Meet my Mentors - Game of Thrones Chicks and Judy Blume

Judy Blume and Julia Keller
at Printers Row Lit Fest

What does HBO's violent fantasy series Game of Thrones have to do with Judy Blume, one of America's most beloved girl-coming-of age authors? Nothing, except I saw both of them yesterday and was most impressed. I saw Judy Blume speak at Chicago's Printers Row Lit Fest in the afternoon and she is delightful.

It's hard to believe the prolific author is 75 years old. She speaks and moves as lightly as one of the teenage girls she's been so apt at characterizing over the years in books such as "Are you There God? It's Me, Margaret." I loved hearing her discuss her creative process, which involves writing every morning and, gulp, five complete rewrites of every manuscript. Judy Blume and her son have made the first film based on one of her books, Tiger Eyes. I've made an appointment to watch it on demand with my daughter.

As much as I enjoyed seeing Judy Blume, yesterday's real drama was the Season 3 Finale of Game of Thrones. I don't know why exactly I'm so obsessed with this show. Some of it is so disgusting and  horrifying (like every scene with Theon Greyjoy) I have to scamper out of the room so I won't see. Plus, as soon as I get attached to a character, he or she gets something chopped off.

Catelyn's troubles are over

The show has been criticized for being misogynistic (there are a lot of rapes and boobies) but I find most of the women characters on Game of Thrones simply fascinating. The odds are definitely stacked against women in Westeros, but the skills they develop to cope with their brutal world are brilliant. It makes me wonder, which character am I most like?

I wish it was my namesake, the charmingly manipulative Margaery, or perhaps the dark magic wielding priestess, Milisandre. Talk about feminine powers! But according to the quiz I took online, I identify most with Catelyn, the noble, principled, long-suffering Starck matriarch. You know - the middle aged mom. Sheesh. I get it, but unfortunately Catelyn had a rather bloody demise last week, so I'm going to have to find someone else to relate to next season.

Are you a Game of Thrones fan, and if so, which character are you? Are you the valiant warrior Brienne? The scrappy, vengeful Arya? You can take the quiz for yourself right here.

Which 'Game of Thrones' Character Are You?