Book Ramble/Review - 'A Game of Thrones (1)'

A friend of mine has read most of the books written by George RR Martin from the A Game of Thrones (AGOT) series and would often mention it to me. It didn't take long for me to download the first book, A Song of Ice and Fire, on to my kindle and start making my way through it. It took me a couple of weeks to finish, which I eventually did yesterday. I know a few people follow the TV programme based on these books, but I personally haven't got around to watching it myself. 

This book is quite different from other books that I've previously read, and to begin with I was unsure whether it would be able to hold my interest. Although when I started reading, I was quickly drawn in to the characters and the stories within this book and found myself pleasantly surprised. 

This book, along with the others from the AGOT series, is described as an epic fantasy novel. Here's a description of the book, which I've taken from amazon; 

"Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.

Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones"

As you can probably see from the above this book has many different themes within it. There's quite a bit of violence, and it can be pretty heavy going, but despite it being something I'd not normally pick up I really did enjoy it. I think it's extremely well written which definitely helped me to get stuck in and want to continue reading. I did find that I had to be in the mood to read this book and make sure I was giving it my undivided attention as there are a variety of different characters within the story, so it's easy to get a bit confused and wonder who's who! At the end of the book theres a handy bit which lists all the characters within the houses which is helpful.

I like that each chapter or so is from one of the various character's view point as it allows you to explore the story fully. Also as there's a lot going on, it becomes more manageable and ties together nicely. I think I'll go for a couple of lighter reads before I tackle the second book. 

I'd love to hear what you think if you've read or are reading any of the AGOT books :)  

Book Ramble/Review - 'The Girl You Left Behind'

{I really love the front cover - the way that the words Girl You are in red leaving the words
The Left Behind in black. It's as there are two titles - The Girl You Left Behind  and a symbolic title
of The Left Behind. A tribute for all of those that were left behind during the War}

I spotted The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes in a column of a magazine - as a book recommendation. I'm a massive bookworm so I'm always adding books to my to-read list. After finishing Life of Pi I decided to grab this book and I'm so glad I did. 


The Girl You Left Behind is a narrative story that is split between two times, 1916 and 2006. The main focus of the story of a painting and the characters and circumstances surrounding the painting. Although this is a story about a painting it also is a story of love, war, grief and bravery.

In 1916 the story begins with a young woman named Sophie, and her family, living in a small French town which has become occupied by the Germans in WW1. Sophie has been left behind by her husband, Edouard who has gone to fight at the Front. Edouard is an artist who painted Sophie's portrait some time before the war began. The painting hangs proudly in her home but manages to draw the attention of the Kommandant in the village in which she lives. 

In 2006 the same portrait now belongs to a lady named Liv who treasures it. Due to circumstances the history of the painting and the girl within it, is revealed. The story weaves between both 1916 and 2006 and eventually merges both Sophie and Liv's lives together through the portrait.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Girl You Left Behind. I found it was a gripping, interesting story which I fell in love with. Jojo Moyes is a great story teller, the story is at the perfect pace - it isn't too slow or lacking in detail. The book began in 1916 and I was quickly immersed in to Sophie's story so when I got to the chapter saying 2006 I found myself thinking that I wanted to get back to reading Sophie's story, and was worried I wouldn't be as interested in Liv's story. I was wrong. I think that's a skill right there, being able to weave between two timelines and make a reader be interested in both stories. I think The Girl You Left Behind is well written and captivating. I also found this read to be quite touching and at times heart-breaking but at the same time a really beautiful, heartfelt story. I really recommend this book. I will definitely be on the lookout for other books by this author, as I seriously enjoyed The Girl You Left Behind and Moye's writing style.

Book Ramble/Review - 'The Hunger Games'

About two weeks ago now I managed to finish reading Suzanne Collin's - The Hunger Games. I'd previously watched the film adaption and really enjoyed it and have been meaning to get around to finally reading the book. At long last I found the time to do it and I'm so glad I did.

{Image: Wikipedia}

It's safe to say The Hunger Games is quite a popular book/series (the first part of a trilogy) and so many of you may have already read or watched the film but I thought I'd do a little post on my thoughts on the book. In a nutshell this book is based in a post-apocalyptic time in which the government, known as the Capitol, arrange a yearly game known as The Hunger Games in which 12 boys and 12 girls are forced to participate in these games in which the one rule is "kill or be killed". The story is in first person, from the perspective of Katniss who takes her sisters place in the games.

Taken from the back of The Hunger Games (the blurb):

'In a dark vision of the near future, twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to appear in a live TV show called the Hunger Games. There is only one rule: kill or be killed.

When sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her sister's place in the games, she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature.'

After watching and enjoying the film I was pretty certain that I'd also enjoy the book and I wasn't in any way disappointed. If anything I found the book a lot more enjoyable, I really couldn't put it down. This book is definitely different to anything I've ever read before. I thought it was clever, thought provoking and full of suspense. This book touches on themes of poverty, oppression, survival and hope. But it doesn't bog you down, I think it's really well written and I'm definitely looking forward to reading the second book (Catching Fire).

If you've watched the film but haven't picked up the book I can't recommend it enough. The book explains things a lot clearer and goes into more detail than the film in many different ways. Definitely a must-read. 

Have you read or watched The Hunger Games? Are you a fan?

Book Ramble/Review - 'One Day'

{Image: Wikipedia}

So I finally got around to finishing One Day by David Nicholls last night (a good couple of months later but at long last!). I must say I was genuinely surprised on how much I enjoyed this book. One Day focuses on the lives of two very different people, Emma and Dexter, who meet in their early 20s on the night of their graduation. The story effectively is of their lives and their friendship with one another. As the blurb says it's "Twenty years, two people, ONE DAY". Some people have described this as a chick lit book and I suppose in some ways it is, but it's definitely not predictable. I think it's heart warming, honest and quite touching. The characters of Emma and Dexter are easy to relate to. 

One Day begins on the 15th July 1988, and each chapter takes place on this date but a year ahead each time. The thing I like the most about this book, aside from the story overall, is how the story of these two people can make you feel so many different emotions. This isn't surprising as it does follow Emma and Dexter's life over a 20 year span, so it's only natural I'm just glad that the characters and their lives and experiences are easy to relate to. There's nothing worse when you're reading a story about characters that aren't believable and where everything is perfect, it's just unrealistic. I know some people like this, but it's not for me.

Overall, I feel that this book is well written and tells an honest but endearing story about two people and their lives. It's an unconventional love story and I'm glad I picked this up. I don't want to delve in to that much detail, I'm not one for spoiling story lines but I do recommend this book. If you've read it, what did you think? They have also made a movie adaption of this book, quite recently actually. If you'd like to know more about the book or movie then click here.

A few quotes taken from One Day;

"This is where it all begins. Everything starts here, today"   

"A moment passed, perhaps half a second when their faces said what they felt, and then Emma was smiling, laughing, her arms around his neck"   

"Whatever happens tomorrow, we had today; and I'll always remember it"

"You can't throw away years of your life because it makes a funny anecdote"