January Book Report {1, 2, 3, 4}

Before I created a goal for myself I was already reading a lot thanks to an early Christmas gift of a Kindle from Tad's parents.  I finished off The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens & Battle of the Labyrinth, the 4th book in the Percy Jackson Series in December.


Then - In January - I picked up the following FOUR (WOW) Books:


{1} The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians; Book Five) - What a great end to a fantastic series.  Though my personal favs would be the first (Lightning Thief) and fourth (Battle of the Labyrinth) this one wasn't as bad as Sea of Monsters (book 2).  Most of the story focuses around the final battle.   I was so surprised that hundreds of pages were dedicated to one marathon day.  There were plenty of flashbacks/dreams/visions to answer the  "finally, I know what happen to...  "How so-in-so came to be..."" who ____ is... " That I didn't feel like I was kicked out with so many questions (I can appreciate that).   I felt that some things were a little pushed together and slightly unbelievable, but hey - its about Mt Olympus being on the 600th floor of the Empire State Building, so talk about unbelievable.   Rick Riordan has already published a second series about more demi-gods loosely associated with Percy and his buds (and the second of that series due out this fall).  Rick, you have my soul. And my money.


{2} The Hunger Games -   My girl-friends got me into this and THANK GOD!  This whole series will consume you and take you on an original journey about a post-apocalyptic country in the former U.S. (we never really hear the year).  Every year to prove to the Districts that the Capitol has complete control, they select two children from each district to fight to the death in The Hunger Games, the future of reality TV.  No really, I'm serious.  And this is a Young Adult Fiction.  And its amazing.  The imagery puts you RIGHT into the middle of it, with cliff hanger chapter endings (or last sentences) that will literally keep you up all night until you finish.  There were parts SO EXCITING that I read at super human speed  that can only be attributed to the type of adrenaline rush that allows mom's to lift cars off of their kids.  I read so fast that I had to go back and reread pages just to make sure I didn't miss anything. Just wow.  Its a great look at how far we will go for entertainment, freedom, and autonomy. Just go read them - really.


{3} Catching Fire (Book two in the Hunger Games)  I can't say too much about this book without spoiling book one, BUT I can speak to my favorite character: Katniss Everdeen.  She is a FAR better role model for young women than the waste of literary space named: Bella Swan. Her devotion to her family and her friends shows more character than Bella ever did.  I am constantly in awe of her amazing ability to think on her feet and analyze every moment in real time. You can't help but root for Katniss.


{3} The Mocking Jay (The Final Chapter In the Hunger Games Trilogy) - This is probably my least favorite of the three, but only in comparison with the amazingness of the first two.  What I did love about this book is the look at the extreme sides of the political spectrum, and how sometimes even though ideas may start as being beneficial to society, they can become terrifyingly restrictive and oppressive if pushed to the extreme of either spectrum.  Once again, I must say -  Katniss Everdeen has more depth in her pinkie than Bella Swan's whole presence (plus the whole Cullen Clan).  Team Peeta.