strange and random happenstance

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
Published by: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: March 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

Haymitch Abernathy was born on July 4th which is also the start to Panem's annual Hunger Games. It's the day of the reaping. He has never lived in a world where the games didn't exist and when catching a few quiet moments with his girlfriend Lenore Dove before the Quarter Quell festivities kick off he honestly tells her that he can't envision a world where the Capitol isn't in power. He has a better life than most, a little money in his pocket from bootlegging, a girl whom he loves, and a family he cares about. If he can just get through today he'll be safe for another year. This year though there are double the tributes and he has twenty entries. After the four names are called and he and Lenore believe themselves to be safe one of the tributes, Woodbine Chance, tries to make a break for it and is shot and killed. Lenore Dove tries to keep the Peacekeepers away from Woodbine's body and Haymitch steps in to protect her, unwittingly putting a target on his own back. He is chosen to be Woodbine's replacement. Lenore herself would have been killed for her insubordination if not for the fact that Plutarch Heavensbee thinks her tears will play well with the Capitol. On the train to the Capitol Haymitch appraises his fellow tributes, Wyatt Callow, whose family is into bookmaking, so he knows the odds, Louella McCoy, a sweet girl whom Haymitch instantly forms an alliance with despite the disadvantage to himself, and Maysilee Donner, her family owns a sweet shop so she and her twin sister have always been well-off, Haymitch doesn't think she'll be of much use, but she is far more strategic than he could have imagined. Because District 12 is looked down upon and therefore never really viewed as a contender. This year they aim to change that despite everything. When Louella is accidentally killed during the chariot ride Haymitch snaps. He decides that what he wants to get out of these games is to prove to the Capitol that they are people, just like them, and his death, all their deaths mean something. This means he needs alliances to rival the careers. And a young tribute who's in the game just to control his father might be the key. Ampert Latier, the son of victor Beetee Latier, says his father wants to discuss tactics with Haymitch. And when they meet Haymitch asks if it's possible to break the arena. Time is running out, President Snow has told Haymitch that he will die in the games, and yet, a spark could change everything. Once Haymitch escapes the Cornucopia bloodbath he has a chance. A chance to survive and perhaps start a revolution. After all, he's found the allies he needs, now everything else just has to fall into place. He knows that the house always wins, but there's always an exception that proves the rule. He needs to be the exception.

While no one could accuse Suzanne Collins of writing light fare, the two Hunger Games prequels that have come out in recent years show the true depravity of the world she has created and her creature Coriolanus Snow. And I am here for it. Because I adored this book so much I decided to pick up the original trilogy for the first time in years and I was really struck by how much is left unsaid. Finnick Odair's spilling of the tea is more about what Suzanne Collins omits. At least on the page. Because victors were sex trafficked. They were used for their bodies and for their minds. Little spies for their president. And The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes and Sunrise on the Reaping are far more upfront about these horrors. These show the true darkness, the true depths of despair, and how far Coriolanus Snow will really go. This is a man who will literally poison himself to kill his enemies and will kill everyone you love. He doesn't do anything by halves. And that's what I kind of feel like the original trilogy is after the brilliance of the prequels, it was only half the story. Sunrise on the Reaping showed me why I could never fully get behind the original books, and it's Katniss. Until I got to see Haymitch in action I never realized how passive Katniss is. It's not that she doesn't want to survive. She does everything in her power to survive. It's that she doesn't act she reacts. She's a hunter-gatherer, going from day to day and kill to kill, not someone destined to plan a rebellion, just someone who is in the right place at the right time and is willing to trust Haymitch's instincts to become the spark that ignites the fire. And that rebellion? Well, here at the 50th Hunger Games people are already testing the boundaries in part due to Snow's extra barbarity with regards to the second Quarter Quell. Quite literally when Beetee finds a way for Haymitch to attempt to break the machine that is the arena by targeting the boundary which ends with a literal earthquake and a victory for Haymitch. After all, there's a reason they don't re-air Haymitch's game. It showed the fallibility of the gamemakers. Everyone was already working, already secretly rebelling, it would just take twenty-four more years for the right candidate to arrive and twenty-five years, to the 75th Hunger Games, the third Quarter Quell and Snow's mistake of placing his victims all in one arena, for everything to fall into place. Which oddly made this book a comfort read for me. Yes, revisiting characters you know and love is generally a comfort, but here I took comfort in the fact that Panem was completely at the mercy of a madman and yet by coming together they defeated him. It didn't happen overnight, but it did happen. That's the message I'm taking from this book. It's possible. We can get through this. It might just take awhile. And while we might never fully heal, but a pet goose couldn't hurt.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Capitol, Coriolanus Snow, District 12, Haymitch Abernathy, Lenore Dove, Panem, Prequel, Quarter Quell, Rebellion, Revolution, Sunrise on the Reaping, Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games, Top Ten

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
Published by: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: March 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The phenomenal fifth book in the Hunger Games series!

When you've been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch's name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He's torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who's nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he's been set up to fail. But there's something in him that wants to fight...and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena."

I didn't think I'd love The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes as much as I did, so, here's hoping this book surprises me as well. I can't wait to read it.

Aunt Tigress by Emily Yu-Xuan Qin
Published by: DAW
Publication Date: March 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From debut author Emily Yu-Xuan Qin comes a snarky urban fantasy novel inspired by Chinese and First Nation mythology and bursting with wit, compelling characters, and LGBTQIA+ representation.

Readers of Seanan McGuire, Ilona Andrews, and Ben Aaronovitch will devour this gory story - and the sweet-as-Canadian-maple-syrup sapphic romance at its monstrous heart.

Tam hasn't eaten anyone in years.

She is now Mama's soft-spoken, vegan daughter - everything dangerous about her is cut out.

But when Tam's estranged Aunt Tigress is found murdered and skinned, Tam inherits an undead fox in a shoebox, and an ensemble of old enemies.

The demons, the ghosts, the gods running coffee shops by the river? Fine. The tentacled thing stalking Tam across the city? Absolutely not. And when Tam realizes the girl she's falling in love with might be yet another loose end from her past? That's just the brassy, beautiful cherry on top.

Because no matter how quietly she lives, Tam can't hide from her voracious upbringing, nor the suffering she caused. As she navigates romance, redemption, and the end of the world, she can't help but wonder...

Do monsters even deserve happy endings?

With worldbuilding inspired by Chinese folklore and the Siksiká Nation in Canada, LGBTQIA+ representation, and a sapphic romance, Aunt Tigress is at once familiar and breathtakingly innovative."

I can see the reason why this book is getting Ben Aaronovitch comparisons, which I love, but it's also so uniquely itself.

The Hymn to Dionysus by Natasha Pulley
Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication Date: March 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A timely reimagining of the story of Dionysus - Greek god of ecstasy, revelry, and ruin - and a captivating queer love story for readers of The Song of Achilles and Elektra.

Raised in a Greek legion, Phaidros has been taught to follow his commander's orders at all costs. But when Phaidros rescues a baby from a fire at Thebes's palace, his commander's orders cease to make sense: Phaidros is forced to abandon the blue-eyed boy at a temple, and to keep the baby's existence a total secret.

Years later, struggling with panic attacks and flashbacks, Phaidros is enlisted by the Queen to find her son, Thebes' young crown prince, who has vanished to escape an arranged marriage. The search leads him to a blue-eyed witch named Dionysus, whose guidance is as wise as the events that surround him are strange. In Dionysus's company, Phaidros witnesses sudden outbursts of riots and unrest, and everywhere Dionysus goes, rumors follow about a new god, one sired by Zeus but lost in a fire.

In The Hymn to Dionysus, bestselling author Natasha Pulley transports us to an ancient empire on the edge of ruin to tell an utterly captivating queer love story about a man needing a god to remind him how to be a human."

I'm always here for whatever Natasha Pulley writes, but this, damn. And look at that amazing cover.

A Gentleman's Offer by Emma Orchard
Published by: Boldwood Books Ltd
Publication Date: March 18th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 322 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The gorgeous and spicy new romance from Emma Orchard, perfect for everyone waiting for their next Bridgerton fix!

June, 1817
Sir Dominic De Lacy - one of the season's most eligible gentlemen - has recently proposed marriage... to a woman he scarcely knows. But his father's choice for him, Miss Maria Nightingale, seems amiable, and at 29, Dominic cannot live the life of a bachelor forever. He hopes he can provide a happy future for her as they learn to care for each other.

Maria, however, has other ideas. Midway through their engagement celebrations, she confesses to Dominic that she is not Maria at all, but her identical twin sister, Margaret. Maria has disappeared, and Margaret's been persuaded to take her place until she's found - and for that she needs Dominic's help. The pair quickly find they make a formidable team, but with just three weeks to avoid the biggest scandal of the season, time is against them.

But even if they find Maria, can they really hope the wedding will happen? Because, as they are starting to realise, chemistry can't be arranged - and Sir Dominic might just be engaged to the wrong Miss Nightingale..."

Eh, just live as your twin sister forever if it means happiness and you're not actually keeping a secret from your husband... 

Sweet Home Alabarden Park by T.J. O'Shea
Published by: Bella Books
Publication Date: March 18th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 362 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Fiona Turner is about to face two, equally impossible challenges: repair a deteriorating, centuries-old estate in time to host the Queen of England, and turn an all-American farmer into a proper English duchess.

Fresh off a painful divorce, Fiona seizes the opportunity to renovate Alabarden Park and assist its new duchess, Alice Stewart - an effervescent, unpretentious American whose open attraction to Fiona intrigues and unsettles her. As their mutual feelings grow stronger, the professional distance Fiona put between them begins to crumble.

Now, Fiona is faced with two new, equally impossible challenges: keep Alice out of her battered, broken heart, or risk everything and let her in."

Let her in!

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House by Laurie Gilmore
Published by: HarperCollins
Publication Date: March 18th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Fall in love with the brand new spring romance set in Dream Harbor, from the bestselling author of The Pumpkin Spice Cafe and The Cinnamon Bun Book Store.

As a world-renowned chef, single dad Archer never planned on moving to a small town, let alone running a pancake restaurant. But Dream Harbor needs a new chef, and Archer needs a community to help raise his daughter, Olive.

Iris has never managed to hold down a job for more than a few months. So when it's suggested that Archer is looking for a live-in nanny, she almost runs in the opposite direction.

Now, Iris finds herself in a whole new world. One where her gorgeous new boss lives right across the hall and likes to cook topless... Keeping everything strictly professional should be easy, right?

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House is a cozy romantic mystery with a single dad and found family dynamic, a small-town setting and a HEA guaranteed!"

I mean, the Gilmore Girls vibes are strong, just look at the pen name Melissa McTernan chose, she literally made herself a Gilmore girl... 

The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn
Published by: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: March 18th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Practical Magic meets Gone Girl in Ava Morgyn's next dark, spellbinding novel about a woman who is more than a witch - she's a hunter.

Piers Corbin has always had an affinity for poisonous things - plants and men. From the pokeweed berries she consumed at age five that led to the accidental death of a stranger, to the husband whose dark proclivities have become… concerning, poison has been at the heart of her story.

But when she fakes her own death in an attempt to escape her volatile marriage and goes to stay with her estranged great aunt in the mountains, she realizes her predilection is more than a hunger - it's a birthright. Piers comes from a long line of poison eaters - Bane Witches - women who ingest deadly plants and use their magic to rid the world of evil men.

Piers sets out to earn her place in her family's gritty but distinguished legacy, all while working at her Aunt Myrtle's cafe and perpetuating a flirtation with the local, well-meaning sheriff to allay his suspicions on the body count she's been leaving in her wake. But soon she catches the attention of someone else, a serial killer operating in the area. And that only means one thing - it's time to feed.

In Ava Morgyn’s dark, thrilling novel, The Bane Witch, a very little poison can do a world of good."

Do you have to be born a Bane Witch or can you apprentice to become one?

The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: March 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Inspired by a true literary mystery, New York Times bestselling author of the mesmerizing The Secret Book of Flora Lea returns with the sweeping story of a legendary book, a lost mother, and a daughter's search for them both.

In 1927, eight-year-old Clara Harrington's magical childhood shatters when her mother, renowned author, Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham, disappears off the coast of South Carolina. Bronwyn stunned the world with a book written in an invented language that became a national sensation when she was just twelve years old. Her departure leaves behind not only a devoted husband and heartbroken daughter, but also the hope of ever translating the sequel to her landmark work. As the headlines focus on the missing author, Clara yearns for something far deeper and more insatiable: her beautiful mother.

By 1952, Clara is an illustrator raising her own daughter, Wynnie. When a stranger named Charlie Jameson contacts her from London claiming to have discovered a handwritten dictionary of her mother's lost language. Clara is skeptical. Compelled by the tragedy of her mother's vanishing, she crosses the Atlantic with Wynnie only to arrive during one of London's most deadly natural disasters - the Great Smog. With asthmatic Wynnie in peril, they escape the city with Charlie and find refuge in the Jameson's family retreat nestled in the Lake District. It is there that Clara must find the courage to uncover the truth about her mother and the story she left behind.

Told in Patti Callahan Henry's lyrical, enchanting prose, The Story She Left Behind is a captivating novel of mystery and family legacy that captures the profound longing for a mother and the evergreen allure of secrets."

I love literary mysteries!

A Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: March 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"1956, Malibu, California: Something is not right on Paradise Circle.

With her name on the Hollywood blacklist and her life on hold, starlet Melanie Cole has little choice in company. There is her next-door neighbor, Elwood, but the screenwriter's agoraphobia allows for just short chats through open windows. He's her sole confidante, though, as she and her housekeeper, Eva, an immigrant from war-torn Europe, rarely make conversation.

Then one early morning Melanie and Eva spot Elwood's sister-in-law and caretaker, June, digging in his beloved rose garden. After that they don't see Elwood at all anymore. Where could a man who never leaves the house possibly have gone?

As they try to find out if something has happened to him, unexpected secrets are revealed among all three women, leading to an alliance that seems the only way for any of them to hold on to what they can still call their own. But it's a fragile pact and one little spark could send it all up in smoke..."

A little Rear Window vibe.

The Orphanage by the Lake by Daniel G. Miller
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: March 18th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A MISSING GIRL. AN ORPHANAGE FILLED WITH SECRETS.

Hazel wants a new life.

She's thirty years old, single, and her private investigation business is months away from folding.

Her luck takes a turn when Madeline Hemsley, a mysterious socialite, pays Hazel a visit with an offer too enticing to resist. An orphan girl has disappeared from a children's home - The Orphanage by the Lake, as the locals call it - and Madeline wants Hazel to find her.

At first glance, it appears to be a standard runaway case, but as Hazel plunges into the investigation, she finds signs of something more: unexplained blood stains, cryptic symbols, sinister figures shadowing her every move. The more she digs, the more she realizes that The Orphanage by the Lake holds terrifying secrets, and even worse...

...so does Madeline.

Fans of Freida McFadden's The Housemaid, Charlie Donlea's The Girl Who Was Taken, and Karin Slaughter's Pretty Girls will love this twisty, suspenseful thill-ride."

I mean, if you have something to hide, perhaps going into a business of uncovering secrets isn't the wisest move...

Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder by Bellamy Rose
Published by: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Publication Date: March 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A spoiled heiress must investigate her grandmother's death in order to gain back her trust fund, all while discovering how to be her own person and maybe even in falling in love in this rom-com meets murder mystery.

When Pomona Afton, Upper East Side hotel heiress, stumbles out of a gala and upon the scene of her grandmother's murder, her first thought is that the society queen won't be missed for her kind, cookie-baking ways. In fact, she was mean, greedy, and paranoid - so paranoid that she secretly slipped a clause into her will mandating that, should she die an unnatural death, all the family assets get frozen. And if the "unnatural death" isn’t explained? Those accounts stay frozen.

Practically overnight, Pomona is locked out of her penthouse with no other option than to move in with a roommate: Gabe, the irritable (yet handsome) son of her former nanny. Not only is his apartment cramped, but it doesn't even have a doorman. Or a chef! Pom needs someone to solve this murder, like, yesterday, so she can get her trust fund back.

And Gabe? He needs this murder solved because that's the only way his mother, who toiled for the Afton family for years, will ever get the retirement money she deserves. As Pom's family clams up, blocking the police at every turn, Pom quickly realizes that if she wants her glamorous life back, she's going to have to put on her big-girl Manolos and do it herself…with the help of Gabe, who she's falling for more and more by the day.

Can Pomona Afton (who previously couldn't solve a crossword in the bath on a hungover Sunday) actually solve this murder? And if she does return to her former life of luxury, will it be worth the possibility of losing Gabe?"

The real question, is there a time limit on solving the murder to unfreeze the assets?

The Library Game by Gigi Pandian
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: March 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In The Library Game, Tempest Raj and Secret Staircase Construction are renovating a classic detective fiction library that just got its first real-life mystery.

Tempest Raj couldn't be happier that the family business, Secret Staircase Construction, is finally getting the recognition it deserves. Known for enchanting architectural features like sliding bookshelves and secret passageways, the company is now taking on a dream project: transforming a home into a public library that celebrates history's greatest fictional detectives.

Though the work is far from done, Gray House Library's new owner is eager to host a murder mystery dinner and literary themed escape room. But when a rehearsal ends with an actor murdered and the body vanishes, Tempest is witness to a seemingly impossible crime. Fueled by her grandfather's Scottish and Indian meals, Tempest and the rest of the crew must figure out who is making beloved classic mystery plots come to life in a deadly game.

Multiple award winning author Gigi Pandian masterfully weaves wit and warmth in the Secret Staircase Mysteries. Readers will delight in the surprises Secret Staircase Construction uncovers behind the next locked door."

Oh, I know there's a risk I could be murdered, but can I get an invite to the dinner and escape room?

The Bookseller by Tim Sullivan
Published by: Head of Zeus - An Aries Book
Publication Date: March 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"SOMEONE'S ABOUT TO TURN THEIR LAST PAGE...

THE SETTING
The body of a bookseller is discovered, lying in a pool of blood in his Bristol bookshop. Police have one question: how did the man meet such a violent, murderous end in this peaceful place?

THE CONFLICT
DS Cross's ability to dismiss red herrings is challenged by a worrying development in his personal life. Hopelessly distracted, he needs to rely on those around him in a way he has never been comfortable doing before.

THE MURDER PLOT
It may be a quiet profession, but it's full of passionate, ambitious characters who know the value of a rare book. Their extensive reading means they also know how to get away with murder.

But is that enough to fool the tenacious DS George Cross?

Perfect for fans of MW Craven, Peter James, and Joy Ellis, this is the seventh book in the bestselling series, which can be read in any order."

I think DS Cross has a lot to learn about books and booksellers... 

The Writer by James Patterson and J.D. Barker
Published by: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: March 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"NYPD Detective Declan Shaw gets a call: How fast can you get to the Beresford building on Central Park West?

In the tower apartment, Shaw finds a woman waiting for him. She's covered in blood. A body is lying dead on the floor of the luxurious living room.

Every book in the apartment's floor-to-ceiling shelves is by the same author: bestselling true-crime writer Denise Morrow.

"This is you?" Shaw asks the woman. "You're a writer?"

​ Only one person knows the ending to this story. Is it the victim or the killer?"

So much yes to this, especially the apartment building's name!

Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: March 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 112 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Becky Chambers meets Miss Marple in this sci-fi ode to the cozy mystery, helmed by a formidable no-nonsense auntie of a detective.

A mind is a terrible thing to erase...

Welcome to the HMS Fairweather, Her Majesty's most luxurious interstellar passenger liner! Room and board are included, new bodies are graciously provided upon request, and should you desire a rest between lifetimes, your mind shall be most carefully preserved in glass in the Library, shielded from every danger.

Near the topmost deck of an interstellar generation ship, Dorothy Gentleman wakes up in a body that isn't hers - just as someone else is found murdered. As one of the ship's detectives, Dorothy usually delights in unraveling the schemes on board the Fairweather, but when she finds that someone is not only killing bodies but purposefully deleting minds from the Library, she realizes something even more sinister is afoot.

Dorothy suspects her misfortune is partly the fault of her feckless nephew Ruthie who, despite his brilliance as a programmer, leaves chaos in his cheerful wake. Or perhaps the sultry yarn store proprietor - and ex-girlfriend of the body Dorothy is currently inhabiting - knows more than she's letting on. Whatever it is, Dorothy intends to solve this case. Because someone has done the impossible and found a way to make murder on the Fairweather a very permanent state indeed. A mastermind may be at work - and if so, they've had three hundred years to perfect their schemes...

Told through Dorothy's delightfully shrewd POV, this novella is an ode to the cozy mystery taken to the stars with a fresh new sci-fi take. Perfect for fans of the plot-twisty narratives of Dorothy Sayers and Ann Leckie, this well-paced story will leave readers captivated and hungry for the series's next installment."

Stuart Turton does Altered Carbon.

The Martian Contingency by Mary Robinette Kowal
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: March 18th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Mary Robinette Kowal returns to Mars in this latest entry to the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning Lady Astronaut series.

Years after a meteorite strike obliterated Washington, D.C. - triggering an extinction-level global warming event - Earth's survivors have started an international effort to establish homes on space stations and the Moon.

The next step - Mars.

Elma York, the Lady Astronaut, lands on the Red Planet, optimistic about preparing for the first true wave of inhabitants. The mission objective is more than just building the infrastructure of a habitat - they are trying to preserve the many cultures and nuances of life on Earth without importing the hate.

But from the moment she arrives, something is off.

Disturbing signs hint at a hidden disaster during the First Mars Expedition that never made it into the official transcript. As Elma and her crew try to investigate, they face a wall of silence and obfuscation. Their attempts to build a thriving Martian community grind to a halt.

What you don't know CAN harm you. And if the truth doesn't come to light, the ripple effects could leave humanity stranded on a dying Earth..."

I mean, I meteorite obliterating Washington, D.C. sounds nice right now.

Twice as Dead by Harry Turtledove
Published by: CAEZIK SF and Fantasy
Publication Date: March 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 294 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Rudolf Sebestyen is missing, and Marianne Smalls is involved in an illicit affair with the shady Jonas Schmitt. Both cases converge when Dora Urban, Rudolf's beautiful and mysterious half-sister, and Lamont Smalls, Marianne's suspicious husband, hire Jack Mitchell, a hard-drinking, chain-smoking private investigator. Dora wants Jack to uncover what happened to her brother, while Lamont seeks proof of his wife's infidelity.

But Dora is a vampire, in a city teeming with creatures of the night.

As Jack dives deeper, he discovers that both cases are linked to vepratoga - a dangerous new drug spreading through Los Angeles. Twice as Dead is brimming with vampires, wizards, zombies and zombie dealers, the Central Avenue jazz scene, an exclusive after-hours club, adultery, a New England ghost who prefers Southern California's warmer clime, corrupt cops and politicians, spying rats, and a smart-mouthed talking cat.

When Jack's home is burned to the ground, the strands of his investigations culminate in a showdown at a tire factory, where even the reliefs on the walls are not what they seem. In this unique noirish urban fantasy set in postwar Los Angeles, Jack finds more adventure, danger, and romance than he ever imagined - and learns that success may come at too high a price."

I've always had Harry Turtledove on my radar, but since I started following first on Twitter and now on Bluesky I'm a huge fan!

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
Published by: S and S/Saga Press
Publication Date: March 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians is a chilling historical horror novel tracing the life of a vampire who haunts the fields of the Blackfeet reservation looking for justice.

A diary, written in 1912 by a Lutheran pastor is discovered within a wall. What it unveils is a slow massacre, a chain of events that go back to 217 Blackfeet dead in the snow. Told in transcribed interviews by a Blackfeet named Good Stab, who shares the narrative of his peculiar life over a series of confessional visits. This is an American Indian revenge story written by one of the new masters of horror, Stephen Graham Jones."

Yes to revenge for those who deserve it the most.

The Loneliness of Horses by Andrea Thalasinos
Published by: 12 Willows Press
Publication Date: March 18th, 2025
Format: Kindle, 394 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In The Loneliness of Horses, Andrea Thalasinos weaves a captivating multigenerational saga that transcends time and geography. Set against the rugged backdrop of Nova Scotia and the deserts of northern Arizona, this novel explores the profound connections between two women, centuries apart, whose lives are dramatically reshaped by their fierce love for horses. Amid themes of displacement, resilience, and enduring bonds with nature, Thalasinos crafts a narrative that is as much about finding one's place in the world as it is about the unspoken kinship between humans and animals. A testament to courage and the pursuit of freedom, the story delves into the heart of what it means to stand up for one's beliefs and the intricate web of life that connects us all. Andrea's rich background in sociology and her deep engagement with animal welfare illuminate every page, offering a compelling and deeply insightful story."

My friend Mike did the book cover!

Still Waters and Wild Waves by Angela Harding
Published by: Sphere
Publication Date: March 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 192 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Featuring over 50 original illustrations of dramatic seascapes and reflective rivers, alongside photography of the stunning places that inspired the artwork, Angela Harding's beautiful new book captures the waters that move us.

'A blue-green sketchbook sits at the edge of my studio desk. It is covered in decorative paper that is now frayed and tattered. These marks are evidence of its travels, as far north as Shetland and as far south as the Isles of Scilly. Of days at sea and cycling across moorland. It has sat beside me on beaches and cliff tops, on small island planes and huge ferries, on trains and bicycles. Going to places of old that I have revisited many times, as well as new destinations long lived in my imagination. Some of the pages are stained with Scottish rain and spilt coffees. This sketchbook holds scribbles and memories that tell the tales of still waters and wild waves. Its pages are a record of a printmaker's journey and they are at the heart of this book.'

In this gorgeous book, Angela takes readers with her on her travels across rivers and seas, featuring beautiful paintings and prints, pages from Angela's personal sketchbooks and stunning photos. It is a joyful celebration of water and wildlife across Britain - perfect for art admirers and nature lovers everywhere."

I adore Angela Harding's artwork and can't wait to own this book.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Andrea Thalasinos, Angela Harding, Emma Orchard, Gigi Pandian, Harry Turtledove, James Patterson, Laurie Gilmore, Mary Robinette Kowal, Natasha Pulley, Olivia Waite, Stephen Graham Jones, Suzanne Collins

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Published by: Scholastic Press,
Publication Date: May 19th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 528 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

Coriolanus Snow's life is about keeping up appearances. No one must know how far the great and illustrious Snows have fallen since the Dark Days. That Coriolanus, his cousin Tigris, and their Grandma'am struggle daily to put food on the table and clothes on their back. Coriolanus is a top student at the Academy but if he has any hopes of continuing on to the University he needs a full ride, something The Hunger Games could give him through the Plinth Prize, a monetary reward set up by the father of one of his classmates. If the tribute Coriolanus is assigned to mentor in the tenth annual Hunger Games wins all his worries will evaporate. But then he gets a slap in the face, he's assigned District 12's female. He knows he has no chance of winning with a tribute from this district, but he must try. This might just involve rewriting the rules but he will do anything to succeed. Lucy Gray Baird might seem unlikely to win, but she captured the hearts and minds of the Capital during the reaping with a song. He decides this unique individual needs a different approach than is traditional, so he greets her when she arrives and treats her like a human being. He makes sure she is taken care of and fed. She rewards his kindness by saving his life when the Capital Arena is bombed during a tour organized for the mentors and tributes. He knows he can't let Lucy Gray be just more fodder in the arena. If she can stay alive long enough she has a chance. Luckily Coriolanus's scheme to allow inhabitants of the Capital to bet on and sponsor tributes has been enacted by the Gamemakers and Lucy is a favorite of the viewers. The only problem is Coriolanus is starting to have too much of a personal investment in Lucy. He doesn't just care about the Plinth Prize anymore, he cares about her, and that makes him reckless. He cheats. He's caught. He's punished. He must find a way to rise again. No matter the cost.

It is a sadly rare occurrence when one of the year's most anticipated books is actually worthy of that accolade. But maybe that's just my jaded opinion because I so rarely agree with all those "best of" lists. Yet another reason for why I make my own. Therefore I was delighted when The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes actually exceeded my expectations as well as proving to all those people who said the title seemed to be randomly generated by a YA book title generator how wrong they were because it makes so much sense in context! IT MAKES SENSE PEOPLE! And yes, I'm dredging up arguments I had with people online almost two years ago over a title of a not yet released at that time book. It's what I do. You'd think a prequel starring an anti-hero who by the time we've met him later is an out and out villain would lack any way for the reader to connect and be invested in the character's journey, but you'd be so wrong. It's not that I felt emotionally invested in Coriolanus, it's that I felt pity for him and became invested in how he manipulated the world around him and those in his orbit to survive and thrive. It was a peak behind the curtain, seeing that this man, at one time, had vulnerabilities and how he exploited his connections to armor himself. There was even a glimpse at redemption, that maybe we had judged him all wrong, until the worm twisted. This isn't A Christmas Carol people, Coriolanus isn't going to give a goose to a poor family after a pleasant memory of charades. He's a tyrant who will die a tyrant after the violent overthrowing of the Capital. What's more we see how Coriolanus's need to grasp the golden ring leads him to make connections that others wouldn't. He finds ways to make The Hunger Games not just a punishment for the other Districts but something those in the Capital can be invested in. Again, this is all backstage stuff, we're seeing how the Capital suffered in the wake of the District uprisings and how they were ravaged and how revenge then festered and bloomed into The Hunger Games as we know them in Katniss's time. This is about the complete human experience, deprivation, desire, determination, and death. This is a prequel not just worthy of the original series but perhaps even better.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Christmas Carol, Antihero, Coriolanus Snow, Dark Days, District 12, Gamemakers, Katniss Everdeen, Lucy Gray Baird, Money, Suzanne Collins, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, The Capital, The Hunger Games, YA

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Published by: Scholastic Press,
Publication Date: May 19th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 528 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Ambition will fuel him.
Competition will drive him.
But power has its price.

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He’s been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined - every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute...and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes."

Because, what better way to distract yourself from the collapse of civilization than to read about a favorite post apocalyptic world?

Lost in Space: Infinity's Edge by Kevin Emerson
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: May 19th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The second thrilling, original novel based on Netflix's smash hit Lost in Space! This all-new story focuses on twelve-year-old Will Robinson and his closest friend and greatest protector - a mysterious Robot with a dangerous past.

The Robinsons - Will, his two teenage sisters, and their parents - are members of a colonist group who had been traveling across the galaxy to establish a new home, only to have had their ship attached and stranded on an alien planet. Just when they had finally managed to get off-world, the Robinsons were thrown off course yet again and were sent drifting toward an unknown location.

Now, six months later, the Robinsons are stuck on an inhospitable water planet with no contact from their fellow colonists or from Will's beloved Robot. The twelve-year-old doesn't have any friends in his new home, until he discovers a mysterious girl...from the future. Her name is Clare, and she desperately needs Will's help to save her family. Will is eager to bond with his new friend, but - little does he know - something sinister lurks just beneath her surface. Can Will find a way to help Clare while keeping his own family safe?"

Here's a Lost in Space book to help you cope with the fact we're only getting one more season of the show. 

These Women by Ivy Pochada
Published by: Ecco
Publication Date: May 19th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the award-winning author of Wonder Valley and Visitation Street comes a serial killer story like you’ve never seen before - a literary thriller of female empowerment and social change. In West Adams, a rapidly changing part of South Los Angeles, they’re referred to as “these women.” These women on the corner...These women in the club...These women who won’t stop asking questions... These women who got what they deserved...

In her masterful new novel, Ivy Pochoda creates a kaleidoscope of loss, power, and hope featuring five very different women whose lives are steeped in danger and anguish. They’re connected by one man and his deadly obsession, though not all of them know that yet. There’s Dorian, still adrift after her daughter’s murder remains unsolved; Julianna, a young dancer nicknamed Jujubee, who lives hard and fast, resisting anyone trying to slow her down; Essie, a brilliant vice cop who sees a crime pattern emerging where no one else does; Marella, a daring performance artist whose work has long pushed boundaries but now puts her in peril; and Anneke, a quiet woman who has turned a willfully blind eye to those around her for far too long. The careful existence they have built for themselves starts to crumble when two murders rock their neighborhood.

Written with beauty and grit, tension and grace, These Women is a glorious display of storytelling, a once-in-a-generation novel."

Just reading the description you know this IS going to be a different kind of serial killer story. AKA, just what I need at the moment.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Ivy Pochoda, Kevin Emerson, Lost in Space, Netflix, Serial Killer, Suzanne Collins, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, The Hunger Games, These Women

Mockingjay: The Final Book of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Published by: Scholastic
Publication Date: August 24th, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy
"Fire is cathing. And If we burn, you burn with us." Katniss may be out of the area and in the medical ward of District 13, but she is not out of the games. The inhabitants of 13 lead a very ordered life with everything planned and regimented, from your schedule printed on your arm when you wake, to how much food you need to survive. All of which Katniss ignores, choosing to sleep and hide. But President Coin has plans for how they will destroy the current government and the Capital. Plans that hinge on Katniss being the Mockingjay. After much to and fro Katniss acquiesces. But President Coin's use of Katniss is very similar to her use in the hunger games... Katniss will be the face of the rebellion with staged skirmishes and perfectly disarrayed hair. In other words, the rebellion will be just as fake as the government it is trying to destroy. The problem is Katniss rings false, she can't act, so in the end she gets just what she wanted, action. She's thrown into situations with her own film crew who then create the rebellion's propaganda. The capital retaliates with Peeta and a few bombs, the rebels counterattack with harsh truths of prostitution and poisonings. One thing is clear, having any of the victors at the mercy of the Capital is now unacceptable and a jail break is planned. They succeed, but maybe they were meant to. Peeta has been turned against them with all his memories distorted so that he no longer trusts Katniss and attempts to kill her. Having the one thing she was sure of yanked out from under her she realizes that it's time to step it up and take on the Capitol on their home turf. A home turf that has been rigged and bobby trapped more elaborately than any arena ever. As the death toll rapidly rises and mutts are at their heals, it is clear that Katniss doesn't plan to survive if she can win. But can you trust anyone? President Snow may be evil, but he has never hidden the fact. A new regime that is built on false promises and hidden cruelty could be a greater sin than letting the current leaders stay. But the real question is, will there be another Hunger Games?

The final book lived up to my expectations, true or not true? Not true, sadly. While I think, in the end, everyone ended up where I wanted them to be, there were some people left missing. Suzanne Collins killed some characters I can never forgive her for. Yes, I know it's a rebellion, yes, I know casualties are inevitable, but still, there are some people who shouldn't die. There are some people who should be safe. This is fiction, you can have the good live and the bad punished. Despite it being a chilling depiction of war, let some innocents live please! I think that's where this book failed me, it's just a long war. Katniss is a pawn at the mercy of this giant war machine where we don't get the minute to minute struggles, we get the greater picture while Katniss spends a lot of her time in a drug induced haze. This book is so contemporary while being a distopian future that it's jarring. The human race has fought and will always fight, maybe even to the brink of extinction. But it's the battle scared, drug addicted, pained wrecks that are left to re-create the world, when all they want to do is retreat. The characters seemed to have lost themselves and we are left with shells. It's a PTSD lineup of who's the most damaged. It's almost as if everyone has become Haymitch. They all have a crutch but have all lost their sense of humor. I am glad it's over, I'm glad they won, but I'm still sad because I feel like it could have been so much more than a post apocalyptic version of The Hurt Locker.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Katniss, Mockingjay, Peeta, President Coin, President Snow, PTSD, Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games, The Hurt Locker

Mockingjay: The Final Book of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Published by: Scholastic
Publication Date: August 24th, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins’s groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year."

Literally THE BOOK of the summer, sadly my summer ends today with school starting... but still, school be damned! MOCKINGJAY!!!

Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs
Published by: Scribner
Publication Date: August 24th, 2010
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A perplexing death in Quebec occupies Dr. Temperance Brennan in Reichs's fine 13th novel featuring the forensic anthropologist (after 206 Bones). The fingerprints of a man who died during autoerotic asphyxiation indicate that the deceased is John Charles Lowery of North Carolina, but Lowery supposedly died in Vietnam in 1968. Unsurprisingly, Lowery's father is reluctant to allow Brennan to reopen old family wounds, but she's determined to find out who's buried in Lowery's grave if Lowery died in Quebec. Brennan heads to Hawaii to seek the help of an old friend at the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), whose mission is to find the remains of American war dead and bring them home. But instead of clarifying matters, Brennan's investigation only raises more questions, including parallel inquiries into a series of shark attacks and escalating island gang violence. Reichs, who once again uses her own scientific knowledge to enhance a complex plot and continually developing characters, delivers a whopper of a final twist."

I really didn't expect any other books to be released today, seeing as most people wouldn't want to share the day with Mockingjay, but I think Bones' friends are different enough that it shouldn't hurt Brennan one bit.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Bones, Kathy Reichs, Mockingjay, Spider Bones, Suzanne Collins, Temperance Brennan, The Hunger Games

Today must be the day for bookcovers! Two, count 'em, two! Books that I can't wait for had their covers revealed today. I'm sure by now you've all seen the new Suzanne Collins cover, seeing as everyone who's anyone is posting it. It makes the wait till August 24th a little harder, but at the same time the book is that much more real, plus how awesome is the title? We also got the new Lauren Willig cover for her Christmas themed book, The Mischief of the Mistletoe. The lovely lady look a little familiar to you too? Could that be here on the paperback of The Masque of the Black Tulip? Who knew her hair was that golden? I sure didn't...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 4:41 PM 0 comments  

Labels: Christmas, Lauren Willig, Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games, The Masque of the Black Tulip, The Mischief of the Mistletoe

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Published by: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: September 1st, 2009
Format: Hardcover, 391 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

It has been six months since Peeta and Katniss defied the government and were both crowned "victor" of The Hunger Games. Six months where things have achieved some sense of normalcy. Katniss' family and Peeta now live in the victor's village with Haymitch and they are now, more then ever before, an extended family. Katniss still hunts and is uncertain how things are with Gale, there was a tentative kiss, but that could mean anything...But now the tour of the Districts is upon them and Katniss has a rather terrifying visit from President Snow. There is disquiet and rumors of rebellion and Katniss must quell these uprisings with her overwhelming public displays of affection to Peeta to prove once again to the world that she and Peeta are not revolutionaries but two kids so in love they didn't understand the meaning of their actions. But it is obvious that the actions of two kids can not make up for the horrors that people have suffered at the hands of the capital, not even the prospect of Katniss and Peeta getting married can put out the fire that has been lite under these people. The only questions remains...with this year being the 75th anniversary of The Hunger Games, the thrid ever quarter quell...how can the Capital make Katniss pay for what she has done?

While I enjoyed the first book in Suzanne Collins' series it really did not grip me like Catching Fire did. I think this is down to two distinct factors, more of a glimpse into the post apocalyptic society that is Panem and character growth. In the first book, while I loved what we saw of District 12, it just wasn't enough, we were too quickly taken away to the candy coated world of the Capital, which I don't really like, except as a contrast to the lives in the Districts. While I can see the reasoning for Collins' doing this in the first book, seeing as each District is kept compartmentalized from each other, I really wanted to know more. But in a book written in first person narration, we can only expect to know what Katniss knows, which at the beginning is not so much, seeing as she lives within this compartmentalized society. Once she wins though she becomes something more to society, and I'm not talking about as a rallying point for a revolution, I'm talking about being above those she grew up with in her District, but also being not on the same footing as those in the Capital. Even more so because in District 12 there are only three others like her, but three others who when combined with the other past victors are an oddity to this society, but eventually they become something so much more. So with her new found "other" status she starts to learn more and therefore we learn more. We get to see the other Districts, though not in as much detail as I was initially expecting within the context of the "Victory Tour," it was enough to show Panem more completely. Also later on through Katniss' interactions with the other previous victors we learn more about each district, where the seafood comes from, where electronics come from, and by the availability of these goods the uprisings can be charted. It's a whole fascinating structure of Districts as basically serfdoms, and I just can't get enough of it! This is what I was looking for in the first book and I finally got it delivered!

But what I find most important is the character development. In the first book Katniss herself as such an autonomous little person, she has her few people who matter to her, but she has basically shut out the world around her. Again, this was on purpose, but she really kept infuriating me with her obliviousness to the world around her, her inability to see that she was loved and respected by those near her, Peeta in particular. When she won, when she finally grasped that the game she was playing meant something entirely different to Peeta, a wall finally cracked, something actually broke through to her. Therefore the Katniss we see in Catching Fire is a little more mature, a little more willing to let people in, a little more willing to expand her family circle and help others. Also a little more willing to fight for those she loves, and not just Prim this time, but for Peeta and Gale and for the past victors. She has forged alliances and not ones that will be easily broken when the time comes, but ones that mean something, ones that she will be willing to risk the wrath of the government for. She had to come to this realization of the world around her in order for her to become the person she needed to be in order to embrace revolution. You can not fight for something you can't grasp. When all you see or feel is that which affects you, then you are never going to hoist the banners, sound the trumpet and fight for the greater good. Katniss has become an empathic being, as have others, even some of the Capitals residents, and as an empathetic person I can relate far better to someone who feels the same and is not so self reliant and walled in. This is a Katniss I can like as well as admire. And who knows...empathy could easily be the emotion that could end these games forever...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:31 AM 4 comments  

Labels: Book Review, Catching Fire, District 12, Katniss, Panem, Peeta, Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Published by: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: October 1st, 2008
Format: Hardcover, 374 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy

In the land that was once North America is Panem, a nation of districts that bow to the capital. Once there were 13 districts, then a revolution and an uprising led to 12 districts and the Hunger Games as punishment. Every year two tributes, a boy and a girl between 12 and 18, are sent from each district to participate in the Hunger Games for the capital's amusement and their continued obedience. The sole winner is chosen by them killing every other child out in the arena, which is designed by the gamemakers to be harder and more difficult then the year before. We follow Katniss, a poor girl from District 12. Only one person has ever won from her district, Haymitch, so people reaped from District 12 are seen as fodder for the canons, especially when Katniss' little sister Prim is chosen during her first reaping. Katniss then volunteers to take Prim's place, Prim was supposed to be safe her first year... Her co-competitor is Peeta, the baker's son who once showed her a kindess and who she will actually regret killing. They make their way to the capital, with Haymitch and Effie, their bubbly "handler." Once in the capital they are transformed into the capital ideal of what contestents should look like and then trained up a bit on basic combat and then sent into the arena. The arena is where the majority of the action happens and where alliances are forged and shattered and where the winner is finally crowned. I will not spoil the ending, but it's pretty easy to guess seeing as the book is written in first -person narration.

The Hunger Games is immensely popular, with it's follow up Catching Fire out yesterday. Personally, it took a long time for me to get into it, but I am glad that I stuck with it. I kept repeating, wait until the games begin to make my final decision, as the games are what the book is really about, and that's where I fell for the book. I didn't have issues with the idea of the games themselves, this seemed like a plausible post-apocalyptic, feral society thing to do, I had problems with the other "reality television" elements. While the game itself feels filtered through the future society, the "make-over" and the appearances of the capital's inhabitants seemed a little too colorful, candy coated and too obvious a reference to shows like Extreme Makeover and America's Next Top Model with a hint of Project Runway. I get that this is a reflection of our society, at times it seemed like she was beating me over the head with it. Also every time she mentioned the outrageous colors of hair of the capital's inhabitants, all sleek, shiny and funky I was reminded a little to closely of the movie The Fifth Element, and I am sure she did not want her book to be thought of in the same light as that horrid movie. I know it was to contrast the stark existence of Katniss to the elite, but it was too comical and heavily reminded me of the Dr. Who episode when the two robots try to "extreme-make-over" Captain Jack with a chainsaw. Which I might add, Dr. Who did very well and Suzanne Collins not so much.

The overall plot structure was a bit too predictable, has a first person narrator really died that often? Plus with Haymitch trying to "couple" Katniss and Peeta I kept thinking, perhaps the rules might change...sure enough I was right. But I admire Collins in that despite the plot's overall predictability, I was still glued to the book. A final thought, I find Katniss a little too hard and heartless at times. I get that it's the society she has been raised in and the life she leads, but some of the things she does to poor Peeta. She can't be that oblivious can she? Also Haymitch's "strategy" for the games with regards to Peeta and Katniss sometimes veered on the edge of too much, almost like they are being pushed into a physical relationship, a bit like they are whores. But in the end, whatever I might say, I can't wait for the next installment, I have too many questions I want answered to cover here, but hopefully I will have some answers shortly (she types as she reaches for Catching Fire).

Posted by Miss Eliza at 1:51 AM 2 comments  

Labels: Book Review, Captain Jack, Catching Fire, District 12, Dr. Who, Haymitch, Katniss, Panem, Peeta, Prim, Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games

Thank you all for entering my 50/50 Competition and answering my curiosity about what books remind you of summer. I large number of you chose Harry Potter, (though this could have been due to my mentioning it, but I'm still going to declare Harry a winner anyway) followed closely by Sarah Dessen, Kristen Cashore, Stephenie Meyer and Suzanne Collins. The books ranged from historical to sci-fi to classics, but our winner had a soft spot for....one of the authors already mentioned...cryptic much?

I just love that due to when books are read, or where they are read, they become associated with a certain time or place, one book might remind you of a cold winters day, another might remind you of hiding in your room late at night reading past when you should have gone to bed, while another might remind you of a perfect day. Summertime reminds me of many books, heavily of Harry Potter because of reading it out on the porch in the overwhelming heat because it was the quietest place I could find and I had to read it immediately. But I am also reminded of the first time I read George R.R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice, I try not to read overly cold books when it is cold, that would be sadistic. But there is also A.S. Byatt's Possession, which I remember being a summer read I was not overly fond of, but still distinctly summer. Finally there is the Lloyd Alexander Westmark series, just as good, if not better then Prydain, everyone should read it!

But enough about me reminiscing, the winner of my lovely prize pack is.....2point0blog! Who loved the Olympic feel of The Hunger Games! And I'm sure everyone remembers Catching Fire is released today!

I would also like to give a runner up prize to Brimful Curiosities, if only because her book was The Land Remembers by Ben Logan and my parents published that book!

Thank you all for the wonderful turnout for this competition, the first, but by no means the last! I already have some interesting prizes for the coming months, one is a biography about I man I truly admire for his dark sense of humor and his artistic abilities. Another, which I will be announcing soon, perhaps even before the week is out, has to due with an author I recently mentioned in my "Tuesday Tomorrow" post and who I'm lucky enough to hear speak in the coming weeks! Road trip for book talks, is there anything better? Well...maybe contests....

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:06 AM 3 comments  

Labels: 50th Post, Barnes and Noble, Contest, George R.R. Martin, Giftcard, Harry Potter, Kristen Cashore, Lloyd Alexander, Prydain, Sarah Dessen, Stephenie Meyer, Suzanne Collins, Westmark

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Published by: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: September 1st, 2009
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"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. "

Today we have two highly anticipated books to look forward too. THE BOOK everyone has been waiting all summer for is out. Catching Fire is the second book in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I'm sure you've had your calendar marked with a little mocking jay symbol awaiting the hour the bookstore opens and you can get all your questions answered. What will happen when Katniss sees Gale for the first time? Is a rebellion really afoot? What will the Capital do to Peeta and Katniss for revenge? Too many questions and hopefully some will be answered before Suzanne Collins leaves us begging for more when Catching Fire draws to a close on page 400! To tide you over while you are (hopefully) waiting for my review, I will be posting my review of The Hunger Games on Wednesday. I bet you can't wait can you? Or are you just hanging out to see if you won my contest so that you'll have some money to go buy the book with...

Must Love Hellhounds by Charlaine Harris, et al.
Published by: Berkley Trade
Publication Date: September 1st, 2009
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Four well-known fantasy writers bring magical dogs into the plots of otherwise standard paranormal novellas. Harris's urban fantasy, “The Britlingens Go to Hell,” pits bodyguards Batanya and Clovache against demons, wolfwomen and two hellhounds guarding some unusual prisoners. In Singh's paranormal romance, “Angels' Judgment,” vampire trackers Sara and Deacon must discover who is murdering vampires; one suspect owns a hellhound. In Andrews's sexy “Magic Mourns,” Andrea, a knight who helps people with magic problems, links with a shape-shifter to find a stolen corpse, but first they must get by a three-headed dog. In Brook's page-turning romance “Blind Spot,” Maggie Wren, CIA operative turned vampire's personal assistant, teams up with a hellhound to find her boss's kidnapped niece. Only the most obsessive dog fanciers will be really enthralled by the passing mentions of canines."

The second book is Must Love Hellhounds, which contains four new short stories, one of which is by Charlaine Harris, set in the Sookie universe. Her story centers on the Britlingens, the bizarre body guards we first saw when Sookie took a road trip up toward Chicago in All Together Dead, the seventh Sookie Stackhouse novel. Their interesting abilities to slid between dimensions should make this a story not to be missed. The other three authors are Ilona Andrews who writes the Kate Daniels Magic books, Meljean Brook who writes The Gaurdians books and Nalini Singh most known for her Pys-Changeling paranormal romances. So be sure to check this one out!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:27 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Catching Fire, Charlaine Harris, Contest, Must Love Hellhounds, Suzanne Collins, Tuesday Tomorrow

Over at Bookworming in the 21st Century, Kristen is running a competition to win an ARC of Suzanne Collins' Catching Fire. This book is the sequel to The Hunger Games and is the hottest book coming out this fall (hot/fire, get it?) Anyway, go over to her site and stay awhile, you might find a book you want to read, or you might win the most anticipated book of the year!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 2:17 PM 0 comments  

Labels: BookWorming in the 21st Century, Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games