A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

I don’t know how other reviewers operate but I have to finish a book before I can review it. This makes it much slower for me to produce reviews, especially since I tend to like big books. So I've been reading this book for a while and have only just finished it.

A Game of Thrones is the first novel in a fantasy series published in the mid 1990’s. This year an HBO series was launched based on the book so I guess that’s why they’ve become popular again.

I found this book a bit complicated at first but enjoyed the story very much. There are 3 plot lines and within each storyline a particular character is featured. It’s not a first person novel though but is told in a third person point of view. The story continues on with each change in point of view but it does mean you have to pay attention when advancing to the next chapter to understand which plot is being featured. The stories of three families are told, the Starks, the Lannisters and the Targaryens.

Although it’s a fantasy novel I didn’t find it overly so. I think people who aren’t necessarily fans of fantasy would enjoy the story telling and action through this novel. A Clash of Kings is next in the series.

The Snow Angel by Glenn Beck

The Snow Angel is a heart-warming story punctuated by heart wrenching scenes of family violence, unhappy children and forgotten seniors. Glenn Beck touches all the emotions in this story of a family that’s lost its way.

It’s told from the perspective of the father and the daughter. The story begins on Christmas Eve and ends on the same day. In between the tale is told of a family that struggled with alcoholism, abuse and how that pattern continued through the daughter’s marriage. It’s also a tale of friendship, love and the importance of community. It’s a story of hope and ultimately forgiveness.

This is well-written with endearing characters. I can enthusiastically recommend this book for your Christmas reading or gift giving.

I read more than one book in October!

If you go by my posting of reviews it looks like I hardly read at all anymore. That's certainly not true. But I have been bogged down in a couple of books that are taking some time to get through. And I read some books just for fun and decided not to review them all.

The books with reviews coming are Ken Follet's Fall of Giants and George R.R. Martin's A Game of Thrones.

So keep checking back and I'm working on a fun challenge for 2012 that I will tell you about soon.