The final installment of this series by Suzanne Collins just came out yesterday and twitter was raging with people procuring their copies and neglecting their responsibilities to read it. Those who read it are biting their tongues to talk about it now… Thankfully unwilling to spoil the ending for those of us who haven’t jumped ship yet.

Now the dying question… Is the series that good?

When a craze like this (or Harry Potter, Twilight, etc) comes into the limelight how does it make you feel to be on the outside? Do you rush out and buy the books just because everyone else has? Or do you take your time and finish the 40 books on your waiting list?

I am tempted… very tempted to bump Ms. Collins books to numero uno. Not because I want to be in the “IN” but because they are Young Adult and quite frankly if they are “that good” I want to see why, as a fellow writer. WHICH is excellent for Ms Collins sales. LOL… Me buying them just because. Crazy how it works that way.

The series explores timely topics like violence-as-entertainment and rule-by-intimidation. All VERY timely in my opinion.

Anyhow, if you haven’t heard about them, here is the “back of the book” on all the books:

THE HUNGER GAMES: Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, “The Hunger Games.” The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Kat’s sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place.

CATCHING FIRE: Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

THE MOCKINGJAY: Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins’s groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.

So, will you read? Have you read? Are you waiting for your copy… inquiring minds want to know.

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The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan

If you have been following my reviews, you will know that I have reviews Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief (Book 1) and The Sea of Monsters (Book 2) of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Of course, this means I must review Book 3, 4 and 5… once it’s in paperback. In addition, if you read those reviews, you will know that while I love Mr. Riordan’s writing skills, I don’t particularly care for his character development.

I am happy to report… No one was stupid in The Titan’s Curse… Well, for the most part. NONE of the characters walked into danger with their stupid hat on, which was definitely a plus.

Funny little tid-bit… My brain was umm, mush one day and I decided instead of editing/writing I would read so I started The Battle of the Labyrinth thinking it was Book 3 (not Book 4 like it is…). Boy was I confused. Thankfully @DeniseMSwank set me straight before I read too much and gave anything away.

Anyhow, like I said above. I was a little more impressed with this Book then the previous two. The story itself had more depth to it, which gives me hope for Book 4!

The ending was excellent but I think I figured out a key element. EVEN before he hinted to it. But I am sooo not telling you You have to read it yourself.

The good news about this review, is that I have renewed hope that Percy and his friends aren’t as stupid as they were in Books 1 & 2… and it makes me glad I continued to read the series.

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The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

Upon recommendation of a friend, I downloaded the audio book, The Sugar Queen by Addison Allen. First off, this is not a YA book… It’s important for me to say that because I thought it was. LOL  So it was a complete shocker when the MC got in a car and drove… then half way thru the book it told me she was twenty-six. I think I needed to know that sooner, because I really thought it was a YA book. I’m sure had I found it on the shelves I would have realized it wasn’t but anyway…

The way Sarah Addison Allen wrote the magical tale, she could have totally created a YA book without the sex, language and other innuendos. In fact, it almost would have boded better in my mind, because it was almost a little too “fantastic” for a twenty-six year old.

There were four story lines to follow and she wrote it in the POV of almost all the characters in turn which I found incredibly hard to follow. Who was talking? Who is saying this? What is going on? I had to rewind my audio A LOT and I hardly ever have to do that. I think the issue was each character (Save the Villian) had the same “voice”… and I don’t mean the audible reader either. I mean it was the same writing style, which threw me off.

So following the story lines was a little much. I would have loved it written in just Josie’s POV but I understand why she switched…

I loved LOVED the housekeeper, Helena. She was the comedic relief for me with her inserting crosses into the hems of Josie’s garments and cursing things. She was beautiful little lady. Loved that character.

Loved the names of her chapters… All candy. That was “SWEET”.

So at the end of the novel, her writing was magical and easy to believe (when I thought she was sixteen, a little harder when she was twenty-six). It was fun the way something just came about, however it was never explained. Not that it has to be, just curious.

However, I picked out the “twist” from the moment the people were introduced, both of them!  But I was assured by both my husband and friend that I just have that knack of picking out “what’s going to happen” before it does. In movies too, I good at reading the foreshadow

The ending was very satisfying. I enjoyed the nice bow she put on it… it wasn’t the perfect bow… but it was sooooo sweet and a red curly ribbon bow with one of those strings that just wouldn’t curl (if you catch  my drift)… still beautiful It wasn’t a happily ever after for everyone! Which is just fine with me. I don’t need everything to be perfect for everyone. It’s more realistic that way.

Would I recommend this book to my readers… YES, but only if you are okay with some cursing and sex references with mouth’s “roaming”. It wasn’t gratuitous, but it was shocking, again since I thought it was a YA novel. LOL My perception was off… by about ten years.

So, I gave it 4 stars because of the magic of her writing. Definitely one to pick up for some magical realism.

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Available for advance purchase, Release date:May 25th

From back of book: Growing up in the enchanted Théâtre Illuminata, Beatrice Shakespeare Smith learned all about every play ever written, but she didn’t know that she, too had magic. Now, she is the Mistress of Revels, the Teller of Tales, and and is determined to follow her stars. Bertie can make things happen by writing them, but outside the walls of the Théâtre, they don’t go as planned. And her magic cannot help her make a decision between Nate, her suave pirate, and Ariel, a seductive air spirit.

When Nate is taken prisoner by the Sea Goddess, only Bertie can free him, and she and her fairy sidekicks embark on a journey, using Bertie’s word magic to guide them. Bertie’s dreams are haunted by Nate, whose love for Bertie is keeping him alive, but in the daytime, it’s Ariel who is tantalizingly close, and the one she is falling for. Who does Bertie love the most? And will her magic be powerful enough to save her once she enters the Sea Goddess’s lair?

My ARC Review: In the first book, Eyes Like Stars, I was effervescently pulling for Nate and quite upset when Ariel was weaseling his way into Bertie’s life. The way it was written, no one should be okay with how Ariel was conning and seducing, let alone Bertie. But we accepted it.

Now in Perchance to Dream I find myself annoyed all over again on this topic. I find Bertie keeps making choices that are not following the likely-hood of her character regarding Nate and Ariel. Without giving anything away, it was such an annoyance to me I might have to take off a half star. However her other characters are well rounded, so I still think she succeeded in making believable characters. I just wish Bertie had made better decisions.

I found Perchance to Dream a little more confusing then Eyes Like Stars. Bertie is introduced to a lot of new characters and she accepts their strange ways quickly, lending to the question of her actions again.

The faeries were just as funny as the first book, giving us great comic relief. The way Lisa weaves words is wonderful, specially if you like Shakespeare and the theater.

The first third of the book was slow which makes me take a star off for pace. But it picks up again and flows well through the rest of the book.

You don’t have to have read Eyes Like Stars in order to enjoy the theater of Perchance to Dream. Which is nice for people who aren’t keen on having to read book one to get book two.

I wish I could give it more then 3.5 stars. But I just struggled with the first third of the book and Bertie’s choices… so I had to take off for that. STILL an ONE OF A KIND theater book though… Definitely not one to miss if you adore theater.

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When the news of this dark tale came into my view, I knew it would be something I would see… eventually. Opening weekend, it was highly doubtful, but definitely something I would see.

So when I found myself sitting in the IMAX with my husband yesterday, I had to laugh that I was there… and was a bit mortified too. Some people brought their preschoolers. Hummm, did you not get the note that this was a Tim Burton film? Oh well, maybe they are used to freakish things… Moving on.

If you have never seen a film in IMAX, my suggestion is… DO NOT make Alice In Wonderland your first. While it was visually wonderful, it would have been just as well served in regular 2D and there would have been $5 extra in my pocket still for the same experience. Like some of the other critics have said, I think they thought about 3D after the fact. It just wasn’t all “wooooo!” if you know what I mean.

Though this might be Avatar’s fault. If you have seen Avatar, no 3D will compare! Dang that was a good 3D movie… didn’t care for the story, but the graphics were visually AWE.SOME.

So, it’s not entirely Burton’s fault… the curve was set too high.

I digress…

While the world Burton created was visual eye candy, the story itself was a… “whatever”. It just wasn’t engaging. If you are a Burton fan, which I am not, this is right up the same creepy alley… I think the four year old in front of us peed his pants at one point. AND, if you are a fan of the old Alice, save your money and see it when it comes out in Redbox or Netflix. It doesn’t compare.

Am I upset that I wasted my money on the experience? Well no. But I certainly won’t ever “waste” my time on this movie again. Once was quite enough.

The acting was fabulous though. Johnny Depp was just as crazy as I had hoped he would be… but that super imposition of his eyes… creepy. They could have done without THAT little bit. Mia Wasikowska was excellent as Alice. Ann Hathaway was just okay as the white queen… loved her gagging reflux, it really made the character. Haha. And Helena Bonham Carter, who plays the queen of hearts… excellent. If you can’t quite place this woman’s face, but you know you have seen her before… think Bellatrix Lestrange from Harry Potter, then you will see why this was an excellent choice for the queen.

So while I wouldn’t recommend you waste your hard earned dollars on a just okay flick, I would say that I can give it 3 stars for acting (Casting director should get a bonus) and the eye candy of the world… but I had to take off for the lackluster of the story.

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Ahem, so… if you read my review of the first book, The Lightning Theif, you know that I only have gave it 3.5 stars… I really wanted to give it 5 because of the mad writing skilz Rick Riordan has, but I couldn’t because of the lack of character development… or smarts. Just wouldn’t be doing the public justice if I wasn’t honest.

Again, Mr. Riordan’s writing was excellent! He really can tell a good story, get you interested right away and really make you enjoy the adventure.

However, again I felt like he made Percy and his friends a little daft. They take everything for face value and never “fear” the situations they are getting into. Now, being that I have read the first book, I know, and they know, people are out to get them. Monsters from everywhere! So you would think, if they had brains in their heads, they would NOT waltz around and be like, I wonder why it smells funny in here.

Really? I mean Really? Soooo unbelievable in the character development. It’s so disappointing BUT it’s a good reminder for the rest of us to MAKE SURE our characters are believable.

A friend pointed out the fact that its very similar to Harry Potter… 3 friends, one with a prophecy, all trying to save their magical world. Hmmm, she was right. It is exactly a potter book, minus the magicians and add in the mythological of it all

NOW, I was going to have to give this book 2 stars… Because I felt like I could have done without about 200 of the pages… no really, his writing and all. I found myself reading the first sentence and nothing else of some paragraphs… BUT then came the end… great hook at the end! Raised it a full star for me… and makes me want to read Titan’s Curse.

Hoping for more stars in book three!

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It wasn’t until weeks later when she brought it up again, when the buzz of the new movie came out, that I realized she wasn’t talking about the Lord Of the Rings Peter Jackson, she was indeed talking about Perseus Jackson…

With my feet deep in RUNAWAY CHOICES, UNSEEN and the third book of THE MANORDIAN PROPHECIES, I wasn’t sure when I would have the time to read this novel, but knew I should. Specially when it was about to hit the big screen. I can’t see a movie before reading the book… that is hypocrisy!

I will not include spoilers in this review… so no worries there. However, I will not sugar coat my review either. Reviews are meant to help the potential readers understand if this is their type of book… So on with the review.

From the get go, Mr. Rick Riordan’s writing caught me by the scruff of the neck, dragging me through the thoughts and dialog of Percy Jackson. Excellent, excellent writing… the man has some great skilz! I felt like I was right along with Percy, seeing the things he saw immediately when they happened. Excellent point of view… one I will reference in the future.

The story started out running and boy did it take us for a run! If you are familiar with mythology, this book will be right up your ally. He has done his research and knows each of the gods talents and what they are known for. Great work in that aspect.

However, (and there is the but) I thought that the story was a bit derivative… Young boy waltzing into danger when he knows full well he should be running for his life and doubting everything he comes across. Riordan does a good job with painting the pictures, but I found myself more then once rolling my eyes when he, “went into the woods… alone… in the dark… with no weapons…” kinda thing. It was like, okay, how many times are they NOT going to use their God given brains to realize they should NOT be doing… that! It was unbelievable. Not just figuratively but literally unbelievable.

Now in saying that, I realize they have to get into trouble in order to make a good novel, but having them waltz in unchecked was a little much.

So, once I got past the fact they were idiots (the kids) the book was enjoyable. Like I said, I really love Riordan’s writing style and when the kids weren’t dancing their way into trouble with brainless choices, it was an engaging book. However, I was pulled out quite a number of times because of the choices these kids were making.

Yes, I understand they were twelve, but my eight year old wouldn’t make some of the choices Percy and his friends make.

While I did have some negative things to say about this book, again I say I loved the way he wrote it! And I will read his sequels and the 39 Clues series that he has also written. Because his writing was really intriguing.

I can’t give it five stars because of the children’s brainless choices… I would love to say even I would give it four stars because his writing redeemed those qualities… but I would be lying if I didn’t say I was let down by the character development here. So it gets 3.5 stars… hoping in book two I can give it the five stars his writing deserves.

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The biggest reason was that Lisa and I went to junior high and high school together and even shared a whacky senior year English teacher (among others)… now if I could just remember her name… Hmmm… Miller? Gah! My memory is not so good. I can’t remember most my teachers names… no credit to my own doing though… You see I had this accident (See this link for more information–start at 1:00-1:40). So really, it’s a miracle at all that I remember Lisa as the thespian she was and still is!

Bunny trail… So, I knew Lisa personally and wanted to do everything I could to up her sales and get her to the NYT Best Sellers list.

When I called my local Indy book story (Tattered Cover, Highlands Ranch) I was excited to learn they had ONE copy! I immediately ran down to grab it.

Being that I remember Lisa as an excellent theatrical performer (singer too, right? Gosh my memory), it was no surprise to me to find out her debut novel was about theater… and faeries… I love faeries. Funny faeries to boot!

I had to do very little convincing to get my mom’s book club to read it… and we were impressed! Well, most of us. Some have never had “a thing” for theater so it really went over their heads at some points… but the rest of us really thought it was amazing.

The images Lisa painted for us were fantastic. I was quickly hooked into the story then angry at Ariel and his ways. There was theater, mystery, laughter, intrigue, romance… a full array of beautiful characters pulled out of all sorts of literature and working in a magic theater with curtain calls! Ah! It was really an exciting book to read. Not kidding.

The ending left me needing more… as most series do. It certainly did NOT disappoint!

Perchance to Dream is now slated for release on May 25, 2010…

Can I wait that long? I am dying to know exactly what… where… who… well, I can’t tell you that. It would spoil the book!

Eyes Like Stars Rating:

Excellent ORIGINAL story.

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