brilliance of this creation.

   
   

The Fault in Our Stars

   

     Why not start off with one of my new favorite books? I was late to the bandwagon with reading The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, and I will fully blame that on George R.R. Martin. Still, I completed reading TFiOS a couple of hours before the movie started showing, so I consider that a great accomplishment. (That many emotions in a few hours probably isn't healthy).

     TFiOS follows its main character, 17-year-old Hazel Grace Lancaster, through the pain and boredom of everyday teenage life - with the added complication of trying new treatments for cancer. At the urging of her mother, she attends a cancer support group. There she meets Augustus Waters, and immediately they begin a friendship that (spoiler you should have seen coming) soon turns into love. 

   

     Yes, this is a book about cancer. But it is far from a typical "cancer-book", which has a totally different connotation. What I love about these characters is that they are not defined by their cancer. They don't let it become a defeated identity, instead it is just something that they happen to have and learning to deal with that makes them stronger. 

     In fact, one of the bigger sub-plots regards Hazel's obsession with the imagined sequel to her favorite book (whose characters beautifully reflect certain people in her own life, thereby showing us who she would be concerned for if her own story was cut short). Without success, Hazel has reached out to the author to have her questions answered. In an attempt to better understand his new crush, Augustus can't help but want answers too (well, that and impress Hazel, but who can blame him?) 

     If I tell you any more beyond this point, protecting you lovelies from an ocean of spoilers will be impossible. Just read it and watch Hazel and Augustus grow and have once-in-a-lifetime experiences together already, okay? Okay.  

photo from barnesandnoble.com

     Now, I knew that this book is famous for making its readers cry but that rarely happens to me so I arrogantly accepted the challenge. I failed. Oh my goodness, did I fail. But here's the thing, and it's probably cheating since I read it from another reviewer, BUT IT'S SO TRUE: "This is a book that breaks your heart - not by wearing it down, but by making it bigger until it bursts" (The Atlantic).

     I felt that stupid lump in my throat because of how full and strangely complete the lives of Hazel and Augustus are, when I had the assumption that they would be doomed to never experience the joys of life that non-cancer patients so easily can take for granted. 

     To top it off, Green is such a talented writer. This would have been a compelling story even if it was told matter-of-factly, but Green's metaphor-heavy descriptions and realistically imperfect, funny dialogue add such a robustness to the book that just makes it so complete. 

     I already want to reread it. 

     

     

     

    

      

Welcome

     I created this blog as a way to share my love of great storytelling. This will be mostly book recommendations and reviews, but I'm sure some film, television, and plays will wander in as well. 

     As my first post to this new adventure, let me just say this: I won’t be the smartest critic for new books, and my love for old books will have the bias of nostalgia clinging to them. To be quite honest, I don’t have the desire or the personality to pick at everything wrong with a book in order for me to look superior. (As an aspiring author those people terrify me). What I do want to do is share what I am reading and have read, and hope that maybe a poorly articulated recommendation will lead to the love and excitement of finding a good story.

    After all, nothing quite compares to worlds that swallow you whole.