Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Genre: Dystopian / Apocalyptic / Romance / Young Adult / Government / Survival

Before you read this review, if you haven't yet, go read my Hunger Games review.  Make sure to read the first book cus it's good.

The capitol is angry about Katniss defying them.  In retaliation they round up previous tribute winners for the 75th Annual Hunger Games. Unknown to Katniss and Peeta, a rebellion is about to break out.  Katniss is known as the Mockingjay...which is a sort of catalyst symbolism.

Goodreads Synopsis:

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

What did I think of this book?  I thought it started out pretty slow.  It only starts to get better around 66% of the way through.  After that it gets good enough to be worth reading.  The ending caught me off guard, even though I didn't have any expectations.  It definitely makes me want to read the third book.  I know that I will!  I can't wait to see the second movie too, even though it probably wont be as good as the book.  If you liked the first book I suggest giving this one a shot.  Like I said though, it starts out slow but gets better around 66% of the way through.  The beginning is just sort of a set up for what's to come.

Shame on anyone who thinks evil of this.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Genre: Post-apocalyptic/Dystopian/Young Adult

This book is about a crumbling US government that devised a way to control the people with a thing they call The Hunger Games.

Back Cover:
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before--and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.


I was expecting something entirely different than what occurred in this book. That's not to say it wasn't a good book. Reading the back cover had me intrigued. As I read I felt slightly less intrigued, but continued to read knowing that sometimes it takes about 100 pages to get into a book. The more I continued to read the more I found myself feeling for Katniss and all the hardships she must face during The Hunger Games. I felt myself tear up a couple of times. We get to understand Katniss, but I think, she still has a lot to learn. I'm curious to find out what happens in book 2. If you're interested in a corrupt and brutal government, this is the book to read.

Shame on anyone who thinks evil of this.

Halo: The Flood

Genre: Aliens/Fantasy/Sci-fi/Military/Survival/War

If you haven't yet, check out my review of the first Halo novel, The Fall of Reach.

If you've read Halo: The Fall of Reach you might find yourself wanting to read the rest of the series, this would be book #2 in that series. This book is based off of the first Halo game, but don't let that stop you from giving this book a read even if you're not a Halo fan. This book gives far more details of the war that Master Chief must battle. Yes, it has similarities to the game, but we also get to see perspectives from some of the Covenant, as well as some of the military faction. It does however do a pretty close following with the game for those of you who loved playing it. This book just gives extra added bonus material that the game doesn't have.

Back Cover:
"Having barley escaped the battle for Reach, the crew of the Pillar of Autumn is forced to make a jump into slipspace in hopes of evading the vast alien alliance hell-bent on wiping out humanity. But their destination brings them to an ancient mystery and an even greater struggle. In this far-flung corner of the universe floats a magnificently massive, artificial ringworld . . . a construct from a longlost race. The humans' only hope of survival is to crashland on this surface and take the battle against the Covenant to the ground. But they soon discover that this enigmatic ring-world is much more than it seems. Built one hundred thousand years ago by a civilization known as the Forerunners, this 'Halo' is worshipped by the Covenant--a sacred artifact they hope will complete their religious quest for supposed transcendence. They will stop at nothing to control it. Engaged in a fierce ground battle, Master Chief and Cortana go deep into the Halo construct and uncover a dark secret; this enigmatic ring-world is also the universe's most dangerous weapon. Its purpose: the destruction of all sentient life. For the Forerunners built the Halo to battle the universe's most vicious enemy--a virtually unstoppable and suddenly reawakened force known as The Flood."

I just finished reading this book about maybe 30 minutes ago after having started it months ago and not having had time to finish reading it. That's not to say it's a book that I didn't find myself wanting to finish, I just lacked the time to do so. It was written well, though I'd have to say I preferred Halo: The Fall of Reach. It could be the fact that this was written by a different author. I'm not saying William C. Dietz isn't an awesome author, he is of course, but he's no Eric Nylund. I liked the fact that it tells us more of the story that the games leave out. Plus it changes a few things up creativity-wise. We get to learn more about Covenant forces, and we even get to see perspectives from some of the military faction. It does a lot of jumping around, but I never once found myself getting lost as I usually would when reading a book that jumps around frequently. Overall this book is worth at least a read, especially but not limited to, fans of the Halo games.

Shame on anyone who thinks evil of this.

Halo: The Fall of Reach

Genre: Sci-Fi

Halo: The Fall of Reach is just that, a book about the Fall of Reach. What is Reach you ask? Read the book to find out. ;) In this book we learn that Master Chief isn't the only Spartan, and we learn how he becomes a Spartan and a hero. We get to see him as he trains and grows up in the harsh reality that is war. It allows us to view perspectives from the views of Master Chief himself, and even from some of the covenant.

Back Cover:
"Humanity has expanded beyond the Sol System. There are hundreds of planets we now call 'home.' The United Nations Space Command Now Struggles to control this vast empire. After exhausting all strategies to keep seething insurrections from exploding into interplanetary civil war, the UNSC has one last hope. At the Office of Naval Intelligence, Dr. Catherine Halsey has been hard at work on a top secret program that could bring an end to all this conflict . . . and it starts with seventy-five children, among them a six-year-old boy named John. Halsey never guessed that this little boy would become humanity's final hope against a vast alien force hell-bent on wiping us out. This is the story of John, Spartan 117 . . . the Master Chief, and of the battles that brought humanity face-to-face with its possible extinction."

I read this book a while back before I started this blog, but I just thought I should mention it as it's still pretty fresh in my memory. The story was written well, though I have to say it reminds me a little bit of Ender's Game, (some might even say it's a rip off of Ender's Game.) I can see the similarities, and at the same time, the differences. We get to learn so much more about so many new characters that we didn't get to learn about in the first couple of Halo games. I felt myself becoming quite connected with some of them. We get to learn about who Master Chief really is, and how he became to be what he is. We even get to see the perspective of the Covenant, and learn more of the story than we could through a game. I really enjoyed reading this book and I thought it was fantastic. If you've read and enjoyed Ender's Game, I suggest reading this book, even if you're NOT a fan of the Halo games. This book was a fantastic read, and I don't know if there's anything that could have made this a better read.

Shame on anyone who thinks evil of this.

Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card

Genre: Sci-Fi

Where's a better place to start blogging about books, than Ender's Game? There isn't one, that I know of.

Ender's game is a Sci-fi novel about a boy taken by the government and trained in battle. It's the first of a saga of books by Orson Scott Card. It's a futuristic war-space novel. I don't know if any of you have read the Halo series of novels, but you'll notice how similar Halo is to this novel. The first time I read this book I thought the beginning felt slow, but the second time around I felt I understood why it was written as it was. It starts with his home life before they come to take him away. Through all of his training you learn how intelligent Ender is and you may find yourself becoming attached to his character and who he is and can become, at least I did. You get to learn a whole lot about his character, seeing the events he goes through, who he thinks he is versus who he truly is. I really like the character development. He does what needs to get done. He even has some really good supporting characters, like his sister. In the end I feel he truly knows what it is he must do, and maybe understands a little bit more about himself than he did throughout the entire novel.

This book was incredibly intriguing and I have read it more than once. In fact I suggested it for a book group of mine, and we read it together, well...those of us who opted to give it a chance instead of opting out. It's not usually a book that females might find themselves wanting to read and even if it doesn't sound like your thing you should definitely give it a shot. I think anyone whose interested in sci-fi novels should pick this one up if they have yet to read it.

Back cover:
"Intense is the word for Ender's Game. Aliens have attacked earth twice and almost destroyed the human species. To make sure humans win the next encounter, the world government has taken to breeding military geniuses--and then training them in the arts of war....The early training, not surprisingly, takes the form of 'games.'...Ender Wiggin is a genius among geniuses; he wins all the games...He is smart enough to know that time is running out. But is he smart enough to save the planet?"

I think this book is freaking amazing. The plot is great, the story carries well, the characters are intense, and the outcome is stupendous. If you don't read this book, you are seriously missing out. It's a must read in my books.

Shame on anyone who thinks evil of this.