Camp NaNoWriMo Countdown (April Edition)

For anyone who wasn't aware, November 2013 was an amazing month, because it was the first time in my LIFE that I started and finished writing a novel! I wrote over 50,000 words in exactly 30 days and trust me when I tell you it was NOT easy! But like when I got my first tattoo, immediately after I finished it I wanted to jump right into writing another one, and another one, and another one! The ideas kept coming for me to expand upon this first book I wrote, "Murder on the 'A': A Sterling Addams Mystery" which I intend to turn into a recurring character with several book titles and ideas already lined up.

But somewhere in between spazzing out about that book in November and the SEVERAL months of cold weather and snow and more cold weather and more snow, a storyline came to me. It was faint at first, but as all great stories do, this one just kept growing and growing in my head till I just had to write it down. This story has not left my mind since and is begging to be written. Unlike my mystery series which is geared towards adults, this idea I've had in my head is for the Young Adult genre. And what better time to dip my toe into the magic of the YA world than during these Spring/Summer months with Camp NaNoWriMo?

Lately it seems that's a majority of what I've been reading so it stands to reason that I would come up with an idea, drawing from some of the many YA authors I've read already, namely: Marissa Meyer, Megan Shephard, Veronca Roth, Christopher Paolini, JK Rowling, Ransom Riggs, etc.

Knowing there is quite a craze and a following within the Young Adult world I know I have my work cut out for me even attempting to enter such a realm, but you won't know till you try and so here I am, about to embark on this very different mission. For starters I am going to do something in my book that I believe appears in just about every popular Young Adult novel, there will be NO romance or love triangle, whether it be obvious or subtle. I realize by choosing to leave that aspect out I may be losing a large audience but quite frankly I don't care. I find that 99.9% of the time the Young Adult books I've read would survive just fine (or might even fair better) if they didn't have all that stuff in it. I know with teen angst being what it is today that most YA readers want that in the book. I would also guess that more than half of those who read YA books are in fact much older than the target audience (I am included in that, and proud of it). I'm sure the author knows this and therefore they probably put those romantic scenes in their for that reader as well. Whatever the reason, just know, as I embark on this journey, I am leaving that out of it.

Otherwise, my idea is set in the future, it's rather dystopian in nature but it's not otherworldly. I'm sticking to planet Earth. You won't find any aliens or cosmic life forms or anything like that here. I almost hesitate to divulge this until I've started and finished it but I do want to give you a taste in the hopes that you can at least tell me if your interest is piqued enough to want to hear more about my progress?

Synopsis:

It’s July 4th, and the people of Snow, TX are gathered together to set off fireworks and celebrate Gabrielle Roberts Sweet Sixteen birthday as they've done every year that she can remember. It’s the kind of town where everyone knows everyone else. It’s a farming town that has managed to survive a decade long drought followed by, what the town still shudders to think about, "The Great Flood of 2092." It didn’t last long but the damage almost bankrupted the town. But the people overcame, as they always have, and according to news reports from around the world the city of Snow, TX is now the most sustainable area anywhere. It's also the most secretive. No matter what this small town has had to endure, and with just a population of 572, they are able to withstand anything, be it natural or man-made and someone wants to know how.

As Gabrielle begins to cut the cake the knife in her hand stops rather abruptly when  the town begins to sing “Happy Birthday." Having her birthday celebrated by an entire town always makes her nervous no matter how many years it’s been done. And just when the knife is about to make its first cut, a snow flake falls on the tip of her nose, causing her eyes to cross. From that day on it’s done nothing but snow, not just in the small town of Snow, TX but across the entire world. This trilogy follows the lives of the town of Snow, TX, especially Gabrielle who, with the help of her best friend Abigail and Shakes, a blind orphan boy, they travel across the globe to uncover the truth behind this phenomena.

Is this constant snow fall an unstoppable result of Mother Nature? Or is someone controlling her just to uncover a secret the city of Snow, TX and its townspeople are just not willing to share?

Discover the secret, uncover the lies, and learn the truth as Gabrielle, Abigail and Shakes have to save the world in order to save their town.

Read of the Town: Bridget Jones Mad About the Boy

The 3rd and final book about the life and times of Bridget Jones is here and I've read through some great reviews as well as some not so great reviews. If you haven't already I encourage you to read at least the first book, Bridget Jones Diary. I remember I read it around the time in my life when I was in the mood for "feminine" books or, better put, books where the main character was female. I like the concept of a-day-in-the-life kind of book where it may have even been written in diary form, such as this book was. I assume this third book is done the same way.

If you're wondering, other books I read at the same time as the first one were The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger, Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster, etc.

Summary:

Bridget Jones—one of the most beloved characters in modern literature (v.g.)—is back! In Helen Fielding's wildly funny, hotly anticipated new novel, Bridget faces a few rather pressing questions:   

What do you do when your girlfriend’s sixtieth birthday party is the same day as your boyfriend’s thirtieth?

Is it better to die of Botox or die of loneliness because you’re so wrinkly?

Is it wrong to lie about your age when online dating?

Is it morally wrong to have a blow-dry when one of your children has head lice?

Is it normal to be too vain to put on your reading glasses when checking your toy boy for head lice?

Does the Dalai Lama actually tweet or is it his assistant?

Is it normal to get fewer followers the more you tweet?

Is technology now the fifth element? Or is that wood?

If you put lip plumper on your hands do you get plump hands?

Is sleeping with someone after two dates and six weeks of texting the same as getting married after two meetings and six months of letter writing in Jane Austen’s day?

Pondering these and other modern dilemmas, Bridget Jones stumbles through the challenges of loss, single motherhood, tweeting, texting, technology, and rediscovering her sexuality in—Warning! Bad, outdated phrase approaching!—middle age.

In a triumphant return after fourteen years of silence, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is timely, tender, touching, page-turning, witty, wise, outrageous, and bloody hilarious.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins (Book Review)

Mockingjay (Hunger Game Series #3)

by Suzanne Collins

290 pages

Scholastic, August 2010

science fiction/young adult

Read in 6 days

Another Review...

My Rating: ★★★★

Amazon.com | BN.com

My Review: While this trilogy does not compare to the Harry Potter series, and I was pissed and cursing this book with every page I turned, I cannot deny my inability to put it down. I was sucked in from page one and if not for having a life outside of reading, I would have finished this book in half the time.

I will try to leave no spoilers since this is an ending that will truly keep you shocked at every turn. The first two books were TOO predictable for me. Suzanne Collins probably did that to lull her readers into a false sense of security so that when we get to the epilogue we are so exhausted by the ride we don’t know whether to be pissed or pleased. I finished the book feeling a healthy dose of both emotions.

If you came to this Trilogy looking for something other than teenage confusion, deep loss, senseless murder, and unresolved relationships, you came to the wrong place. This book, on it’s own, is full of all that I just mentioned and then some!

My only criticism, on just this book, without giving away much of the ending, is how she chose to wrap up the relationships that we got to know from the very beginning.

I recommend this Trilogy to anyone who is looking for a quick, fascinating, and (for some) satisfying read.

Summary: The greatly anticipated final book in the New York Times bestselling Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.

The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

Who do they think should pay for the unrest?

Katniss Everdeen.

The final book in The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins will have hearts racing, pages turning, and everyone talking about one of the biggest and most talked-about books and authors in recent publishing history!!!!

If you want to learn more about Suzanne Collins please visit her site.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (Book Review)

Catching Fire (Hunger Game Series #2)

by Suzanne Collins

391 pages

Scholastic, September 2009

science fiction/young adult

Read in 5 days

Another Review...

My Rating: ★★★★

Amazon.com | BN.com

My Review: Unlike the first book in this series I found I was able to read this book much faster. And although she recounts several key elements of the story from the first book in this one (in case for some reason you are choosing to skip the first book and start in the middle, which I never recommend when reading a trilogy) it doesn’t seem repetitive at all.

The book begins only a few weeks (at the most) from where the first book ends. A bit of a non-spoiler here, but all of those we’d consider “main characters” live so they are all recurring in this book. Of course there are Hunger Games in this book, with a bit extra since this happens to be the 75th anniversary of said games! At every quarter mark (called the Quarter Quell) there is a little more excitement as to what happens during the games. At the 50th anniversary, there were double the amount of tributes sent into the games. If you thought 23 deaths were bad (with one survivor) imagine how well 47 deaths were? And the winner of that year just so happens to be the mentor for both Katniss and Peeta (our main characters and one sided love birds).

For me, this books delves more into the adolescent mind of Katniss, fighting internally with herself over the two guys (Gale and Peeta). Both of them clearly love her and where their heart out on their sleeve to her. She, on the other hand, just like a woman, is difficult in making a final decision and truly sticking to it. She loves them both and no matter how hard she tries to love one and distance herself from the other, it fails every time.

The actual games really begin by part three of the book. If you haven’t figured it out, each book is written in three (almost) equal parts. What’s most important in this book is not so much the games but the rebellion and uprisings that begin because of Katniss’s actions at the end of the Hunger Games where both her and Peeta were the winners. She defied the Capital and that cannot and does not go unnoticed by President Snow who insists on making her pay and in doing so, calming the people in the poor districts. The Hunger Games purpose is no longer enough of a reminder to districts 1-12 to remain in control by the Capital. The fact that district 13 was supposedly wiped out means nothing. Katniss has defied them and lived. This is reason enough to bring fighting and action from the lower class against the Capital. The mockingjay, a symbol, a pin, given to Katniss by Madge (one of her ritzy acquaintances and daughter to the mayor of district 12) turns out to be the very sign used by traitors against the Capital.

The ending is more of a “cliffhanger” compared to the first book. It leaves you wanting more which is what a good cliffhanger is meant to do when you think about it, right? If I leave you with one last spoiler it is that, as far as I know, all the main characters (and a few new ones) remain living. At least going into the final book of the trilogy…

Summary: 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.

If you want to learn more about Suzanne Collins please visit her site.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Book Review)

The Hunger Games (Hunger Games Series #1)
by Suzanne Collins

391 pages

Scholastic, September 2009

science fiction/young adult/adventure
Read in 4 days
Another Review...

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ 1/2
Amazon.com | BN.com
My Review: If you’re delving into this series after having read the Harry Potter 7 book series, allow me to warn you now, Katniss is no Harry and Suzanne Collins is no J.K. Rowling! Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, on it’s own, comparing it to no other character defining or author series (of the young adult variety) this book has the potential to be great. Unfortunately, many who read this series will be coming from the Harry Potter era. I’m one of those who inhaled that series, therefore anything that I read after it will automatically be compared and will ultimately fail. But don’t worry! This first installment of the Hunger Games Trilogy has it’s moments of brilliance, surprise, and lessons learned. The triple threat any really good young adult book should have throughout.

Suzanne’s skill in this book are her character descriptions. She leaves very little room for you to fill in the edges on what you’ll have them look like in your head. If you’re anything like me, I appreciate visuals. If I can see the description then we’re off to a good start. She gives a good balance of dialogue to description.

The entire book is written from the point of view of the main character, Katniss, who is outwardly strong and skilled, but inside she is like every adolescent teenager; struggling to find her place in the world. Although the circumstances for this story taking place are pretty drastic in nature, she manages to give every single character such a profound voice and meaning that I’d be surprised if you could not see yourself in that characters shoes, feeling those same emotions and asking those same “growing up” questions?

My only criticism with The Hunger Games is its predictability. It’s obvious where she’s planning to take this story next so I had to keep reminding myself that this trilogy is meant for a much younger mind. It takes me back to the series of young adults books I read growing up and how excited I was and smart I felt whenever I’d be able to anticipate what was coming next in the story. This is a satisfaction that can only be gotten from a well written and properly executed sequence of events.

Summary: 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 is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival.

If you want to learn more about Suzanne Collins please visit her site.