Yellow Crocus

by Laila Ibrahim
April 21-May 8, 2015


I've had a bit of reading ADD lately. And it's so not like me. I have a bunch of books started and I've put them down to begin others. I never do that! I'm craving a book that sucks me in and won't let go. It's been too long. Short books seem to be finding me lately, and luckily this one was short and sweet.

“This is as true a story as has ever been told: the story of my love for Mattie, and, I suppose, her love for me in return.”

It's hard for me not to directly compare Yellow Crocus to The Invention of Wings, given that I read them so closely to each other. But if it were a contest, Crocus would win hands down. The emotion, truth and heartbreak was just better represented here. The relationship between Lisbeth and her wet nurse Mattie was so believable and well-written. The story didn't drag on either, like Wings did, so I was captivated until the end. It's amazing to read about the bond that can form between a free white person and a slave. Like it's been said before, love is love.

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The Enchanted

by Rene Denfeld
April 6-20, 2015

I'm way behind on my posts. Three or more to be (sort of) exact. Though I won't do them justice, these posts will be short and sweet so I can get caught up.

The Enchanted. Poetic. Stunning. At first a little confusing. A lot depressing. But just beautifully written.

"The sun sets over the scrubby woods below, and the sweet peach juice runs down the lady's throat. It takes like a miracle."

At only 237 pages, this novel has a lot to say in a small amount of space. Denfeld was quite successful, knowing what to embellish upon and what to leave be. The statement about prison life is loud and clear. I personally struggle with this though because isn't prison meant to be a punishment? Do hardened criminals, murderers and child molesters deserve any better than they get? I completely understand why a prisoner would choose death over life in a cell.

The Enchanted, seen through the eyes of a mute, death row inmate, is one long metaphor. The inmate interprets his surroundings into what makes sense to him. He sees prison through a magical lens. I had the sense that there was a fuzzy haze over the whole novel. A calming feeling even though the subject matter was so intense. It's a quick, thought-provoking read. I highly recommend it.


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Life After Life

by Kate Atkinson
May 22-July17, 2014

met•a•fic•tion | ˈmetəˌfikSHən |
noun
fiction in which the author self-consciously alludes to the artificiality or literariness of a work by parodying or departing from novelistic conventions (esp. naturalism) and traditional narrative techniques.

Ursula Todd dies. A lot. Pretty much in every chapter of this book. In a more serious look at a Groundhog Day-type of story, Ursula lives a little longer each time and learns valuable lessons along the way. Oh, and she assassinates Hilter before he has a chance to rise to power.

"What if we had a chance to do it again and again, until we finally did get it right? Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

I was immediately drawn into this unusual plot and devoured the first half of Life After Life ... And. Then. It. Started. To. Drag. On. And. On. And ...

Oh, sorry, I nearly fell asleep there. What had the potential to be so interesting and different turned into a too-long history lesson on the Blitz. (I found out afterward that this portion is considered the "dark bleeding heart" of the novel.) I would find myself drifting off as I struggled through each chapter. At the beginning I was on pace to finish this book in about two weeks and instead it took nearly two months. Again, I'm wasting time on the so-so and not moving on to the great. But it always makes me hesitant to quit a book with so much positive hype.

To be fair, I do think a lot was lost on me due to the fact that the author chose to use German phrases and sentences frequently. I know no German. (Sidenote: wouldn't it be great if along with a regular dictionary, the kindle also offered a translation app? Simply hover the cursor over a phrase and get the English translation. Maybe I could get rich off this idea...) Granted, that's my ignorance, but it did get quite frustrating to miss the crux of so many scenes. I guess in the end it isn't the writing or even the overall premise that I didn't like. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

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The Goldfinch

by Donna Tartt
March 20–May17, 2014

I can't believe it's been just over a month since I finished this book. Not only did it take me FOREVER to finish, it's now taken me forever to post. I guess I've been as busy as a one-legged man ... well, you get the idea. The delay, however, has nothing to do with what a fabulous book The Goldfinch is.

I wasn't prepared for how heavy this book would weigh on me. The subject matter, characters and circumstances were quite exhausting. At a whopping 771 pages, Goldfinch has a lot to cover. Theo is just 13 when a terrorist attack in an art museum kills his mother, leaving him with horrific visions of the dead and the survivors, as well as life-long post-traumatic stress. In a split-second decision on his way to safety, Theo's life is forever tied to that museum, with art and antiques becoming his passion. All this not before a horrendous childhood filled with drugs, alcohol, and the desperate need to fit in. While Theo makes poor decisions constantly throughout his life, the reader will inevitably keep cheering for him. He wants to be a better person.

The entire cast of characters will take your emotions for a wild ride. From hatred to pity to compassion, Tartt was able to capture the full gamut. It's no wonder The Goldfinch has won countless literary prizes, including the 2014 Pulitzer for fiction. One of the better books I've read in a while.

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And the Mountains Echoed

by Khaled Hosseini
Jan 6-Feb 16, 2014

Well, that took me an inordinately long time to read. I'm not really sure what the holdup was, but I'm eager to start a new book. Hosseini really is a gifted author, but I had a hard time gaining any momentum with this, his third novel. For more than three quarters of the book, I just felt as though the story was still building up to something greater. I'm really glad I hung on to the end though, because it proved well worth it. The story eventually came together, expanding with every page, and was quite satisfying.

Mountains begins in a fictional village in Afghanistan in the 1950s and spans about six decades and travels to Paris, Greece and San Francisco; through several different voices, but each one is intertwined in way or another. Saboor must sell his only daughter in order to survive and adequately care for the rest of his family. Though a stoic man, he never gets over his decision and what unfolds is a sweeping narrative of how many generations are effected by this action.

In the beginning, it was a bit frustrating to jump between decades and voices with each chapter. It took me a while to figure out what was unfolding before me. Once I caught on, I began to like the structure. Of his three novels, this one probably ranks third for me, but that shouldn't diminish its appeal to anyone.

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The Lifeboat

by Charlotte Rogan
January 20-February 5, 2013

Remember the phenomena around the Titanic when the movie came out? And then the treasure found at the bottom of the Atlantic went on tour to museums everywhere? The passenger I was assigned to on that tour died. I don't remember her name. Out of the 12 or so of us who went to that exhibit, only one was assigned a survivor. I'm oddly fascinated by this stuff. So it was a no-brainer when I read a review about The Lifeboat and it was on sale for the kindle.

Two years after the sinking of the Titanic, Grace and her new husband, Henry, are embarking on a journey aboard the Empress Alexandra. An explosion in the control room begins the demise of the boat, and Grace finds herself aboard an overcrowded lifeboat with no sign on Henry. While the passengers struggle for survival, death is chosen by others for others in order to keep the boat afloat. Told as a flashback through Grace's journal, we discover that Grace is on trial for murder.

Reading about how people were chosen to live or die was crazy and intriguing. I could feel the thirst and hunger these people endured (I won't say here how long they were in the boat; that may be a spoiler). After the rescue, when Grace was on trial for her own life, I may have gotten a little lost. Plus, the resolution at the end was neatly tucked-in and could have easily been passed over (I kind of liked that). I also think that there may have been a bigger picture to the plot, but I'm not sure I fully recognized it. That's OK though, I still found it to be a quick read and a page-turner for sure.

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Witches of East End

by Melissa de la Cruz December 10, 2012-January 6, 2013 "... I began to think that perhaps the toxin of Ragnarok had been found in our world, which could only mean one thing. Loki had escaped from his chains and had come to unleash his vengeance upon us." In other words, too cheesy for me. This one's going to be short and sweet. This book really had potential. Witches? Love 'em. Vampires? Ditto. Zombies? Not so much. The premise was right up my alley: three centuries-old witches forbidden to practice magic. When their sleepy town of North Hampton becomes the home of several unexplained mysteries, it's time to dust off those wands and get back to it. But for me, Witches bordered a little too much on the sci-fi. And let me tell you, the Beauchamp family doesn't hold a candle to Matthew & Diana. The romance was there, but not in the brilliant way it was penned by Deborah Harkness. The magic was there, but it became tainted with demons and zombies. The first in a trilogy, Witches of East End finishes with a decent cliffhanger. But, although it was a quick read, I don't care enough to pick up the remaining two. And the book slump continues... * * * * *

The House of Velvet and Glass

by Katherine Howe
July 31-September 23, 2012

Could it actually be possible that I am still suffering from a book hangover that began back in March (I love you, Harry!)?! I don't know how else to explain the fact that it took me two (very long) months to read this book. I really wanted to get into it, and I kept trying, but I felt like I was just powering through. I didn't want to give up, but nothing was pushing me to want to read any faster. I don't get it. I adored Howe's first novel, The Physick Book..., and I love the basis of The House of Velvet and Glass.

Set in 1915 Boston and weaving between the last night the Titanic saw life and colonial Shanghai, House is rich in history and Howe is a master at setting the perfect scene. Sibyl is trying to deal with the loss of her mother and sister on the Titanic, all the while learning how to run a household with her father. She often sneaks off to a medium to try to contact her lost family, and after a few meetings with Miss Dee, the fortune teller gives Sibyl a scrying glass informing her that Sibyl may have the "gift" as well. When Sibyl's brother is kicked out of Harvard, he brings home a mysterious girlfriend who slowly befriends Sibyl and introduces her to an opium den in Chinatown. Sibyl takes her scrying glass to the den and finds the connection she has been missing. With the help of the opium, she believes she is "seeing" the Titanic just before sinking through her crystal ball. As Sibyl learns more about the art of scrying, she begins to realize that maybe the future is better left unknown.

"a life spent only looking back, at the past, or ahead, after death, is a life that has no meaning."

Sounds great, right? That is why I don't understand why I couldn't get into it. Do I continue to blame Harry Potter? Not sure. Or maybe I'm forcing myself to like something that just wasn't doing it for me. In honesty, I think I enjoyed the bonus features at the end of the eBook more than the story. Katherine Howe included an essay on scrying, plus a Boston Globe article on the Titanic's sinking; both pieces that I really enjoyed. And I wonder if I would have read those first if I would have appreciated the book more? I believe I knew all along that I was reading historical fiction, but for some reason it wasn't until reading these features that I had an "a-ha moment."

"He kissed her like he was sipping cool water, like it was the most natural and perfect thing in the world."

Either way, I hope to speed up my reading again now that the weather has turned. If only I had more time to sit down with a great book...

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50 Shades of ... I don't really care

by E.L. James
May 29 - July 16, 2012

Thank God that's over. I am probably the only woman on the planet who didn't read this trilogy in a week, let alone twice in a row. I didn't jump on the Christian Grey train; rather I wanted to shove him in front of one. I suppose I can understand why everyone is so fascinated with the books. I mean, let's face it, I read a lot and I have never read sex scenes quite like these. But after the initial "shock" and once through the first book, it was old news and honestly a little boring. If I hadn't bought the complete trilogy on my Kindle at one time, I highly doubt I would have continued on to book two, and definitely not book three.

I find it unnecessary to do a complete recap, so this post will be strictly opinion with lots of spoilers. I don't suggest reading any further unless you've already finished the books. If you have, I'd love to hear what drew you to them (or not).

I was immediately turned off by the poor prose. By no means am I a literary giant, but I've read enough to know good writing from bad. And even if I can't articulate which it may be, trust me, I just know. Within the first 10% of the book I was already rolling my eyes at the way the author overused "he/she mutters" and 'he/she murmurs." Really, why is this a story of two people with mush mouths who whisper to each other all the time? And if Christian Grey is the strong dominant the author portrays, then I'm quite sure he would never murmur anything. This was my biggest pet peeve. Incidentally, I did a find for "murmur" on my Kindle, and I came up with 764 results. Buy a thesaurus, Ms. James.

The next thing that kept my eyes rolling (and no, I don't want to be "punished" for doing so; that was just absurd) was Ana's constant referral to her inner goddess and her subconscious. It got to the point where I thought she was a schizophrenic with all these personalities living inside of her. When her subconscious started wearing half-moon glasses and reading Charles Dickens, it went completely over the top into utter ridiculousness. In reality, a 21-year old girl could simply not be emotionally mature enough to recognize any of this. Remember what you were interested in at 21 and fresh out of college? Yeah, me too, and it wasn't my freaking subconscious.

Toward the end of the second book, I was just becoming bored by so many things. First, the fact that Ana was so in love with Christian, yet she constantly walked on eggshells around him. She always worried whether or not he was mad at her. So very NOT sexy. Second, his possessiveness. If he murmured one more time, "you're mine" I was going to puke. Flawed or not, get a grip buddy. Third, I honestly failed to see the attraction to a man who takes pleasure in inflicting pain on a woman. In my opinion, he was a half step away from all-out domestic abuse. At one point he even says: "I want to punish you. Really beat the shit out of you." WAKE UP ladies!! THIS IS NOT OK! I would have thrown the book at the wall, but my Kindle didn't deserve to be smashed into a million pieces.

Finally, the little mystery thrown in for good(?) measure. By that point, I didn't care about Jack Whateverhisnameis or why he was out to get the Greys. It seemed an afterthought to add this inane storyline, and I don't think it added any intrigue or compassion at all.

I could probably go on for another 500 words or more, but I think you get my disgust loud and clear. I. Just. Don't. Get. It. But if you loved it, please, oh please, tell me why. Was it the sex? If so, I have to believe there are better-written smut books out there. Was it the love story? Because I don't understand loving a controlling, insecure masochist.

Talk to me.

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(Almost) A Year in Review

It's sad but true. I am almost a year behind in posting! I'd like to chalk it up to being too busy reading, but you know how it goes: Other chores take priority, I've had freelance out the wazoo; or was it simply that I couldn't come up with the perfect thing to say about what I just read? Whatever the reason, I never stopped reading. Well, wait. There was the time in March when I nearly boycotted reading because I was so smitten with Harry Potter. I felt I would be disloyal to all of Wizardom if I jumped into a new book without properly grieving the end of those seven books. Yeah, I was that obsessed. I even joined Pottermore the first day it became available to the public (my screen name is ShadowRain12825 for anyone who wants to friend me!) and haven't stopped thinking about how truly wonderful those books were since March 14, 2012 when Harry sent his own son off to Hogwarts for the first time. I know, I know, I'm way late for that train. But I'm so glad I waited! I don't know how the people who read each book as it was released could handle the wait! I was lucky to read all seven books consecutively over the course of only four months.

OK, fine, enough about Harry (one last word: I love Ron). I've decided that instead of completely stressing myself out about the fact that I need to write TEN overdue posts, I need to just clean the slate. I'll recap the books I've read since last July and move on with my life. The next full post will be about that sicko Christian Gray :)

1. Cutting for Stone  |  Abraham Verghese  |  January 10 - July 17, 2011
It took me a whopping seven months to get through this audiobook. So many times I wanted to give up. I found it to be slow and overly long (I desperately wanted to edit out so much of it). The only thing that kept me going was peer pressure – so many friends held this book in such high esteem. And then one day I suddenly turned a corner and ended up truly enjoying it. Glad I stuck to it.
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2.  Still Alice  |  Lisa Genova  |  August 16 - September 3, 2011
Tough subject matter, but poignant and heartbreaking. Genova has a Ph. D in neuroscience, so the book is written accurately but still has the ability to engage the reader at every turn. Alice's quick decent into Alzheimer's isn't exactly "light reading," but well worth the education for the reader.
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3.  The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake  |  Aimee Bender  |  July 18 - August 30, 2011
Anyone recognize this acronym: WTF??? That is exactly what I said when this book ended. WTF??? Her brother became the chair?? Seriously didn't get it. Maybe the biggest strike against the book for me was the author narrated the audiobook and it was probably the worst narration I've ever heard. Monotone, lifeless; she could have read anything and made it sound awful. Sorry, it's just better to have talented narrators...otherwise you lose me. Fast.
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4.  Faith  |  Jennifer Haigh  |  September 3-24, 2011
Funny thing happened the other day. I stopped and got Faith out of the library because a pal had been raving about it and said I just had to read it next. After two chapters I realized that I've already read it! Duh! It was definitely good, so I have no idea why it was so forgettable. An intriguing story about an accused Catholic priest in Boston and how his family deals with the scandal.
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5. I Still Dream About You  |  Fannie Flagg  |  September 24 - October 15, 2011
I adore Fannie Flagg. Her writing is music to my ears. Not being a southern girl myself, Flagg has the ability to paint such a vivid picture, that I feel like I've lived in Alabama my whole life. Even as Maggie Fortenberry contemplates suicide by creating a list of 16 reasons why she should and only 2 why she should not, I couldn't help laughing at the charm brought in every page of this book.
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6. A Discovery of Witches  |  Deborah Harness  |  September 1 - October 8, 2011
I wouldn't say I'm a fan of Fantasy or Sci-fi, but I love, love, love witches. Add in a 1500-year old vampire and you've got a real winner. I couldn't get enough of this book, and was actually quite satisfied with the somewhat untidy (not wrapped up in a bow) ending. Then I found out it was the first in a trilogy. Hooray! Shadow of Night comes out next month. I can't wait!
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7. One Day  |  David Nicholls  |  October 20 - December 29, 2011
Hilariously funny in parts with an unforeseen, shocking ending. Dexter and Emma meet on July 15, 1988 and the book follows them on that same day each year after for 20 years. Nicholls' ability with character development had me on an emotional roller coaster. Except I didn't get sick on this one.
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8. This is Where I Leave You  |  Jonathan Tropper  |  January 10 - March 8, 2012
Judd and his dysfunctional family reluctantly sit Shiva for his father. His wife is cheating on him with his boss. Sounds like hard stuff, but this novel is funny and fresh. It was a great one to listen to while sitting in traffic after work. Made the commute not so bad.
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9. Harry Potter  |  J.K. Rowling  |  November 20, 2011 - March 14, 2012
These seven books really deserve their own post, but what could I say that hasn't been said before? I resisted for so long, for no real reason, but was finally convinced to give them a try. I felt like I was living at Hogwarts for four months. I can't say enough good things about this series, and I'm sure no one needs convincing – I'm probably the last person on earth to read them.
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10. The Night Circus  |  Erin Morgenstern  | March 19 - May 28, 2012
To be fair, this book never stood a chance. As the first one to be read after Harry, I couldn't focus on a single word. I would go days without reading it; in turn taking me 2-plus months to get through it. Once my focus started to return, I became quite interested in the characters. But even though I'm not a fan of a big bow at the end, I found myself saying out loud, "Was the whole damn thing really a dream?!"
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And there you have it. Some of my highest ratings in a long time...maybe that can be another excuse for not posting!

State of Wonder

by Ann Patchett
June 27 - August 15, 2011

If you pay attention to the dates above (the length of time it took me to read the book), you'll notice that I read State of Wonder about seven months ago. To say I'm behind on blog posting would be the understatement of this young year. But, because I'm so late, I was able to reference other sources that have given State of Wonder the prestigious honor of being on several Best of 2011 lists. And of course you regulars of Read My Mind know that Ann Patchett is a favorite author of mine, so I quickly purchased her latest title less than three weeks after its release. Unfortunately, I do not understand how this landed on so many "Best of" lists.

I think I've said before that I feel like I read faster when I'm on my kindle. Truth. But even so, it just seemed like Patchett took a lot of time building up some spectacular surprise, and I was eagerly anticipating a big reveal. By the time I got to the "wonder" of the book, I was underwhelmed. Dr. Marina Singh is a research scientist who must travel to the Amazon jungle when she learns that a colleague of hers has died unexpectedly and suspiciously. Once in Brazil, Singh is also charged with "nudging" Dr. Annick Swenson; who for years has been researching and failing to properly report her discoveries on a fertility drug that will allow women to conceive well into their 70s and beyond. (No thank you!!!)

Our protagonist was actually rather boring on paper. It's almost as if Marina was the "wrong" lead character. Dr. Swenson was much more feisty and mysterious. And perhaps the jungle itself, so vividly described that it came to life in my mind's eye, was the true heart of the story. Even the native boy, Easter, who never spoke a word, left me wanting more.

In no way does my blasé attitude toward State of Wonder mean that I'm finished with Patchett. It simply means that I don't have to love every book she writes. And while I ultimately found the ending outrageous, it was thanks to Patchett's talent with a pen (or keyboard) that kept me committed until the final words.

"Never be so focused on what you're looking for that you overlook the thing you actually find."

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An Unexamined Life

by Gareth Young
Oct 16-Nov 14, 2011

Recently, I learned about a pretty cool concept called Book Rooster. It's essentially an online community of passionate readers who receive free kindle editions of books by indie authors and write reviews. It's a great way for these sometimes struggling authors to get more reviews posted on Amazon.com. All you have to do is sign up and indicate which genres of books you are interesting in, and Book Rooster will start sending you titles. If you aren't interested in a particular book, all you have to do is wait for the next one to come along. Reading and reviewing with no pressure! My kind of site for sure. A more simplified version of the follow review is posted on Amazon, thanks to the free digital copy I received from the Rooster. Check it out.

I must say that upon reading the brief synopsis on An Unexamined Life, my interest was piqued. Definitely not the kind of subject matter I read on a daily basis. So I downloaded my free sample and headed off to Jamaica where I was sure I was going to read at least two, if not three, books. Little did I realize that a cocktail in one hand, seated at the swim-up bar, does not bode well for a kindle. Reading just had to wait until I was home again.

Never before has a book sparked such raw emotion and anger in me. Some might say this is a sign of a truly brilliant author, and while that may be true, I certainly can't say that I'd ever again want to read another of Young's books (this is the author's second novel). Joe Kay is a man who is living the textbook life. On paper, he has everything; a high-paying job, a devoted wife, and most recently, a large inheritance from a dead aunt. When his career takes a nose dive, Joe finds he has more time to spend with his wife. Only now does he realize that years of career-first neglect has driven a large gap between the couple. Joe resorts to online "dating," spending late nights chatting with strange women and having cyber affairs. For whatever reason, Joe becomes braver and begins bringing these affairs to the light of day. He even begins a fantasy-driven affair with his next-door neighbor. At this point, I'm keeping up and fairly intrigued as to where the next pages will take me, but then the protagonist's flaws come screaming to life.

Joe frequents a coffee shop more than ever now that he has Liz, a high school student, to ogle. He quickly becomes infatuated from afar as he eavesdrops on her every word. He finally works up the nerve to speak to her and he is instantly a teenager again. The affair that ensues paints the picture of a weak, selfish, perverted pig. I found myself actually wanting to throw my kindle at a wall I was becoming so frustrated with Joe's weaknesses.

"Moral weakness wasn't indicative of a lack of love for my Eliza, unimaginably cherished, the light of my life. Surely she could see that as a man of means and charm, it was inevitable I would be exposed to irresistible temptation?"

Puke. Some would ask me why I didn't just put the book down for good, but at 263 short pages, I had to at least be assured that Joe's wife would get some kind of redemption. The final moments of Joe's story had me writhing with disgust and frustration. I finished the book wondering if perhaps An Unexamined Life is more suitable to a male reader? As a woman, I refuse to make a single excuse for Joe's adulterous behavior. As an avid reader, I can compliment the author on his prose, but with the hatred I feel for Joe Kay, I have read my first and last Gareth Young book.

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The Hunger Games (trilogy)

 by Suzanne Collins

     

I've come to two conclusions. The first is that I don't really see a need to write three separate reviews on this series because, well, I just don't. The second is that Suzanne Collins kicks Stephenie Meyer's ass. I may (or may not) have been on a Young Adult kick of late, so I think that gives me full authority to make this claim. What can I say, I'm reliving my youth. But for as much as I enjoyed the Twilight series, The Hunger Games trilogy betters Edward and Bella in so many ways. Collins' writing is intelligent and inspired. Meyer is a proofreader's worst nightmare. While Meyer told each account to death, making sections drag on entirely too long, Collins gets to the point quickly and that point is spot-on.

I must admit that when I first learned of these books, I wasn't the least bit intrigued by the subject. Plus, while I was reading and describing the story line to others, I would end up explaining that the books are way better than the plot sounds. I think I felt the same way about Water for Elephants (although circus freaks and fights to the death never live in the same world) and yet it ended up earning a spot on my favorites list. To say that I was wrong would be a huge understatement. I was immediately wrapped up in the lives of Katniss, her family, Peeta and Gale. I was stressed out at points and even became misty a few times. The character development was superb, and unlike Bella, the whiny martyr who I ended up wanting to punch, Katniss is a superstar.

I'm sure by now everyone who is remotely interested in reading The Hunger Games knows the premise. But in a nutshell, Panem is a postapocalyptic United States consisting of 12 districts. Every year the Capitol of these districts, in order to keep its citizens complacent, hosts a Hunger Games in which one boy and one girl from each district is pitted against one another in a fight to the death. Only one child survives. These victors, past and present, are rewarded by living slightly less difficult lives than before their participation in the Games. Throughout the course of the trilogy, the reader meets several past tributes and comes to find how truly effected the Games made these survivors. And while Katniss at heart is cold-blooded and calculated, you still find yourself rooting for her.

After the last lines of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, I absolutely couldn't wait to start the next book. Collins has a way with cliffhangers. And in the end, the series wraps up nicely. Not in the tied-in-a-pretty-bow way that I hate, but with a definite, satisfying end. In my opinion, there is only one part that I wish she would have paid a little more attention to. But by no means did this detail ruin the books for me. The finale had a poignancy that made it all worth it.

"Because something is significantly wrong with a creature that sacrifices its children's lives to settle its differences. You can spin it any way you like. Snow thought the Hunger Games were an efficient means of control... But in the end, who does it benefit? No one. The truth is, it benefits no one to live in a world where these things happen."

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