A Game of Thrones

Well 22 days after starting this behemoth I am finally finished.  I heeded all the warnings and tried not to get too attached to any one character because I heard that George Martin would kill a character in a heartbeat. With that being said, sometimes I did find myself thinking "What's the point of the back story if the person is dead three pages later?"  I just let it go and let the story take me away.  You have to suspend a little bit of disbelief. For instance, apparently in this world siblings can procreate with one another and their kids have no genetic defects.  *shrug* I do love these pseudo-historical, political, adventure stories, though, so I just filed my medical knowledge in the back of my brain and kept on reading. I don't know if I will finish the entire series because it will definitely take a substantial time commitment. I may just have to read one book from the series per year because I'm not sure if I'm ready to invest that kind of time in 2013.

I'm late reading this book so I think most people already know the synopsis, but basically the title tells you what it's about.  A fight for who is the right and just king of the realm. Who should rule from the Iron Throne?  Within the battle for the throne there are a million subplots and side stories.  This story truly has it all.  Love, betrayal, war, murder, sex, child abuse, castles, mystical animals, knights, incest, kings, queens, and even zombies (although they aren't called zombies in this context). I can't even begin to discuss the intricacies in the book, but if you have some time to dedicate to the series I would recommend it.

EDIT:  Okay I just read the synopsis for the rest of the books on Wikipedia.  I just don't see myself dedicating the time needed to the seven book series.  I couldn't even get through all of the Kushiel books so who am I kidding?  The only seven book series I read in its entirety was Harry Potter. Let's keep it real.

Heads in Beds

I love staying in a good hotel. I like the anonymity of it and, frankly, I like the fact that I don't have to clean the bathroom for a few days. The author of this book was on NPR a little while ago discussing the book and the secrets of the hospitality industry.  More specifically, the secrets of hotels.  I will definitely have a new outlook when I take my next trip and stay overnight at a hotel.  I'll also have a few new tricks to try in order to get upgraded.

I liked the book for two reasons.  First, the author is very candid and doesn't try to make the industry seem fabulous.  It's like he wants you to know that even though you are entering what appears to be the lap of luxury, the people behind the scenes are everyday folks trying to make ends meet. Second, it's funny.  After hearing his interview on NPR, I didn't expect it to be as funny as it was.  The cast of characters and co-workers lends itself to some funny anecdotes. Some stories were so outrageous you just know they have to be true.

If you've ever worked in a service industry where you get to see the underbelly of humanity on a daily basis, you'll enjoy this book. It's also a quick read so I'd recommend it for the summer.  Read it before you go on vacation so you can employ some of the suggested tricks to improve your hotel stay.

Some of My Best Friends are Black

When I went to the author talk featuring Baratunde Thurston he mentioned that one of the best books he'd read recently on the subject of race was Some of My Best Friends are Black by Tanner Colby.  You know me.  I picked it up at the library and started reading.

I didn't dislike the book.  However, I didn't love it.  Some of the sections went on much longer than I cared for the topic.  I would be interested for a chapter or two and then I'd be disappointed when the next chapter was still about the same thing.  A lot of it was predictable because he would say something like "guess what happened when black people tried to get mortgages...they were denied!" I'd read something like that and sarcastically think, "Wow, I never saw that one coming."

Since the book is supposed to discuss how and why integration essentially failed in America, I think I was expecting a more generalized history and examination.  I am fascinated by the topic and often wonder what would have happened if, instead of integration, black America got the appropriate resources to be self sufficient.  Instead of taking a look at that, the book is divided into four sections and each section focuses on a subject (education, housing, advertising, and religion). Each section further narrows the examination by geographic area.  He focuses on one neighborhood for each subject (Vestavia Hills, Kansas City, New York, and Grand Coteau respectively).  I know integration is a very broad topic to tackle, and the author recognizes this in the preface of the book as well, but I think I was expecting something different than what I got.   As I was reading, I felt like the book was too narrow. There were some interesting facts sprinkled along the way that kept me reading, but I can't honestly say there was an overarching point to drive home or that the book was exceptionally memorable.

I submit that the best book on race that I recently read is The Warmth of Other Suns because that book managed to touch on a lot of the same topics in a more dynamic and broad way. If you have to choose between the two, go for The Warmth of Other Suns.