Books 38, 39, 40

Back on track! And I have to say- if anyone out there is looking for an excellent new series, definitely try The Hunger Games and it's sequel.

38) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: I loved this book. I read it really fast and couldn't stop thinking about it. It's really such a dark story- but then again, I found myself comparing the dystopian Hunger Games to today's "Survivor" reality show, and aside from that little killing-eachother-off thing, are they really so different? I thought for being a YA book, it really made you think about what kind of world would find entertainment value in the killing of children- and made you think about how far (or how close) we already are to that scenario.

I loved the characters as well. This book reminded me a bit of Ender's Game, but I liked the characters better in this book. However, there were parts where the writing got a bit "jolty"- such as at the end, when the rules switch two times in two pages. It just seemed like some more editing could have helped make the whole ending of the games a bit smoother (it was really the last 2 chapters or so that I felt didn't flow as well as the rest of the book).

39) The Subtle Knife (His Dark Materials book #2) by Phillip Pullman: Finally got around to reading the second in this series. I liked this book a lot more than the first book. The characters became much more appealing and interesting, and I could actually understand what was going on most of the time. :) I love Will, and I'm so glad that someone from "our world" is now involved in the story. I also like Lyra more in this book (and I always loved Pan). I found myself much more engrossed in the story- I liked Dr. Malone, Lee, and the witches far more in this book. I also loved the idea of the windows into other worlds (I used to wonder as a kid whether the reflection in my mirror wasn't actually another world). The subtle knife also added some interest. Overall I'm definitely looking forward to the 3rd book in the series. At times things get a little too "churchy" for me and I feel a bit out of my league knowing references to biblical stories- I do kind of wish it was a more general "good vs evil" rather than "the evil Church against the scientists" which I think detracts a bit from the story, whether I agree with the stance or not.

40) Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (book #2 in Hunger Games): Wow. I *loved* this book. I imagine it will easily make the top ten (maybe top five?) books I've read this year. I really enjoyed The Hunger Games but this sequel was even better. I love Gale. I love Peeta more. I loved all the unexpected twists in this book- it definitely surprised me! And the question that ensures it's a favorite - how will I make it until the next one comes out? Read this series!