The Hunger Games Trilogy

By Suzanne Collins

I stumbled upon this young adult trilogy when I kept hearing about the upcoming movie. Set in a post apocalyptic world called Panem (in what used to be the United States) 12 districts are held under the brutal rule of the Capitol which demands two teenage sacrifices each year for the televised Hunger Games. Acting as gladiators, the teenagers must fight each other to the death, while surviving the torturous traps set by the Gamekeepers.

The Hunger Games are a constant reminder to all of the districts of their dependence upon the Capitol and it's total supremacy.

Katniss Everdeen (living in what was once Appalachia) offers herself as a sacrifice when her sister is initially chosen. Along with her likable schoolmate Peeta Mellark, she sets out for the Captiol intent on surviving the Games and returning home to her mother and sister.

The first book in the series, The Hunger Games, deals with Katniss' fight for survival in the "arena" of the games and her necessary but uneasy alliance with Peeta. I would discuss the following books, Catching Fire and Mockingjay, but they contain major spoilers. However, Collins did the impossible by creating two follow-up books that enhance and sometimes surpass the initial book.

Collins has created an engrossing set of novels that deal with everything from pop culture, war, love, survival, science, and what it means to be human when forced into inhumane situations. I literally couldn't put these books down and finished the trilogy in a single week.

For readers who are worried the books will be too violent, I will admit there is a lot of violence, but I didn't find it to be excessive or overly uncomfortable. 

I also found the science fiction aspect highly enjoyable. I rarely read sci-fi, but when I do it is usually intended for young adults (i.e. Ender's Game).

Suzanne Collins' Amazon Page can be found here.

Water for Elephants

By Sara Gruen

Water for Elephants is my latest reading assignment for book club. Instead of the usual meet-up to discuss the book over wine and food we'll be seeing the movie as well. The book was an easy read but came across a little flat. I found the details about circus life during the Depression to be the most interesting, but the rest of the story failed to hook me. While the romance is played up as the main story arc it came across almost like a throwaway. The beautiful (and helpless) female lead was one dimensional and her tortured relationship with her abusive/psychotic husband was barely fleshed out. And of course the ending was tied up with a nice bow, giving the reader the standard happy ending.

Oddly enough I am excited to see the movie version.

Portraits of Writers

In their own words....

Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass

Flannery O'Connor, A Good Man is Hard to Find

Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

Embroidered Book Jackets

Illustrator and cartoonist Jillian Tamaki (check out her blog here) has been commissioned by Penguin books to create book jackets for some of their re-issued classics. They're calling it "Penguin Threads" and the jackets will be embossed to create the feeling of embroidery. 

The books (Emma, Black Beauty, The Secret Garden) are already available for purchase on Amazon and will be shipped in October 2011.

Fun Blog!

Insulted by Authors

A guy named Bill Ryan asks writers to insult him when they write inscriptions in his books. And he's created a blog about it.

Here's the Los Angeles Times profile on Ryan.

The Primal Blueprint Cookbook

By Mark Sisson and Jennifer Meier

Since reading Gary Taubes' Why We Get Fat back in January (you can see my post on it here) I've been experimenting with low-carb eating. Thus far I've really enjoyed it, which is pretty shocking since I love bread and sweets. I've found I can eat a whole lot of food without having to count calories or fat, and I rarely have to exercise.

Searching the internet for more low carb information I came across Mark's Daily Apple, a website run by former athlete Mark Sisson. The site is packed with information on fitness, low carb foods and the "primal" lifestyle. Basically, eating primal means you eat lots of veggies and fruit (that are low in carbs/starches/sugars) as well as lots of animal products (meat/ fish/fowl) while staying away from processed foods (and sauces).

Thus far I've really enjoyed the book and the variety Sisson provides. He includes snacks and deserts as well as a whole section devoted to sauces and dressings. I recently made his Primal 57 Ketchup and was shocked at how good it tasted. Overall a good cookbook if you're interested in trying to eat healthier.

I'm also currently reading his book The Primal Blueprint and will post a review once I'm done.

Persepolis: The Story of A Childhood

By Marjane Satrapi

This is one of those books I've always wanted to read, but never really got around to picking it up whenever I happened upon it. The main reason I never read Persepolis before is mostly because I was wary of it being a graphic novel. I've never tried reading a graphic novel, partly because I'm a purist and don't consider them to be "real" novels and partly because it seemed like a highly specialized interest.

I'm glad I ignored my misgivings and purchased this book when I did. In fact, once I started "reading" I finished it within a single day. Unlike other graphic novels which tend to veer closer to comic books, Persepolis an autobiography of Satrapi's life during the Islamic Revolution in Iran. With her stark yet comical drawings she is able to depict the totalitarianism that begins to take over her country. I knew a little about the Islamic Revolution before reading Persepolis, but Satrapi's graphic depictions brought me closer to understanding the average Iranian's life during that time.

Only 9 years old when the revolution begins, Satrapi grows up to become a rebellious teenager, purchasing Nike's and Michael Jackson albums on the black market. Realizing she is putting herself in danger, her parents urge her to move to Vienna for school. The story ends with Satrapi boarding a plane, knowing she may never see her family or her homeland again.

Luckily, Satrapi picks up her tale in Persepolis 2: The Story of A Return.