Jeff

A life that is still becoming

If you have not already done so, I highly recommend you read this book. While I learned a lot about our first First Lady of color, I also learned a lot about her husband. If you had any interest in their administration, then I believe you will find this look at her life in particular and her daughters and husband's life as part of hers to be quite interesting.

I've been a fan of George R.R. Martin since his days of writing TV screenplays for The Twilight Zone and Beauty and the Beast. But I held off starting the Game of Thrones books because I wanted to wait until he had finished the series so that I could read them through without interruption.

HBO scrapped that plan last year by airing the first book as a season-long series. Or rather, I scrapped that plan when I could not resist watching.

I just finished this first book in the series and it was as satisfying and enjoyable as I had expected it to be. Martin is a master of characterization, plot and description. Truly the ‘Tolkein' of our time. He has woven elements of action, intrigue, emotion and fantasy into a tale that grabs hold of the reader and will not loose its grasp. Which is why I am eagerly anticipating acquiring the second novel in the series and continuing his epic journey.

I am still a bit shell-shocked from all the twists and turns in this book, but not so much so that I cannot say without hesitation that this is the best of the first three books. The way Martin moves, removes and “kings” his players on the chessboard is mesmerizing. The end, while I was sorry to see it, was incredible. I cannot wait to begin book 4.