Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Catching Fire (Post #1)

I have been waiting for this book for like, forever. And that was probably grammatically incorrect, which shows how valid my point is. I do not use incorrect grammar lightly.
Actually, I have found that poor grammar can be used as a literary device to emphasize a point. Go figure.
So, back to the secong installment in Suzanne Collins' masterpiece trilogy. To spoil or not to spoil... I don't think I can do this post without spoiling, so I'll make this a spoiler post. In fact, I have decided to make two posts for it, because I think it deserves it. Plus, I have a lot to say. (See next paragraph.)
So, one thing that I noticed about this book is that it is a lot of bookage, for lack of a better word, on a number of levels. For one, there are a lot of pages (amost 400) and each page has a lot of words. Also, Suzanne Collins maintains a style invlving lots of long paragraphs and few chapter breaks, meaning that there is not a lot of blank space on these pages. There are a lot of words to read, in contrast with my beloved Fang. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, though. It covered a lot of ground.
I think I need a stylist and a prep team. I have too much reading/writing to do to worry about looking good. I think I need people to do that for me. I want my own Cinna. However, Katniss' prep team are pretty aggrivating when it comes to emotional stuff. Grr.
So, I am, if not as my next literary venture then in the next week, going to read the conclusion to the series, Mockingjay. It being the conclusion, this is the best time to make predictions on -girlsqueal- who Katniss ends up with. If anyone. Now, there are a variety of ways this could go. Peeta could die, Katniss could make out with Finnick, and then dump him for Gale. Gale could start dating Madge and then Katniss could go all -jealousyrage- and then make out with Finnick. Or Peeta could find a girlfriend with less -stabstabstabkill- and Katniss could go make out with Finnick. Or Peeta and Gale could kill each other and then Katniss could go make out with Finnick. Either way, there is almost no doubt in my mind that Katniss will, in fact, make out with Finnick. It's just indisputable.
I just realized that Finnick is at least seven years older than Katniss. Oh, well, I'm still betting on the fact that at some point they're going to make out.
I also just realized that I left out the scenario of Katniss just staying with Peeta, because this is a novel, for God's sake. If they end up together at all, Katniss will still make out with someone else at some point. We just know this.
Then there's the possibility of Suzanne introducing a new guy. Since we have the hot older beach dude, the hot artist/baker, and the hot hunter/miner, all we have left are the hot nerd and the hot dude in District 13 that does, like, refugee stuff or revolution stuff or something. Like David from Uglies, maybe. Whatever way, he'll still be hot, because people in books are always hot. *Rolls eyes* Even us book nerds seem to think that everyone is always hot. This is sad.
Well, this concludes post #1.

What would make me really happy right now:
-The Gift by James Patterson (and that other dude)
-Some sushi
-Some Australian fantasy/scifi novels. I think my Amazon gift card can take care of that problem, though :D

Next book: Mockingjay or Song of the Lioness: Alanna (The First Adventure) or some other book.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Witch & Wizard

Another James Patterson :D I'm curios about the whole Gabrielle Charbonnet thing, how she's co-author but it sort of seems like JP is the only one. Most likely she just helped with ideas or something, I dunno. I'll google it. It would stink it they're jsut hyping JP because he's like, INSANELY FAMOUS. Which is true, and generally rightful since he's amazing.
So, for characters, I like Wisty and Whit, but I think Whit is a little bit one-sided. Whisty is very engaging, though. I sort of wonder whether Whit's going to stay with Celia or end up with someone else. THe thing is, in books it helps when the romantic leads are new to each other, because they're new to the reader, too. Most of the time, when the romance is already there before the book starts, the reader doesn't really care about it because they don't know how it started, so it's meaningless to them. I hope Wisty ends up with Sasha, though, because they'd be awesome together. Any guy named Sasha has to be awesome. Make that girl, too, because I was almost a Sasha, short for Alexandra, but it ended up being one of my middle names.
I really like this book, but I will admit I was expecting a little more from it, but since it's part of a trilogy most likely that'll be fulfilled then. And the second book came out, like, half a month ago. ANd I have some mookstore gift cards.
Except it's still in hardcover. So it'll cost more.
To buy or not to buy...
To buy. Duh.

What would make me really happy right now:
-The Gift, Witch and Wizard's sequel
-Mockingjay, because see Next Book
-More snow. Real snow, not this rain crap we're getting.

Next book: Catching Fire

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Fang

I love this series.
Fang, the 6th book in James Patterson's Maximum Ride series, is awesome.
I love Fang. He's gorgeous and funny and just -sigh.-
But that ending!!! How could he! It was just like J-Pat to make and epilogue with a happy ending, then add an "other epilogue" to make me crazy. I do not like the idea of MaxXDylan. Not feeling it at all. Fang must come back. -Dies of Fang-ness.-
Angel is starting to really scare me. Just saying.
It will be interesting to see where this goes.

What would make me really happy right now:
See previous post. That was three minutes ago and still applies.

Next book: either Catching Fire or Witch and Wizard.

Book of a Thousand Days

Sorry for not posting in a while, if anyone actually reads this. Heh, NaNoWriMo sure takes it out of you...
Anyway, Book of a Thousand Days. It was slow at first, but it gets way better. My one complaint is the popular medieval/fairytale trend of marrying the hot prince after barely knowing him. Ah, well.
The gist of it is that Dashti, a poor "mucker" in medieval Mongolia, was left alone when her mother died, so she came to the city seeking employment. Being very intelligent, she got a job as lady's maid to the daughter of the local lord (or king, I forget and am too lazy to look it up). For her it was an honor. The catch was that the princess (or lady) was being punished for being engaged to a guy that was not the guy her dad wanted her to marry, and having resisted, she was to be locked in a tower for seven years, lady's maid and all.
I definitely like the two main characters. They both go through a big change- Saren, the princess (/lady), starts out a total mess. She's a brat, for one, and she's very discontent. One thing Dashti does is help her find happiness, and ultimately discover herself. On the other hand, Dashti goes from being overly obedient and having a very low self-image to being a lot more independent and sure of herself. Both characters are flawed and very realistic, but incredibly relateable.
I also like the animal presences, particularly My Lord the cat. He pwns.

What would make me really happy right now:
Actually, for once I already am really happy. But a conversation with a certain person would be nice.

Next book: Fang