Saturday, March 31, 2012

Day 6 of The Hunger Games 30 Day Challenge: Least Favorite Part of the Series

Day 6: Least favorite part of the series

There are MAJOR spoilers in this post from Mockingjay!!!!

"Peeta's awake already, sitting on the side of the bed, looking bewildered as a trio of doctor's reassure him, flash lights in his eyes, check his pulse. I'm disappointed that mine was not the first face he saw when he woke, but he sees it now. His features register disbelief and something more intense that I can't quite place. Desire? Desperation? Surely both, for he sweeps the doctors aside, leaps to his feet, and moves toward me. I run to meet him, my arms extended to embrace him. His hands are reaching for me, too, to caress my face, I think.

My lips are just forming his name when his fingers lock around my throat."
-Mockingjay, pp 176-177

No, no, no, no, no!! I hated that part! HATED it! I actually felt like crying while typing this excerpt. I still remember how happy I was knowing that they had rescued Peeta to only be completely devastated to find out that he had been "hijacked".

Actually, this is more along the lines of my least favorite concept of the series. I not only hated the part when he tried to choke Katniss, but all of the parts when Peeta was not himself. I especially hated the parts when Katniss considered killing him and when Peeta wanted Katniss to kill him. It broke my heart. I know it made Katniss not take Peeta so much for granted anymore and to appreciate him more but still, Suzanne Collins did not have to have that in the book. Ugh. It's so frustrating!! I was happy with the ending of the book though, but it could have been a lot better. Ugh!

-E

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Day 5 of The Hunger Games 30 Day Challenge: Least Favorite Character

It's Day 5 of the Hunger Games 30 Day Challenge!

#5 Least Favorite Character
There are spoilers in this blog post from Mockingjay so beware! Also, if you haven't seen the movie yet, do not look at the second photo!

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President Snow & President Coin

I have 2 least favorite characters: President Snow & President Coin (obviously since the 3rd movie hasn't come out yet there isn't a photo of President Coin in this post). I hate both characters pretty much equally. They are both horrible, murderous people. I especially don't like how President Coin wanted to take President Snow's role as President of Panem, but she was no better than him!

By the way, I had to use the second photo! I love it! Katniss looks so pretty and very Ancient Greek-like and Peeta is in the background watching. Love it!

-E

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Day 4 of The Hunger Games 30 Day Challenge: Least Favorite Book

Hey y'all! I apologize for not doing this yesterday, but I never said that I would post for 30 days in a row. I just meant that I would be posting these for 30 days for however long that takes, whether it be a month or two or three (probably a little over a month unless things get super busy for me, which it might). Hope that clears things up.

Anyways, here's Day 4: Least Favorite Book

There are spoilers in the comments below so beware!


Mockingjay

Mockingjay is my least favorite book in the Hunger Games trilogy. Honestly, I was quite disappointed in this book. It was okay, but it could have been a lot better. Too many people died, Peeta was brainwashed, and it basically conisted of war, war, and war. I didn't like it. Not at all. I did like the ending of it though as you can see in the blog post below this one, but overall it didn't meet my expectations at all. I actually remember becoming so frustrated with it that I actually stopped reading it and put it aside for awhile.

Alright, enough of the criticism! I'm still in extreme Hunger Games mode and I cannot wait to see the movie again! I'm seeing it in a week or two with one of my good friends, Vani.

-E

Monday, March 26, 2012

Day 3 of Hunger Games 30 Day Challenge: Favorite Part of the Series

Major Spoiler! Avert your eyes & close this blog if you have not finished the series!!! 

It's Day 3 of the Hunger Games 30 Day Challenge! 
#3 Favorite Part of the Series  


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I hope I gave enough space. 
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                         The end of the series! Literally the last page of Mockingjay.
Of course, I love ALL of the romance between Katniss and Peeta but the ending was the best part! I was a little disappointed though that Katniss didn't pick Peeta till the very end and that it didn't go into very much detail. It just gave a brief explanation as to why she chose him over Gale. I would have had it be a more detailed scene. Hopefully it will be better in the last film, but who knows? Oh, well. Just as long as she ended up with him. That's all that matters.
-E
PS-I don't know if I will have time to discuss the movie until this summer. We'll have to wait and see.



Sunday, March 25, 2012

Day 2 of Hunger Games 30 Day Challenge: Favorite Character

It's Day 2 of the Hunger Games 30 Day Challenge!
# 2 Favorite Character
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          Peeta Mellark of course!
I have adored Peeta ever since the train scene on the way to the Capitol in the first book. He is so kind, so sweet, and very compassionate. He's the perfect guy! I love him.  Josh Hutcherson portrayed him very well. I was quite pleased with his performance.

-E



Saturday, March 24, 2012

Hunger Games 30 Day Challenge!

Hey Everyone!


With the release of the Hunger Games movie, I've decided to start a 30 day Hunger Games challenge in which I will discuss or post photos in the following 30 categories (there will be spoilers in some of these blog posts & don't read #29 if you haven't read Catching Fire yet):


1. Favorite Book in the Series
2. Favorite Character
3. Favorite Part of the Series 
4. Least favorite book
5. Least favorite character
6. Least favorite part of the series
7. Peeta or Gale?
8. Saddest death
9.  Favorite Katniss Dress (either from the books or movie)
10. Biggest Surprise
11. Funniest moment
12. Blond or Brunette Jennifer Lawrence?
13. Blond or Brown haired Josh Hutcherson?
14.  Blond or Brown haired Liam Hemsworth? 
15. Josh or Liam?
16. Rue or Prim?
17. Hottest actor
18. Favorite actor/actress from the series
19. Favorite scene in the movie
20. Least favorite scene in the movie
21. Favorite adult character
22. Favorite Katniss hairstyle in the movie
23. Favorite Jennifer Lawrence dress that she wore while promoting HG
24. Favorite minor character 
25. Favorite Capital Citizen 
26. The scene in Catching Fire you're most looking forward to
27. The scene in Mockingjay you're most looking forward to
28. Favorite Tribute from 74th Hunger Games (besides Katniss & Peeta)
29. Favorite Tribute from 75th Hunger Games (besides Katniss & Peeta)
30. Which villian do you love to hate?


I think this will be a lot of fun! I recommend anyone interested to do this as well!
Okay, I will start off with #1: Favorite Book in the Series
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Well, I'd definitely say the first book, The Hunger Games. It was a fantastic book. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time while reading it. It was very hard to put down. I just had to know what would happen next! Catching Fire was the same and comes in a very close second, but I'd say The Hunger Games for sure. It introduced the characters very well and kept my attention from the start. Love it!
-E

PS-Stay tuned for my thoughts and comments on the movie in a future post!

Monday, March 19, 2012

Matched Videos

Hey guys! Here are some awesome Matched videos that you should all check out! In the first video the author discusses the book. I don't think there are any spoilers in it.

The second video is the Matched trailer. I love it. It's pretty awesome.


That's all for today! Just thought I should post them!
-E

Book Review: Crossed



Don't read this review if you haven't read the first book, Matched! There are major spoilers from both books!

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Book Description from Goodreads:


"Rules Are Different Outside The Society 

Chasing down an uncertain future, Cassia makes her way to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky--taken by the Society to his sure death--only to find that he has escaped into the majestic, but treacherous, canyons. On this wild frontier are glimmers of a different life and the enthralling promise of a rebellion. But even as Cassia sacrifices every thing to reunite with Ky, ingenious surprises from Xander may change the game once again. 

Narrated from both Cassia's and Ky's point of view, this hotly anticipated sequel to Matched will take them both to the edge of Society, where nothing is as expected and crosses and double crosses make their path more twisted than ever."

Title: Crossed
Author: Ally Condie
Year of Release: 2011
Genre: Dystopia & Romance
Part of a Series?: Yup, the 2nd book in the Matched Series
Sequel(s):  Reached
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Comments: I liked Crossed a lot better than Matched. Matched, for me, was good, but I enjoyed Crossed even more. I can understand why some people didn't like it though. It is a lot different from Matched. In Crossed, Cassia goes searching for Ky who was taken into the outer provinces to act as a decoy in a war against "The Enemy" (I have no idea who "The Enemy" is. Another country, maybe?). The first 20 chapters were good, but I kept waiting and waiting for Cassia to finally find Ky. Then in chapter 21, she finally finds him! I was so happy. I wanted it to happen but I wasn't sure if it wasn't going to happen till the end of the book. 

This entire book takes place out in the wild in a plateau area which I think is near Utah. I don't know why but it interested me more. I think it was because it reminded me of the Hunger Games and how Katniss had to survive in the wild. 

What I really liked about this book is that it goes back and forth between Ky's and Cassia's perspectives. Ky in Matched was really mysterious. He seemed to keep a lot of information to himself. However, in Crossed, a lot about him is revealed since half of the book is from his point of view. It made me understand things from his perspective. There were certain things he thought and did though that I didn't like and made me angry. But in the end, I forgave him just like Cassia did. 

I still haven't decided yet if I like Ky or Xander more. I like them both. Okay, I think I like Xander a little more because of what Ky did, but maybe I'll change my opinion after I read the next book which I'm looking forward to reading. It comes out in November. Now, I truly don't know who Cassia will end up with. I'm glad that Reached will be told from Cassia's, Ky's, and Xander's point of views. It will definitely be interesting to see things from Xander's eyes. 
Recommended to: Delirium Fans, it's not as good as Delirium but it's better than Pandemonium. It's a good book to read while waiting for the third Delirium book

-E


Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Book Review: Matched


Yay! My first book review on my blog! Just a heads up, there are a few very minor spoilers in this review, nothing major of course.

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Book Description from Goodreads:
"Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. 

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow."

Title: Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Year of Release: 2010
Genre: Dystopia & Romance
Part of a Series?: Yes, it's the first book in the Matched Trilogy
Sequel(s): Crossed & Reached
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
Comments: To be completely honest, at first I thought this book was really slow moving without much character growth or plot. Around page 150 or so, things started to get better. It kept getting better from there. I ended up liking it. It's not my favorite book in the world, but I still enjoyed it. I'm not going to go into a lot of detail of the story itself, but it kept my attention. In regards to the romance, it seemed kind of "blah" at first. I didn't care about either Ky or Xander, especially Ky. Ky's character seemed very undeveloped and I didn't understand why Cassia liked him. I eventually grew to like both guys. The romance is definitely a lot more subtle and reserved but when things actually happened I enjoyed it more. It was cute. I guess I was just used to reading stories in which the romance occurs fast.
              It's strange because for once I actually like both guys equally. Unlike in Delirium where I like both guys but not equally-- I still prefer one over the other, I like both guys and don't care who Cassia ends up with. I have a good feeling though of who it will be. 
Recommended to: Delirium Fans, it's not as good as Delirium but it's better than Pandemonium. It's a good book to read while waiting for the third Delirium book

Also, if you have read Crossed, the sequel, please do not post any spoilers in the comments. Thanks!
-E

Monday, March 12, 2012

New York Time's Best Seller's List

A quick post to congratulate two of my favorite authors, Lauren Oliver & Veronica Roth on both making it to the NYT best seller's list this week!! Lauren Oliver's Pandemonium which came out at the end of February is #4 under chapter books. Her book Delirium is also #8 under paperbacks! Veronica Roth's Divergent is #1 under paperbacks!

Also, congratulations to the author of the current book that I'm reading, Ally Condie. Her book Matched is #7 under paperbacks!

Congratulations again to all three! Divergent, Delirium, & Pandemonium are all awesome books & Matched is pretty good so far! I'm about 260 pages into it.

-E

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Word of Mouth

I read somewhere once (or twice) that word of mouth is the best way to tell people about books that you love. (Other methods are blogs like this one, goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) One book series that I have read that I was told about by a friend was the Hunger Games and well, most people who know me know that I love the Hunger Games. Due to my love and obsession over that series, I told lots of my friends, acquaintances, co-workers, and relatives about it and many agreed to read it. In fact, I have lost count of how many people I have convinced to read it. Anyways, influencing people into reading a book that I love and enjoy causes happiness to form in the core of my heart and spread out all the way to my fingers and toes! Okay, I am exaggerating slightly but regardless, after telling people I know about a book that I read and then they tell me that they plan on reading it too makes me so happy and giddy! And knowing that they too will tell people that they know about it as well makes me even happier.

 It just keeps going and going and going. My friend tells me about a book and then I read it. I then talk on and on about it to people that I know and they read it as well. They love it and go on and tell their friends about it. Then, they tell people about it, and then they tell people about it. And so on and so forth. It is just a never ending cycle.

So the next time you read an amazing book, go out and tell your friends about it. You never know. They may end up loving it so much and forming an obsession over it like I did with the Hunger Games, and then go on and tell people they know about it as well. Word of mouth is just amazing like that. It will also give you someone to talk about the book extensively with. I truly believe that's the best part.

-E

Thursday, March 8, 2012

How to Avoid, Post, & React to Spoilers

Hello everyone!

Spoilers bother me greatly. They ruin the surprise. It seems as though there online everywhere: Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon, etc. It is truly hard to avoid them. I apparently can't avoid them anywhere. There are only a few books that I have read that hadn't had parts spoiled for me.

I recently encountered a spoiler on an author's Twitter. It bothered me greatly. The author herself didn't post the spoiler, it was a Tweet that another girl wrote to her. I don't necessarily know if what the girl said is true. Regardless of whether it is true or not, doesn't matter. Now, when I actually read the book I'll wonder the entire time if it'll happen or not. With that said, I decided to write a post on how to avoid, post, and react to spoilers.

First, I will give you some ways on how to avoid spoilers. Some of these are quite extreme, but hey, they work.

a) Do not read other people's comments on author's blogs, social networking pages, Goodread pages as well as on the Facebook page and  on Goodreads page for the book itself. Example: If you don't want to read spoilers about the Delirium series, do not read people's comments on Lauren Oliver's blog, FB, Twitter, Goodreads, etc. and do not read people's comments on the Delirium Facebook Page and Goodread's page. I hope that makes sense.
b) Hide all of the author's posts on all social networking websites including Goodreads so you will not be tempted to read people's comments
c) Hide all of the book's posts on all social networking websites
d) Do not read people's discussions on the book on discussion boards and forums
e) Do not read people's book reviews on Goodreads and Amazon


Now, when posting spoilers online give a warning! It's so rude and inconsiderate of some people who don't do this. Now, there are right and wrong ways of doing this.

The right way:
Write the word "Spoiler" in bold and underline it. But don't do this in the same paragraph as the spoiler itself because there is still a chance that people will see the spoiler if it is done this way. You should write the word "Spoiler" as a separate line before the paragraph with the spoiler. Also, have at least one space between the line with the word "spoiler" and the paragraph that contains the spoiler. Once the spoiler is over,  create a new line that says "End of spoiler" in bold and underlined.

Example:

Spoiler!


Omg! So A falls in love with B in book C. Blah blah blah blah blah

End of spoiler

The wrong way:
Spoiler! Omg! So A falls in love with B in book C. Blah blah blah blah blah End of spoiler

See the difference? ^^

Finally, here are some tips on what to do when you encounter a spoiler:
a) Take a deep breath
b) Think positively. You may know one major/minor thing that happens in the book but you don't know everything that happens. There will still be some surprise.
c) Realize that in a year or two from now, you won't even care that you were spoiled. In fact, you will probably forget (unless you're like me and you remember these things).
d) Realize that there are more important things in life to worry about.
e) Again on the "think positively" note. If there is a sequel that comes out after the book that you had spoiled, realize that you still don't know how that particular book will end or how the series will end.

As a final note, please do not post spoilers in the comments!!!

Hope that helps!
-E

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Fun Hunger Games Questionnaire


Okay, I created this questionnaire back in August, added more details to it in November & was originally going to post it on Facebook, but I decided to post it here now that I have a blog. (Remember when reading this, that I wrote most of it last summer. I made some changes in November and a very, very small amount of changes now in March.) Also, these comments in this post are my opinions. Please respect them. Everyone has different opinions. Thanks :)

  Other fans can delete my answers & replace them with their own. WARNING! THIS QUESTIONAIRE HAS SPOILERS IN IT SO DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED!

1. What got you to read the first book?

Funny story. lol So in March 2011, I was at an Emma Watson website reading comments on a post. Someone had commented saying that Emma was rumored to be in a movie called Hunger Games. I remember thinking "Hunger Games? What on earth is the Hunger Games?" I thought it sounded so weird and strange. I had never heard of the Hunger Games. Ironically, a few days later, I was eating lunch with my 2 friends Jeff and Brittany. Brittany was reading a book. I asked her what she was reading. She said it was one of the Hunger Games books. I remembered instantly about the rumor about Emma being in the movie. It was kind of like a weird coinsidence. I asked her what it was about & she explained a lot of the plot to me. I can't remember exactly everything she said. All I remember was her telling me that it was about kids fighting to the death and thinking that I would never like a book like that. The only parts that she gave away were: 1. That Peeta liked Katniss and 2. that every 25 years, all the winners of all the other Hunger Games join together and participate in another Hunger Games. The last one isn't exactly true, but that doesn't matter. (I honestly don't care that she spoiled those parts for me because at the time, I had no interest in even reading these books. Also, because those parts I would have found out about anyways. It said in Entertainment Weekly about Peeta "harbors feelings for Katniss" and on a decription of the third book at the OhioLink website, it said that Katniss surprising survived 2 Hunger Games". So I would have found out about those parts even if Brittany hadn't told me.) Anyways, several weeks later, I saw on Facebook that Entertainment Weekly was doing a cover of Katniss from The Hunger Games. I clicked it and read the short article. I then decided that I might read the first book over the summer. I also, really wanted to get that issue but I was nervous that I wouldn't since my subscription to Entertainment Weekly was already over, but I was still getting a few extra issues. Luckily, that Friday, I received it. I looked through the photos and read a short column that was a spoiler free description of the first book. I then officially decided that I would read the books and that was basically the start of my Hunger Games obsession.

2. Who is your favorite character in the series?

Peeta. Definitely Peeta. He has been my favorite character since the first book. I started to like him when he told Katniss that he would take care of Haymitch after Haymitch got drunk on the train on the way to the capitol. I thought that was nice of Peeta. He is so sweet, kind, protective (but not so protective that its annoying *cough* Edward Cullen *cough*), loyal,caring, funny, and selfless. He is just so adorable. He is hard not to like. (Even Gale says that it is hard to hate.) I also like it when he teases Katniss. When she gets mad at him, he apologizes. It's so sweet. Most guys don't apologize for stuff they do. Peeta even apologizes for things he doesn't need to apologize for. (Read Catching Fire) I remember through the first two thirds of the first book thinking that he was going to get killed in the Hunger Games since of course there could only be one winner and I thought for sure that Katniss would be the one to kill him. Then at the end of the second third, it is announced that the two tributes from same district could win, and I remember being so relieved that Peeta would probably survive. However, there were parts after the announcement was made where I thought that Peeta wouldn't make it especially when he had blood poisoning and at the end with the berries. I remember being so happy when he survived and didn't eat the berries (I thought for sure he had.) but I remember going into a panic when he collapsed on the hovercraft that picked him and Katniss up at the end of the hunger games. Then I was so happy knowing that he survived that too. He is honestly the only character besides Katniss that I cared about surviving while reading the series. I knew Katniss would survive since she's the main character but I didn't know if Peeta would survive. 

It's also important to note that if it weren't for Peeta's bravery, he never would have announced his love for Katniss to the entire country. And if that never happened, then the rule change never would have occurred and Peeta would have died from blood poisoning. Also, if Peeta wasn't so likeable, Katniss wouldn't have cared so much when they made the announcement about the rule change and she wouldn't have gone looking for him to team up with him. And even if she did, she probably would have killed him after awhile. But after teaming up with him, she may not have fallen in love with him, but she did grow to care for him. She didn't want to lose him just so she wouldn't have to be alone in the games. She just didn't want to lose him. She didn't want to lose the boy with the bread. She cared too much about him and would do anything to keep him alive even risk her own life. And at the very end, if it weren't for Peeta's kindness and love, she probably would have killed him when they changed the rule back to only one person can survive. But like I said, she cared too much about him, and didn't want to lose him so she took out the poisonous berries and was even going to sacrifice herself just so she wouldn't have to kill/lose Peeta. So all in all, if it weren't for Peeta's kindness and love, the berry scene never would have happened and the rebellion never would have started. It is his love that caused the rebellion. 

The thing I especially like about Peeta is that he is so selfless that he was willing to sacrifice himself so Katniss can be with her family and Gale. He loves Katniss so much that he would do that for her even if it meant she would end up with Gale and not him. 

3. Which book of the three is your favorite?

Either "The Hunger Games" or "Catching Fire". I can't decide between the two of them. I like "The Hunger Games" because it of course, introduces all the characters and the concept of the hunger games. You also realize how horribly gruesome and cruel the capitol is. The majority of the book just occurs when Katniss is in the arena but a lot happens when she is in the arena. Katniss develops a special bond with Peeta. I believe that she was falling for him while she was with him, but she was unaware of it because at the time she had no interest in romance and doesn't know what it is like to have feelings for a guy. She does say several times that she was unsure of her feelings.

I like "Catching Fire" too because it shows more of Katniss's "normal" daily life in district 12 than in "The Hunger Games". I really like that aspect.  Her bond with Peeta continues to grow. When they are pretending to be madly in love (well, Peeta wasn't pretending), she continues to fall for him and care for him. I like this book because she is no longer ignorant and knows that Peeta loves her and yet, she still spends a lot of time with him even when she doesn't have to pretend that she loves him. Normally, when you find out that your friend loves you it is awkward, but there isn't much of any awkwardness between the two of them. I really like the concept that she is willing to die for him in the quarter quell. Even though she doesn't know it, I really think that she does love him in this book. You have to really love someone if you are willing to die for them. 

4. What do you think of the casting of the movie version?

I never had doubts of Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss. She looks perfect as Katniss. I'm sure if I had known what the Hunger Games was back when she was announced as Katniss I would have been upset that a blond haired girl was cast as Katniss, but I wasn't a fan back then. I actually saw photos of her as Katniss before I even read the books so I never had doubts. I personally think she looks better as a brunette than as a blond.

As for Josh and Liam as Peeta and Gale, well, when I was reading the first book, I was upset that they cast known actors for the two leading men and not unknown actors. At the time, I would have preferred unknowns to have been cast as Peeta and Gale. I quickly became fine with the fact that Liam was going to play Gale. However, I still didn't want Josh to play Peeta. Not because he doesn't look like Peeta but because I thought he had been in way too many films and well, like I said, I wanted an unknown actor to play Peeta. I mean I LOVE Peeta and I didn't want some famous actor playing him. Later, after I finished the series, I saw pictures of him on set as Peeta and all my doubts went away. He seemed perfect as Peeta. I also discovered that he has a personality similar to Peeta's. I watched two interviews of him--one where he was on Letterman and one when he was on the George Lopez show and I thought he was very good with words like Peeta and that he always knew what to say. That's exactly like Peeta. Ever since then, I thought that he would be a perfect Peeta. At the end of July, the first professional photos of him as Peeta came out in Entertainment Weekly and I was really feeling it. He looked great as Peeta. I just love him with blond hair, muscluar arms, and broad shoulders. Also, I love the quote that Suzanne Collins, the author, said in Entertainment Weekly "People may get thrown, say, by the color of an actor's hair, or something physical. But I tell you, if Josh had been bright purple and had 6 foot wings and gave that audition, I'd have been like 'Cast him! We can work around the wings!' He was that good!" And Josh's quote  saying that he IS Peeta made me thrilled. I now KNOW that he will be a fantastic Peeta. I really look forward to seeing him bring my favorite character to life. :)

5. What scene do you most look forward to seeing in the movie version of the first book?

   Several (in no order):
   1.The part when Peeta reveals his love of Katniss to all of Panem. That was so unexpected.
   2. When Katniss finds Peeta in the mud.
   3. All the cave scenes especially:
       a. when Peeta tells Katniss the story of when he first fell for her when they were 5.
       b. when Katniss drugs Peeta with sleeping medicine so she can go get him medicine that saves his life
       c. when Katniss kisses Peeta for the first time
       d. the kiss between Peeta and Katniss when Katniss starts to realize that she "wants another"
  4. The scene when Peeta and Katniss are reunited at the crowning of the victors and Peeta won't stop kissing Katniss
  5. Surprisingly, the last scene when Katniss finally comes clean to Peeta & Peeta gets so upset & yeah.... :( That scene is sooooo sad but its crucial and I want to see that scene. I expect to cry during that scene. If I don't, then something's seriously wrong.


6. How do you feel about the media comparing "The Hunger Games" to "Twilight"?

I HATE IT! Do not compare them. They only have one similarity and one similarity alone and that is that they both have a love triangle and that is it. "The Hunger Games" are much better than the "Twilight" saga so don't you dare compare the two. First of all, the "Twilight" saga is about a girl who is obsessed with a guy who happens to be a vampire. When he leaves her in "New Moon" she goes into a great depression. It's as if her life depends on him and she cannot live without him. PATHETIC. Seriously? That's a horrible message to tell young girls.  A boy should not become a girl's entire life. It is great to be in a relationship but that relationship should NOT be your whole life, it should just be a main part of your life. Girls still need to do other things with their girlfriends and with their family. When Edward ditched Bella, she does absolutely nothing for months and months except mope around and scream in pain. I mean, I understand about heartache and everything but you honestly have to move on. In "The Hunger Games", Katniss does not obsess over Peeta or Gale. In fact, she doesn't want to be in a romantic relationship at all. She just wants to take care of her family and make sure that they survive. Bella would never be able to do what Katniss did. She would never be able to support her father by going out hunting or whatever (unless she was a vampire but that's a different story....). 

Bella relies too much on Edward to protect her. She is not capable of protecting herself and there is no way that she can protect him. In fact, much of "Eclipse" is about a whole bunch of vampires and werewolves teaming up to protect Bella. She cannot defend for herself at all. Although, Peeta protects and saves Katniss numerous times, Katniss saves his life many times as well. She is able to live out in the wild on her own and Bella wouldn't last a day on her own in the wild.

Bella is dead set on Edward being the love of her life while Katniss keeps her options open.

One thing that I love about "The Hunger Games" trilogy is that there is never a single mention of sex or an indirect mention of it. In Twilight, there are lots of sex references. I also love how in "The Hunger Games" there is not one single bad word written in the entire trilogy. Okay, the term "hell" is used once or twice but only when Haymitch describes the hunger games. There is actually no swearing at all in it which I think is great. 

There are many other reasons why "The Hunger Games" is better than "Twilight" but the final thing that I will mention is this: Peeta and Gale never fight or argue over Katniss. NONE. AT. ALL. I love that. They may not like each other but they never fight or try to kill each other. Jacob and Edward disagree and fight all the time especially in "New Moon" and "Eclipse". Also, in "The Hunger Games" Peeta chooses to risk his own life when Gale is being beaten to death by a peacekeeper (or is it a peacemaker?) by telling the peacekeeper that in order to get to Gale he will have to get thru him (him meaning Peeta) and Katniss. Gale also risks his life by going on a mission to rescue Peeta after Peeta's been captured by the capitol. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but Jacob and Edward NEVER risk their own lives for the other. In fact, Edward prevents Bella from visiting Jacob on purpose. (yes, i know he was trying to protect her but he went WAYYYYYY overboard). Peeta and Gale never prevented Katniss from seeing the other. Also, if Edward & Jacob were just human, Peeta and Gale could kill them both instantly. And Katniss would kill Bella in the blink of an eye with her great archery skills. Overall, Peeta & Gale > Jacob & Edward and Katniss > Bella

Sorry, one more thing, Bella doesn't end up with the person I want her to be with, but Katniss ends up with the person I want her with!! :D Gotta love "The Hunger Games"!!!!!

7. Lots of people don't like "Mockingjay". What is your opinion? 
  It was okay. It could have been a lot better if Peeta hadn't been brainwashed/corrupted & if not as many people had died especially Prim & Finnick. :( I liked the ending though with Katniss choosing Peeta. That was just great. But why did Suzanne wait till the LAST page for her to choose Peeta?? I mean after Peeta returned to district 12, she should described Katniss realizing that Peeta was the one for her in more detail. She could have had a specific scene when Peeta kissed her and said "You love me, real or not real?" rather than just mentioning it briefly at the end. Hopefully, it will be better in the movie.

8. Peeta or Gale? 
Peeta. :) Of course! I simply adore Peeta. If there is a guy like him that enters my life, I swear I will fall head over heels in love with him. I really wish more guys were as kind, sensitive, understanding, and selfless as him. I love how in Catching Fire, he was willing to die so Katniss can be happy with her family and with Gale. He was willing to die so Katniss can be with Gale. How incredibly selfless is that? So, so, so sweet. He deserves Katniss so much. I just love him.

9. Why do you think "The Hunger Games" has such a huge fanbase?
  I think it is because it is just one of those books that you just cannot put down. You are just dying to see what happens next. Who will survive and who will die? It is like Harry Potter in the way that it has something for everyone. It has action, politics, war, and of course, my favorite, romance :) It is such a unique story with such an important message. 

10. Who are you seeing the movie with? My friend Brittany

11. Are you going opening day? Yup 

12. Other comments? I'm really excited about seeing this movie. I'm not sure what to expect but I know it will be great :)

Alright, you can answer these questions too if you would like in the comments or blog. (If you post a blog with your answers give me the link to it in the comments.) Obviously, your answers don't have to be as long as mine, but I'm curious to know what your opinions are!
-E

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Love is a Disease in Delirium


What if love was a disease? What if you were forced to be cured from it once you turned 18 years old? What if you were assigned your spouse after taking a test? Well, that's what society is like in America in the dystopian novel Delirium. In 95 days, Lena will be cured of love forever & she cannot wait. That is until she falls in love....

In January, I got a Goodreads account. For those of you that don't know what Goodreads is, check it out! I highly recommend getting one especially if you love to read like I do. It gives book recommendations based on books that you have already read. So far, for me, those recommendations have yet to disappoint. One book recommendation was Delirium. It caught my attention right away and I requested it. It took me about a week to read but only because of schoolwork. It was truly hard to concentrate on that schoolwork because the book was so hard to put down! A day after I finished reading it, I entered to win the sequel, Pandemonium, on the Delirium Trilogy Facebook Page. A day after that, I received an e-mail notifying me that I was one of that week's five winners! (YAY!) I was so excited! I had been having a lousy week and receiving that e-mail made my week! Then, after a long, exhausting wait, my ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy) came in the mail. I was so pumped! (For those of you who don't know what an ARC is, check out Veronica Roth's blog post. She goes into full details of what they are.)
My Pandemonium ARC!

So, after finishing a really good book, a book that you feel in love with, one you just couldn't put down, one where you grow emotionally attached to the characters, do you tend to notice the names of characters everywhere you go? Well, that happened to me after finishing Delirium. After I finished it, I seemed to notice the main male character's name everywhere. Noticing it everywhere made me happy.

Anyways, I would highly recommend this trilogy if you:
Yup, it's an ARC & not for sale
a) Like dystopia
b) Wonder what life would be like without love
c) Like a forbidden romance
d) Like romance in general

Delrium Cover
If you selected any of the above, read these books! They are amazing. They are very hard to put down and the endings will leave you wanting more! I'm already looking forward to reading the third and final book Requiem to find out what happens! I definitely recommend this trilogy!

Like I said in my previous post, expect to see more posts about this awesome trilogy. I will probably write a post later this summer about what I predict will happen in Requiem.
-E
PS-Did all of you notice my awesome Insurgent countdown widget that's on the right?




Monday, March 5, 2012

My Hatred of Love Triangles


Oh, love triangles. Oh, how I loathe thee.
No really, I hate love triangles. They are overused immensely. I can think of many different series that use them. In fact, when I find out that a series has one, it upsets me immensely. Yes, they are definitely interesting to have, but how often do they really occur in real life? To have two attractive guys after me? Wow, that would be a dream!

For me, there are several different types of love triangles:

1. Those in which I do not care who the main character ends up with (has never happened)
2. Those in which I like both guys but I still prefer one over the other (has happened once so far)
3. Those in which I like one guy & the other one is just ok (Hunger Games)
4. Those in which I like one guy & hate the other (I don't think this has happened either)
5. Those in which I like the guy who I know the main character won't end up with (Twilight)

Regardless of what type of love triangle it is, I still hate them. It is especially disappointing when I think while reading the first book "Oh, yay! No love triangle" then bam! there's a love triangle in the sequel. So upsetting!



Okay, you are probably wondering why I hate love triangles so much. Well, let me explain.


First of all, they split up fans into 2 groups: those that support one guy & those that support the other. That alone bothers me. Us fans of a particular book/book series shouldn't be annoyed with one another for this purpose. We should all get along and agree that the book/book series is amazing. Nope, that's not the case. Fans fight. They get in arguments about which character is better. They split into teams. (*Cough*Team Edward*Cough*Team Jacob*Cough*) For example, with the Hunger Games, it annoys me when other Hunger Games fans tell me they prefer Gale over Peeta & I'm sure Gale fans get annoyed with Peeta fans for saying the opposite. I know we have our preferences but still, like I said earlier, us fans shouldn't be fighting over something so stupid. We should be happy that we have similar interests and discuss how great the book(s) is/are.


Second of all, there is no way that the main character can end up with both guys. Thus, a lot of fans end up upset with this. (Warning! There is a major  Hunger Games spoiler in this paragraph! Stop reading if you don't want to be spoiled.) I was thrilled when Katniss from the Hunger Games series ended up with Peeta, but of course all of Gale's supporters were probably highly disappointed with that. 


(End of Hunger Games spoilers)


With love triangles, there is no way that all fans of the book(s) will be pleased with the ending.

(Warning! Below are major Delirium/Pandemonium spoilers! Stop reading if you don't want to be spoiled.)

I was recently introduced to the the second type of love triangle in the Delirium trilogy. While reading the first book, I was having one of those "Yes! No love triangle" moments but then at the end of the first book, the guy (Alex) dies.
(Or so we think..)  It was heartbreaking. It was the first time I cried after reading a book because of a sad ending. I absoutely loved Alex. Loved! In Pandemonium, the sequel, the main character, Lena, falls in love with another guy, Julian. At first I wasn't sure how I felt about Julian, sometimes I liked him & sometimes I didn't. I ended up liking him in the end. He is a nice, sweet guy.  Then at the end of the book, you find out that Alex is still alive. Bam! Love triangle. UGH!!! In this case, I like both guys, so I will be sad regardless of who Lena ends up with because I have attachments to both characters (okay, maybe not that sad if she picks Alex, but I'll still feel bad for Julian), but I'll be even sadder if she picks Julian over Alex. I love Alex! 


(End of Delirium/Pandemonium spoilers) 


On a side note, expect to hear me discuss Delirium a lot more in the future!


A third problem that I have with love triangles is that they almost always consist of two guys & one girl. It is never two girls & one guy. I'm sure there are some love triangles like this but none of which I have come across. And this annoys me.


A fourth problem that I have with love triangles is that they usually take attention away from the main plot. Take the Hunger Games for instance, most fans that I know of have been talking about the romance aspect of the movie/book. However, in the book, the romance is only a subplot of the book. It isn't the main part of the series. Yes, there are certain books in which love triangles are the main part but that isn't always the case.


Alright, that pretty much sums up why I hate love triangles so much. 
-E



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