Me Talk Pretty One Day
By David Sedaris
288 pages (Humorous Essay Collection Non-Fiction)

This book is a series of stories. Sedaris breaks it into part one and part deux. The first part involves his life growing up with his family and part of his life in New York. Part Duex involves his moving and living in France.

Sedaris is a humorous author. He draws the reader in with laughter, but makes valid and meaningful points about life. It is extremely easy to read. Each chapter is a story by itself. He starts with his speech teacher as a young man. David’s lisp lands him in Speech Therapy and his uncomfortable “relationship” with his teacher becomes a source of amusement. He spends a whole quarter with her and not until the last day does he know anything about her. Sedaris has an easy way of sliding from subject to subject and he juxtaposes seemly unrelated things. He delves into being one half of a gay couple and a great part of his book focuses on his short comings while trying to live in a small town in France.

I found the book to be entertaining and funny. Part of the book focuses on Sedaris and his father and it honestly made me feel uncomfortable as he revealed “weird” things about his dad. In fact it seemed like a part of the books humor was derived from finding faults in other people. This put me off a bit.

Me Talk Pretty One Day is considered by many to be one of the funniest books. I don’t fall into this category. It was funny at times and entertaining throughout, but also parts of it put me off. I imagine most people would find it worth a read, but I’m not going to say it’s the greatest thing out there.

4 Emotional: The whole book delves into the personal life of Sedaris and the reader gets to view life as if they were David.

2 Intellectual: I didn’t find it to be intellectually engaging, but of course that wasn’t the point. It was a memoir of sorts and it was more emotional.

2 Long Term: I think many would disagree on this. It is a very popular book and probably will be so for a while, but I feel there are better reads out there and eventually this will fade.

8 out of 13. Not Bad, Not Great.

Keep Turning Pages

A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

A Clash of Kings

George R.R. Martin

1009 Pages (Fantasy Fiction)

SPOILER ALERT: If you have not read A Game of Thrones, this is a sequel to that book. Therefore everything is a spoiler. Please see my previous entry on that book.

As mentioned in the previous book review I am re-reading the Song of Ice and Fire series to get reacquainted with it before the 5th book comes out. Followers of my book review will see that it has been a few months since my last review. That is not because of a lack of reading. It is because I have become so enthralled with this series that I have just kept reading rather than write reviews. Plus, at over 1,000 pages a piece it isn’t like it’s a quick read.

We start a Clash of Kings with 5 kings vying for the Iron Throne. Joffery Baratheon is now the “Official” King. We have learned that he is a child born of incest and not actually the true heir. Stannis Baratheon is former King Robert’s eldest brother and the rightful heir to the throne though most do not know that. Renly Baratheon is next in line to the Throne and although not the rightful heir has raised the southern lords armies to his cause. Robb Stark has been declared the King of the North and is supported by his bannermen. The Greyjoys rule the sea and are also making a claim for the throne.

Martin continues with the same method of writing. Each chapter is written from the point of view of a character and you get part of the story from each one in turn. Each book in this series is massive and it is extremely hard to stop reading. I find many times when I sit down to read for a few minutes that I have read 50-60 pages and I still want to keep reading. The people are extremely real. Some vie for power, others are trying to protect what is theirs, another betrays for some small gain, while the next does their duty against what is in their heart. Even the characters that you dislike are a joy to experience.

The book is aptly named; battle after battle is intermixed with pillaging, political maneuvering and out right betrayal. The Baratheon brothers attempt to reconcile, but that only ends in bloodshed. The Stark family is now spread across the continent. Each scattered after the death of Eddard Stark. Most believe the rest to be dead or captured by the enemy. The Black Brothers of the Wall head into the land beyond the wall to find out what has happened to all the wildlings and to further investigate why men have risen from the dead. Daenerys Targaryen is the mother of the only Dragons in the world. She leads her people on a death march across the Red Waste. She hopes to find a way to save her people and get enough support to lead a war against the Seven Kingdoms and take the throne that was taken from her family.

I can’t recommend these books enough. This is the second time I have read this series and I am more involved the second time through. For anyone intersted in fantasy fiction these books are a must read. Martin tells a very historical feeling story with romance, honor, knights and battle. He then adds a sprinkle of fantasy and magic that draws a reader in and makes you become a part of this fantastic world. A reader can believe that the world could be found here on Earth.

4 Emotional: Each character is very indepth. Even someone who isn’t a “main” character has motivations and feelings that become a part of the story.

4 Intellectual: The politial aspect and the “game of thrones” that is played constantly keeps the mind intrigued and entertained.

5 Long Term: As mentioned before I am even more into these books the second time through. I think the more people read this the more popular they will become and the will easily stand the test of time.