Catching Fire

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins is the 2nd book in The Hunger Games trilogy. I just started it this afternoon and it's already getting suspenseful. I can't wait to hear what happens next.

Finished Book #26: The Hunger Games

I finished The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins last night. This book was so good that I couldn't put it down and read over 250 pages yesterday. The idea behind the hunger games is really disturbing and there is a lot of blood and pus talk, but I still had to keep turning the pages to see what would happen. I don't feel like I can really review it without giving spoilers, so I'll just tell everyone to read this book. I can't wait to start the next one!

374 pages

The Hunger Games

I started reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins on Sunday. I have heard nothing but good things about this trilogy. I'm only 6 chapters in, but I'm already finding that I don't want to put it down. It's the story of children aged 12-18 whose names are put into a lottery drawing. The kids chosen (12 boys and 12 girls) are grouped together to fight to the death against each other to cut down on some of the hunger problems in the city. The winner is the last person remaining alive. It's kind of a disturbing concept, but I really want to know what is going to happen.

Parenting with Love & Logic

In book club we rather talk about the book we chose and usually talk about kids, food, sex, and other things. During one of our parenting discussions someone mentioned the book Parenting with Love & Logic by Foster Cline and Jim Fay. Several of the moms had read it and said they really loved the message behind it. It is supposed to teach good parenting skills that rely on conversations and logical thinking rather than yelling and threats or spanking. So many parents use yelling and fear as a way to get a message across, and I admit that I am guilty of it at times, especially my middle child. I would love to learn how to be a mom who feel more in control of the situation without physically or emotionally controlling my children. A friend loaned this to me a few weeks ago and I'm excited to finally start reading it.

Finished Book #25

I just finished my first, and most likely last, trashy romance novel. It was Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie. While this story did actually have a plot, I just found it to have lots of cheesy repetitive lines. The main character, Sophie, was obsessed with Dusty Springfield and dove ice cream bars. Her lover, the mayor Phin, was obsessed with playing pool and using the phrases "fuck your brains out" and "head banging sex". I can't even count how many times he used those phrases and how often dove bars or Dusty Springfield songs were mentioned. If they would have been reduced in the story it wouldn't have been half as bad as it was. The crimes in the story were kind of interesting, but there were way to many twists to make it believable. I'm just glad to be done so I can start a new book.

381 pages

Book #25: Welcome to Temptation

Last night I started Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie. This book was suggested to me by my friend Maggie. She says this is a romance novel, but a well written one. Her sister Lisa informed me that it is still just a trashy romance novel. The back cover says it's "the story of a woman named Sophie filming a movie in the town of Temptation, but finding trouble as all the towns people want the movie shut down. The mayor, Phineas Tucker, tries to keep things peaceful, but eventually Phin and Sophie find themselves in a web of gossip, blackmail, adultery, murder, and really excellent sex." I'm willing to try a new read even though this doesn't sound like my type of book. Welcome to Temptation sounds a little intriguing, but if the book had stuck to it's original title of Hot Fleshy Thighs, there is no way I would be reading it.

Finished Song of Solomon

I finished Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison last night. I have really loved the previous books I have read by Morrison, but I had trouble focusing on this one. I think it has been due to me being so busy and not having time to read. The story was about Macon Dead trying to find out about his past. There were lots of mysteries about where his grandfather came from. I didn't really see the conflict between black and white in this book. It was more of a struggle in family relationships. Macon's parents did not get along, his dad did not get along with his aunt, the sisters hated Macon. When Macon was a teenager he fell in "love with his cousin". It turns out it was more lust for him, but the cousin Hagar, actually loved him. Throughout his life Macon didn't really care about helping others or having relationships with other people. This all changed once he found out about his past. It really turned him into a different person. I don't feel like I had my full concentration on this story, so sorry for the sloppy review.

337 pages