I couldn't let any more time pass before I sang the praises of a few wonderful books. 'The Hunger Games' and 'Catching Fire' by Suzanne Collins are extraordinary. I *literally* could not put them down. I know, I sound like I'm feeding into the publisher's hype & drama. But it is a page-turner; I haven't run across one of those in a very long time. And there are two!!
The first book takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where The Capitol rules 12 outlying districts with an iron fist. There was an uprising, resulting in these 'districts'. To keep them in submission and prevent another war, they created the Hunger Games. Each district is compelled to send one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18; to be chosen at random. These 24 teens are sent to the Games to fight it out and try to survive because only one may live. This book unfolds and explains itself pretty well. I'm glad I didn't know 'what to expect'. I don't want to bias anyone toward the books. Someone may think, "Oh, that's not really my genre." Trust me. It's your genre right now!! 'The Hunger Games' and 'Catching Fire' are books one and two of a three part series. The third book comes out in August 2010. 'Catching Fire' picks up where the first book leaves off and you won't need any convincing to start that one.
Though now I have the after effects to deal with. You know the feeling; you've just read a super book, but you want more. I did hit jackpot when I scooped up 'Still Alice' by Lisa Genova. More on that book later . . .
We are currently in love with a new book. Having not had access to fresh libraries, we have been feasting and gorging on mountains of books. New books & old favorites (since we don't have our own stash of books) and one of the first books we looked up was recommended by my good friend, Sara. It's so good, in fact, we have bought it and added it to our collection. Do you like our huge version? They had a big book clearance and this was cheaper than the "regular size". It's great for reading aloud to all of the kids. And the huge size means everyone can see, which can be a frequent problem. Skippyjon Jones is unforgettable. Skippyjon is a little Siamese cat that wants to be a Chihuahua. Wonderful adventures ensue, I won't spoil the surprise of the story. That's the best part of reading a new book. I will say that you need a good Mexican accent to read the book, even if you're not the kind of person to "make voices". Apparently I do it even when I'm not reading books. But that's not the focus here. Go eat some frijoles and you'll be in the mood! (do I sound like a Reading Rainbow episode yet?)
I have finished my first book of the year. It wasn't a hard one. Spencer got it for me for Christmas (read: it was on my list of things I wanted). I gave him a list of possible options, all of which, with, I would be equally pleased. It is called "The Year of Living Biblically" by A.J. Jacobs. It's about an agnostic journalist that tries to live the Bible as literally as possible for one year. And might I say, it is a very enjoyable read. He describes himself as "Jewish - in the same way that the Olive Garden is an Italian restaurant." The book itself is arranged in chapters chronologically by month, his day to day journal entries composing each chapter. And each chapter is made up of small, palatable vignettes. Very easy to pick up and put down at a moments notice. (what's that? you need -- insert child's want/need --.) It was in the top picks of 2008 on Amazon.com. AND, my big thing when it comes to picking books, it was a best-selling title. Some people see a book with the author's name preceded by "New York Times bestselling author" and snatch it right up! So what? A bestselling author can write a book that is no good and still have bragging rights to that moniker. A bestselling TITLE, while not always a slam dunk in the literary sense, is a better bet when picking reading material. The TITLE has sold such-and-such amount. Anyway, it's a great book I can definitely recommend and endorse.
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