Review: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire By Suzanne Collins

Scholastic Press, 2009

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction

Official Description:
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. Suzanne Collins continues the amazing story of Katniss Everdeen in Catching Fire, the second novel of the phenomenal Hunger Games trilogy.

My Thoughts:

After reading The Hunger Games, I rushed out to buy Catching Fire. This book did not disappoint my excitement at all. I really enjoyed returning to see more of these characters. It was fascinating to see the consequences of decisions made by Katniss and Peeta in the first book and how the two dealt with those consequences. I think that the pressures on Katniss made the emotional tone of the novel even richer. I highly recommend reading Catching Fire and its predecessor The Hunger Games- you won't be disappointed!

Written as part of the Speculative Fiction Challenge.

Click Here for other January Speculative Fiction Challenge Reviews.

Related Reviews:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Swinging Wednesday: Lone Star Championships Invitational Jack and Jill

This is a video of the two song spotlight of Nick Williams and Jo Hoffberg. I really enjoyed watching them dance together. Jo shows off some awesome footwork in the first song and gets the momentum going on the second song. This clip was really fun to watch and it was easy to tell that the dancers were having a great time too!

Upcoming Events:

Portland Lindy Exchange

Three days and four nights of dancing with Seven Bands!

Click here for more information...

Camp Jitterbug

Register early for a great price break!

Click here for more information...

Writing Update Jan 17

This was not a good writing week for me. For some reason, I lost all momentum and motivation. I got a scant few words written on Friday night. I'm going to try re-working how and when I write to see if that helps me to stick to my writing goals. Hopefully, this week will be more productive writing wise.

Swinging Wednesday: Lindy Focus IX Invitational Jack and Jill Jam

More great dancing from this year's Lindy Focus! It's so much fun just to watch the professionals play. I love that they finished off the jam with the California Routine.

Upcoming Portland Dance Events:

Swinging Gypsy Weekend

January 14-16th

Six Live Bands and Three Late Nights

Plus a contest each night!

Click here for more information...

Portland Lindy Exchange

Three days and four nights of dancing with Seven Bands!

Click here for more information...

Writing Update Jan 10

I've been trekking along with my writing projects. I've been writing pretty much everyday and slowly editing this 2010's NaNoWriMo. And I've picked up the inspiration for a new science fiction adventure which I am not allowed to do anything more than brainstorm on until I finish something else.

Working Title: Hive Mind (NaNoWriMo 2010)

Words: 47,553/100,000

Current Steps:

• Rereading and getting Reacquainted
• Basic Edits
• Fleshing out Scenes

Status: 2.5/75 Scenes

Working Title: Greased Gears

Words: 5,419/80,000

Current Step:

• First Draft

Status: 12/36 Scenes

Steampunk Shakespeare

Words: 0/5,000

Current Steps:

• Research
• Brainstorming
• Playing with an idea

Working Title: Magicless World (NaNoWriMo 2009)

Words: 7,889/100,000

Current Steps:

• Re-outline
• Rewrite to fit new setting

Working Title: Zombies Vs Unicorns

Words: 0/?

Current Steps:

• Outline
• First Draft

SteamCon 2010

I've decided to give up on doing a full write up of SteamCon 2010, it's been two months and I still haven't written one so I think I'll just put up some of my pictures and leave a few random thoughts at the end.

Japanese inspired Steampunk!

How Creative is that!

I totally love the dragon!

Random SteamCon Thoughts:

• I loved seeing so many people in costume!
• Even though I was dressed up, I totally felt under dressed right up until the kids in Jeans walked in.
• I really enjoyed the panels I went to even though I got distracted during one of the panels and came out of it with a new story idea
• I love watching Abney Park perform enough that it makes me forget that I don't actually enjoy concerts very much.

Next year's SteamCon theme is 20,000 Leagues under the Sea and I'm already contemplating my costume (and hoping that I get to go since I have no idea where and what I'll be doing. Thank you, Graduate School applications!)

Review: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins

Scholastic Press, 2008

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction

From the Back of the Book:

In the Ruins of a place once known as North American 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 regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before- and survival, for her, is second nature. Without 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.

My Thoughts:

I had heard so many wonderful things about The Hunger Games from various sources that I had been really excited about reading it. And The Hunger Games did not disappoint! Collins drops the reader right into a fantastic possible dystopian future setting. I felt that her portrayal of human nature and the extension of the modern tendency towards reality television into a deadly future game scenario was something that could plausibly happen. I thought that Katniss was portrayed as a very real person. and that she was very easy to connect to and care about. I didn't always like the way she thought or acted but it was still very real. The story continued to build momentum and the momentum carried me through the entire novel in one sitting. When I was finished, it was terribly disappointing that I didn't already own the next book.

I highly recommend reading The Hunger Games. It may be a young adult novel but it definitely contains some very difficult themes that make it fully worth reading as an adult.

Written as part of the Speculative Fiction Challenge.

Click Here for other January Speculative Fiction Challenge Reviews.

Swinging Wednesday: Lindy Focus IX Solo Jazz and Charleston

Looks like some swing dancers got to start the New Year off right. Solo Charleston competitions are always so inspiring and this one is spectacularly fun!

Upcoming Portland Dance Events:

Swinging Gypsy Weekend

January 14-16th

Six Live Bands and Three Late Nights

Plus a contest each night!

Click here for more information...

Portland Lindy Exchange

Three days and four nights of dancing with Seven Bands!

Click here for more information...

Doctor Who Concept Art

Hopefully everyone saw the wonderfully Steampunk Doctor Who Christmas Special! Today's link is to the concept art for the Christmas Special. There is some excellent imagery: both stuff that aired and some that didn't.

Christmas Special Concept Art

Writing Update Jan 2

It's the start of the new year and I've made some hefty writing goals for myself. I plan to continue using 750words.com to get at least 750 new words written daily. I'm currently using that daily writing to work on my Steampunk Mystery, Working Title: Greased Gears. I'm also back to working on this year's NaNoWriMo. I'm starting slowly with some rereading and basic edits of little problems that the rush of NaNoWriMo created. I'm also starting to fill in some more detail and character development which is sorely lacking in my very rough draft. I am also getting back to work on my NaNoWriMo 2009 story which needs to be re-outlined and rewritten to fit the new setting I created for the story. In addition to these novel length works, I'm also planning to work on some short stories including an entry for the Steampunk Shakespeare anthology.

Writing Goals for 2011:

• Second and Third Drafts of "Working Title: Hive Mind" (NaNoWriMo 2010)
• First and Second Drafts of "Working Title: Greased Gears"
• Outline to Final Draft of Steampunk Shakespeare
• Outline and First Draft of "Working Title: Magicless World" (NaNoWriMo 2009)
• Outline and First Draft of "Working Title: Zombies Vs Unicorns"
• Outline Sequel to Hive Mind

Working Title: Hive Mind (NaNoWriMo 2010)

Words: 47,523/100,000

Current Steps:

• Rereading and getting Reacquainted
• Basic Edits
• Fleshing out Scenes

Status: 2/75 Scenes

Working Title: Greased Gears

Words: 2,357/80,000

Current Step:

• First Draft

Status: 2/36 Scenes

Steampunk Shakespeare

Words: 0/5,000

Current Steps:

• Research
• Brainstorming

Working Title: Magicless World (NaNoWriMo 2009)

Words: 7,889/100,000

Current Steps:

• Re-outline
• Rewrite to fit new setting

Working Title: Zombies Vs Unicorns

Words: 0/?

Current Steps:

• Outline
• First Draft