Ah, The Hunger Games. Where do I even begin? I guess I will start at the very beginning, since it is usually the very best place to start.
I have mentioned before that I have a bookshelf on goodreads that I use to keep track of what I have read. I also use it as my primary source for book recommendations. They now have a program [similar to Netflix for you Netflix-users) that recommends books for you based on what you have read and how you have rated past books. But back in the day (i.e. 2009-2010), I would just check lists to see what was highly rated and looked interesting to me as well as the most popular books of the week/month/all time.
A book that just kept coming up again and again was called The Hunger Games. The title just sounded odd to me, I thought it was some kind of anorexia book. When I read the synopsis it sounded downright disturbing so I chose to ignore it.
And ignore it I did, until I read the Twilight series. And as the series was winding down, I felt as though I may slip into a bit of a "twilight-depression" (feeling very sad as there is no more Edward and Bella to read) when I finished. To help alleviate that, I decided to stock up on only really, really highly rated/recommended books. And so I took the plunge, requested The Hunger Games from my library (it took me a while to get it - usually a good sign!) and haven't looked back since. :)
The book was addictive. It is young adult, so the end of practically every chapter is some sort of cliffhanger. I stayed up hours past my usual bedtime reading this, just because I honestly could not put it down. It is so good you want to devour it, but at the same time you want to slow down and savor it. It is hard to put into words what is so good about it, it is just so good. It is exciting, suspenseful, funny, emotional, romantic, and thought-provoking. From children to adults, I have yet to meet someone who dislikes them. And trust me I talk about them whenever I can and recommend them often. :)
I got Catching Fire from the library as quickly as I could and tore through that over a Florida vacation. :) Unfortunately, I had to wait 4 months until the third and final book, Mockingjay, was released. But apparently my library loves me, and somehow I was able to pick it up and read it on the day it was released. I have since acquired the hardcover boxed set (from one of my dear former co-workers as a going away present...she knows me so well!) and lend them out whenever I can. I may have re-read them once already as well. :)
This sort of brings us to Labor Day. Daniel had promised me that he would read the books once he was done with school. Then it was after he took the GRE. Then Daniel got this idea in his head that he wanted to read all 3 books in one day (They are just under 400 pages a piece, but the font is pretty big and they are quick reads) so then we had to wait for a day that he could devote to reading. I just wanted him to read the dang things, so I suggested Labor Day; that way I would be home and could fetch him food and other things to not distract from the task at hand.
And so, at around 6:30 AM on Labor Day, he began.
And kept reading and reading.... (we both kept having flashbacks to his GCTS-days)
I switched off between cooking (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and bread), doing dishes/cleaning the house, and reading with him in the office.
I made a batch of honey wheat buns. Baking bread on the Hunger Games day is pretty appropriate, since Peeta is the boy with the bread and all [Hunger Games reference...read and you will understand]. :)
Sigh, I just love yeast. :)
Cute little buns...
After the second rising [I have an over-crowding-the-pan problem. I have a feeling it is a result of my not-having-a-dishwasher-and-washing-everything-by-hand problem.Though D washes 99.9% of the dishes...so I really can't complain. I still feel dirty dish guilt though).
And done. I make a batch every few months, slice and freeze them. They are quite tasty. :)
But back to reading...
The Hunger Games (R) is done...on to Catching Fire, with Mockingjay (L) waiting in the wings. :)
Finishing Catching Fire around dinner time (did anyone notice Daniel's many outfit changes?)
And Jenny heading to bed while D is still plugging away on Mockingjay. He ended up finishing around 3:30 AM, which I say counts as they were all read within a 24 hour period. Daniel said he was going to count it from "sleep to sleep". Either way he met his goal. :)
And here are some words on the books from the man himself...(a little repetitive at times, but I have him loose guidelines)
Jenny had been bugging me to read the Hunger Games trilogy after I finished my GRE responsibilities, so I set aside Labor Day, September 5. I decided to try and read the three books all in one go. I had read 400 pages of dense theology before in one day, so I thought it wouldn't be too hard to read around 1200 pages of YA literature. I started at 6:45 in the morning, and finished at 3:30am. This still counts for me using the paper/class deadline rules. I basically read all day, and only took breaks for food. I also was engrossed in the story and decided not to rush things - though I never actually speed read. My eyes were sore the next few days from my reading marathon, and I was slightly depressed from the overall plot and outcome - though the nature of man and the dystopian genre warranted both. I even developed a skin reaction on the parts of my fingers and hands that had been in constant contact with the ink, or some chemical in the paper. I look forward to the movies - finally a film series that Jenny and I are both excited about!
Bottom line, I highly recommend this trilogy. And because all the books are already published, there is no dreaded cliffhanger/wait time from one book to the next. If you are close by, I am more than happy to lend my copies to you; if not, I recommend your local library. :) And finally, read them now, because THE MOVIE (of the first book) is coming out in March, and I (and Daniel, and many others) cannot wait. :)
Completely unrelated...
I have mentioned before that I have a bookshelf on goodreads that I use to keep track of what I have read. I also use it as my primary source for book recommendations. They now have a program [similar to Netflix for you Netflix-users) that recommends books for you based on what you have read and how you have rated past books. But back in the day (i.e. 2009-2010), I would just check lists to see what was highly rated and looked interesting to me as well as the most popular books of the week/month/all time.
A book that just kept coming up again and again was called The Hunger Games. The title just sounded odd to me, I thought it was some kind of anorexia book. When I read the synopsis it sounded downright disturbing so I chose to ignore it.
And ignore it I did, until I read the Twilight series. And as the series was winding down, I felt as though I may slip into a bit of a "twilight-depression" (feeling very sad as there is no more Edward and Bella to read) when I finished. To help alleviate that, I decided to stock up on only really, really highly rated/recommended books. And so I took the plunge, requested The Hunger Games from my library (it took me a while to get it - usually a good sign!) and haven't looked back since. :)
The book was addictive. It is young adult, so the end of practically every chapter is some sort of cliffhanger. I stayed up hours past my usual bedtime reading this, just because I honestly could not put it down. It is so good you want to devour it, but at the same time you want to slow down and savor it. It is hard to put into words what is so good about it, it is just so good. It is exciting, suspenseful, funny, emotional, romantic, and thought-provoking. From children to adults, I have yet to meet someone who dislikes them. And trust me I talk about them whenever I can and recommend them often. :)
I got Catching Fire from the library as quickly as I could and tore through that over a Florida vacation. :) Unfortunately, I had to wait 4 months until the third and final book, Mockingjay, was released. But apparently my library loves me, and somehow I was able to pick it up and read it on the day it was released. I have since acquired the hardcover boxed set (from one of my dear former co-workers as a going away present...she knows me so well!) and lend them out whenever I can. I may have re-read them once already as well. :)
This sort of brings us to Labor Day. Daniel had promised me that he would read the books once he was done with school. Then it was after he took the GRE. Then Daniel got this idea in his head that he wanted to read all 3 books in one day (They are just under 400 pages a piece, but the font is pretty big and they are quick reads) so then we had to wait for a day that he could devote to reading. I just wanted him to read the dang things, so I suggested Labor Day; that way I would be home and could fetch him food and other things to not distract from the task at hand.
I switched off between cooking (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and bread), doing dishes/cleaning the house, and reading with him in the office.
But back to reading...
And here are some words on the books from the man himself...(a little repetitive at times, but I have him loose guidelines)
Jenny had been bugging me to read the Hunger Games trilogy after I finished my GRE responsibilities, so I set aside Labor Day, September 5. I decided to try and read the three books all in one go. I had read 400 pages of dense theology before in one day, so I thought it wouldn't be too hard to read around 1200 pages of YA literature. I started at 6:45 in the morning, and finished at 3:30am. This still counts for me using the paper/class deadline rules. I basically read all day, and only took breaks for food. I also was engrossed in the story and decided not to rush things - though I never actually speed read. My eyes were sore the next few days from my reading marathon, and I was slightly depressed from the overall plot and outcome - though the nature of man and the dystopian genre warranted both. I even developed a skin reaction on the parts of my fingers and hands that had been in constant contact with the ink, or some chemical in the paper. I look forward to the movies - finally a film series that Jenny and I are both excited about!
Bottom line, I highly recommend this trilogy. And because all the books are already published, there is no dreaded cliffhanger/wait time from one book to the next. If you are close by, I am more than happy to lend my copies to you; if not, I recommend your local library. :) And finally, read them now, because THE MOVIE (of the first book) is coming out in March, and I (and Daniel, and many others) cannot wait. :)
Completely unrelated...
Creepy giant moth [outside our window] = National Geographic statement stands true. :)
1 comments:
Nice buns!! =) And I like your guy's paint job
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