Hunger Games

I know that there is a lot of buzz going around about this trilogy as well as the movie. I will admit I saw the movie trailer first before I knew there was a book, but I was intrigued from the start. Honestly when I found the books it didn't really surprise me because many times when a story seems new, different and riveting such as this one, it almost always is based off a book. 

Anyways, I bought the trilogy on my kindle and over the last week finally got time to get through the first book. I am in love with this trilogy now.

While I was reading I took note of some things that I liked about Suzanne Collins writing style and techniques. Things I felt she really did an amazing job on, things that made me turn the page.

She kept everything moving. There was nearly constant action from the get-go. Never once did I feel like the story was dragging. There was almost always danger or tension lurking around every corner and building up the plot.

She threw in some great surprises. Without giving away things for those of you that haven't read it, she has some great twists thrown in there that a few times made my jaw drop (literally).

Serious internal conflict with the main character. How do you care about someone when you know at some point one of you has to die?

As it gets into the other two books, it starts to become apparent that it isn't only about the Hunger Games and the enemies aren't each other. It gets so much bigger than the characters themselves.  I was absolutely in love with this trilogy, as it seems many are doing. 

Hate to jump on the bandwagon...but I am already buckled in and waiting with bated breath to see the film adaptions of the next two. And I have seen the first movie already twice.

For those other Hunger Games lovers like myself, here are some funny Hunger Games related vids you might find amusing.



Enjoy!

The eBooks Article Drinking Game

Since it is Friday, and many of us are rearing to start our weekends to either, relax, write, commit arson, or other random criminal acts, I figured I would post something fun today. Heck, you might even try it this weekend.

The eBooks Article Drinking Game is brought to you by  Bookavore!

All you need to do to start this game is have lots of alcohol on hand, then start searching for articles about eBooks online... until you can't see straight and your speech is slurred :-)  Whenever any of the following phrases or subjects come up that are listed below, drink the stated amount of alcohol...and pray for your liver.

• “Will e-books wipe out/kill/decimate/pulverize/HULKSMASH/angry verb real books?” — one drink
• Above question is lede — one drink
• Every use of phrase “real book” — one drink
• Expert you’ve never heard of before predicting percentages — one drink
• Any predicted percentage of anything over 30% — one drink
• Any discussion of book world after 2020 — one drink
• “old-fashioned” — one drink
• Passionate defense of DRM — one drink
• Passionate defense of DRM from someone outside the publishing industry — one drink (of the blood of a sphinx) (mixed with the blood of a centaur)
• Assertion that e-book prices are too high, and will lower soon — one drink
• Assertion that e-book prices are too low, and will raise soon — one drink
• Article uses vague Amazon press release stats misleadingly — one drink
• “too soon to tell” — one drink
• “no matter what” — one drink
• “game-changer” — one drink
• “turn the page” used as a pun — one drink
• “turn the page” used as a pun in the headline — two drinks
• The words “cuddle” or “snuggle” used to describe reading habits — two drinks
• Reminder that some people read in the bathtub or on the beach and assertion that e-readers/physical books are superior in this regard — two drinks
• Journalist and/or someone interviewed acknowledges that hir habits might be damaging to an industry s/he loves but cannot bring self to change them — two drinks
• “smell of a real book” — clean out the liquor cabinet, drink until you pass out, wake up next morning, puke, then continue drinking

eBook Vs. PaperBack: My Personal Observations

Last night was the start of a beautiful relationship. I was filled with glee and excitement as I drove home  after a 10 hour work day. I knew as I walked up the front walk to my door there in all its glory would sit a brown box with the familiar Amazon smile logo on the side of it. If you hadn't guessed already, or looked at my twitter, I received my Kindle 3 last night!

Despite the exhaustion I felt from the work day I hurried inside and ripped open the box with much gusto, squealing in delight (yes, I squealed...).  I've had a Kindle App on my Motorola Droid, but this was so much better. Definitely worth the $139 I paid for it. I spent a little extra for a cover, since I am admittedly horrible at protecting my electronics.

I didn't get the one with 3G. The city I live in offers free WiFi within city limits, so I just hopped onto theirs and downloaded several books.

I will be the first to admit that before I started getting interested in the indie author scene I was very hesitant to try out an eReader. Even yesterday I had still thought I wouldn't enjoy reading my Kindle nearly as much as I enjoyed reading from an actual book. I have to say my Kindle won me over very quickly.

Some of my favorite things to note are:

• No need for bookmarks! It saves your place for you , and you can bookmark favorite parts, highlight, and make notes on parts of a book to your heart's content. With a regular book, I tend to be especially great  at accidentally closing the book and losing my place.
• Easier on your wrists. The lighter weight is definitely a plus. I remember the nightmarish weight of trying to hold and read my book of the combined LOTR trilogy...I checked...its longer than the bible and way heavier.
• Environmentally...less paper used, no gas wasted to deliver books to a bookstore, for me to drive to one, etc.  
• Less clutter in the house. I already have shelves that are jam-packed with books. Saying that, some books I might still buy the paperback if I really wanted it.
• I didn't feel like I was reading off of a computer screen...though benefits like adjusting text size are a BIG bonus. I can't adjust the text size in my paperbacks, and this has proven to cause me to read less. Small text puts me to sleep regardless of if I wear my glasses or not. (I'm farsighted).
• I'm also able to load audio books that I own onto it and the speaker quality is great.

Overall, I have to say, boys and girls,  that I think I have switched over to the dark side...I am thoroughly impressed and happy with my Kindle. I still will always have a special place in my heart and my bookshelf for my beloved paperbacks that I currently own. I am sure I will still frequent my favorite indie book store in Historic Sanford  too. But I am quickly falling in love with my Kindle. It is a great way to show support for some of my favorite indie authors and discover even more of them. I can pay decent prices for their e books, happy in knowing that it is them, the authors, that receive the royalties and not some big NY publisher.

-Rayvenne