Why I Don't Read Fantasy Novels

After so much hype I decided to pick up Game of Thrones first book to read. Seems like I was missing out in something. I've also been playing World of Warcraft too so I seem to be in this fantasy mood lately. In getting into both more WoW than Game of Thrones I realized there's a reason why I don't get into fantasy much. 

The main reason is the unusual names and places. I have a huge tendency to read over names and words I don't recognize even worse that I have no way to know how it's pronounced so I just read over it. I'm not sure what others do but this is what I do. Funny thing some of them have elements of Latin which I took two years of and I still can't figure out what the name is.

In Fantasy a lot of names and places seem to be different than what I'm use to seeing and it usually I don't want to say scares me off but doesn't make me want to jump in and start reading. I'm not sure if there's a way to fix this. How do others get over this hurdle when reading fantasy or sci fi with a lot if names that are hard to pronounce? 

Re-Reading Hunger Games Trilogy

I wanted to re-read The Hunger Game Trilogy for a few reasons.

1) I felt like I miss or forgot things that everyone kept talking about after the movie and the trailers came out.
2) I actually planned on reading it after I watched The Hunger Games, but never got around to it. Can you believe I've only seen the movie once.
3) I wanted to see after a second reading if my opinions about certain characters or events would change.

The Hunger Games:
I finish the book just as quickly as I did the first book. It was nice to see what they left out of the movie and see how it made sense for the most part. There was minor things I forgot, but I found myself in love the the book all over again and even liked Peeta more, but could be due to knowing what happens to him in the other books.

Catching Fire: As I have mentioned Catchinf Fire didn't really catch me on my first time reading it. This time around I enjoyed it much better and I'm really looking forward to the movie. I was able to see how important this book is to the series after rereading it.

Mocking Jay: I cannot remember if this book made me cry when I first read it. If it did then this time around I knew the ending I wasn't crying or feeling as sad and helpless like I was the first time. I will say that the epilogue of this book always puts a lump in my throat and makes me fight the tears.

Checking In

I hope everyone has a wonderful summer. For the first time I am not back at college. I graduated in the Spring and happen to just land a full-time job as a park ranger. I haven't started yet, but I am excited for the job. I haven't gotten in much reading and I feel horrible. I just opened up GoodReads and saw that for my goal of 50 books by December 31, I have 6 book behind. Eek that's no good.

I decided to re-read the Hunger Games series, but as I have now finish the first two books I am afraid to start MockingJay. I guess because I know what happens and since I do I don't want to deal with the emotional roller coaster of one of the main plot lines. This was the book where I finally got Peeta's role and why he was so important. Now that I already know I don't want to end the story. So I might not get to the last book. Anyone else get like this when they re-read a series or book? I've never re-read a series or book before so I've never had to deal with this.

I am hoping to start reading Game of Thrones and Under the Dome. I also have a free kindle library book that's the second book in the Jackie Daniel's series. The first book was okay, but I wanted something to read that was quick. Well I haven't gotten around to reading anything other than Hunger Games and Catching Fire. I need to start because I feel like I have the time to read I might as well start reading more. I also keep finding new books, but never had the money or the time to find them.

I haven't kept up with other book bloggers of the TBP Challenge that I always start, but never finish. Bad Fallen. I also not sure if I am going to try to do NANOWRIMO since I really have no idea what I would even wright about. Ideas maybe!!!

Hopefully I will have a review up once I finished a book and when I decide to read MockingJay I started a post on how I feel about the books the second time around.

14 Books to Read Before Hollywood Ruins them

I spotted this on Pinterest and thought it was worth a share. http://www.buzzfeed.com/ariellecalderon/books-to-read-before-they-hit-the-big-screen

1. Divergent by Veronica Roth
2. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
3. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
4. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
5. The Maze Runner by James Dashner
6. The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort
7. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
8. The Monuments Men By Robert M. Edsel
9. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
10. Serena by Ron Rash
11. Horns by Joe Hill
12. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
13. The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp
14. Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight

So out of this list I have read 3 of the books Divergent, The Book Thief and The Maze Runner. All books I loved and hope they don't get too destroyed by the movies, but we'll see. The one on this list I have an interest in reading before seeing the movie are Ender's Game, City of Bones, Gone Girl,  and The Monument Men. The rest of the books hold no interest to me.

I also heard a rumor that they were going to make The Giver into a movie... while it could be interesting I love that book so dearly I'm afraid of the mess they'll turn that into.

Re-Reding the Hunger Games

I finally decided to leave all my other books I have on my TBR pile and just re-read the Hunger Games series. I'm starting to get anxious for November for Catching Fire to come out in theater. When I saw the trailer I knew rather than wait till after I saw the movie like I mentioned with The Hunger Games, which never happened by the way. 

I already feel like I've forgotten so much about Catching Fire based on what was shown in the trailer. I'm half way through the first book and hope to start Catching Fire in the next day or two. 

Things I wonder for the movie:

- will katniss be pregnant in the movie?

- will the allies be the same?

- will we see up to where the game ends or will the ending be different?

Just some things I'm curious to see if they keep in the movie. 

Why I won't be finishing a Book

If you check my goodreads and see that I finished the Zombie Survival Guide its not entirely true. I decided that as much as I hate to not to finish a book this one just wasn't going to be one I'd finish.

I tried hard to get through this book but it just wasn't happening. It's odd that a book about zombies bore me but it did. I think because i know it's a fiction book pretending to be nonfiction and making people think its the only book to be prepared for an emergency. As far as we know zombies aren't real and reading this book thinking if there was a zombie attack this is all they need. 

Anyone else read a book and then decide to stop because its just not worth your time.

One Second After

This book has been on my radar for a year and I finally bought it and sat down and read it. I have only heard good things and I think it's a decent book that people should read.


Synopsis: New York Times best selling author William R. Forstchen now brings us a story which can be all too terrifyingly real...a story in which one man struggles to save his family and his small North Carolina town after America loses a war, in one second, a war that will send America back to the Dark Ages...A war based upon a weapon, an Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP). A weapon that may already be in the hands of our enemies.

Months before publication, One Second After has already been cited on the floor of Congress as a book all Americans should read, a book already being discussed in the corridors of the Pentagon as a truly realistic look at a weapon and its awesome power to destroy the entire United States, literally within one second. It is a weapon that the Wall Street Journalwarns could shatter America. In the tradition of On the Beach, Fail Safeand Testament, this book, set in a typical American town, is a dire warning of what might be our future...and our end. (Taken from GoodReads).

Review: I went into reading this book purely because so many people told me it would make me think about being prepared for an emergency. I decided that it would be worth while to read. I do think it did it's job on that aspect. I wasn't sure how it was going to portray the event or the people in the town, but it did a good job. I feel like it gave a message of here's the hard truth of what can happen without being too in your face about it.

I think the book is easily a great book and while it's point was to shock the readers into thinking about being prepared I instead took it as a book that showed just how we can either come together as Americans when faced with an emergency or fight and kill each other for our basic survival.

I will let you know it's a sad book and there were times I started to cry while reading it so I would hide so my fiancé and son wouldn't see me crying. 

I gave the book a 4 star rating because it's well written and was a book that kept me engaged the entire time. 

My Rating: