More poker, Less cheese

I've said it before and I will write it again--reading is intoxicating. It is the portal to other worlds and lives. I love it. And I hate it because it hurts to love someone whose existence is confined to the pages of a doomed world. A few posts back, I wrote about my ventures into Westeros. Though I wrote it with a lively spirit, my heart was made more fragile by the countless cycles of heartbreak in later books. I am awaiting the release of the sixth and (hopefully not) penultimate book of the series-- Winds of Winter. As I wait, I have decided to re-read the books (more than five thousand pages combined)!! It is painful to re-live the tragedies that befall my favorite characters. The sounds that escape me are like that of a wounded direwolf--loud, vengeful, and laced with sorrow. Happily for me, I am not alone! 

I have a new friend who has joined the dark side of reading late into the night. She has started A Game of Thrones. She is hooked. She becomes part of the great ancestry of this amazing series. All of my books have a story as to when and where they were obtained. Some books beckon for attention at a bookstore where they are displayed prominently in the window or shelf. Other books are bought upon recommendations by best-seller lists. Other books come with a vibrant ancestry. Basically, someone reads a book and likes it A LOT. So she/he enthusiastically suggests it to another person. That individual reads it and likes it A LOT and they pass the memo forward. Having proved myself to be a book nerd by way of my Pothead* analyses, an old friend recommended I delve into the Song of Ice and Fire series. I did so in varying doses. I do not regret it. This old friend was like an Obi-wan Kenobi and the history and entire narrative of the series was his Jedi trade. He did well in letting me do as Gandalf did in Middle Earth, which is to roam "300 lives of men", but in another fantasy world. I was given free reign to consider the plight of the characters. I let my intuition paint their character. My imagination brought to life the geography of the land in Westeros and Essos. It was a fulfilling read. Now it is my duty to encourage my new friend to keep reading, a role I cheerfully accept. Unfortunately, I sense my inadequacy in maintaining the poker face of my old friend that was so crucial to my initial reading. Upon my first test as a "Jedi master" (she wanted to know whether she should like a certain character), my eyes enlarged to that of a deer in the headlight and my hands flew to my mouth as I squealed an excited answer that luckily gave no indication in favor or against the character. She simply laughed, but I have to somehow find a way to keep it together. 

Summary of my great challenge of the summer for life-

Desired poker face:

Current poker face:

OR

OR

(Verified by my sister... I quote her, "your poker face is a cheesy smile."

*Since I know my dad will read this, Pothead is a Harry Potter fan who borders on obsessed/crazy. Of course, there are more literal definitions that involve Harry Potter flying high on a magical bong... but I'm not referring to that here...