Sunday, September 12, 2010

Mockingjay & Sailing Away

School recently started and work's been picking up. There's a midterm and a group powerpoint presentation on the neuroscience of sleep creeping up next week.

I did manage to fit in some last bit of summer fun.

Finally read Mockingjay! I enjoyed it for bringing closure to this epic series. While it didn't quite match the way I adored book one, The Hunger Games, it was a bittersweet ending that at least made me go "Ah ... hmm ..." rather than "Ah! Blargh!"

Suzanne Collins sometimes tend to brush over certain death scenes of her characters or Katniss is too busy escaping or passing out to really allow us to linger on what just happened - which I can understand as a stylistic choice: high paced action punctuated by casualties, no time to breathe, fear, think. Death? It happened. So it goes.

Still. I just wish we could have dwelt on certain moments, certain characters just a tad longer. Some parts left me in such a dazed funk, I was still trying to get my mind to wrap around it three pages later and barely processing where Katniss was running to.

But all in all, I loved the characters and the world Collins set up and it was an utterly awesome trilogy.

A few weeks ago, a friend invited me out sailing on his uncle's boat. I'd never been on boats and yachts before, not even a cruise; the closest thing I had going for me was a ferry ride. So yup, it was fun. Nice sunny day, gentle waves, and then ... beers and wines were brought out.

Each person got a beer bottle to him/herself and as I slowly worked mine down, my face reddened its way to tomato status. I am truly the cheapest of all cheap drunks.

He joked, "Hey, after some alcohol, the waves start feeling pretty steady, huh?"

"Yeah!" I agreed a tad too enthusiastically.

He eyed me. "You're starting already, aren't you?"

I clapped my hands to my cheeks. "Yeah ..." I mumbled. "It's a sunburn?"

He ended up finishing both of our cups of wine so I wouldn't over-enthuse myself off the side of the boat.

4 comments:

  1. Oh, I am so looking forward to reading Mockingjay now. I have been a little uncertain about reading it because book number one was so good, but I think you finally convinced me.
    I really like your writing style, by the way. You are very good.

    ReplyDelete
  2. After enjoying False Facades fully, I decided that I would come to your blog and see what you had to say. Of course, as soon as I say this post at the top of your list, I knew that I would enjoy reading your blog. Mockingjay was a good book, though not nearly as fantastic as Hunger Games. Like you, Mockingjay made me say, "Ah... Hmmm..." at the end. I feel as if she built up to so much and had so much to go on and then discovered that she had to finish it within ten pages. Can I suggest something for you to possibly read? Cassandra Clair and her Mortal Instrument series: City of Bones, City of Ashes, and City of Glass. She has also released the first book in The Infernal Devices titled Clockwork Angel. All books are pretty good in both style and subject. The characters are also lovely. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I need to correct a mistake of mine. The correct spelling of the author I was referring to is Cassandra Clare.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for the nice comments!

    Yngvil Yeah, read them! Just a heads up in case you weren't aware of this, it's a trilogy so be sure to catch the second book, Catching Fire, before you start Mockingjay! Have fun reading!

    Writer Red Ooh, thanks for the recommendations! I'll definitely look her books up and try to pick up copies some time whenever I get a break. Unfortunately, classes have been picking up their paces even more recently so the weekly exams I have in my upcoming schedule doesn't seem to bode well for proper resting time with a good book - unless it's my textbook. :( But I'll definitely keep your recommendations in mind for the future!

    ReplyDelete