Catching Fire

I know it's been out for a week, but don't forget to see The Hunger Games: Catching Fire in theaters while you still can! I've seen it twice already, and it's was so good. It was a very nice adaptation in my opinion. Though some of my favorite scenes and elements did get cut out, (the electric fence and some foreshadowing of District 13) it was still very faithful and evoked the same themes and emotions as the novel did. I don't know which film I like better, the first one or the second. The first book in the trilogy is my favorite, as I just thought there was something so special and unique about it. I thought Gary Ross, the director of The Hunger Games, did a great job with capturing the essence of what the novel represented. When I heard he dropped out of directing the sequel, I was a little nervous that it wouldn't be as good as the first. After seeing Catching Fire though, all my worries and concerns were diminished, as the adaptation was beautifully filmed and widened the scope of the source material. Viewers are able to see more scenes with Plutarch Heavensbee and President Snow, which is great fun, since both actors are incredible and talented. It definitely was bigger and better than I could have ever imagined. The sequel is definitely on another level than the first film. The special effects, acting, even the costume design is very much enhanced and adds more to this world that Suzanne Collins initially created. Everything about this story almost seems real, even though it is purely fiction. The themes are so relatable to today's audience, it truly will make you want to stand up for what you believe in. Anyways, go see it! And if you haven't read the books yet, you are missing out! They're amazing.

Quote of the Week

Sorry that this week's quote is a little late. Since I'm still obsessed with all things Hunger Games, (Did you see Catching Fire? Amazing!) this week's quote is from the book version:

“You know, you could live a thousand lifetimes and not deserve him.”
― Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire

 

 

Updates

Hey everyone! I'm sorry for the lack of updates recently. It's just been a busy time lately with school and with the holidays coming up now, things don't seem to be lightening up. Don't worry though, as I'll be doing my best to get new posts out there. I plan on releasing a few new book reviews and some favorite lists of mine. I'll also keep up with my quote of the week and perhaps some other new ideas will pop up too. Check back soon, and I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving tomorrow!

Quote of the Week

Since The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens this Friday, this week's quote is from the 2nd book in the trilogy:

“I wish I could freeze this moment, right here, right now and live in it forever.”

― Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire

 

Song of the Month

"Atlas" by Coldplay

  I just wanted to let you guys know that I recently added a new gadget to my blog. It's the Spotify Play Button, which allows you to listen to music while reading my blog. Each month, I'll switch up the song. It will usually be a song that reflects a novel that I recently read, or something that I just like to listen to! This month's song is "Atlas" by Coldplay. It's featured on The Hunger Games: Catching Fire official soundtrack. Since the movie comes out this Friday, I thought it was fitting to choose this song. I read the book about a year ago, and it's amazing. I can't wait until the movie comes out. If you haven't read it yet, you definitely should and don't forget to check out the film when it hits theaters! 

My Favorite Books by Ann Brashares

Here is my list of favorite books by Ann Brashares:

1. The Sisterhood Series

I decided to combine all 5 of the Sisterhood books into one, since it's a continuous story. These are definitely my favorite books by Brashares. They are the epitome of what summer is and means, as they are filled with love, friendship, adventure, and finding your own self-identity. All five books are so hard to put down. I went through them so quickly! You'll fall in love with all of the girls and their love interests. Even though each girl is different, I found myself relating to all of them, in one or another. I do have my favorite girl, which is Lena. However, all the girls are likeable, which is what makes these novels so special. For Brashares to create 4 different girls, with 4 different personalities, and to have them all be attainable and interesting to read for the reader is astounding. I do have to add that the last and possibly final book, Sisterhood Everlasting, was somewhat dissapointing. The whole plot and focus of this particular book felt unnecessary and pointless. Although I do like the idea of catching up with the girls 10 years later, couldn't it have been a different event that brought them together? I hope I didn't spoil anything there for those who haven't read the 5th book. Still, I encourage you to read the Sisterhood books, just maybe skip the last one.

2. The Last Summer (of You and Me)

This is another strong work by Brashares and should surely be read in the summer. It's a little more adult than the sisterhood, but all the more compelling and addictive. It has all the elements that you've come to love from her previous novels, but Brashares expands on them and pushes her boundaries. There's summer love, sisterhood, and friendship. But there's also a darker side to this story, one that makes you question how far you will go for love, and what you will sacrifice in the process. This more serious take on Brashares' similar themes and storylines is appreciated and admired. The only thing I was missing was a connection between the main characters. I didn't have that same bond with the girls in this story, as I did when reading The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. However, The Last Summer (of You and Me) is a great beach read, and is very enjoyable.


3. 3 Willows: The Sisterhood Grows

I liked this book, but it definitely wasn't my favorite. It's written  in the same vein as the Sisterhood novels, but this group of friends isn't as compelling. They are younger, and surely less wiser. For most of the novel, they're not even friends. They went through a fall-out at the beginning, so each girl gives their own account of the summer, with little connection to the the others. They kind of just felt like separate stories, but ones that were sort of  amateur. I mean, one girl spends her summer going to modeling camp. While I appreciate delving into a story that deals with one's idealized image of themselves, did Brashares really have to have her go to modeling camp to complete her journey? I didn't even know there was such a thing and it just seemed a little absurd to me. All in all, their summers are dull and not as enticing as the original Sisterhood we know and have come to love. This just seemed like a knockoff, a story trying to emulate the magic of it's predecessor, but with little to no success. Overall, I would just say, read this at your own risk, and prepare yourself for disappointment.

4. My Name is Memory  

This is probably my least favorite book by Brashares and it's probably because of it's over-complicated story that never seems to find a balance between romance and science fiction. The whole thing is just really confusing and kind of messy. The scenes that are set in present-day are definitely what saves it, as we see a glimpse of who Daniel and Lucy really are, and how they are connected. When Brashares dives into Daniel's past lives, it gets really boring, and it's not stimulating enough to capture my full attention. It felt like she was trying to hard for the story to be the next Twilight love story or something, and it just wasn't. It doesn't help matters when the third act takes a drastic departure where a new villain arrives in town to stir up trouble for this couple. It was kind of predictable, the way the story unfolds, which is disappointing. I wouldn't waste my time with this book. When you get to the end, you'll be asking yourself, what was the point?

Quote of the Week

“That's how you know you love someone, I guess, when you can't experience anything without wishing the other person were there to see it, too.”
― Kaui Hart Hemmings, The Descendants 

Author of the Month: November

Markus Zusak

Each month, I'll be picking an author that I think you should check out! This month, I would definitely recommend reading more books by Markus Zusak. He is the author of The Book Thief, which I'm recently enamored with (unless you couldn't tell). It's honestly one of the best books I've ever read, so if you haven't already, read it! I know I'm going to be reading more of his books now, like I Am the Messenger, which sounds so interesting. It's about Ed, who becomes the messenger for some very mysterious missions. The question he doesn't know is, who is leading him on this path? I can't wait to start reading it, and once I'm finished, I'll be posting a review so check back soon!

Review: The Descendants

 The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings

Here's my review of The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings:

      If you want to read a book with a thoughtful story and characters that you feel like you know, then you should definitely read The Descendants. Published in 2007, it tells the story of Matt King, a man who, from the outside, appears to have it all. He lives in the island paradise of Hawaii and is high profile lawyer. He's already rich, but he's also a descendant of Hawaii royalty, which means he and his family is kind of set for the rest of their lives. However, Matt is different from most people thrown into riches and an elite status. That is, he doesn't care that much for it. As he says in the novel, "You give your children enough money to do something, but not enough to do nothing." As you can see, he's wise about spending his money, and isn't about to turn his kids spoiled rotten. Despite these facts, this might have been the reasons for driving his wife, Joanie away. 
         When the book starts, the reader finds out that Joanie, who was just in a boating accident, is now in a coma, and things are not looking good for her. This event is what drives the story, and essentially pieces these broken characters back together again. As Joanie's condition begins to deteriorate, Matt brings his family together to be with her, for however much longer she may have. His two daughters, Scottie and Alex, deal with their mother's accident in different ways. Scottie, who just can't seem to talk to her mom and searches for an interesting story to tell her how she's been, probably to prove she's just as exciting as her mother once was. And Alex, who wants absolutely nothing to do with Joanie, but doesn't avoid her. No, she goes right up to her bedside and gives her a piece of her mind, curse words and all. Well, there's a reason for Alex's actions and these hated feelings towards her mom, and that's because Joanie was cheating on Matt, with realtor Brian Speer. When Alex tells Matt this confession, he is shocked, and feels betrayed. His Joanie, with another man? Did Joanie even love him at all? These are the thoughts and questions that race through his mind. Should he be mad at her when she is dying or love her because she is? Surely he doesn't know how to feel during this time, but he does know one thing. He needs to find Brian and bring him back to Joanie, to let him say goodbye. And maybe to ask him if he ever loved Joanie at all too. So as the King family, along with Alex's "friend" Sid, (who is great comic relief by the way, and offers Matt some great reflection) search for this Brian Speer, they basically are able to find themselves and what it means to be a family.
     What's so great about this book is that although it's a tough topic to deal with and at times it could be really heavy, it's also hilarious. I found myself laughing and crying at parts, something I've rarely done when reading a novel. It will tug at your heart strings and make you question your own beliefs about family and love. I just love that it takes Joanie's coma, to wake Matt up from his own and actually become the parent he was always meant to be. He's not perfect, but are we?
     I give this book 4 stars and you should definitely read it! I would also recommend checking out the film version, which is equally as brilliant. It stars George Clooney and Shailene Woodley and was nominated for 5 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Check out the trailer below:

 

What I'm Reading

      Right now, I'm currently reading two books for school, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Beloved by Toni Morrison. I've already read The Great Gatsby back in high school and instantly fell in love with it. It's become one of my all-time favorite books. I haven't read it since, and that was about 3 years ago, so I'm excited to reread it now. I wonder if I'll notice anything different or if my feelings will change about it during my reading. I'll be posting a review of my thoughts so check back soon to see. I'm sorry to say I've never actually heard of Beloved before. The plot does sound interesting though. I believe Morrison won a Pulitzer Prize for this work too, which proves this novel must be worth my time. I'll also be posting a review of this book when I'm finished too. If you have read these books, post a comment below. Anything you like or dislike about them? Let me know!

My Pick to Read: November

 The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

     Each month, I'll be posting one book that you should read. It may be just one of my favorites or reflect the time of the month. For example, around October, I'd probably recommend reading a mystery novel and in February, I'd choose something that has a little romance. Anyways, this month's pick to read is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I recently just read this book and thought it was amazing. It took me by surprise how much I enjoyed it and it's actually my new favorite book right now. The movie adaptation is coming out soon, and I think everyone should read it before it comes out. I know some people are iffy when it comes to bringing a book to screen, but from the looks of the trailer, it seems to do it justice and is mostly faithful. Obviously some elements need to be cut out in order to fit into a two hour movie. I'll post the video below so take a look for yourself and tell me what you think. And don't forget, read The Book Thief!

Quote of the Week

Each week I'll be posting one of my favorite quotes from books that I have read. So in honor of the film version of The Book Thief being released this month, here's this week's quote:

“I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right. ” — Markus Zusak

My Favorite Emily Giffin Books

      Here, I'll be listing my favorite Emily Giffin novels in order. I apologize for any possible spoilers, so beware.  Anyways, enjoy!

1. Something Blue

       When I first started reading this book, I honestly did not think I would enjoy it. A whole book from the point of view of Darcy Rhone, the character I hated most in Giffin's first novel, Something Borrowed? I just didn't think it was possible for me to read this entire book from a character that I despised. But the impossible happened. I read the book and when it was over, I fell in love with this character and wanted to hear more of what she had to say. In fact, I missed her. That is what's so special about this book, to have the ability to change a character, but in a way that feels realistic and authentic to who she is. By hearing her thoughts this time around, you feel like you understand Darcy, and all of her crazy antics. You begin to justify them, just like she does. When she begins her journey in London, the reader is with her each and every step of the way. When she falls, so do you, and when she gets back up, you're right there with her. It's ironic that it's her pregnancy, that actually forces her to grow up and stop being a baby herself. The relationship she develops with Ethan is equally memorable and beautifully written too. Everything about this book is magical, from the visual descriptions that make you feel like you're there, to the themes itself. This is my favorite Emily Giffin book and I highly recommend it.

2. Something Borrowed

      Having been Giffin's first book to be written, I think it has exceptional writing and her characters are very well-thought-out and developed.  The movie version isn't as good as the book. I feel like they made it into typical romantic comedy instead of the smart story about friendship and love that it actually is. Something Borrowed is about Rachel White, who on her 30th birthday, ends up sleeping with her best friend's fiance, Dexter. However, there's more to this story than meets the eye. Rachel has been in love with Dexter since she met him in college. Everything changed though when her best friend, Darcy, came into the picture, because after all, who wouldn't fall in love with Darcy? Rachel is then faced with the biggest decision of her life, as she must choose the love of her life, or her friendship with Darcy. Yes, the novel has elements of good vs. bad, especially with Darcy, who isn't as innocent as she seems. But it's more about finding your own path and doing what's best for you. The ending will take you by surprise, but will leave you feeling satisfied with Rachel's choice, whatever it may be.

3. Baby Proof

      I really liked this book by Giffin and I feel like it's one of her strongest works. The novel revolves around Claudia and Ben, a couple who have decided not to have children. But when one of them changes their mind, they both begin to reevaluate their beliefs and think of what it means to actually have children. Can one of them compromise or will this be the end of their relationship? This question is asked by the reader throughout the entire novel and let me say it will be answered by the time it's over. For me, I just really enjoyed this plot, as I never read anything like it before. The novel shows that it takes losing something in order for you to actually realize what you want, which is a true theme of life. Baby Proof is almost like a love letter to New York, describing each and every famous site in the city and accurately evoking the feel and magic it has. I know some people were turned off by this fact, but it made it that much more enchanting to me. You will be swept up and blown away by the love this book has, and it will make you see the importance of having love in your own life.

4. Where We Belong

      This is also one of Giffin's better books, though it's different from her other ones. It's told in a two person narrative between the novel's main character, Marian, and her 18-year-old daughter Kirby. Where We Belong really kicks in during it's second half, as that's when the story heats up and you actually see the emotions these character's are feeling. Throughout the book, Marian grapples with the decision of putting her daughter up for adoption, and what that meant to Kirby, the father, and most importantly herself. Her life is put in a whirlwind when she meets Kirby again, as she has blocked this person and event in her life away for the last 18 years. Perhaps though, her life is just starting and has the possibility again, to change and be different. It took me a little longer than usual to actually get into this novel, but once it hooks you, it doesn't let you go. I didn't want to say goodbye to the characters when I had finished, especially Conrad, one of the most ideal male characters in recent literature. The book teaches us that we all have a place where we belong, and once we find it, we never want to leave. In the same way, you'll have a hard time putting this book down.

5.  Love the One You're With

      I really enjoyed this book while I was reading it. However, that changed when I had finished it. It wasn't like I suddenly disliked it or threw the book across the room in disgust. No, it wasn't anything too drastic. I suppose I was just left feeling a little unfulfilled. Let me tell you what the novel is about. Love the One You're With tells the story of Ellen, who is reveling in her first year of marriage with her perfect husband, Andy. Things go awry when she encounters her ex, Leo. Leo isn't just any ex-boyfriend though. He's the one that got away. You know, that one guy you were still pining over, even after he left you in the dust. Yeah, that's Leo and somehow, Ellen is still not over him, despite all these years. When Leo expresses interest in getting back together, Ellen must make a decision. Should she choose a love that's safe and comfortable? Or go after the one thing she's always wanted, passion and spontaneity? I really like this overlapping theme Giffin seems to express throughout all of her novels, in which her characters are forced to make choices that can and will alter their lives. I normally like the outcomes of these decisions, but this time around, I'm not so sure I agree with Ellen's. From beginning to end, I kept asking myself, "Who should she choose? Who should she choose?" The reader is faced with the same dilemma as Ellen, in not knowing who the right guy is for her. And while Ellen does make her choice, supposedly the correct one for her, I'm just not sure it's the one I wanted her to make.


6. Heart of the Matter

      Everyone has a least favorite book by an author, and I guess Heart of the Matter is mine. I've never completely disliked any of Giffin's novels. Her writing is spectacular and definitely draws you in from start to finish. The problem with this book is that I just wasn't that intrigued by the story, and sorry to say, felt I've heard it before. Heart of the Matter weaves two different stories by two entirely different women. The first, Tessa, is a mother and wife, who recently quit her job in order to focus on her family, which is something her husband just can't seem to do. The second, Valerie, has little in common with Tessa. Though also a mother to a son, Charlie, her life has never been picture-perfect. Charlie's father has been out of their lives essentially since the day he was born. Since then, Valerie has a hard time believing that true love actually exists. These two seemingly diverse women will be brought together by a chance encounter, one that will forever change their lives in more ways than one. Without spoiling too much, a major element from this novel felt eerily familiar to that from Something Borrowed. And since I already read about it there, I wasn't interested in reading about it again. I also had a hard time relating to the characters, something that's not usually hard for me to do. The two-person narrative didn't help matters either, as I felt not enough time was given to both to develop them fully. Specifically, for Valerie, by the end, I just sensed that she didn't learn anything and I didn't understand what her point was. I feel like she never moved on or grew in the same way as Tessa did. She was just stuck in point A, never being able to progress to point B. That's my criticism for this book and why I would least recommend it to others. It's still a good read though, just not as strong as her others.