I have been feeling incredibly strange about not posting to this blog for the past week or two. Game of Thrones, season six has ended but I have been programmed over the last several months to create a weekly blog with smart insight or general observations about the show. As a result, over the last several days I have been attempting to envision how I might still utilize this platform as I impatiently wait for the seventh season of the show to begin, because not blogging every week has been...weird.


I have decided that I want to return to the books and do something of a "Book Club" post every week or two until the show returns. My life is a bit crazy and classes will begin again before I know it, but I would like to commit to reading a few chapters per week (or bi-weekly) and write about them. Perhaps I will write a bit about adaptation, changes between the book and show, perhaps a bit about the convoluted albeit genius political plot that Martin weaves into the books. Who knows! There are so many things that can be said and I think that this will be a great way to continue the conversation about the Game of Thrones universe.


Because I want this to be an experience in which my readers can follow along, whether it be their first time or 10th time through the series, I will read a set number of chapters each week (sometimes bi-weekly but I will warn readers when this will happen). I will start with book one (A Game of Thrones) and continue through the books in sequence until the HBO series returns. Although I will likely only make it through a book or two before this happens, I am hoping that this will allow me to continue this tradition after season 7 comes to a close.

So here is the plan for next week: I will read the first four chapters of A Game of Thrones and post it next week. I am also hoping to end each post with a couple of discussion questions which I am hoping my readers will engage with in the comments section of the blog.

So let's do this! A Game of Book-clubs is officially a GO!


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After that season 6 finale of Game of Thrones, I have so many feelings and thoughts. For now, however, I would like to focus on the women.


This episode proved that season 7 of Game of Thrones is going to be the "season of women." In the first six seasons we have largely been experiencing the universe through male power dynamics and attempts to resolve age old male conflicts. However, season 6, episode 10 has set an unprecedented number of women (at least in Westeros) into positions of great political power. We have Daenerys and Yara Greyjoy teamed up and moving from Essos to Westeros, Darth Cersei sitting on the Iron Throne (*gulp*), Sansa Stark, although under Jon, certainly has her spoon stirring the Northern plot, wildcard Arya is seeking to finish her kill-list (only Cersei and the Mountain to go!), and Lady Olenna and Ellaria Sand plotting it up with Varys in Dorne.


Yara and Daenerys are going to be a force to be wreckoned with. Between Dany's dragons and Yara's extensive fleet of ships, the current Westerosi powerhouses had better brace themselves for a bitter battle if they have any chance at holding their positions.

Cersei has always been a bit dark, but this episode seems to be pushing a comparison between Cersei and the Mad King. He prepped the fire to "burn them all" and Cersei actually took action. Unfortunately for her, she may be sorry she used up the wildfire before the White-walkers arrive on the scene. If nothing else, it seems that Jamie has finally come around the the position he holds in the books of being 100% OVER Cersei's BS. Did you see that look he gave her as he watched her take the throne? Something tells me that Jamie may have to decide whether or not to take out a second "Mad" ruler. This would, after all, complete the Valonqar prophecy.


Although I specifically mentioned Arya as a wildcard above, I would argue that this is actually true of each of the Stark sisters. Ever since Sansa's time with Baelish, the audience has been exposed to a back and forth tendency in Sansa where we are not quite sure where her loyalties lie. In fact, I would argue that the hardships that she has faced have her becoming more and more like Cersei (which is obviously quite troubling). Arya, on the other hand is pretty clear about who she is and what she wants, but I am unsure how this is going to impact the overall power structure of Westeros. We saw at the end of this episode, however, that her ability to take faces is one that will allow her to get close to her enemies and perform her kills and taking out the last two people on her kill list will most certainly shake things up.


I am still a bit unsure how Lady Olenna and Ellaria Sand will play into things but the season finale suggests that Varys is going to put these powerful ladies to good use in some one or other of his own plots.

Clearly season seven is going to be largely about the ladies of Westeros. It will be interesting to see if there might be an argument to be made about the difference in rule and political problems in gendered terms. But for now...we will have to wait and see. Is it next year yet? I'm already singing Beyonce ("Who run the world? Girls!") and waiting impatiently...
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