Book Group, Books

Book 100: Snow Falling on Cedars – David Guterson

If I had a ranking system for the novels I read and it was based on beauty, Snow Falling on Cedars would definitely be towards the top of that list. It has to take an amazing writer/wordsmith to make me want to live on a small island off the coast of Washington State and take up farming of some sort. I read this book for my Books into Movies book group at the local library and I am VERY glad I did. I plan on watching the movie later this evening or tomorrow.

Snow Falling on Cedars focuses on a murder trial, but it is not just a legal story, or a love story, or even just a war story as you might think from the back cover. It is a novel about a town forced to look into the mirror and see the harsh truths and realities simmering just under the surface. Set almost ten years after the end of World War II, the novel was a lot broader and a lot more powerful (and suspenseful) than the back-cover synopsis led me to think. But, more than anything, what took my breath away was the vitriol of some of the (surprisingly mostly female) characters and their overt racism. I was surprised at how upset I was at various points throughout the novel when placed into a character’s shoes and how they were treated.

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2012 Challenges, Books

Book 96: A Storm of Swords – George R.R. Martin

And with the turn of a page some of the characters I’d grown most fond of were murdered. I’m still speechless and I honestly didn’t think he could (or would) do it again, but what was I thinking? And then, 200 pages later HE DOES IT AGAIN! What?!? I mean resetting your cast of characters is old hat, but wow. I’m not sure how many more times this can occur before I lose patience. I almost want to make a list of all the characters that were alive at the beginning of a book and then cross them off as they die to try and see an overall picture.

This is a 4,161 page series (Kindle version as of now with two, maybe three, to come) set in an at war pre-technology era of royalty, knights, magic and dragons, of course characters will die, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. I will say the final chapter of the novel was somewhat more rewarding than what happened 400 or so pages before, but the epilogue was somewhat disturbing! Where is Martin taking the series!?!?

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2012 Challenges, Books

Book 92: A Clash of Kings – George R.R. Martin

Wow. What more can I say? Book two of George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire cycle and although this novel wasn’t as captivating as A Game of Thrones, it was still a fascinating and entertaining read. As with A Game of Thrones I am using A Clash of Kings for two challenges – checking in at over 750 pages it is book two in my 2012 Tea & Books Challenge and as I bought it in 2011 with birthday money I’m also tacking it on to my 2012 Mount TBR Challenge.

As with the first novel in the series, so much happens in A Clash of Kings that it is hard to summarize or even review. Suffice to say that enough happens within this one novel that could fill three or four novels. You never know who is going to die or switch allegiances next; you never know where the next chapter will take you; and you can never 100% feel like you know who is who they say they are or where they’re from.

THERE ARE (a few) SPOILERS FROM A GAME OF THRONES. So if you plan on reading the novels scroll down to the recommendation to avoid them.

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2012 Challenges, Books

Book 91: A Game of Thrones – George R.R. Martin

A Game of Thrones is the first book in George R. R. Martin’s Epic fantasy cycle A Song of Ice and Fire. Projected at seven novels, the fifth novel was published in 2012. I guess you could say I jumped on the bandwagon with this one, but I don’t feel at all guilty about it as I grew up reading Star Wars and Dragon based fiction, so I like to think I’m returning home after a long break. I’m also very excited to check out the HBO adaptation of the novel having finally read it.

I honestly didn’t think Martin would be able to draw me in as fast as he did, but what can I say, I’m a sucker for pre-modern technology worlds with knights and royalty and assassinations and intrigue. There was not a lack of action or adventure in this novel and it made it a quick read even though it clocks in at just around 675 pages. And as such a tome, it is the first novel I’ve read in the 2012 Tea & Books Challenge. It will also be tacked to my 2012 Mount TBR Challenge list as I purchased it in the last week of 2011 with birthday money, but I’m still hoping to read the other 25 novels on that list. Now on to my reaction (I’ve realized I rarely actually post reviews).

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Books

Book 68: Waiting for Snow in Havana – Carlos Eire

This book was both brilliant and boring. There were times when I couldn’t stop reading and times when all I wanted to do was abandon the book for another. Mostly I’m glad I finished it and hopefully it is one of those books that in a few weeks/months I’ll appreciate having read it.

I was excited about seeing Eire speak at the upcoming Boston Book Festival and I still plan on going to the panel, but I’m not as excited as I was. This isn’t the first book I’ve read that let me down. Leaving it on my list for so long without reading it, removed a lot of the luster and excitement from when I first found it and wanted to read it. Either way I can’t get my copy signed as Tom accidentally spilled water all over it and I had to check out a new version from the library to finish reading it (the main impetus in actually finishing it).

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