Thoughts: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Title: Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins
Year: 2010
Pages: 398
First Line: "I stare down at my shoes, watching as a fine layer of ash settles on the worn leather."

NO SPOILERS HERE!
I don't know what I can say about Mockingjay since most people have already read it and written about it.  I liked Mockingjay, but not quite as much as The Hunger Games or Catching Fire.  It seemed a little slower than the first two books, but had several plot twists that I had never considered.  My only complaint is that it ended too quickly.  There should have been more than a few pages to wrap up the ending.  It left me feeling a little unsatisfied and almost cheated.  Nevertheless, I was happy with the way Mockingjay concluded. 

My Rating: 4 of 5

Teaser Tuesday: Whiskey Sour

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.




This week's teaser comes from Whiskey Sour by J.A. Konrath.

"'There were four black and whites already at the 7-Eleven when I arrived.  Several people had gathered in the parking lot behind the yellow police tap, huddling close for protection against the freezing Chicago rain.  They weren't there for Slurpees." (page 1)

Saturday Sentiment

"I suggest that the only books that influence us are those for which we are ready, and which have gone a little farther down our particular path than we have yet got ourselves."

 -

E.M. Forster

Book Blogger Hop

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books.

This week's question comes from:
Books Are A Girl's Best Friend

Do you use a rating system for your reviews and if so, what is it and why?

 
This is my first Book Blogger Hop and this week's question comes at the perfect time for me.  I just decided to start adding ratings to my posts.  I haven't specifically listed what my ratings mean yet, but they are going to be based on how much I enjoyed reading the book.  I'm going to use 1 - 5, with 5 meaning that I loved what I was reading and probably wanted to start rereading it immediately!  I've seen so many cute and unique rating systems on other blogs.  Maybe I will come up with something a little more creative, but for now I think it's best to keep it simple. 

Happy Hopping!
 - Kelly

Thoughts: Olive Kitteridge

Title: Olive Kitteridge
Author: Elizabeth Strout
Year: 2008
Pages: 270
First Line: "For many years Henry Kitteridge was a pharmacist in the next town over, driving every morning on snowy roads, or rainy roads, or summertime roads, when the wild raspberries shot their new growth in brambles along the last section of town before he turned off to where the wider road led to the pharmacy." 


There was a somewhat extended period of time between the day I started reading Olive Kitteridge and the day I finished it this summer.  Elizabeth Strout structured the novel as a series of short stories, so perhaps that lended itself to my lengthy reading.  There were times when I would read several stories in a row and times when I would read one story a week.  Regardless, all of the stories related to Olive in some way, even without her physical presence in a particular story.

I'm not sure what I expected from Olive Kitteridge as the 2009 Pulitzer Prize winner.  However, the writing was gorgeous throughout the entire book.  It's the amazingly detailed descriptions that have stuck with me since I finished it, more so than the individual stories.  In fact, the stories were actually quite sad.  I can't say that I thought a single character was genuinely happy.  It seemed that the people of Crosby, Maine (the location of the novel) had more than their share of pain.

Olive, in particular, suffered a great deal.  In my opinion, she caused much of her own pain.  There were many instances when I just wanted to give her a good shake and tell her to stop acting that way, that she could help herself.  I doubt she would have listened to me, though.  There were also times that I sympathized with Olive, but mostly Olive showed me that I never want to be stuck in a self-defeating cycle of loneliness and anger.

My Rating: 3 of 5

It's here!!!!!

Mockingjay has just arrived!!  I know what I will be doing the rest of the day!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and The Bookish. 

This week's topic appealed to me because there are so many books I'm ashamed to say I haven't read!  Oops.  Maybe listing some here will remind me to read these books sooner rather than later.  Here are ten of them, in no particular order. 

1. The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis
That's right.  I've never read a single one of these babies.  I've seen the first two movies and I liked them.  I'm not sure why I didn't read these books as a kid.  I was probably too busy reading Little House on the Prairie repeatedly... 

2. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Somehow I missed having to read this in school.  I'm starting to feel like that happened quite a bit.

3. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
I know I will like this, but don't ask me why I haven't read it yet.  Embarrassing. 

4. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
I'm supposed to be reading this as a bonus for the Classics Challenge.  I need to start it soon!

5. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
This is a book that I just feel like I am supposed to read.  I think I've been consciously avoiding it more so than others.

6. The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
Never read any of these either.  Again, I really liked the movies.  I think I may have started reading the first one a while ago, but couldn't get into it.  I need to give it another chance.

7. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
So far I've missed out on this pop culture phenomenon.  I have a copy waiting to be read though!

8. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Well, I haven't watched the movie because I knew I wanted to read the book first.  A small victory!  I've had a hardcover copy that I got on the cheap at the library book sale for about three years.  Lame. 

9. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Wow.  This isn't even a long book.  I do remember some people having to read it in high school, but for some reason I didn't...?

10. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Okay, at least I've tried to read this several times in the past.  Of course, I've always failed.  One day I will prevail... maybe.  :)

Teaser Tuesday: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.




This week's teaser comes from The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley.

"I detected instantly that she didn't like me.  It's a fact of life that a girl can tell in a flash if another girl likes her." (page 85)

Pardon my mess!

I'm experimenting with the look and content of the blog.

And I'm Back...

After taking a somewhat unplanned break from the book blog this summer, I have decided to try to resume my ramblings on a more regular basis.  Even though I haven't been blogging, I have been reading!  As a way to ease back in, I've completed the meme of reading questions from this past week's Booking Through Thursday.

1. Favorite childhood book?
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
I used to read the entire series over and over.  I was obsessed.  I still have my cherished box set of the series. 

2. What are you reading right now?
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

3. What books do you have on request at the library?
None at the moment since I'm trying to finish the ones I already have checked out!

4. Bad book habit?
Buying books I want to read and then not reading them for several years

5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan
Julie and Julia by Julie Powell
Whiskey Sour by Joe Konrath
The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp
Book Lust by Nancy Pearl
More Book Lust by Nancy Pearl

6. Do you have an e-reader?
No

7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
Usually one at a time, but lately I've been reading something fiction and something nonfiction at the same time

8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
I'm motivated to read more and be better about documenting what I like in a book.

9. Least favorite book you read this year (so far?)
I've liked everything I've read this year, but if I had to pick, I'd say The Wilderness by Samantha Harvey because it's not something I want to own or think I'll ever read again.

10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
I loved The Help by Kathryn Stockett and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Not very often

12. What is your reading comfort zone?
I mostly read fiction and I love a book that makes me laugh or has a touch of romance in the storyline.  I've been trying to incorporate more nonfiction into my reading list and tackle some of the classics that I haven't read yet. 

13. Can you read on the bus?
Maybe.  It depends on the type of road (because I sometimes get motion sick) and how much noise is around me. 

14. Favorite place to read?
Somewhere quiet.  Usually I read in bed, but I like to go outside if the weather is nice. 

15. What is your policy on book lending?
I will lend my books occasionally, but I've had too many of my belongings returned in poor condition to lend to just anyone these days. 

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
No.

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
Never.  I hate it!  It feels like a violation. 

18.  Not even with text books?
Nope.  I don't even highlight.  It's too distracting for me. 

19. What is your favorite language to read in?
Since it's the only language I speak fluently, I'm going to have to go with English. 

20. What makes you love a book?
I love books that make me smile, books that make me reach for pen to jot down a phrase or a passage that I like, and books that leave me wanting more. 

21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
Immediately wanting to reread the book.

22. Favorite genre?
Fiction.  I'm choosing not to be more specific because I like a lot of different kinds of books. 

23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did?)
Nonfiction, but I'm getting better.

24. Favorite biography?
I don't know that I have a favorite, but I really enjoyed The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. 

25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
Not what I think of as a typical self-help book, but I do read some Christian living books.

26. Favorite cookbook?
I've found a lot of great recipes in the Taste of Home cookbooks.

27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
I don't know that anything has been overtly inspirational...


28. Favorite reading snack?
I don't care what I'm drinking while I read, but I like to drink it with a straw.  If I'm eating while I'm reading, I'm usually eating pretzels. 

29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
Nothing comes to mind, but I plan on reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo soon and I hope it doesn't disappoint. 

30. How often do you agree with critics about a book?
With movies, I usually feel the opposite way of the critics.  I'm not really sure about books.  I don't think I've paid too much attention in the past. 

31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I try not to be mean about anything, but I'll be honest about my feelings and why.

32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
I used to be able to read in French, so it would be nice to brush up on those skills again.  It would be beneficial for me to read and speak Spanish.

33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
I think The Fountainhead may have intimidated me in high school when I started reading it.

34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
I've had a copy of Anna Karenina waiting to be read for about five years....

35. Favorite Poet?
I like Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, and Rudyard Kipling best. 

36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
Usually between one and ten

37. How often have you returned book to the library unread?
Occasionally, but not too often.  I try to limit myself so that it doesn't happen. 

38. Favorite fictional character?
Right now I'm a big fan of Katniss Everdeen.  Throughout my whole life I've loved Stephanie Plum. 

39. Favorite fictional villain?
Nobody is standing out, but I was always intrigued by Aro in the Twilight books. 

40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
Whatever is next on my reading list.

41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
Not more than a few months.

42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
I have a bad habit of making myself finish a book because I want to know how it ends.

43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
A lot of noise and movement in my line of vision.

44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
I'm a fan of the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice.

45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
I liked Twilight at first, but now that I've removed myself from the craziness I can see that it's really not as great as I once thought. 

46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
Textbooks aside, probably around $75

47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Hardly ever.

48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
Lack of time might make me put a book down for a while before picking it back up.

49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
Yes.  Although right now they are all packed away in boxes, which makes me sad. 

50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
Definitely keep.

51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
I don't think so.  There are some books that I'm just not in the mood to pick up right now.

52. Name a book that made you angry.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks made my sense of injustice flair. 

53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
I wanted to love Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone series (A is for Alibi, etc.), but after reading the first two, I just wasn't into them enough to keep going.  I might give them another try someday. 

55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
Cozy mysteries and Nicholas Sparks