A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin Book Review

Title: A Game of Thrones
Author: George R. R. Martin
Published: August 6, 1996
Publisher: Bantam
Series: A Song of Ice and Fire #1
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Pages: 837
Source: Gift
Rating: 5 stars
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“When you play a game of thrones you win or you die.”
―George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

Synopsis
In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes of 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. 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. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts
Some time ago, there was girl named Courtney who decided to take a chance and buy the first season of Game of Thrones without having watched a single episode. From that day on, her life would never be the same. But seriously, it wasn't the same and it has changed for the better. After discovering this extraordinary tv series, I knew I had to read the books. Finally, I have started this popular series, and, so far, I have no regrets.

Review: Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier

Title: Heart's Blood
Author: Juliet Marillier
Published: October 2, 2009
Publisher: Roc
Genre: Adult Fantasy, Retelling
Pages: 398
Source: Gift
Rating: 4.5 stars
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“Even in that time of utter darkness, somewhere deep inside me the memory of love and goodness had stayed alive.”
― Juliet Marillier, Heart's Blood

Synopsis
Whistling Tor is a place of secrets and mystery. Surrounded by a wooded hill, and unknown presences, the crumbling fortress is owned by a chieftain whose name is spoken throughout the district in tones of revulsion and bitterness. A curse lies over Anluan's family and his people; those woods hold a perilous force whose every whisper threatens doom.

For young scribe Caitrin it is a safe haven. This place where nobody else is prepared to go seems exactly what she needs, for Caitrin is fleeing her own demons. As Caitrin comes to know Anluan and his home in more depth she realizes that it is only through her love and determination that the curse can be broken and Anluan and his people set free. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts
Since I read my first Juliet Marillier book, Shadowfell, I have yet to be disappointed in a single book that she has written. There is something magical about her writing style as the words seem to come to life on the pages. Heart's Blood was no exception, and I was once again impressed by Marillier's writing skill.

Review: The Shining by Stephen King

Title: The Shining 
Author: Stephen King
Published: January 28, 1977
Publisher: Pocket Books
Series: The Shining #1
Genre: Adult Horror, Paranormal
Pages: 683
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 5 stars
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“This inhuman place makes human monsters.”
― Stephen King, The Shining

Synopsis
Danny was only five years old but in the words of old Mr Halloran he was a 'shiner', aglow with psychic voltage. When his father became caretaker of the Overlook Hotel his visions grew frighteningly out of control.

As winter closed in and blizzards cut them off, the hotel seemed to develop a life of its own. It was meant to be empty, but who was the lady in Room 217, and who were the masked guests going up and down in the elevator? And why did the hedges shaped like animals seem so alive?

Somewhere, somehow there was an evil force in the hotel - and that too had begun to shine...(Goodreads)

My Thoughts
Hands down, The Shining has to be one of the most terrifying novels I have ever read. I even had to sleep with my mom one night. A grown woman of 22 reduced to a little girl running to mommy because every single noise in the house, whether it was a cat jumping down from the counter or just the wind, made her jump. And I LOVED every single page! The Shining was amazing and it raised my expectations for every other horror book I will read in the future.

Review: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Title: Rebecca 
Author: Daphne du Maurier
Published: 1938
Publisher: HarperCollins
Genre: Classic Literature
Pages: 410
Source: Gift
Rating: 5 stars
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“We can never go back again, that much is certain. The past is still close to us. The things we have tried to forget and put behind us would stir again, and that sense of fear, of furtive unrest, struggling at length to blind unreasoning panic - now mercifully stilled, thank God - might in some manner unforeseen become a living companion as it had before.”
― Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca

Synopsis
"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again..."

With these words, the reader is ushered into an isolated gray stone mansion on the windswept Cornish coast, as the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter recalls the chilling events that transpired as she began her new life as the young bride of a husband she barely knew. For in every corner of every room were phantoms of a time dead but not forgotten, a past devotedly preserved by the sinister housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers: a suite immaculate and untouched, clothing laid out and ready to be worn, but not by any of the great house's current occupants. With an eerie presentiment of evil tightening her heart, the second Mrs. de Winter walked in the shadow of her mysterious predecessor, determined to uncover the darkest secrets and shattering truths about Maxim's first wife the late and hauntingly beautiful Rebecca. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts
Rebecca is a book that will last throughout the ages; it's that good. In fact, when I was reading this, everyone I mentioned it to kept saying that they had read it and loved it (including my boss). So what took me so long to finally read it? I have no idea. There's just no excuse.

Review: The Shack by WM. Paul Young

Title: The Shack
Author: WM. Paul Young
Published: June 20, 2008
Publisher: Windblown Media
Genre: Adult Fiction, Christian Fiction
Pages: 252
Source: Gift
Rating: 2 stars
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“Each relationship between two persons is absolutely unique. That is why you cannot love two people the same. It simply is not possible. You love each person differently because of who they are and the uniqueness that they draw out of you.”
― Wm. Paul Young, The Shack

Synopsis
Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation, and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his "Great Sadness," Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts
I have put off this review long enough. To be completely honest, I've been avoiding writing this book review because I had no idea what to say. How do you review The Shack negatively without offending someone of the Christian faith? I've already offended two of my family members who are very religious because I told them I was not enjoying this book. They loved The Shack so they were a little peeved.

Review: The Running Man by Richard Bachman

Title: The Running Man
Author: Richard Bachman (Stephen King)
Published: 1982
Genre: Adult Thriller, Dystopian
Pages: 241
Rating: 5 stars
Source: Borrowed
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“In the year 2025, the best men don't run for president, they run for their lives. . . .”
― Stephen King, The Running Man

Synopsis
It's not just a game when you're running for your life.

Every night they tuned in to the nation's favorite prime-time TV game show.

They all watched, from the sprawling polluted slums to the security-obsessed enclaves of the rich. They all watched the ultimate live death game as the contestants tried to beat not the clock, but annihilation at the hands of the Hunters. Survive thirty days and win a billion dollar jackpot - that was the promise. But the odds were brutal and the game rigged. Best score so far was eight days.

And now there was a new contestant, the latest Running Man, staking his life while a nation watched. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts
Once again, Stephen King has blown me away with his writing. The Running Man was a fast-paced, action-packed thrill of a ride! As you can imagine, seeing as the book is a run for your life scenario, there is not a single dull moment. From beginning to finish, I was fascinated with the world King so grimly portrays - a world that enjoys watching a man get hunted down by the entire population. And that premise! So creative! So wild! The Running Man reality show makes Survivor look like a walk in the park. I'd rather be sitting on some island eating white rice with lice in my hair than ever be in Ben's position.

Review: The Long Walk by Richard Bachman

Title: The Long Walk 
Author: Richard Bachman (Stephen King)
Published: 1979
Genre: Adult Thriller, Dystopian
Pages: 370
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 5 stars
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“They walked through the rainy dark like gaunt ghosts, and Garraty didn't like to look at them. They were the walking dead.”
― Stephen King, The Long Walk

Synopsis
On the first day of May, one hundred teenage boys meet for an event known throughout the country as "The Long Walk," a deadly contest of endurance and determination, where each step could literally be their last. If you break the rules, you get three warnings. If you exceed your limit, what happens is absolutely terrifying. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts
The Long Walk was written under Stephen King's pen name Richard Bachman, and this is actually my first Bachman read. From what I've heard, the Bachman books tend to be darker and more violent (and we thought King's books couldn't get any darker). My friend, the one who lent me this book, has been very persuasive lately in convincing me to read Stephen King books I have put off reading for too long.

The Long Walk exceeded my expectations just like any other King book. It was phenomenal. It's basically a bleaker, more horrific version of The Hunger Games. So if you thought The Hunger Games was shocking, you ain't seen nothing yet.

Review: The Dark Half by Stephen King

Title: The Dark Half 
Author: Stephen King
Published: November 1, 1989
Publisher: Viking Adult
Genre: Adult Horror
Pages: 431
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 5 stars
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“But writers INVITE ghosts, maybe; along with actors and
artists, they are the only totally accepted mediums of our society. They make worlds that never
were, populate them with people who never existed, and then invite us to join them in their
fantasies. And we do it, don't we? Yes. We PAY to do it.”
― Stephen King, The Dark Half

Synopsis
In 1985, 39-year-old Stephen King announced in public that his pseudonymous alter ego, Richard Bachman, was dead. (Never mind that he revived him years later to write The Regulators.)

At the beginning of The Dark Half (1989), 39-year-old writer Thad Beaumont announces in public that his own pseudonym, George Stark, is dead.

Now, King didn't want to jettison the Bachman novel, titled Machine Dreams, that he was working on. So he incorporated it in The Dark Half as the crime oeuvre of George Stark, whose recurring hero/alter ego is an evil character named Alexis Machine.

Thad Beaumont's pseudonym is not so docile as Stephen King's, though, and George Stark bursts forth into reality. At that point, two stories kick into gear: a mystery-detective story about the crime spree of George Stark (or is it Alexis Machine?) and a horror story about Beaumont's struggle to catch up with his doppelganger and kill him dead. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts
Let me first preface this review by saying I worship Stephen King (pardon me if that sounds sacrilegious). I want to marry his mind. I'm usually a very open-minded individual who tries to respect others' opinions, but all of that goes out the window when it comes to King. I will defend his books until I'm in my grave, and I don't care if I'm being dramatic. It's the truth. My family loves Stephen King. My mom read me his books when I was in the womb. I was not allowed to read his works till I was older, but since then, I have enjoyed every single one of them that I have read thus far. And I will read every last one. Now that I've sang my praises for him, I guess I'll continue with an actual book review.

Review: The Passage by Justin Cronin

Title: The Passage 
Author: Justin Cronin
Published: June 8, 2010 (first published January 1st 2010)

Publisher: Ballantine Books
Series: The Passage #1

Genre: Adult Horror, Paranormal
Pages: 784
Source: Gifted
Rating: 5 stars

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“We live, we die. Somewhere along the way, if we're lucky, we may find someone to help lighten the load.”
― Justin Cronin, The Passage

Synopsis
“It happened fast. Thirty-two minutes for one world to die, another to be born.”
First, the unthinkable: a security breach at a secret U.S. government facility unleashes the monstrous product of a chilling military experiment. Then, the unspeakable: a night of chaos and carnage gives way to sunrise on a nation, and ultimately a world, forever altered. All that remains for the stunned survivors is the long fight ahead and a future ruled by fear—of darkness, of death, of a fate far worse.

As civilization swiftly crumbles into a primal landscape of predators and prey, two people flee in search of sanctuary. FBI agent Brad Wolgast is a good man haunted by what he’s done in the line of duty. Six-year-old orphan Amy Harper Bellafonte is a refugee from the doomed scientific project that has triggered apocalypse. He is determined to protect her from the horror set loose by her captors. But for Amy, escaping the bloody fallout is only the beginning of a much longer odyssey—spanning miles and decades—towards the time and place where she must finish what should never have begun. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts

The Passage was absolutely fantastic! Yes, it was almost 800 pages, but even at that length, I just did not want this book to finish. It terrified me, it moved me, almost made me cry a couple of times. It was a dark, wonderfully written book and I am so happy that there is more to come. Two more books!

The premise of The Passage is the usual man plays God, military infects convicts with a vampiric virus in order to make the perfect weapon until the vamps break loose and the United States has a bit of an infestation problem (understatement). One girl, Amy, who is also a lab rat, is the only hope for the world.

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly Book Review

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Release Date: January 1, 2006
470 pages
Rating: 5 stars
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“For in every adult there dwells the child that was, and in every child there lies the adult that will be.” 
― John Connolly, The Book of Lost Things

Synopsis
High in his attic bedroom, twelve-year-old David mourns the death of his mother, with only the books on his shelf for company. But those books have begun to whisper to him in the darkness. Angry and alone, he takes refuge in his imagination and soon finds that reality and fantasy have begun to meld. While his family falls apart around him, David is violently propelled into a world that is a strange reflection of his own -- populated by heroes and monsters and ruled by a faded king who keeps his secrets in a mysterious book, The Book of Lost Things.

Taking readers on a vivid journey through the loss of innocence into adulthood and beyond, New York Times bestselling author John Connolly tells a dark and compelling tale that reminds us of the enduring power of stories in our lives. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts
The Book of Lost Things was absolutely fantastic! A new favorite! It was definitely a Courtney book. It had the fantasy, the fairytale aspect, the dark twist, and the creepy factor. It was a great spin on a old fairytale, and it included a lot of fairytales within, but they became sicker and twisted. Little Red Riding Hood was never told that way. Little Red Riding Hood was no innocent, little girl.

The Book of Lost Things was written beautifully. Connolly spent a good amount of time building the plot in the beginning and developing the characters and their relations, but I wasn't bored or anxious for the next part of the story to begin. I felt like the escalating tension between Rose and David and then David's entrance into the fairytale world worked wonderfully. I also loved the house and David's room. The house definitely had that magical feel, especially the sunken garden and the woods surrounding it. Even in London and the surrounding countryside, there seemed to be a magical aspect to the story.

The story was very moving and touching. There was a deeper message to it, exploring death and children coming to understand death and the afterlife. The story also had sinister overtones, coming to terms with the dark fates many children meet. It had a meaningful purpose and I loved watching David mature and develop after his mothers' death.

There was also a humorous aspect to some of the characters. There was dark humor, but also some of the fairytales, like Snow White, became almost comical. I found myself very entertained by their retelling and the little twist they were given.

There is that creepy factor I mentioned. I will admit there were a couple of parts I read at night that made me shiver. I think the Crooked Man was a great character because he inspires fear and portrays the dark imaginations of children, and he is far from cliched.

All in all, this book was amazing. It was a great and fast read! It actually kind of reminded me of Coraline and Pan's Labyrinth. Parts of them, such as the young child feeling ignored and exploring and finding a darker world, really mirrored this storyline. I was impressed by this book.

What is the lesson we learn from these tales? Don't let your child out of your sight or ignore them or they'll enter a dark, fantasy world where children are preyed upon. Through a secret door or through a garden wall.

Happy reading,

Courtney