Jaime.....Who?

The A Song of Ice and Fire series consists of some pretty interesting and intriguing characters. One of the characters, Jaime Lannister, undergoes an utterly extreme character change. In the beginning of the story, Jaime is a pompous and arrogant character who prompts the reader to hate him with his rude actions and haute-y gestures. However as the story progresses, Jaime's motives and attitude change, making him a likable character. He has a sense of honor, acts in order to benefit the well being of others, and no longer abuses his status. Jaime is just an example of the genius writing of the story and why it is incredibly involving.

A Dance With Dragons

If you have been following my blog posts (I know you were) then you know that I have been heavily invested in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. Currently, I have almost completed the 5th book in the series, A Dance With Dragons. The 3rd book in the series was considered to be the meat of the story, with the 4th book being an aftermath / build up/ ADWD is another meaty part to the story as the individual stories of all the characters are intensely interesting and gripping. I simply do not want to put this book down. READ IT.

A Change of Pace

In George R.R. Martin's A Feast for Crows (AFFC) the pace has changed from that of the first three books in the series, A Song of Ice and Fire. A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, and A Storm of Swords were paced well, containing the right amount of memorable moments as well as events that pulled on one's heartstrings. However, the last half of ASOS was incredibly accelerated. Momentous events took place, new characters came and old ones went, and the "game of thrones" was changed and not necessarily for the better. AFFC is a deep breath for readers. The fourth installment of the series certainly advances the plot, but events take longer to play out and or show the true intentions of the characters behind certain events. A quote from Jay-Z expresses what I am trying to say about AFFC and the plot leading in the fifth book, A Dance with Dragons. Jay-Z says in his reasonable doubt song, "coming of age,""...let your s*** bubble quietly, and then you blow up." AFFC is a just as much of a masterpiece as the other books in the series. Martin is truly the modern, American Tolkien.

Out of Westeros and into the Kitchen

Recently I have been reading The Making of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman. The book is about the author and his experiences with the esteemed Culinary Institute of America. The author assumes the position of a student and goes through the same classes and routines a student at the institute takes and does. The writing is superb. The author captivates  the emotion, the character, and the passion of the institute. I will be attending this institute after high school and I feel as if I am reading about celebrities where in reality I am reading about my future teachers. This book is a must read for those seeking a book to read, those who are interested in the culinary field, or those who just like food.

Why did Li Mu Bai have such a strong desire to teach Jen?

In the movie, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, the character, Li Mu Bai, who is a master of the Wudan way of martial arts, longs to teach Jen, a young girl with immense potential in martial arts. In the movie, Li Mu Bai are on opposing sides of the conflict. Jen has committed crimes against Li Mu Bai and his affiliates. Regardless, Li Mu Bai wishes to teacher the Wudan way. Upon seeing Jen fight, Li Mu Bai realizes her potential in channeling her qi as well as honing in on her fighting skills. Although Jen used her abilities for, what some would deem, evil, Li Mu Bai believes that with education, discipline and understanding Jen will be able to see the error of her ways and learn to use her abilities, not out of want, but out of necessity.

My rant on King Joffrey

If you're not familiar with the Game of Thrones series, you should be. If you are familiar with the series, then you probably HATE Joffrey like I do! He is the perfect example of what not to let your kids become. Arrogant, brutal, sick, torturer, and an all around prick! (sorry mrs, healey). Anyway, this post is short but sweet. But I still hate Joffrey. A lot.

The road less traveled

Imagine that your reading a story. For the most part, you can tell where the story is going, right? Well this is not the case in A Clash of Kings. A good story causes you to become attached to the characters and you hope nothing but good happens to your favorite ones. In some ways, you might have a plan for some of your favorite character. ACoK takes a favorite character of mine, Arya, and throws her into a series of events that will take you, and definitely took me, for a loop. See for yourself.