Confessions of a Book Lover: The Hunger Games Trilogy

So, I've been meaning to get another book lover post up and I am finally doing it although it isn't a Tuesday. :P I'm not actually going to tell anyone much about these two books except that you need to read them. Seriously. These are so good that my brother read them and who knows how long it's been since he's read a long book!

I didn't realize it until recently, but the Hunger Games trilogy (soon to be trilogy, book 3 comes out later this month AND it's possibly the first book I have ever pre-ordered, partly due to the ridiculously fabulous price of eight dollars for a hardback. Anyway...) is extremely popular. Like, movie deals popular. They are also young adult literature which, this I also didn't know, is embarrassing for adults to be caught reading. Seriously? Young adult literature is some of my favorite fiction...world building, fantastic story telling? Who cares who it was written for as long as it's good and well done. Apparently I suck at being a book snob (I'm cool with that). Anyway, the New York Times has given me permission to love what I have always loved. Thanks, New York Times. Not. You can imagine that authors like Robin McKinley and Gayle Foreman (who is on my to-read list and with whom I have to disagree on one thing: the book about the history of salt? it's one of the most awesome. books. ever) are thrilled to be "real authors." >.>



So. The Hunger Games. I came across Hunger Games through an author's suggested reading list. Maybe Tamora Pierce? Not sure. The book is intense. One of the first things that grabbed me was the ease of the world building. Within a few pages, I knew this was a post-apocalyptic/futuristic version of our world. Too, Katniss's relationship with her mom did some serious resonating with me. Without going into too many details, Katniss had to grow up fast and her mom was kind of...there but not there. It echoed pretty strongly some of the feelings I struggle with for my mom (and my dad, in different ways, though). I even bookmarked one passage because when I read it, I stopped and thought, "whoa."

I kept watching, waiting for her to disappear on us again. I didn't trust her. And some small gnarled place inside me hated her for her weakness, for her neglect, for the months she had put us through. Prim forgave her, but I had taken a step back from my mother, put up a wall to protect myself from needing her, and nothing was ever the same between us again.

Sorry if that's too much honesty for a booklover post but, man, that passage just touched something I had never really articulated.

The book has its basis in mythology, if that's something you're into. In a q&a, author Suzanne Collins says,

A significant influence would have to be the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. The myth tells how in punishment for past deeds, Athens periodically had to send seven youths and seven maidens to Crete, where they were thrown in the Labyrinth and devoured by the monstrous Minotaur.

And that's The Hunger Games. One boy and one girl from each district in a post-war, post-natural disaster North America go to the Capital and fight to the death.



Catching Fire covers the aftermath of the games, picking up about 6 months after Katniss returns from the Games. The nightmares, the transition from near-starvation to plenty, and the aftermath of her actions in the Games--and the rebellion that she inflamed.

What happens next is not an accident. It is too well executed to be spontaneous, because it happens in complete unison. Every person in the crowd presses the three middle fingers of their left hand against their lips and extends them to me. It's our sign from District 12, the last goodbye I gave Rue in the arena."

:P I'm kind of scared to say anything else because it will give away some of what happens in the Hunger Games. Again, intense.

I'm pretty excited about Mockingjay which comes out August 24, especially since everyone has been extremely tight lipped about the book...I haven't come across any leaks or spoilers. Heck, I'm excited about the movie and I hope it's well done because a movie with an awesome female heroine like Katniss? I can't wait. Oh, here's a trailer for book 3:


Boy, I rambled a lot. Haha. That's what I get for writing off and on for 3 hours and then finishing at nearly midnight.

Maybe not

So I started to go upstairs then decided I would probably just stay downstairs. Just seemed like the safer option for some reason...

Mixed Bag...

I've been a little blah, haha. I haven't taken a ton of pictures and I've got a book review post I want to do but I'm just all kinds of meh about things. I think the heat is making me all slow and drowsy. :P I like a cat, as Autumn would say. So here are a few photos and updates. First! We have living room walls! And a ceiling!


Of course, the bad news is that this means I have to start painting again soon. Sigh. Also, my summer aikido class had its end of the summer party on Thursday. We did a circuit of games and activities we did over the last few weeks and ended with some Japanese sweets. The next session begins on September 7 and will run for 6 weeks on Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:45-4:45 for anyone who is interested. I wish I had video of those first classes. It's been pretty amazing to watch the class evolve from chaos to a group of kids who could actually do a couple techniques. This is most of them:


Since we moved in two weeks ago, we've had a series of firsts. This week was Autumn's first bath in the new, big tub. That was horrible because it involved first getting the tub clean enough for her to bathe in. ::shudder:: The first week, we cleared enough of the garage to park one car in it. I made my first meal the Thursday after we moved in. And, yesterday, Papa D brought Autumn her first serving of rainbow frozen yogurt to be eaten in the new house. She was thrilled.


And, here are a few stray photos from July. These are from Lainey and Papa D's 4th of July party. Mike and Autumn, playing in the water slide pool. I wonder why she scrunches up her face like that whenever anyone tells her to smile. :)


This is like a photograph that could describes me and Mike without words. hahaha. Mike=grumpy, Sharaze=happy.


Ok, how awesome is this? Autumn got some serious air here! I'm tempted to make one of those lolcats out of this. Maybe "invisible bike."


Like this, for those not in the know about lolcats.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Ha!