The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King

I have been meaning to read this series for awhile now, and kept putting it off. Finally I got the first book, The Gunslinger, from the library and read it. And wow, I was blown away and definitely wanted to keep going. So I got the rest of the books from the library and spent five days over the long weekend reading the next six books in the series. And these are not small books, but they are just so engaging, that I couldn’t put them down. I read while I worked out, while I ate, while I watched football, while I did practically everything. A quick synopsis is all I can give you since these books are so detailed, but I’ll do my best to get you hooked. These books are the story of Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger of Gilead. Gilead is in Mid-World, which calls to mind the Old West with a bit of magic thrown in. Mid-World was once inhabited by the “Old People” whose knowledge allowed for technological advances, but that knowledge has since been lost. Roland’s lifelong quest is to find the Dark Tower, to stop the rest of the universes from coming undone and ending all life. Throughout his journey, Roland picks up a band of misfits who become his ka-tet, a group of people bound together by a shared destiny. This group consists of Eddie Dean, a former heroin addict, Susannah Dean, a woman who lost her legs in a NYC Subway accident, Jake Chambers, an 11-year old from New York, and Oy, a bumbler from Mid-World. As I stated before, these books are complicated and I won’t try to synopsize every last detail; just know this, if you liked Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, you will love this series. Even if you’re not a Stephen King fan, this isn’t like his horror novels, this is more along the lines of the Green Mile or The Stand.

For a bit of history – Stephen King wrote the Gunslinger in 1970, although it wasn’t published until 1984. The last book in the series, The Dark Tower, came out in 2004. Part of his motivation for finally finishing the series was the car accident in Maine in June of 1999 that nearly killed him. If you pick up the paperbacks of these novels, you will be able to read all about it yourself, as King has provided a foreword and afterward for each novel, describing his thought process.

Book 1 - The Gunslinger

Book 2 - The Drawing of the Three

Book 3 - The Waste Lands

Book 4 - Wizard and Glass

Book 5 - Wolves of the Calla

Book 6 - Song of Susannah

Book 7 - The Dark Tower

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

I’d been looking forward to this book ever since I heard it was coming out; as someone who loved The Time Traveler’s Wife, I couldn’t wait to see what else Niffenegger had in store for me. But Her Fearful Symmetry was a surprise – it’s nothing like TTW and I still can’t say whether or not I liked it. this is at it’s heart, a ghost story that also tries to be a love story. When Elspeth Noblin dies, in a final act of spite against her estranged twin sister Edie, she leaves everything to her 20-year old twin nieces, Valentina and Julia. The twins decide to move to London, to their new flat outside Highgate Cemetery in a building that is also occupied by two other tenants – Robert, Elspeth’s lover, and Martin, a man suffering from extreme OCD. But the twins aren’t that interested in London, they’re more interested in getting to know Elspeth, who is now haunting her old apartment. And Elspeth notes with interest that Robert is bcoming more and more attracted to her young niece, Valentina. While Valentina starts to pull away from her twin, Julia becomes jealous and disapproving, leading Valentina to come up with a plan to allow her to live her own life. Of course, this plan goes south, as these things often do, and the outcome is a weird twist that you will probably see coming. I don’t know if I should recommend this book or not, there’s just something so weird about it. I think anyone who reads this after having read and loved Time Traveler’s Wife will be sorely disappointed.

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.

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.

A Song of Ice and Fire

I'm currently reading the second book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin. The books currently published are A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords and A Feast for Crows. The ones still to be published are A Dance with Dragons, The Winds of Winter and A Dream of Spring. They're definitely in the fantasy genre but more Lord of the Rings than Harry Potter. But Martin isn't quite as cerebral as Tolkein so they're a little easier to read. They're really keeping my attention so far and I'm really enjoying reading them. They're definitely hefty tomes but if you liked LOTR or Harry Potter, definitely look these up.

Replay by Ken Grimwood

Doc Jensen, over at EW.com, suggested this book in one of his last Lost columns of the year, to help those of us who are obsessed with Lost pass the time until the new season starts in January. And since I’ve almost never met a book I didn’t like, I figured I’d check it out. Replay is the story of Jeff Winston, a radio journalist who dies of a heart attack at 43. that is, until he wakes up in his 18-year-old body and remembers everything that happened to him, up to, and including, his death. I know what you’re thinking – isn’t this Groundhog Day in book form? Well, yes and no. Yes, that’s the premise of the novel, but this allows Jeff to rediscover his life, to take advantage of his knowledge and try to change the future. I thought it was pretty enjoyable and I was able to read it pretty quickly. It’s not too sci-fi, there is a decent amount of character development and it’s a great way to spend a weekend.

The Wicked Years

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. If you’ve ever wondered what happened in Oz before Dorothy dropped in, this is the story for you. It tells the story of Elphaba Thropp, a child born with green skin and huge teeth, who will grow up to become the Wicked Witch of the West. But there is so much more to Elphaba than the color of her skin and some would claim she is just misunderstood – after all, before her notoriety rose, she was an animal rights activist, a nun and a nurse in her earlier years. And most importantly perhaps, a sister to Nessarose and Shell; Nessarose you’ll have heard of before – she’s the infamous Wicked Witch of the East whom Dorothy inadvertently killed. Maguire has a wicked imagination and the Oz he brings to life includes talking Animals, Munchkinlanders, Dwarves, various other tribes, and of course, humans. The story is funny and satirical and makes you think about government, religion, free will and good versus evil. And on a semi-related note – if you are a fan of the theater, please, please see Wicked on Broadway. It’s an amazing show and you will enjoy every second.

Son of a Witch. As anyone familiar with The Wizard of Oz knows, the Wicked Witch of the West is killed by Dorothy; but the death of Elphaba raises many questions and many wonder if she left behind two children instead of just her daughter, Nor. When we first meet Liir, he is hiding in the castle at Kiamo Ko, badly beaten and left for dead by his attackers. But Liir is not dead and he has Elphaba’s cape and broom; but can he use them? Is he really her son or just a poor orphan boy she cared for? Thus begin’s Liir’s quest – to determine who he is and to find his half-sister, Nor. From the mountain top castle of Kiamo Ko to Emerald City to the Thousand Year Grasslands to Southstairs, the filthy prison beneath Emerald City, Liir traverses them all to find Nor and his power. Maguire does a good job of showcasing the changes in Oz since Wicked – through several regime changes (from the Ozma’s to the Wizard to Glinda and Scarecrow) without boring those of us who read the previous book, but while still providing enough information to anyone new to the series.

A Lion Among Men. After two books dealing directly with Elphaba and her descendants, this book is a nice change of pace. Instead we meet Brrr, an emissary from Emerald City who is searching for information about the elusive Elphaba Thropp. In his quest for information, he comes across Yackle, an elderly maunt who promises information about Elphaba if Brrr provides her with his own story in return. And so we come to learn the history of the lion we have only known in relation to Dorothy; abandoned as a cub, his earliest memories are filled with loneliness until he meets Jemmsie, a young soldier caught in an animal trap and makes his first “friend.” Since is unable to save the young man, Brrr takes it upon himself to return Jemmsie’s medal of honor to his family. Unfortunately, that is easier said than done for a talking Animal; Brrr stumbles through the Ghost Swamp, inadvertently becomes implicated in the massacre of trolls, gives up on his mission of finding Jemmsie’s family, and struggles to remain free in the midst of laws oppressing talking Animals. In return, Yackle shares some of her knowledge about the Grimmerie, the magic book that vanished when Elphaba died, the Clock of the Time Dragon and Elphaba herself. This book is the ultimate battle of wits and wills and you will be forced to think about preconceived notions and wonder, can we truly change who we are?

Big books that are worth the effort

As an extremely fast reader, the size of a book has never intimidated me, but I know that isn't the case with everyone. Because of that, I'd like to recommend some big books that will draw you in and will be totally worth the effort.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova: We've all heard of Vlad the Impaler, more commonly known as Dracula, but how much is truth and how much is conjecture? That's essentially the question that Kostova attempts to answer in this novel. The best way to describe it is to say it's the history of Dracula, if Dracula existed. It's both creepy and and beautiful at the same time and while this is a novel, Kostova intersperses the true atrocities of Vlad the Impaler so well, that sometimes you can't tell what is real and what isn't.

Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon: I won't rehash my previous post but will just reemphasize how much I enjoy this series.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke: Mr. Norrell is a magician in early 1800's England who is attempting to demonstrate England's superiority in the Magical Arts by changing the course of the Napoleanic Wars. But despite his achievements, Norrell is almost forgettable, a fact that is emphasized when he is upstaged by his apprentice, the glamorous Jonathan Strange. It's kind of a mix of fantasy and history and as one reviewer put it, is an echanting, epic tale.

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell: This one may be a bit more difficult than the others because the slave dialogue can be a bit difficult to follow at first, but the story of Scarlett will draw you in until you are part of the story. If you enjoy it, I recommend Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley, which is an unofficial sequel. If you want the officially sanctioned sequel, read Rhett Butler's People by Donald McCaig; personally I preferred Scarlett, but that's just me.

The Stand by Stephen King: I'm not usually a King fan, horror scares me too much and since he's so good at it, I prefer to skip his stuff, good though they may be. However, The Stand is a very worthwhile exception to this rule. It's the story of the apocalypse; a mutating flu virus rapidly wipes out over 99% of the world's population. While this also has some scary moments it's because in the back of your mind, you can't help but think, "could this actually happen."