Showing posts with label The Hunger Games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Hunger Games. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Top Ten Bookish Confessions

TTT is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish!

Top Ten Bookish Confessions (...."You dog ear, you hated a book but said you loved it, you have $500 library fines...anything goes!")

1.  My library *may* have discontinued my library card. I have no idea why, but my library card no longer works on my library website. It claims my card number doesn't exist. Maybe they discontinued it because I kept racking up (but paying back!) small but repetitive late-fee fines? I need to see if I can get that fixed soon, I miss checking books out of the library.

2.  I mark up classic books (The Scarlet Letter, Walden, et cetera). I highlight and put asterisks by favorite passages. I don't think I'd ever do this for YA books, but I find it useful for the classics.

3.  I use thin, glossy hardcover books as mouse pads. Whenever I need to use a wireless mouse for my laptop, I grab the skinniest book with the glossiest cover I can find (glossy = smoothest surface for mouse), and use it as a mouse pad. I used to use Breaking Dawn (I figured I should get some use out of it since I felt like I'd wasted money buying it), but I've found thinner hardcovers are better. 

4.  It took me almost a year before I read The Hunger Games, because I wasn't a fan of the cover. Weirdly, I love the cover for this book now and think that it suits the story perfectly.

5.  I claim to have read Pride & Prejudice, but I've really never actually finished it. I made it about three/fourths of the way in, and gave up (twice). I've seen the Kiera Knightly movie though, so that counts, right? ;)
(Forgive my terrible art skills when it comes to the above cartoon of YA Book Queen as a kid, but I needed something to fill this space. Me + 15 minutes + Microsoft Paint = a very, very bad idea)

6.  I hated reading when I was younger. Absolutely hated it. It wasn't until fourth or fifth grade that I started to like it, when I was gifted The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot. That book made me a fan of reading, so I've always had a soft spot for novels by Meg Cabot. 

7.  I've been reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak since March 14th, 2012. That's like, a little over five months. And I'm still not done. 

8.  I stop reading awesome books after 100 pages, only to have to reread the book  two or three more times before I actually finish it. Sometimes it can take me well over a year to finish a book when this happens. This might be my one bad reading habit. I did this with Jellicoe Road, Finnikin of the Rock, Code Name Verity....and maybe The Book Thief (see #7).

9.  If you ruin or otherwise destroy a book of mine, I might secretly resent you. If you ruin an ARC, that's fine. A finished copy that I purchased and let you borrow, thinking you'd actually take care not to bend the pages / poor water on it / rip the pages out / mark up with a pen or pencil / et cetera? Yeah, I might be mad at you on the inside (especially if you don't offer to replace it or apologize). 

10.  I likely won't let you borrow any of my finished copies (see #9). I always feel bad about this, but I will rarely let anyone borrow finished copies from me. I've had too many bad experiences with people not respecting my books or not paying me back when they do ruin them (it's even worse when the book is autographed, because that's so hard to replace), so I rarely let anyone borrow my finished copies unless I trust them completely. 

What's one of your bookish confessions? 
Leave a link if you wrote a post! 

Signature

Monday, August 23, 2010

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Book: The Hunger Games (Hunger Games Trilogy #1)
Release: now in paperback (July 3rd)
Source: Bought
My Summary:
In a futuristic society, the United States is no more. In it's place is Panem, and only twelve of the original thirteen districts remain.

Katniss Everdeen, a resident of the coal-producing District Twelve, prepares for The Reaping by making sure that her little sister Prim has as few entries as possible. Yet, against the odds, Prim is picked and Katniss volunteer's in her place to be a tribute for the yearly Hunger Games.

She knows the odds aren't good. 24 tributes in all, and only one can survive. It will be a fight to the death, against people she cares about, and only the strong and smart can survive...
Review: Action-filled, surprising moments, smartly plotted and equally smart characters...can this book get any better?

The Hunger Games is one of those series that is addictive, smart, and very well plotted. She uses the skills her father taught her about hunting in order to help her family survive (which is illegal). She hunts with her best friend Gale, to keep both their families alive and well. However, once Katniss becomes a tribute, she has to focus on one thing only: survival. Staying true to her character, Katniss doesn't become some bloodthirsty beast, she gets smart, uses her wits and skills in the arena, as well as forms alliances...but only one person can survive in the end.

Each character is well developed, with their own personalities. I didn't like every character, but that's what made them all more real to me, because you can't like everyone (although, I loved Haymitch! So funny!). 

The description flows perfectly, the surprises don't fail to shock, and the end gives you both fulfillment (there's nothing too cliffhangerish) and curiosity for the next installment, Catching Fire.

This trilogy is perfect for anyone who enjoys a good dystopia novel, with action, adventure, a dash of romance, and plenty of moments where you will be unable to tear yourself away from the book.

Highlights: In a game of survival, I didn't know what to expect next. I love how smart Katniss is, and she uses everything she has. The girl is smart, and focused, which is wonderful to read about. I enjoyed Collins' writing as well, it's very easy to fall into and get caught up in the story.

Lowlights: I'm not really a fan of the name "Katniss", but it's grown on me through the years. And really, it's kind of a petty thing to consider a "lowlight". 

Rating:   

Reviews of other books in this trilogy:
Catching Fire (to come soon)
Mockingjay (to come once I get it and read it!)



Lea