The Dewey Decimal Code

I couldn't wait to read this book. Dan Brown, an author who has mixed reviews, has an incredible talent of blurring the lines between real facts and conspiracy theories (which is something that generates his mixed reviews). I've read most of his other books, three of which include main character Robert Langdon (Angels and Demons [2000], Inferno [2013], and The Lost Symbol [2009]). This book also follows the intelligent Langdon, but with new comrades, and a new mystery that only he can solve.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Via Wikipedia

Genre: Mystery, conspiracy fiction, thriller
Setting: Present day
Published: 2003 
Pages: 454

I'm always game for a good mystery book, but I love it even more if there's a crazed conspiracy. Luckily, Dan Brown delivers both of these on a silver platter in this novel. He was able to convincingly weave fact with fiction, that I actually found myself sitting in dumbfounded silence questioning my very own beliefs.

The book begins how all good mystery books begin- with a mystifying murder. Harvard Symbologist Robert Langdon is in Paris for a presentation on religious symbology, his dictation as a professor. He gets a visit from the Lieutenant of The Judicial Police force of France (our version of the FBI). Lieutenant Jerome Collet informs Landgon of a murder they need him to consult on, as it involves what they believe to be religious symbols. The victim was curator of the Louvre, found in his very own museum in a horrific manor. When Langdon sees the photos, he says to Collet, "I can't imagine who would do this to someone", to which Collet responds, "You don't understand Mr. Langdon. What you see in this photograph... Monsieur Mauniere [the curator] did that to himself".

Now keep in mind, that chilling exchange happens on page 11. Only page 11! We are in for a wild ride after that, if you couldn't already guess.

The book flips between Langdon and Silas (the murderer). Silas is described as a 'hulking albino', and as we delve deeper into his story, we see he is religion obsessed. And I don't mean he goes to church every Sunday. I mean he believes he is killing in the name of the Lord. A real nutcase. Although his exact reasons for killing Mauniere are not stated until later on, we can tease out that Mauniere, and the three other men that Silas killed before him, were hiding a secret that Silas, and the people he works for, believe is too dangerous to ever be exposed.

Because the book has so many plot twists and "OH MY GOD WHAT' moments (my personal favorite), I can't say much about how it progresses, but I can promise you it is wild.

With the help of French cryptologist Sophie Neveu, she and Langdon are thrown into a trail of clues left by Mauniere before his death, most involving some of the most famous paintings by Leonardo Da Vinci, leading them to a religious conspiracy as old as the Catholic religion itself.

Let me tell you, it is a crazy conspiracy. Being a Catholic myself, I had to be sure to not get too invested in it, as I believe the conspiracy is entirely untrue. However, if you can keep the distinction between fact and fiction separate, it really is a genius book, and it's a great book to keep you interested while you relax on the beach (or your couch) this spring break!!

 Happy Reading!   

The Game of Books

"When you play the Game of Books, you read, or you die." - George R.R. Martin, probably

Full disclosure, I am a Game of Thrones nerd. I've seen every episode at lease three times and I can talk for hours on end about any aspect of the series. I love it.

Unfortunately, I have never had the pleasure of reading the books as there are a lot, they are quite long, and I know exactly what happens in them. However, I believe a true fan reads the book as well as watches the show (or the movie). And I am of the opinion that the books are almost always better than their movie adaptations. With this mentality, I went right into the first book.

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin 

via iceandfire.wikia.com

Genre: Fantasy, Political Strategy, Epic Fantasy  
Setting: Fantasy World 
Published: 1996
Pages: 674


First off, I'd like to debunk a common misconception; the series is not called Game of Thrones. That is only the name of book one. The actual series is called A Song of Ice and Fire. I know, I was as shocked as you are.

But anyway, WOW. This book was fantastic, even though I knew what was going to happen. The way Mr. Martin was able to create a whole fantasy world around the reader was very impressive. It's one thing to see it in the show, but it's a whole other to have to visualize it yourself in your head. Somehow, things were more vivid in my mind then I remember seeing them on TV. I loved seeing each character described, as each has a very distinct and complicated personality that took a while to develop (which Mr. Martin was able to do masterfully).

The book toggles between 8 characters; Bran, Catelyn, Daenerys, Eddard, Jon, Arya, Tyrion, and Sansa. Their stories are all vastly different, but each delves deeper into their personality and into their unique stories. It's hard to talk about each story without giving anything away, since there are so many twists within the first few chapters alone, but I can tell you this; Daenerys is my absolute favorite person ever. Her story is so heartbreaking but empowering, and I would flip ahead to see when her story would come next (not that the other stories weren't equally as enticing).

Daenerys via fanpop.cm

Compared to the show, I do have to say they did a very good job keeping it to the book. There were whole scenes that were verbatim from the book, which is impressive. However, there were some glaring differences that were made (I think) to make the book less disturbing. Characters were made older, which made certain scenes somewhat less shocking. However, neither the book or the show are family friendly. At all. Both are very gory and incredibly inappropriate so it was difficult to read at times, but soooooo worth it. Also, had I not watched the series first, I would have been incredibly confused because there were so many characters with so many overlapping stories.

All in all, I'll definitely finish the series (even though I know what will happen) because the books are a lot more detailed and interesting than the show. I won't be posting a review on my blog about each one, as anything I say past the basics will give away a information about the story, and I don't want to ruin it for anyone, because it is AMAZING. Literally my MIND was BLOWN almost every episode. There was one twist that was so unexpected that I gasped loud enough to wake up my roommate (it was 3 AM, one doesn't simply fall asleep while in the throws of a good episode of Game of Thrones). Thon weekend probably isn't the best time to start this series because you will be glued to it and you won't make it to Thon. But definitely read it at some point, or at least watch the show.

And hey, if you do, let me know; I'm always up for a good GoT discussion!

Just Keep Bookin'

This week, I took a more serious turn. After Fight Club, I wanted to read something inspiring, something gut wrenching, but something strong. I actually had the book in my room the whole time- I had brought it from home in the hopes that I would have the chance to finally read it. And luckily, the time came. After a quick search on the Penn State Library data base to be sure they carried it (they do!), I was off.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption  by Laura Hillenbrand
Genere: Non-Fiction 

Setting: World War II

 Published: 2010

Via newportbeachindy.com

Pages: 398

I was hooked by page 4. I remember thinking to myself, "oh man, I'm in for a good one". I would be horribly remiss if I didn't address the most amazing thing about this book; the writing style.
Personally, I think that is the most important thing about a book, it can make or break it. You could have the most interesting plot in the know literary universe, but if it isn't conveyed properly, it will fall flat. Luckily for me (and you who choose to read it), Hillenbrand is a goddess among writers. I can tell you the exact lines that prove my point too.

 "...The ship passed over Nuremberg, where fringe politician Adolf Hitler, whose Nazi Party had been trounced in the 1928 elections, had just delivered a speech touting selective infanticide. Then it flew east of Frankfurt, where a Jewish woman named Edith Frank was caring for her newborn, a girl named Anne..." (page 4)

With those few lines, the setting was established, and my heart was invested. I mean seriously, that is some beautiful writing. Thus began three days of only moving to go to class, sleep, and occasionally eat (if I could tear myself away from the book for long enough). To be honest, I did bring it to the dining hall one night, to the confusion of my friends. I felt emotionally attached to this book, and it's pretty clear to see why.


It preface opens with three men, apparently shipwrecked, about to be attacked by Japanese pilots. Only one full page in length, it sets an ominous tone for the book. However, then Part I begins, and you are thrown back to August 26th, 1929 where you meet Louis Zamperini. One of 4 children (two girls, two boys) born to Italian immigrants, Louie is thieving and uncontrollable. Hillenbrand masterfully recounts his youth, having done a copious amount of research by both working with Mr. Zamperini, and talking to anyone who knew him. This weaves a wonderfully rich, and at times amusing, tale of a boy, who eventually becomes a man.

Without giving too much away, I will say this; Louie Zamperini could run. Coached by his older (and by Louie's account 'better') brother Pete, Louie is able to channel his childhood rambunctiousness into training for a multitude of track events, and then finding his niche in distance running. A whole swell of amazing things happen from there (you'll have to read the book to find out what!), but then the war comes.

This is where the book gets difficult. Without giving anything away, I can say this much; Louise joins the war, and has to go to hell and back to get home.War is horrific. And as I've said before, Hillenbrand has a knack for writing things just as they are. I'd advise anyone who is squeamish or anxious to take care; this is not a book that can be taken lightly. It will take you to the deepest parts of humanity, so be prepared.

That being said, it is not a book that will every leave you, nor will you want it to. It is a story of, as the title promises, 'Survival, Resilience, and Redemption'. Interspersed are helpful footnotes that give the reader a better understanding of the world in which the books takes place, as well as pictures to give faces to the heroic men who's stories adorn the pages of this book.

Unbroken was one of the most powerful books I've ever had the pleasure of reading, and I urge all of you to give it a go yourself.

The First Rule of Book Club Is...

TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY ABOUT IT :D

Okay, I'm kidding, obviously, but I think you guys get where I'm going with this.

This week I read non other than the (basically) classic, Fight Club!  I had super high expectations as my roommate had raved about it for weeks, and I had friends begging to borrow it after I was done. Having never seen the movie, I was a complete bank slate, ready to be, uh, fought? No? Well anyway, with this in mind, let's dive right in!

Via pinterest.com

Fight Club by Chuck Palantuk
Genre: Satire
Setting: Not Clear
Published: 1996

This one was... interesting. Like I said, I had unrealistically high expectations for this book which is never a good thing as you're almost constantly let down. And honestly, I was. 

First off, I was confused for about 100 pages of it. The style of writing was very jumpy and sporadic, it would go from a five sentence paragraph about traveling to two sentences showing how splice up movie reels if you work in a theater, then back again. The book is told from the point of view of an anonymous insomniac who lives a very superficial life in his condo which is filled with pointless knickknacks (eventually it gets blown up and his 'real life' begins).  He is totally lonely, totally detached from anything, and honestly, totally sad. Maybe Mr. Palahuiuk was trying to make a statement about how detached modern day life can get, how depressing things can be if you choose to live a tired life without passion. Maybe. I wasn't 100% convinced. 

The anonymous narrator attends a copious amount of outreach programs for people with various forms of deadly diseases. Which is really sad, and kinda sick. Apparently it is the only way he can sleep. Although his doctor gave him some helpful hints he chose not to follow, but hey, it's not up to me. 

Via Tumblr.com

The infamous 'fight club' didn't actually come into play until later on, which was disappointing because I was under the assumption that that was a major part of the book. A huge part of the book was about a women named Marla Singer, equally as messed up as our lovely narrator, and thus a weird kind of love triangle bloomed between them and Tyler Durden, an odd man who is also friends with the narrator (who, by the way, is attempting to ruin the narrator's life so that he can be 'saved' somehow).

This is the type of book you'd read if you want to see how sick some people can be. Or if you want to learn how to make soap. Or learn how to start a nationwide fight club. Not a great beach-side book I regret to say.

I don't know why, but it was a very hard book to read. Maybe it was the depressing haikus the narrator wrote and sent around to his office. Or the dysfunctional relationship he seemed to have with almost everyone he came into contact with. I can't exactly pin point it.

After I finished it I had to do some serious damage control. I went for a run, watched the funniest episodes of 'Parks and Rec' with my friends, and ate a nice bar of chocolate. It did make me felt better. Then I watched the movie! 

I figured I may as well, I already have exposed myself to the ideas in the book. Surprisingly, the book and movie were quite similar. Honestly, if you're really itching to read this story, I'd say to just watch the movie. Full scenes were verbatim from the book, so you won't be missing out on much. 

I do have to say this; there was one heck of a plot twist toward the end of the book. Because of this, watching the movie after was almost fun, because you really could see it coming now that you knew. 

I'd just stick to the movie on this one, which is not something I say lightly. 
Sorry Chuck Palahuiuk.