Flip Through the Year: Catching Fire & Mockingjay

One of my New Year’s resolutions for 2012 is to read a book each week for the rest of the year. Writing about it will hopefully keep me motivated to read more! Feel free to recommend a book you love!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I finally finished The Hunger Games series. I really want to say that the rest of the books were just as amazing as the first one but there’s just something about the Catching Fire which didn’t quite appeal to me. In my opinion, after all the excitement and adrenaline in The Hunger Games, the second book seemed slow at first; it quickly redeemed itself towards the second half though.

The main character, Katniss, develops admirably throughout the course of the series and I think Mockingjay really highlighted her growth and strength. She is able to face her faults as a person and really starts to take control to achieve what she believes in. The ending (especially the epilogue) was a little weak for my taste, and semi-predictable. That may be the only complain I have for this book.

I went through both books very fast. Right after I was finished with Catching Fire I picked up Mockingjay and was able to finish it in one sitting. Which was nice for a change.

The movie is supposed to be coming out soon and I’m so excited for it (I’m sure I’ve already said). I definitely have high hopes and am glad I went through the books beforehand. I highly recommend!

What’ve you been reading? 🙂

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Flip Through the Year: The Hunger Games & The Red Queen

One of my New Year’s resolutions for 2012 is to read a book each week for the rest of the year. Writing about it will hopefully keep me motivated to read more! Feel free to recommend a book you love!

I’ve been waiting for The Red Queen (part of the Cousin’s War trilogy) because it hasn’t been in stock for a while and it FINALLY came this week. I bought what seemed like the last copy on the shelf, so lucky me! I was excited to start reading it but was already in the middle of The Hunger Games so I decided to put it on hold for just a bit.

I realize that with the movie coming out soon, The Hunger Games is being recommended left and right but I have to say, at the risk of sounding redundant, it is SO worth it. It’s not even just that. This book was probably one of the most exciting reading experiences I’ve ever had since Harry Potter – which says so much because I absolutely fell in love with the entire series. I was so captivated that it was almost physically impossible to stop. I mean, this book has been with me everywhere. Towards the end, it got to the point where I was reading as our car stopped at red lights.

I think what made this book really exciting for me was the fact that my imagination took off in a matter of just a few pages in. It was like being with the characters and feeling the action. I’m looking forward to the movie but have to admit that the trailer didn’t do much for me. I did watch it right after finishing the book, which could be why the impact wasn’t quite as strong. Nonetheless I’m definitely excited to see it and will also be picking up the next two books of the trilogy.

I was actually thinking about whether I should write this since it’s slightly unprecedented for me to finish two books in a week. But I finished The Hunger Games at such an alarming speed, that I actually had time to finish The Red Queen as well. The story line is essentially the same as The White Queen but the War of the Roses is from the view of the House of Lancaster instead of the House of York. (see The White Queen) The main character, Margret Beaufort believes she is chosen by God and is destined to become someone extroardinary. She often compares herself to Joan of Arc and sees visions of her while she prays. However, after her first marriage at 12 and giving birth to a Lancaster heir, she  struggles to take control of her life and have people acknowledge her as more than an ordinary girl. Before reading this, I was so sure that I would remain on the York side and continue to be resentful of the hardship Queen Elizabeth had to endure; yet, I found that I was able to connect much more to Margret in The Red Queen. There was a level of closeness and real empathy which I couldn’t quite reach for the York House.

If anything, both books were amazing, but The Red Queen, was the better book for me. Next on my list, the final book of the Cousin’s War trilogy, The Lady of the Rivers!

What have you been reading? 🙂

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