Currently Reading: A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

Wow. I think I might actually be getting the hang of this whole blogging thing. *knocks on wood*

I have really been enjoying popping on and sharing my thoughts with you guys, so thank you for sticking around with me.

Let's chat about my current read: A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin, the first novel in the A Song of Ice and Fire series that inspired the hit HBO series "Game of Thrones."

I am a big fan of the HBO series, so when I finally found out that it was based on a series of books I was even more elated. Unfortunately, I was already pretty far into the show and didn't want to accidentally spoil anything for myself, so I put off reading the books until now that the show is officially over.

I am just under 200 pages in AND I AM LOVING IT!

I know part of my excitement has to be coming from how much I loved the show, but another part of it is at finally being able to imagine it all for myself. Plus, there are things in the books that never made it to the HBO series which is going to make this read-through like a treasure hunt almost! 

Now that I am reading the books, I definitely get the hype. I am a huge fan of the fantasy genre and A Game of Thrones fits the bill perfectly. There's believable world-building, strong characterization, and slightly flowery, descriptive language. 

I am also a huge fan of switching perspectives between chapters. It allows the reader to get a unique insight into each of the main characters' minds, but it also allows the author to tell more, even better stories within a single novel.

So far, I would have to say that my favorite chapters are the ones from Jon's perspective, but seeing as he is my favorite character from the HBO series, I'm not surprised.

Have you read A Game of Thrones or any of the other books in the A Song of Ice and Fire series? What did you think? Who was your favorite character?

Let's chat in the comments!

Sometimes You Need to Unplug

You guys. How in the heck did we get so lucky that Nature is a thing? I feel even more blessed that I live in a place that has amazing sights like these just a few hours away.

A few weekends ago, I had the opportunity to take a few days off and spend the weekend camping with my best friend who made the drive all the up from Texas to spend time with me! We have been friends since we met in the fourth grade and we stayed friends when she moved away in high school, so it is very special to me when we do get time together.

She brought her dog, Rocko (the floofy boi on the left), and he and Dempsey (my lil pip squeak on the right) became fast friends and adventure buddies!

Crossing the Mackinac Bridge for the first time was definitely something I will not forget. I have lived in Michigan my whole life, but it's taken 25 years for me to finally get across that dang bridge and into the Upper Peninsula. As you can see, Dempsey was not quite sure how she felt about the whole driving over a nearly five-mile-long bridge over two of the Great Lakes, but she did great! 

I absolutely love camping. I am not really sure why, but the stuff that usually bothers other people about camping - the bugs, sleeping on the ground, no showers - doesn't bother me at all. In fact, I say the more rustic the campground the better!

So I was especially pleased that we were able to find the perfect spot at Monocle Lake Campground, just an hour away from Tahquamenon Falls. It's a beautiful, horseshoe-shaped site in part of the expansive Hiawatha National Forest and is definitely a nature-lovers dream. Our site was directly across from the lake and it was gorgeous at sunset.

The best thing about camping has to been how everything is forced to slow down. Suddenly, tasks that are quick and easy at home become more laborious and have more steps. Making coffee in the morning or cooking dinner in the evening now takes an extra hour or so depending on how well you can build a fire and if the coals stayed warm.

And did I mention the fact that also means technology slows down too? Turning my phone onto airplane mode and disconnecting from our loud, chaotic society even for a few short days is rejuvenating.

As a person who already loves camping and getting outdoors (when I'm not busy being an introvert homebody), I didn't think I would be able to enjoy it more. And then we got Dempsey. If you are one of those people on the fence about camping, I really recommend you take your furry friend with you on your next camping trip.

Watching Dempsey get to constantly explore and experience new things while I do too is everything. She gets to go on hikes, swim in lakes, and chew on lots of sticks. But more importantly, we get to have these shared experiences that are so much more rewarding and fulfilling than if we just left her at home with a dog sitter.

What about you? Do you like camping? What are some of your favorite camping activities?

Book Review: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Let me start by saying that I did enjoy reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I just don't think that I enjoyed it as much as I felt like I should. Don't get me wrong: Hitchhiker's was witty and Douglas Adams is a seriously hysterical writer, it just felt like as soon as the story really warmed up and got going, it was over a few chapters later.

In case you are one of the few people who has not heard of this novel before, here is part of the synopsis on Goodreads: 

"Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor."

From that one sentence alone, who wouldn't want to read this book?

So is there something I am missing? Are there more books that come after this one that keep the story going that I am just totally oblivious to?

Because Adams is just fantastic to read. He has a singular gift for delivering sarcasm that is oh so delightfully British and it comes across in his characters so well. Not only are the characters witty, but they are realistically written and that makes it even better. 

For example the protagonist, Arthur Dent, is a human thrown into countless alien situations after he is saved moments before Earth's destruction. How does he respond? At times, he freaks out a bit. At others, he is hysterically sarcastic. It definitely made it easy for me to imagine how I would react in the same kinds of situations (but let's be real - I'd probably just cry the whole time). 

And it isn't just the human characters that are well written. Marvin, the constantly depressed and self-deprecating robot, goes around moaning about how miserable he is. Even Zaphod Beeblebrox, a two-headed humanoid and president of the galaxy, has moments that I found myself relating to him.

In all, I would recommend The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to lovers of sci-fi and anyone looking for an easy, enjoyable read with some funny characters.

Have you read Hitchhiker's? What did you think - what did you like or not like?