Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The second book in the Hunger Games series is fantastic. The reader is easily drawn into the struggle with an oppressive government and how the people in the Districts must fight to save their own lives. I enjoyed the characters and their interactions but find Katniss a little too angry. Well worth the time!
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed reading this book. The intertwining of the Olympic Greek Gods and modern society was enjoyable. Percy Jackson makes for a good hero and his two friends are great sidekicks. You get to meet many of the characters from Greek mythology - each have their own personality twist. If you read the book first, don’t go see the movie. You will be greatly disappointed! I suggest seeing the movie first. The story is more complicated than the movie.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was on of the choices my daughter had for her 10th grade lit class so I chose to read it as well. The story is about two women, both African American, and the choices that they make in a white dominated society (the novel was published in 1929). One woman chooses to pass as white, the other (who could also pass)is deeply involved in Harlem society. The novel raises questions about fitting in and pretending to be something that you are not.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The second book in the Inkspell trilogy is just as exciting as the first, if not more so. This time most of the novel takes place in the Ink World. While the first story had a complete ending, this one leaves the reader hanging and I can’t wait to start the third in the series.
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Interesting perspective from a Pakistani living in the United States during 9/11. The ending is very abrupt and leaves the reader hanging a bit. By the end of the novel, I was not as sympathetic toward the main character as I was in the beginning.
The fourth book in my 100 Book Challenge is The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman and Peter Sis.
Summary: The Brat, as he is called, is the Prince in the castle. Whenever he breaks a rule, his punishment is to watch another young boy, Jemmy, to take a whipping for him. Prince Brat decides to run away one day and Jemmy follows. What ensues is adventure and smart thinking by Jemmy and Prince Brat learning to appreciate the help of others.
My Thoughts: This book was written for ages 9 through 12 and is only 112 pages long. The story was invented and there is a good lesson to learn.
The third book in my 100 Book Challenge is Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham.
Summary: This is the story of Nathaniel Bowditch (b. 1773). Nathaniel attending school until he was 10 years old and then entered into an indentured contract. At nights, he would study mathematics, Latin, French, surveying and navigation. He sailed to the East Indies five times and improved navigational methods. He wrote a book on navigation that is still used today. Even though he never attended any formal training after 10, he was awarded and LL.D. from Harvard.
My Thoughts: This book was written for ages 9 through 12 and was fairly easy to read. The information on navigation and sailing was interesting as was the story of Nathanial Bowditch. This book would be great for boys interested in sailing.
The first book in my 100 Book Challenge is Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney. My 9 year old daughter received this book for Christmas, so I thought I should read it and see what it was all about.
Summary: The book, which is based on Kinney’s Web Comic, is written in diary format by Middle School student Greg Heffley. The diary is a whole year’s worth of antics by Greg and his friend Rowley.
My Thoughts: While reading the book I would sometimes laugh out loud and most of the situations were hilarious. However, when Greg turns on his friend Rowley in the end and decides not to take the blame for his own behavior, I was a little disappointed. Of course, teenage boys may act in this manner, but I was hoping for some sort of moral victory. Although, I will still let my daughter read the book, I think a discussion of some of the actions are warranted.
It seems my daughter can think of nothing by the new Twilight movie coming out. She is currently reading the third book in the series by Stephanie Myers. The books are very interesting, the last book (number four) being the best in the series. Here is the trailer. We can’t wait until November 21st!
I picked up a new book at Target today, Eat This Not That!: Thousands of Simple Food Swaps That Can Save You 10, 20, 30 Pounds-or More! The book has tons of color pictures showing food items that are healthier at many fast food restaurants. For instance, at McDonald’s choose the Quarter Pounder without Cheese instead of the Premium Grilled Chicken Club sandwich. This will save you 160 calories, 3 g of fat and almost 1,000 mg of sodium! Other healthier choices for each restaurant is given as well.
Also included are more general sections included Easter candy, Halloween candy, cereals, vending machine food, coffee drinks, ice cream and a lot more! You also get tips on eating healthier. Sure beats taking a diet pill everyday!
This is a great book to leave in your car when you are on the run and need a bite to eat but want to make a good nutritional choice.
