During the reaping ceremony in District 12 for the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen, 16, volunteers to replace her 12-year-old sister, Prim, to be a tribute representing her district in the games. The boy chosen was Peeta Mellark, the baker’s son who once threw a bread to Katniss when she and her family were starving.

The two tributes of District 12 would be under the mentorship of former Games victor, Haymitch Abernathy. Haymitch however appears drunk at first but later tries to sober up to impart survival tips to Katniss and Peeta. Both tributes make a good first impression among the show’s audience, which will later help them to get sponsors. Sponsors will able to send gifts to the tributes if the latter needed something desperately during the Games.

Katniss and Peeta soon become among the attractions of the current Games as they appear as star-crossed lovers, thanks to Peeta’s ‘confession’ during his interview on TV about his forever crush on Katniss.

Soon after the Games begins, Katniss finds out that Peeta has ganged up with the Career Tributes, tributes who have trained their whole lives to enter the Games. Does this mean that Peeta was just putting on a show all the time, in the hopes of getting Katniss killed in the Games?

I only read the The Hunger Games book after I watched the movie twice! It was not on purpose that I watched it twice but I went to the cinema with two different people. Anyway, the movie was so good that I thought that I had better read the book fast. It was then that I knew why the book is such a hit with both the young adult and adult groups.

Although the movie version kept me on the edge of my seat, the book was only OK for me. The story in the book is, however, told from Katniss’ point of view, so I understood some parts of the story better. If only we knew what Peeta was thinking all the while! I also liked the conversations between Peeta and Katniss.

As for the said love triangle, was there one? Gale, Katniss’ hunting partner, only appears in the beginning of the book and after Katniss goes for training and the actual Games, she mostly mentions Gale in her thoughts.

Of course I found the idea of children killing children a disturbing one. Thank goodness it is only set in a dystopian society. Parents might want to think first before allowing their children to read the book and the sequels after that.

Sure, there are other themes in the story such as family, love, friendship, survival and the lack of compassion (???). I mean, how cruel is that for Panem to allow these teenagers to die on live TV, right in front of their eyes while they cheer on the surviving tributes and bet on the potential victor? It is quite sick, actually.

And so, it is up to several characters in the story to not be inhuman, thus rebelling against the cruel Capitol.

I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy, Catching Fire.

First, I’ve always loved the idea of journalling. I just like the word ‘journal’, whether it’s just like writing in a diary or keeping a reading journal. Though I have two reading journals, I have yet to write anything in them yet!

Anyway, back to this Q and A a Day: 5-Year Journal (Potter Style), which I bought from Amazon at USD11.55 (MYR35.31) in February this year. What intrigued me about this journal is that it is filled with different questions for each day of the year and that you can answer the particular question for that particular day for the next five years! Isn’t that interesting???

Here are some examples of the questions for a day:

March 1 – How could today have been better?
March 2 – Salty or sweet?
April 1 – Who are you fooling?
June 14 – Did you exercise today?
July 4 – ______ is funny.
August 28 – How would you describe your victory dance?

Yup, that and other mind-boggling questions which you might or might not need to crack your heads over the answers. After five years or less, you can already start comparing how your answers have changed or evolved, as long as you are consistent in writing them down in the journal.

It is a sturdy little brown, hardcover book with gilded edges and thick, good quality pages in it. On each page, there is the date and the day’s question at the top. For the answers, you can fill in the year (eg: 20__) with four lines provided for you to write in. If you have large handwriting and if you have a very long answer, you’ve got to cut it short to fit in the lines.

I have no complaints about this journal except that I think it could have come with a ribbon to be a bookmark. Other than that, this beautiful little book is definitely a keeper! Looking forward to reading and laughing over my answers in the future!

Anyway, I saw this book – Memoirs Are Made of This – A Little Black Dress book on my sister’s bookshelf the other day and read the back cover. The first line in the book synopsis, ‘How to get ahead in journalism’ got my attention and from there I began reading the book.

It’s about Venus Gilroy, 25, who has had three ex-husbands. She’s broke, jobless and heartbroken over the divorce with her most-loved ex-husband, Tremaynne.

Venus however jumps at the opportunity to improve herself by taking computer classes. Before she knows it, she has agreed to become the personal assistant of the domineering Susanna Hyde, famed sex columnist for Aura magazine, in New York!

Soon, Venus finds herself busy with work and not much time for anything else, like falling in love with a new guy for example. However, she does not mind the work load which gives her the opportunity to learn new things. Besides, she has to try to keep up with the multitude of demands from her boss, Susanna, who is a highly-ambitious woman.

In the middle of it all, Venus meets a couple of men (and woman). They are Giles Travaille (a photographer), Josh O’Connell (Susanna’s toy boy) and Mary-Joseph Capistrano (the apartment’s super). Venus really likes Josh but cannot get him as he seems to be infatuated with Susanna.

Overall, this book is a quick read and a light-hearted one as chick lit books go. Despite me looking down at the books under the ‘Little Black Dress’ tagline, this one was not a disappointment. I was eager to read about Venus adjusting to her new life as a personal assistant to a magazine editor (sounds just like The Devil Wears Prada!). I was also eager to follow to see if Susanna gets what she wants.

As for the relationship between Venus and Josh, it’s not a really strong one throughout the book. Josh isn’t a constant character as he just appears one moment and then gone the next. But his presence becomes constant towards the end of the book.

Before I forget, the word ‘memoir’ seems to be the theme of the entire story. It looks like everyone is writing a memoir, including Venus. Now I’m curious, was this book a memoir too?

Ooh, one of books that Venus is writing, My Three Husbands, is kind of real. Adamson has a book with the same title too!

Mini Shopaholic is the sixth book in the famous Shopaholic series by one of my favourite authors, Sophie Kinsella. The main character, Becky Bloomwood, 29, is busy taking care of a feisty two-year-old daughter, Minnie, apart from going on more shopping sprees!

Minnie is sweet and adorable but at times, she gets out of control that neither Becky nor her husband, Luke, can get her listen to them. When she sees something she likes, she shrieks ‘Mineeeee!!!’ while holding tightly onto the desired object. There is no stopping her when she goes like that.

Besides juggling with parenthood, Becky also decides to throw Luke a surprise birthday party. She feels that Luke has had such a stressful year with work that he deserves a treat on his birthday. But there is a financial crisis going on, therefore Becky has to make sure she organises a party without being too extravagant. Or else Luke would be very upset with her as she has promised not to shop for new stuff until she has worn everything in her wardrobe at least three times.

Quite expectedly, Becky faces so many obstacles at a time. What with not being on speaking terms with her mother and Suze, her best friend, causing Luke to be suspicious of her as she behaves erratically while planning the party and trying to turn Minnie into a well-behaved child, Becky almost gives up throwing the party for Luke. That is until someone Becky thought she would never speak to again offers to help. But should she accept it without feeling guilty about betraying a loved one?

About Becky, oh, what can I say about her? I know she likes to write letters with odd suggestions or requests to various departments and companies. For example, the Central Departmental Unit For Monetary Policy. Somehow, they patiently reply her through official-sounding letters while incorporating the witty phrases she has used in her letters to them.

Becky is not a realistic person. She makes decisions based on reasons which are convenient for her and yeah, she does fib occasionally. When she has gone too far, she needs to find a solution to rid herself of the mess she has made. But no matter what, she tries not to hurt the people she loves.

Like all the other Shopaholic books, I enjoyed reading this one too. It was so such a fun read – definitely a good book to pick up after a long day at work. I was a bit disappointed thinking that the adventures of Becky Bloomwood, though I do get a bit annoyed with her sometimes, would end with this book. But lo and behold, I just found out that there will be another book after this, called Shopaholic Takes Hollywood. I’m gonna look out for that!

The greasers usually get bullied and sometimes attacked by another group called the Socs (Socials) – ‘the West-side rich kids’ as what Ponyboy calls them. One day, Ponyboy finds himself surrounded by the Socs but was rescued by his gang. He was lucky this time because his friend, Johnny, had been jumped by the Socs who beat the life out of him. Johnny has become a much more nervous person since the incident.

That’s the life that Ponyboy knows. He is a good student at school and is on his way to become a track star. But he is a ‘greaser’ who cannot get along with the Socs. There is the difference between the two groups in terms of class, society and lifestyle. Ponyboy usually hangs out with his brothers or close friends such as Johnny, Two-Bit Matthews, Steve and Dally.

However, something unexpected happens when Ponyboy and Johnny come face to face with a group of Socs in which one of them had beaten up Johnny before. The group was not happy that their girlfriends had preferred the company of the greasers during an outing to the movies. They then confronted the two young boys not knowing what happens next – an occurance which will spark many changes after that.

I have always wanted to read The Outsiders because I know it won awards and was listed as one of the highly recommended books for young adults. Moreover, I was impressed that the author, S.E. Hinton, began writing the book when she was only 15 years old.

The important themes in the story are on the different social classes and stereotyping. We also read about friendship and family values as well as the sacrifices that the characters are willing to make for one another. For example Darry skipping college to instead work at two jobs to make sure his younger brothers, especially Ponyboy, are well taken care of.

This is an honest book that will give readers an unforgettable insight into the trials and tribulations of the characters. I also liked the way the book ended.

Oh, I will be sure to watch the 1983 movie version which starred C. Thomas Howell, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez, Matt Dillon, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Ralph Macchio and Diane Lane.

Alton Richards, 17, has a very rich Uncle Lester who is also very old. Alton’s parents always prompted him to tell his uncle over the telephone that he (Uncle Lester) was his favourite uncle and that he (Alton) loved him. The only time Alton met his uncle was when he was six years old during the uncle’s 65th birthday party.

Uncle Lester’s health deteriorates, leaving him blind but still having a sharp mind nevertheless. He hires Alton to be his cardturner at bridge games four times a week. All Alton has to do is sit at the bridge table with his uncle beside him and turn the cards on his uncle’s behalf.

Alton was initially not jumping for joy at spending so much time with his elderly uncle at bridge games but finds himself being drawn to the game. He would watch how his uncle plays at the bridge club and then go home to share with his younger sister, Leslie, of the new things he has learnt.

He then meets Toni Castaneda who is closer to Uncle Lester than Alton or his family is with the uncle. Alton feels jealous with their closeness at first but soon discovers that he enjoys playing bridge and spending time with Toni.

The Cardturner is definitely an enjoyable read. It’s written from Alton’s point of view and I liked the short chapters as well as his easygoing personality which is reflected in the storytelling. There are also simple explanations on the basics of bridge in random parts of the book. You can skip them if you don’t want to know how bridge is played but only want to know what is going on in the story.

I really disliked Alton’s parents. They were obviously only eyeing Uncle Lester’s money and probably couldn’t care less for him. I didn’t like the way they kept telling Alton that he had to say something to Uncle Lester in order for the family to be included in his will. I’m not sure if I liked Alton but I found the characters of cranky Uncle Lester and Leslie endearing.

To me, bridge was a game played by a group of people. That’s all I know about it. And guess what? I still have no idea how to play the game BUT now I do know the basics of the game as well as the terms and phrases associated with it, thanks to the simple lessons given in the book. I didn’t realise that I would like the book so much. I don’t think that just because the book is about bridge that it should intimidate readers who have no interest in the game, like me. I also liked the book because there are funny bits in it.

I realised that bridge was about partnerships and that it’s important for bridge partners to cooperate well during games. Alton learns a thing or two about it which spurs him to want to find out more about Uncle Lester’s ‘perfect bridge partner’. Yes, there are mysteries to be unraveled in this story!

This is the second book that I’ve read by Louis Sachar. The other book was Holes, which I read and enjoyed around four years ago. He has another book, Small Steps, which is the sequel to Holes.

So I was enlightened when I read Beauty and the Beast on my Kindle. Jeanne-Marie wrote an abridged version in 1756 and it was later translated into English in 1757. Not bad, they translated fast, didn’t they?

In this story, Beauty is the youngest daughter of a merchant who had three sons and three daughters. Beauty’s two elder sisters were mean and only cared about themselves. They were jealous of Beauty who seemed perfect in every way.

The merchant lost his wealth and the family were forced to move to a farmhouse. A few years later, in the hopes of recovering his wealth, the merchant leaves for the city. Before he left, the sisters requested for dresses but Beauty only asked for a rose.

Unfortunately, the merchant could not regain his money, leaving him as poor as ever. He loses his way when returning home and finds shelter in a castle. Duh, he landed right in the home of the Beast! He eats and sleeps there for the night. The next morning, he could not resist plucking a rose from the garden for Beauty. The Beast appears and demands that in return, the merchant must sacrifice himself or one of his daughters. The merchant goes back home, tells his sad tale and Beauty offers herself up to the challenge.

That was my abridged version. Well, the story was longer than that but you could read it all under an hour. I enjoyed it somehow and simply ignored most of the stereotypes in the story.

Beauty = good, good, good, perfect!
Beast = kind, a bit stupid but smart at the same time.
The merchant = Loves his children very much but willing to sacrifice youngest daughter to the Beast.
Beauty’s sisters = self-centred, envious, cunning.
Beauty’s brothers = no personality.

Unlike The Little Mermaid, this fairy tale has a happy ending.

Have you read the story? Any thoughts on it?