My Hunger for the Games

ONE WILL WIN

    My nearest and dearest friends had talked about this book and insisted that The Hunger Games is a must read.  I admit, my motives for picking the book up was more like; I like fast-action type books, Conversation starters and debate enders "I've read that," I even thought I'll just read it quickly and get it over with.

I couldn't have been more wrong...

     After a slow day, I sat down to read the first few chapters.  Eminently, I became part of the story itself.   Katniss was climbing up a tree, her lengthy brown braids swaying, reaching for her quiver against her back.  As if I'm with her I feel the course bark of the trees, smell the herbs entwined at its trunk, taste the early morning air.  Nothing could hold be back or bring me from my trance.  I stayed up until 4am finishing the book.

   The resolve I expected never came, there was this gnawing craving for more, I must have more.  I'm pretty sure I texted my friend Hannah right then and there.  Sleep was only an instinct that night.  The next morning -pardon, a few hours later-  was worse.  There was no realization of food or fixing my hair (must of looked pretty bad now that I look back) and I think I started singing when I got the text saying Hannah would bring it that night.  

   I was courteous to my friends we made small talk, but I couldn't wait to go home and read!  I don't think I even changed to PJ's.  I just opened Catching Fire, the second book and was gone.  Breathing in the words off the page. 

"I remain at the window long after the woods have swallowed up the last glimpse of my home.  This time I don't have even the slightest hope of return."

-Katniss, Catching Fire Chapter 14

    This time I become more involved with the plot, trying to single out friends from foes.  Still, I'm with her on that train, knowing that nothing good will come and yet still forever facing fate.

    Sequels are the bane of both books and movies alike. (Esp. Movies) sometimes it's as if the author used up whatever magic they had with the original.  No so with Catching Fire, the plot thickens and the tension is so thick you couldn't cover it with a bridal dress.  ;)
Whatever you do don't expect freedom, the hunger for more will consume you.  Best way to deal with it is to live in the characters mind set, mentally work out who are your real allies.




    I have yet to read Mockingjay; I'll be texting Hannah soon.
Although I do have one video to show you, a friend posted this and how could I finish my blog without the Peeta vs. Gale battle going down.

I personally am a Peeta fan, but I haven't had years of illegal hunting with Gale so I'm not in a way to judge Katniss.  Let me know your choice.

Check these out if you are still having trouble deciding, I wish Katniss could.

Sing off Battle  - It's a spoof, pretty epic and the boys aren't bad looking either.

Sing off Battle (w/ lyrics)  - Same as above, only the lyrics make it funnier.

Movie Trailer - Shows at least the faces of the actors in the upcoming film.

 ❖ ❖ ❖

If you need more info check out the fans and author's websites.

Scholastic/ Author website
Author website

Movie website
Lego trailer version ;)
Also Facebook has many interactive games and clips, info on actors and more.




May the odds ever be in your favor. . . 

. . .Count against it       :) 

Five In a Row

When I was little I took a Five In A Row class, which involves lots of great children's books, and is where my love of books began.  If you are thinking about getting books for children (or yourself), these are classic. 

Volume 1.

My Childhood Favorites:

Then and Now

1. Ping

The story of a naughty duckling on the Yangtze River.  As a child I was mortified that someone would eat a duck!  Why don't they eat chicken like everyone else? (Obviously I had never read about chickens)  Rice cakes, even then didn't sound appealing, and wouldn't they get soggy?

 I live on a lake now, with water foul (in above photo).  I say not even they would eat rice cakes, they would just honk/quack for more Sara Lee® sandwich bread.

2. A Pair of Red Clogs

This tale of a young girl and her shoes was always strange and forgotten to me.  But I fondly remember coloring red clogs and wishing I had a pair of my own.  Although I would never lie.  :)

This story I believe is out of print, and sadly we have lost our copy while moving.


3. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

My brothers loved this book, and I enjoyed reading it more then having it read to me.  The movie which came out later, is cute and while the animation isn't great the songs make up for it.

"No STEAM shovels wanted!"  -sorry I got carried away!


4. How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World

I love Apple Pie, and I love baking, and that girl looks like me, and I want to see the world.  Can you tell this is a favorite book?

My favorite part is still the last page.   :)

5. Cranberry Thanksgiving

This story is sweet, and I remember making Cranberry Bread after, of course it wasn't with Grandma's recipe I'm no thief!

I think I have a fondness for grumpy old men in movies because of this.  Like Lauren from the Dr. Quinn series, who couldn't like him?  I guess that means I'm on guard against handsome young men who smell nice??? Not sure if that follows...

6.  The Clown of God

A bit scary as a child, but I remember clearly that the pictures in the book were works of art, and I would stare at them for hours.

I think this story holds a lot of truth now, and how others might view your carrier or looks isn't necessarily the real you.  (shout out to all my circus friends)

7.  Katy and the Big Snow

Living in L.A. I didn't see much snow (with the exception of visiting Grandma in Kansas) so this story would unleash my imagination and off I'd go a little snowflake

I read it to my youngest brother now, and he likes it "ok" but not the same as I had.  And the movie about it isn't great unless you close your eyes and listen to the narration.

These were my favorites from my FIVE IN A ROW class (volume 1.) other books in this class include:

Lentil - My brother's favorite.

Madeline - Would have mentioned, but I had read it before the series.

The Rag Coat - I would literally cry when this was read to me.

Who Owns the Sun? - I don't remember reading this one.  (but we did loose books in a move)

The Glorious Flight - Don't remember either.

Grandfather's Journey - I remember reading this to my siblings when I was older, not the unit study.

Another Celebrated Dancing Bear - This one escapes my memory too.

Papa Piccolo - I loved this story and the illustrations are amazing.

Very Last First Time - A chilling story, and it quite confused me.

Storm in the  Night - A wisp of a memory here, I think it is more of a poem then a story.

Night of the Moonjellies - I didn't remember this until I looked it up, and I saw the cover.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening - Robert FROST wrote this. :)

What were your favorite books as a small child?

Western Repeat?

My book review for...

 His Steadfast Love
A Civil War Novel

by Golden Keyes Parsons




Have you read many Western Romances Novels?  If you are a die-hard fan, my measly little blog won't make a difference.  I enjoy western tales, and romance makes it all the better.

There is a point in which you can read too many books with the same plot.  Where you know what's happening next to the Amish woman and her fancy guy, or if they switch it up a bit, he's Amish and she is  fancy.   My mother had her three favorite Amish romance series and each one had more then five books two inches thick.  Yes, the first one was great, after that it became a pattern of See-Like-Love-Hate-Regret-Love.

His Steadfast Love, isn't an Amish romance.  It might of well have been, the main characters; Amanda Belle, and Kent Littlefield, were on opposing sides of the Civil war.  The conflict makes for a great story, and I'll admit one does fall in love with the characters, but it took over a third of the book for me to do so.

One of the reasons it was hard to focus in wasn't the books fault at all, this was the first e-book I have ever read (that was over five pages) and it took me a while to get used to even flipping the page.  After finishing this book, I finally can connect with a story on an e-reader.

My ratings:
★ An amazing mix of history and romance.
One can tell there was an enormous amount of research involved in the making of this book.
★ The price was great for the novel.  Online you can find it in the $10-$15 category.
I got a free reviewers copy at Booksneeze®.
★ The ending.
The characters have a high sense of morals, and it didn't just end happily ever after, the aftermath of the war was a struggle.  They had to fight with everything to keep their own families together.
☆ The start is very slow.
☆ It has the same feeling as many other romance novels.
☆ I don't particularly care for the father's role in this story.

This novel gets three stars, it is a good book and one of the better western/war romances,  there are just too many out there to fully enjoy this story.  If you are needing a light break from a busy work week, I would suggest this book.  The hopelessromantic type will love this story.

As winter closes around us, keep warm with hot cocoa and books.

~~Invasion~~

Book: Invasion, A C.H.A.O.S. Novel   Author: Jon Lewis

Do you believe in aliens???  How about a company whose Board of Directors are possibly evil aliens wanting to take over the world?

Ok, I didn't think so.  But neither did Colt McAlister until his parents are mysterious killed by a drunk driver.  Sure, that's not all too mysterious, but this drunk driver had glowing red eyes and passed the alcohol test.

I definitely took this off the Internet, it's not quite this extreme in the book.

Colt, along with his friends Oz, and Dani (short for Daniel), discover a plot behind the "accident" and since no one else seems to take action, they might end up being earth's last defence. 

This is, literally one of the greatest, thrilling, most action-packed books I have ever read!  I got it from BookSneeze® and it arrived in the mail at around 4pm I didn't put it down until I finished at twelve! :)

In fact I liked it so much I gave it to my younger brother (age 12) to read, and he has loved every minute  with Invasion.  Naturally it takes him a little longer to read, he currently has three chapters to go.  I was sad, and slightly forlorn when I finished the book, I wasn't ready to put it down.  My one consolation is that it is part of the C.H.A.O.S. series and there are more to come.

Reasons I enjoyed Invasion;

✮ It was an easy yet, captivating read.

 The age level is 11+ and what I say to that is phooey!  Big kids can read it too!

✮ I got it for free at BookSneeze!

Although the price isn't bad at around $15 in stores, and $10 on Amazon.

✮ There were some romance twists.

Not so much as to keep my brother from enjoying the action and adventure.

✮ No cussing!!!  I enjoyed being able to share with my siblings.

✮ Technology is used throughout the book, one of my pet peeves for modern books are when they don't use technology that's now available.  (i.e. cellphones, GPS, security systems.)

Check out the website about the book! Click Here!

As you can see, This book gets five stars!  I definitely recommend this book!

BookSneeze site!

Digging too deep

Winnie the Pooh

And fond childhood memories 

Deep in the hundred acre woods, where Christopher Robin plays. . .

Are you the child whose parents cuddled you at night and read chapters of Pooh's Adventures and other bedtime tales.  Or were you plopped in front of the screen and in went the VHS? (don't tell me it was DvD yet, it wasn't!)  Either way this stuff n' fluff really means a lot to you.  What if I told you that characters aren't created out of thin air, but are mixed from something more.  (Yes, even I know that the writer's son was Christopher, and that he had stuffed animals.)  Where I'm going is much deeper so hang on tight!

Let's look at the character traits of seemingly simple playmates.

Did you ever just want to super-glue his tail on?  Or at least use a screw?

Eeyore:  This one is most obvious, sad, gloomy and nothing ever goes right.  It almost sounds like "emos," even in a make-believe world,  reality is leaking through the pages.

He is always watching out for Roo.

Tigger: Happy, fun loving, bouncy, don't forget just a little bit spacey. This describes clearly someone I know.  

He is always in his garden.

Rabbit: Bossy, always planning, means well and is very organized. Thinks himself very clever.

(this is mostly me I'm, shall we say "strong willed.")

Dyk he can't spell "Owl?"

Owl: You try and be polite, and he really does know something. He just talks. So. Much.  On and on about nothing.  Are you starting to see my point? I hope so! 

P.S. I love his tree house!

Piglet's good times

Piglet:  S-c-cared s-s-stiff-f no matter how hard you try and help them. (If you pay them any attention, they are the best friends)

Roo having fun

Roo:  I don't care what age you are, there is always someone younger looking up to you. 

Whenever we see Kanga we see Roo!

Kanga:  That sweet person you know, maybe a Mother, grandmother, or neighbor.  

And for some reason It always bothered me that she was the only girl, unless you read the books and then there is “Lottie” the otter.  (Sorry, if you have always thought Piglet was one, and I burst your bubble.)

Everyone's favorite bear.

And Pooh. . . Loves the sweet things in life, maybe a little slow, but he's always there for  you.  Even “a bear of very little brain” shows courage.

Gopher and his stick

Gopher's not in the book, but we see workaholics everyday.  His amazing network of tunnels. 

This would be the kind Heffalump.

This fellow looks sly.  

Don't forget those Heffalumps and Woozles “. . .because they covet everything thing you prize.”

These are not all the characters and if you see common links between life and the plushy stuffed creatures, then comment below to add them to the story. 

I hope you at least get a glimpse at what I see in these beloved children's books. 

Italian Scandals~

I have just finished reading "A Farewell to Arms," a 1929 book by Ernest Hemingway. 

Before I go on about the book, I feel I must mention the author and a bit about how his life might have influenced this story.  I am finding his biography on this website. Also info on his Nobel Prize.

Ernest Hemingway was born in Illinois in 1899,  at seventeen years old he started writing for a newspaper office in Kansas City.   Think about this!  At 17 yrs. old, he lived a whole state away from his hometown, and he was a paid writer.

After the United States entered the First World War, he joined a volunteer ambulance unit in the Italian army.  Serving at the front, he was wounded...    All this before even reaching twenty!  When you go to most high schools, and colleges, it's not likely that you will find a student ready to join a war, let alone for another country (learning to speak fluently) and serve at the front lines.  But in times as these it seemed not all that uncommon.

Understandable that he would write about a young American fighting for the Italian army, and give the character his perspective as an ambulance driver.

The clear morals (or lack thereof), of the main characters is very disconcerting and normally I wouldn't read such a tale of graphic depression, love, death, seduction, and pain.  Having said all this reading "A Farewell to Arms" for school is quite possibly the only way I would have ever read this book.  

Hemingway's "Heros" to put it loosely, are portrayed as strong and tough with good thoughts about intentions.  When confronted with the hardships of life, they are always losing hope and faith. . .  well more like the notion of trust in others, and concepts of some better life.  It is as if Lieutenant Frederic Henry, has seen the happy lives of others (although few characters in the book have such), and Henry desires their good fortune for his own, but refuses to become an upstanding moral person, highly principled and a thought to actions have consequences.  Even in the end, when Henry's life is crashing down around him, Ernest Hemingway doesn't allude to anything more, or remorse for choices, only Henry's bitter cry against death, man's struggle to prolong his life, and how one can only dull the pain throughout life and that is all.
This idea is seen through a powerful analogy at the very end of the story.  The problem I have with Ernest Hemingway's ending, is while he is a literary genius deserving of his Nobel prize,  I believe he missed a very important message that is woven through his story even though it is evident, the characters (and Hemingway himself) fail to see what is right in front of them.
A stronger hope, the life beyond our own, willingness to believe there is more then ourselves and even when we toil throughout life, life itself is greater then us.  An excellent literary example would be "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë,  where Jane is beaten down by life, has more then a rough time, but understands when given the choice of "anesthetic" (read Hemingway's book), even in longing desperately for an easier way, Jane choses to place her trust in God.  There is a stark contrast in these two books, one a dark tale of hopelessness and pain, the other while full of hardships gives sight to a deeper meaning in humanity and the comfort that one is never alone and is dearly loved.

Ernest Hemingway has written a detailed account of war, and perhaps he creates this feeling of defeat as a way of pointing to more.  My thoughts rest on that of redemption and a new tomorrow.  Reading "A Farewell to Arms" has given me a fresh look on life, and an understanding of other's pain an sorrows.  I hope it shows something to you as well.


The sun will come out tomorrow,