A Feast for Crows

I just finished A Feast for Crows, but due to its sensitivity on spoilers, I can't actually say much. A Song of Ice and Fire continues to be awesome.

Ready Player One

I've just finished reading Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.
Wow, I really enjoyed this, it was just so much fun. It's set in the near future, but essentially takes place inside an MMO. The basic premise is that there is a massive fortune to be won if a player can solve a bunch of obscure puzzles, but what makes it really interesting is that the theme for all of this is 80's trivia but mostly focused on all those things I'm personally really interested in. Computer games, Science Fiction/Fantasy, D&D, computer programming.
A small sample of references in the book includes Blade Runner, Highlander, Ghost Busters, Star Wars, Star Trek, War Games, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Monty Python films, Zork, Defender, Pac Man, Adventure, D&D, Tomb of Horrors, Family Ties, Knight Rider, Max Headroom, very much Anime and so on. There is so much detail in the references to these subjects that it is one continual reminiscing session about all the things I enjoyed growing up, and still love today.
There were also some pretty cool technologies used by players to connect to the game, including haptic feedback suits, smell sense towers, full-immersive laser-in-the-eye goggles, full motion capture movement rigs and so on. I also really liked the flavour of the dystopian world that had been left behind too, as clearly people were giving up on the poverty of the real world and spending most of their time jacked in to this free online experience.
The only thing that jarred a little for me was a description of how many times the main character had seen each of the films, and spent time mastering the games, and read the comics etc. I figure if you go total up the amount of hours he needed to spend learning, watching, playing, listening, he would have had to have been a thousand years old. I mean, I've seen "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" at least 25 times, and played Elite on Amiga for months on end in all my spare time in the day, but all the stuff this guy has experienced added up in time was just plain impossible. Or perhaps I was just jealous. Hard to tell.

A Storm of Swords

I just finished reading A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin.

I found I enjoyed reading this more than the previous two in the series. Most obviously because I had not seen the TV series, and had no idea what was going to happen. This gives all the reveals and twists their full horrifying or fantastic impact. This is the real beauty of Martin's work, in that just because you have built up a strong empathy with or appreciation for, or even massive hatred of a given character, it has no bearing on their longevity or fate. You read with really no idea what will happen, which is sadly missing from many novels which you read really to find out how the end is achieved, knowing really where it is going most of the time.
The language and detail remains impressive and beautiful. The dedication to character building regardless of fate likewise.
Part two in particular is filled with OMFG moments and was so much fun to read.
I look forward to reading the rest, but will do so just leading the TV series. For now it's back to SF.

A Clash of Kings

I just finished reading A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin.
First of all, I've changed my mind now about reading the books after watching the TV series. Initially, I thought it would be more fun to not spoil the surprises and events of the TV, through reading the books, but now I think there is just too much downside. There is quite a lot of detail left out of the TV series, and in some cases they've really simplified what was going on; in particular at the end of the TV series I was plain confused as to why the place was on fire. After reading, I now know, and have a much better idea. Further, I think I'll actually enjoy the TV more for knowing what the full story is, and just going for the ride. Also, I felt I had to wade through the book a little as I basically knew what was going on more than the author intended, so I think it was a little spoiled from that point of view.
Ah well. I now continue straight into A Storm of Swords before the new TV season starts in April.
As for the actual novel, other than the above, I did really enjoy it. The language is beautiful, the detail amazing, and the depth fulfilling. Tyrion shines in the book as he does on TV. Actually, I felt inspired to write something myself, I think its the language that gets me into an expansive and creative mood. No good can come of this.

A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire

I just finished reading this, by George R.R. Martin.
Obviously I read this because I enjoyed the TV series so much. I don't usually read Fantasy anymore, although I used to read quite a lot of the genre, and at the time this book was released, but I never picked up on this author. I knew all the authors who wrote one liners for the book, just not Martin. Ah well, I'll be catching up with his work now, although not however before watching the TV series that corresponds to each book. I don't want to spoil the awesomeness.
I enjoyed reading the book as much as watching the TV series, and I really didn't think I would. It was really great to get a deeper feel for the politics and relationships of those involved as well as some of the history and greater events and happenings. It's really well written too; the language is quite beautiful in parts, and there are the classic one-liners and dialog that we know and love from the TV.
The characters and events closely followed the TV series, and I now have even more respect for the screen version given how close it is to the novel.
Thoroughly recommended.