Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - Book Review

Spoilers below on Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins...just in case you haven't read it yet.

I've now read Mockingjay twice. I think the second time really allowed me to slow down and have a broader view. I always expected Prim to die, even the first time. Of course the person closest to Katniss had to die, and that person was Prim.

The thing I noticed the second time was that Katniss was always going to end up with Peeta. I like Gale better, but that's because he's my type. (I also love the 'friends with a guy as a kid and then fall in love' story.) But throughout the book Katniss gives little hints as to who she really loves. Gale is referred to as her best friend multiple times; she has more emotional reactions to Peeta; and Gale is exactly like her. All of which I think she realizes even before Prim dies because of Gale's bomb.

The first time I read it I wrote notes. Here they are:

-  It's so much more psychological than the other two.
-  When she killed Coin I was like, "Yes! She got the right one!" It kept flipping back and forth to confuse the reader and Katniss, but I never trusted the rebels. When Boggs told her not to trust them it solidified my trust.
-  The dungeons where the prep team was held is an unanswered question. I felt jipped.
-  It seems odd that in all three books Katniss is constantly knocked unconscious but is always safe. She never falls into enemy hands while out. Too perfect.
-  I really wanted her to make it into the mansion and kill Snow. But maybe that cold-blooded killing would have been out of character for her.
-  I wanted her to end up alone instead of with one of the guys. She can survive without either of them.
-  Katniss is such a real character. She reacts correctly, not theatrically. Her reactions are what make the book. The fact that she never stands up for herself is real. Or that the strange relationship and problems never become solved is real.
-  She voted yes because it was her way of saying, "This will never end. Humans are sick and will constantly want power, using pain to get it." Then she killed Coin to say she could be better than that. Coin, the only other person who knew they had voted yes for another games. Which hopefully never happened because no one knew, right?
-  It would have been so wrong for Katniss to help forge the new world. She never wanted that. She wanted to run away and be left alone.

What did you think of it? Are you excited for the movies?

Fairy Tales and Offices

What do you picture when you hear a fairy tale? The beautiful maidens that dance across the pages with grace and flair? Or the princes who ride on white steeds and save the day?

A few months ago I decided to picture-ify three fairy tales for a friend of mine, Hanna from I'll Name My Typewriter After the Moon.

Beauty and the Beast

Snow White

Little Red Riding Hood

We are both crazy for fairy tales and would probably live in them if we could, so we both hung these photos over our desks. Hopefully they will help the inspiration flow.


My desk with the three photos in the magnet board in the corner, next to my inspiration wall.






And Hanna's desk. You can tell she spends a lot of time there pouring herself onto pages. It's a well-lived desk.






So tell me, what do you imagine when you read fairy tales?

March Free Desktop Calendar

Sorry for the neglect. There are multiple excuses including family and friends visiting, lots of work, and working on new ideas in the background. So for now here is the March calendar. I thought the flower was appropriate as it's nearly ten at night and my windows are open. (If that didn't make sense, I mean that spring is here.)

Just click on the picture. When it comes up in its own browser window, right click and save the picture somewhere on your computer. Then go to that location, right click on the picture, and set as desktop background. Voila, you have a photo calendar on your computer! And please let me know in the comments if you use it.

February Free Desktop Calendar

Welcome to the short, short month of February. This photo is for wolves and red cloaks and little girls on their way to grandma's house.

Just click on the picture. When it comes up in its own browser window, right click and save the picture somewhere on your computer. Then go to that location, right click on the picture, and set as desktop background. Voila, you have a photo calendar on your computer! And please let me know in the comments if you use it.

Books Read in 2010

Starting with the first books I read this year and plowing through to the end. I won't bore you with the whole list at once. I rate on a scale of 1-5.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore - 3

Good but I don't quite remember it, so either it was a really fast read and I breezed through, or it was not significant enough for me to remember. I would reread it though.

Fire by Kristin Cashore - 3

I liked this one better. Now I can't wait for the third.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman - 2

Strange. Good, but strange. Seemed to mix fantasy with literature...strange.

Zoe by Dirk Wittenborn - 2

About a model. Not my thing.

Dune by Frank Herbert - 4

My first experience of this. Wow.

Hopeful Monsters by Nicholas Mosley - 2

Long, long, interesting, but long.

Culture Smart Germany by Barry Tomalin - 4

Wonderful short snippet on how German culture works and why. Really helped me understand better.

The Other Hand by Chris Cleave - 3

Took a while to get interesting, but man is the end surprising.

Marie Antoinette The Journey by Antonia Fraser - 4

I love a history book that doesn't bore me.

Teach Yourself German

Can't really rate this. It probably shouldn't be included in my book count, but it is a book, and I read all the way through it!

Floating Bookshelves Tutorial

Floating bookshelves are the new rage. You can make them at home for as cheap as you wish. This is about the same as my floating DVDs tutorial, only with books, and I actually made these when we first moved in because it was so simple and I needed to get started on decorating. I just haven't gotten around to posting here.



You'll need some hefty, hardback books that you don't mind cutting into and gluing, scissors, short self-tapping screws, and two L brackets per book.











Measure and place the L brackets at equal distances.











Trace the L brackets and cut away just enough pages to have them sit flush when the book is closed.









You might have to cut into the cover itself to let the book sit flat against the wall when hung.










Screw the L brackets to the pages and then glue around the edges and glue the covers shut.











Let it all dry.

Then hang! Now you have homemade floating bookshelves.

Reread Books in 2010

I read two more books the last week of 2010. So my total for the year is now 59. I'd say that's pretty good considering I didn't have access to a lot of books. I'm trucking through this year already with 5. (Loving the Kindle.) With last year's list I read 60 in 2009 and read 5 books by January 28.

So I'll start with the books I reread in 2010. I rate on a scale of 1-5.

La Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery - 5

I read this in both German and English. My mother used to read it to me in the original French. Wonderful children's classic with a depth unfathomable by children. Definitely something to read as an adult.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein - 5

Read this one with Albert. He liked it and wants to read the Lord of the Rings. I can't say much about the Hobbit except that it's awesome.

Harry Potter 4 by J.K. Rowling - 4

This is my absolute favorite Harry Potter. I bought a fancy signed version in London.

Harry Potter 7 by J.K. Rowling - 2

I don't like this one as much. The movie was awesome. (I hate you Hollywood for splitting it into two, grrr.) It's too psychological and philosophical instead of constant action for me.

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon - 3

Love love love this series. Especially the first one, Outlander. Anyone who can keep me hooked for 1,000 pages and never let up on the humor, love, and action is amazing.

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer - 2

I don't like these books very much. The Host is so much better. But the movies are fun so I reread before the movies. They are quick easy reads when I just want to relax.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - 4

Amazing.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen - 3

Good book. I struggle with her writing. It doesn't quite hook me. But the story is wonderful.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer - 4

This book grabs from the beginning and doesn't let go. The world is well developed and interesting. The characters are heart-wrenchers.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - 3

Had to reread before Mockingjay came out!

And those are my rereads for 2010. I will keep listing what else I read this year in small chunks. Also, I'll have a Kindle review at some point.