Warning!

I will talk about the end of The Hunger Games in this post so don't read it if you haven't finished yet.

First of all, I'm really excited about The Shack. I started reading it last night, and this will be a quick simple read for all of us. Way to go KaraLee! How did you get such great taste in books?

As far as the hunger games go I really like Katniss. One of my favorite things about her is that she is very sharp and smart, even though she doesn't really know that. She learns to survive in her own day to day life with her mother and sister without batting an eye lash. So of course when she steps up to the plate and takes her sisters place in the hunger games I know she will give everyone a run for their money.

I also like how everything is set up. How the districts don't interact with each other, but for whatever reason they will all listen to the capitol. The entire thing puts me in a weird and strange world I can't really understand.

Peeta is by far my favorite character though. I'm not sure what there is about him, I think he is very wise and knows what he is doing most of the time. The strong and silent type if you will. I'm always a sucker for those. I'm not so impressed about the ending though. I really thought only one could win, and I felt as though it was a little bit of a cop out on the authors end to let both Peeta and Katniss win. And with the capitol being mad at them? Where is that going to go?

I hear the second book is about Peeta and Katniss going back to district 12 but living with the wrath of the capitol. I'm also sure there is going to be some type of love triangle going on with Gale, Katniss and Peeta. Do you think Gale was in love with Katniss before she left? She didn't seem to think of him in that way.

And did anyone else get all teary eyed when Rue died? Her death was the hardest for me. Especially because of how young she is. I hope in the next book they talk more about the capitol and why they are why they are. I don't understand their reasoning very much for having the hunger games. Except to remind everyone how much power they have.

What did y'all think?

September is Almost Here!

Howdy friends!

As I'm sure you've all noticed, September is almost here. I'm sure this leaves you all wondering what, oh what, will be the book this month? The anticipation is nerve racking! I can see you all now getting sweaty palms just waiting to know which book you get to devour this month. I have to admit I have heard several others mention how difficult it is to pick a book when its their turn. I also felt the same difficulty. However, after talking with an amazing friend of mine she mentioned this book. She has also not read it, but wanted to. So in her honor I have decided to choose the book that she wished to read. Well, the wait is over! Our book this month is....drum roll please.....

I personally have never read this book, but have heard wonderful reviews. You can read more about it at www.theshackbook.com if you so desire. I think it will be a quick read, but have heard that it will give us some interesting topics to discuss afterwards, so bring on September!

I'm finished

Surprise surprise. I finished the book last night and y'all better get your butts into gear and finish this book as well. It's worth your time and keeps your attention throughout the book (well at least for me it did anyway).

I am excited to start talking about it. I know there is the second book coming out soon and I want to read that one as well. Although, I'm not sure what the second book could possibly be about. I hear through the grape vine that the second one is better then the first (this comes from people who have a pr- release copy of the book).

Every time I read teen books I'm always impressed.

Where is everyone else with the book?

Oh my!

Shawn. You never sease to amaze me.

I am in love with this book already! I started it only a few days ago and as of right now I'm around chapter six. I'm already in love with the story, the main character and am excited to figure out how this all turns out! I hope to be finished by the end of next week.

Where is everyone else with this book? I can honestly say if you are not reading this right now, you are missing out. Apparently the sequal is coming out soon, cant wait for that!

Truth?

I was going to post this as a comment but thought I might have more to say than would be good for a comment form.

I think it is interesting that this has been brought up, because it seems like an inevitable part of reading memoir these days. I have some questions to ask the group...


Here is a quote from an interview on the book with Vanity Fair:
"During an interview with Vanity Fair last March, Burroughs stood by the veracity of the book, just as he stood by the right of every individual in a free society to tell his story. "This is my story," he said. "It's not my mother's story and it's not the family's story, and they may remember things differently and they may choose to not remember certain things, but I will never forget what happened to me, ever, and I have the scars from it and I wanted to rip those scars off of me."

He claims that this story is his. Is there an ownership that comes from memories? If so, doesn't that ownership give way to a writer to tweak the memories? Or must it be 100% as it was?

How much weight rests upon how factually true a memoir is or is not?


Why is it okay for a fiction writer to have true events in something that is titled fiction?

Running with Scissors: Now What?

Hey, everyone!

I finished the book. Anyone else? Am I the only one?

I hope not. I cranked through it this weekend since it was a quick (albeit disturbing) read.

Was I the only one that kept asking if this was REALLY a true story? I kept shaking my head and wondering how in the world people could actually live like that, and how this doctor could keep his practice for so long.

And how in the world could Augusten turn out like anything resembling normal?