Catching Fire (hunger games book 2) and Monkingjay (book 3)

By Suzanne Collins.

I heard the second and third books were not as good as the first and I have to disagree with that.  I think they were great but the second is a cliffhanger so be warned.  I can't say much about this without giving away the first so I'll just say the story continues and it's captivating and well done!

Let's Pretend this never happened

By Jennie Lawson (the bloggess)

This was witty and funny and a mostly true memoir.  It had some stories she mentioned in her blog I follow but lots of new stuff and history.  I really enjoyed it and it was a nice break.

Game of Thrones (Song of Ice and Fire book 1)

by George R.R. Martin.

Well I just finished the first book in this series last night and wow what a great ending!  Definitely makes you want to start the second immediately and I can't wait to watch the tv series since I hear it's very good as well.  This book has a lot going on, multiple characters are followed so you get multiple perspectives and it's hard to choose who to get behind for this game of thrones.  It took a little while to get into because it was hard to follow with a different character each chapter but once I got to know everyone it really took off.  I would definitely recommend this book to anyone!

Hunger Games

By Suzanne Collins.

Wow, I won't spoil this for anyone but it is a captivating must read set in the future, a very controlled, bizarre future where people live in districts and are ruled by the Capitol.  Easch year, two young adults are chosen from each district to partake in the hunger games, a survival 'game' with only one winner, the last alive.  It's brutal and heart wrenching and a page turner.  Katniss is a wonderful protagonist, honest and easy to like.  I look forward to the rest of the trilogy and the movie now!

Game of Thrones (Song of Ice and Fire book 1)

by George R.R. Martin.

Okay this will be followed up later when I actually finish this book but I have much to say and I'm going to be putting it aside for just a bit to read the Hunger Games series so I thought I'd write this for now.

This series is epic and intense - think lord of the rings EXCEPT you don't get a core of characters to follow through an adventure. Characters you grow to like die, characters you hate you may start to like later, characters surprise you. This is much more real life - there is no hero, the strong/smart succeed unless they are unlucky or outnumbered. There is intrigue for sure.

I had a really hard time getting into the book at first because there is so much to learn about the new world and it switches between characters each chapter. Until you get to know the characters this can be confusing (I have no issues now).

There are parallel and intertwined stories going on and it's called Game of Thrones for a reason - the kingdom is in peril (it's only newly won anyhow). You really don't 'root' for anyone either, you just follow the story as it plays out - very different than any other book i've read but I'm definitely enjoying it.

So I would recommend this but it's not light reading. I am looking forward to continuing it but will probably take breaks here and there because it's so long. Hopefully soon i'm on here saying i finished at least the first of the 4 books!

The Secret Diary of Miss Miranda Cheever (Bevelstoke book 1)

by Julia Quinn.

Trying out another new author (although i've read one of hers previously -- 10 thinks I love about you).

This one is part of a trilogy that follows the Bevelstoke family (2 brothers and a sister). The eldest brother Turner has been widowed by a horrible woman and declares he will never marry again but he is attracted to Miss Miranda Cheever, a dear and close friend of his younger sister's. Miranda has been in love with Turner since she was 10 and he walked her home the day they met.

First - the reader was a bit strange (and slow) but not horrible. In general this was very good. I kind of wish the main character had done more with writing/diary entries, but she literally just wrote down what she ate/did that day - didn't become a writer or anything.

All in all a good one and I look forward to Olivia's story which is next. I guess the third one doesn't follow the other brother though, so I wonder what happens to him in Olivia's story. I already read 10 things I love about you - dont' know how it ties with the Bevelstoke's though.

Ballad: A Gathering of Fairie

by Maggie Stiefvater.

The companion novel to Lament. This story takes place just after Lament when James is now at the Thornking-Ash school (for gifted students?) and meets Nuala a fairie who can make James even more exceptional at his music (bagpipes) in exchange for siphoning years off the end of his life.

While it's not a sequal to Lament (it doesn't follow the original 2 characters at all), it definitely continues the story from a fairie political point of view. Just like Lament, there is plenty of danger and action to keep the interest high and I finished this one very quickly (2 nights?). I thought it was a great companion book and I highly recommend both of these books. I do hope or wish that the author would write a third book sometime in the future because I feel that there is more to Dee's story as she has not met her potential in the least yet.