Catching Fire

This book is the follow up to Hunger Games that I reviewed just a few books ago. OMG, it's amazing. I couldn't put it down. It's been a long time since I have been so actively involved in a book and so invested in the characters.
I don't want to give too much away and ruin the book, but if you like sci-fi and fantasy, these books are a MUST. I am counting the days until the final book of the series, entitled Mockingjay is released - August 24th. I can't wait. This book has so much political commentary mixed in, it's just an incredible story. Read it.

The Lion

I love Nelson DeMille. The Gold Coast and Charm School are favorites of mine and the Generals' Daughter is another great book. I had been hearing a lot of buzz on the radio and such about the follow up to this book called The Lion. Since I had never read this one, I wanted to give it a go before reading the sequel.

It is a very intruiging story about a terrorist and the FBI agents working to stop him. Unlike John Updikes' The Terrorist, I find it almost impossible to relate in any way to the Lion. DeMille goes off on this tangent to explain what "made" the Lion choose to be a terrorist and he talks about the 1986 bombing of Libya. Of course, the Lion's family was among those that were killed in the attacks on Gaddafi.
I remember 1986. I remember what inspired that air raid - the West German bombing of a disco killing 2 American service men and wounding two hundred others. Then of course there was the Gulf of Sidra incident and the now infamous "line of death" comments by Gaddafi and let's not forget how Gaddafi supporting the killing of hundreds of US Marines stationed as Peace keepers in Lebannon just a few years before.

No question about it, DeMille is a master story teller but this American has no interst in sympathizing in any way with a terrorist like the Lion. I won't be reading the sequel. What a disappointment really.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

This is the story of sixteen year old Katniss Everdean, a poor girl from the Seam of District 12 in Panem, or the remains of what used to be the United States. Her father has died in a mining accident, and Katniss is left to provide for her mother, and twelve year old sister, Prim.

Once the twelve districts rebelled against the dictatorial "Capital" and lost. As a result, each year they must send a tribute - one boy and one girl per district - ages 12 - 18, to fight in the Hunger Games. If you have ever seen Running Man - that's the idea, or think Survivor reality tv, but with real deaths nightly. The rule of the arena is kill or be killed. When Katniss's younger sister Prim is chosen as the girl tribute from district 12, Katniss volunteers to go in her place.

The book is fascinating in the ways that the Capital uses the Hunger Games to manipulate and humiliate it's people. It also shows the desire, drive and resolve of the individual, especially when those they love are threatened. Will Katniss become a victim of the Hunger Games? Or does she find a way to wage her own private rebellion? This one is a real page turner especially with it's political and social implications. I am already reading part two titled Catching Fire.....

The Infinity Gate

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It seems like I have waited for this book to come out for a while. I love Sara Douglass and my fascination with her started some time ago when I read her Wayfarer Redemption series.

This was a very satisfying conclusion to her Dark Glass Mountain series. I will say though that most of her books are interrelated so it helps having past knowledge of the characters. In this book, Axis SunSoar, AKA StarMan, makes a return. Knowing the makeup of his character, and in this book in particular, aspects of his past from the Wayfarer Redemption series, provides helpful insights.

Douglas spins complicated tales, full of complicated and flawed individuals. The heroes are never perfect, but then, they aren't in real life either, are they? I love that she always writes very strong female counterparts, who are powerful in their own right.

If you like Sci-fi and fantasy but haven't read Sara Douglass, I highly recommend most of her books.

Band of Angels

This was our recent book club selection. I'm trying to step back and let the other ladies lead a little more, after all, the point of a book club is reading a book that you normally wouldn't. This was one of those books.

It was an interesting book written about a time and place that I know very little about. War is a terrible thing, but imagining what war must have been like in the in the mid 1800's. Part of this book is based on a true story. The Crimean war was a horrible and costly conflict. The British lost thousands to typhus and malaria alone. British outcry over the treatment of soldiers in the Crimea finally brought enough pressure to bear that Florence Nightingale was given permission to take 30 nurses to help to the hospital in Scutari. This is one nurse's story. For those of you interested in this sort of thing, you can read more about the actual history behind the story here

All the fascinating history aside, this book is basically a love story. The love story aspect was refreshing for the time period in which it is based. The female lead, Catherine, is actually an extremely strong character who does what she feels she must, in spite of her lovers thoughts and objections.

I'm glad I read the book, but would only give it a three out of five stars. It's not a must..... but I did feel like I learned something. I went into it thinking it was a glorified romance novel and it was much more than that!

Very exciting about my summer reading! Now I am working on the Infinity Tower by Sara Douglass who I adore! If you like fantasy, the Wayfarer Redemption is a great book. Then perhaps the Overton Window, The Passage, The Lion's Game and more. The library and my Nook are full of endless possibilities and I have some catching up to do.

My fifth graders gave me a gift card to Borders. Those children are geniuses!

The Forgotten Garden

This is the best book that I have read in a few months. It is the absolutely fascinating story of Nell, a little girl who is abandoned on a ship headed for Austrailia. During the journey, Nell has an accident and when the four year old arrives at her destination, she has absolutely no memory of who she is.

On her 21st birthday, Nell finds out that she is not who she has always believed herself to be. This story is the quest for her to find out her true identity. Why are the little white suitcase and the book of fairy tales that she had with her so important?

In spite of being under a mountain of homework, I absolutely could not put this one down. It was a fascinating page turner that keeps you guessing throughout the entire story. It is certainly not predictable and would make an excellent beach read. I highly recommend it!

For any of you that read the Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield and enjoyed it, this book is for you!

Julie of the Wolves

To her friends in her Eskimo village, she is Miyax, to her friends in San Francisco, she is Julie.

Miyax is thirteen years old and she is running away. The problem is, Miyax lives in Alaska, she is alone on the Barrows and the weather is beginning to turn. Her father was a great Eskimo hunter who taught her many things, Will his lessons help her to survive?

She will need some help, and that is where a pack of wild wolves comes in. Amaroug, the great leader of the wolves, befriends Julie and she is eventually accepted into the Pack. During her journey, Miyax embraces her heritage, learns about herself, and builds a true friendship with the wolves.

When the time comes for Miyax to choose between the old ways and the new, which one will she chose? Is she Miyax of the Eskimos? Or Julie of the Wolves?

This is a wonderful, wonderful story and my fifth grader reading group comprised of girls and boys all enjoyed it. There are some difficult and adult situations in the book, but the details are obscured so that just enough information is given, but not too much. This book is a reminder that we are all stronger than we think we are. I would highly recommend this book to young adult readers.