Review#2- A Storm of Swords, by George R R Martin

HOLY BOOK FEELS. I CAN'T EVEN. HOLY MOTHER OF PLOT TWISTS. BOOK HANGOVER, DAMN IT.

I've been reading A Song of Ice and Fire, on and off, since September. Volume one, A Game of Thrones, and volume three, A Storm of Swords, end in cliffhangers, but (for me) not the kind that makes you obsess over reading the next book NOW. But before I begin- what exactly is Game of Thrones about, you ask? Well, here's the best explanation I could find-

It's not as sordid as it sounds.
It's waaayy more sordid. In fact, there's this picture of post-its marking deaths in the entire series-

Post-its marking a person's death in Game of Thrones

The scariest thing is that it's not even over-exaggerated. I decided to try it myself, so I began reading A Storm of Swords armed with a thick set of post-its. Guess what? I ran out of post-its.
The series has several distinct marked characteristics. For one, there is no "main" character. You just cannot pick one. Everyone plays an important role. Every chapter is written in third person, but based on a character, and there are around 10-12 of these characters. Since they're scattered all over Westeros and Essos, they all have their bits to do. Which brings me back to the original point- there is no main character. The penalty for picking a main character of your choice often results in death. The character's, of course;not yours. Which brings me to the second marked characteristic- anyone can die. And heart-wrenchingly, everyone does die. What's amazing is the sheer bluntness with which GRRM kills off the guy. No drama, not last words, just a sword through the heart. The reader's too, in the process. And ironically, this is exactly what makes you react to it very strongly. We're talking crushing the abandoned post-its till your nails cut through them and pierce your skin and it cuts and you bleed but you can't be bothered because someone is getting beheaded. All in all, somewhat like this-

Having said that, A Storm of Swords is the best book in the series I've read so far. The book is sometimes published as one volume, but the one I have is split into two parts- Steel and Snow, and Blood and Gold. Blood and Gold is very fast paced compared to the former, and I liked it more. I tend to react strongly to books in general (read: curl up into a ball and weep on my pillow) and this was no exception. I wept six times- out of sorrow, fury, pity, and nostalgia. And in the end, I was so freaked out, that I couldn't sleep for two hours.This is the problem one faces whilst reviewing a book that's part of a series- revealing anything could end up being a spoiler, especially for those who keep up with the TV series. Not that a lot of you read this blog, but if you do happen to come across it and read about a spoiler, you'll hate me forever and never read anything I write. Which is not something my pageviews can afford.
Now, I also keep up with the TV series, and the biggest difference is that the book is hard-hitting. The TV series is gory. Do The Rains of Castamere ring any bells? Any wedding bells? It tends to romanticise people's deaths with all the sad background music and slow motion action. Plus it gets a dozen tiny little details wrong, which frustrate me just as much as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows did.

Daario Naharis: Book vs TV

Now, I have to go through A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons. A Feast for Crows focuses only on the events at King's Landing. No Jon Snow. No Daenerys. No Bran. Very few Sansa and Arya chapters, and too much of the Lannisters. Unfortunately, I have to go through it before I can begin the 1000 paged Dance with Dragons.
But not now, maybe. I'll be reading Paper Towns for the time being, until my feels recuperate!

Review #1: Lace, by Shirley Conran

Alright, I haven't been here for a while. I have been very busy, though, with a college fest, and studying and (insert more lame excuses). Anyway, I though a review would be a fitting way to get back.
Lace was a book on my Pile, and I finished reading it a while ago. It might make it to my list of 'The best books I've read in 2013'. That really surprises me, considering I don't like reading chick-lit.That's another really difficult thing to do- categorising this book. Fashionable clothes, beautiful women, high heels, successful stories, handsome men, infidelity, and bitches- it has the markings of a chick-lit book. But it's not. It's full of unexpected plot twists and turns. It's so fast-paced, that I nearly finished it in one day. At the heart of the novel, it is a quest- Lili's quest to find her mother, who is one of these four women- Judy, Pagan, Kate, and Maxine.
The book opens in the present day, where Lili, a porn star turned actress invites these four women to her apartment, and poses a question that defines the theme of the entire book- "Which one of you bitches is my mother?" after which the book flashes back to the past, where the girls are students in a boarding school called L'Hirondelle, in Switzerland, and traces their journey throughout adolescence and adulthood. Their failed marriages, ruined ambitions, sexual encounters, (THE GOLDFISH SCENE. SHUDDER.) and how they overcome their problems and self-actualise. I didn't think the day would come when I'd advise people to derive inspiration from a chick-lit novel (snobby moment, sorry). All of it surrounding one question- which one of these bitches is her mother?
Something that confused me initially was the unclear timeline. It can be off-putting, but gets better once you get used to it. All in all, I think it's written excellently, re-defining the conventional chick-lit novel. That's something else I noted- it's not pure chick-lit. It's a combination of genres. Sure, it has the chick-lit theme and style, but at the heart, it's more of a mystery novel or a murder-free whodunnit.
Lace was made into a TV series, too. It was so popular amongst those who watched it, that they made a second season. If I had more time, I'd definitely watch it.
Has anyone who's reading this (yes, I know that's pitifully few) read the book or watched the TV show? What are your thoughts?
In one of my earlier posts, I had written about My Reading Pile, and how I'd keep updating it. I've read most of the books on that Pile, (Doctors, Prizes, Lace, The Fellowship of the Ring) plus a few more (A Storm of Swords, The Timekeeper) and I'm in the process of reading Gone with the Wing, A Feast for Crows, and Paper Towns. A diverse list, I know. I may not have time to do full reviews of all, but I'll mention them in my next Pile update.
Until next time!