In My Mailbox (19) + Movie News

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren and inspired by Pop Culture Junkie.

From The Library (Reading)

• Strings Attached by Judy Blundell (I read her other book and it was a departure from the normal and I like the book. So far, this story is really intriguing with the historical time travel.)

And I know you're thinking, ugh, another Hunger Games movie news? Well I just had to put this out there, but they finished the casting for all the tributes (below). I wish I can say I'm super excited, but I can't with the main casting all gone wrong in my opinion. But I'm getting interested with all the tributes (last one cast was District 2, and I think they both look great in my opinion. But...the person playing Cato looks too nice. Maybe he should have played Peeta?)

In My Mailbox (18) + News Bites (Hunger Games)

Hey everyone! I know I've been out of the blogosphere for over 2-3 months and I know apologizing a lot won't help and neither would giving out boxes of cookies will either. But I hope a giveaway will :). I'm planning to update my blog and revamp, and start off fresh with a giveaway, which I'll post in the coming days. So stay tuned! (In addition, an author interview is looming its way today.) On another note, my library got a huge pile of new books and I cannot wait until all my testing is over to start reading them.

From Library (Reading):

• Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins (Loved Hex Hall! And I'm loving Sophie again here.)
• Entwined by Heather Dixon (The cover is absolutely stunning, and so far the story is too)

From Library (To Read):

• Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomnilson
• The Mermaid's Mirror by L.K. Madigan

After my testing finishes next week, I'll start posting daily reviews.

Credits: The Frisky

And on another note, even though obviously this news is ancient, who was thoroughly disappointed by the Hunger Games casting? I'm sorry, but Miley's ex boyfriend and Josh Hutcherson isn't going to do it for me.  (But I'm getting excited by all of the tribute's casting. Maybe that'll compensate. My favorite is Marvel and Glimmer, totally matches the description. And I'm loving Rue.)

Credits: ScreenRant

What did you get in your Mailbox and who's your favorite Tribute? Drop your comment below (planning to revamp comment system too.)

Also, Happy Mother Day to all mothers! 

Hunger Games Movie Rumors Galore

I spent my Thanksgiving Holiday rereading the Hunger Games after buying the boxed set, and let's just say I'm even sadder about the whole series ending than I was when I immediately finished Mockingjay.

So where does this leave for readers? The movie, of course! (Yes, I know. Movies usually can't capture the perfectness of books, but it's better than nothing.)

Even though I heard so many rumors of a Hunger Games release date, I checked the IMDB page and it says 2013! (Too long!! 2 more years.)

But, luckily, there a lot of actresses that are interested in playing Katniss, receiving scripts and expressing interest.

Lyndsy Fonseca

Kaya Scodelrio

Malese Jow

For me, the actress that would best fit Katniss would be Lyndsy Fonesca. Her look has a resembelence of being the tough Katniss in the books. Both kaya and Malese would act as Katniss well, except the look too innocent and young to play the girl on fire. :) What do you think?

Also, right now, there is a hot fan made trailer of the scene of Rue and Katniss. I absolutely love it and I thought it did the scene justice.

Mockingjay-SUZANNE COLLINS AUTOGRAPH

So I mentioned before that I went to Suzanne Collin's Mockingjay fan signing event :)
So my friend and I went, running straight from school, so excited as we were both Hunger Game die hard fans :D.

Luckily we didn't have to wait too long to get our book signed and I was literally shaking with excitement when I actually took a picture with Suzanne Collins and got to ask her some questions about the book. Here are some pictures I wanted to share of her "autograph" (she gets hand strains so she used a stamp, which I was still satisfied with) and some goodies Scholastic was nice to give out :)

Mockingjay Spoilers Discussion Forum

My face after finishing the book.

So, I already had a heated debate with my friends, but I would really love to have everyone else's opinions, because I felt like Collins just left so many gaps and so many controversial moments.

I'm going to list the thoughts on some important parts of the books (chronologically.)

•  Hijacking Peeta: I thought it was a brilliant move on Collin's part because it really just turns the tables and everything over in the book. The loving, warming Peeta has turned hostile to Katniss, but also calculating and realizes the flaws in Katniss. I just loved how she did and I really felt that it perpetuated Katniss's character development. 
• Katniss's Reaction to Peeta: In one word: B*TCH. (and a brat). I absolutely hated it! I mean, GOD what the heck?! Would Peeta do that to you, Katniss? I felt that it detracted from Katniss and I know it isn't part of her character to be comforting, but ARGH AFTER EVERYTHING PEETA DID TO YOU, YOU BETRAYED HIM THAT WAY! And, she only changed AFTER Haymitch TOLD her to, which emphasizes that she isn't acting on her emotions or love for him.
• Deaths: I didn't really think the deaths of the characters were actually that bad or too many. I think it really emphasized the violent human destruction theme. But Finnick's death just nearly killed me. After Collins took all that time to develop his character in the book and made the readers sympathize and love him more, she just killed him off in ONE sentence. And in the whole section where Katniss tries to go to the Capitol, Collins doesn't mention Finnick much, maybe once a page. And the other deaths, who got killed by the mutts, we don't even read what happens to them. Just that they disappeared. (Also, what the heck happened when Katniss looked at Finnick and saw his life flash by? They didn't explain it at the end so I'm really curious.) I  believe that the weakness in the deaths was not the quantity, but the quality as Collins just killed off each character quickly, not really elaborating on it a lot.
• Katniss Going Insane (Both before and after Coin's death): I don't know about this one. I'm really controversial about this. I understood WHY Collins did this, to emphasize the effects of war and being shell-shocked. But was it necessary to go into it that much that the readers lose faith in the protagonist? The hero we relied solely on? I don't know. This also made the whole ending with Peeta and Katniss loving each other and marrying as invalid. What's your opinion?
• Katniss's Response to Hunger Games: Ok. PLEASE TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED HERE! Why did Katniss say yes to another round of Hunger Games? Maybe she was insane, I get that. But what is up with the long paragraph leading up to that? It was like "Oh, I think humans will always be destructive no matter what." And she ended up going against her thoughts.
• Katniss's Decision: So Katniss decided Peeta. But did she really? Where did Gale go? I thought that was the worst ending ever with Gale and it seemed that Collins wanted to end the love triangle quickly in order to emphasize the anti war. But there weren't even parting words with Katniss and Gale. And how could Gale just leave Katniss alone like that when she was in the worst condition ever and just go get a fancy job when two other books pointed towards that Gale cared and loved for Katniss. 
• Did Katniss and Peeta really love each other?: I believe that they've moved an inch away from their insanity/killing persona. But my friend thinks otherwise. She took it as a wholly negative and pessimistic view and saw Peeta as never loving Katniss again and Katniss never being sane. I don't know. I thought the epilogue was a nice relief for the readers, but...
• Will there be another Hunger Games?
• The ultimate million dollar question. What does everyone think?

The beginning was well played and brilliant. But, I really wish that Collins could rewrite the ending. So I gave my opinions and I hope to hear everyone else's thoughts :)

But however the series ended. I'm so sad so so so sad that they ended the series. No more Hunger Games. Let's just hope they release a movie soon!

Mockingjay Review (Non-Spoiler Edition)

Title: Mockingjay
Author: Suzanne Collins
Published Date: August 2010
Price: Amazon ($8.44)
Synopsis:

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans -- except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay -- no matter what the personal cost.

This is the non-spoiler edition. It’s primarily to discuss my overall perception of the book.

The day I got Mockingjay: Hands shaking. Crying. Trembling. Throwing the book against the wall. Staring up at the ceiling for 3 hours (not getting enough sleep) and wondering what the heck just happened.

1 day after completing Mockingjay: My post about my first reactions to the ending. Reread the book, trying to digest it all.

It’s been a week since I completed it. In the beginning of the book, I wanted to pray to Ms. Collins and worship her saying, “Oh dear Ms. Collins, how can a brilliant author like you exist? The plot, the tension, suspense spinning this book into a dystopia shattered with emotions, like a game you control masterfully. ” By the time I finished this book, I wanted to throw this book at her and beg her to write another ending, another sequel and say, “Ms. Collins! What the heck! How can you end the book that way? Don’t you have any conscience to what you did to your characters, your “grandchildren” really, that you took so much time and effort to stoke fire into, created depth into , making the readers love them, sympathize with them, even developed crushes for them (ok, maybe that’s just me) and this is what you DID?!.”

Mockingjay was a plate of emotions, not sparing us any deaths or any nice flowers or unicorns to a mirror of the destruction of human nature. Many would say the book was a stance against antiwar with the sadness, sorrow, and anger entrancing the deaths and the readers, but I wouldn’t say so. Laced with the violence and trauma the ultimate questions of human nature are not answered, but shown. “What can we constitute as a boundary of war and destruction? What are the limits to human’s instinct to kill, murder, if there are any?”

The one thing that didn’t change in the final trilogy was the tension, suspense, and Collins dropping a bomb at every chapter (literally and also metaphorically). There were twists in plot and one part (can’t say what, sorry ;)) just made me stare at the book for ten minutes straight without comprehending what the heck happened. The details of the war, bloody scenes, and also Katniss’s emotions (which were magnified by a hundredfold with a sense of intimacy that I came to love and then hate) were detailed so vividly that the readers’ emotions mirrored the protagonist. (By the way, the romance is kept to a bare minimum, sadly.)

The ending was what leaves me angry and sorrowful (no more Hunger Games, except for maybe the movie? Please, pretty please with a good cast?). To me, it seemed like Collins became lazy, decided to tie a nice little ribbon on it, and tried to create it into an ending that pleased the readers. There were so many gaps, rushed ends, and I kept thinking “Wait? What just happened?”, that it didn’t feel like a nice close. (I wish I could say more, but I would be revealing a bit too much.)

Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 4/5 (More explanation in spoiler post)
Cover: 4.5/5

I have always loved the simplicity of the cover with the Mockingjay. But I think the blue color, which evokes a sense of peace, deceived the readers into thinking that this was a peaceful ending. Alas, Collins couldn’t even spare the readers that much.

Overall: 4.8/5


The emotions, the deaths, the violence, the suspense, and the twists in the plot creates a war environment within the reader’s mind, playing each scene of a loved one falling, of a look of love turning to disgust, but ultimately spelling out what humans are. Do humans have the innate want to kill and destruct each other? And if we do, where is the line to killing innocent people? I wouldn’t be surprised if Mockingjay left a spark of fire and started a revolution in 2010.

WTF?! WTF?! MOCKINGJAY!!

I'll post an official review in a few days...whenever I get over my aftershock.

But. Three words. WHAT THE FUDGE?!
MS. COLLINS, you blew both Hunger Games and Catching Fire wtih Mockingjay. THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING. The right amount of romance twist, tables turning, shock, violence well played, and emotions of fear, love, sorrow just making me shake with anticipation.

Below I'm going to include my first opinions. It will include spoilers. Cover your eyes. And before I talk about the endings, what happens in the book, EVERYONE, READ IT! I've been shouting this during my whole lunch period today, but I think I was more obsessed with this than I was with Harry Potter, which is saying something.

Also, on another note. I am back officially. I'm currently designing the layout with my friend, so please bare with this until we're finished. Below is just a preview of what you'll see (I'm planning to use this is as my button.) Please give your opinions  :)

SPOILER DISCUSSION (Cover your eyes from this sacred discussion if you have not read it! Feel free to leave comments below)

• Peeta!! MY LOVELY PEETA THAT I FELL IN LOVE WITH! (Sorry, Katniss, he's mine :P) God. I felt so so so so bad for him when he was hijacked. My beloved Peeta tortured. But I really wish Collins had extended the book a bit more to see more of Peeta's actual gentle side to make the ending scnee more touching since either we barely saw him or he was mentally evil.
• Too many deaths :(. God, I was crying within my heart when Finnick and Prim died. I was growing really fond of Finnick. 
• Gale. I didn't really like him much in this book, but I felt like there should have been a better tie with him with Katniss. 
• Just absolutely loved the violence in the book. Made it seem much more tense and rigged with emotions. God! I was literally shaking at every chapter. At every chapter, Ms. Collins left a bomb that left me hanging for more.

Please tell me what you think! I'm so rigged with shock and happiness and SADNESS (NO MORE HUNGER GAME BOOKS) that I can't even form coherent thoughts/ (MS. COLLINS, why did you release this book so late in the summer, right when school starts?!)

Fashion Friday (2-Hunger Games)

Fashion Friday is creating a fashion wardrobe and picking out clothes that I would think a character would wear based on the type of personality Using pictures from different magazine, such as Vogue or Elle, or from model shows, I will usually pick out one or two types of outfits, and even accessories or shoes. I hope everyone enjoys it and if you have any suggestion or fashion websites, please feel free to tell me! Also, I am planning to create a button very soon (or if you're great at button making, please help me :)).

First off, I wanted to say sorry for the lack of posts this week. I've been either watching the Olympics or doing homework, but I'm reading a lot of books currently. This week, I decided to do the The Hunger Games series. Instead of creating a wardrobe for their time in the Games, which would probably be athletic skin-tight clothes, I decided to create clothes they would wear casually. I couldn't find a dress similar to the mockingjay dress she was wearing, so please give your suggestions!

For Katniss, I wanted to choose a tomboy style, but with an air of chick and rebellious. I think the clothes on the left with the opened up plaid collared shirt and the faded jeans will fit perfectly for Katniss. It is not extravagant or like a princess style, but it portrays a sexiness within her. Also, the clothes have an aura of rebellion, with the open shirt and cut up jeans, as if she isn't trying to be too formal or casual. I also think that the clothes on the left, with the vest and the belt, portray a boyish style, with an underlying classy look.

Peeta is the nice and "church" boy and to me carries a sense of innocence. I think the casual-formal wear is not too formal to create Peeta into an arrogant character who thinks he's superior of everything else, but a nice clothes that are business casual. The collared shirt, the clean blue jeans, and the cardigan/sweater has the amiable boy look., conforming into society with its clean looks, but isn't too formal as it portrays his childlike innocence.

Ah. Gale, the rebellious and "sexy" guy. I think of Gale as the motorcycle guy, lol. Maybe he's put into a big contrast against Peeta, the guy who keeps his head down and tries to conform into society, but to me Gale seems the one to take risks. I thought the leather jacket and the baggy jeans create the sexy, but dangerous looking guy. Also, with his shirt and jacket open, it portrays Gale's rebellious nature, as if he doesn't care what the Capitol says about his dress code. 

That's it for today's Fashion Friday. Comment and tell me what you think of it, whether you think it's on the spot or way off and want to rant :). Also, PLEASE GIVE SUGGESTIONS for Movie Poster Monday and Fashion Friday! Thanks and I hope you enjoyed it!

Matching Actors to Characters

This is a new meme, created by me (lol that sounds egoistic)! I know there are a lot of ardent readers, including myself, who always tries to create a mental image inside their heads according to the descriptions of the characters. Like, if they mention some brooding handsome guy, you always try to pick one of your favorite actors to help you coast along the story. So, in order to help you, each week (usually on weekends, when I actually have time), I’ll pick a character (please help me by suggesting characters) and look around for an actor/actress that best matches them. (By the way, if there already is a meme like this, please let me know, so I can revert to that. Thanks!)

My first character will be….Gale (from the Hunger Games Trilogy, The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, which are both MUST-reads). I personally was in Team Gale, but after reading Catching Fire, I became a traitor and joined Teem Peeta.

So the actor Gale will be matched with is … Gaspard Ulliel!

My friend introduced me to Gaspard Ulliel as the perfect match to Edward (alas, but they chose Robert Pattison). But as I read about Gale in The Hunger Games, I thought Gaspard was the best match for Gale. Gaspard Ulliel is a French actor and is most famous for playing Hannibal Rising in 2007. His dark brown hair cascading down his forehead creates this careless handsome boy whom all the girls would fall for in school (I know I would). Also, Ulliel does not have a boyish face but not too much like an old man, making it perfect for the age range. I have not watched Hannibal Rising, but reading about the role Ulliel played as a killer, I think that Ulliel could portray the rebellious and hunting nature of Gale.

Tell me your other actor suggestions! Can’t wait till the final Hunger Games series gets released in August 24!