I did! I'm a bit peeved about how he chose to split up the points of view, but that just means that I've been reading A Dance with Dragons a lot lately. :lol:
SPOILERX
Arya really tugged at my heartstrings this time around. It's easy to see that she's pushing herself and trying to develop into someone like her idol Syrio and Jaqen H'ghar. But she's still a child and really doesn't know what she's doing without guidance. Living in the House of Black and White might have been a help to her, but she's still too firey and angry about what's been happening to her family. I can't believe that she's blind now, but I'm so excited to find out where she goes from there!
And Brienne is wonderful in every way. She should have been born a Stark. :lol: Teaming up with Podrick and searching for Sansa gave her a motherly touch that she probably never would have thought possible before. And her last interaction with Catelyn/Stoneheart just made me want to cry. The two of them had such a strong trust before that now its only natural that George RR Martin would find a way to break them apart. I'm hoping that we see a whole lot more of Stoneheart soon, I'm surprised that this book just glossed over her.
I haven't gotten my hands on A Dance With Dragons yet!
I think that I've still got two months until it's finally released in paperback, then I'll devour that book like it's popcorn.
SPOILERX
I agree! Arya has always been one of my favorites and I'm glad that - despite Martin's penchant for ruining all the characters I love by making something hideous happen - her character's development hasn't made me turn on her. She has such spirit and the way she's handling everything is incredibly commendable.
And you're right, Brienne is superb! Her dedication to her search for Sansa is just beautiful. The way she honors her promise to both Catelyn and Jamie is admirable. The struggles she's gone through in her life just touch me on so many levels.
I think that we'll see a lot more of Stoneheart in the future, though I'm kind of intimidated by the character. In her rebirth she's gotten so hard and just clung to her hatred... which is a really scary thing. I'm intrigued to see what's going to happen there.
And Sansa. Oh poor Sansa. I just feel for that child so much.
AND SAM. SAM BETRAYING HIS VOWS WITH GILLY. That was just... unexpected! But I was just all "You go, Sam Coco!" at the time. And I do love how kismet it was for him and Arya to run into each other and not realize what a strong connection they really had in Jon.
I can't wait for A Dance With Dragons just to find out what's going on with the people on the wall, or Danaerys, or Brandon!
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EDIT
I saw these on tumblr today and couldn't resist sharing!
And speaking of Rowling - Is anyone else going to do the Alohomora thing that MuggleNet is doing? The world-wide re-read of the Harry Potter series, just a few chapters at a time?
Last edited by Kamikaze Kendra; 04-19-2012 at 04:14 AM..
Bleh, books just aren't grabbing me right now. I'm currently reading "Down Came the Rain" by Brooke Shields. I want to read it because it's an interesting story, but Shields is just not a very good writer. :/ I just need an effortless read that will grab me and not let me go. I miss Harry Potter. :(
I updated my list. I read 6 books that were very much not an original component : The Codex Alera. I loved them and now have my boyfriend and aunt reading them as well. :)
Well, I read the series less than six months ago, so it's probably too soon for me to reread them now. :( It's all still too fresh. I need to wait about a five years to a decade until it gets fuzzy again. Maybe sooner if I'm lucky.
Darn... that's a pretty good point. :(
If nothing else to sooth your longing for it you can always just go look at the site and some of the more critical discussions and such? I mean, it's something.
I did a re-read last year, but I think I'm going to participate in this one as well.
Oh, I just need to find something at least half as engaging and about equally easy. I just haven't been picking good books lately and don't have the funds to buy new ones. :lol:
I've been reading the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. They're really good. I started them maybe late last week, and I'm already on the fourth book. Sci-fi / Fantasy genre.
I haven't gotten my hands on A Dance With Dragons yet!
I think that I've still got two months until it's finally released in paperback, then I'll devour that book like it's popcorn.
SPOILERX
I agree! Arya has always been one of my favorites and I'm glad that - despite Martin's penchant for ruining all the characters I love by making something hideous happen - her character's development hasn't made me turn on her. She has such spirit and the way she's handling everything is incredibly commendable.
And you're right, Brienne is superb! Her dedication to her search for Sansa is just beautiful. The way she honors her promise to both Catelyn and Jamie is admirable. The struggles she's gone through in her life just touch me on so many levels.
I think that we'll see a lot more of Stoneheart in the future, though I'm kind of intimidated by the character. In her rebirth she's gotten so hard and just clung to her hatred... which is a really scary thing. I'm intrigued to see what's going to happen there.
And Sansa. Oh poor Sansa. I just feel for that child so much.
AND SAM. SAM BETRAYING HIS VOWS WITH GILLY. That was just... unexpected! But I was just all "You go, Sam Coco!" at the time. And I do love how kismet it was for him and Arya to run into each other and not realize what a strong connection they really had in Jon.
I can't wait for A Dance With Dragons just to find out what's going on with the people on the wall, or Danaerys, or Brandon!
SPOILERX
MY LOVE FOR SAM CANNOT BE CONTAINED! I just want that poor boy to be happy for once in his life. He tries sol hard to live up to his father's expectations and Jon Snow's image and so many high ideals of honor that he never had the chance to experience anything for himself. At least Gilly makes him a little happy (when she isn't making him feel guilty). I'd be ecstatic if those two could live as man and wife for even a short while. Sam would make a good father.
And you're right, seeing him run into Arya was just a small stroke of genius. All the stories are finally starting to intertwine and influence each other. Even Dany isn't just some princess far across the sea anymore. All the stories about her dragons are spreading and lots of coastal cities are seeing the impact of her ending the slave trade. The beginning of A Dance with Dragons is touching on this a bit more and I love how Martin managed to hint at some of the small details into his writing so early on.
Catelyn is incredibly frightening now, but I hoenstly do think that's just her in her purest form. Her whole life was dedicated to protecting her children. Once you take them away, she's going to lash out in the most horrific ways possible. I'd just like to see who else she aims her anger at. I can understand why she hates Brienne and Jaime, but I'm hoping that her influence gets a bit bigger than just country highways.
Also, I haven't kept up with the Game of Thrones tv show lately. Season 2 is picking up and I haven't even had time to watch it. I doubt that I'd be able to keep the different plots straight if I tried to watch it at the same time that I'm reading the books. :sweat:
Has the TV series become very different from the books? I'm interested in both reading and watching, but I'd prefer to read it first if the stories are mostly the same.
Knerd -
ALL OF THE FEELINGS!!
Oh gosh. These characters are just too easy to connect to, either positively or not.
Season two has started off so good! But I get where you're coming from. I read the first four between seasons, so I'm kind of glad that I'm waiting to start A Dance With Dragons.
Cherry -
Not at all. The series actually lines up with the books pretty well. I watched season one before reading, but after finishing the first book I was extremely impressed by how closely the series followed the actual novel.
Kamikaze Kendra- First, let me apologize for any mistakes. I've had a few beers and I'm using my iPod which is surprisingly hard to type on. It's a fantasy series centered around the realm of Alera and specifically Tavi. Everyone in the world has some form of "furycraft" which is kind of like control of the elements. It's really very good and I recommend it. Jim Butcher is really good. I read his series Dresden Files (before I started the challenge) and it's vey good as well.
Has the TV series become very different from the books? I'm interested in both reading and watching, but I'd prefer to read it first if the stories are mostly the same.
Yeah, like Kendra said, the first season is dead on. They barely deviate at all and manage to explain everything pretty well. You'd be able to understand all the little nuances of the storyline even if you didn't read it first. :yes:
I couldn't sleep last night and ended up watching the first three episodes of season 2, and they do start to change the story. Only a little bit, with details here and there (especially in Arya's storyline or when they're trying to be blatantly clear about who's sleeping with who), but it all still works out. They probably just had to condense it for the sake of time.
So I follow a couple blogs that post a list of free ebooks that are available on Amazon every day. This one popped up this morning and some of you guys might be interested. :yes:
So I've just finished reading a three-book series by Libba Bray....A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, and The Sweet Far Thing and was wondering if anyone else had read them. The last one made me cry. >.<;