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Bookshelf Battle
The only site where new bestsellers are forced to do battle for space on a nerd's bookshelf.
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George RR Martin Likes Football, Thrones Snubbed
George RR Martin, Almighty Creator of Westeros, likes football. Want proof? Check out his blog:
http://grrm.livejournal.com/401649.html
Thoughts:
1) Yes. He still uses Livejournal. Supposedly he also still writes his stuff on an old MS DOS Computer.
(Cue Bob Saget How I Met Your Mother Narrator) – Kids, there was a time before Windows when you had to type out instructions of what you wanted your computer to do before it did anything…
2) Is it possible to like football and be a nerd? Should I be worried he’s losing his nerd cred?
3) Forget I asked that. The man created an epic fantasy world and for Christ’s Sake, he wears a Fisherman’s Cap wherever he goes. His nerdyness is beyond reproach or question.
4) I did feel bad about this excerpt that George RR wrote:
As for the non-football contests, yes, of course, GAME OF THRONES lost another Golden Globe. This one to THE AFFAIR. Nothing unexpected there, and I am glad I saved myself some time and money and stayed home. Sad to say, I don’t think any fantasy will ever win a Golden Globe. The prejudice against genre shows runs too deep. I did think Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were great, however, and I liked Allan Cummings in his peach suit-shirt-tie ensemble.
I’ve never seen The Affair. I assume it’s a decent enough show. I have a bias for Game of Thrones because I think it should win everything. And if you want affairs, that show has them every two seconds. But it is sad that this author who’s an expert of the fantasy genre, obviously based on his vast knowledge and experience, concludes fantasy could never win an award due to bias.
Why isn’t Game of Thrones deserving of a Golden Globe? How many shows have there been that are so epic and sweeping in scope, so complicated in terms of plot, and yet have been able to attract so many viewers, and rivet them to a story that features so many different complex characters? GOT is the only show like that, that I can think of.
Again, nothing against The Affair, but I doubt it could possibly have a moment like GOT had last year, where I felt my heart literally sink when The Viper, er, uh, well let’s not give away a spoiler and just say he celebrated too soon.
Back to George RR liking football. Here’s a question for everyone. If NFL teams were Game of Thrones Houses, who would be who?
Here’s my lineup:
GAME OF NFL THRONES
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS/HOUSE LANNISTER – OK. I’m going to lay it out for you. Their owner is Bob Kraft. Bitch, the man owns cheese. Every time you put cheese on your taco the man gets a quarter. Like Tywin, he can put lots of money toward getting the best players.
BALTIMORE RAVENS/HOUSE GREYJOY – The Greyjoys aka the “Iron Born.” Those a-holes run around Westerns with their slogans of “We Do Not Sow” and “We Pay the Iron Price.” In other words, they aren’t exactly law abiding citizens, and as seen last year, neither was their star player, Ray Rice. Although, that might not be fair, as the NFL has been kind of mired as of late with one story after another with players on various teams being accused of wrongdoing. (I could also insert the Oakland Raiders here, but the jokes write themselves).
You guys take it away and finish the list. Because honestly, I’m a nerd and don’t know a whole helluvalot about football. So God help me, I might be a bigger nerd than George RR Martin. And that’s saying something.
What Book Would You Like to See Turned Into a Movie?
For me, I’d have to say The Dresden Files. I know there was an attempt at a TV show that didn’t take off, but with the right people behind it, I feel like a Dresden Files movie would be pretty spectacular.
How about you? What book would you like to see turned into a movie?
Literary Quotes – “The Count of Monte Cristo” – Alexandre Dumas
“All human wisdom is contained in these two words – Wait and Hope”
– Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo
I’ve never read this book. Its sheer size is intimidating. I’ve read The Three Musketeers and thoroughly enjoyed it. But this quote is accurate. We spend so much of our lives waiting for what we want and hoping it will happen.
Have you read it? If so, what did you think?
Life of Pi by Yann Martel – So, What About That Ending?
SPOILERS AHEAD
One could argue that Yann Martel’s Life of Pi has a choose-your-own ending.
Did Pi really travel across the ocean, learning to peacefully coexist with a ravenous man-eating tiger along the way, a clever allegory that opposites don’t necessarily have to cancel one each other out and people can learn to live their lives without destroying each other?
Did Pi lie to the authorities who questioned him because it was easier than it would have been to insist that his incredible story was true?
Was Pi’s claim of sailing with Richard Parker the Tiger a lie? Did he, in fact, suffer a terrible fate in which his mother was killed and he made up the story about the animals to avoid thinking about it?
Personally, I thought the Richard Parker version of the story was very uplifting, and then to add in the possibility that it never happened was a little disappointing. But the dual ending possibilities could be a litmus test. Positive people probably gravitate to the Richard Parker version. Negative people say “a boy and a tiger never could have survived on a raft together, the boy would have been eaten in 2 seconds. The version where Pi’s mother is killed must be the true version.”
All I can say is the novel is a good read, very original, and the movie really brings it to life.
Literary Quotes – A Wrinkle in Time – Madeleine L’Engle
“Just because we don’t understand doesn’t mean the explanation doesn’t exist.”
– Madeleine L’Engle – A Wrinkle in Time
That concept just wrinkled my brain! But it’s true. There are many things in this world we don’t understand, and yet, there is an explanation as to why said thing is the way it is.
I could probably turn to my cynical side and say this is proof-positive that there are many dumb people in the universe who have no idea what they are talking about, the Bookshelf Battler is a kinder, gentler blogger who does not say such things.
He just kind of says them round-a-boutly.
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