A Game of Thrones: Book One in George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire Series

I just finish the First of the Song of Ice and Fire series for the second time. Martin amazes me. He brings knights and kings, ladies and princesses to this story with bastards and exiles. Eunuchs, maesters, sworn brothers of the wall, a headsman and a dwarf all live in the Seven Kingdoms. North of the Seven Kingdoms it is said that wildlings, giants, and wights may roam the lands and are moving South with the coming of the great Winter. Across the sea to the East is the land of the Free Cities and beyond the grasses of the Dothraki Sea, inhabited by warring nomads.

Martin tells his tale through many of his characters, constantly challenging what you think is actually going on. In one chapter you may loath a character and in the next your reading from his viewpoint and find yourself agreeing with him. This whole series is impossible to put down....

A Song of Ice and Fire: Re-reading one of my favoite series

A few years ago... ok 4 or 5 years ago, I was introduced to A Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin by a very good friend of mine. I devoured those first 4 books she lent to me and have been awaiting Martin's release of the fifth book in the series, A Dance of Dragons, ever since. Well, it's been released as well as it being turned into an HBO series.

Since I heard about the HBO project of creating a TV series I've wanted to re-read these incredible books in preparation of watching the series. I have to face it, I'm a purist when it comes to my favorite books being made into movies or TV series. I always compare them, I can't help it.

Now it's been awhile since they started airing the TV show and since the fifth book has been released and I just haven't had the finances as of late to justify buying the books new so I've been waiting for them to show up in one of my favorite local used book stores. Well, I don't have to wait no more! My dear, sweet older sister and her amazing partner bought the box set for me of the first 4 books for my birthday that's coming up next week (I opened my present early). So I'm getting all excited to dig in! Thanks Becky & Brad!

The Vampire Diaries

The original series of 4 books by author L.J. Smith includes The Awakening, The Struggle, The Fury and Dark Reunion. I just finished this group of books. What can I say I'm a sucker (pun intended) for vampire books. I knew nothing about this series before I read them, I had no idea that they were turned into a TV series or that the series was continues with a post-trilogy... I'm intrigued and may have to seek out these extentions... OK the books, the plot is basically about the "typical" blond high school dream-girl with the most popularity... She's a senior the "prettiest," "coolest," and the homecoming queen... you get the picture, all the girls want to be her and all the boys want to be with her.... Along comes the new kid... a dreamy dark, handsome, oh and vampire.... Stefan Salvador.... by the way, he's got an evil vampire brother, Damon.... Does this have any hint of familiarity? Remind you a bit of the Twilight series? Me too, but this series was written before Twilight was, in the early '90's. So looks like we know who Stephanie Meyers was influenced by. All in all my opinion of this series, The Vampire Diaries, is that they are not very well written, much like most young adult books, but they certainly do fall under the guilty pleasures category... If you like vampire books, you've got to read these. Don't worry, you'll blow right through them and they'll hardly take up any time.... As for me... I'm gonna see if I can get a hold of the TV series and see what kind of terrible acting is going on there....

What this is all about

I originally just wanted to keep a list of everything I've been reading and now I think it will be developing into not just what I'm reading but what I'm watching and listening to as well....