The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

"In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capital surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capital is harsh and cruel and keeps the other districts in line by forcing them to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight-to-the death on live TV. One boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and sixteen are selected by lottery to play. The winner brings riches and favor to his or her district. But that is nothing compared to what the Capital wins: one more year of fearful compliance with its rules.

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 impoverished district 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 weigh survival against humanity and life against love." (jacket flap)

So, I’m sad that I didn’t like this book as much as I thought I would. It was a really compelling read. I was expecting the book to be more violent. It is a book about teenagers forced to kill each other in a futuristic version of reality TV. There was actually quite a bit of the plot that dealt with wilderness survival since the terrain the players were placed in was challenging. I really liked that bit of the story, and the resourcefulness that Kat showed during the entire book. However, I really didn’t like the romance, in fact, I found it more creepy than romantic. Peeta is a cool guy and all, but the fact that Kat kissed him because she thought it would make the sponsors send her gifts really didn’t set well with me. Honestly, it grossed me out. So, while I found it an entertaining read, it won’t be on the list of my favorites, and I’m not all that interested in reading the sequel. Alas, maybe I just had too high of expectation for the book since people were raving about it so much.

Suzanne Collin's website

Fields of Home by Rachel Ann Nunes

Fields of Home by Rachel Ann Nunes
(Summary from Author’s website)
“After fighting her way through a bitter and hurtful past, Mercedes Johnson has painstakingly carved out a life of quiet contentment on a Wyoming farm with her husband, Wayne, and their three sons. Together she and Wayne have survived the worst trials a couple can face, and their relationship has grown as solid and lasting as the farmland beneath their feet. If their relationship is not everything Mercedes might have hoped for, it is enough.

All that changes when the birth father of Mercedes' oldest child returns to Riverton. Dr. Brandon Rhodes, a renowned heart surgeon, has plans for the son he has never met. Resentful at the secret Mercedes has kept for thirteen years, he threatens the carefully balanced life she and Wayne have created. Just how far is he willing to go to gain what he feels is rightfully his?

As Mercedes uncovers the truth of Brandon's intentions regarding their son and the lies surrounding the past, she is torn between what is and what might have been. One choice, one decision, has led her to this place. How can she live with the consequences?”


So, I read this book right before I moved, and never got around to reviewing it. I really like to read Rachel Ann Nunes because she always has an interesting and strong plot. Sometimes I wish for deeper characterization, but her characters are all different from one another with different sets of problems, and attitudes, and interests. I think this is my favorite of her books that she has published recently. I really like how this book explored different kinds of love honestly, and how decisions we make in the past can affect our future. There were all kind of complex levels of emotions in this book and it was fascinating and touching read. I have say I’ve always been a sucker for the kind of romantic love that develops over time and is guarded by fierce loyalty and commitment. I was always the type of girl that liked reading the getting married to the best friend story rather than meeting a mysterious stranger who is dangerously attractive. As a result this love story was right up my alley. So, while I usually enjoy reading Nunes’s books the romance doesn’t always connect with me as strongly, but I really loved this one. I hope you all give it a chance and read it.

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

This story is a loose retelling of the twelve dancing princesses. The number of sisters is cut down, but the basic premise is the same. The girls sneak out in the middle of the night to go dance in a fairy realm under the light of the moon. The story takes place in a haunted Romanian forest, and Jena the main character is forced to run her father’s house during a long winter since her father went away to a milder climate on account of ill health. During this time she must thwart the evil intentions of her cousin, protect her fairy friends, and protect her sister from the night people (vampires) that have recently come to the area.

At first I was a little bit bored with this book, but I really came to like Jena and her strong character. Jena had a really cute romance story that I liked, but one of her sisters falls in love with a vampire. I really didn’t like that twist, because I hate reading about vampires in general. I never got into the whole Twilight series. Yet, I ended up liking her story too, though she was really annoying most of the time, because it had a few twists that I didn’t expect. I had seen this book recommended on a clean reads blog, and so was surprised by one scene where Jena’s cousin is drunk and tires to seduce her rather clumsily. Jena totally stands up to him and puts him in his place, but I found the scene creepy enough to give readers of this blog a heads up. The story plot also focuses on why Jena and her sisters are able to dance with the fairies, and how her cousin tries to find the entrance into their realm to destroy them. All in all it was a decent read, but not one of my favorite fairy tale retellings.

Wildwood Dancing is a decently complex fairy tale retelling and therefore will appeal more to a teen audience. I’d say girls 14 and up.

Julie Mariller's website

Band of Sisters by Annette Lyon

Band of Sisters by Annette Lyon

“When the war on terror calls their husbands to duty, five LDS women are left behind to fight battles of their own: Kim, newlywed and pregnant, frightened of what the future might bring. Brenda, struggling to manage three unruly boys and a crippling bout of depression. Jessie, secretly grappling with mixed feelings about her crumbling marriage. Marianne, wrestling with a rebellious teenage daughter. And Nora, the seasoned Army wife with perfect hair, an immaculate home—and an ill-tempered mother dying of cancer.
Knowing the separation of deployment is extremely difficult, Nora gathers the wives every week to share lunches and burdens. In good company, they worry over safety in the field and stability at home and offer one another counsel and comfort.

But as their personal crises build, each woman faces the risks of forming deep bonds of trust. And when tragedy strikes, they must confront the painful realities of war that pull families apart and bring friends together as sisters.” (Summary from Author’s website)

I read this book just at the right time. I have been feeling lately that I’m in a huge reading rut. I don’t know if I’m just burned out on YA novels or what, but I’ve been frustrated with the books I’ve picked up lately. So, I feel very happy to be able to say that I really enjoyed reading this book! It took a little while for me to get to know the characters and their situations enough to keep them straight, but once I got into the story I was hooked.

Each of the five women are at a different stage of life, ranging from a newlywed 20 year old on her first pregnancy all the way to a classy older woman experiencing her grandmother years. The woman in between these two extremes of the age line experience the struggles that come from rearing infants, toddlers, and teenagers. In short, these woman’s stories individually and collectively explore a lifetime of experiences. I related most with the 20 year old, Kim, who was just starting out her life as a mother and wife. I remember so clearly what that first year of marriage was like, and still feeling like a teenager almost.

I think this aspect of the book results in a work that would lend itself to being re-read every few years. I wonder to myself which character I would relate with most in five years, ten years, fifteen? It would be excellent for Relief Society book clubs, which often have women of all ages reading the same book. It was refreshing to read a book that looked at life from so many different perspectives.

Each woman struggles with their husband’s deployment in their own way, and the book focuses on the struggles that they each face. The author takes great care in showing that each woman has a burden to bear, and their own hang-ups. Sometimes it is easy for the woman to judge each other and evaluate who has got life easier, but in the end they all have trials. They all wonder how they are going to survive the year, and make it through each day.

It is rewarding to watch these woman band together and form a little support group for themselves, but the book isn’t just a pep talk on how to get through a hard life. It really does deal with serious issues, and is sometimes a little depressing. Don’t go into it expecting a fluffy, chick-lit, type novel. Although the book is sad it is ultimately uplifting, and enjoyable.

Check out Annette's website or blog to find ways that you can help families affected by military deployment.
Annette Lyon's website
The Lyon's Tale

Midnighters Book 3: Blue Moon by Scott Westerfeld

Midnighters Book 3: Blue Moon by Scott Westerfeld

When the world freezes into “blue time” in the middle of the day instead of in the middle of the night The Midnighters are confused and a bit panicked. Soon they find out that there is a rift between the Midnight Realm and the real world. The Rift is getting larger and causes “blue time” to happen at strange time. It also causes a little girl to become captured by the darklings. So, the crew must go and rescue the girl before she becomes darkling food. During the rescue Rex realizes that his new powers cause the darklings to recognize him as one of their own. This results in Rex being tempted to join the darklings, but also in them sharing their plans with him another night while they are trapped in the middle of the desert. Rex has trouble remembering the plans, as the old-darklings hid them in his mind, but the Midnighters know that they must work hard to close the rift or humans will once again become prey to huge army of darklings.

The way I feel about Blue Noon is much similar to the way I feel about the other books in the series. The characters were solid, consistent, and strong, the plot kept me engaged, and had a few twists. The setting continued to throw the characters for a few loops. After all, Bixby may look ordinary, but really it’s the strangest place on Earth. I really liked how all the characters had to work together to pull of winning the darklings. Each of their powers is crucial at some point in the book to their success against the darklings. I sort of didn’t where all the characters ended up at the end of the book, but there is a sense that the Midnighers continue. They start to reach outside of Bixby with their new knowledge of the midnight time and contact other Midnighers.

Midnighters is still not my favorite series written by Westerfeld, Blue Noon didn’t absolutely blow me away, but it remains, as the others in the series, a pretty enjoyable YA read for sci-fi/fantasy lovers of either gender.

Scott Westerfeld's website

Two girls of Gettysburg by Lisa Klein

“Lizzie and Rosanna are cousins and best friends, but when the Civil War breaks out, Lizzie finds herself committed to the Union cause, while Rosanna is swept up in the passions of the Old South--and in her love for a dashing young Confederate officer. Torn in their alliances, each girl finds herself grappling with the senseless brutality of war and the sacrifices that must be made in order to survive. It will take one of the war's bloodiest battles--fought on the farmlands and streets of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania--to reunite them. And in its aftermath, their lives are changed forever.” (summary from author’s website)

I thought that the friendship of Lizzie and Rosanne was a bit odd, because they seem so different at first. Rosanne seems mysterious and sort of withdrawn from Lizzie, and I thought that was strange. Lizzie’s point-of-view is normal first person narrative style, but later on in the book Rosanna’s point-of-view is conveyed through her first person journal entries. She begins her journal after she runs away from Gettysburg back to Richmond, and it chronicles the story from the southern perspective. I liked that both Lizzie and Rosanne had surprises in store for their characters. I never would have guessed that Roseanne would have become a war nurse, and reading her experiences was sad, but also interesting. I liked watching Lizzie grow into liking the boy that worked at her family’s butcher shop.
This was a slower paced read for me. I felt like the book was really long and the plot was a little slow. It wasn’t my favorite book, but I enjoyed reading about the characters. I think it also showed a unique perspective of the battle of Gettysburg. It focused more on how it affected the town then on battle, tactics, and soldiers.

Author Lisa Klein's Website

Midnighters: Touching Darkness by Scott Westerfeld

Midnighters 2: Touching Darkness by Scott Westerfeld

In this sequel to midnight hour Jessica and her friends continue to learn more about the midnight hour and how it works. Unfortunately they are learning that the darklings may have a way to communicate with humans, and these humans are out to kill the Midnighters. In order survive they must unravel the secrets behind Bixby’s past and their own powers.

So, I remember being sort of iffy on the first book in these series. It was good and enjoyable, but not amazing. I think this book impressed me a little bit more. I really love the story line with Dess and how she finds out more about Bixby with her math power. She takes all the geographical coordinates in the town and finds places that are hidden from the darklings. Yet, she also finds places that the darklings naturally hang out. That was an interesting story-line to me. In addition Melissa learns how to control her mindcasting powers better, and this time we get to see how her power helps her to find out some of the darklings plans and feelings. Don’t want to spoil too much but Rex also gets an interesting new ability at the end of the story. So, next time I check out books at the library book three of this series will be on my list.

Scott Westerfeld's Website

Don't You Marry the Mormon Boys by Janet Kay Jensen

Don’t You Marry the Mormon Boys by Janet Kay Jensen

Andy McBride knows when he meets Louisa Martin that their relationship can never work out. He comes from good LDS family, and Louisa’s family practices Polygamy. As they go through medical school together at the University of Utah they fall in love. Andy ends up working as a doctor in small Kentucky town. Louisa returns to her home in Southern Utah in polygamous community.

The town elders challenge Louisa’s medical care to the other woman in the community, leaving her with little choices to help those around her. Andy faces down challenges in his own practice, making good friends and several enemies. When both have the chance to go to a medical convention in Finland they meet up once again. This time perhaps they will have the chance to be together again.

Don’t Marry the Mormon Boys was a pretty decent read. I had fun reading about the strange people that Andy met while he was working in Kentucky. There are a few really funny scenes that made me laugh out loud. I also liked reading about Louisa and her family. I liked that the author showed good and bad sides to her polygamous community. Louisa had the chance to grow up in a good home with a good father. Yet, the author also shows that women were not treated well in the community, through the work Louisa did in her clinic. It was nice to read a treatment of polygamy that didn’t completely vilify everyone who practiced it, but didn’t turn a blind eye to problems either. The book doesn’t have perfect writing, and a few scenes annoyed me, but the characters were unique and entertaining.

Janet Jensen's Website

Spare Change by Aubrey Mace

Spare Change by Aubrey Mace

Every year Riley Madsen’s family makes resolutions on New Years Eve, but she hates the tradition. She never keeps her New Year resolutions past February. This year she decides to do something so easy there will be no way that she fails. So, she decides to save all of her pennies and buy something nice for herself with what she saved during the year.

Riley’s work at Cancer Ward of the hospital changes her perspective, and she decides to donate what she saves to cancer research. Without really meaning to, she leaks her plan out to her co-workers and suddenly everyone is donating pennies to the cause. Riley is suddenly in charge of a huge charity drive. During the course of the drive she meets a cute bank teller, Paul, and though they start off on the wrong foot, they seem to have an attraction for one another.

Yet, the penny drive also brings a secret admirer, who keeps sending Riley cute notes, and gifts, each one bearing a load of pennies. She hopes that Paul is the penny guy but it looks more and more likely that he is not. When the true identity of the penny guy is revealed Riley has to make a hard choice.

This cute romantic comedy was so much fun to read. I really loved the humor in this book. It relied more on actual funny situations rather than just humiliating embarrassing experiences that make you cringe more than chuckle. The characters remained true to themselves instead of randomly acting silly to get a laugh. In the middle of all the fun the book has true heart, as it tells the story of people willing to give of themselves for others, and of an ordinary woman, who ends up doing an extraordinary thing. I would recommend this light-hearted book to all girls out there, young or old.

Author's website
Author's blog

The Dead and Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

The dead and the gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer


This book is not a sequel to Life as We Knew It, but a companion book. The plot line is the same—moon is hit by asteroid causing apocalyptic meltdown worldwide—it is the setting and characters that are different. Miranda and her family are stranded in suburb in Pennsylvania. They are a typical middle class, divorced family, which doesn’t have official religious connections. In fact religion is not really mentioned at all.

The Dead and the Gone tells the story of Alex Morales, a son of Puerto Rican immigrants, devout in the catholic faith, and living the middle of New York City. Alex attends an all boys catholic school on scholarship, and does everything he can to prepare for a good college education. He is working at his job when the moon is hit by the asteroid, and doesn’t know what is happening at first. His mom is working at the hospital at her new job as a surgery technician, and his father is attending a wedding in Puerto Rico. Since his elder brother Carlos is a Marine in California that leaves him, a 17 year old, in charge of his two little sisters for the time being. He soon learns that his father won’t be back from Puerto Rico any time soon, and in fact may have been killed in the huge tidal waves that hit the island. Then his mom never comes back from her job, and that leaves him in the huge city fending for himself, and his sisters until things get better or until they can get out.

I really enjoyed reading this book, thought I really liked Life as We Knew It better than the dead an gone I still thought it was a riveting read. It really is much darker than the first book. Alex steals stuff from bodies to buy food on the black market. A flu epidemic hits the city and the bodies lay out on the streets to get eaten by rats. Details like that make this book a bit more depressing to read, but you again get caught up in the characters struggle to survive. Again the theme of taking care of family is a big theme in the book. Alex does all he can to protect his sisters, and you really feel for him when he has to make hard decisions about how to take care of them.

I really enjoyed reading something from a Catholic character’s perspective that didn’t portray the church structures in a bad light. Reading a book with strong Catholic religion themes isn’t something I do often. So it was nice to read something from a new point of view. I’ve discovered I like to read stories about faith. This story doesn’t really bring up the almost cliché why does God allow such bad things to happen, but could still provoke interesting questions about how faith helps us to get through times of trial.

I would probably recommend this one for older teenagers as the themes are kind of dark, but it still an engaging book that is hard to put down once you get started.

Visit Susan Beth Pfeffer's blog