Saw our good buddy Yavuz off for the ninth time yesterday, it's going to be tough without him. OTO threw a going away party, Jeremi brought in Howie and Chloe, Yavuz was in bulldog puppy heaven.
A group of us headed out to Haru afterward with Derek and Mike, decent time -- though it was bizarre putting down not-cheap sushi in a wannabe hotspot that used to be called "Dick's Last Resort". And which doesn't hold a candle to Fuji Mountain.
Lev Grossman: The Magicians: A Novel
After buying this last summer on a friend's rec, I ended up blowing through it in two days on the most recent trip down to Barcelona. A bizarre mix of Narnia, Harry Potter, and an alcoholic Holden Caulfield, it ended up being just weird enough to be absolutely gripping. Can't wait for the sequels. (****)
George R. R. Martin: A Dance With Dragons
Only finished the second chapter, but yeah, back in A Song of Ice And Fire. No idea how good this new fifth installment out of the alleged seven-book series will be, but hoping "really damn good" seeing as how the thing's 1,016 pages long and easily the largest hardcover book I've ever owned. This one may not make it back on the plane.
Suzanne Collins: The Hunger Games
Went with some light reading for the first few weeks of summer after ordering a dozen or so books off Amazon.co.uk. This one turned out to be great -- the story of a girl in a far-future version of the US, where the regime requires 24 contestants between the ages of 12 and 18 to battle to the death every year until there's a lone survivor. The story's told through the viewpoint of "girl on fire" heroine, Katniss Everdeen, a skilled huntress from having to hunt to feed her family, and determined to survive. Not the deepest reading but you can burn through it in a day or two. Entertaining as hell. (****)
George R. R. Martin: A Feast For Crows (A Song Of Ice And Fire, Book 4)
Long and full of mud and sorrow. Still a great read full of great characters, but due to Martin's decision to split the stories of "Feast" and "Dance" into two separate books -- by character -- this one gets delegated to featuring all the less-loved folk, meaning there's no Jon, Dany, or especially Tyrion. Here's hoping the just-arrived #5 gets the momentum of the story established by #3 back on track. (***)
George R. R. Martin: A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3)
And on to the third one. Which despite the smaller form factor weighs in pretty hefty at almost 1,100 pages. Everything's burning, main characters are developing in new directions, the Kingslayer's on the move, the world's in turmoil, John Snow's in the thick of it, and Danny's on her way over with a few friends to wreck some shop.
So glad it's winter break and there's a fireplace handy. (*****)
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