Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Title: Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins
Series: The Hunger Games
Pages: 441
Release Date: 3rd October 2013
Publisher: Scholastic
Source: Christmas Present
Format: Paperback Foil Luxe Edition

Buy it: Amazon

Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis: The final book in the ground-breaking HUNGER GAMES trilogy. Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12.

My Review: I really enjoyed the final installment of The Hunger Games and I am really looking forward to part two of the movie.

So at the end of Catching Fire you will remember that Katniss got rescued from the Quarter Quell and she is now hiding out in District 13 with a few members from the Quarter Quell, while Peeta was captured and is being held in the Capitol with a few others from the Quarter Quell. It was believed that District 13 was bombed and was just a barren wasteland but it turns out that the Capitol made a deal that the remaining people of District 13 could live underground as long as they keep it secret so they have been hiding underground this whole time.

While Katniss and Peeta were in the Quarter Quell President Snow bombed District 12 - there home - and Gale helped to rescue as many people as he could including Katniss' mother and sister and he took the survivors to District 13.

While in District 13 Gale and Katniss train to fight to take down the Capitol and President Snow and save Peeta and Katniss' mother and sister are training to be District 13 nurses so that they can help to cure the sick.

For a while I thought that they would never rescue Peeta and the others from the Capitol but they did it but with a massive price to Katniss' family.

I thought that the ending was great except for Primm's death - I cried so much at this - and I didn't like the fact that Katniss ended up with the wrong person.

I think the story was written perfectly and all the new characters came to life and I could just imagine everyone of them and every scene. I really hope that a spin-off comes out about Katniss' Gale's and Peeta's life after The Hunger Games and having to survive living in District 12 and the aftermath of Katniss' decision of her kill.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Title: Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
Series: The Hunger Games
Pages: 448
Release Date: 3rd October 2013
Publisher: Scholastic
Source: Christmas Present
Format: Paperback Foil Luxe Edition
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Synopsis:
The second book in the ground-breaking HUNGER GAMES trilogy. 

Sparks are igniting.
Flames are spreading.
And the Capitol wants revenge.

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

In Catching Fire, the second novel in the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before...and surprising readers at every turn.

I read Catching Fire because I liked the films and Mockingjay Part 1 is out in the cinemas in November so I want to have read all the books before I watch the final films because I don't like reading a book after seeing the film because it ruins the book for me.

Through out the book I found myself thinking but why hasn't such and such happened yet it didn't seem to take this long to happen in the film but then a chapter or two later it happens.

In Catching Fire Katniss and Peeta are touring after winning the Hunger Games and are forced to get engaged by President Snow because districts in Panam are starting to cause riots and just when Katniss thinks everything is over - other than the wedding - the guy I believe she is really in love with even if she hasn't admitted it to herself Gale gets whipped for hunting in the woods which is against the law. Before the Games, Gale and Katniss used to go into the woods and hunt all the time but since the uprisings started the laws are now being followed and this is why Gale gets punished.

Not long after Gale's punishment Katniss has to do a wedding dress photo shoot and the next day it is shown on the TV as well as the 3rd Quarter Quell announcement (a Games that happens every 25 years to make everyone remember what happened 75 years before), after the wedding dresses are revealed there's an announcement telling you that this years Quarter Quell theme is putting 24 previous winners into the games to compete again to see who is the best of all which means that for district 12 either Peeta or Haymitch and Katniss must go back into the games.

The book is written really well, the characters are lovable and the plot is gripping, the pace of the book is constant throughout it doesn't drop at anytime and it is a great read and I am looking forward to reading Mockingjay and I think everyone who hasn't started the series yet they really should.

Currently Reading: Until I Die by Amy Plum
Read in 2014: 12/30

Review - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Release Date: 14th September 2008
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Format: Paperback
Buy it: Amazon
Add it: Goodreads


Synopsis:

In a dark vision of the near future, a terrifying reality TV show is taking place. Twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to appear in a live event called the Hunger Games. There is only one rule: kill or be killed.

When sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her sister's place in the games, she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature.

My review: Okay I'll admit it that I am way behind on reading this and I did watch the movie first so I wasn't expecting to like the book so much but to be honest I think the book was way better than the movie.

The Hunger Games is brilliantly written and with every description I could picture it in my head (it may have just been because I had already seen the movie I don't know). I found it a super fast read especially for me seeing as it normally takes me a month to read a book of this length it only took me a few days and that was because I had to read it around an essay and uni lectures.

The book started off with Katniss hunting with her friend Gale and Gale trying to convince her to run from District 12 where they lived although if they did run away I am sure they would have been caught and murdered or would nave no where to go even if they could both live off the animals and plants in the woods.

District 12 is the least favourite district in Panam so they are the worst off although all of the districts have special attributes for the capitol somehow district 12 seems to be the worst off in my opinion. Katniss has to go out hunting in the woods which is forbidden just to get food for her sister Prim, her mother and herself some of which she sell's at the Hob to make some money or exchange for something else to eat so that there not just eating rabbit or squirrels.

The worst day for all of Panam is reaping day where once a year the government leaders set up teenagers to fight one another to the death one boy and one girl from each district compete against one another live on national television. the 24 kids who enter know that only one of them can survive to become victor and they know that they have to kill the other member from their district who could be their friend or be killed. When Prim's name is called during the reaping, without even having to think about it Katniss takes her place, she wants to save her little sister and has to compete alongside a bakers son Peeta.

To survive the games the tributes need to win the heart of the audience and get sponsors to help them survive in the arena so a previous winner from district 12 Haymitch - a drunk - decides to make it look like Katniss and Peeta are in love with one another not knowing that Peeta has had a crush on Katniss since they were 5 and it is only revealed during an interview before the games even start. Katniss will still have to use her brains and instincts to fight during the games just like Peeta even if that comes down to Peeta killing the girl he loves.

During the days before the hunger games start the 24 tributes have to train together do interviews and come up with strategies to help them survive in the arena Haymitch's strategy is for Katniss and Peeta fake being in love to gain the audience’s approval. While training Katniss notices the Career tributes these are the ones who have broken the law and been training for the games since they were young, these tributes also come from the richer districts, districts 1, 2, 3 and 4.

While in the arena Katniss has to figure out who she can trust Katniss is good in many ways, she sacrifices herself for her sister and she tries to save people in the game and this turns out to be a little 12 year old named Rue from district 11. Rue can jump from tree to tree without making a sound and she know what plants and berries can be eaten without killing you.

Once Katniss and Rue team up they decide to try and get rid of some of the career tributes by blowing up their food supply - why should the career tributes have all the good food while everyone else has to live off the land? - once they have destroyed the food supply the career tributes throw a fit and then go after Katniss and Rue and one of them kills Rue which makes Katniss very vulnerable and Katniss sings to Rue while she dies and then covers her in flowers.

After this a gamemaker tried to manipulate the remaining tributes telling them that if both members of the same district are the last two standing them they both win, hearing this Katniss go looking for Peeta when she finds him Peeta is pretty beat up for protecting Katniss. Peeta and Katniss both team up and this is when Katniss and Peeta play to the media by caring for Peeta and making it look like they are really in love.

The final death scene - Cato's death - is gruesome after his death the gamemaker who announced the new rule shows up and it is announced that the new rule has been revoked and there will only be one tribute who can win the games so Katniss and Peeta try to outwit the game creators by agreeing to kill themselves so that there is no victor by attempting to eat poisonous berries that will kill them almost immediately.

Collins has written a book that is exciting and breathtaking it is one of the best books I've read in a while. If you haven't read The Hunger Games yet what are you waiting for.

Currently Reading: Perfect Scoundrel by Ally Carter
Read in 2014: 5/40

First Book of the Year

I have decided that the first book I am going to read is The Hunger Games.

I couldn't get to sleep last night so I decided to pick up The Hunger Games and start reading :)

What was the first book you started to read this year or that you read?

Catching Fire

I went to see Catching Fire at the cinema tonight and it was awesome, it made me want to defiantly read the books as I've not read them yet. I have just added the books to my 2014 to be read list.

For those of you who haven't seen it yet your totally missing out and those of you who have read the series please let me know what you thought. (NO spoilers)

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire trailer

Top 10 Tuesday

This weeks Top 10 Tuesday is book's to movie adaptations

1. Beautiful Creatures - Kami Garcia
2. My Sisters Keeper - Jodi Picoult
3. The Hunger Games - Susanne Collins
4. Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
5. Twilight Saga - Stephanie Meyer
6. Charlotte's Web - E. B. White
7. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronté
8. Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare
9. Tilly Trotter - Catherine Cookson
10. Snow White and The Huntsman - Lily Blake

Top 10 Tuesday

This weeks top 10 is top 10 books to TV or Movies adaptations

1. Twilight Saga - Stephanie Meyer 
2. Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling 
3. My Sisters Keeper - Jodi Picoult 
4. Nikki Heat series - Richard Castle 
5. The Vampire Diaries - L. J. Smith 
6. Snow White and the Huntsman - Lily Blake
7. The Worst Witch - Jill Murphy
8. The Sleepover Club - Rose Impey
9. Romeo and Juliet - William Shakespeare
10. The Hunger Games - Susanne Collins

I haven't read half of these but I have seen the TV series or the movies and the books are on my to read eventually list if I haven't read them yet.

Top 10 Tuesday

This weeks topic is Top 10 Books I had to buy but are still on my shelf unread:

1. Echo - Alyson Noel
2. Karma Club - Jessica Brody
3. Cinder - Marissa Meyer
4. Evernight Series - Claudia Gray
5. Die for Me - Amy Plum
6. The Emerald Atlas - John Stephens
7. The Vampire Diaries (all) - L. J. Smith
8. Slated + Fractured - Teri Terry
9. Twilight Saga - Stephenie Meyer
10. The Hunger Games series - Susanne Collins

Out of all theses I have read Evernight (the book not the series)

Top 10 Tuesday

This weeks topic is Top 10 books I feel everyone but me have read:

1. Harry Potter series - J. K. Rowling
2. Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
3. The Hunger Games - Susanne Collins
4. Fifty Shades - E. L. James
5. Beautiful Creatures - Kami Garcia
6. Lunar Chronicles - Marissa Meyer
7. The Morganville Vampires - Rachel Caine
8. Fractured - Teri Terry
9. Fallen - Lauren Kate
10. Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick

Top 10 Tuesday

My Top 10 Tuesday's topic this week is:

Top 10 books I'd recommend as a good beach read

1. Heat Wave - Richard Castle (review here)
2. My Sisters Keeper - Jodi Picoult
3. Facing up to Fatherhood - Miranda Lee (review here)
4. Cruel Summer - Alyson Noel
5. 52 Reasons to Hate My Father - Jessica Brody (review here)
6. Wintercraft - Jenna Burtenshaw (review here)
7. Evernight - Claudia Gray (review here)
8. Switched - Amanda Hocking
9. Twilight - Stephanie Meyer
10. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

What books would you recommend as a good beach read?

Top 10 Tuesday

This is my first top 10 Tuesday and today's topic is going to be:

Top 10 series I want to read before I'm 30.

1. Twilight Saga - Stephanie Meyer
2. The Morganville Vampires - Rachel Caine
3. Unremembered - Jessica Brody
4. The Vampire Diaries - L. J. Smith
5. Soul Seekers - Alyson Noel
6. The Last Vampire - Christopher Pike
7. The Hunger Games - Susanne Collins
8. Evernight - Claudia Gray
9. Winter Trilogy - Ruth Warburton
10. Trylle Trilogy - Amanda Hocking

I do have more that I want to read but these are the main ones. There not in a certain order but these are the series I'm looking forward to reading in the next 5 years. Leave a message and let me know your top 10 series.

In My Mailbox September 2012

This month I bought a few books because I had to save my money to get some books for university.

Books I bought this month:

1. 52 Reasons to Hate my Father - Jessica Brody
2. Tempest - Julie Cross
3. The Other Queen - Philippa Gregory
4. The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory
5. The Constant Princess - Philippa Gregory
6. Secrets of the Tudor Court - Darcey Bonnette

Books I bought for kindle:

I bought a lot of books for the kindle but I am only going to list the series I got for it.

1. The Hunger Games series - Susan Collins
2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series - Stieg Larsson
3. The Harry Potter Collection - J. K. Rowling
4. The Twilight Saga (including Bree Tanner) - Stephanie Meyer
5. Meredith Gentry series - Laurell K. Hammilton
6. Anita Blake series - Laurell K. Hammilton
7. Nikki Heat (first 2 in the series) - Richard Castle
8. What Katy Did - Susan Coolidge
9. The Vampire Chronicles - Anne Rice
10. The Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
11. A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket

A few not in series

1. 3 Jodi Picoult books
2. Some Jane Austen
3. Some Charlotte, Ann, Emily Bronte

In My Mailbox May 2012

This month has been really busy for books I got 27 this month. I also bought a kindle this month so I will add the books I also got for it to

Books I bought this month:

1. Catching Fire - Susanne Collins
2. Mocking Jay - Susanne Collins
3. Fifty Shades of Grey - E. L. James
4. Fifty Shades Darker - E. L. James
5. Fifty Shades Freed - E. L. James
6. Lady Macbeth's Daughter - Lisa. M. Klein
7. Wintercraft: Legacy - Jenna Burtenshaw
8. Black Dawn - Rachel Caine
9. A Kiss of Darkness - Laurell. K. Hamilton
10. Seduced My Moonlight - Laurell. K. Hamilton
11. A Stroke of Midnight - Laurell. K. Hamilton
12. A Caress of Twilight - Laurell. K. Hamilton
13. Whisper - Alyson Noel
14. Fated - Alyson Noel
15. Evil Thirst and Forever Creatures - Christopher Pike
16. The Eternal Dawn - Christopher Pike
17. Abandoned - Meg Cabot
18. Slated - Teri Terry

Books I won via goodreads giveaways:

1. In the Image of Ravenna - Irene M. Redpath
2. Freya 800AD - Jean Mead
3. Lady of Devices - Shelley Adina (Kindle)

Books I got for Kindle:

1. The Anita Blake Series - Laurell. K. Hamilton
2. The Vampire Chronicle Series - Anne Rice
3. The Chronicles of Narnia Series - C. S. Lewis
4. My Sisters Keeper - Jodi Picoult
5. Nineteen Minutes - Jodi Picoult
6. The Pact - Jodi Picoult
7. Fallen Star - Jessica Sorensen
8. The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
9. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
10. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest
11. The Girl Who Played With Fire