The Throne and the Crown - 1/8/17

One of the gifts I received for Christmas was an elaborate 3D, multi-level jigsaw puzzle with a Game of Thrones theme.  Usually I end up doing my jigsaw puzzles alone, but fortunately the whole family pitched in on this one, or I don't know when I would have gotten it done.    It has some little pieces representing the more well-known buildings in the land, and a very tiny Iron Throne (doesn't everyone need their very own Iron Throne?)

Working the puzzle inspired me to go back and re-watch the most recent season of the show, and scour the internet for rumors of the next book's publication.  Lots of scuttlebutt that it's going to be soon (I hope so, but I'll believe it when I see it.)  A few days later I found myself binge watching the first season of another series I'm looking forward to continuing, "The Crown."  It got me thinking about some parallels between the stories ... themes of kingdoms and castles, of the dynamics of the ruling families, and of young women in powerful positions being manipulated by their advisers.  Admittedly, the 20th century story doesn't have the violence of the Game of Thrones, but you don't have to go back that far to:

The Crown Conspiracy     

Tomorrow we'll be in New York.