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.

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.

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

American Wife is based, very loosely, on the life of former first lady, Laura Bush, although the protagonist in this story is named Alice Lindgren. The beginning of the book is probably the best, where we first meet Alice and see her growing up in Riley, Wisconsin with her parents and grandmother. Alice is very likable and the book flows nicely through her childhood and teenage years, when she is in a car accident that results in the death of her first crush. After meeting Charlie Blackwell at a party, the two quickly hit it off and become a couple. Charlie bears more than a little resemblance to our previous president; he drinks, he parties, he flaunts his Ivy League education and flubs even the most basic off the cuff comments. The Blackwell’s are essentially Wisconsin royalty; his mother is nicknamed Maj (short for Majesty), his father is the former governor, and one of his brothers is a Congressman. We follow the couple as Charlie gets sober, gets religion and gets himself elected to the White House. The end of the book feels forced, although it’s based on true events, I feel like she was trying to show what a bad president George W. Bush was, through Charlie Blackwell. And we lost some of Alice at the end, and she was the best part of the book. Once you finish, you’ll be left with the question of how much is real and how much is artistic license?

Immortal by Traci L. Slatton

Immortal is the story of Luca Bastardo, a boy who is abandoned to the streets of Florence at a young age and is forced to steal in order to survive. What makes it worse is that one day he is betrayed by his friend and sold to an extremely cruel brothel owner. There Luca’s mind escapes to the frescoes at Santa Croce, while his body is forced to endure horrible things. It is also here that Luca first discovers his secret – he doesn’t age like normal people. It is only when the Black Death comes to Florence that Luca is able to engineer his escape. Once out of the brothel, Luca befriends artists and politicians alike, from Giotto and Leonardo da Vinci to the Medici’s. He also is always striving for information, both about alchemy and his parentage. However, Luca is always in danger from the family of the brothel owner and from his own ageless beauty, which draws attention to him at the height of the Inquisition. This historical fiction novel is fairly entertaining and it’s kind of neat to see all of these main historical figures in one place. That said, it’s not the best book I’ve ever read and is a bit obvious from time to time, but still was a decent way to pass an afternoon.