The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins

It isn't every day that I am completely engrossed in a book.  I do my reading in snippets--a bit at the gym in the morning, some with my book propped up by a salt shaker while I eat lunch, etc.  Every once in a while I come across something I can't put down or read in bits and pieces.  With Harry Potter, I believe this was because the magical world J.K. Rowling created was so new and fascinating.  I can't think of anything since Harry Potter that has been so utterly gripping as The Hunger Games.


I was afraid to read these books--there is a lot of hype about them, and I have heard countless people tell me what they probably told you too: "The first one is great, the second is good too, but it doesn't end how you want it to . . . "  I have also been warned against the violence in the books.  And with good reason--these aren't stories for the faint of heart!


That said, I want to tell you why you should at least consider The Hunger Games series, if you haven't already read them like half of the reading world.


1. It's original. I mean, there are a lot of dystopian books out there, but none with such a believable, fascinating (albeit horrifying) premise.


2. The characters are believable.  No offense to the Twilight series, but Katniss is no Bella . . . I found myself really rooting for the main characters.

3. Yes, there was violence, but it wasn't the mindless killing I expected it to be. Katniss, the main character, regrets her part in any killing, and she makes a point of disagreeing with the entire Hunger Games. (I'm just assuming everyone knows the basic storyline here)

4. There was no mushy, inappropriate romance junk. I still wouldn't let anyone younger than 15-16 read it, just for the sake of the disturbing premise, but it was much more appropriate than the Twilight Books.  Ok, I'm afraid I'm going to get on my soapbox here for a minute . . .

Soapbox:  I am incredibly concerned about the youth of this decade being exposed to far too much intimacy through books like Twilight and the rest of that series.  They are so not appropriate for kids who are younger than . . . thirty, maybe?  Mostly the last one--far too much information about sexual matters.  And although they are written by a member of the same church I belong to, and even though the main characters are married--for heaven's sake, do we really need to know every private detail?  I believe books of this nature are porn in the form most tantalizing to young women.  Girls don't go around looking for pornography pictures; Satan knows he can snag women (young and old) through books and movies like Twilight.  I confess, I did read the series and watched the movies--the storyline is very interesting, but there is a real danger there you need to be aware of for young women.  Please be very careful with your young girls! Ok, I'm through.

5. Suzanne Collins can really write.  I think sometimes authors get in the way of their story--they write in an awkward way that never lets you forget you're reading a book.  In contrast, each one of these books draws you right in, and you're living the story with Katniss.  The first person voice isn't distracting at all, like others written in this style, and you forget you're reading.

6.  It provides very interesting food for discussion--is it possible for the world as we know it to become like Panem, this futuristic world?  What would you do if you were forced to join the Hunger Games?  Is war ever right?  You could have a great discussion with your kids about what type of government is really the best, as well as how the gospel of Jesus Christ can solve every social problem in the world.  I have heard the complaint that it doesn't teach a great moral lesson, but I beg to differ.

Now, about the individual books themselves: The Hunger Games could stand alone, if it weren't for the cliffhanger-ish ending.  It is powerful in and of itself, fascinating, and really well done.  Catching Fire is much the same, butI know people who have decided not to read Mockingjay because it's gotten a bad rap.  I submit that it is every bit as good as the other two books; while things don't end "happily ever after," the way Collins finishes it is absolutely brilliant, and she leaves you with a lot to mull over.

I have yet to see the movie, but I am very excited to give it a try.  I have heard good things.  So give the books a try if you are brave enough, and may the odds be ever in your favor!

Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph J. Ellis

My good friend Jera brought this book over--somehow she ended up with two copies.  I can't think of the last time (if ever) I have read a whole book about our Founding Fathers, although I always have the best of intentions--I have a few of them on my "to-read" list on Goodreads . . . Since this one wasn't too thick (which is what usually scares me away from historical books or biographies), I decided to give it a try.  So glad I did--this one really got me thinking about our founding fathers and their contributions to the life we live today, as well as how far we have strayed as a nation from some of their original ideals.

Taking sort of a back-door approach, Ellis looks at some less-written-about episodes or aspects in the lives of Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Adams, Madison, Hamilton, and Burr (i.e. unlikely friendships, Washington's farewell address, the duel between Hamilton & Burr) and uses them to paint a picture of what things must have really been like for these amazing men.  He does make a lot of assumptions, which troubled me at times, but he is a beautiful narrator; never once did I feel bored with it.  There were several moments during my reading when I was disenchanted with these great men, but just as I thought Ellis was going to knock them off my personal pedestal, he came full circle and restored my faith in their inspiration.  Well, maybe not Aaron Burr so much . . .

So yes, I would highly recommend it as a springboard to heftier historical or political reading. It has inspired me to attack John Adams by David McCullough.  Do you think I can handle it?

Children of the Promise Series by Dean Hughes

These books were given to me by a neighbor several years ago, and I promptly tucked them away on a shelf.  I liked their pretty covers, but I wasn't in the mood for LDS fiction (honestly, I'm never in the mood for LDS fiction).  But having nothing to read a while back, I thought I'd give them a sporting chance.  So, dust covers removed, I began to "plow" my way through the series . . . or so I thought.  Instead, I found myself completely drawn in by Hughes' writing style, the stories, and the characters themselves.

He really did his research--I have to applaud that.  Although the main characters are fictional, almost everything that happens in the series is based on fact.  It follows the Thomas family, an LDS family living in Salt Lake City preceding, during, and following World War II.  With realistic dialogue, likeable characters, and a thrilling, fast-paced storyline, I didn't want to put the books down.  Any of them.  I think what I liked the most was learning about a piece of my family's history--both of my grandpa's served in WWII, and seeing what things were like for both them and their family and girls back home really struck a chord with me.  Very much worth reading, especially at this time of year--it begins around Christmas-time and describes the varied Christmases the family experiences as they spread all over the world.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

I loved the title of this book and the cover, but when I read the summary I wasn't too excited.  However, lest I scare you away, let me preface my summary by telling you that I ended up really liked it.  A quick read--it moved along pretty swiftly.

Callie Vee is a preteen girl growing up in 1899 Texas.  The story takes place in the summer and fall of the year, just before the turn of the century.  Callie, surrounded by rowdy brothers and expected to learn to knit and sew and become a debutante (yes, I had to look it up--I totally thought it meant something else . . .), discovers in her grandfather both a friend and mentor.  Together they study the species of flora and fauna near their home while he instructs her in everything from Darwin to Copernicus, Chopin to Vivaldi.  The title sums up the story beautifully--while Callie is studying evolution, she herself evolves and makes many self-discoveries.

This book was clean--maybe a light cuss word or two?  I can't remember, but I truly enjoyed it (the book, not the cussing).  There were a few coming-of-age things that younger kids wouldn't get--not bad or anything, just scientific things about animals mating, etc.  I would say twelve and up would be old enough to read it.  Kelly has a very entertaining writing style, speaking from Callie's point of view; modern enough that you can empathize with her, yet with enough old-fashioned qualities to set it apart from a lot of the junk being written nowadays.

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

We are reading this book for our book club, and I admit I wasn't very excited about it.  The name sounded quite forbidding and sermonizing somehow, and as I thumbed through the pages, I saw little or no dialogue.  But since it is a Pulitzer Prize winner, I thought I'd better give it a sporting chance.


And I am so glad I did!  Both reflective and inspiring, but with a good story line (yes, it does have a story, even without the dialogue!) it wasn't preachy like I suspected.  Ironically enough, it is the fictional autobiography of a preacher in Gilead, Iowa, nearing the end of his life.  As he writes to the son who will not remember him, he discovers that even in old age there is much to learn.  It is so beautifully written!  Marilynne Robinson's writing style kept reminding me of C.S. Lewis in his more serious books (i.e. Mere Christianity, etc.).  No swearing that I can recall, and nothing inappropriate or risqué.


It was one of those books that made me contemplate how I treat others and what I judge them by.  It seemed to go right along with our prophet's words from the General Relief society meeting last weekend:


"Mother Teresa, a Catholic nun who worked among the poor in India most of her life, spoke this profound truth: 'If you judge people, you have no time to love them.' . . . I ask: can we love one another, as the Savior has commanded, if we judge each other? And I answer—with Mother Teresa: no, we cannot. . . .I have in mind the charity that impels us to be sympathetic, compassionate, and merciful, not only in times of sickness and affliction and distress but also in times of weakness or error on the part of others."


I hope you find time to read and enjoy this one!  And  Pres. Monson's talk too, if you have the chance!

The Great and the Terrible Series by Chris Stewart

This was a very interesting series. Now, I am not an LDS fiction reader, but this came highly recommended from a friend, and although I didn't love it, I'm not sorry I read it.  It's about a group of the noble and great spirits who make their way through life during the last days of the world.

Likes:  It really made me think about how Satan works (sort of put me in the same mindset as reading C.S. Lewis's "The Screwtape Letters"--only that's a completely different book--and such a good one--maybe I'll re-read it!).  The first book takes place in the author's rendition of the pre-existence, where you get to know the main characters of the series.  Good dialogue, good writing style, and the guy definitely knows his military stuff.

Dislikes:  It's definitely packed with action and a bit too much blood and gore for my taste.  I don't like reading about people's brains getting blown out, etc--maybe if I were a guy I would have liked it more.  Also, the whole adversary and devil's helpers thing started to scare me a bit.  And all the evil that leads up to the end of the world was just too much for me.  I'm afraid I did a lot of skimming through so I could get to the end and find out what happens.  The first and last books were my favorites.

If you are interested and want to know more, DeseretBook.com has a great review summing up the entire series.

The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

This is a very fun, entertaining, clean book. Sometimes it's nice to have a book like that--a "'tweener" to read in between heftier books. I found it very refreshing and hard to put down. It's an epistolary novel (aren't you proud of me for knowing that word?), which means it's written in letter form. Usually I'm not too keen on that type of book (Anne of Windy Poplars was the hardest of the Anne of Green Gables series for me to get through), but this one doesn't drag on like some.

Set in a little-known chunk of World War II history--the German occupation of Guernsey Island, off the coast of France--it contains a bit of mystery and romance--just enough to keep you turning pages. There is so much about World War II that is difficult to swallow, but this book focused on making the most of a difficult time, and perhaps that's why I enjoyed it so much. After all, isn't that what we are all aiming for?