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       :) 

My Christmas wish list

    Do you remember waking up really early on Christmas to open gifts?  

    In my family the first one up would yell "It's Christmas! It's Christmas!!!"  And we would (the children) rush though the hall (not looking at the gifts) run up and jump on Mom and Dad's bed, wake them up and beg to go open presents.  After a few seconds of "Wait, don't we need a camera, and it's too early" we would all head to the living room where the biggest gifts stood unwrapped.  The stockings, bulgy and overstuffed, were first Dad always love to put oranges and nuts to make them fatter but they had small gifts like lip gloss, toy cars, yo-yos, and gum (and that one year, toothbrushes).   Then we would fly to the gifts under our real live Christmas pine, and the accumulation of wrapping paper was enough to make one kill the proverbial goose!

My sister and I Christmas eve, the mound of presents wrap around our live tree.  About 3yrs. ago.

    Now there are five of us children so if you count at least three gifts per child, plus two each from Grandma Ruth and Pampo (More if they were here), and one from Grandma and Grandpa (unless we were there), and now that we are a bit older we add four more, one from each sibling.
This is a minimum of fifty presents under the tree, not including our "To Mom and/or Dad" presents.  :)
I love my large family!

    In those in between moments from unwrapping/clean-up to breakfast, Dad reads the Christmas Story from the Bible, and if there is time and snow we would play with our new sleds (always a gift) and come in soaking wet and hungry.

Last year, we built a snow man even bigger then the little one on top of shoulders! 

   When we can, we go to Grandma and Grandpa's house usually after we have our own Christmas.
That, is what we are doing today.  We have moved several (in my opinion) times, and once lived five blocks from Grandma and Grandpa, since we now live 9hrs. away it's harder to figure out when to travel and when to squeeze our own Christmas in.

  The plan: Leave around 9am today (I don't see that happening, "around" is more like it) travel to Grandma's house, unload presents and then we will stay at my Aunt and Uncle's house.

   I can't wait to see everyone (and to end the car ride) my father is one of five children, and I have over 20 first cousins, a few cousin-in-laws (?), and some cousin's kids.  Not sure of the final family count, but it's large.

My Christmas wish list this year???

(note: all big items I've gotten for my Birthday)

1.  iPhone cover for... well my iPhone. :)

This one would be fantabulus!

2.   Scarves. Any kind.

3.  Jewelry.  Any kind. (again)

Owls could hurt either. 

4.  Would be clothing, but I just got some amazing new stuff at Cato so I'm good here. 

5.   Anything involving baking.   :)

Really love baking

6.  Hats!!!  (the uber fancy kind)

I have yet to see this one under my tree.  :) 

And my outrageous wish list might as well go online... just for fun.

Ice skates

Red hair

Gloves (the long kind)

Dresses

College money!!!

More ideas

(huh, I was sure I had a longer list... I guess I'm getting older.)

  Whatever your Christmas plans may be this week/whole month, I pray you remember the real reason for the season amidst all the gifts and family.

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?