The Hunger Games

I've been in a funk lately for numerous reasons.  Last night I decided it was time to do something about it.  So, I did what I normally do when I feel like I'm in a funk.  I take a long, hot bath and read a good book.

I've been keeping up with the casting for the Hunger Games movie and it has made me want to re-read the series.  So, last night, I started re-reading the first book (The Hunger Games)... and then I finished it.  Ha!  I haven't been on the right schedule (for me), so I knew I needed to stay up late to reset myself.  So, I stayed up until after 1:00 reading.  

The first time I read it, I loved it.  Well, this time I still really loved it.  I think I appreciated it more this time since I know so much more about everything in the book.  The book made me cry just as much as it did the first time, if not more.  

Although I really love the book, I'm torn about the movie.  I'm not sure how in the world they will be able to pull it off.  Most of the book is the thoughts of Katniss (the protagonist).  It's not like she's saying everything out loud (I mean, she is being hunted after all).  So, I don't know how they're going to be able to really get across what Katniss is thinking and feeling in the movie.  It should be interesting.  And, you better believe that I will be there on March 23, 2012 to see it!

The Hunger Games

For Christmas, I received an inordinate amount of books. The first two I read were The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, or the first two books of The Hunger Games Trilogy. I devoured them. They are absolutely amazing books. I am holding my breath for the third and final book, Mockingjay, which comes out August 24th... or one hundred sixty-two days away. :)

This comes from the publisher's website:

Twenty-four are forced to enter. Only the winner survives.

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death – televised for all of Panem to see.

Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

It's incredibly suspenseful. And I couldn't put either book down. And, I'm sure I won't be able to put down Mockingjay either. If you get a chance, please read this series. You won't regret it.

My Jealousy of Kurt Vonnegut

Last night, I finished reading Galapagos by Kurt Vonnegut. It was my first time reading that book, but I've read several other Vonnegut books (my favorite being Slapstick). I absolutely love reading Vonnegut books. He has such an interesting writing style. I've started writing multiple novels. I have attempted to write like Vonnegut. I just CANNOT do it. When I attempt it, the finished product just sounds ridiculous and nonsensical. When Vonnegut does it, it's delicious.

I am insanely jealous. How did he do it? I mean, when someone asks me what I'm reading, I can only give them a title. How can you even begin to describe the awesomeness that is a Vonnegut novel? I mean, when you try to describe it, it sounds ridiculous. You can only give a VERY broad description. But when you read the novel, you can't put it down. You want there to be more. You can't look away. It's insanity, but it's beautiful.

Who else can do what he did? He was a master of satire. There are still a few books that he wrote that I have yet to read. I almost think that I am subconsciously holding off on reading them. He passed away in 2007, so there will be no more. And that is depressing. So, I want to hold on to each novel for as long as possible before moving on to the next. I'm savoring them.

Also, as I said before, I am mad jealous. When I finish a chapter, I think, why can't I do that?! So, as I read, the book is bittersweet. Sweet because it is perfection; bitter because of my envy and because there is a limited amount left for me to uncover.

If you have not had the pleasure of Mr. Vonnegut's company, please, do yourself a favor and check this out. It is a collection of short stories called Welcome to the Monkey House. Even if you only have a few minutes, you need to read at least one. And if you have to choose just one, I recommend Harrison Bergeron.

Oh, and one last thing... If you know of any authors similar to Vonnegut, please let me know. :D


"What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured."
-- Kurt Vonnegut

Harry Potter

Well, I finally finished Harry Potter last night. It took me a while to get through the first two books (they were really slow), but books three through seven were definitely exciting enough to keep me interested. :)

J.K. Rowling certainly doesn't have a problem killing people off. I spent quite a bit of time crying through books 5, 6, and 7 when she killed people off. Also, they were rather depressing. I know that book 7 ended on a happy note, but still, it was kind of hard to come back after how depressed it made me earlier in the book!

I've watched the first three movies, so far. Philip and I are watching movies 4 and 5 this weekend (I had never read the books or watched any of the movies before a few weeks ago... Philip wanted me to come with him to see movie 6 when it comes out next week, but I told him that I needed to read the books before I watched the movies). So, I will be caught up after this weekend. Number 6 comes out on the 15th, but Philip works nights and I work days, so we won't get to go see it until Friday the 17th. No biggie. Philip has no idea what happens. He just knows that I cried through a lot of 6 and 7 and that people are killed off. I'm interested to see how he feels about them.

Also, I would like to say this: I totally had Snape figured out. I knew I wasn't wrong. :)

And, now that I'm finished with Harry Potter, I can read the next installment of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series: Finger Lickin' Fifteen. I'm so excited. I've been waiting for it for months! :D After that, I think I will be starting Charlaine Harris' True Blood series, since I now watch the show. I'd like to see how they differ. And, I bought a few books at Books-A-Million a few weeks ago... a book about a woman who grew up in a LDS polygamous cult, a book about a man who's family was in concentration camps during the Holocaust, an Agatha Christie novel recommended to me by a friend, and a Wonder Woman graphic novel written by one of my favorite authors, Jodi Picoult. I shall be busy! :)