Book 29: Mocking Jay

At the beginning of the school year all my friends were raving about this book. They all said they loved it but they didn't end the way they thought it would. They were wrong.

For some strange reason they didn't think the characters hocked up right even though it was obvious from the start. I guess they thought that Katniss would end up with Gale like the beginning of the series would have suggested. When someone goes through a great trauma they can't be with someone who doesn't understand their pain because if you can't understand their pain you can't understand them. That fact alone made Katniss and Gale impossible. For a while I thought it might be Katniss and Finnick but that too became impossible when he married his life long love Annie. 

So really, the ending was predicable. The whole series was predicable and gave me that gut wrenching feeling of lonely that I try so hard to avoid.  The final book in the series gets a 7 parachutes out of 10 from me. It was good and depressing. Killer combo. Excuse me while I go drown my sorrows in Ink Heart and Chocolate.

Book 28: Catching Fire

All I do over Christmas break is read, read, and read some more while devouring as much chocolate as one stomach can hold. Two books, one day. We're off to a good start.

Similarly to The Hunger Games I don't have a whole lot to say about this book mainly because it's too good to spoil for anyone. I didn't like it as much as its predecessor but it was still up there in the books that I've read recently. I found it more dark and depressing and draining to read in my 3 hour sitting. It was hard to focus on and made me feel really alone in the world which doesn't happen to much when I read. Normally books make me feel loved unless they betray me and the weird thing is this one didn't leave me with that sour taste of betrayal in my mouth that I thought it would. Like the majority of books that you read it was very predicable. I mean really, how are you going to keep reader when you publish something radical. People find it hard to follow and don't like going outside their comfort zones.

Very little of what I've said has anything to do with the book but that's alright for tonight. I give this book a 5.5 islands out of 10. I guess there's just something about the number five today. Anyways, I hear the next book resolves the series from my friends who keep raving about them so don't let whatever I said deter you from reading this book. It's good, just not great. If you start the series finish it otherwise there's no point in starting it in the first place.

Book 27: Sophie's World: A Novel About The History of Philosophy

My English teacher lent me this book the same day she gave me Lures to read. She had a feeling that I would find Lures good but I would need something else to occupy my time with I suppose. I finished the book (after three months of procrastinating) today and I must say it was lovely.

Next year I hope to take foundation year (FYP) at The University of Kings College. FYP tracks the changes in western thought through out the ages, basically it's Sophie's world with more discussion and with a couple hundred other people sitting next to you completely enthralled with what's going on in the world and how it's all connected. 

Sophie's world, as the title suggests, is a novel about the history of philosophy. You learn about Socrates, Plato, Darwin, Marx and everyone in between. The subject was very interesting and thought provoking but the book was dry. 

I really enjoyed it but at times it seemed very tedious to get through. Halfway through the book you find out the first half of the book is in a book and it is difficult to wrap your head around what's going on all the time and you receive the story second hand from another character. Because of this I would only rate this book 5 ringed binders out of 10. It's a good read if you're interested in the topic but if not then you might want to stay away from this book.

Book 26: The Hunger Games

Hello my ravenous reading friends. Over the last 24 hour I have convinced myself that most, if not all of you have already read this book and have fallen in love with it. How can you not? the characters are lovable, the plot moves fast and it's near impossible to put down because the end of every chapter is a cliff hanger.

I first heard of this book from one of my best friends Erin. She was all "THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD!" for about a week. This was back when everyone loved vampire books. I admit, I've read my fair share of said books but I really didn't want to read another one and without another thought I wrote pop culture all over the book in my head and avoided it like the plague. That was 4 years ago. I'm friends with another girl coincidentally named Arrin from my parents church. She works at Coles, a smaller book store that's owned by Indigo. We trade books a lot because we both read a decent amount, she more than I because it's part of her job to read. A while ago we were talking and she asked me if I read the Hunger Games and I said no. The next week she had all three books with her and there was no way I could say no. On Sunday I started reading the Hunger Games and I could not put it down (that is until Amanda came over and we made hot cocoa and a fire and chilled for a bit). I ended staying up way later than I really wanted to to finish it. I was very impressed.

Unlike my mislead impression of the book it was not about vampire but rather a society not so dissimilar to ours that is organized better. Going through the book I couldn't help but think that I've read it before. It's very similar to The Heir Trilogy by Cinda Williams Chima (which where excellent) and another series that I've read recently whose name slips my mind.

Although I haven't really said much about the book other than it's amazing I think I'm going to leave it like this in case you're like me and haven't yet read it. I don't want to ruin it for you. I give this book ten backpacks out of ten. First full rating ever. This book is more amazing than I have said it is. I could not possible do it justice. If it's not already on your to read list, read list or sitting on your shelf right now you need to read this book. It will not disappoint you in the least.

Book 25: Leviathan

Scott Westerfeld is one of my favourite authors. I read almost all his books and I've loved each and everyone of them. He is a brilliant man and I envy the diversity in his writing.

Leviathan is an alternative history of World War One in a Darwinist society. I was really looking forward to finally sinking my teeth into this book but I've been so caught up in my reading for English lately that I've had to put it on the back burner. Yesterday I was exhausted and I felt like reading. Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick and Leviathan were beside my bed and I thought Hush Hush was on top and it would make for a nice read. incidentally Hush Hush was not on top and I was far too lazy to reach down and change books and started Leviathan saving Hush Hush for another day.

Like the rest of Scott's books that I've read it sucked me in right away and it was near impossible to put down (evident by the how long it took me to read it.). Unfortunately, I found it rather dry at times. But not the type of dry that makes you say "ugh this book is boring" the type of dry that's suspenciful and makes you read faster. 

This is not Scott's best book. I give it  8 eggs out of 10. If it was anyone else it would have gotten a worse rating but I love Scott Westerfeld more than life. If you like his work or the first world war you'll defiantly find this book interesting.