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

I know, I know, I'm really late to the game on this one. Although I wonder how many people have even attempted this mighty tome vs watching the TV show? A second disclaimer for this post is that I'm not actually a massive fan of the series. I've watched bits of it, dipping in and out, but I've always had the idea of reading the books first in the back of my mind.

These bits aside, I was determined to read A Game of Thrones in 2018. It's the biggest book I've read all year so far, weighing in at almost 800 pages, and I'm pretty sure it's the biggest one that I'm going to have read before the new year. Usually I'm not a fan of long books, simply because they can drag, and I'm keen to get cracking on the next read. But, this was something I loved.

The first book takes you through the first season of the show, ending in the same place. The level of detail in it was intense, but it was something that really spoke out to me because it meant that I could truly integrate myself into the world of the book.

A Game of Thrones tells the tale of Robert Baratheon, the ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, and his friendship to Ned Stark. Robert's wife Cersei is a malicious character, and Ned is determined to protect his king against her. When he fails to do so and Robert passes away, the whole kingdom is thrown into turmoil. At the same time, Ned's bastard son Jon Snow (you know nothing) joins the night watch, to protect the North against invaders from beyond the wall. Daenerys Targaeryn is also fighting her own battles, after being forced to marry Khal Drogos against her will.

The book is told from a variety of narratives that fit together seamlessly, and the strands of plot I've mentioned above are only a small part of all the different aspects of plot in the book. I honestly think it's a testament to Martin's writing that despite the masses of plot lines that we weave in and out of, and the intense number of characters, everything is clear and easy to follow.

It's the first fantasy novel I've read in a while, and reminded me of why I love the genre. I've now purchased the second book in the series, and if I do read another lengthy book this year, you can bet that's going to be it.

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Review of 'The Vagina Monologues' by Eve Ensler

Towards the start of 2018, I set myself a book bucket list of all the things I wanted to read this year. It's been a while since I read a play, and I kind of miss it, so The Vagina Monologues took pride of place as the only play on the list. I've heard amazing things about it, which made me worried that I'd be let down when I read it, but this was so far from the truth. 

The Vagina Monologues is one of the most thought-provoking things I've read all year. It made me reconsider my own body, the political landscape that my body fits in, and why we should celebrate all women's bodies. It brought things that I always knew deep down out into the open where I could really consider them. For instance: body hair and its politicisation. I know body hair is politicised, I know that women used to be happy to have body hair everywhere until razor companies started targeting us to double their profits (a true story). But, I'd forgotten how much stigma comes with any kind of body hair: pubes and you're dirty, armpit hair and you're a raging feminazi, no hair and you're no longer a virgin. And we never stop to think about the weird insistence on going back to this hairless childlike state, and why it's so appealing. 

This is just one of the topics that the book covers. It also looks at domestic abuse, sexual abuse, childbirth, masturbation, sex, etc, from a whole range of different perspectives. My one warning for this book is that if you're a victim of sexual assault, the monologues in this book may be triggering. 

I'm so grateful I read this, as it completely opened my eyes to a whole range of things. There was an incredible foreword by Gloria Steinem in my copy, which absolutely made the book ten times better and helped to explain the fundamental theories behind the monologues, and give them a bit more substance.

This book could be quite triggering, as previously mentioned, but I really do thing it's a very important thing for all genders to give a go, to understand the politics and depth of meaning behind the mighty vagina.

Have you read it? What did you think?

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Review of 'Saint Anything' by Sarah Dessen

I am a lover of the cringe. Give me OTT love stories with cliched statements (totally including the one in the picture above in this), and my guilty pleasure is revealed. Sarah Dessen was one of, if not the, favourite author of my teens. Her books resonated with me, comforted me and were something that I could come to in any mood and they'd make me feel a little better (and a little teary).

Up until recently, I hadn't read a Sarah Dessen book in YEARS. I'm talking six or seven of them. I was a little scared that Saint Anything would break my heart, realising that it was something that only teenage me could enjoy. Thankfully I was wrong. I plunged straight back into this and remembered why I loved Dessen's books all over again.

Saint Anything tells the story of Sydney, a girl who's always been overshadowed by her older brother Peyton. He's the golden child of the family who can do no wrong. That is, until he ends up in prison for a drunken hit and run. With her family struggling to pay lawyer fees, Sydney offers to transfer from her private school to a state one. Leaving her friends behind, Sydney has a chance to re-invent herself.

She hates the new school, and misses her old life, until she befriends Layla Chatham. Soon Sydney becomes an extra part of the Chatham family, who have few material possessions, but a lot of love: the exact opposite of her own. Layla's older brother Mac is another person drawing her to the family. A loving brother to Layla, Mac soon draws a little closer to Sydney ....

But things don't go so smoothly. Layla would never forgive Sydney if she got involved with Mac, and Sydney's parents disapprove of any of her friendships at her new school. When things start getting more complicated with Peyton's arrest, Sydney feels things slipping out of her control.

I loved this book SO much. Sarah Dessen has come back up as one of my favourite YA writers because her writing is just so powerful. Her characters are believable, you can follow their development throughout the book, and they're all complex. I always find myself falling a little for the guy in the love story, and the friendship between Layla and Sydney is beautiful. I would definitely recommend this if you're a fan of YA books!

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Review of 'Must Try Harder: Adventures in Anxiety'* by Paula McGuire

'Must Try Harder' is a book that I really thought I wouldn't get on with at all, largely due to the name. I'm sure a lot of anxiety sufferers have been told in the past that maybe if they tried a little harder they'd just 'get over' their anxiety. But I'm so glad I moved past this to read what was truly an inspirational book for me. 

Paula McGuire subverts the idea of those struggling with anxiety needing to try harder to be better by absolutely going beyond anything that she ever expected. Paula suffered from severe anxiety that developed in her childhood and followed her all the way up until she hit thirty. Her anxiety and mental health issues were repeatedly misdiagnosed, and accepted as being 'just the way she is'.

However, Paula has a bit of a revelation. She's determined to fight her anxiety, and as social anxiety is what plagues her most, she focuses on sports. Paula has decided to have a go at all 17 Commonwealth games sports, and the book follows her journey into this.

I honestly found this such an inspirational read as someone who struggles with anxiety. It has made me want to stop putting off trying new things, but work with my anxiety and around my anxiety to do them in a way that's manageable for me. 

I would definitely recommend this to those struggling with anxiety or stuck in a bit of a rut, as it really does make you want to switch things up without being too 'self-help-y' or preachy!

*I was sent this book for the purpose of a review, but all thoughts and opinions are my own*

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Review of 'Home Fire' by Kamila Shamsie

Home Fire is without a doubt the best book I've read so far this year. It's just incredible, and I've been recommending it to anybody and everybody for the past few weeks now. Winning the Women's Prize for Fiction in 2018, this book has set the bar for modern women's fiction IMO, and I can't wait to see what Shamsie brings out next.

Home Fire opens with Isma, a British Muslim, being detained and interrogated by the US border force after a flight to the States. She's prepared herself for this, knowing that the guards are more likely to stop her, but the number of unnecessary questions they ask is still a little shocking, and causes her to miss her connecting flight. 

Back home, the younger twin siblings of Isma, Parvaiz and Aneeka, are missing the guiding presence of their sister, who's travelling to study. With no living parents, the pair are adrift and are learning more about themselves as they move further into adulthood. Aneeka's found a new man, someone who will allow her to leave her family's past behind her, whilst Parvaiz is getting more and more involved in it. 

Parvaiz doesn't remember much about his father, but he's always been taught to be ashamed of him: he was a jihadi who died on his way to Guantanamo. Parvaiz has always shunned his past like his sisters, until he meets some men that knew his father. They paint history in a different light, and soon Parvaiz is embroiled in a world that he's not completely sure he wants to be part of.

This book broke my heart and stitched it back together again over and over again. It's the first book I've ever read in which all of the main characters have an Islamic background, and I think this was important as it showed so many different approaches to the religion. I would definitely recommend this to anyone.

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