A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

A Game of Thrones is the first in Martin’s fantasy novel series. I did not get to finish the book because there are 800 readers on hold for it at the library. What I’ve read so far is a story that is detailed, complex, and very dark and bloody. The monarchy of old England is strongly represented with the Stark and Lannister families. Even though I’ve only read a quarter of the book, I’ve encountered many characters and story lines. You have to like this genre in order to enjoy this series because it takes a lot of patience and focus to make it through one of these books. You can’t just read this type of book; you must become a part of its world as the story unfolds in such detail, it feels like the author is building the world around you as you read.

The story starts with a mysterious killing by what seems to be a ghost of some sort but that’s all you get and then moves suddenly to the present at the castle of Winterfell. We are introduced to the noble house of Eddard (Ned) Stark, ruler of the North and one of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros; the direwolf, the symbol of the house; and the death of Jon Arryn, the Hand of King Robert Baratheon. Eddard and Robert were once as close as brothers, but Eddard is soon to learn that the man he once new has changed in many ways. Love, hatred, betrayal are at the center of the story. This story has a bit of everything; politics, family tragedies, brother sister conflict, incest and all kinds of rivalries.

I read the book in the mornings on my way to work; it takes me about twenty minutes on the train. The book would bring a calm sadness over me. The voice was steady, monotone and would flow continuously from chapter to chapter. I never felt invigorated or happy after reading (not recommended if you need a pick me up). I didn’t like any of the characters, but felt sorry for the life they experienced. The writing is well done and easy to read. I can almost hear the narrator speaking in my head. It is obvious Engel is a very good writer and very talented but the tone and the story itself is extremely morbid. She is able to pull you into the life of her characters with few words and though I did not like the book I was mesmerized by the haunted voice of the main character Sabina.

Sabina, born of Colombian immigrants and raised in New Jersey, tells you the story of her life (Vida). Sabina takes you through the events of her life in a slow non-chronological pace. She tells you of her family in the US and Colombia, her boy friends and friends. What was missing for me is I didn’t get a clear sense of what Sabina has learned and where her life is right now.

1st to Die by James Patterson

1^st to Die is about a serial killer whose victims are newlyweds. Lindsay Boxer, a homicide inspector, forms “The Women’s Murder Club” which includes herself, a reporter, assistant DA and medical examiner. I don’t think they are very good at solving crimes because they get it wrong so many times. The story provides plenty of suspense and action but I didn’t enjoy the story. This is your typical cat and mouse thriller.

I thought the story was very depressing and I couldn’t wait to be done with the book. That said; Patterson fans gave the book an average of four out of five stars and most readers found the book exciting. 1^st to Die was also a TV miniseries which is now available on DVD.

The Winner Stands Alone by Paulo Coelho

This is very different from any of his previous books. A psychological thriller based at the Cannes Film Festival, Paulo seems to hate everyone and everything about the festival. He doesn’t say anything positive about any of the characters and they are utterly pathetic. The book was so depressing, not inspiring, with no silver lining at the end. “Vanity all is Vanity”

Igor is a psychotic Russian executive who has everything and comes to the Cannes film festival in pursuit of his ex-wife, Ewa, who ran off with Hamid, an Arab clothes designer. Igor kills a few people and sends messages to Ewa on her cell phone, believing she will understand that he will do anything to get her back. The story is supposed to show us the emptiness of pursuing fame and fortune at all cost.

I did not like this book; not because it wasn’t well written but because I think the message got lost in all the negativity, hatred and anger that were the focus of the characters. His disdain for the rich (The Superclass), the media, film producers and super models is overwhelming. Paulo Coelho is a member of The Superclass, how does he separate himself from what he describes in the book.

I was interested to see how the book would end but overall not my idea of entertainment/good read.

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Gladwell looks into the different reasons why some ideas spread like viruses. He discusses that it is not easy to pin point why some messages spread like wildfire while others don’t. This book is very informative and raises your awareness of how powerfully you are influenced by your surroundings. His examples are simple and clear. I like the way he connects ideas to things that people are exposed to in everyday life.

He explains three things that can bring about fast changes in society:

 1) The Law of the Few (a few exceptional people can spread the word)

2) The Stickiness Factor (There are specific ways of making a message memorable)

3) The Power of Context (Human beings are a lot more sensitive to their environment that they may seem) p.29

Tackling the small problems is as important as going after the big ones

We should think about preconceptions of what character is

“Character, then, isn’t what we think it is or, rather, what we want it to be. I isn’t a stable, easily identifiable set of closely related traits …”p.163

You never know what you will do in different situations

The rule of 150 – It’s easier to have a close united group when the number of people is 150 or less. When that number rises close to 200 the people tend to become disconnected and begin to create their own groups.

The scary questions are: Can we control the outcome of people/society? Can people/society be manipulated? How important are peer groups and environment when growing up?

Blink -The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell

Gladwell wants us to think and understand “the strengths and weaknesses of human judgment” and our responsibility to act wisely in different situations. I enjoyed this book a lot and as well as “Outliers” it is a mind opener. He points out how important it is to realize that what you are thinking about before an exam can make a big difference in how you perform.

He describes a study on page 56 that when African Americans were asked to identify their race before a test they did significantly worse than the ones that we not asked. On page 71 psychologist Joshua Aronson says that his study shows “that people are ignorant of the things that affect their actions, yet they rarely feel ignorant”.

Blink forces me to think of the things that maybe influencing my decisions and that with practice and awareness I can make better decisions. I can trust my first impressions more when I understand where they may be coming from.

Into the Land of Nede by J. Gilchrist

The author gets an A for effort for publishing her first book. It is an interesting idea and I would recommend it for a Christian family who wants to expose children Ages 8-12 to the story in Genesis of Adam and Eve. It is fun and full of adventure as Lincoln discovers a new world and learns some important lessons about family. I also think the illustrations add a nice quality to the story.

I did not like the book- 1) I do not think it captures the true voice of a ten year old; 2) The story does not flow, it jumps too quickly from one idea to next; 3) I really do not like the idea of a “white boy” as the hero necessary to save an Indian Tribe.

I particularly did not like this paragraph: “This is your land. You have gained access to it. You are the ruler of this Land of Nede. We are your people. What do you command of us?” page 89.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

This is one of those books that moves you to the core and changes the way you think about life. You are not only touched by the story being told but by the author as well. Rebecca Skloot was brave, determined and loving over the 10 years it took her to complete this book. There is intriguing scientific data as well as personal information about the Lacks family that draws you in and keeps you wanting to know more until the last page. This book is a must read.

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells—taken without her knowledge in 1951—became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, in vitro fertilization, and more. Henrietta’s cells have been bought and sold by the billions, yet she remains virtually unknown, and her family can’t afford health insurance. From:  http://rebeccaskloot.com/the-immortal-life/

Percy Jackson & the Olympians The Demigod Files by Rick Riordan

Demigod Files is a collection of three short stories, interviews and pictures of the main characters. Riordan markets this as a must-have guide to the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. It has a crossword puzzle, a word search and a chart of the Olympians. The stories are fun and exciting to read and fans of the series will enjoy this quick read.

Ages 9-12

Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich

Do the hard working poor have a chance?

Barbara Ehrenreich decided to try and find out. She moved from Florida to Maine to Minnesota, taking jobs as a waitress, hotel maid, house cleaner, nursing-home aide, and Wal-Mart salesperson paying $6 to $7 and hour. It was impossible to pay for housing and eat on this salary.  Let’s do the math $7x40hrs=$280 a week, which equals $1,120 a month before taxes.

Nickel and Dimed reveals the difficult lifestyle of the people who struggle constantly in order to have the basic need of food and shelter, the blindness and the arrogance of those of us who have not experienced it and the continuing growth of our socioeconomic divide.

This book is a real eye opener.