The Hunger Games

Yeeeeeeeee!

Mortal Instruments

I have mixed feelings about the actor cast as Jace. He is too "pretty boy," in my opinion; as in straight out of a calvin klein ad. Hopefully they can rough him up a bit for the role. I remain optimistic about this movie...time shall reveal!

One for the Money

I've started this book and can't wait to get into the series. My friend Amanda tells me that by book four, you realize how laugh-out-loud hysterical Stephanie Plum is. As a bonus, One for the Money, the movie is releasing later this month [starring Katherine Heigl], so what better time to pick up the book and enjoy?!

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

bold.
contemptible.
triumphant.

I knew there was something special about this book when I started bawling like a baby after just a few short chapters. Ken Follett masterfully develops characters and entwines their lives in a way that is striking and full of raw human emotion. His readers experience terror, trepidation, peace, and every victory--big and small--alongside companionable protagonists and formidable foes.

This story is told in third person, limited-omniscient, so you gain a true sense of each individuals character—and there are many. I'm not going to lie; it took me the first five hundred pages to acclimate to Follett's writing style and the plethora of important characters in the plot, but it was all downhill from there. I found that I couldn't get enough--eat, read. sleep, read. kids, read. classes, read. and repeat.

Follett proves there is an artwork to creating characters that you feel you are psychically and invariably connected to. There are villains that you love to hate, yet for whom you feel a deep sense of pity and share their regret in the end. There are also people like you and I, who strive to make good choices in their lives, yet they suffer unspeakable acts and face ostensibly insurmountable challenges.

This novel is brimming with the dark and dreary side of humanity, and likewise, it glistens with the light of hope; for one cannot exist without the other, as they are complimentary parts of the whole.

5 out of 5 stars

I will read the sequel.

Laughable Loves by Milan Kundera

pitiful.
laughable.
naive.

My friend Kiel introduced me to a band called "The Airborne Toxic Event," who I had heard on the radio, but hadn't researched any further songs belonging to them. I also used one of their tracks "All I Ever Wanted--" the one played on the radio, actually--for a Sociology Media Analysis. Turns out that my analysis of the lyrics have nothing to do with the true meaning of the song.

Of course this piqued my interest and I ended up locating the short story that the song is written about, called "The Hitchhiking Game" from this book, Laughable Loves by Kundera.

I was hoping that learning more about the original short story would enhance my adoration of this emotion-filled song. Rather it had the opposite effect. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion--it got worse and worse. I have no qualms about Kundera's writing. It's the content that I am disagreeable toward. Perhaps it is due to the abundance of wisdom I've acquired in nearly thirty years, but probably not. I felt that the characters in each of the short stories were naive and didn't think things through all the way, which I found irritating as a reader.

This book ought to be titled "Pitifully Laughable Lust."

2.5 out of 5 stars

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

family.
friends.
maturing.

After being married for nearly ten years with three kids of my own, and feeling like I suddenly woke up feeling like I reverted to my 20 years old self, but with evidence of time passing, I connected instantly with this book's summary.

While the plot was unique and I favored the final outcome of the story, I remained underwhelmed by the quality of writing. I tend to be snobby about things that I have a preference--I just want what I waaaant! Maybe that's why I expect a certain level of prose from an author, even in a novel. It should flow in his or her own unique style, becoming the underlying melody of the story. Unfortunately there was no such magic at work here.

The story was okay, but it could have been told so much better, in my truly humble, cannot-fathom-the-overwhelming-task-of-writing-a-novel, opinion. In the end, this book was a unique idea with potential that ultimately fell flat.

3 out of 5 stars

After the Golden Age

superheroes
action
romance

Humankind will always be fascinated with the notion of super powers. The idea that average people, with average lives, have a secret potential to move mountains, manipulate the elements, and be a force for good in the world. This book is told from the perspective of Celia West, daughter of the fictional Commerce City's greatest superheroes. Unfortunately, she hasn't inherited any of her parents' powers, but she does discover that she can make her mark on the world with some resourcefulness and smarts of her own. While the plot is relatively simple and can mostly be predicted from the beginning, and I didn't care for the title, it's a fun read, with plenty of action and heart.

3 out of 5 stars

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

menagerie.
menacing.
memories.

The first word above is notoriously strewn about this novel and summarizes in one word what this book is about.

me·nag·er·ie

 

A place where animals are kept and trained especially for exhibition; a collection of wild or foreign animals kept especially for exhibition.

 

The most captivating aspect of the storyline, for me, was the interactions between the animals and humans. While the wild animals themselves pose an obvious danger, the other characters prove to be a far greater threat in the plot. Ironically, The humans exude animalistic qualities in the way they treat each other, while the animals show more humanity than their caretakers. 

I also enjoyed the current day story Sara kept coming back to throughout her novel. It is humbling to imagine feeling like what constitutes "you" on the inside, doesn't match your old moderately decrepit and deteriorating exterior. It must be terrible to feel like someone is condescendingly placating you when you have more life experience and valid reasons for acting the way you do; constantly struggling with your limited and infuriating mobility and cogency challenges.

 

This book was a quick and easy read. The plot easily kept my attention and many of the characters were beautifully depicted...even the "ugly" ones. My main qualm with the plot, is the lack of story in the romance department. There was more risque sand crude sex and unnecessary "f" bombs than I care for. Clearly the main characters of the story are passionate, driven individuals. Why must the romantic culmination fall so FLAT?

 

I still thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend you pick it up before watching the movie...

 

4 out of 5 stars

Fire by Kristin Cashore

vivid.
attachments.
self actualization.

The characters and places Kristin Cashore creates, masterfully lures her audience in. This companion book to Graceling didn't have as strong as a start to its predecessor, but it grew on me. I was a little put off by the same main power being used in both books, though each had an important role in its own book. Unfortunately the overlap took away a little bit of the uniqueness that each book deserved to command. Some moments were a little disjointed when skipping from one scene to the next with little or no transition. That being said, I was not let down by this read.

However, there was a slow and steady climb toward realizing the pinnacle of attachments and characters growing and interweaving throughout the novel. This book is what I consider to be a "chick flick," because the protagonist is cursed with monstrous beauty & super powers, and is surrounded by people who adore her. What an unfortunate challenge, right?! Poor soul. This one is definitely a must read, though I admittedly hold Graceling closer to my heart.

4 out of 5 stars

The Mortal Instruments Movie!

Looks like the first cast member and star of the movie, "Clary," will be played by Lily Collins.

Here's to hoping this movie resembles the best qualities of the series!

Let's hope it doesn't go terribly awry like that "I am Number Four" movie--ugh!