A Game of Thrones is a phenomenon, a revolution. George R. R. Martin has written one of the finest pieces of fantasy literature the genre has to offer. In his first novel of the series A Song of Ice and Fire , Martin throws readers head first into a complex, richly layered world roiling with intrigue, violence, lust and betrayal.

The cupcake craze has hit the bookshelves. Cute, simple, delicious and typically less dense than a slice of cake, cupcakes have become a sensation. Cupcake television shows, cupcake ATMs and cupcake stores are springing up everywhere, and inspired Meg Donohue, a cupcake fanatic, to create the perfect theme for her first novel, How to Eat a Cupcake. The book is sweet, delightful and pleasantly filling in every way, shape and form.

inspired by the success of her fictional Twitter account, which boasts an impressive celebrity fanbase. With her 701,698 followers, Babe Walker’s fame has skyrocketed. Those well-versed in the pop culture circuit might have already heard of the book’s much-anticipated release in January via fashion magazines and retweets from fellow fans, which would make any discerning reader somewhat suspicious of its content.

If you were impervious to the buzz around campus last Saturday about the growing line in front of Chapin that stretched to 116, some time out of the library for a big dose of Vitamin D might be in order. Those lucky enough to get a ticket put away their bodycon dresses and heels in search of a more intellectual evening as television host Rachel Maddow stopped by on her national tour for her debut book Drift .

In The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins has taken a great idea and done nothing with it. Since its publication, the book has garnered a storm of popular support and has since taken up Twilight’s mantle as the latest young adult series phenomenon. This popularity is not entirely undeserved: the story is riveting. The novel is set in a country known as Panem, which emerged from the ruins of the former U.S., and is ruled by a markedly cruel dictatorship.

In Katniss Everdeen’s world, it’s either kill or be killed. Author Suzanne Collins crafted a futuristic, cruel world in her bestselling series, The Hunger Games. Her ideas and creativity paid off. The modern literary obsession with vampires and werewolves is exhausting, but The Hunger Games takes an entirely different approach on young adult science fiction and fantasy.

Some celebrities have a talent for revealing everything and nothing simultaneously. They are capable of attracting the attention of the public with honesty and bluntness while remaining mysterious and vulnerable. Apparently, this phenomenon is nothing new: actress, poet and activist Adah Isaacs Menken successfully tempered her public persona and her private life with little effort.

I have a crush on Jack Kennedy. I also just have a crush on the year 1962 in general. I always wonder what living at that time was like.

There is an old cliché that states, “Never judge a book by its cover.” While this statement only applies occasionally, I found it to be undeniably true when readings Margot Livesey’s new novel. Despite the promise of movement in the title, The Flight of Gemma Hardy is as slow and as boring as tar. Livesey bases her novel off of the classic Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, and the novel’s plot follows very closely to that of Jane’s depressing, orphan life. Gemma’s parents die, her legal guardian and uncle soon pass away and Gemma is sent to a strict boarding school by her wicked aunt and cousins.

Cirque du Soleil regularly performs a great trick. The magic of the circus from Montreal has gravity defying acrobats, awe-inspiring contortionists and inventive makeup and costumes. However, Cirque du Soleil reinterpreted the circus and created a new show, which had never been seen. The company took a well-worn idea and made it new again; they gave audiences something to be surprised about.