Book Review: The Hunger Games Trilogy

Why I picked it: A few months back I got a Kindle.  For a while I was only reading free content.  Amazon kept recommending the first book in the trilogy to me. Eventually, the cost didn't bother me so much and I bought it.  After reading the first book, there wasn't a second thought given to buying the rest of the trilogy.

What it's about:  The stage is set in a place called Panem.  It is North America without the US.  Within Panem, there is a central Capitol where all the money and power lies.  Supporting the Capital are 13 districts.  One district was destroyed  after rebelling against the Capital.  Each year, the Hunger Games pit 2 children from each of the remaining 12 districts against one another to fight to the death for the Capital's amusement.  And as a reminder of who's really in charge.  The book is set at the start of the 74th Hunger Games.  Simply put it is about a girl and her fight for survival.

My Rating: 5/5

Where it took me:  I was Katniss Everdeen.  As I read, I understood her decisions and made them with her.  She got my pity and my respect.  I loved those around her.  Seeing them through her eyes, I got to know them and wondered about them when she was focused elsewhere.  These books took me to her world where I could experience a life I hope to never actually live.

Even more, my heart and soul ached thinking about the world Suzanne Collins created.  Themes on desensitization, war, gluttony and power stood out.  But I also read love, loyalty, compassion and hope.  As I think about the book more objectively, each character stands as a commentary of some quality and the positive and negative effects it can have on the wearer.

In the month since I bought the first book, I haven't completely pushed the story out of my mind.  Upon finishing the third book, I had to go back to the first one and start all over again.  I'm so glad I did!  Reliving their stories a second time I learned more about the characters I barely registered the first time through and began to see the depth of the story.  I'm giving the books a rest for a little while, but I'll definitely be revisiting them again in the not so distant future.  Maybe once I go more than a day without thinking about them.

Super Anxious.

Just to put it out there...  Writing this blog is making me anxious.  Knowing I'm putting bits of myself out on the internet.  Eventually someone will see this page.  They will read what I've written.  They might judge me.  What will they think?

I'm working on letting all that go.  The POINT of blogging is to get readers, to be noticed, to put a little more out than you did the day before and just maybe get a little back in exchange.  At least that's what I think all this is about.  I'll stretch my comfort zone a little more each day.

And I'll end up somewhere.  I don't know where, but I do look forward to ending up there.  Let's see where this goes.

Poor Dear.

Last night my littlest girl, Inchie, was diagnosed with a double ear infection.

Today I’m getting schooled on how different my girls are.

In Bean’s 2.75 years of life she has had 8 ear infections and 3 bouts of sinusitis.  One night she’d wake up crying in the middle of the night, a very rare occurance.  The next day we’d get the call from day care that she woke up from her afternoon nap with a slight fever.  We’d sneak her in the last appointment of the day at the pediatricians.  One dose of antibiotics later, the fever would be gone and she’d be back to her usual self.

Those ear infections did not prepare me for this.

No warning, Inchie woke up from her afternoon nap with a fever.  I couldn’t get her into the doctor’s before closing.  She got a little Tylenol and took an evening nap.  I expected her to sleep a little while, her fever there but not bad, and wake up to eat dinner and have a normal evening.

I didn’t get what I expected.  Inchie woke up with a temperature of 103.2 degrees.  Ray was home so I made an appointment at urgent care, ate dinner and headed over.  Three hours later we returned home. Inchie’s temperature was headed back in the right direction and we were armed with a meager supply of antibiotics.

She woke up a few times during the night.  Two doses of antibiotics and she’s still running a fever.  After her morning nap, she ate part of her morning bottle and then threw it back up on me.  This is HARD!

And I’m feeling particularly sorry for myself.  This isn’t my first baby.  I should know how this works.  I’m an expert right?!? 

Why?

I feel left out.

My life is good and I want to tell the world.

There are 20 ideas in my head just dying to expose themselves.

My kids are the cutest beings on Earth.  Really, they are.  I’m not biased.

I just read this great book.

Capturing moments in time might slow it down a little.

Work isn’t always as fulfilling as I expected.

These are some of the reasons I’m starting this blog.  I don’t know where this is headed, but now is the time.  I’ve been thinking about it far too long.  Please join me as I depart from the text and get carried away.