What I’m Reading

It has been a while since I’ve checked in with you all about what I’ve been reading, but rest assured I haven’t been idle.

I’m in the midst of reading The Song of Fire and Ice series by George R.R. Martin. (What’s the deal with the initials Authors?) I’ve finished three books of the published five, in a seven book series. Did you follow all of that?

The popularity of this series has skyrocketed in the nerd world and beyond since the first book of the series “Game of Thrones” was adapted into a mini-series by HBO. I have a pretty strict “read first, watch later” policy, so hearing all of the hype and then the fantastic word of mouth for the series, I decided to dive into the books.

The books feel like gritty, first person accounts of (fantasy) history. It is as rich and complex a world as Lord of the Rings, with more of an emphasis on the characters. The characters are fully developed and in the cast of millions you will find some of them to be relatable. The books are great because they bring world-changing events to a human level. I would not recommend this as a first foray into the fantasy genre.

The weaknesses of the series are the same as its strengths. The rich world is hugely complicated and it is very difficult to keep track of current events and infer the history of the world. The fact that each chapter changes perspective is wonderful at helping you understand what is going on at different places and at different times, however some characters are more fun to read about than others.

While I haven’t finished the series yet (nor am I likely too any time soon, these books are long), but I thought I should pass along an update for those of you worried I’m not reading enough.

Have you read anything good lately?

~Claire Out.