Review: Love... And Sleepless Nights

Title: Love... And Sleepless Nights (Book 2)
Author: Nick Spalding
Publication Date: May 10 2012
Publisher: Racket Publishing
ISBN: 1477488138
Length: 171 Pages
Link to Synopsis: Goodreads
Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Buy It: Amazon US / Amazon UK

My Rating: 5 Stars

Nick has outdone himself again! From the first chapter I was laughing with tears in my eyes, then when we first hear from Jamie I had to put it down from laughing. I tried to tell a friend at work about it and again started laughing so hard I had to stop and compose myself.

I am a little sad with the ending I have to say... I can only hope that there are some lost diaries and blog posts out there that eventually come to surface. I can't have this be the end of Laura and Jamie! I need to know what happens, there are too many good years to read about.

I would recommend Love... From Both Sides and Love... And Sleepless Nights to anybody who would ask my opinion... and truth be told to people who don't ask for it because they would not be disappointed.

Review: Mockingjay

Title: Mockingjay (The Hunger Games ~ Book 3)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publication Date: August 24th 2010
Publisher: Scholastic Press
ISBN: 0439023513
Length: 390 Pages
Link to Synopsis: Goodreads
Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Buy It: Amazon US / Amazon UK

My Rating: 4 Stars

** SPOILER ALERT ** 

I have to say I am so sad to have this series come to an end. I managed to read all three of them so quickly and now I wish it would have taken me longer, however once I had started I simply could not put them down. As I went to bed last night I was at 81% complete and I kept wondering what was going to happen next, thinking about the last few pages I had read... I might as well have just stayed awake and finished it.

Before reading this third and final book I had saw some grumblings here and there about not liking the ending. I understand that. I also felt it was a bit to rushed. There was so much build up making it to the mansion, finding Snow, killing him... then 'it' happens and we are back in a hospital, fighting over, war is won.

'It' of course is the death of poor sweet Prim. Everything started with Prim and really it ended with Prim. In my eyes it was a sacrifice for the greater good. If those children had not been targeted by the Rebels would Katniss have killed Coin? We could all tell she was power hungry and by the way things ran at #13 [like a concentration camp, including being imprinted with numbers/times at the start of everyday.] I could not see how her as a President would be all that great. If those children and Prim had not been murdered I can't see how Snow could have ever got Katniss to see Coin was no better...

...Well that is until she went and suggested one last Hunger Games. I have to admit I have no idea how Katniss did not kill her on the spot. This moment in the book was very interesting. At first I expected Katniss to go crazy at the thought, such as how Peeta did. But when she voted 'Yes', I was at first stunned. But then when I thought about it I fully understood. I think she was buying time. If she had voted 'No' and agreed to the killing of the Capitol Residents who is to say Coin didn't already have them all lined up ready to be killed? If it was agreed that there would be one final Hunger Games then there would need to be time to get ready for it. This gave Katniss the time she needed to kill Coin.

I do wish however than when Peeta found his way back to #12 and to Katniss that there would have been a discussion about her decision. It is never mentioned again and we are left to insert our own thoughts on her decision... but maybe that is what the author was wanting to have happen.

I am glad that Katniss and Peeta found their way to each other in the end, I was never a big fan of Gale.

All in all I have to say Catching Fire is my favorite of the three books. If I had not watched the movie for The Hunger Games first then I may have found it to be my favorite. But as I knew what was going to happen I found Catching Fire exciting from start to finish as it was all new to me.

As I have said all along I would strongly suggest this series to anybody and I will be making a case for everybody I know to start reading it immediately so that I can have some more people to talk about it with.

Review: Catching Fire

Title: Catching Fire (The Hunger Games ~ Book 2)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publication Date: September 1 2009
Publisher: Scholastic Press
ISBN: 0439023491
Length: 391 Pages
Link to Synopsis: Goodreads
Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Buy It: Amazon US / Amazon UK

My Rating: 5 Stars

** SPOILER ALERT **

My plan is to keep this review short and sweet... mostly because after that cliffhanger I am dying to start Mockingjay right away! There is a plus side to waiting to read a series of books, you don't have to sit and wait for the next one to be published.

I started Catching Fire last night at 11pm and read until 2pm. After breakfast today I picked it right back up, stopped a bit for lunch and then finished reading it around 7pm today. The phrase 'couldn't put it down' doesn't even express how engrossed I was. I'm surprised my Kindle Touch didn't have smoke coming out from it.

As with The Hunger Games, I absolutely loved this book. From a few of my friends that read them before me I knew to expect a twist. However, I still did find myself shocked when the contents of the Quarter Quell letter was read by President Snow.

I know in these Games there were adults mixed with children but I found myself reminded of playful children a bit more in this book than the last. Such as when Peeta is asleep and Katniss and Finnick wake him up with their faces close to his to give him a little scare. I felt a pang of sadness when they were sat there laughing on the beach. Even though I felt there was an underlying plan unfolding with some of the other tributes... I just felt so sad for them and how their lives have turned out.

Or on the beach when Peeta shows Katniss the locket. I know he did this in order to try to convince her to let him save her but you could feel his love. And Peeta's love for Katniss is something that I have never doubted.

However in saying this I do find myself every now and again wanting to slap Katniss when she goes back and forth between Peeta and Gale. As with any book such as these there are 'Teams' and I guess you can just say that I am Team Peeta all the way! :)

Okay, I'm off to start Mockingjay. As ever I would strongly suggest this book to anybody who is willing to listen to my suggestion.

Review: The Hunger Games

Title: The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games ~ Book 1)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publication Date: October 31 2008
Publisher: Scholastic Press
ISBN: 0439023483
Length: 374 Pages
Link to Synopsis: Goodreads
Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Buy It: Amazon US / Amazon UK

My Rating: 5 Stars

** SPOILER ALERT ** 

Let me first start off by saying that I actually watched the film before reading the book... normally this would be the other way around but in this instance I am so glad it was in this order. Quite a few of my friends read the book and kept asking me to but I just could not find the time, until now.

The reason I am glad that I saw the film first is because I enjoyed it. In fact I went with a friend first and then again with my husband so I must have really enjoyed it.

However...

If I would have read the book first I am not so sure I would have liked it as much as I did. The main reasons are the same you could use for any book turned film. The characters have more time to develop in a book, you get more of a back story in a book, the film could never be long enough to fit in every single aspect of the book, etc...

I have hidden this review because I want to talk about key points in the book that the film left out that I feel are very important. I know this is a review of the book and not of the film but as I saw the film first I simply keep comparing the book to it so it seems my review is also steering in that same direction.

I loved in the book that District 11 sent Katniss the bread. This showed her that they respected her and thanked her for what she did for Rue. In the film we see them saluting her but obviously this is not something she can see. The are obviously another poor district and she understood what it meant for them to spend that money on her.

I loved that in the book I could tell that Katniss was having true feelings for Peeta. I honestly could not tell in watching the film if she really did or if it was just an act since Haymitch had sent her the note in the soup to say 'You call that a kiss'. It was not until after that note that she really started showing affection toward him.

My biggest question mark of all is why in the World did the film not show the genetically mutated dogs? The fact that they were the fallen tributes to me speaks volumes. There is a lot of talk in the book of how the Capitol used mutated animals to win the war, however there was no talk of this at all in the film. I am sure it was not used in the film as they needed to 'PC' it down in order to get a specific rating for the cinema. But I can only feel that going forward the use of mutated animals/people will play a large part in the forthcoming novels and the fact that those who will only be able to see the film will not have this back story. However, I may be wrong and it may never be mentioned again.

From my understanding the film I watched in the UK was also made even more 'PC' by removing almost all of the blood from the film. Maybe this is why in watching the film I did not feel the overall weight or gravity of the situation. In reading the book I felt this weight. It actually made me stop and think 'these are children killing each other as the World watches'. The placing of wagers and bets, the cheers in the streets it was all very eerie and in a way wonderful. It helped me understand and almost feel what was actually happening in the Games. The way Katniss kept reminding us that the World watched on with her thoughts on how something would appear on TV or to the game makers. Then when even in death how the Capitol could bring back the fallen in the form of mutated dogs. You know right then, these people are diabolical and will stop at nothing to show they are superior. Then the fear you feel when Haymitch tells Katniss she is still in trouble...

Anyway, I could ramble on all night but I am keen to start Catching Fire. As always these are my views and I know everybody will have their own. At the end of the day I would strongly suggest the film to anybody who asked my opinion but it would be followed up with a 'Make sure you also read the book'.

Review: I've Got Your Number

Title: I've Got Your Number
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Publication Date: February 14 2012
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
ISBN: 0385342063
Length: 433 Pages
Link to Synopsis: Goodreads
Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Buy It: Amazon US / Amazon UK

My Rating: 5 Stars

I absolutely adored this book! I am a huge fan of Sophie Kinsella and I've Got Your Number now currently sits up top with my other favorites Twenties Girl and Can You Keep a Secret. I laughed, I got teary eyed, I noticed my heart skipping a beat here and there(1) and it could not have had a better ending... What more can you ask for?

I highly recommend I've Got Your Number for a lovely bit of escapism which will end with a big smile on your face.

(1) Not giving anything away.. But the wood scene? ! ? ! Wow.