August Book Club Picks - YA Fiction

Because teenagers love to read - this month my book club picks are all YA fiction!  (Don't worry - some of you adults may find some books here that you'll love, too!)

Divergent - Veronica Roth

There wasn't a single page of Divergent that I didn't like.  It's sequel, Insurgent, was good as well.  This is a great discussion book for any teenage book club. 

The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman 

I have yet to read a Neil Gaiman book I didn't like.  This one is no exception.  Full of creepiness and awesome characters, this is a book that is sure to bring lots of discussion and love from any YA book club!

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

Chances are there are tons of teens (and adults) who have already read this book!  So, get ready for a re-read, because this book is totally YA book club worthy.  Full of fantastic characters, a weird yet well written plot, and some death, this anti-war book leaves plenty for book clubs to talk about!

 The Book Thief - Marcus Zusak

I originally read this with my book club and fell in love with it. It was one of my favorite reads of 2010.  This book has a haunting, amazing plot that will break you open and leave you wanting more.  I am sure any YA and adult book club will have plenty to discuss with this book.

 The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin

Some people say this book is weird - and I agree, but I probably think it's weird for different reasons. I love this book!  Part thriller, part romance, completely amazing - this book will leave you reaching for the next in the series as soon as you finish.  There are plenty of things to discuss in this fantastic book.

The Winner's Curse - Marie Rutkoski 

This book about a young woman who falls in love with her slave and a society on the brink of war will leave your book club with so many things to talk about.  There has yet to be a single moment in this series that I don't like - I think you'll love this book as much as I do.

The {October} 24 Hour Read-A-Thon

Well, folks, it's September.  That means in just a couple weeks (on October 12th, to be exact) I will be doing the 24 hour readathon again!  I can't wait!  Now, I never promise that I'll make it through the entire 24 hours, but I'll sure try.  As long as I get a chance to read as late into the night as I can make it, I'm a happy camper!  I haven't finalized my list yet, but here are some of the books I am going to read during this October's readathon!

 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Artemis Fowl

Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident

The Hunger Games

Catching Fire

Mockingjay

Fruits Basket Vol. 1 - 4

Me & My Brothers Vol. 1 - 4

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EDIT

  I have decided to add a few more books to my 24 hour read-a-thon pile!  (I was browsing through the library and found some books that look irresistible).

Planet Ladder - Vol. 1-2

 

 

Platinum Garden - Vol. 1-2

 

Chibi Vampire - Vol. 1-2

 

Wicked Jealous

 

Withering Tights 

Another Hunger Games Post

I finished reading all the books in the Hunger Games series. I can tell you honestly that I was correct in my opinion that these are the best YA books I've ever read. Let me get you up to speed on what happened.

*There was a rebellion
*Katniss agreed to be the face of the rebellion - at great expense to herself and her family.
*There's a lot of good deaths. Okay, that sounds morbid. But trust me, people that I wished would get killed did! And it was AWESOME!

Those things being said: get thee to a bookstore or library and read these books!

The Hunger Games

I should give a disclaimer: There are SPOILERS in this blog post. If you have yet to read The Hunger Games, then DON'T read this post yet!

Last week, in like two days, I read The Hunger Games. I am currently well into the second book in the series. I cannot recommend these books enough! Go out and read them. That being said, here are my thoughts.

The book takes place quite far in the future on the continent of N. America, now referred to as Panem. The country is divided into (13) districts, but during a period of unrest and uprise, the Capitol destroyed the 13th district and invented the Hunger Games as a way to remind the country that the capitol is ALWAYS in charge. Basically they can kill you as soon as look at you if you do anything they have deemed illegal (including hunting past a fence that is placed around the woods).

So, in this the 75th year of The Hunger Games, one Katniss Everdeen and one Peeta Mellark from District 12 are chosen to be the tributes for their district. They are taken to a training area, where they are cleaned up, fed lots of good food and trained to kill the 22 other tributes. The person surviving at the end of the games is the winner. Their district is then given food once a month for a year. The winner is also given enough money and a huge house to live very well off of for the rest of their life.

Once the training is over, Katniss, Peeta and the 22 other tributes from the remaining 11 districts are pitched into an arena where they must fight to the death. There is a giant cornucopia right when they are lifted to the arena that is full of food and fighting supplies. So, right off the bat, about 12 people get killed. That leaves Katniss and Peeta fighting career tributes from Districts 1-4 as well as a small 12 year old girl from one district and a girl Katniss has nicknamed FoxFace.

Now that I've given a bunch of stuff away, let me tell you, by the time I got to the end, I really wanted Katniss to be the only survivor. I really did. BUT, that was not the case. So, before I ruin anything else, here are some thoughts:

-I am so glad I don't live somewhere like Panem, because here in the US, we may have people trying to strip away our freedom, but we still have the power to fight and stand up for ourselves.

-I am glad I don't have to hunt for my food or kill other people like that, because the happy happy veggie passive side of me says I would probably starve to death before I allowed myself to do something like that.

-I was happy to see that Katniss grew a pair by the end of the book and stood up to the Capitol.

-Last thought: The book is, hands down, the best young adult book I have ever read! If you haven't read it yet, you need too!

Happy reading :)