Book Review - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

 














Title: The Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Year: 2008
Page: 384
Genre: Yound Adult; Dystopian

New to me author? Yes
Read this author again? Definitely Yes!!
Tearjerker? Yes to me...
Where did it take place? What once was the US
FTC Disclosure: I won a book give-away from Goodreads.com. 

Summary (from amazon.com):
Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed.

First Sentence:
When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold.

Why did I pick this book?
I entered for the book give-away on Goodreads as I thought the premise sounded interesting (haven't never read any dystopian books before). I won this back in 2008 I think (definitely BEFORE all the reviews on blogsphere!! I had never heard of it before). For some reason just never got around to reading it (okay I totally know why... I have a tendency to read the books I borrow from the library first, rather than from my own bookshelves, because I felt like I should, so others can enjoy the books from the library too... so yeah, I hardly ever read the books I buy!) Since I hadn't had a chance to go to the library after I got back from my trip (returned all my books before I left), I thought I should pick something from my shelves. I hadn't read for 3.5 weeks, so I definitely wanted to pick something that'd motivate me to read again (I was tired from the trip). This book had such great reviews everywhere, so it fit the bill. And boy, don't I miss reading once I start reading this book! I stayed up late one night just to finish it even though I still had jet lag.

My thoughts:

• My first thought after finishing this book - this should be made into a movie! Surely enough, google tells me that someone has bought the rights to it :) It'd be fun to cast the movie! Although I don't know enough young actors/actresses (definitely don't want anyone playing lead roles from Twilight movies... I haven't watched them, and have nothing against them, but the 2 books are different enough that they should be played by different people!) What do you think - who should star in the movie? This could be fun :)

• My second thought is - why isn't this book more popular than Twilight? I thought Twilight was just okay (maybe a 3 stars from me) - I can see why Twilight was popular but this book offers so much more - the characters are well developed (though I have to say some of the 24 contestants were a little lost on me, though to the author's credit she didn't try to give details to all of them and just focused on the main ones), the plot was exciting (perhaps not the right word... I mean, with people dying and all...), and the relationships between the characters were believable even though this is set in the future. I just love all the characters, even the bad guys :)

• I can identify with Katniss, though I have a soft spot for Rue for some reasons :)

• Now, Team-G or Team-P? I think I may have to wait till I read Book 2 before I can decide because I don't think it's fair to choose right now (leaning towards G a little...) I can't wait to read Book 2 (and 3!)

• Why not 5 stars? Well, I don't know if I'd re-read this one (I hardly re-read books) and it hasn't really "changed my life". So it's more like a 4.25 for me - however, since I can only choose between 4 and 4.5, I'll bump it up to 4.5 only because I like it better than the other 4-stars book I gave so far.

Quote:

"Katniss," I said aloud. It's the plant I was named for. And I heard my father's voice joking, "As long as you can find yourself, you'll never starve."

Rating:

Have you read this book? 
If you have, I would love to hear what you think!
I'll link your review here if you wish!

Challenges:
100+ Reading
Read Your Own Books
Young Adult

Book Review - Jin-Ling's 2 Left Feet by Helen Chen

Title: Jin-Ling's Two Left Feet
Author: Helen Chen
Year: 2009
Page: 202
Genre: Young Adult

New to me author? Yes
Read this author again? Yes
Tearjerker? No
Where did it take place? US
FTC Disclosure: Bought this from the author

Summary (from amazon.com):
Like the yin and the yang, Jin-Ling is comprised of two equal parts that fit together. One part is the dutiful Chinese daughter who does everything her immigrant parents expect of her, and the other part is the American teenage girl who yearns for the independence that she sees her peers taking for granted every day. Jin-Ling would do anything to have Tony Blake - the smartest boy in school - for her prom date. Tony not only has the look that her friends would approve, but also meets her parents' definition of a "good" boy. Jin-Ling's hopes are shattered when she finds out Tony is going to prom with Kim - one of her very best friends. What should she do? No matter what she decides, it seems that Jin-Ling is destined to always feel as if she is walking on two left feet - feet that are often heading in opposite directions. In "Jin-Ling's Two Left Feet", Helen Chen explores the challenges and struggles of fitting in with a touching and sensitive narrative of an Asian American teenager's voice. Heartwarming and humorous, this compelling story of clashing cultural expectations and self identity will be enjoyed and related to by all who come across it.

First Sentence:
I through Brownie, my ten-year-old teddy bear, up in the air again and again while lying in bed under a sheet and comforter.

Why did I pick this book?
The author works at the same company (30,000+ staff) as I do. We met by chance through a mutual friend and had struck up a friendship ever since. So of course I have to buy her book when it came out, especially since she's donating part of her book sales to charities! I had always enjoyed her writing on her blog. It's pretty cool to have an author friend don't you think? :)

My thoughts:

• I will try to stay objective, but I will also be honest like I do with all reviews :) I started reading the book a few days before my 3 weeks trip to Hong Kong and Guam. I was very busy at work (trying to tie up loose ends as much as I could) and had not yet packed (and I don't like packing AT ALL). However, I still managed to find time to squeeze in reading the book even if it meant sleeping less

• This is an easy read and the characters are believable - I could totally identify with Jin-Ling ("J") even though there were some differences among our up-bring and our parents weren't quite the same. 

• The downside is that because I can so related to J, the story became a bit predictable for me since I could imagine myself in her place. On the flip side, that could be a strength in that the story is realistic - so for those who are not familiar with Asian American (or Asian Brits or Asian Australian or...) this will provide you some insight on the culture. 

Quote:

What I like the most about Liz is that she doesn't have layers. Unlike me -- where a polite layer covers an angry layer, a Chinese layer fights with an American layer, and on top of it all, I try to be as calm as I can. Sometimes, like now, I'm confused by my own emotions. I nod slowly. Liz smiles, like a sunflower opening up in the sun (p108).

Being a product of two cultures does have its merit -- I'm able to adapt strengths from each culture and ignore the weaknesses (p190).

Rating:

Have you read this book? 
If you have, I would love to hear what you think!
I'll link your review here if you wish!

Challenges:
100+ Reading
Read Your Own Books
Young Adult

LOVE these Book Sculptures by Brian Dettmer!

"Brian Dettmer's carved books are intricate creations, which seek both to seduce the eye and provoke the mind. Through the cut open cover of a book the viewer sees layers of specifically selected text and illustration carved from the pages of the book. Through the gaps in an architectural drawing or perhaps the chambers of the human heart, one can see a word peeking through, perhaps a clue to the larger meanings of the piece. These pieces seek to bridge the gap between a medium's form and its message. Dettmer manages to use the contrasting layers of image and text to explore the conveyance of information, as well as being able to get the viewer to examine what that can mean."

Can't post a picture - but check this out!

LOVE this bookstore! And mini-update

I came across this post on Publishers Weekly: A Photo Tour of Montague Bookmill in Montague, Massachusett. I wish I live nearby!

To learn more about it,  you can go to their website too: http://www.montaguebookmill.com

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Mini update:

• Still tired from the trip. 
• Been catching up on blogs on Google Reader - nearly up to date again!
• Have 2 book reviews to do - Jin-Ling's 2 Left Feet by Helen Chen and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (now why did I wait to read this when I won a copy of it over a year ago??)
• Reading American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld (April Book Club) and since that was nearly finished, I took Postcards from a Dead Girl by Kirk Farber to work today instead.
• Since I returned all the library books before my trip, the first 2 days back to work (library is nearby), I went to check out 19 books. 8 Fiction and 11 Non-Fic. Am in the mood for fiction though so will be reading them first (plus saving my Non-Fic for the Non-Fic challenge in May :)) I should probably restrain myself from going to the library - each time I go, I can't resist borrowing more books. I probably won't go until the book(s)/DVD I'd reserved (we get to reserve 30 and I have reached my limit boo-hoo!) comes in, or when my book club meets (4/20), or until I read a blog review on a book that I-must-read-now-and-the-library-has-it!

Non-Fiction Five Challenge - 5/1-9/30, 2010

Trish's Reading Nook is hosting the Non-Fiction Five Challenge. Details here.

1. Read 5 non-fiction books during the months of May - September, 2010 (please link your reviews on Mister Linky each month; Mister Linky can be found at the beginning of each month on this blog)

2. Read at least one non-fiction book that is different from your other choices (i.e.: 4 memoirs and 1 self-help)

3. If interested, please sign up below with the link to your NFF Challenge post (all choices do not need to be posted and may change at any time)




My thoughts: 
Since I read quite a bit of NF anyway, may as well join this to see what others are reading! I am pretty confident that this is a challenge I can finish :)

My list:

1. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
2. Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
3. Hannah's Gift: Lessons from a Life Fully Lived by Maria Housden
4. Algernon, Charlie, and I: A Writer's Journey by Daniel Keyes
5. With One Eye Open by Polly Frost 
6. Live It, Love It, Earn It: A Woman's Guide to Financial Freedom by Marianna Olszewski 

0 books in March?

We just got back from a 3 weeks vacation in Hong Kong and Guam. I brought 5 books (in English) with me for the long plane ride (the longest leg was about 14 hours!) and I read NONE of them... was too tired on my way over there, and felt like reading something short on my way back (in between napping) so I read some Chinese magazines and short Chinese books instead... well I supposed I did read 3.5 books in Chinese so far this month, but I won't be doing any reviews on them.

With 5 days left in March, I wonder if I'd end up reading any books in English?

My book club choice for April is American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld, so will read that soon! We will also be choosing books for the 2nd half of the year and 1st half of next year soon. I submitted some suggestions, can't wait to see what we end up choosing!

PS - Oops! I did read at last 1 book in March! I forgot I finished Jin-Ling's Two Left Feet by Helen Chen before I left for vacation in the first week of March. Will need to do a review soon!

Book Review - Genesis: A Novel by Bernard Beckett

Title: Genesis: A Novel
Author: Bernard Beckett
Year: 2009
Page: 150
Genre: Fiction - Dystopian, Sci-Fi

New to me author? Yes
Read this author again? Yes
Tearjerker? No
Where did it take place? Future
FTC Disclosure: Borrowed from the library

Summary (from amazon.com):
Anax, the dedicated student historian at the center of Beckett's brutal dystopian novel, lives far in the future—the distant past events of the 21st century are taught in classrooms. The world of that era, we learn, was ravaged by plague and decay, the legacy of the Last War. Only the island Republic, situated near the bottom of the globe, remained stable and ordered, but at the cost of personal freedom. Anax, hoping her scholarly achievements will gain her entrance to the Academy, which rules her society, has extensively studied Adam Forde, a brilliant and rebellious citizen of the Republic who fought for human dignity in the midst of a regimented, sterile society. To join the Academy's ranks, Anax undergoes a test before three examiners, and as the examination progresses, it becomes clear that her interpretations of Adam's life defy conventional thought and there may be more to Adam—and the Academy—than she had imagined. Though the trappings of Beckett's dystopian society feel perhaps too Brave New World, the rigorous narrative and crushing final twist bring a welcome freshness to a familiar setup.

First Sentence:
Anax moved down the long corridor.

Why did I pick this book?
Saw it on the library's new release shelf. The cover attracted me to read the blurb. The premise sounds interesting - there is a sci-fi sticker on the book, which usually is not my genre, but I'm trying to read books I don't typically pick. Plus this is a thin book, shouldn't waste too much time if I don't like it? A few days after I borrowed the book, I saw a couple of blog reviews that showed not many people had read this one.

My thoughts:

• I thought there would be more happening - but the whole book was about that entrance exam. I'd say it was a little slow at time, but I kept reading since it's a thin book...
  
  
• I DO like the ending, which I thought made up for the slowness of the book. The concept of the book was also quite fascinating
  
  
• For a dystopian book, I liked The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist or The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson better, though all 3 books are quite different in their nature

Quote

May scholars have complained of our tendency to see history only in conflicts, but I am not convinced they are right. It is in conflict that our values are exposed. (p88)

I try not to be surprised. Surprise is the public face of a mind that has been closed. (p123)

"I have learned to value the things others are reluctant to give." (p127)

Rating:

Have you read this book? 
If you have, I would love to hear what you think!
I'll link your review here if you wish!

Challenges:
100+ Reading