The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Oh Robert Langdon, how I’ve missed you over these years since Da Vinci Code came out! And now you’re back and once again at the center of a controversy. At least this time you didn’t have to trek all the way to Europe for it, you only had to head down to Washington D.C. So, first and foremost, is The Lost Symbol good as The Da Vinci Code? Yes, I think so. Not quite as good, in my opinion, as Angels & Demons, but still quite respectable. It’s a genuine Dan Brown thriller; full of symbolism, mysterious meanings, crazy theories and of course, a mysterious bad guy running the show behind the scenes. If you like Dan Brown in general, you’ll enjoy The Lost Symbol and you’ll tear through it very quickly. The entire book takes place over 12 hours, which has to be one of the longest, strangest days Robert Langdon has ever experienced. But for the reader, it’ll only take you a few hours and is simply an excellent way to kill some time.

An offer you can’t refuse…

I finally got around to reading The Godfather by Mario Puzo and was amazed by how similar it is to the movie. It’s not often that a movie is so dedicated to remaining true to the book but this is definitely the exception. I won’t bore you all with too many details, since there probably aren’t very many people who haven’t seen The Godfather, but this is the story of Vito Corleone, his family, and his rise from Olive Oil salesman to Mafia Don. It’s a quick read, primarily because the story is so familiar, but even knowing what was going to happen didn’t lessen the enjoyment I got out of this book. Plus, it introduced me to Puzo, and I’m going to try to check out some of his other works. I suggest you start with The Godfather and then do the same.

The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

I just finished reading The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, the first two books in this series by Suzanne Collins and I am completely and utterly wowed. The story itself is extremely disturbing and kind of makes me question the “Young Adult” label but this woman certainly has an imagination! These novels take place in a future version of the United States, now called Panem, a country divided into 12 districts and the Capitol. Apparently sometime in the past, these districts rose up against the Capitol and were summarily squashed back into submission. Now, in order to never forget their treasonous ways, each district is required to provide 2 tributes a year (one female, one male) to the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games are a no-holds barred all out brawl where only one child, only those ages 12-18 are eligible to be drawn, can win and by win, I mean outlive the other tributes. And to make it worse, in the Capitol, the Games are the ultimate in entertainment with Sponsors vying to send “gifts” to the tributes and everyone glued to their TVs to see who will be the ultimate winner. Although there are 24 tributes, the two we really follow are Katniss and Peeta, from District 12. Katniss is a volunteer tribute; after her sister Prim’s name was drawn, she volunteered to take her place. Katniss is a definite contender; she has the skills, and mentality to potentially survive. I won’t get into too many details here about the two books since I don’t want to spoil the element of surprise. But I will say this, once I started reading these books, I was fascinated and horrified at the same time. And I could not put the books down and I am eagerly awaiting the third book in this series.

City of Thieves by David Benioff

I’ve mentioned before how much I like reading about WWII history and this is no exception. In fact, it’s a really quick read and covers the story from the Russian point of view, which is a nice twist. City of Thieves is the author’s grandfather’s story of his time in Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg) during the siege. When he is caught looting a German paratrooper’s body, Lev is certain he is going to be summarily executed, but instead wins a reprieve when a Colonel offers him his freedom in exchange for a dozen eggs. Now coming up with a dozen eggs in wartime is harder than it sounds; eggs hadn’t been seen in months and the majority of the country was slowly starving to death during the long Soviet winter. But Lev, and his new comrade in arms, Kolya, an accused deserter, take on the challenge and the next week, which the novel covers, is one adventure after another. For not only do Lev and Kolya decide to find the eggs, but they also decide to kill the leader of the local occupying German forces. This book is not very long and is an extremely engaging and quick read. The pages just fly by as you wonder what will happen next.

The Devil’s Punchbowl by Greg Iles

So in general, I enjoy reading Greg Iles, which I think I’ve stated on this blog before. His stories are usually engaging and while not the highest caliber fiction, they’re not the trash that other writers put out either. However, since Iles has chosen to base most of his stories around Penn Cage, the lawyer-turned-author and his hometown of Natchez, Mississippi, I can’t help but think that Natchez has got to be one of the worst places to live, ever. I mean, with everything bad that happens there, it’s a wonder the entire town doesn’t move out! Quick synopsis: The Devil's Punchbowl is the story of the corrupt managing partner of a floating casino and the lengths he’ll go to provide bigger and better action to his constituents. A huge portion of the novel focuses on dog fighting, which I found especially topical in the light of Michael Vick’s recent release from prison. This was another of Iles’ traditional murder mystery with a hint of social justice thrown in. Not his best work, but I did enjoy having some other familiar characters show up.

The Caine Mutiny by Herman Wouk

I had put off reading The Caine Mutiny because as much as I enjoy WW2 history, I was afraid it would be heavy handed, but I was so pleasantly surprised when I started reading this past weekend! This book is so well written and really flows well. This is the story of Willie Keith, a rich Long Islander who is assigned to the USS Caine, and how he matures and grows over the course of the book. But what this story is most known for is the notorious Captain Francis Queeg, who becomes so obsessed with minor infractions and petty issues that the safety of his crew and ship are put in danger. Some of the other characters, which help make this such an interesting story, include Lieutenant Tom Keefer, a cynic in the midst of writing his great American novel, and Lietuenant Steve Maryk, who in the midst of a typhoon, relieves Capt. Queeg of his command, citing Navy regulations. The subsequent Caine Mutiny trial and its aftermath are almost an afterthought after the build up of the story but I really enjoyed every minute. It isn’t a short book but I flew through it in less than a weekend. This is definitely one to check out, and soon!

A Song of Ice and Fire - Review of First Four Books

As I’ve mentioned many times, I’ve spent the last several weeks ensconced in the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series by George R. R. Martin. This series currently consists of four books, A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords and A Feast for Crows. These books are very reminiscent of other significant fantasy series including the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and the Harry Potter series. I highly recommend them and will try to give a quick synopsis of the series overall, without delving too deeply in to each book.

These stories primarily take place throughout the Seven Kingdoms on a continent known as Westeros. The story is told through alternating third person narratives. The majority of the characters are human although as the series progresses, we are introduced to non-humans as well, including dragons and the Others, a mysterious and menacing people from the North.

These narratives follow three distinct stories that, as time progresses, becoming increasingly intertwined. The first story line chronicles the struggle for the Iron Throne, and for control of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, after the death of King Robert. While the throne is claimed by Joffrey, Robert’s son, Eddard Stark, the King’s Hand, claims that Joffrey is illegitimate and that the throne should pass to Robert’s brother Stannis. Robert’s younger brother, Renly, also lays claim to the throne, and Eddard’s son, Rob, is proclaimed King of the North. The second story line takes place in the far north of Westeros, along the Wall, which was built over 8,000 years ago to defend Westeros from The Others, a race of icy creatures who are difficult to kill. The Wall is 300 miles long and 700 feet tall and is defended by the Night’s Watch. Jon Snow, Eddard Stark’s bastard, joins the Watch and this narrative follows him on his trip north and his subsequent years with the Watch. The final storyline is set in Essos, another continent, and follows Daenerys Targaryen, the daughter of the old King, who was killed by King Robert’s followers. Dany has her own claim to the Iron Throne and that claim grows stronger as she ages and becomes an extremely powerful ruler; in part, due to the fact that she owns the only known living dragons. Her goal in life is to return to Westeros and take back the throne.

That is the series in a nutshell but I would highly recommend you go out and get them yourself. The story is so engrossing, that I had a hard time putting the books down! I even dreamed about the storylines, I was so enthralled. I can only hope that the author is still working hard on the rest of the series, and that the last three books, A Dance with Dragons, The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring will be out soon.