I've been reading a lot lately. Well, let me be more specific: I've been reading a lot of young adult fiction lately. Yes, the Hunger Games Trilogy has me under it's spell. I must say, I wasn't expecting this. I heard the hype, but I didn't believe I would like the books this much. The past few young-adult fiction crazes that have captured the attention of my demographic haven't exactly had me spellbound (i.e., The Twilight Saga and Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy). Not since the Harry Potter Series have I been this attached to a group of fictional characters in a book.
But really, it's the escapism aspect that has drawn me in. It is a different type of escapism than the kind I find in most of the books I read. Unlike the scenarios relayed in a funny travelogue or juicy memoir, I can't begin the identify with the situations faced by the characters in The Hunger Games. This means less time for self reflection and more time to get lost in the story. And sometimes this is a good thing.
So I've spent the last couple weeks totally lost in a cloud of the Hunger Games world; sneaking in a chapter over my lunch break and even steaming a few audio chapters from YouTube played via Bluetooth on my car audio. Yes, it is a getting a bit out of hand. It's all I can do to wait the 5-7 days standard shipping time until the third book, Mockingjay, arriving from Amazon. But no sense rushing things, because after that book is read, I'm sure to feel the heavy loss that comes with finishing a beloved series. What shall I read next? Some have suggested Fifty Shades of Grey. But I am a bit skeptical. Comments?
Meanwhile, a full update on my reading list so far for 2012:
(Note: it's only JUNE and I've already completed my one book/quarter goal for the year. Guess I'll have to up the ante to TWO books per quarter...Go.Me.)
Poser: My Life in Twenty-three Yoga Poses By Claire Dederer
A great read for any yogi, but especially for young Moms or for those of us who enjoying hearing Mom stories in hopes of one day 'figuring it all out' before we are faced with the daunting task of being a Mom. I picked up this book on a whim at Target. Well, sorta a whim - the title interested me, so I flipped through a few pages and was intrigued (but didn't buy). On my next trip a week later, I gave in. I love how it's structured: each chapter relates a yoga pose to what was going on in the author's life; gradually telling the story of how she went from a new mom, to nearly loosing her sanity (and marriage), to how she found peace and balance in life through yoga. I gained a new perspective on my yoga practice and it was a refreshingly honest reminder that no one has a perfect life; being happy is learning to focus on the things that matter and to accept things you cannot change.
Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home By Rhoda Jenzen
Recommended (and mailed) to me by my dear friend Sarah (thanks, Sarah!), this is a memoir about the author's experience of returning to her Mennonite roots after a rocky divorce (her husband ran off with a guy he met on gay.com). It was an interesting book (definitely learned a few things about the Mennonite culture that I wouldn't have known otherwise), and funny at times (although not LOL funny). I sorta felt like the author was a bit huffy about all that had happened to her and her current predicament (unfortunately, the book does not end with a hopeful romance for our heroine).
The Hunger Games (Book 1) By Suzanne Collins
The setting for this book is a bit complicated to describe in passing. It is the future (we're not exactly sure when; one assumes +/- 75 years after the 2012 near-apocalypse). The landmass formerly known as the United States is the location (our heroine is from Appalachia - the coal mining district). The Capital (now located somewhere in the Rocky Mountains) has dominated since the time of the near-appocolypse (if you've seen the movie 2012, you'll have a good guess as to why). The Capital now holds yearly "Games" in which a boy and a girl from each of the 12 districts must go and fight to their death. Sounds exciting, right? Well, it is.
Catching Fire (Book 2) By Suzanne Collins
Second installment of this highly addictive series. Basically cleaning up the mess that was created by Book 1. These books definitely read as a series. Once you read #1, you might as well just go out and buy #2 and #3, because the endings of #1 and #2 are completely inconclusive.
