Daily Archives: August 23, 2010

A Bit of Me(me) – Step Aside Brady Bunch

Posted on August 23, 2010

Danielle at There’s a Book has started up this fun Saturday Me(me) and I always forget to do them on Saturdays! But this past Saturday she had a question I DEFINITELY did not want to miss because.. I love sharing about my family!

So the question this week is:

Do you come from a large or small family and

how do you think it influenced your life?

Y’all, are you prepared for this? My family is HUGE.

Okay – so I am the eldest of nine. One has chosen to remove herself from the family for reasons I’ll not say, but my ex-brother-in-law has stepped in to fill her place. Complicated? Yes. But my family is still awesome.

There’s the matriach/patriarch: Mom and Dad

Siblings: Lydia, Meggan, Lauren, Alec, Miriam Rose, Candace, Ethan and Evan.

In-laws: Scott, John

Nieces/Nephews: Gage, Alaynna, Cole, Grace

Not only did I grow up with a ton of siblings but, up through my senior year of high school, we were home-schooled. This more definitely had an effect on my reading.

Advantages of reading with a large family:

Your concentration is incredible. I could, and can, read through anything.
When you go to the library, not only do you get to read your own books but everything your siblings check out as well.
You come up with lots of ideas for storytelling with the younger ones.
When you decide to start writing you have an incredible amount of support.

Disadvantages of reading with a large family:

Your mother only lets you check out two books at a time so she can keep track of all the books (I still sneaked and checked out more – oh, the rebellion of my younger years!)
Your younger siblings like to draw on the pages of your books (Rosie, why did you put “4″ all over my copy of Winnie-the-Pooh?)
Some of your books go missing and you never can figure out where they are (along with your movies. I won’t name that sibling… YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE)

Overall – it was and still continues to be an amazing experience. As I tell people… I have a sibling for every mood. I love them dearly and cannot wait to see what else life has in store for my clan.

The Hunger Games & Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Posted on August 23, 2010

by Lydia

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Buy from The Book Depository

Short Summary:

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

My Review:

Sometimes when I approach a book for the second time I pause for a moment and wonder, “What if I don’t like it as much this time?” THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins was no exception – but within the first few pages that feeling was immediately squashed and, once again, I found myself swept away by the story.

Knowing what was going to happen in the book did not dull the message much at all for me. I remember being horrified my first time through the story and that horror was still there, but a bit muted. I still cried; when Katniss does the unthinkable for love of family, when Rue cries out for help, when Peeta learns of Katniss’ true feelings.

I’m not really much of a Team Girl – but I’ve always learned a little more toward Gale. I like strong characters (and Katniss is a female character I’ve begun to compare all YA females to). Peeta still comes off as weak to me, helpless. This time I read through the story and found myself wondering what Gale would have done, were he in the same situations. Would he have survived?

Suzanne Collins is very talented. She can take a 350+ page book and make it feel like it barely is 100 pages with her ability to create momentum, suspense, a fantastic world that you are able, almost immediately, to grasp. Her descriptions of the food in the Capital had me drooling and I’m not even close to being in the same boat as these teens from District 12. The imagination behind Cinna and the costumes; the strategy of the games – everything is put together so well that, once started, I can’t imagine anyone putting this book down.

This book goes on the yearly re-read list for me. It’s one of those stories that will make your imagination jump around like a 5 year old who has eaten too much sugar.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Buy from The Book Depository

Short Summary:

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

My Review:

In preparation for MOCKINGJAY I’ve re-read both THE HUNGER GAMES and now CATCHING FIRE.

I’m telling you right now, I’d give anything to have Suzanne Collins’ imagination.

So for those of you living under a rock, CATCHING FIRE is the sequel to a story in which Katniss, a teenage girl, gets thrown into a deadly game of “Survivor”. This story begins with the tour of the victors and we are lulled into believing that Katniss is finally safe, that it’s finally over.

Oh no. Suzanne won’t let us off that easily. I think the Games in this book are, in their own way, even more terrifying than in the first. The idea of the island, the players involved and the stakes do so much for the story that I’m sitting here covered in goosebumps. To make matters even worse I know that I’ll be blubbering like a baby on Tuesday because Suzanne Collins has a way of twisting a story so well that you can’t help but get caught up in it.

Fantastic middle book to a brilliant trilogy!

View all my reviews

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