I LOVE this book!!!!

Yes, I stayed up until 4:00 am to finish MY LADY JANE by the Lady Janies. And it was so very worth it!!! This is my new favorite book! The Lady Janies have taken the tragic, horrific story of Lady Jane Grey and made it something hysterical to read. It is very clear that this a work of historical FICTION. There are details that are true to history, too, which makes a book like this that much more fantastic. I LOVE historical fiction and since I have always been uber fascinated with Lady Jane Grey, this book fed my love of reading like nothing else has! This book is simply delightful!

What makes this book even more super-fantastic are the wonderful

references to modern-day movies/stories!!

It is a clear tribute to one of my all-time favorite movies, LADYHAWKE--"always together, eternally apart." I hope this book sends millions of people running to watch this movie because it's fantastic!!!

There is a reference to The Red Wedding in GAME OF THRONES!!!

To my great delight, it is also a wonderful tribute to the amazing and super-fantastic THE PRINCESS BRIDE!!!! 

Lady Jane is described as a Hermoine-type character with a love of reading, loving libraries, and wild [red] hair!!!

Elizabeth (yes, THE Queen Elizabeth) is a Professor McGonagall-type character!!!

Lady Jane uses a frying pan to beat up soldiers, just like Rapunzel in TANGLED!!!! That's quite possibly my favorite part!!! "Frying pans! Who knew?!"

G reminds me so much of R in WARM BODIES! He's also portrayed as a would-be, possibly-could-have-been William Shakespeare! And his constant, "Oh, that's good. I need to write that down," is wonderfully reminiscent of the fantastic DRAGONHEART!!!

There is even a reference to JAWS!!! "We're going to need a bigger sword!"

I know I haven't even come close to mentioning all the wonderful stories the Lady Janes have referenced in the wonderful MY LADY JANE, so if you see others, I'd LOVE to compare notes. This book was worth the impulse buy, reading it all in one day, and staying up until 4:00 am!!!

Finally finished!!!!!

Whew!  I did it!  I finally finished A DANCE WITH DRAGONS.  Wow.  This book took me forever to read.  It's not that I didn't like it; I really did.  It's simply that there is SOOOOO much....a ton of characters to remember....a ton of details to remember....a ton of pages to read....just simply so much to remember.  It's certainly not a book to pick up for a simple, quick, easy "summer" read.

When reading this book, the reader has to be focused completely for every moment of reading.  Because I've been so busy and overwhelmed this past year, that make it that much more difficult for me to stay focused and read.  But I've finally done it!  Now on to watch the series!!!!

It reminds me of The Lord of the Rings series as well as the Outlander series.  Both of those have the same types of issues that drive me absolutely crazy:

1.  Way too many characters.  there's no real way to keep up with everyone in the story because there are just SO many characters.  And just when I think that a certain character is minor and not worth paying attention to--so I don't read his/her portions carefully, I realize that said character IS important to the story and was only presented as a minor character to keep me off the scent, so to speak!

2.  Several--many--characters have too many names and/or variations of their names.  I mean, come on!  How many different ways can a narrator refer to the SAME person before the reader no longer cares?!  I'd say by the time I get to the second name, I'm DONE with that character.  I get that people (even characters in stories) can and do have their real names as well as nicknames, but once we get into having other names beyond a nickname, I can't stand it--it's just too much.  Gandalf, for example, is called different names depending on who or which group of peoples he's with.  Arya has so many names now, I don't care about her as much as I used to--and she's my second-favorite female character (2nd only to Dany--who also too many names).  Littlefinger has so many variations to his name and/or title, I have NO idea what I'd ever call him myself if I were to talk to about him--I HATE the name Littlefinger, just so you know.  there is an index at the back of many of the books, but it's so long and has so many names, I still find myself not sure who I'm reading about.

3.  And what about having several characters with names that are so similar it's difficult to tell who is who?!  Boromir.  Faramir.  I mean, come on!!!!  

4.  No real concept of the passage of time.  It appears that several months, if not several years, have passed, but yet there are other details that make it sound as if only a few hours have passed.  It sounds as if Kahl Drogo has been dead "a long time," as Dany says just before her second marriage, but based on the time span of the books, it sounds as if only a few short months have passed.  But obviously quite a long time has gone by because the dragons now not only no longer sit on her shoulders because they're big, but they're out flying around, eating people--including babies and children, and have to be chained up in the belly of a pyramid to keep them from causing more trouble/damage.  How'd we get to so much time passing when it seems as if only a few months have gone by?!  (With the Outlander series, as we move deeper and deeper into the series, only a year passes, yet so much happens, there's NO WAY that only a year has gone by.  To make things worse with that series, Claire and Jaime are in their mid to late forties at the start of the second book in the series when Claire finally goes back in time to spend the rest of her life with Jaime.  People didn't live THAT long four hundred years ago....)

5.  Toooooo much happening.  There is so much going on, I can't keep up with the different plot points.  Obviously, the whole series is about the fight for the Iron Throne, but all the sub-plots and sub-sub-plots and so on are just TOOOO much.  I can't even remember over half of what's going on with so many of them.

6.  It's clear that somehow or another, all the characters are connected, but because there are so many characters and so much happening and no clear passage of time, I can't figure out how they're connected.  They're all just a bunch of characters playing his/her own role without clear evidence how he/she fits in with the whole context.

7.  Martin is obviously working very hard to be sure that he keeps his audience guessing about what is going to happen next, especially who is going to die next.  But rather than surprise that so-and-so dies, I'm just wondering why Martin chose to kill that character at this particular point in time, but even more than that, I'm relieved that that makes one less character for me to worry about keeping up with.

8.  Even though a character dies, he/she plays a vital role in the story as a whole because the other characters keep bringing him or up or certain characters use the dead as their motivation for their actions.  

9.  It's violent.  I don't really like all the violence.  It's just not someting I enjoy.  I know I love action movies, but if you notice when I watch them, I typically turn away when there is violence on the screen.

10.  LOTS of sex.  Every time I turn a page, it seems like, characters are either having sex or talking about sex and using sexual language and/or sexual innuendo.  It gets old quickly.  

11.  I hate foul language and there's a lot of it--especially THAT word.  I don't want to see it or hear it.

12.  Each book is no less than 800 pages long, and that's a short guess on the length of the books.  It's one thing if one book here and there in a series runs long, but when each and every book runs that long, it's just TOOO MUCH.

I can't just quit reading the book or the series.  I've come too far to give up.  What's even more overwhelming is the fact that Martin plans on publishing two more books for the series, but the fact that he's still writing them and has NO idea when they'll be ready.....UGH!!!!

Tedious, yet Enjoyable

Whew!  I plowed through and finished George R. R. Martin's A FEAST FOR CROWS in just under a month!  UGH!  It doesn't typically take me so long to read a book, but this series is kicking my butt!  As I've said before about this series, there are some really great parts in the books, but on the whole, it is so incredibly tediously descriptive.  I applaud Martin's ability to keep everything straight--characters, names, interactions of characters, who is dead, who isn't dead but is supposed to be dead, who is related to whom, what everyone's sigil is, and on and on and on!  I'm wishing I had some sort of large chart (poster) hanging beside me that I could refer to every so often to be sure I have everything in order and all the details straight!

I admit that I pride myself on remembering authors' names, titles of the books, names of characters, as well as specific details of almost every book I've ever read--even books I read more than forty years ago.  (Wow, I'm getting older!)  I love to read, so remembering what I've read comes very easy to me.  I liken it to folks who love sports so much, they can tell you who played in and who won the fourth Super Bowl--and what year it was in, as well as the names of coaches, players, and even the final score!  We remember what's important to us.

But....GOOD GRIEF, George R. R. Martin!  You're overwhelming with the MASSIVENESS of this tome!!!!  I am determined to get through this series, though, and begin watching the series--finally!  What I really can't believe is that even though five books (all right at a thousand pages in length), he still has at least two books in the series--unless he decides to add more to it!!!!!

I can't wait to find out what happens to Brienne.  I can't believe I find myself wanting her and Jamie to get together.  Jeez!  I want to hear the WHOLE story of what has happened since Catelyn Stark had her throat slit at the Red Wedding.  I can't wait to get back to Jon at the Wall.  I love Jon.  Samwell is one of my favorites, too.  I just don't like how everyone has to comment on his weight.  I can't wait to see if this is Cercei's end!  I can't stand her, so I'm looking forward to seeing her demise.  (I know--I'm a terrible person.)  I've lost interest in Sansa Stark (Alayne) as she plays nursemaid to the big baby "Sweetrobin" and allows Littlefinger to kiss and caress her and treat her as more than a natural-born daughter.  That's just creepy.  I love Arya and I can't wait to see what happens with her, too.  She's becoming quite the little killer!!!!

I am starting to see many of the connections coming together, but it is tedious (and yet enjoyable at the same time) getting there!!!!

Stormy Sword Characters

What in the world should I say about the third book in the GAME OF THRONES series that hasn't already been said, more than likely?  Talk about E.P.I.C....!!!  Wow.  I have to admit that even though there are parts of the story that I find a bit TOOOOOOOOOOOOOO........., overall, I am very caught up in the lives of these characters.  There are certain ones I love and others not so much.  Not in the conventional way a reader tends to get wrapped up in stories.  There are too many characters to get too caught up with too many characters or to care too terribly much when certain characters die.  I don't like that so many die, but they have to be weeded out.  It's to be expected.  I will say that I do have my favorites--

1.  Catelyn.  I like her a lot.  She is a strong woman who has seen her share of horrors yet keeps finding a way to fight on regardless.  She is incredible.  I loved her husband, but she is more of a powerhouse than he was.  It seems that because she's a woman, her husband outshone her.  Just as Cercei's did.  But now that Ned Stark is dead, Lady Catelyn's true character gets to come out in subtle, yet awesome ways.  I love that this book ends with her.

2.  Danerys.  I love Dani.  I love, love, love her.  She is incredible.  And she's only 14 years old!  What a powerhouse.  She is incredible.  To wield the power the that she does....W.O.W.  She has been through her share of trials yet she continues to overcome and come out more powerful and awesome than before.

3.  Arya.  Who doesn't love the younger daughter of Ned and Catelyn Stark?!  She's a lady.  She's a warrior.  She's a little girl of nine years old.  She's a boy of nine.  She's a fighter.  She's a mouse.  She has more names than anyone else in the series.  She's murdered.  She loves hard and fierce.  Best of all, she's a wolf.  I can't wait until her wolf comes back into the story.  It's going to be A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

4.  Sandor Clegane.  I know I'm not supposed to like him, but I do.  I love how he took care of Sansa--without taking care of Sansa.  And then he did the same for Arya.  He's supposed to be at death's door by the end of book 3, but I can't wait until he shows up again!  I know he's going to have to meet his brother and I'm expecting the meeting to be something worthy of this series.

5.  Jon.  I love, love, love, love, love Jon.  I did not like Yigrette, but I liked that Jon found some tenderness in all the crap he's had to deal with.  Jon is lovable, likable, and just awesome.  I don't like the fact that his bastardy is thrown in our faces at every turn, but at the same time, in order for us to GET his rise, we have to understand from how low he has come.  I can not wait to see what happens to Jon in the next couple of books!

6.  Tyrion.  He is so unappreciated for all the good he has done for both his family and the people of the land.  He is a dwarf who is taller than the tallest of men simply because of his character.  He can't catch a break, though.  At every turn he is accused of wrong-doing.  He is a great scape-goat.  I am tired of his being blamed for everything as he is.  I am so glad he does what he does at the end of this book.  I am so proud of him for taking such a stand.  Now if he'll just do the same to his sister......I'll say this:  I want him to end up with Sansa.  I want her to see the good in him and to love him for who he is, not for what he looks like.

7.  Jaime.  He is becoming a different man.  The loss of his hand has done something to him that was completely unexpected.  Sure he's still attracted to his sister and that's disgusting, but he is becoming more than his sister's pawnish lover and again, I can't wait to see what happens with him.

8.  Brienne.  A man in a woman's body.  Too ugly to be a woman.  Too manly to be a woman.  Yet utterly lovable.  I admit that I am romantic enough that I want her and Jaime to get together....

I won't go into the characters I can't stand--this has already gotten longer than I anticipated.  I am not only looking forward to reading the next books in the series, but I am also looking forward to watching the HBO series!

Martin's Predictability

I honestly don't know what to say about the third book in George R. R. Martin's GAME OF THRONES series, CLASH OF KINGS.

A few short criticisms I have of the book (and series) are. . .
1.  even though Martin is doing his utmost to avoid predictability, I am finding myself knowing what is going to happen to next a lot of the time--not every time, mind you, but quite often.  For example, when the last chapter began with Bran, I knew the book was going to end with a powerful image of the ruined but not completely destroyed Winterfell.  It's the best way to end this particular book and it's an incredibly powerful image.
2.  There are too many characters.  I am finding it more and more difficult to keep the different characters separate.
3.  Every once in a while, Martin begins telling the story through the eyes of a whole new character--someone we haven't met at all.  It is very disconcerting and adds to the confusing of #2.

(I said I'd keep my criticisms short....)

A few of the positive points of Martin's book (and series) are...
1.  The story is really very good.  It is virtually impossible to quit reading--listening (remember that I'm listening to the story on CD in my car) to the story.  I've had several times when I've gotten where I'm going, but I don't want to get out of my car because I'm at a good part!
2.  I find myself caring about characters who are not all that lovable.  Tyrian is the best example of that.  I haven't decided yet what to think of him, but at the same time, I can't help but notice how he SEEMS to care even when he's trying very hard not to.
3.  I also care about many of the characters in the story.  I was devastated in book 1 when--well, in case you haven't read it, I don't want to ruin it for you.  Dani is my all-time favorite in the whole series so far.  She's awesome--and she's barely even 15 years old!!!

I hope no one ruins what's coming....!

I don't know where to begin when it comes to talking about the first book in the GAME OF THRONES series.  I don't even know what the title officially for the first book; I'm pretty sure it's not GAME OF THRONES.....

I listened to this book on CD in my car rather than reading the book myself.  It was an interesting experience.  I found that I had to concentrate a lot more carefully when it came to listening.  I typically think about what I need to do once I get to my destination while I'm driving, but while listening to GAME OF THRONES, I had to stay focused on what I was listening to.  Whenever my mind would wander, I had to rewind the CD back to where I remember the last thing I'd heard.  In a way, I liked that because instead of worrying about certain things, I just concentrated on the story I was listening to.  It was relaxing, to a large degree.

I started reading this series after I heard all the hoopla in the Spring about "The Red Wedding" episode for the HBO series.  I still don't know what all the hoopla is--nor do I want to know until I actually read that part, but at least it was enough to get me started on the series.  I can't say why I decided to listen to it rather than read it.  I just wanted to try something a little different.

Anyway....There are a TON of characters to keep up with, but it was very easy for me to have a favorite:  Dani.  (Since I'm listening to it, I am not sure how to spell her full name.  I went looking for background information on her as well as how to spell her name, but ended up reading too much information.  So I'm going to avoid websites about the books until I've finished reading the whole series.)  Dani is incredible.  From the very beginning, I liked her as a character.  She starts the series as a little wuss of a girl, afraid of everything and everyone, easily controlled, and nothing more than someone easily manipulated.  She was forgettable, really, but yet there was something about her--even way back at the beginning--that made me perk up a little more whenever we came to a section about her.  She is definitely the character I will be looking forward to hearing more of in future books in the series.

Dragons?  While I didn't expect them when I started the series, there came a point when I realized they were inevitably going to show up.  I can't wait to see/hear what happens with the dragons!  The best part is that there isn't just one--there are THREE dragons!!!!!

BTW:  if you don't like stories where one person after another dies and typically in horrific ways, then this is NOT the series for you.  I have to admit that I did a little happy dance in my car when Dani's brother got what was coming to him!  (It's only a book!  Don't worry; I wouldn't want something like to happen for real!!!)