The Hunger Games

Title: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Pages: 384

(POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW)

It is the future and all 12 districts must participate in the Reaping and the Hunger Games put on by the Capitol of Panem. At the age of 12 every girl and every boys name goes into the Reaping, a lottery to pick the contestants in the Hunger Games. At age 12 every name is entered once, at thirteen every name is entered twice, and so on until you reach the age of 18, the last year a person is eligible. At age 18 a person's name goes into the reaping 7 times. But there is a catch. Each person can opt to add their name more times in exchange for a "tesserae", or a ration of grain and oil. And that is how we meet our main character Katniss Everdeen, who at 16 years old is entered into the reaping 20 times. But as the districts all assemble for the reaping, it is little Prim, Katniss's 12 year old sister, who is picked. Katniss knows she can not let tiny Prim enter the Hunger Games, so she rushes forward and volunteers to take her place. So Katniss and Peeta are chosen from district 12 to enter into the games. The Hunger Games takes all 24 contestants puts them into an arena and then all 24 must kill or stay alive to become the last person standing. On the way into the games Peeta declares his love for Katniss in front of all of Panem. This declaration throws Katniss for a loop. Does Peeta really love her? If so, how can she kill him in the arena if it comes to just the two of them? Is Peeta just using love as a ploy to gain the favor of the televised audience? What is the truth? And how will Katniss survive the Hunger Games?

4 out of 5 stars.

Links for Aspiring Writers

These are good tools, I didn't want to loose, so I put them here. Enjoy!

http://www.oneminutewriter.blogspot.com/
http://7days7answers.blogspot.com/

December Reading

I have a great book for all of you to read this month; it's Holidays On Ice by David Sedaris! It's short, only 144 pages, and it is hilarious! Holidays on Ice is a compilation of short stories including; "Santa Land Diaries" which is the story of David's time working as an elf at Christmas time in the mall, "Seasons Greetings to our friends and family" which takes the chipper Christmas family form letter and turns it on it's head, "Front Row Center with Thaddeus Bristol" written as a critic reviewing children's Christmas pageants, "Dinah, the Christmas Whore" the story of the time a prostitute spent Christmas with the Sedaris family, "Based on a True Story" where a sleazy television agent invades a small town church to try to convince one of it's parish to sell their story, and "Christmas means Giving" the story of neighbors who try to out do each other by giving as much as they can.
So give yourself a present this Christmas and read Holidays On Ice!

The Ice Queen

Title: The Ice Queen
Author: Alice Hoffman
Pages: 211

(Non-spoiler info)
From the author of Practical Magic comes the story of the Ice Queen, who at 8 years old makes a wish that changes her life forever. Until the day she accidentally makes another wish, this wish is for lightning. And with the wish comes Lazarus Jones a lightning-strike survivor who has returned from the dead with a touch that burns. Can Lazarus teach her to live again? Can his fiery touch melt the ice inside her? And what will become of them both?

(SPOILER INFO)
What if wishes came true? Not the kind of wishes people make for longer hair, or a sunny day, or an expensive dress but the kind of wish people regret. At 8 years old the Ice Queen wishes that her mother would disappear. That night her mother is in a terrible car accident where she is killed and neither her or her brother Ned EVER see her again. So she transforms herself into ice by hardening her heart against feelings and by avoiding being involved in people's lives. Then one day while out with Ned she wishes lightning would strike her. Almost as soon as her "death wish" is made, it happens. At her lightning survivor group she hears the story of Lazarus Jones a man back from the dead after his lightning strike and about "The Dragon" a man in his 90's who was killed by lightning twice, yet still lives. On a whim and to understand her ability to wish death, the Ice Queen goes to Lazarus' farm to confront him. But when Lazarus sees her in a red dress on his porch a passionate love affair begins. And the Ice Queen begins to live again. Little does she know that her most important lesson is still to come, when she learns that her brother Ned is dying of cancer. Now she is forced to figure out how to try and beat death. But the only way to beat death is to live again!

My thoughts: (SPOILER INFO STILL)
I loved reading this book. Not because of Lazarus but because of Ned. I feel like this is the true relationship in the book that turns our Ice Queen into a human again. Ned teaches her to live again. Live in the moment. Make moments that will live in you forever. And never give up or stop. When Ned is surrounded by butterflies at the end it brought me to tears.
4 out of 5 stars!

The Oath

Title: The Oath
Author: Frank Peretti
Pages: 550

Overall: 2 out of 5 stars (Maybe 1 1/2 stars....)

(Non-Spoiler Info)
When Steve Benson's brother Cliff is killed in Hyde Valley by a bear, Steve who is a wildlife biologist knows he has to investigate. When Steve arrives at the scene of Cliff's death with Deputy Tracy Ellis, he knows something isn't right. Steve knows bears and he knows a bear couldn't have killed his brother. But when Steve and Tracy team up to investigate they stumble across an evil that has been around since the founding of the town in 1882 but an evil no one will talk about. But Steve is determined to solve Cliff's murder.


(SPOILER INFO)
I found this book and picked it up because the cover was interesting and the story sounded cool. Little did I know what kind of crap I was in for. Turns out the killer in the book, is a DRAGON! Yes, you read that right, a dragon. Now I'm all for the suspension of disbelief and have read books about wizards, talking animals, man-eating spiders, shape-shifters, vampires, werewolves, etc. But I just don't buy it in this book. I can't really place my finger on why but when the dragon was first introduced, my first thought is that it couldn't be real, the author had to have some kind of trick or twist up his sleeve. But nope, it was a dragon. And it only gets worse. The dragon is sin. If you have sinned than the dragon will be coming for you. And the only way to save yourself is to right yourself with the Lord and have Jesus in your heart. And no, I didn't make that up. That's what really happens. The story kept me interested because the author has created a story filled with tension and suspense and I kept waiting for a big pay off. But the big pay off never came. Do you know what I got instead? Nothing. The dragon did it. Deputy Tracy Ellis and Levi Cobb (the only decent characters in the book besides Steve) both die at the end. And Steve, our hero, saves the day by putting Jesus in his heart.

So, my vote, SKIP this one!

November Reading

Well, Halloween is over and that means it's now November and time to start thinking about Thanksgiving. But if you find yourself needing a good read, where should you go? Well you found it! But I had trouble trying to figure out a good reading recommendation for November. My first thoughts were Thanksgiving and family. But I couldn't find anything that I liked or that fit or that I had read. (Makes note to read some Thanksgiving/family books in anticipation of next year.) Along those lines, I know the next two months are VERY busy months for most people, so I chose a short book, only 192 pages. I first experienced this book when I was about 13 and I loved it right away. It is still in my top ten favorite books of all time. Do you want to know what it is?
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton.
Why this book? Well for me it all came down to these lines, "Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold". Read it and you will understand. Now go on!

Lemon Meringue Pie Murder

Title: Lemon Meringue Pie Murder
Subtitle: A Hannah Swensen Mystery
Author: Joanne Fluke
Pages: 322

Welcom to Lake Eden, Minnesota where Hannah Swensen owns the local bake shop The Cookie Jar. But with the town on the cusp of the Fourth of July holiday, Hannah discovers a grisly surprise, Rhonda Scarf a town local has been killed and it's up to her to help solve the crime, before time runs out!

Sounds like your regular run of the mill mystery novel right? Wrong! What makes Hannah special is her recipes. Yes, you read that right recipes. In each Hannah Swensen mystery book lies REAL recipes for dessert, cookies, and more. Not only are the recipes EASY to read, follow, and understand but they are TASTY too. When I read the first book Chocolate Chip Coookie Murder I decided to try a couple of recipes on my family. Guess what? Huge hit. And I have already been asked to bring along another batch this Christmas. When my company had a potluck, I decided that the Fluke recipe had done so well with my family that I would try them again. And another hit on my hands. They now think I am a baking genius! Giggles!

So not only did the story entertain me but I am SO excited to try out the recipes. The recipes alone are reason enough to check out this book and all the others in the Hannah Swensen Mysteries. Beause cookies and reading just go together. 4 out of 5 stars!

Me Talk Pretty One Day

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
Pages 272

(POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW)
Me Talk Pretty One Day is a collection of short stories from author David Sedaris (brother of Amy Sedaris aka Jerri Blank from the tv series Strangers with Candy.) I first came across Sedaris' writing when I read Holidays on Ice, which is a book I loved and read several more times. So I decided to start with his other works and thus was brought to Me Talk Pretty One Day. In Me Talk Pretty One Day, David covers everything from his childhood, his time in France with boyfriend Hugh, his drug abuse, and everything in between. And even when the subject seems dark, Sedaris' uses a wit, satire, and sarcasm that makes the reader laugh with him, at him, and at ourselves. The stories inside include a childhood filled with speech therapy classes for his lisp, unwanted guitar lessons from a midget, his performance art career, his stint as a writing teacher, his challenges to learn French, watching American movies in another country (It is Necessary to Save the Soldier Ryan), his sister's obsession with disguises, his differences with his brother "The Rooster", his experiences with family pets, his bathroom embarrassment at a party, his time working for a moving company, the ludicrous nature of new cuisine, website phobia/hate, his crossword puzzles, his father's hoarding of food, and many, many more.
Perhaps my most favorite of the short stories is "The Late Show". It is what goes on in David's mind when he can't sleep. So what does he do? He makes up fantasies for himself, including a Mr. Science fantasy, a boxing fantasy, and a white house intern fantasy. It's a story that hits home while remaining humorous.
I do have to warn the readers out there that David is NOT shy. In his story he openly talks about his homosexuality, his former cocaine habit, and many other topics that might make other squemish. It's not that he's promoting these things, he just tells it like it is. So if frank, humor doesn't bother you than pick yourself up some Sedaris. 4 out of 5 stars!

In God We Trust All Others Pay Cash

In God We Trust All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd
Pages: 264
(SPOILERS BELOW)

In God We Trust All Others Pay Cash is one of my husband's favorite books and it's the book that the movie A Christmas Story starring Peter Billingsley is based on. Here is how the book is set up. Our narrator, Ralph has arrived back in his hometown of Hohman, Indiana where his first stop is Flick's Tavern, run by his childhood friend and Army buddy, Flick. Once Ralph begins to talk with Flick, we get flashback stories of Ralph's childhood and teenage years. So the book is set up of a chapter, usually one to three pages of Ralph and Flick as adults talking in the bar and then a chapter of flashbacks.

I will skip the Flick and Ralph as adult chapters and lay out the flashback chapters, so you my dear reader will know what the short stories are about:
Duel in the Snow, or Red Ryder Nails the Cleveland Street Kid: Probably the most famous story in the whole book! This is Ralphie's story of his quest, his obsession with getting a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas.
The Counterfit Secret Circle Member Gets the Message, or the Asp Strikes Again: The story of Ralphie's love of the Little Orphan Annie show and his desire to discover the secret message played at the end of each broadcast.
The Endless Streetcar Ride Into the Night, and the Tinfoil Noose: Ralph's blind date
Hairy Gertz and the Forty-Seven Crappies: Ralph goes fishing with the grownups and tries to puncture their inner-circle.
My Old Man and the Lascivious Special Award That Heralded The Birth of Pop Art: Ralph's father wins a lamp shaped like a sexy woman's leg in a newspaper contest.
The Magic Mountain: The story of the Magic Mountain inside the World's Fair.
Grover Dill and the Tasmanian Devil: Ralph has finally had too much from a bully and fights back.
Ludlow Kissel and the Dago Bomb that Struck Back: The story of a giant firework gone wrong.
Uncle Ben and The Side-Splitting Knee-Slapper, or Some Words are Loaded: Ralph overhears his Uncle Ben telling a joke, which Ralph then repeats to a neighbor without realizing what he's truly saying.
Old Man Pulaski and the Infamous Jambreaker Blackmail Caper: Ralph lives for the black jawbreaker at the local candy story.
The Perfect Crime: Ralph scratches his dad's precious car and the blame falls on someone else.
Wilbur Duckworth and his Magic Baton: Ralph relives his time in the marching band as a sousaphone player.
Miss Bryfogel and the Frightening Case of the Speckle-Throated Cuckold: Ralph has a crush on his English teacher Miss Bryfogel and in order to impress her reads a book without realizing that it's content is inappropriate.
"Nevermore," Quoth the Assessor, "Nevermore....": The property tax assessor comes to town and cleans out a local family.
Leopold Doppler and the Great Orpheum Gravy Boat Riot: In order to raise attendance at the local movie house, the owner Leopold Doppler has a promotion where he gives away a dish set to all women who attend. But what happens when the dishes stop coming?

My thoughts: Sometimes, this book was hard to read. All I could hear and see in my head was the movie. Like Ralph's bully in the book is Grover Dill, where in the movie his name is Scott Farkus. And when I see Ralph, I see Peter Billingsley. So for me the most effective stories are the ones I hadn't heard before. I LOVED the story about the Gravy Boat Riot and the fireworks. The book is funny and poignant, heart-felt and ironic, wit and satire. 3 out of 5 stars.

October Reading

Happy October everyone! It's the start of a new month and that means some of you may be looking for books to read, so here I am! In honor of Halloween this month, I have to recommend everyone read some Stephen King. And in my opinion, King's best works are his short stories. So that is where I am going to tell you to start.
Different Seasons: This book contains four stories: "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption" (the basis for Frank Darabont's 1994 movie The Shawshank Redemption), "Apt Pupil" (Bryan Singer's 1998 film Apt Pupil), "The Body" (Rob Reiner's 1986 film Stand by Me), and "Breathing Lessons".
Four Past Midnight: "The Langoliers" (a 1995 TV mini-series of the same name), "Secret Window, Secret Garden" (2004 film Secret Window starring Johnny Depp), "The Library Policeman", and "The Sun Dog".
And perhaps my favorite King: The Green Mile. A serial novel originally printed in six parts: "The Two Dead Girls", "The Mouse on the Mile", "Coffey's Hands", "The Bad Death of Eduard Delacroix", "Night Journey"and "Coffey on the Mile". Althought now you can get all six volumes in one book. And yes it is the book that was the basis for Frank Darabont's 1999 film The Green Mile.
So that's it kids. For October, go get yourself some King and some scares. And have a Happy Halloween!!!

Dead Until Dark

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
Subtitles: "A Sookie Stackhouse Novel" or "Southern Vampire Mysteries"
292 Pages
(Could contain spoilers)

Quite simply Dead Until Dark is Twilight for grown-ups! Sookie Stackhouse is our main character. She is a waitress/bar maid who can read minds. One day at work a gentleman enters and she can't hear him. Turns out this guy is a vampire named Bill. Sookie quickly falls for Bill and a romance begins. Meanwhile women are turning up dead in the town of Bon Temps. And everyone suspects the newest memeber of town, the vampire Bill. But is Bill really the murderer? Or is it another more dangerous vamipre? Or is there a killer loose framing vamps?

Dead Until Dark has the three things grown-ups miss most while reading Twilight.
To start with the writing is WAY better. Twilight is sometimes seems like it was written by a 12 year old fan girl. While Harris brings reality to her supernatural. First of all, Harris puts real fright into her vampires. Even the "good" natured Bill sometimes slips and feeds off humans, including Sookie. Secondly, Harris gives the reader a more realistic vampire. The myth has always existed but in her world vampires have "come out" in public as part of the real world and the community. Making her vampires much more believable than Twilight's sparklers. Lastly Harris gives her readers what they want. And what my dear friends does the audience want? Well it's simple.....SEX. Yep....Harris gives us that detail while the sex scenes in Twilight tend to "fade to black".

Overall Dead Until Dark was a quick and enjoyable read. Harris was able to keep me interested in her characters and her story. (P.S. Sookie is a MUCH better female lead than the whining Bella.) I liked the book enough that I would pick up the others in the series and so much that I am dying to see True Blood the HBO show based on the books. 3 out of 5 stars.

September Reading

If you haven't read them yet, my recommendation for a September read would be: The Harry Potter Series (1-7) by J.K. Rowling.
Book 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone : A solid first book to a series
Book 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: The weakest of the series. But still ok.
Book 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: This is my favorite of the series. It's the one that hooked me and made me a crazy obsessed fan.
Book 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: The book where they start to grow up.
Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: The teenage angst book.
Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: Prepare for the final battle.
Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Best series ending book ever. Proves J.K. Rowling is a genius.
P.S. They are WAY better than the movies.
So go...read. You won't be sorry.

The Year of the Flood

The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood. (advance Reading Copy)
Pages 386. (May Contain Spoilers)
What if humans were an endangered species? That's exactly what happens in Margaret Atwood's newest book The Year of the Flood. The book takes place in the near future, starting in a time they call "Year Five" and progressing to "Year Twenty-Five". Our two main characters are Ren, a dancer at Scales and Tails and Toby, the manager of AnooYoo Spa and an herbal specialist. Toby's story starts with the death of her mother and father. In order to escape her parents debt and crime, Toby decides to live off the grid, or underground. Eventually she secures a good paying job at SecretBurgers. Only to discover she has become the new "object" for her boss Blanco the Bloat. Blanco the Bloat is the kind of man who could "take a girl apart." After abuse at Blanco's hands, Toby is saved by God's Gardeners. Who are God's Gardeners? God's Gardeners are a religious cult who believe in preserving all life. To preserve all life Gardeners do not kill any animals (or use products obtained from killing animals). They also plant and maintain a garden, not only for themselves to eat but to help replenish a wasted Earth. God's Gardeners is run by men and women called themselves Adam's and Eve's with the head of the group calling himself Adam One. It is here among the Gardeners that we met Ren. Ren came to the Gardeners when she was 10, when here mother left her father for Zeb (an Adam with the Gardeners). As a result, Ren never feels like she truly fits in with the Gardeners. Ren however does kind a kindred soul in her friend Amanda, who she convinces to join the Gardeners. Eventually Ren's mother and Zeb have one too many arguments and Ren's mother removes her from the Gardeners. Soon after Ren graduates high school, Ren's mother disinherits her and she is forced to find a job. So, she does the only thing she is good at, she dance at Scales and Tails a high-end sex club. In "Year Twenty-Five" the "Waterless Flood" comes and man starts to die off. Ren and Toby survive the plague but must determine what's next for them? Are others still out there?

What I thought:
I loved that Margaret Atwood changed voices and perspectives between Ren and Toby and still managed to connect the stories. I also love the future she created that is full of liobams (a cross between Lions and Lambs), rakunk ( a cross between raccoons and skunks), and Mo'hairs (sheep with human hair in bright colors). The story kept me intersted and turning pages. And I would give it 3 out of 5 stars. What I didn't like was the ending. I was left wanting more. I also didn't like how people kept reappearing. It seemed sort of unbelievable to me that Toby and/or Ren would keep running into Blanco the Bloat, Jimmy, Oates, Croze, and Shackie. But if you love books like Handmaid's Tale and 1984, then this one is for you.

UPDATES!!!

Howdy everyone. I meant to update this blog at least once a week...but I forgot my original password and it took me this long to reset the blog with a new one. Here's hoping I don't forget it again. So what's been going on in my reading world?
Well first, I totally gave up on Queen Isabella: Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England by Alison Weir. I just couldn't do it. Non-fiction just isn't my thing. I mean why should I care about the names of the cook, the stable boy, and the seamstress. Now....if they turned this into a historical fiction book ala The Other Boleyn Girl then I think it would do well and I would enjoy it. Plus another book came in from the library so.....
That brings me to my next topic. While I was away I read The Wednesday Sisters: A Novel by Meg Waite Clayton. The book chronicles the lives of five women who meet at a neighborhood park weekly beginning in 1968 and start a writing group. I can't review a book without giving away the story and plot, so if you don't want to know...quit reading NOW.......
Frankie is our narrator and a mother of two, married to an inventor of computer chips. She moves to the town of Palo Alto, where she meets Linda the athlete, Kath the southern belle, Brett the scientist in gloves, and Ally the shy hippie type. Along the way they expeierence changes for women, the moon landing, war, and the assassination of Robert Kennedy. They also run into hardships in their own lives. Linda develops breast cancer. Kath discovers her husband is cheating on her. Brett dreams of being an astronaut when it was unusual for women to have any kind of job, let alone an astronaut. Ally strugles with infertility and racism once people discover she is married to an Indian man named Jim. And Frankie struggles with her writing and wanting to become more than just a wife and mother. Although it is a bit syrupy, the characters is what holds this story together. They become so real. The women never become 60's stereotypes. They aren't out buring bras and marching. They aren't at Woodstock. The even admit when they are racist or sexist. For instance, Kath never does leave that cheating husband of hers, even after he moves out of the house and into an apartment with another women. Their journeys seem real. Just like real life nothing is an easy fix. The characters were SO real that after I finished reading, I wanted to google them and find youtube clips. LOL! Overall I enjoyed this book and would give it 4 out of 5 stars. I would also recommend it to other women. Especially women with unfulfilled dreams. (I know it made me want to work harder on my own dreams of becoming an author someday.) Until next time...ENJOY your reads!

Queen Isabella: Alison Weir

The book: Queen Isabella: Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England
The author: Alison Weir
Start date: August 6, 2009

First impressions: I don't normally read non-fiction books. So this book makes me a little nervous. The subject matter is fascinating. "Isabella married at twelve in 1308 to the homosexual Edward II, she grew up to be a legendary beauty yet was largely neglected by her weak husband and cruelly slighted by his vicious favorites. For many years, she endured this treatment, gaining renown as a model consort and a peacemaker. But in 1325, driven to desperation as a result of being deprived of her liberty, her children, and her income, she managed to escape to France, where she began a doubly adulterous affair with Roger, Lord Mortimer, an exiled English traitor. Together, they led the first sucessful invasion of England since the Norman Conquest, deposing Edward II and setting themselves up as regents." Thus earning herself the nickname She-Wolf of France. Let's just hope it doesn't read like a history book or I may have to give it up!

Welcome!

Welcome! This is my blog! My goal...to blog on the books I read while I am reading them. Enjoy!