Dec 21st
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Monday, December 20, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
In My Mailbox #12
The idea of In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren and is to bring books to the attention of our blog readers and to encourage interaction with other blogs.
~ In MY Mailbox ~
The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder
Courtesy of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
At Penford High School, Britney Taylor is the queen bee. She dates whomever she likes, rules over her inner circle of friends like Genghis Khan, and can ruin anyone's life with a snap of perfectly manicured fingers. Just ask the unfortunate few who have crossed her. For April Bowers, Britney is also the answer to her prayers. April is so unpopular, kids don't even know she exists. But one lunch spent at Britney's table, and April is basking in the glow of popularity. But Britney's friendship comes with a high price tag. How much is April willing to pay?
Summary by Goodreads
Saturday, December 18, 2010
On My Wishlist #11
On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own On My Wishlist post. If you want to know more click HERE.
~ On MY wishlist ~
There are numerous books I would love to read, so that my wishlist should be called wishbook instead! But I want to present only two of those numerous books on my Wishlist so I've got many many more weeks of wishlists and great books to present :)
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
I haven't heard one negative statement about this novel yet so I can't but give way to the French charm.
Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.
Summary by Goodreads
And #2
The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell
I am a huge SATC fan, so why not learn more about Carrie's life before meeting her best friends and love of her life.
Before Carrie Bradshaw hit the big time in the City, she was a regular girl growing up in the suburbs of Connecticut. How did she turn into one of the most-read social observers of our generation?
The Carrie Diaries opens up in Carrie's senior year of high school. She and her best friends -- Walt, Lali, Maggie, and the Mouse -- are inseparable, amid the sea of Jens, Jocks and Jets. And then Sebastian Kydd comes into the picture. Sebastian is a bad boy-older, intriguing, and unpredictable. Carrie falls into the relationship that she was always supposed to have in high school-until a friend's betrayal makes her question everything. With her high school days coming to a close, Carrie will realize it's finally time to go after everything she ever wanted.
The Carrie Diaries opens up in Carrie's senior year of high school. She and her best friends -- Walt, Lali, Maggie, and the Mouse -- are inseparable, amid the sea of Jens, Jocks and Jets. And then Sebastian Kydd comes into the picture. Sebastian is a bad boy-older, intriguing, and unpredictable. Carrie falls into the relationship that she was always supposed to have in high school-until a friend's betrayal makes her question everything. With her high school days coming to a close, Carrie will realize it's finally time to go after everything she ever wanted.
Summary by Goodreads
Book Review: Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3) by Suzanne Collins
Title: Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic
Publishing Date: September 2010
Length: 400 pages
Genre: YA, fantasy
4,5/5 **** Mockingjay- A brilliant conclusion to a breath-taking trilogy and a must-read!
~ The Author ~
Since 1991, Suzanne Collins has been busy writing for children’s television. She has worked on the staffs of several Nickelodeon shows, including the Emmy-nominated hit Clarissa Explains it All and The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo. For preschool viewers, she penned multiple stories for the Emmy-nominated Little Bear and Oswald. She also co-wrote the critically acclaimed Rankin/Bass Christmas special, Santa, Baby! Most recently she was the Head Writer for Scholastic Entertainment’s Clifford’s Puppy Days.
While working on a Kids WB show called Generation O! she met children’s author James Proimos, who talked her into giving children’s books a try.
Thinking one day about Alice in Wonderland, she was struck by how pastoral the setting must seem to kids who, like her own, lived in urban surroundings. In New York City, you’re much more likely to fall down a manhole than a rabbit hole and, if you do, you’re not going to find a tea party. What you might find...? Well, that’s the story of Gregor the Overlander, the first book in her five-part series, The Underland Chronicles.
Suzanne also has a rhyming picture book illustrated by Mike Lester entitled When Charlie McButton Lost Power.
She currently lives in Connecticut with her family and a pair of feral kittens they adopted from their backyard.
The books she is most successful for in teenage eyes are the Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay. These books have won several awards, including the GA Peach Award.
Since 1991, Suzanne Collins has been busy writing for children’s television. She has worked on the staffs of several Nickelodeon shows, including the Emmy-nominated hit Clarissa Explains it All and The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo. For preschool viewers, she penned multiple stories for the Emmy-nominated Little Bear and Oswald. She also co-wrote the critically acclaimed Rankin/Bass Christmas special, Santa, Baby! Most recently she was the Head Writer for Scholastic Entertainment’s Clifford’s Puppy Days.
While working on a Kids WB show called Generation O! she met children’s author James Proimos, who talked her into giving children’s books a try.
Thinking one day about Alice in Wonderland, she was struck by how pastoral the setting must seem to kids who, like her own, lived in urban surroundings. In New York City, you’re much more likely to fall down a manhole than a rabbit hole and, if you do, you’re not going to find a tea party. What you might find...? Well, that’s the story of Gregor the Overlander, the first book in her five-part series, The Underland Chronicles.
Suzanne also has a rhyming picture book illustrated by Mike Lester entitled When Charlie McButton Lost Power.
She currently lives in Connecticut with her family and a pair of feral kittens they adopted from their backyard.
The books she is most successful for in teenage eyes are the Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay. These books have won several awards, including the GA Peach Award.
Author profile by Goodreads
~ The Novel ~
Mockingjay, released September 2010, is the final instalment in The Hunger Games trilogy. The first novel, The Hunger Games, was published October 2008 and the second, Catching Fire, in September 2009.
~ The Story ~
Young Katniss Everdeen has survived the dreaded Hunger Games not once, but twice, but even now she can find no relief. In fact, the dangers seem to be escalating: President Snow has declared an all-out war on Katniss, her family, her friends, and all the oppressed people of District 12.
Summary by Goodreads
~ The Review ~
Mockingjay continues right after the events of Catching Fire and does not reduce the suspense level for a single second.
Katniss and Peeta are separated, she is in District 13 with the rebels, Peeta is with the opponents. Due to their separation and the horrible consequences connected to it, Mockingjay is different to The Hunger Games and Catching Fire. Where the first two novels take their time to focus on the exceptional love between Peeta and Katniss, Mockingjay is mostly about war. Where the previous battles were concentrated on a small area and left room for love, Mockingjay has almost no time to feature it, which shows the extensions and seriousness of this very last war. The fight against the capitol is determining, absolute and decides about life or death of everyone.
I would have loved to read more about the relationship between Katniss and Peeta and the love triangle with Gale, but I can really understand the legitimate lack of love in times of war.
Collins invented an authentic storyline, with characters you would be glad to call your friends, and characters you would fear to call your enemies with a bet and a goal that couldn’t be more absolute. Characters like Katniss, Peeta and Gale grow to their fullest possibilities, experience their worst nightmares and need to make decisions that can change their lives and the future of the whole country forever.
Collins’ writing style is as qualitative as before, but something in her arrangement of the story and actions changed. She applies a faster pace and doesn’t give as many details or time to adjust to shocking incidents and unexpected turns. Her writing and pace strengthen the feeling of witnessing a terrible war. In war there is no time for love, no time for details, sometimes not even time for life itself.
Mockingjay has a very abrupt ending, so that I really appreciated the short glimpse into Panem’s future, that gives us a hint of how life goes on after the incidents of Mockingjay.
In the end some would say Katniss’ sacrifice was worthless, but an act of compassion and courage, the one second you stand up against a totalitarian system is always worth the movement!
In conclusion I must say that this novel should be two. Mockingjay captures so many characters, actions and feelings that I was sometimes just overwhelmed by their brutality and vastness. Another reason is of course, that I already miss (almost) every single character of The Hunger Games series.
Real or not real? The story might be fictional, but the effects it has on my literary life are true. I’m in love with The Hunger Games series!
~ We love this book because… ~
1) reality is just an option, but sometimes it means everything
2) melodies remain but songtexts can change
3) of traps and races that make us feel like we’re on a rollercoaster ride
4) sacrifices are never worthless
4) sacrifices are never worthless
5) in war, even rivals team up to fight a common enemy
~ The Verdict ~
A former game has become reality. How can you survive when the whole world has become the arena of a deadly war? Mockingjay is the utterly sad and touching final instalment of The Hunger Games. If you loved The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, you shouldn’t hesitate to pick up this novel, it will stagger you!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Follow Friday #11
Follow Friday is a meme hosted by Parajunkee, where people spread the book love by following around the blogosphere! This week, the featured blog is Carmel @ Rabid Reads , so be sure to check it out! This week’s question is…
What did you study in college, or are you currently studying and did it lead to your current 9 to 5 or you doing something totally different?
I'm currently studying media cultural studies in combination with media law and I really hope it will lead me to a future job in a publishing house.
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