TSS: August Recap

What a month! We have moved into our new place in San Francisco, I am only 2.5 weeks from my due date and Mockinjay was released. Haha, not quite as exciting as the other things going on in my life right now, but it was quite a big deal when you look around the book blogs. I was just as excited about getting my hands on a copy and was happy to find it on my doorstep on Monday afternoon and had it read by Wednesday. Interested in my thoughts? Check out my review here.
All the books read this month:
39. Basket Case by Carl Hiaasen38. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins 
37. The Keepsake by Tess Gerritson
36. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Steig Larsson
Not a big list, but a lot of really good books. And since I never recapped July, here is what I read with links to reviews. Much better reading month than August.
July
35. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
34. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (review)
33. The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong
32. Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich (review)
31. Inside Out by Barry Eisler (review)
30. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer (review)
29. The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli  (review)
Here's to a great September! Can't believe it is almost here.

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Book Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Spoilers)

It took me a couple days, but I finally finished Mockingjay and am now ready to review. I was thinking about waiting a bit before sharing my thoughts, afraid I might give some info away that could spoil another person's reading of it, but I thought I would go for it anyway.
Beware of some spoilers!___________________________________________________________

Mockingjay is the final book in Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games Trilogy. It has been anxiously awaited by many eager to find out what has become of Katniss after being lifted out from the Quarter Quell arena by District 13 rebels and some Capital allies in a hovercraft. Well, Mockingjay starts off right where we left off in Catching Fire. Unfortunately, instead of being full of excitement, suspense and drama, the beginning of Mockingjay is slow. It is Katniss' thoughts on what has happened, her hospital stay and use of morphling, her moping around her new home in District 13.  25 pages in, I went to bed.
Thankfully, the book is not all like this. In fact, the rest is quite interesting and exciting and full of surprises, most of which are disturbing and sad but that is what makes Mockingjay real to me. When is there ever a truly happy ending in war? I appreciated the sacrifices made, was saddened when people died (yes, there are deaths) and was pleased with how the series has ended. There are still questions, and discussions to be had about many things that happened, revelations that were made and I think that is the best way to end a series. 
The most interesting aspect of the book, in my opinion, was the realization that replacing President Snow with President Coin wasn't going to change much in the lives of the people. Trading one evil for another, how we make the right choice in leaders, and how we stop from repeating past mistakes are all big concepts that the book addresses. Definitely big themes for teens but ones they need to be aware of since they play out in current governments around the world. What are all our thoughts?
4.5/5Source: purchased




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In YA Heaven

A friend of mine, who is a librarian, was nice enough to send me a box of YA ARCs that she received, read and enjoyed. I am so excited to get started on them. There are many. Check out this list!
Beautiful Dead: Jonas by Eden MaguireWereling by Steve FeaseyThe Prophecy by Dawn MillerThe Dead Boys by Royce BuckinghamStarlighter by Bryan DavisBurn by Suzanne PhillipsSunrise over Fallujah by Walter Dean MyersThe Dowser's Son by Kimberly Willis HoltLinger by Maggie Stiefvater

I am set for awhile. I am especially excited to read Linger. However, I have not read Shiver yet. It is in route, along with my copy of Mockingjay, so hopefully it will be here soon.
Happy reading!

Mailbox Monday Blog Tour  is hosted this month by Chick Loves Lit.  _________________________________________

Book Review- Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

After finishing The Hunger Games I waited less than a day to go and pick up a copy of Catching Fire. I couldn't wait to find out what else could happen in the lives of Katniss, Peeta and Gale. I was not disappointed. The action started up right away and I was once again thrown back into this world that Suzanne Collins created brilliantly.
In this second installment of the trilogy, Katniss and Peeta find themselves back in the center of attention but this time, their fight and their survival play into something much bigger than just saving their own lives and protecting their families. They are the hope of a repressed people who have been waiting for a chance to fight back against the Capitol. Katniss and her Mockingjay pin has given them hope.
A wonderful sequel, just as good as the first book if not better. I am now waiting patiently for my copy of Mockingjay to arrive this week just as many others are. I am actually rather glad I waited so long to read the series. I don't know if I could have gone a whole year waiting for the final book in the trilogy to be released. 
Anyway, happy reading to all. I will be offline until it is read. Would hate to accidently see any spoilers. 
5/5
Source: purchased
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins available tomorrow, August 24th. _________________________________________

The Sunday Salon

I have been unable to get online the last couple weeks as often as I like since we still don't have dsl set up in our new place. It should all be set up later this week, hopefully. I have been going down the street to a coffee shop for a couple hours to get some much needed stuff done, driving course to take care of a speeding ticket, ordering baby stuff and figuring out what we need to get our car registered here and get new licenses.  Hoping I can get all caught up before baby comes.
I have been getting some reading done and have some reviews that I would like to write and post. I meant to get my review of Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins up a long time ago, but it will have to wait a little longer. I also finished The Keepsake by Tess Gerritson and The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson. 
Have any of you watched the movie of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo? I just saw it last night and was wondering what others thought of it? I found it to be a pretty good book adaptation, not missing too much from the book but it did throw in some info from the second book that I thought was interesting.
Hope you are all having a good Sunday. 
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Sizzling Sixteen Giveaway Winner

Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich goes to...
Drey!!!
So sorry for the delay in announcing. No internet at home really hinders the ability to get on and blog. Need a nice blogger app for iphone that is easy to post from. 
Anyway, Congrats Drey! Be sure to email me your address at marireadsATyahooDOTcom.
(I have a few books that need to go out in the mail. If you are waiting on a book from me, they are not lost, still here. Was just waiting for my mailing supplies to get unpacked. Finally, they have been found. Yay!)_________________________________________

Book Review- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games introduces us to the world of Panem. 13 Districts live under the control of The Capital. Each District has an industry that they work. District 12 mines for coal and this is where we meet Katniss Everdeen. A very strong and capable young girl who takes care of her mother and sister by risking her life hunting outside the fences that surround her District.

Every year The Capital holds The Hunger Games. Two tributes, kids from each District are chosen to compete to the death in an arena broadcast live to all of Panem. The games are a punishment for a past attempt to overthrow The Capital. When Katniss' sister, Prim is selected in the lottery, she volunteers to take her place and is sent to the arena with Peeta, the male tribute for District 12.
What Katniss and Peeta go through to get sponsers, to win the audience, and to survive within the games challenge them and destroy them at the same time. Nonstop action, suspense and hope that they make it through to the end kept me engaged and unable to put down the book until the very end. 
There is so much going on in this book that just dragged me in. The fight for survival, the strength of relationships and how they make us stronger, the scary reality of peoples' enjoyment of watching others' suffering. The story, the characters and the writing are superb. It has been quite awhile since I have read a book that had it all. 
Go and get a copy if you haven't read The Hunger Games yet. You won't be disappointed.
5/5
Source: purchased_________________________________________