March Reading (Part 2)

By the end of 2014, my goal is to read 50 books.  This month I had Spring Break and read a little more than usual, so I split my reading into two blog posts.  Here is what I read during the last half of March:

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

This is another book I was assigned for my Children's Literature class.  I read it once in high school, but the story is still fresh in my mind.  I love the adventures and characters Twain creates.  I was glad to have the opportunity to read this book again.  It is truly timeless.  Five stars. 

Nehemiah: Becoming a Disciplined Leader by Gene A. Getz

A friend recommended this book, and even though it is written for the Men of Character series, I learned a lot from Gene Getz and his perspectives on Nehemiah.  There are discussion questions and thought-provoking applications throughout the book.  I will never look at Nehemiah's life in the same way again, and I will also be gaining a new perspective on leadership.  Four stars. 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Liesel witnesses her little brother's death in the first pages of the novel, just before she is separated from her mother and sent to live with foster parents.  It is not long before Liesel makes fast friends with a neighborhood boy named Rudy, and she busies herself with reading the few books she owns... (and potentially stealing more books to read, even illegal books).  When a Jewish man comes to hide in Liesel's foster home, her eyes are opened to the dangers and conflicts that are taking place all around her.

I chose to read The Book Thief after seeing the film and being touched by every single character presented.  The book is excellently written.  It cherishes the art of writing.  Zusak is a true wordsmith, and I was often left thinking about his sentences and wordplay.  I like the idea of the narrator being Death in an era as harsh and painful as Nazi Germany (when he is extremely busy, as he explains).  It took me a while to finish this book.  It drug out a bit in the middle; there is beauty on every page, but the story is not fast-paced.  Four stars.  

Raising Stony Mayhall by Daryl Gregory 

The year is 1968.  America is recovering from a zombie apocalypse, but the world is painfully wary of the monsters that attacked them.  Wanda Mayhall and her three daughters stumble upon the body of a young mother carrying a dead baby.  When the baby opens its eyes, the family must make a decision regarding its "life."  If the government discovers the child (Stony, the children name him), he will certainly be destroyed.  But the undead boy begins to grow up, as much a member of the family as any of his new sisters.

I purchased this novel completely on a whim.  For the first half, I was fascinated.  Gregory captures the idea of a post-apocalyptic novel with a spin I've never seen before.  America is not a wasteland; people are not wandering around through the forest with makeshift weapons.  After the zombie apocalypse hit, the government acted in time for only 75,000 casualties to occur.  I loved the family dynamics in the Mayhall household.  I loved the descriptions of Stony himself.  What I didn't love was the second half of the novel, when Stony is forced to flee his home.  I will not share any spoilers, but what happened next seemed dramatic and unbelievable, much more fantastical than the semi-realistic world painted only chapters before.  I had trouble finishing the novel.  Three stars.
 

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Katniss lives in a post-apocalyptic, dystopian version of the United States, renamed Panem.  The government is controlling in every aspect of her life, forcing two child tributes from each of its twelve districts to fight one another to the death in a vicious televised program called the Hunger Games.  Katniss works hard to take care of her broken family, and one year, her worst nightmare occurs: her 12-year-old sister, Prim, is called to fight in the games.

I read this novel several years ago for the first time, before the film came out.

After watching Catching Fire recently, I decided to re-read the series.  I absolutely love Collins' writing style.  Katniss has a voice that is gritty and authentic.  She is not an angsty teenage girl; she is a survivor and a fighter.  The relationships in her life are meaningful, and I appreciate the character development in even the most minor supporting characters, such as Flavius and Octavia.  The heavy content is elaborated just enough for its target demographic, but also emphasized in a way that will make young adults look at the media, the government, and the sanctity of human life.  Five stars.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Somehow, Katniss Everdeen has managed to survive the Hunger Games along with Peeta Mellark, but in the process of survival, Katniss has accidentally made herself an enemy of the Capitol.

The twists in Catching Fire are stunning.  I appreciate how Collins has focused on the inner turmoil and trauma that Katniss must overcome after winning games that are riddled with bloodshed and violence without turning her into a self-pitying teenager.  Four stars.

The overall rating for my books in March: 3.7 stars.

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One year ago: Maintaining a Fruitful Quiet Time in Summer
Three years ago: Blogging: When to Write