New Moon

**Link: Book 1**

Ok. I'm going to be bluntly honest about this book. It's tedious. It is my least favorite of the four Twilight books and here's why.

The story just isn't good in this book. You spend chapter after chapter reading about how miserable Bella is because Edward has left her. It is the epitome of teen melodrama. All I heard in my head reading this book is "whine, whine, whine, why doesn't he love me?" Like I said. Tedious.

I'm not saying that this book doesn't have some importance to the series, because it does. It introduces a new group of characters that are essential later on, and shows a relationship that will create new problems. But all of that could be better developed in a book that isn't so melodramatic. Not to mention, after seeing the movie, some of the lines have gotten cheesier.

But, still, like the rest of the series, it's a good way to live outside of reality for a little while.

Twilight

Yes, I read Twilight (for like the fourth time). I know it gets some seriously bad press - bad writing, bad character development, bad plot, etc - but let's look at it for what it is: a teenage paranormal romance novel. And as a teenage romance novel, it's not that bad. Yes, the writing is sub-par and the characters are rather one dimensional. But if you consider the target audience - teenage girls - it's ok.

Bella is a typical teenage girl. That's why this book is so popular. Do I think this should be used to accurately depict how love is supposed to be? Absolutely not. In fact, I think it should be used to show how love should be at all. But it's a romance novel. When is the romance in any romance novel realistic? This book is no different than adult romance novels, except that it has writing that is a little worse.

Take this book for what it is - a time to completely check out from real life. I don't like this book because it's an amazing story or a great piece of writing. I like it because I don't have to worry about deep issues. I needed this series after reading the Hunger Games. I needed to transition to something sort of fluffy after reading something so deep.

So, yes, there's all that bad press, but try reading this book by letting your inner teenage girl out, and you might actually enjoy it. I know I did.

Mockingjay

**Links: Book 1 * Book 2**

The final book in The Hunger Games trilogy. And I felt like this book was full of more emotions than the other two books had.

The rebellion is in full swing, and people are dying left and right. Katniss is the symbol of the rebellion, the Mockingjay itself. She does it reluctantly, mostly because the one person who she feels she needs to have by her side is in the hands of the Capitol.

I felt her fear over Peeta. She doesn't realize just what she feels for him, just that she wants to save his life.

Have a box of Kleenex ready for the end of this book, especially if you find yourself getting attached to characters like I do. You will cry and it will be heartbreaking.

I feel a little empty now that I'm done with this series, but it had to end at some point.

Catching Fire

**Link: Book 1**

Once again, great book. I had heard so many great things about this series, and so far, two out of three books in, I am not disappointed.

Katniss is such a strong character, but I don't know how she does it. She has to go back into the arena, be a tribute, participate in the Hunger Games again. For the second year in a row, she goes in vowing to save Peeta no matter what. She knows she couldn't live without him, but I think she struggles with actually loving him.

The districts are rebelling and Katniss doesn't realize that she is the symbol of this rebellion. I've never really been a huge fan of dystopic novels, but if I find more like this series, I would read them in a heartbeat.

If you haven't read this series, go out now and do it!

The Hunger Games

Oh my god. So this book took me two days to read. I didn't really believe everyone who said that this story sucks you in, but then I started reading. And as I read, I couldn't put this book down. Each time I did, I had to pick it back up as soon as I possibly could. And I wasn't disappointed. I LOVED this book.

I started feeling this connection with Katniss. Every emotion that she expressed feeling, I found myself feeling. Her disgust over the Hunger Games, her sadness at deaths, her fear over dying herself. I felt it all. I wanted Katniss to realize her feelings for Peeta. I wanted her to open up. I wanted so many things for Katniss. Some of them happened, some didn't.

If you haven't read this book, I suggest you do. It is amazing!

Pride and Prejudice

Ok. I'm not going to lie on this one. I probably would have put off reading Jane Austen for a while simply because I find the language a little difficult. But, it was one of the options for a book to read in one of my classes this term, so I went with Pride and Prejudice.

I had read this book previously (and I've seen the Kiera Knightly version of the movie), but this is one of those books that I think you have to read a couple of times to fully understand the meaning. I remember the first time I read it, and I was very confused, not fully grasping the point of the book and why it was always being dubbed a classic novel. I get it this time around. I don't know if it's because I'm older or if I'm married and I can understand love a little better, but I definitely get what Jane Austen was trying to say in this particular novel.

Elizabeth Bennet is a free spirit to say the least. She makes for such a great main character, I think, because she is so observant of every person that crosses paths with her, but at the same time, she isn't afraid to tell them what she thinks of them to their faces. She has this almost unabashed since of self and, while she can be very proud and is proven to be very much prejudiced (hence the title), she apologizes when she is wrong, and if she feels that she isn't wrong, she won't apologize.

Mr. Darcy is almost the dream man of every little girl's fantasy. Except for the first volume of the novel. He is a very proud man and is nearly as stubborn as Elizabeth is. His problem mainly comes from being extremely prejudiced. He sees people at their first impression and holds them to that without making an attempt to get to know them better. He assumes so much about a person's entirety from a single meeting on one night. But he gets basically reprimanded by Elizabeth about halfway through the book and I think he sees her reproach of him as something that is needed to be fixed and he goes about changing. I love him at the end of the book. He definitely becomes the man that Elizabeth deserves.

If you start reading this, I strongly encourage you to not give up on it. It has some very unfamiliar words to our day and age. I read it on my Nook and I had to look up several words over the course of my reading. So I suggest doing it on some sort of e-reader, or have a dictionary close at hand. And if I'm saying that, it's tough. I know words.

The Fires of Heaven

**Links: Prequel * Book 1 * Book 2 * Book 3 * Book 4**

Continuing on with the Wheel of Time series, I finished The Fires of Heaven, book five in a soon to be 14 book series.

This book was a little bit slower, and I definitely didn't enjoy it as much. This book follows Rand, Mat, Egwene, Aviendha, and Moiraine in a trek through Cairhein to save the world Rand knows from the Shaido Aiel, who are out to conquer the continent. We also follow Nynaeve and Elayne (with Thom) traveling all over the place hunting out Black Ajah, and eventually a gathering of Aes Sedai that have separated from the White Tower.

I think, all things considered, that this book trudged through a lot of parts that seemed less important to the grand scheme of the story line. I won't say that I hated it, because if I had hated it, this would be where my Wheel of Time reading would end. I just would have preferred if the story had been a little more enthralling.

This book is more of a transitory book. It's a just get through it book (although that are some nice battle scenes) and move on with the series. Which I've started doing.