Recent Reads

78. Room
This is my book club selection for the month, and I've waited 2 days after I finished to review it. I'm still conflicted about how I feel about this book. On the one hand the writing is so powerful. On the other, I really do not want to read stories like this. What really worked for me was having such a young narrator - especially for the first part of the book. That voice does not work so well for the second half. I read that the author paid special attention to the language as she expected to have a YA audience. I certainly hope not! While Jack, the narrator is only five, there is nothing YA about this story. His innocence is sharply juxtaposed with what we, as adults, know is the horror of his Ma's life. I was delighted to be done, and to leave their world behind. Rating: 3/5 stars.

79. A Clash of Kings
After being totally immersed in this world for the past several days, I woke up disoriented this morning. Reminds me of how after days of sailing, my body sways to internal ocean waves on land. I keep expecting to hear the clash of swords, or the howl of dire wolves, or the flapping of ravens overhead.

This is book #2 in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, and while not as excellent as book #1, it is still really good. The King is dead (he dies in book #1) and now there are three, no four, no five people who would be king. Battles ensue. There are even more characters in this book than the last one, and you gotta let them simply wash over you. Do not try to hold on, simply let yourself be swept away by the story. Cannot wait to see Season 2 of the HBO series. Rating: 4/5 stars.