About Books Blog 44: Mockingjay

Author: Suzanne Collins

Genre: Young Adult/Dystopia/Science Fiction

Related Reviews In The Hunger Games Series

Book 1: The Hunger Games

Book 2: Catching Fire

Favorite Line

"You love me. Real or not real?"

Summary (from Goodreads)

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. The thrill-packed final installment of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy will keep young hearts pounding.

My Thoughts

This is an abbreviated version of my normal review set up. I’ve already discussed the interesting facts about the series and the movie in the reviews for the first two books. It seemed pointless to reiterate things I have already said.

I loved the first two books in the series, but Mockingjay really knocked my socks off. This book had the exciting war type action going for it. One of the many things I loved about all the books is that I believe that both girls and guys could enjoy it. It has a great balance of action and emotional pull.

Speaking of emotions Mockingjay was a serious emotional roller coaster. In this novel you get more a since of what the bonds are between the old and new characters. Not just the family and friends bond, but something akin to the bond of warriors in battle. In addition I couldn't wait to see how the love triangle turned out. What like about these books is that the author implemented a love triangle without it becoming the usual tale of jealously, crazy love drama, etc. You know I’m a big fan of a good love triangle, but it was just refreshing to see it done in different way. In the Hunger Games books survival always wins out over trivial things like jealousy, since it is usually a choice between working together or dying.

There were so many unexpected surprises in this novel. I know I’ve said something similar to this for every book in this series, but it’s true every time. I couldn't possibly guess what was going to happen next. This was fun because I'm usually pretty good at figuring out where a story is going early on. I think some of the events and scenes in Mockingjay literally took my breath away. It was definitely the type of book where you find yourself bursting to talk about every insane event. It was a good thing that I got a friend and my mom into reading the series so we could talk about it. I might have gone crazy trying to keep it all to myself.

Overall, I totally loved this series. I have found a new obsession. To prove that statement I actually bought this series on e-book twice. Once for the Kindle application on my phone, and once for my Nook Color. That way I can always carry a copy with me. Obsessed I tell you. If you haven’t read these books already you should.

Music To Read By

I didn’t have any favorite albums in particular for this one, but I did listen to a lot of music. I was reading this during my phase of obsessively watching Later...With Jools Holland on the Ovation channel. This show features a variety of awesome musicians playing live. I would read Mockingjay when this show was running. The next day I would read while listening to the albums of new artists I had discovered. A couple of songs I heard on the show ended up on this playlist or the playlist for Catching Fire. I did listen to one album not related to Later...With Jools Holland, the Sucker Punch Soundtrack. A very good album for young girls going into a fight when you think about it.

I must give credit to my friend and fellow Hunger Games fan, Natalie, who helped me add a couple songs to the Mockingjay playlist. I thank her in particular for finding the song Melon by Home Video, which is not only an awesome song but also an awesome Mockingjay song. As promised I included the player with the full playlist for the entire Hunger Games Trilogy. Wow! There are fifty songs on it. Lots of great reading music for when I re-read the books. 

Mockingjay Playlist

Uprising - Muse

Superstar - Tegan and Sara

Redemption Day - Sheryl Crow

Numb - Linkin' Park

Fragile - Kerli

We Are One - 12 Stones

Know Your Enemy - Green Day

Stand Up (Acoustic Version) - Fireflight

Zombie (Acoustic Version) - The Cranberries

I Never Told You - Colbie Caillat

Speaking A Dead Language - Joy Williams

Sink or Swim - Tyrone Wells
Violet Hill - Coldplay

Army of Me (Sucker Punch Remix) - Bjork

Melon - Home Video

You Know My Name - Chris Cornell

Assassin - Muse

21 Guns - Green Day ft. American Idiot Cast

The Banjo Song - Seasick Steve

Marching On - One Republic

The Hunger Games Trilogy Playlist

Yay! My first whole series reviewed. Very exciting! Hope you had fun reading the review. See you all later. Keep it shiny!

About Books Blog 43: Catching Fire

Author: Suzanne Collins

Genre: Young Adult/Dystopia/Science Fiction

Related Reviews In The Hunger Games Series

Book 1: The Hunger Games

Book 3: Mockingjay

Favorite Line

“At some point, you have to stop running and turn around to face whoever wants you dead”

Summary (from Goodreads)

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark won the annual competition described in Hunger Games, but the aftermath leaves these victors with no sense of triumph. Instead, they have become the poster boys for a rebellion that they never planned to lead. That new, unwanted status puts them in the bull's-eye for merciless revenge by The Capitol.

My Thoughts

Usually the second book in a trilogy ends up being just a really big lead up to the third book in the series. However, I didn’t feel like that at all while reading the second book in the Hunger Games Trilogy, Catching Fire. While this novel did lay down important plot lines for the third book, it was still as full of action and twists as the first book. Some of the plot twists literally made my jaw drop. As I predicted Catching Fire is where the series gets a little bit more into politics. However, it was done in a way that I liked, and didn’t overwhelm my not so political brain. I think this was because the book never strays from the emotions and goals of the characters.

The book returns with all the great characters I enjoyed in Hunger Games, along with some wonderful new characters to create a new experience. This was both lovely but a little bittersweet as well, considering one can not have an epic political dystopian novel without some character sacrificing themselves for the greater good. Suzanne Collins really knows how to write characters you can get attached to. She also knows how to write characters that you love to hate a.k.a President Snow. I really disliked that man (the subject of him being human being is still a subject of debate for me). I love when authors write great villains.

Catching Fire was a great ride. I felt like the story just got better and better. Of course, Catching Fire ended with a bit of a cliffhanger, so I had to read Mockingjay right away. My review for that will be coming up next. I almost put the two reviews together, but decided against it at the last minute. I just got the feeling that I wanted to say entirely different things about the last novel.

The Movie

I suppose this is just an update on what’s going on with the Hunger Games film. If you haven’t already checked out the casting choices you should. I have to say I’m pretty pleased with them so far. I can only assume that if Hunger Games is received well they will make film adaptations of the other books as well.

Hunger Games on IMDb

Music To Read By

Strangely the same albums I loved for the first book also worked for the second. Though the general events of Catching Fire were different the situations the characters found themselves in were similar. Thus, even the songs I picked for the Hunger Games playlist still worked. I listened to that playlist and continued to rock out to Muse, My Chemical Romance, and Metric. I did however add Riot by Paramore to the mix this time around. I consider the playlist below more like addtions to the original Hunger Games playlist. When I post the review for the final novel I post a player with the songs for the entire trilogy.

Catching Fire Playlist

Never Going Back to OK - The Afters

It Starts With One - Shiny Toy Guns

Crossfire - Brendan Flowers

Unnatural Selection - Muse

Bulletproof Heart - My Chemical Romance

Ready, Set, Go - Tokio Hotel

Fire With Fire - The Black Letter

Do it or Die - Die Mannequin

Half-Trusium - The Offspring

Run - Snow Patrol

24 Hours - Tom Jones

Let The Flames Begin - Paramore

That's all folks. Hope you had fun reading. Can't wait to review the last book in the series. I can't wait to put the playlist together. Keep it shiny my darlings.

About Books Blog 34: The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins

Genre: Young Adult/Dystopia/Science Fiction

Related Reviews In The Hunger Games Series

Book 2: Catching Fire
Book 3: Mockingjay

Favorite Line

“You should wear flames more often,” he says. “They suit you.”

Summary (from Scholastic)

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlaying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one girl and one boy between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has also resolved to outwit the creators of the games. To do that she will have to be the last person standing at the end of the deadly ordeal, and that will take every ounce of strength and cunning she has.

What I Thought of This Book

I finally decided to hop on The Hunger Games train. It seemed like everyone kept saying how wonderful the series is, so I knew I had to give it a go. I have to say everyone was right this book is too awesome for words. The fact is that I love a good dystopian story, but for some reason I don’t read them very often. It was great to return to a genre I love first and foremost.

The Hunger Games is a fascinating and fast read. I tried not to read it too quickly, because I wasn’t ready for it to end. However, I still ended up reading it in just two days. I loved how action packed it was. It seemed like every chapter ended with some crazy turn or event. I became very attached to the principal characters, particularly Katniss. She was written with so many facets to her personality. She was tough and clever, but at the same time caring and selfless.

Some critics have said that the author didn’t take the opportunity to utilize as much political symbolism as could have been used. I suppose that is true, but I don’t think that was the agenda of the story. Firstly because it is written for young adults who perhaps would not appreciate it as much as an adult would. Secondly, I think in my personal opinion, it would have taken away from the emotional connection with the characters, which was the part I liked best. Plus, the government presented in The Hunger Games made me angry as it was. I was really okay with not going into more detail on that aspect. Though I can only assume that this issue will become more prominent in the later books.

I basically loved The Hunger Games to pieces. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. I’m also very excited, because this was my first book of 2011. I now have something to add to my reading challenges. Shiny!

Facts I Found Interesting

Author Suzanne Collins claims that the idea for The Hunger Games came from an instance in which she was channel-surfing on the TV. The lines between a reality show competition and war coverage started to blur. She also drew inspiration from the Greek myth of Theseus.

The Movie

The film adaptation of The Hunger Games is currently in the early stages of pre-production. While there have been few publicly released definite casting choices, director Gary Ross has been in trusted to bring the novel to life. I hope the movie powers that be don’t mess this awesome book up. I might just lose my mind if that happens. I’m inclined to have faith though, because Gary Ross directed one of my favorite semi-dystopian films, Pleasantville. Thus, he is not totally unfamiliar with the themes presented in that genre.  

The Hunger Games on IMDb

Music to Read By

Favorite Albums

I listened to: The Resistance by Muse, Fantasies by Metric, Danger Days: The True Lives of The Fabulous Killjoys by My Chemical Romance, and Unbreakable by Fireflight. I loved every single one of these albums. They all fit the story in some way, shape, or form. The Hunger Games is already so popular many people on my beloved Grooveshark had already created playlists. I listened to a couple of those while reading it as well. I have a feeling I'll want to add to the playlist below later, but I'm satisfied with it for now.

The Hunger Games Playlist

Catalyst - Linkin' Park

When They Came For Us - Shiny Toy Game

If I Die Young - The Band Perry

24 - Jem

Smile For The Camera - Armor For Sleep

The Hunger - Fireflight

Bitter End - Placebo

Stadium Love - Metric

Get Out Alive - Three Days Grace

Die Another Day - Madonna

Blindness - Metric

Fire (Aim Your Arrows High) - VersaEmerge

Help I'm Alive - Metric

The Only Hope For Me Is You - My Chemical Romance

Animal - Neon Trees

Amour Love - La Roux

Keep Holding On - Avril Lavigne

Resistance - Muse

Fences - Paramore

Hardest of Hearts - Florence and The Machine

Okay, I didn't quite get this out on Thursday, it is now Friday morning. This is what happens when you get involved with watching your DVR recordings of Vampire Diaries and Bones, instead of posting your blog. Ha ha. Well I'm off to do the Friday blog hops. Keep it shiny!

About Books Blog 10: Winter Of Fire

Author: Sherryl Jordan
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy/Dystopia

Favorite Line

"Victory does not always come with trumpet-blasts and glory."

Summary

Yet, again I am using part of the summary on the back of the book. Why do I read books that are so hard to summarize?

Elsha is one of the Quelled: a branded people, doomed always to mine coal to warm the ruling class, the Chosen. Elsha has strange visions that set her apart, and a strong spirit that condemns her to death. Her life is saved when she is called to be Handmaiden to the Firelord, the most powerful being on the planet.

What I Thought Of This Book

I got this book way back in the 5th grade at a book fair. It's the first multiple chapter fantasy book I remember reading. It is also the first novel I remember loving so much I read it over and over again. I decided that after nine or ten years of not reading Winter of Fire, that it was time to read it again, just to see if it was as good as I remembered. It was exactly as good as I remember it being. I LOVED it! It's so very different from most young adult stories, and it has a way inspiring one to be a strong person. It's an incredibly fast read as well.

I really need a new copy of this book. It has been much loved, thus, several pages started to fall out while I was reading it this time. I looked it up online, however, I could only find places where you could buy it used. That sort of defeats the purpose. If any one knows if this book is still in print and where I can get a new copy please let me know.

Facts I Found Interesting

Sherryl Jordan wrote Winter of Fire after she was diagnosed with RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury), and was told she would never write again. The story of the books lead character, Elsha, inspired her to persevere past her difficulties. In the forward of the book she states that she and Elsha "were warriors together in our battles against the impossible."

The Movie

No movie . I love it so much as a novel that I just don't know that I would like it as a film. It's one of those stories that I see a specific way in my imagination, and if someone else's vision didn't match up with mine I'd probably be upset.

Music To Read By

Favorite Albums

As I said this book is a fast read so I didn't get to listen to a ton of music. I finished reading about ninety pages while listening to a double disk set of The Best Of Led Zeppelin. I did manage to find two favorite albums for Winter of Fire, Riot by Paramore and One Cell In The Sea by A Fine Frenzy. The first album because it Paramore music seems to have the same spirit as the lead character in the novel. The second album because A Fine Frenzy and fantasy stories are a perfect match. Almost every song on One Cell In The Sea reminds me of one fantasy story or another.

Winter Of Fire Playlist

Winter - Bond
World on Fire - Sarah Mclachlan
Give - Tori Amos
Belief - Gavin Degraw
Into The Fire - Thirteen Senses
Kashmir - Led Zeppelin
Let the Flames Begin - Paramore
Exo-Politics - Muse
Hope For The Hopeless - A Fine Frenzy
Belief - John Mayor
Kashmir - Bond




Wow! This was a short one. I've realized that I've read several fantasy books in a row, so I'm going to try to read some different genres for awhile.

Next About Books Blog: Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell