Basically Books! discussion

So it's time for the group reads of July. (I'm posting early because I've got the time right now.)

Book Synopsis: In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

This is where you can post your opinions and thoughts remember if you're going to include a spoiler use the < spoiler > *insert spoiler* < / spoiler > otherwise known as (view spoiler)[ check out the greatness of the spoiler thing! XD (hide spoiler)]

Yeah i did! lol, i can;t wait

You really should!

I didn't like it TBH.

I did! lol

Well, it turns out I'm really fussy because I didn't like Vampire Academy either.

Well, that could be because Vampire Academy wasn't all that great.

I'll read this one probably next week.

I didn't like the first two pages. The tenses are all over the place. Sort yourself out, woman!

Lol. I can't wait to see what you think of this one. I didn't know what to make of it, but I knew that I didn't like it.

Well i loved it, and well i loved it! 0:)

You love pretty much everything you read, Tara. :p

I can be really picky about my books. I've got more of Franky, Wuthering and a school book to get through before I really devote myself to HG, though. I thought I'd get a headstart on it last week, but it didn't capture my attention fast enough.

I wasn't going to point that out =P

I am too. I'm reading three books at the moment.

ERRRRm! yeah actually i do! must be good luck to me then! :p

Maybe we're too fussy Rea. =P

Yeah i think use 2 is!

coz yeah spellings and grammer may be bad, but the storyline and characters do it for me, so and description!

I have no reservations about doing it, though! :p

It's good if you enjoy everything. Sometimes being picky isn't good. You spent a tenner on a book only to realise you don't like it? A bit demoralising.

:P


Yeah i know! as long as i know what the word is, and i understand the story, then thats helps me like the books!

I'd rather be fussy the majority of the time because it means if I like a book then I've really connected with it.

Oh yes, I agree with that Char. That's why I'm very picky about which books I grace with 5 stars.

Oh well!

See, we're being logical. I've given quite a few 5 stars this year though. A couple are technically 4.5s though.

Mine are mostly 5 starts! then 4stars! so on so on

Great! Both books for July are on my to-read list :) Now, I'll try to get them xD At least I have an excuse to ask for them.

YEY! lol!!

YAY! lol, I'm not reading this one again. Tara's running this discussion.

I loved the hunger games!!! Can't wait for the movie. But two things I didn't like: the names of the characters and the present tense ( I am used to the past tenses in the books I read)

Yep i am running this discussion!

Chris, i didnt mind the names are the tense! but then i am Tara, so how wonder! lol

I was completely shocked after reading the whole series. It just blew me away. I'd never really read anything in that sort of genre, so it kind of turned me in that direction. This series is truly a must-read :)

I loved it! yey!! Hannah what was it you liked about it?

I hated the ending. It negated the whole series for me.

Today I finished the hunger games!!! I read them in a day, lol.
I liked it, it was an exciting story. I confess that I thought it would be more violent, bloody, etc, but luckily.... it wasn't XD I guess I'll read the sequels later, but now I have to read shiver for the other discussion!

And yes, the present tense annoyed me. It was.... weird.

Im glad you liked it, what part did you like the best?

I liked the part in which Katniss allied with Rue. I really liked Rue, she was so lovely and cute!

I finished the Hunger Games last night. I really liked it but the weird thing is I'm struggling to put my finger on why. I think I need to ruminate on it for a while to let it sink it - I read it in a day and a half (couldn't put it down) and it's so fast paced that I think it's sort of a blur.

Present tense used to annoy me but I've read more books like that recently so I've got used to it. Equally, I never used to be much of a fan of first person perspective but don't mind it so much now - provided the person narrating is a good character and the author doesn't slip up and start telling you things that the main character couldn't possibly know!

I really liked the part with Rue too. (view spoiler)[ When she died it was so sad, it really brought home the brutality and tragedy of what was happening. (hide spoiler)] I thought it was a turning point in the book - it made me feel more connected to Katniss. It's not that I didn't like her up until that point but she's such a tough, independent character it was almost like you didn't need to sympathise with her - just sit back and watch in awe at how she's fighting to survive.

Emma, I have something similar... but opposite. I really didn't like it and I don't know why I didn't. I read it really quickly but I felt disconnected from it and I don't know why.

Charmaine Elaine wrote: "Emma, I have something similar... but opposite. I really didn't like it and I don't know why I didn't. I read it really quickly but I felt disconnected from it and I don't know why."

I think it might be a Marmite situation with the Hunger Games because it's such an extreme story. My dad used to buy me second-hand Alistair MacLean novels when I was younger so I've got a soft spot for adventure/war/thriller type books which the Hunger Games basically is.

In fact, I'm kind of surprised it's classed as a YA novel - not because of the violence which I didn't think was that graphic - but other than the characters being young there's not really much that stands out to me as YA. It's hardly normal rites of passage type stuff.

Sometimes I find the line really blurry between YA and adult fiction - or maybe I want to find it blurry because then I don't feel so guilty about reading YA when I'm completely out of the target age-group. ;)

Emma wrote: "Charmaine Elaine wrote: "Emma, I have something similar... but opposite. I really didn't like it and I don't know why I didn't. I read it really quickly but I felt disconnected from it and I don't ..."

Yeah I get what you mean, except most people love it. It's not that I hate it, I'm pretty indifferent for most of the whole trilogy. Fair enough, my mum bought me Horrible Histories so now I really love historical ones.

I know what you mean, it's quite an adult set up. It's not something I'd give to a young teenager.

So do I! I like reading YA though so I'm going to continue to do so. I also like adult books though, I like a healthy mix of the two. Don't worry, you're not the only one out of the target age-group. =D

Charmaine Elaine wrote: "I like reading YA though so I'm going to continue to do so. I also like adult books though, I like a healthy mix of the two. Don't worry, you're not the only one out of the target age-group. =D"

Oh, I definitely won't stop either - I'm enjoying myself too much!

Wow, i got sleep, come back on here, and i miss aload of stuff, wow, i loved the series, so, please read the rest :)

Tara-jayne wrote: "Wow, i got sleep, come back on here, and i miss aload of stuff, wow, i loved the series, so, please read the rest :)"

Me too. I really had to catch up this morning. =)

*ducks out of Hunger Games discussion until the unlikely event that someone agrees with me*

haha

I'm also out of the target group for Ya novels, but since I still look like a teenager, I don't feel guilty. Nobody notices! mwahahaha.

I look like a teenager too. =)

That's a plus for us! And we are hobbits!

Tara-jayne wrote: "Wow, i got sleep, come back on here, and i miss aload of stuff, wow, i loved the series, so, please read the rest :)"

I ordered the rest of the series this morning - should get them Tuesday. If the last two are anywhere near as riveting as the first one, I may well be finished by next weekend!

Jeshu wrote: "That's a plus for us! And we are hobbits!"

Yes we are teenage appearing adult hobbits. =)

Emma wrote: "Tara-jayne wrote: "Wow, i got sleep, come back on here, and i miss aload of stuff, wow, i loved the series, so, please read the rest :)"

I ordered the rest of the series this morning - should get ..."

I read them in a couple of days a piece. They're easy reads. =)

Charmaine Elaine wrote: "Jeshu wrote: "That's a plus for us! And we are hobbits!"

Yes we are teenage appearing adult hobbits. =)"

Maybe you've stumbled upon something scientific and it's actually reading YA that keeps you looking so youthful. Perhaps I should stop buying night creams and add the money I save to my book budget?

Emma wrote: "Charmaine Elaine wrote: "Jeshu wrote: "That's a plus for us! And we are hobbits!"

Yes we are teenage appearing adult hobbits. =)"

Maybe you've stumbled upon something scientific and it's actually..."

Lol, that is quite possibly true. If so we should bottle it as the secret to eternal youth and sell it for millions. Maybe you should because I certainly don't use night creams. All the more money for my book habit. =)

Charmaine Elaine wrote: "Lol, that is quite possibly true. If so we should bottle it as the secret to eternal youth and sell it for millions. Maybe you should because I certainly don't use night creams. All the more money for my book habit. =)"

I'll go through a testing phase and report back with the results. :)

Emma wrote: "Charmaine Elaine wrote: "Lol, that is quite possibly true. If so we should bottle it as the secret to eternal youth and sell it for millions. Maybe you should because I certainly don't use night cr..."

Lol, okay, go for it. Let us know how it works and if we should sell it on. =)