The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Young Adult

In the post-apocalyptic world of North America, now Panem there is a capitol surrounded by 12 districts. There had been an uprising but the capitol in order to quell any more requires each district to select 1 teen-aged boy and 1 teen-aged girl to participate in The Hunger Games. These games are a death to the end reality show.

Katniss' sister is chosen as District 12's tribute but Katniss volunteers to go in her stead along with Peeta, the baker's son who happens to be hopelessly in love with Katniss. They are trained and dressed and paraded until the actual horrific games start.

I just could not put the book down and if I had had the sequel I would have started it immediately. A great book. The plot is developed bit by bit bringing the reader in and never letting him go. I could picture the festivities, the training and the games as the book progressed.

The only nit is why the districts didn't rebel against the slaughter of their children. It was like they were automatons doing whatever they were told to do. There is non-stop action in the book so the movie will probably be a best seller also but I don't think I could stand to see the gore in living colour

First Line: "When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold."

Rating:
(4.5/5)

The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Maarten Troost

The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Maarten Troost
Non-Fiction/Travel

Maarten Troost doesn't feel like he fits in his normal American job, so when his fiancee is asked to work at a non-profit at the end of the world, Troost follows. The country is Kiribati, located in the central Pacific Ocean, requiring many flights to get there. The island has history, as Japanese and American fought on the island during WWII. Tarawa is also an incredibly populated city, despite being in such a small area. Troost describes with humour his two year adventure on Kiribati, including run-ins with people pooping in the sea water he was swimming in, a dry spell with no beer, and how the locals only seem to listen to the Macarena.

The book labels itself as laugh-out-loud funny but I didn't find it that funny. It was quite quirky though. I noticed that had the author's name not been on the front of the book there's no way I would have known what his name was because I don't think he mentions it at all throughout the book. Rather, Kiribati residents call him an I-Matang, which means a foreigner.

I don't think I would actively seek out Troost's two other books but if I ever came across them I'd certainly read them.

First Line: "One day, I moved with my girlfriend Sylvia to an atoll in the Equatorial Pacific."

Rating:
(3.5/5)

then he ate my boy entrancers

then he ate my boy entrancers by Louise Rennison
Young Adult

Georgia along with her best friend, Jas are off to the USA(Hamburger-a go-go land) with Georgia's parents for a clown car convention in Memphis. Georgia plans to connect with her love interest, Masimo, the Italian stallion, who is singing in NYC. She plans to visit him and re-connect. Georgia thinks that NYC and Memphis are just a short distance away which unfortunately is never corrected in her mind. She also thinks she can find him by phoning all the Scarlottis in NYC. How bright:(

This book is just more of the same as the past books of the series. Georgia is incredibly selfish and rude. Why her parents just don't leave her behind is beyond me. Although the way her father circumvents her phone calls is fantastic. For Georgia it is all about her lust for boys, her appearance and her interests. Jas should hit the hills in search of a better friend. Libby, Georgia's younger sister and Angus the cat is what makes the books tolerable. They are laugh out loud funny. It will be awhile before I read the next one in the series

First Line: "Dear chumettes and chums, I hope you are alrighty as two alrighty things,."

Rating:
(3.5/5)

Julie and Romeo

Julie and Romeo by Jeanne Ray
Romance

Romeo Cacciamani and Julie Roseman are competing florists in Somerville, MA, whose families have feuded for generations. Romeo's son Tony and Julie's daughter Sandy tried to date in high school but the families made sure it didn't get very far. Romeo and Julie meet at a small-business seminar and start a love affair that will not be happily celebrated by either of their families. Even though some of the family has no clue about how the feud got started, it still goes on, hurtful as it can be. Will anyone get out an olive branch?

This book has over the top situations that are just plain funny. A plain old-fashioned romance on the Romeo and Juliet theme but the protagonists are in the 60s. This is a welcome change from the girls with their flowing locks and fluttering eyelashes and guys with their brawn and might.

As an aside, I read the sequel first and consider it to be better than this book

First Line: "The first time I heard the name Cacciamani I was five years old."

Rating:
(3.5/5)

The Road

The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Fiction/Literature

A boy and his father start to travel south in search of warmer climes in a post-apocalyptic world. It has been several years since the disaster and times are hard. The father has to protect his son while trying to find food and shelter and even clothing as they go on their journey.

This is the most depressing book I have ever read. But having said that I am glad I read it and it certainly makes one think about the father's and son's situation and how you would cope. Can one 'keep the world at bay' in a situation like this? Will anyone end up surviving? This book was easy to read because of the simplistic prose which was a great tool for the plot in this grey book. I hated the ending but I guess whatever the ending the hope is in the eye of the reader.

First Line: "When he woke in the woods in the dark and the cold of the night he'd reach out to touch the child sleeping beside him."

Rating:
(4.0/5)

The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove

The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove by Christopher Moore
Fiction/Literature

When one of psychiatrist's Dr. Val Riordan patients commits suicide, she decides to switch everyone on anti-depressants to placebos and do more talk therapy than drug therapy. This increases business in the local bar and the bar owner brings in a blues singer. This blues singer happened to have killed some sea monster's family and Steve the monster in question comes calling looking for the blues singer and food and sex.

This is a bizarre horror story. A horror story that is quirky and funny. Typical Christopher Moore with Pardon Me moments and just plain silliness, I found it to be very entertaining and off the wall funny

First Line: "September in Pine Cove is a sigh of relief, a nightcap, a long-deserved nap."

Rating:
(4.0/5)

Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers by Louise Rennison

Then He Ate My Boy Entrancers by Louise Rennison
Teen

Georgia Nicolson is back, worrying about her love life, looks, and friends. When she learns that she's going to the USA (Hamburger-ago-go land, as she calls it), she invites her friend Jas and then tries to come up with a plan to find her love, Masimo, who is in the USA playing music. What she doesn't realize is that she's going to Memphis and Masimo is in New York City.

True to all other Georgia Nicolson books, Georgia is incredibly rude to her friends. Why any of her friends would want to be friends is completely beyond me because she's so self-absorbed and rude. Despite there, there are still funny moments in the book and they usually involve Georgia's sister and/or the cats Angus and Gordy. Overall, not that great but still mildly entertaining.

First Line: "Sun shining like a big yellow shining...er, warmey planet on fire thing."

Rating:
(2.5/5)

The Keeper of Lost Causes

The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen
Mystery

Carl Mørck is a Danish homicide policeman. He was considered one of the best. In his last case he was shot in the head, another officer died and his partner is paralyzed and suicidal. He is feeling guilty. Mørck is now disgruntled, morose and abrasive. The other officers want nothing to do with him.

Copenhagen police have been instructed to set up a Department Q which will look at cold cases of national interest. Mørck is promoted and set up as the department chief in the basement of headquarters. Mørck thinks this is his dream job where he does not have to do anything but put his feet up, smoke and dream his life away.

Mørck finds out that along with the creation of the new department is a large budget which the homicide department is intending to use. He bargains and gets an assistant, Assad, a car and some needed equipment. Ah, life is so easy!!

However, Assad who is really the janitor prods Mørck to actually do his job. Mørck selects the five year case of Merete Lynggaard who is missing and presumed killed. Lynggaard was the head of the Social Democrat party and a bright and shining star on the political scene.

In a parallel story the novel traces Lynggaard who is held in a pressure chamber and her torture over the past years.

Mørck is be-leaguered, difficult and disliked by his colleagues but the reader sees through this and understands his flaws which makes this protagonist one of my favourites. There is an aura of mystery surrounding Assad which I hope will be probed further as this series progresses.

An excellent read.

First Line: "She scratched her fingertips on the smooth walls until they bled, and pounded her fists on the thick panes until she could no longer feel her hands."

Rating:
(4.5/5)