Sunday, January 10, 2016

The Hunger Games series

The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

I admit I came very late to The Hunger Games. I saw the movie and was a little disturbed by it. Because of that and not wanting to do what everyone else did, I didn’t get around to reading the books until last month. I wanted something that could keep my attention on a long plane ride from California. So, I finished The Hunger Games, and immediately began reading Catching Fire. I finished that book on December 30 and watched the movie on December 31. I immediately began Mockingjay and read about 2/3 of it before watching Mockingjay, Part 1 on January 1. I finished the book in the morning on January 2, and a couple of hours later, watched Mockingjay, Part 2 in the theater.

If for some reason you haven’t read the books or watched the movies, spoilers are ahead, but I won’t take up space summarizing the plots. I’ll mostly talk about the characters. I’ve been thinking about or writing this post for a week. Only this morning did I begin thinking about the importance of knots in the story, so writing about that will have to wait for another time. I’m not suggesting that these books are at the same level as say, The Grapes of Wrath, but I do think there is a lot more going on here than a dystopian novel with a high body count and a love triangle. These books are well worth reading and rereading.

I liked the books better than the movies, but I still enjoyed the movies. So much of the story has to be cut out of the films. Because of that, sometimes it felt like plot points and characters suddenly appeared as if they’d just fallen from the sky on a silver parachute. It sometimes seemed that a person who hadn’t read the books would be confused, or at least wonder how Katniss never ran out of arrows.

Suzanne Collins is exploring the effect of violence on young people. This is done by following Katniss and her evolving relationships with her classmate Peeta, and Katniss’s childhood friend Gale as they struggle for survival. Katniss has been hunting with her friend Gale since she was 12 years old. He’s her best friend. She can talk to him, and out in the woods, he can express his anger at their oppressors in the Capitol. Katniss just wants to survive and take care of her mom and sister, Prim. Katniss has never spoken with Peeta, and before they’re reaped and suddenly depend on one another for survival, their one interaction came when he gave Katniss a burned loaf of bread so her family wouldn’t starve.

Katniss has much in common with her two friends. She has a will to fight and a lot of anger like her friend Gale. She wants to protect the weak and suffering, as Peeta does. As Katniss and Peeta fight for their lives in the arena, we see to what lengths Peeta will go to save Katniss, whom he’s loved since he was five years old. Meanwhile, Katniss doesn’t really know Peeta, and she thinks that when it comes down to it, he’ll kill her to survive.

The previous victors have responded to the violence and death of the arena in different ways. Some appear to be handling it better than others. Some turn to alcohol and drugs, others end up having their bodies sold and must put a happy face on it with all their new-found fame and wealth. The story is of Katniss’s journey through the hell of the arena and being a pawn in the game being played on both sides of the revolution. Her conflicted feelings about Gale and Peeta mirror the choices she’ll make in deciding what kind of person she’ll be if she survives all of this.

My favorite character is Peeta. Peeta is good. He is compassionate. He’s willing to sacrifice himself for others (Katniss, rebels) or a greater cause (his team’s mission, the revolution). He wants to remain who he is and not be changed by the violent situation he’s been thrown into and can’t control. After the games, Peeta finds out that Katniss doesn't really love him; she only wanted to survive. He is angry, and he pouts for a few months. Then he decides, whatever his motivations are, that they should be friends. That is an unselfish love. During his private training session before the Quarter Quell, Peeta defies the Capitol by painting a picture of Rue lying under the flowers Katniss used to bury her. This served as a reminder to the game makers not only of the loss of life in the arena, but also of their own lost humanity when they send children to die. Near the end of the series, when the remaining victors are asked to decide whether to send Capitol children into the hunger games, Peeta vehemently says no. When the revolution is over and he can finally go home, the first thing he does is plant evening primrose for Katniss, in honor of her sister.


Before they go in the arena for the first time, Katniss and Peeta have the following exchange. Peeta recognizes that his chances of survival are not good, and of course, later we find out that he’s decided to help Katniss.

“I don’t know how to say it exactly. Only . . . I want to die as myself. Does that make any sense?” he asks. I shake my head. How could he die as anyone but himself? “I don’t want them to change me in there. Turn me into some kind of monster that I’m not.”
I bite my lip, feeling inferior. While I’ve been ruminating on the availability of trees, Peeta has been struggling with how to maintain his identity. His purity of self. “Do you mean you won’t kill anyone?” I ask.
“No, when the time comes, I’m sure I’ll kill just like everybody else. I can’t go down without a fight. Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to . . . to show the Capitol they don’t own me. That I’m more than just a piece in their games,” says Peeta.

Katniss thinks about this conversation off and on throughout the story, struggling to understand what Peeta meant.

Gale and Katniss come from similar backgrounds. Both their fathers died in a mine explosion. If they didn’t hunt their families would starve. Gale is justifiably angry at the Capitol. When the opportunity arises for him to fight back, he takes it. But, he’s willing to give up a little of his humanity to do it. When the rebels are trying to capture the “Nut” stronghold, he considers possible innocent casualties just part of the situation. Because of their own suffering, he feels that an eye for an eye is justified. In the end, his relationship with Katniss is destroyed because there is the strong possibility that not only did he not protect Prim, but it was a weapon that he helped design that killed her.

I think there is a parallel between Finnick and Annie’s relationship and Katniss and Peeta’s. When the victors are voting whether to do a hunger games with Capitol children, Annie shows compassion and does not seek revenge when she sides with Peeta by voting no. Finnick is like Katniss in many ways except a lot more mature, experienced and further down the path in which he decides who he is. He and Katniss both have loved ones captured by the Capitol and used as weapons against them. He is angry at the Capitol and will fight for the people he loves and for the revolution. But when Annie is rescued, and he’s found a measure of peace and happiness, he’s still willing to sacrifice himself to win the war and make the world better. He’s my second favorite character.

Cinna is Katniss’s stylist for the games. He is tasked with making her beautiful and memorable. He does so, and more. He treats her with kindness, respect, and is her friend. He treats the childish prep team with compassion and tenderness. He ends up being killed for using his designs to defy the Capitol and support the revolution. He saves Katniss by designing a Mockingjay uniform that is bullet proof. He serves as a touchstone for Katniss throughout the story.

I’m not sure what to say about Haymitch besides the part in the movie was perfectly cast. I’m still thinking about him. He became a victor by outsmarting everyone else. Afterword, everyone he loved was killed. He’s what could have happened to both Finnick and Katniss if they’d lost Annie and Peeta. He had nothing to care about and spent more than 20 years mentoring tributes only to watch them be slaughtered. But when Peeta and Katniss come along, it’s a chance, perhaps, to heal some old wounds. When Katniss is ready to give up on Peeta ever recovering from being brainwashed, it’s Haymitch that reminds her that Peeta would never have given up on her if the situation had been reversed. He often tries to keep Katniss on the right path.

Katniss’s journey, beyond what she has to do to survive the horror of life as a tribute and revolutionary, is to decide what kind of person she will become. This is mirrored in her feelings for both Gale and Peeta. In Gale, she finds all the anger and rage and need to destroy the Capitol that she feels. But there is also the willingness to tolerate collateral damage and to take revenge on anyone who gets in the way. In contrast, while Peeta is willing to fight to survive, he is unwilling to give in and become the monster the Capitol tried to create. Even after torture and brainwashing, he works to find himself again and is unwilling to put other’s lives in danger if it can be avoided. Peeta is compassion, where Gale is anger. Which one is the best way to try and heal wounds that will probably be with you forever? Katniss appears to be heading down the road of rage and vengeance when she votes yes (for Prim) to starting the hunger games again with Capitol children and going to execute President Snow. Before she shoots the arrow, she figures out that she is still a pawn in the game, and she’s about to trade one President Snow for another. She has a nightlock pill with her, recognizing that the choice she is making to assassinate the new president is the end of her own life, but that it’s the right thing to do. Of course, Peeta saves her. In the end, Katniss chooses to love Peeta.

I think, in choosing the person you’ll love, you’re also choosing the kind of person you want to be. Peeta is good, and Katniss would like to be good, too.


Tuesday, January 5, 2016

2015 - Wrap up, part 2 - the rest of the books

Here is a list of the books I read or listened to in 2015 that I haven't written about already.

  • Ruby Red - the first of a series
  • The Death of Ivan Ilyich
  • The Circle - I wanted to enjoy this more than I did.
  • The Rithmatist
  • A Caribbean Mystery - Miss Marple
  • What Now? - An essay by Ann Patchett, based on a commencement address
  • The Nature Principle
  • The Story of Dr. Dolittle
  • Cinder - Cinderella story with a cyborg. How can you go wrong with that?
  • Beauty Queens
  • Vanity Fair
  • Silas Marner
  • A Fighting Chance - Written and read by Elizabeth Warren
  • Who Could That Be at This Hour?
  • How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse - listen to the audio book
  • How to Speak Dragonese - the audio book is read by David Tennant
  • Life of Pi
  • The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie - I had already read this, but I'd heard the audio book was good, so I decided to listen to it.
  • The Penderwicks
  • How to Twist a dragon's Tale
  • Work Hard, Be Nice: How Two Inspired Teachers Created the Most Promising Schools in America
  • 29 Gifts
  • The Island of Dr Libris - I like books that celebrate books
  • Wild Born (Spirit Animals series)
  • The Book Thief - Amidst all the horror, this is still a life-affirming, hopeful book. This is on my list of books that everyone should read at least once.
  • Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor
  • Hunted (Spirit Animals)
  • Sapphire Blue - the second in the Ruby Red series
  • Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity
  • Form Norvelt to Nowhere
  • Emerald Green - The last in the Ruby Red series in which our heroine inherits a time-travel gene and must save the world (along with super-awesome time-traveling boyfriend Gideon) from a crazy, sadistic guy from the past. I quite enjoyed this series.
  • When Santa Fell to Earth
  • A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons
  • The Hunger Games
  • Catching Fire
Grand total for 2015: 75 + a few rereads

Sunday, January 3, 2016

2015 Wrap up, part 1 - movies

I didn't make it to 50 movies in 2015, but I improved over 2014. Here is a list, with occasional notes.


  1. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies - I enjoyed this. My favorite part was when Billy Boyd sang "The Last Goodbye" during the closing credits. Here's a link to the music video.
  2. X-Men: Days of Future Past
  3. Guardians of the Galaxy
  4. Frozen - I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did.
  5. Maleficent - very well done
  6. The Boxtrolls
  7. Words and Pictures
  8. Night at the Museum 3: The Secret of the tomb
  9. The Maze Runner - I enjoyed the books and was surprised that I also enjoyed this movie.
  10. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Don't judge me. It was a kind of a cute movie.
  11. Akeelah and the Bee - loved this
  12. Jupiter Ascending - surprisingly boring and slow
  13. The Trip
  14. Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 - I liked the first one better
  15. Florence Nightingale - this was from the 80s
  16. From Time to Time - A boy is sent to live with his grandmother while his father is MIA. The boy discovers that he can travel back to the past and change things.
  17. Virtuosity - The Cliburn - an excellent movie about a piano competition
  18. National Gallery - This was a very long movie showing what happens at the National Gallery of Art in London. You're watching it as if you are a fly on the wall. Very good and really interesting.
  19. The Avengers: Age of Ultron
  20. Interstellar - loved this movie
  21. Jurassic World
  22. Ant Man
  23. A Christmas Carol - with Patrick Stewart
  24. Cinderella - I thought this was a beautiful movie
  25. Seventh Son
  26. Inside Out - very good
  27. Into the Woods - loved this one, too
  28. Mr. Holmes - Sherlock is retired and struggling with his memory. An excellent movie
  29. Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation - everything you could want from a Mission impossible movie
  30. The Lego Movie - everything is awesome
  31. The Theory of Everything
  32. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
  33. Just Let Go - I watched this because I like the lead actor. My favorite part was near the end when he's telling the story of the prodigal son.
I already have two movies for 2016, so I'm off to a good start.

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Amazing Grace

Although this post is not about a book or movie, I still wanted to share it with you all. Last month, I went to New York City and while I was there, I saw a couple of Broadway shows. I really enjoyed all of the shows I saw, but I especially liked Amazing Grace. The music was powerful, the set was amazing, and the story was beautiful.

The musical is based on the life of John Newton, the man who wrote the song Amazing Grace. John Newton was an atheist slave trader who found God and eventually fought against slavery.

I'm having a hard time putting into words how I felt about this musical. Basically I just want to say, that if you make it to NYC anytime before October 25 (the show's final performance is on that day), you should go and see this show. You won't regret it. It is a sad and beautiful and amazing story of redemption and love!

And if you need another reason to see the show, Josh Young, the man that played John Newton, has a beautiful and powerful voice. :) 

Sunday, October 4, 2015

A few nonfiction books

The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History, by Robert M. Edsel – I enjoyed this book, and now I’d like to see the movie. This is the story of the MFAA, a special force of American and British soldiers in World War II who searched for, and saved much of, the world’s greatest art from the looting and destruction of the Nazi’s. I found this to be complex and occasionally a little difficult to follow, but overall, enjoyable and informative. This is the sort of book that makes you realize how much there is out there that you didn’t know you didn’t know, if that makes any sense. It’s really cool to learn about this amazing story and these amazing people.

The World’s Strongest Librarian: A Book Lover’s Adventures, by Josh Hanagarne – This is the story of a Salt Lake City librarian, lover of stories and books who is struggling with his Mormon faith and his Tourette Syndrome. This is the sort of book that I’m not sure how much I enjoyed it while I was reading it (or listening to it in this case), but by the end I was glad I read it. I’m always interested in people who love books and reading, and it’s interesting to read a mainstream book that deals with my religion. In the audio version, it was annoying when the reader kept mispronouncing “Nephites.” What I liked about this book is how Hanagarne describes what it’s like to have Tourette Syndrome, how the tics come on and the effect on his body and mind. I’ve never known anyone with this syndrome, so I had no understanding of it. I also liked how much support he received from his family, friends, and church leaders. I did wish it talked more about books, though.


American Bloomsbury: Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Margaret Fuller, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry David Thoreau: Their Lives, Their Loves, Their Work, by Susan Cheever – This book follows the lives five Transcendentalist writers in Concord, Massachusetts from about the 1840s to the 1880s. This book makes me want to read or reread the works of these writers as well as read biographies of their lives. The author meant this as an introduction to the lives of these authors, which she was inspired to write after researching Louisa May Alcott. This book was confusing at times, because of the nature of these intertwined lives made some repetition necessary. This sometimes made it so I needed to backtrack a little and get my bearings. I didn’t care for some of the author’s opinions and speculation, but I consider the book a success because it makes me want to learn more.

Sunday, September 20, 2015

A few books for kids and young adults

Airman, by Eoin Colfer – Conor Broekhart was born in a hot air balloon and feels he was always meant to fly. After witnessing the murder of his tutor and the king, Conor is sent to prison. Can all the he learned about flying help him escape prison, save his parents and find the princess? A fun adventure from the author of the Artemis Fowl series.

Dead End in Norvelt, by Jack Gantos – In the first of the Norvelt series of semi-autobiographical novels, young Jack is grounded at the beginning of summer vacation. Even so, Jack manages to have adventures and get himself into a lot of trouble when his mom loans him out to an elderly neighbor to type obituaries that she writes as the original residents of this community, founded by Eleanor Roosevelt, begin to die out. Or are they murdered? This book was quite funny and a lot of fun. It won the 2012 Newbery Medal.


How to Be a Pirate, by Cressida Cowell – In this second book in the How to Train Your Dragon series, Hiccup, and the other boys in the Hairy Hooligan tribe have begun their pirate training course. After nearly dying during their first lesson, Hiccup and Fishlegs are saved by the floating coffin of Grimbeard the Ghastly. When the tribe opens the coffin, they find Alvin the Poor-But-Honest-Farmer inside. He sets the tribe off on a quest to find Grimbeard’s lost treasure. Can Hiccup and Toothless find the treasure and ensure Hiccup’s place as heir? Or will they end up in a watery grave or as lunch for dragons and Outcasts? I listened to the fabulous audio version read by David Tenant. Children and adults will enjoy this fun series.



Fortunately, the Milk, by Neil Gaiman – I listened to the audio version of this book, read by Neil Gaiman, but I think I’d like to get the hard copy and look at the illustrations, especially if they are as much fun as the text. The narrator and his sister are ready to eat their breakfast cereal, but there is no milk, so their father goes to the corner store to buy some. He is gone for a long time, and when he returns he tells a tale of planet-redecorating aliens, time-travel, pirates, a stegosaurus professor, and how the milk saved the world.



Grasshopper Jungle, by Andrew Smith – I decided this book might be interesting when I read that it was in the new genre of cli fi, that is, climate fiction. It also was a 2015 Michael L. Printz honor book. This is the story of how the end of the world began in Ealing, Iowa when Austin, the narrator, and his friend Robby accidently facilitate the release of a plague of giant praying mantis-like insects. I haven’t finished reading this book. I hate giving up on books, but I think this one isn’t for me. I do not want to be in the head of a 16-year-old boy. I do not want to listen to him talk about, in minute detail, things I don’t care about or find extremely distasteful. We don’t even get any giant insects until halfway through the book! Maybe I should just skip to the end and see if they defeat the giant bugs or if it really is the end of the world.

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Harry Potter

I was 13 when the first Harry Potter book came out. Although I heard people talking about it, I never got into it. Even after the second and third and fourth etc came out, they just never really interested me.

It has now been 18 years since the first Harry Potter book came out and I am just now reading them for the first time. Many people, throughout the years, have told me that I should read Harry Potter, but it was my 10 year old niece (who is currently reading the books too, but she's farther along) that was the one that finally convinced me that I should read them.

I have now finished the first four books and have started the fifth book and I love them! J.K. Rowling is an excellent writer. Every time I pick up one of the books to read, I feel as if I am transported to the world of Hogwarts and Privet Drive and that I am experiencing what Harry is going through with him.

I think out of the four books I've finished so far, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite, although Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a close second. Basically what I'm trying to say is that if you've never read Harry Potter, you should. They're well written and you will experience the magical world of Hogwarts with Harry, Ron and Hermione.