I just finished reading Rogue Island by Bruce DeSilva, which I picked up because it was an Edgar Award winner and also reccomended by the great folks at "Murder By The Book" (a mystery-only bookstore in Portland!) It was an enjoyable enough and quick read, with decent writing and short, tight chapters, but not particularly remarkable...and not at all suspenseful. Worth a look if you like the "cranky detective/reporter who all women inexplicably want to sleep with" thing (which I sometimes do), but overall I didn't think it really lived up to all the hype (but sometimes that's more the hypes fault). I just started reading the very popular YA book The Hunger Games, and I definitely see why it has so many fans. It took me a chapter or two to get used to being in a different culture (it takes place in the future), and to learn the different vocabulary, but the emotional pull was so strong I didn't even care if I missed a few references. It's definitely a dark book right away (the future is pretty dystopian in THG) but a really great read. A few friends said they didn't like the sequels as much, which is too bad...
"A truly great book should be read in youth, again in maturity and once more in old age, as a fine building should be seen by morning light, at noon and by moonlight." - Robertson Davies
Image: source.
"A truly great book should be read in youth, again in maturity and once more in old age, as a fine building should be seen by morning light, at noon and by moonlight." - Robertson Davies
"For the first time, the United States will call on the United Nations human rights branch to take direct action to combat discrimination against LGBT people around the world."
3 comments:
I think the other books in the Hunger Games series are equally as good! They delve into some different themes- the first one is mostly about reality television and man's inhumanity to man- the others go on to talk about war and man's inhumanity to man- but I think they get more compelling. (The third book is the best)
(I do admit I lost interest in the love triangle about fifteen minutes after it was introduced, but such is the price of reading YA.)
RE: the hunger games trilogy.
The others are definitely worth reading, the third is slow at first but is completely worth it almost solely because of the end. Overall there's a really refreshing take (for a YA series) on the complexity of war and peace. My sister is a teacher and started using THG for winter break reading a few years ago, and a lot of her students loved it...which I think is great, because there are plenty of compelling discussions that can emerge for students after reading it.
Thanks for the comments Cait and Michelle! I stayed up LATE last night reading The Hunger Games, almost finished (even though I sort of don't want to). I'll definitely get on the waiting list for the next two books at the library (it took me months to get THG!)
I agree that they really address some complex issues and love the idea of them being used in the class room. Sci Fi (do these count as Sci Fi? I think so) is such a great way to get people (kids especially) talking about current issues and difficult topics.
Post a Comment