Stacking The Shelves #13

 

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tyngs's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

We love sharing our books with you each week but more importantly we loving see what you add to your shelves.

 

This week I have two books to share with you, I was very good again and didn't buy anything this week and it just keeps getting harder! I did get some books for review though :) The first was Insignia by S.J. Kincaid (I've actually had this in my locker for a few weeks) and the second was Shattered Dreams by Ellie James. Both look like really good reads, I started Insignia last night. I know a few of my fellow bloggers have read this one and gave rave reviews.

 

 

Now I'm off to see what you got this week! Happy reading everyone.

 

 

Stacking The Shelves #12

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tyngs's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

We love sharing our books with you each week but more importantly we loving see what you add to your shelves.

If you saw my post in the week you will understand why the blog hasn't been very active lately! I think I'm mostly back to normal again and Sal is still having the time of her life in Vegas!

I've been off work this week which has been good for my book buying ban, I haven't bought anything again, I feel very proud of myself. But I did get something AMAZING this week!! In the post this week I received The sample of Laini Taylor's Days of Blood and Starlight.

This was a shock and the best thing ever as far as I'm concerned!! If it was the only book/sample I received all year I would be sooo happy! I just can't wait for the finished book now :)

I'm looking forward to seeing what you received this week.

Happy reading.

Review ~ Catching Fire & Mockingjay ~ Suzanne Collins

     

Will contain spoilers!

I believe these two books need no introduction! After The Hunger Games book and film I was rather excited to read these two books but I was sooooo very disappointed! I have decided to review these two together because well, I was disappointed by both and thought it best to get it over with in one post!!

Now, I try to be very critical with my reviews, if I don't like something I say why and I'm always able to find good points and things I enjoy within a story. However, with these two I'm finding it very very difficult!!

It was obvious Kat and Peeta were going to face repercussions after what happened at the end of The Hunger Games and I kinda like how they were tossed back into the arena with other past champions. But Catching Fire is 472 pages long and I didn't start to really enjoy it until I was 305 pages in. Usually I would give up on a book if I didn't like it after about 100 pages (sooner if I really struggle) but given that the book/series has so much hype surrounding it I had to carry on. So I did, and the last 170 pages were good for me, that's the part I loved and it's those pages that get my 3 stars. Once we're back in the arena things really start to pick up and unbeknown to Kat alliances have already been formed on the outside. The plan is to keep her safe because she is the face of the rebellion, she is to become the mockingjay and nothing can stop that, because without Kat things won't go according to plan! However, she doesn't yet know this.

Things don't go to plan in the arena and eventually Kat and a few other champions are rescued but some are left behind, one being Peeta.

So let's move on to Mockingjay then because all Kat can think about is saving Peeta but as she becomes the people's Mockingjay Peeta is being turned against her, this we know once he has of course, been rescued from The Capitol.

After several 'Mockingjay duties' have been carried out and Kat makes her little videos for the world to see and fights have started and the districts are being crushed, a select few are sent on a rescue mission for Peeta. As I've said he was bought back but he isn't himself, The Capitol have been brainwashing him to hate Kat and well, kill her I guess!! Of all the things I thought would happen in the Mockingjay, that was not one of them! And given the ending we can only assume Peeta becomes himself once more!

I feel Mockingjay sticks out like a sore thumb in this series, almost like we are faced with different characters, or a different author. I also found several mistakes within the book which frustrated me. The problem with a trilogy like this is even when people say don't read book 2 and/or 3 you still will because you need to know what happens. Many people told me not to read Mockcingjay after I had said how I was a little disappointed with Catching Fire but of course I did, and I know you will too if you haven't already because like I said, you just have to know how it ends. I only gave Mockingjay 2 stars and after thinking about the story over and over I really can't budge from those 2 stars.

Another thing I never got was the whole team Peeta team Gale thing that I have seen! The relationship with Gale was only ever stolen moments and honestly I thought them to be to different. I didn't understand how that led to a team Peeta team Gale.

I'm ever so sorry to all the people out there who love this series, I did like The Hunger Games, and Catching Fire was saved by the last 170 pages but Mockingjay just distroyed this series for me.