A New Teen Fad in the Works

It would seem that I do not read original, unknown books to report on. I read bestsellers and then report on what everyone already seems to know.

I began reading this little book (soon to be major motion picture) called The Hunger Games with my class of middle schoolers. I am an English teacher and I wanted them to read something that would be fun and interesting to them, as opposed to the traditional. That plan backfired, though, as they are middle school children and absolutely nothing interests them.

The plan also backfired when I was sucked into the tween trilogy and spent an entire week cooped up in my apartment unable to put the books down.

The media is comparing this series to Twilight and Harry Potter. And I will say that it does not hold a candle to HP. That's not to say that the Hunger Game series is bad or not enjoyable, but Harry Potter was an entire decade of books, movies, midnight showings, costumes, video games, theme park attractions and more. Twilight is a better comparison, however I did enjoy the Hunger Game series better than Twilight. It was better written, in my opinion and the story line was more inventive.

I'm not going to say this series of books is a MUST READ! unless you are a 13 year old girl. It was most definitely entertaining and very well thought out. It showed originality that is rare in this day and age, but the book itself is made for a younger audience. It's a thrilling, suspenseful series that I obviously couldn't put down.

It centers on a country called Panem, once North America. War, weather related disasters and people however changed the nation and civilization completely. The whole premise of the book centers around the "hunger games" in which the capitol of Panem, quite originally named The Capitol, chooses 1 boy and 1 girl between the ages of 12-18 from each district (city, 12 in all) to fight to the death. The winner of the 24 children, the one who is still alive at the very end of it all, receives much needed supplies for him or herself and the whole district in which he or she lives. The drama unfolds as Katniss, the main character in the series, is placed into the Hunger Games with a young man, Peeta. The two of them create a dynamic strategy for survival that makes audiences go wild. It's a story about love (of course, it's a tween trilogy), human survival, friendship and trust.

With the movie due to come out in March 2012, it's bound to be a bigger hit than it already is.

Do You Know How Much an Elephant Drinks?

I don't have much to say about this book, it's clearly a bestseller for a reason and is also now a major motion picture. I've watched the movie and read the book and as usual, I must declare that the book is far superior.

Water for Elephants is a brilliant look into a long forgotten lifestyle. Sara Gruen absolutely did her research and painted a deeply moving picture of the circus during the Great Depression. She makes you understand how things were and how people really got by, which is something I think we don't really understand in today's culture. The animals in the book are also very well described, each has it's own unique personality that one doesn't forget in reading the book.

All in all, I agree with the rest of the nation in saying that this is a must read. It's well written, unique in content and fantastically interesting, gripping, hilarious and picturesque.

Naked is Not Always Better

Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby. Bloody hell, it feels like I'm starting a book report in middle school. However, this book is not for middle schoolers...or high school students for that matter. It's mature, and not mature in the way the world is accustomed to, with all the explicit sex and dirty language. It's mature in a way that's thought provoking and charming. It looks at an almost middle aged woman, Annie, who's wasted fifteen years of her life with a man who was just easy rather than amazing, charming and completely in love with her. A man who ignites fire and passion within her. Duncan is definitely not that man.

Duncan is in love with another man...but mysteriously not in a homosexual way. He is obsessed with a musician who no one has ever heard of and who disappeared after an inexplicable event in a bathroom. So, when Duncan leaves her, she is left wondering what has become of herself, why she wasted so much time and how she make up that time. It leaves her wondering if she can have children (if anyone would even want to have sex with her again...as even Duncan didn't).

She has a chance encounter with the musician, Tucker Crowe. And baffling questions are answered...Annie's life problems are...well not necessarily solved, but definitely examined.

This book is poignant and interesting, it's intriguing and really makes you scrutinize what makes life worth living. This is a quality that Nick Hornby has been able to write about very well, as noted by his other bestsellers, About a Boy and High Fidelity.