Warm Bodies

How did I forget to write about this little gem of a book? I read Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion sometime in 2012 before the movie came out in February 2013—a Meredith recommendation. I loved this book. I fell in love with the zombie who fell in love with a human girl after eating her boyfriend's brain. I loved the clever dialogue and quirky situations the characters found themselves in. The subtle writing style is respectful of the unusual subject matter and helped me to identify with the motivations of the characters.

The movie had some good points but was mostly disappointing. It's more difficult and a little jolting to translate such a crazy plot into a visual medium, I think. There were some funny and touching moments in the film, but it was also quite heavy-handed and grim.

I suppose that's to be expected in a movie that pits zombies against uninfected humans!

The Island

The Island by Elin Hilderbrand was a quick, painless summer read borrowed from my cousin. The story explores the relationships between mothers and daughters and sisters and nieces  in connection with several life milestones including a suspended wedding due to the death of a fiancé. It features interestingly real characters who come to terms with their current situations and ruminate on their pasts while spending time together at an old family beach house.

Mockingjay

Finally finished Book 3 of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy. I enjoyed Mockingjay more than the second book, but was still disappointed overall. So dark and depressing. Dismal, joyless, bleak are more adjectives that come to mind. The heroine seems to be in a perpetual state of confusion and rehabilitation and has become a major, big-time buzzkill.

Catching Fire

Catching Fire is Book 2 of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. I didn't like it as much as the first book. The main character, Katniss is starting to wear on me. I was also surprised—not in a good way—by the plot, which I won't give away here. Let's just say I was hoping the story would focus more on life back at home in District 12 after being victorious in the Hunger Games. Maybe flesh-out the characters more, provide more history of Panem in flashbacks, get more insight into what life is like in some of the other districts. Nope, instead we get a Quarter Quell. You'll have to read the book to find out what the heck that is.

I've just begun Book 3. I'm still annoyed with the main character but starting to get into the story.

The Hunger Games

I wanted to read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins when it was first published in 2008. Then I realized it was about teenagers in some sadistic, futuristic society killing each other. So I passed. Now that the movie has become a phenomenon, I wanted to see what all the fuss is about. It's still about teenagers killing each other.


That off my chest, I did enjoy reading Book 1 of this trilogy. It is an easy read with interesting characters and settings. I was a little unsettled when the ending deteriorated into a yucky love story between teenagers, but it left me wanting to see the movie in order to compare my own visuals with those chosen for the big screen.

Now I'm about halfway through Book 2 and not feeling as much love. Starting to lose interest, but still curious enough to complete the three volumes.

The Moment She Was Gone

The Moment She Was Gone by Evan Hunter was a quick January read for me. I even took it to Mexico and finished it shortly after we returned. Camille had rescued the book from the discard pile at Wheldon Library to read during her Intersession, so I picked it up when she was done.

I liked it. It definitely held my interest because of the quirky, complex characters, and the author's writing style is easy and informal. It is basically a psychological mystery. The plot revolves around a family's conflicts when a mentally ill family member continually goes missing.

The author is an interesting fellow who has written many bestsellers, including The Blackboard Jungle, as well as the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. He has also written more than fifty detective thrillers under the pseudonym Ed McBain.