DEEPLY ODD by Dean Koontz

Probably one of my favorite writers of all time, Dean Koontz brings us his latest offering and doesnt disappoint.

Deeply Odd
Dean Koontz
Bantam Books 2013



This is the 6th in a series of 7 books in the Odd Thomas series.

Our story opens with Odd Thomas using his extra sensory intuition to try to find the "rhinestone cowboy trucker" who has powers of his own.

If you have read the other books in this series you will have a better grasp of his character but that is not necessary to experience this book fully and enjoy it in all its twists and turns.

If you have not read Dean Koontz before be prepared to go off the deep end of literary waters as he writes from a deep and intuitive place he alone inhabits and you can follow along if you dare.

In the first few turned pages of Odd Thomas the reader is already being exposed to the idea of a long ago battle fought in an exotic place called Thermopylae by the Spartans and the Persians. Weren't expecting to read about Xerxes? Well there you go! This is what I mean when I say that you will go off the deep end of wordsmithing. His writing doubles back on itself more than the roads of Carmel and is chock full of his own internal chats and dialogue.

I would recommend this book but then I would recommend any book he has ever written. There is no equal to him among current authors and he should be appreciated for the treasure he is.

This is one writer who can make the most mundane hold a fascinating interest just by the way he places his words. If that is not enough to whet your appetite, I will leave you with a small appetizer:

Before dawn, I woke in darkness to the ringing of a tiny bell, the thimble-­size bell that I wore on a chain around my neck: three bursts of silvery sound, a brief silence after each. I was lying on my back in bed, utterly motionless, yet the bell rang three times again. The vibrations that shivered through my bare chest seemed much too strong to have been produced by such a tiny clapper. A third set of three rings followed, and then only silence. I waited and wondered until dawn crept down the sky and across the bedroom windows.

Later that morning in early March, when I walked downtown to buy blue jeans and a few pairs of socks, I met a guy who had a .45 pistol and a desire to commit a few murders. From that encounter, the day grew uglier as surely as the sun moved from east to west.

My name is Odd Thomas. I have accepted my oddness. And I am no longer surprised that I am drawn to trouble as reliably as iron to a magnet.

Nineteen months ago, when I was twenty, I should have been riddled with bullets in that big-­news shopping-­mall shoot-­out in Pico Mundo, a desert town in California. They say that I saved a lot of people in my hometown. Yet many died. I didn't. I have to live with that.

Want to read more? Try the Odd Thomas series. You will fall in love not just with the characters but with the author as well.

till next time, keep reading!

Indie
http://thebookloverz.blogspot.com/

The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries. - Rene Descartes

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-conversation-20120729,0,4931427.story#axzz2qmOP6LRL

THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS:
CITY OF BONES
By: Cassandra Clare

Although, this book may not be as well known as Hunger Games, The Fault In Our Stars, Twilight, or Divergent... it is by far my favorite. If you read my other reviews on Hunger Games or Twilight, you should know that I love those books, and me saying I love this one more than those, its really saying something!


I came across City Of Bones one day, looking through the book store for Divergent, actually. I passed a table, and it was filled with all these different pieces called, "The Mortal Instruments". It had merchandise, posters, and the whole book series, laid out on top of it. It caught my attention of course, I mean, who wouldn't be curious about a whole area filled with things that didn't look like they were from this world?

(I was also near it because it was right next to The Hunger Games Books as you can see here :P)








I examined the covers, and read the summary, and came to the conclusion that it really wasn't going to be that interesting and I shouldn't waste my time when I could be reading better books. So I moved on, and gave my attention to Game Of Thrones. 

Later that night, I went to red box, and saw a movie called, "The Mortal Instruments, City Of Bones" and I was like "Wow! What a coincidence!" I thought I should give the movie a try, and see if my guess about it being not interesting was correct. Plus, on the cover it said, "Better than Hunger Games". Seeing that made me want to prove it even more wrong, I was like, Ha, not possible. 

I was wrong. By the end of the movie, it felt like I was a different person. I knew I had to read those books. First of all,, I know the books are always better than the movie. And secondly, I NEEDED to know what happened next! I'd like to believe 'fate' led me to this book. ;)

Thus was born my new addiction.

City Of Bones starts you off on a journey filled with, action, romance, comedy, and adventure. One thing about this book that is different from most other books I've read, it is through a 3rd person point of view. Which makes it feel like you're there, WITH the characters on all their journeys.

The main character in this book, is 16 year old, red headed, Clary Fray. She lives an ordinary 16 year old's life, spends time with her best friend Simon, goes to his band practice, and loves to draw. One day while being a normal teen, she goes into a club, where she sees these strange people go into another room, curious, she follows. Three of the four people confront another man. She could tell them apart from each other because the three people were covered in these strange marks. While eavesdropping, she is able to pick up names. The one called Jace, lifted up a weapon that looked like a sword, and he was about to slay the man without the marks. She ran out, panicked, trying to make them stop and distracted everyone. Everyone except the no mark. He lunged at Jace and started attacking him. The others all fought together and killed no mark, but they were still angry that she got in the way. They threatened her, but Jace, insisted they let her go.

She goes home, terribly confused, but who could she talk to? Simon thinks she might be going crazy, because he didn't see the fight happen, and her mother didn't want her going out in the first place. Trying, without success to forget about the incident, she goes with Simon to a poet reading at the place where they always drink coffee, Java Jones. But while shes there, she sees the person who killed that man in the club, sitting right behind her watching her. He leaves and she follows him, confronting him about the night before. Hes just as confused as she is, and explains a whole supernatural world, going on all around people that normally, they cant see, including himself, but she can see him, how can that be? The world is filled, with magic and myths. Her normal teenage life, might not be as normal as she thought. 

This book takes you through a whirlwind of surprises, and things you would never expect to happen... haha... believe me on this one. It keeps you on the edge of your seat with the constant torture of "what happens next!?" the whole entire time. While reading this book, -Along with ALL the rest of the books in the series- I literally had to fight, with myself not to go ahead and see what happens next. Even if its skimming to the bottom of the page to see what mystery character had showed up. 

This book series, is my favorite series, of all time. Starting off with the fantastic first book, "City Of Bones" 
WARNING: It will reel you in, and never, ever let you go, until you finish the last book, "City Of Heavenly Fire" that has not yet been released... and even then, this book will stay with you and always hold a special place in your heart like it has with mine.

                                       I will give this individual book, 9/10
                              Although if you were asking me to rate this series,
       No questions asked, there are not enough good words in the world to describe it.

                                                  

Have you read City Of Bones?

Do you Agree/Disagree with my opinions?
Are you a fan of the book or movie?
Let me know in the comments! I'd love to hear!

                                                   (Very true with this one!!!)

To: All my viewers...

Always remember, 

Laugh often, 

Love without control, 

And smile till your cheeks grow sore... and then just a tad bit more! :) 

STITCHES by Anne Lamott

STITCHES

Anne Lamott
Published 2013 by Riverhead Hardcover

A slim volume that might escape notice at first. Anne Lamott  has once again hit the literary ball straight out of the park with STITCHES - A Handbook On Meaning, Hope And Repair. 

Touching on everything from death to alcoholism and all challenging issues in between, each topic is handled with a delicate touch. Even the Newtown tragedy is addressed briefly, a thing which most modern writers are not even beginning to broach yet but as well all know has to be talked about eventually. Good for Lamott for "going there" and attempting the impossible. In fact, she repeatedly "goes there" and brings up the darkest topics. While not pretending to have all the answers/ she does at least look directly at the questions themselves It is that quality that makes her book avoid the trite and the saccharin and is in fact its saving grace.   

With chapters entitled with ubiquitous words such as "Forward" and "Beginning" and of course, "Stitches, it is vital not to miss the deep workings her words weave in favor of the obvious simplicity. Really, all universal truths are simplistic in origin, thus their ability to sick in our collective memories to be pulled out when most needed. That is just one of the points gently presented in these collective words.

As mentioned above this is a not a large book, only 96 pages. Even though small in the amount of space it occupies, this book is huge in thought, heart and soul. It is a rich resource for anyone looking to take 5 minutes on a coffee break for a thoughtful meditation on life and why it is so very worth going on with, in spite of and because of each and every challenge. 

Till next time dear friends, keep reading - keep thinking~

Indie
http://thebookloverz.blogspot.com/

The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries. - Rene Descartes

TWILIGHT
STEPHENIE MEYER 

Now I'm very familiar with all you "Twilight Haters" Out there. But for those of you who are Twilight Haters, and you haven't read the book, I really think you should give it a shot. I have seen all the movies, and I do like the whole idea of Twilight. The mythical creatures, the magic, the powers, the love story. That's all right up my alley. But for those of you who aren't into that kind of stuff, I wouldn't recommend this series to you. :)

For you Twilight Haters who have seen only the film, I can relate to you. My biggest issue with the movies is Kristen Stewart's acting... but that's just me. Everything else in the film I'm totally fine with. I don't like to waste energy on disliking anything. :P I just try to look at the positives of the film.

But let me tell you, there are more differences in this book compared to the movie than any other book that has been made into a movie. There are more differences that you can count than there are similarities. There are a lot more scenes, and so much more details they don't care to add in the movie. Now I know all books that have been made into movies sound like how I just described, but in my opinion, it is literally, like, a different story, and the best part? No Kristen Stewart!

Twilight takes place in the small town of Forks, Washington. Isabella (Bella) Swan, just moved to Forks from Phoenix Arizona to go and live with her father, (Charlie.) Since her mom found a boyfriend and decided to drop all responsibilities, and go follow him while he travels to play baseball, leaving Bella with Charlie. At first, Bella doesn't like Forks, its wet, cold, rainy, a big change from Arizona heat. Not to mention having to go to a new high school, but to her surprise, instead of being ignored and made fun of, they treat her as just the opposite. She makes a lot of friends, and several of the boys try to win her attention. Well, all but one. On Bella's first day of school, she gets seated next to the stunning Edward Cullen. The only problem is he looks at her like a piece of used gum on the floor. He seems absolutely repulsed by her. When she gets the courage to demand what his problem is, he doesn't show up to school for days.

When he returns, he apologizes, and tries to become her friend. They start warming up to each other, but something just doesn't seem right for Bella. One day at school, clumsy and unaware Bella almost gets crushed by a van while staring at Edward. He was standing across the parking lot, and in a flash, he was right next to her and guarded her from the van, stopping it with just his hands. She knows what she saw, his speed, his strength. But hes just insisting she imagined it..

As the book goes on, Edward cant bring himself to stay away from Bella. He feels protective over her, and ends up saving her again... and again. Bella ends up finding out what he 'is'... but she cant bring herself to stay away from him either, no matter how dangerous it might be.
Every second they're together, they just grow closer and more inseparable. But like every relationship, there comes struggles, and a test of their love. The only difference between this couples struggles and other couples, is this couple is fighting against a blood thirsty vampire who wants to kill Bella, for fun because hes a tracker. "Its all fun and games until a psychotic vampire gets a hold of your neck" I always say. :P

Does the crazy vampire, get a hold of Bella? Does he turn her into a vampire too? Does this issue separate Edward and Bella altogether? Read and find out! Ill say this book is absolutely not a waste of time. :)

I really really enjoyed, and loved this book, and for all you readers out there who have a soft spot for love stories, i'm positive you will love it too!


                                                   I give this book, an... 8.7 out of 10!
                                                                 Very  Excellent
                                                         

Have you read Twilight?
Do you Agree/Disagree with my opinions?
Are you a fan of the book or movie?
Let me know in the comments! I'd love to hear!

To: All my viewers...

Always remember, 

Laugh often, 

Love without control, 

And smile till your cheeks grow sore... and then just a tad bit more! :) 

The StoryTeller

Author: Jodi Picoult
Publisher: Atria (Simon & Schuster)
Publication date: February 26, 2013

When you start this book be prepared for a story within a story.

Sage is a baker with something she wants to hide. So it suits her just fine to work nights in a coffee shop shaping and kneading 100 pounds of dough in to the various bagels and yeast cakes and cinnamon rolls she will leave proudly in the glass bakery cases each morning as she slips out the back door of the bakery. Such an anonymous life suits her just fine until the girl with a lot she wants to keep private encounters 95 year old man who wants to confess a secret. A terrible weight he wants to unburden himself of. The weight of his confession causes Sage to deeply listen with new ears to her grandmothers tale of being young.

And it is here with the grandmothers (Minka) tale of long ago that our story within a story begins to unfold.

Minka's story is heavy and dark.  A Gothic description of her life as a young Jewish girl. Anyone who has ever read anything about the Holocaust will be familiar with the basics of  Minka's story but it still makes for the best part of this book. 

As for the 95 year old man with the weight of the world on his shoulders, his secret is truly awful. The question becomes, is there anything too bad for forgiveness? By drawing Sage in to his secret, she now has to face that question as will you the reader. 

Lest this book sound too dark it has plenty of light moments as Sage is overall a girl as light at heart as some of the breads she rises so delicately under her hands. For instance, the scene when her beloved mother dies and she has promised her that she will make sure the Judy Garland version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is played at her funeral. Sage has dutifully given the music to the funeral director but unwittingly downloaded the wrong song from iTunes and unfortunately and to the great horror of Sage's distraught sisters, the song that plays is "Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead"! 

The moment, rather than reverting to the macabre is told in such a tongue in cheek way by Sage that you smile in spite of yourself.

This book is long but moves fast. There is a lot of back and forth dialogue plus the two story lines (that of Sage and the old man, plus  Minka's) to keep track of but the writer does a good job of not bogging down and the story moves along briskly. 

The heavy subject matter is combined with some truly lovely people that you meet along the way as well as the delicious and constant baking that is going on as  subtext and that will leave you needing a cinnamon roll as soon as you put the book down.

The larger questions of forgiveness and when and for whom make this a  a great book to stimulate discussion among a book club or just to examine in the privacy of ones own thoughts.


Till next time, happy reading!
Indie
http://thebookloverz.blogspot.com/

The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries. - Rene Descartes

WHITE FANG
 Jack London 

I really enjoyed doing this review because White Fang is my favorite classic book. Not just because I love wolves, but its also a very touching story. It's not what one would expect from a story about wolves, but this story is very humane.

The story first takes you through the life of a wolf pack, their fight for survival, they are all starving and if they don't find something to eat soon, they will starve. Leaving them no choice but to stalk these two men, (Bill and Henry) whose only mission is to deliver a coffin to a little town called Fort McGurry. They have to travel through the harsh northern weather, guided by only their sled dogs. But their loyal dogs can only take so much, because of the weather, they're forced to stop.

While waiting for the weather to lighten, the realize they are being stalked by a pack of starving wolves. One by one, their sled dogs are disappearing, and they know once their sled dogs are gone, they're next. They end up facing and fighting the wolf pack, you can only imagine how that goes.

Skipping ahead to the actual story of White Fang, he is born, and his parents want nothing more than to protect him and keep him safe, because you see, all his siblings didn't make it. But being a pup, he doesn't understand that, so one day while his parents are away hunting desperately for food, this curious pup, decides to travel.

He ends up OK, thanks to his parents who fought off the animals of the forest that tried to eat him. But did that teach him a lesson, nah. You know how stubborn kids, and pups, can be.

Later in the book, he gets taken by a man, who is awful and mistreats him, then gets sold to another man, who just wants him to kill other dogs. Basically, he gets sold from owner to owner, and every owner he goes to just wants him to be vicious and kill. So that's all White Fang knows to do, its very sad.

But eventually, he gets rescued by a nice man, and moves to California. But this man is not nasty like the others, and this one disapproves of aggressive behavior. White Fang has to learn a whole new life style, which isn't easy for a dog. He's confused at first, and the family is afraid of him and wants to get rid of him because he showed aggressive behavior. But the man who saved White Fang has grown attached to him and doesn't want to give up on him. In the future, it pays off. The touching part of the story that could make anyone go, "Aw" is when White Fang learns to love these people, his family, and he would give his life for them. As a matter of fact, he ends up saving one of the family members lives, yeah, I bet they're glad they didn't get rid of him now. :P

The book lets you connect to White Fang on a personal level, it takes you on a tour through his life. Brings you through all the struggles, the survival, the dog fighting, and all the horrible owners. But its all worth it in the end when he too, gets his happily ever after.  :)


Overall, because of its happy ending and touching story that could make anyone like me cry... i give it..

                                                                       7/10   ^-^

Great story! :) 

Definitely recommend.

Have you read White Fang?
Do you Agree/Disagree with my opinions?
Are you a fan of the book or movie?
Let me know in the comments! I'd love to hear!

To: All my viewers...

Always remember, 

Laugh often, 

Love without control, 

And smile till your cheeks grow sore... and then just a tad bit more! :) 

Summer Of My German Soldier

Beete Greene

Another passion of mine, along with reading, is learning about other countries. When I found this book, I happened to be learning about Germany... so I decided to read this book. 

Lets just say i made a huge mistake that day...

Out of ALL the books I've read, this one is the worst BY FAR.

It was written in 1973, and takes place in the time of WW2.

Lets start with the plot, of the book. Okay, what is this books title? "Summer of My German Soldier." Well, the 'German Soldier' comes in way late in the book. One would assume it was going to be about him, considering the title and all. But he comes in late, and leaves early. Leaving the book to focus on little Patty Bergen, the star of the book. 

 She always finds herself lost and unnoticed due to her little sisters star light, while her parents treat her like dirt under a rug. But that's not all, it seems like her parents enjoy seeing her suffer. They take away her friend because he is too poor for her to play with, and if she does try to see him, she gets beat. The only person who actually cares for Patty at all is her families house maid. When Patty is not getting beat and shunned, she helps pass her time by working at her parents store. 

One day in the little southern town, something very exciting happens. Imprisoned German soldiers show up on a train to become slaves for the dirty work of their town. Well this is a huge deal for the towns people because nothing exciting ever happens. While working in her parents store, the prisoners come in for need of supplies. Patty helps them and ends up making  friends with an imprisoned German soldier (Anton). Later on in the book, Anton escapes. Patty hears about it and feels awful and alone because he is her only friend. Later she finds him trying to jump on the train before it leaves to get away, but she stops him and makes him miss his train. So to make up for it, she hides him above her fathers garage. She brings him food, and takes care of him, and of course for that he is grateful. But the worst and most disturbing part in the book is when they fall in love... Oh, and did i mention that Patty is 12 and Anton is 22? But that doesn't stop them from their relationship. Yeah, awkward right?

She has to keep Anton a secret or else they will both get in trouble, but her house maid finds out about him and is actually 'supportive' of Patty keeping him. She doesn't seem to mind their relationship. It ends tragically, he leaves, and Patty gets caught for keeping him.Her parents end up hating her even more, yeah I didn't think it was possible either, but they do. The only one still there for her is her maid. 

Now for those of you who want to read this book, I wont say how it ends. But it is AWFUL... I'm going to tell you that this book is extremely depressing and a waste of time, do not recommend, just thought I should warn you. :) You wont like how it ends. It's tragic. 

That's what I get for reading a book based on its country! Turned out it wasn't even in or about Germany at all, oh well, you live and you learn. :P

I will give this book....           2/10     :P

Have you read the Summer of my German soldier?
Do you Agree/Disagree with my opinions?
Are you a fan of the book or movie?
Let me know in the comments! I'd love to hear!

To: All my viewers...

Always remember, 

Laugh often, 
Love without control, 
And smile till your cheeks grow sore... and then just a tad bit more! :) 

THE ROAD

Cormac McCarthy

If you are in the mood for a light quick read, you may want to let your fingers wander a little further down the bookshelf and not stop on this one.  Do not be deceived by the fact that this book is thin in size. Its message is heavy. It stays with you and lingers like a piece of dense dark bittersweet chocolate. 

The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world, where there is no date or location given.  The man tells the boy that they're walking the "state roads" seeming to indicate a highly industrialized world like our own. Your mind is left to supply this detail along with the possible names of the man and the boy, which are also not given..

Adding to this lack of common details found in most books, the writing style is in very short, sparse sentence structure which mirrors perfectly the bleak word defying conditions the man and boy are in.

The man carries a pistol that only contains two bullets. He guards that pistol above all else as he believes his sole mission is to protect and care for the boy. 

 
As for his part, he boy is very concerned with making sure they are "carrying the fire," thus reassuring himself that he and his father are the good guys and not one of "the others". The boy is aware of the awful truth that these "bad guys" do not "carry the fire" as they eat pets and even people. This phrase has come from stories that the man tells the boy in the long nights. Stories of justice and courage from the world that was. Hoping the boy can keep these values alive in the future. 

If there is a future.

Even though the man and boy are cold and starving all of the time there are a few moments that exude a warmth and nurturing of their own.

One is when they find a waterfall. The father teaches the boy to float. A useful metaphor for getting by and getting through when one is out of ones element as they are in every aspect.

Another is when they come upon an abandoned house. There are a few amenities still left that allow the man to cut his hair and the boys. Another tiny space in which they get to imitate the normalcy of the life they knew before.  In both these instances there is extraordinary tenderness displayed by the actions of the father that stand out against the dire bleakness of their circumstances.

The story ends without answering many questions. The reader is not supplied with a neat and tidy bow in the conclusion to tie up around the words "The End".

 If most peoples minds can only take them to the verge of imagining a future apocalypse and if a very few imaginative minds can go even to seeing a survival of such, maybe one with butterflies and open fields, this novel explores that space in between.  What it would actually be like to try to actually

transverse the gap between the end of one world and the beginning of another.

 In doing this, it takes the reader in to a place few would ever even know how to explore on their own.

Perhaps that is the reason that in turning the last page, one is left with a feeling of not despair, surprisingly but one of hope. An abstract message that the most important things, love of family, goodness of people and the light of hope endure. Always.

Indie
http://thebookloverz.blogspot.com/

The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries. - Rene Descartes

.*.*.*.*.*. THE HUNGER GAMES .*.*.*.*.*.

                      

For those of you who have been living under a rock, (not judging) OR do not have a teenager in your house, here is the basic premise of the series.

A Government desperate to not have a repeat uprising and to keep control of the people, chooses to do so by forcing them to sacrifice their children in an annual game, where they must fight to the death with only one victor. But they were not planning on one victor fighting the game her own way. In doing so, she does not only become the victor, but the peoples hero as well. As you can imagine, this does not set well with the Government. Will the Government be able to reign her in and control her? Or will this cause the very thing they were trying to prevent in the first place, another civil uprising? Oh and yeah, don't worry. It's not all about war and killing... it's got a love triangle too! :P

Now to start the actual post off, let me just say that ALL of these books are incredible.
This is definitely one of my favorite series.
They are SOOO much better than the movies!
So if you love the movies, I strongly recommend these books.

The first book in the series (The Hunger Games) starts you off through the eyes of Katniss Everdeen
an average resident in district 12. Just another average girl, but instead of choosing which shirt to wear to the mall, she is forced into a life or death situation. Kill or be killed. The winner gets rewarded with prizes like food and decent housing. Since people in district 12 starve, and live in houses one step higher than shacks, these are incredible prizes! But in the story, she makes bonds with people she is forced to kill, can she really bring herself to kill them? And a few times she nearly dies herself! But this story is truly amazing. It grabs you with both hands and never lets you go! Even if you have seen the movie and you're not interested in reading the book, you absolutely should. In my opinion, the movie and the book are like two different stories.


Like most books that have been made into movies, there are differences.

The book introduces new characters, and has a lot more dialogue which they didn't use in the movie.
It also has more scenes, and a better fight at the end.

In the movie, quite a few important events that happen are left out.
Examples: Katniss seems like a different person in the book than in the movie. In the book she is more afraid, and nervous and confused... But in the movie she is strong and brave and it seems like there is nothing she can't handle. That's one of the things I love about books, it lets you get into the characters mind. Your allowed to see what they are thinking, know how they are feeling... So Hunger Games fans, the books are a WAY better experience! The movie even changed where she got her pin!


The second book in the series (Catching Fire) is all about the beginning of a revolution. Hard to say which is better between this and MockingJay... because they are both so different in their plots. But personally, I think I'd side with Catching Fire. :)

Catching Fire focuses on the Government attempting to regain their control

over Katniss, by threatening her. Threatening to destroy everything and everyone she ever cared about. Forcing her to put on a facade that she truly loves Peeta, and that it was not an act of defiance against the government, but an act of love when she threatened suicide rather than killing him. But was their attempt at saving themselves successful? You'll have to read for yourself. :)

This book just gets better and better with each chapter.
I'd stay up till 4 in the morning with this book, once you start it just seems impossible to stop. So, warning, to those who like to get to bed early...
I WISH YOU LUCK.

Now when I saw the Catching Fire movie, I loved it. I have to admit, it was a lot better than I thought it was going to be.

BUT, this movie was even more different from the book than the first,
EXAMPLES: In the book, Katniss breaks her foot, she has a whole scene where she tries on wedding dresses, and she runs into two whole new characters, which they didn't even bother to include in the movie.
I won't say anymore, but as you can see, they leave out QUITE a few details in the movie, therefore making the book... worth reading.

But the thing that really irks me about the movies is the details it leaves out about characters. Like little things they do that lets you get to know them. An example, in the book, they showed Haymitch (a previous victor turned coach) and his games, and how he won. In my opinion, I think that is pretty important. In the movie, Haymitch gives the victors advice for SURVIVING the games, yet we don't even know how he survived his own.

And that's not all, in the movie they leave out little details about my personal favorite character, Peeta. He does some really caring things for people in the book, not just Katniss. Like, when the morphing was dying in his arms, in the book, he told her to focus on the sunset and point out all its colors, and then she used her blood and painted a little picture on his cheek. Then he responded, "Thank you, its beautiful." Now see that was really touching! But in the movie they didn't care to add any of that. Grrrr.

But there is one character that they just made into a completely different person in my opinion... Finnick. From all the comments, and posts I've seen, everyone who read the books, adores Finnick. So yes I was very discouraged when they introduced him in the movie... I wasn't even sure if it was him at first! I just hope when they make the the third movie, they at least somewhat touch Finnick's real personality.

Okay, lets move on to the third book, shall we? (MockingJay). It's when everything gets serious. If you thought Catching Fire was serious or even gruesome, you haven't seen anything yet.They took it to a...

("Whole, nutha, level.") Seriously.

 All the child's play is gone, and now the characters are taking place in an actual WAR against the Government. I know, awesome right!?



                                     


A revolution has started, and all the people who Katniss inspired with her acts in the first games, are the cause of it. The only problem, they made Katniss the leader, the "MockingJay." And she didn't even know she was, nor did she 'want to be.' It involves a whole conspiracy. Who are the ones behind it? The ones she trusted most. All the stresses and lives she was forced to take, all begin to weigh on her. Will she be able to lead the people to salvation and be their leader? Or will all hope of a better future vanish.
This is the most surprising book of them all. The series has taken a whole new turn, and with new new angles comes change. So it only makes sense
that the characters are all changing as well. Just some for the better, and some for the worse...

Unfortunately, to keep things suspenseful, so many of our beloved characters have to die. Suzanne Collins really understands how to tug on all the fans heart strings, cause I know I shed a few tears... but don't tell anyone. :P

Now if you still refuse to read the first two Hunger Games books, all you Hunger Games fans need to at least read this one. First of all, WHO knows what major scenes they will leave out in the movie! UGH just the thought is awful. But the second, more convincing reason, is you all who only want to see the movies will have to wait until 2015, to see how it ends. That's right 2015.

The movie MockingJay is going to be split into two parts..... so I've come to the conclusion that the movie people just like to torture us. :P

For those of you people who like action, nail biting suspense, constant surprises, and war theme, (Like myself) MockingJay will be your favorite hands down!

So, overall, Suzanne Collins definitely did an amazing job with this series. Not only is she my favorite author, but there's just no end to all the twists, surprises, and suspense in these books! One after the other after the other... Lets just say they keep you on the edge of your seat the whole time. :)

In conclusion, ill say reading these books, (even if you have seen the movies) is not a waste of time.
I love all these books, I own all of them, and I cherish all the moments I've spent reading them. I hope for all you hungry readers out there who have read them, or are planning to, enjoy them as much as I do. :)

BUT....... if there are STILL some of you who refuse to read...

;)


                                             Overall, I give this series...  9/10!!!

                                                               Loved it!

Have you read the Hunger Games?
Do you Agree/Disagree with my opinions?
Are you a fan of the books/movies?
Let me know in the comments! I'd love to hear!


To: All my viewers...
Always remember, 

Laugh often, 
Love without control, 
And smile till your cheeks grow sore... and then just a tad bit more! :) 

 

                       

                                                 TAKING FLIGHT!!!

                           
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