Category: Book Reviews

Either while reading the book or after I have read the book I will put my own review of how I thought the book was.

Book Reviews, Uncategorized

The Hunger Games: Movie vs. Book

India

I have had the great fortune of seeing The Hunger Games movie twice. Both times I loved it. Finally I believe a production company did what was expected of them when it came to bring a book to life for the viewers, the readers, and those who have not read the book, hopefully yet.There was not a major part of the book left out, the characters exemplified exactly what I thought of them. The casting people did a great job of finding a hear throb in both Gale and Peeta, and Katniss continued to be a badass.

For my friends who had not read the book though, there were some questions to them that did not get answered in the movie, where for the rest of us it was easy to fill in the pieces. Some of the questions included, “Wait, they said there were 13 districts, but only 12 are in The Hunger Games. What happened to the 13th?” That question is of course a legitimate question because it’s not truly answered in the movie itself. Another questions “Why do they keep flashing to Gale when Katniss and Peeta establish their relationship”. Once again a minor detail that was not really  explained, but something that could be assumed. Lastly “Why is Katniss yelling at her mother”. That one did not happen as much because it was kind of explained, but the reason for her mother’s deterioration, as I told them would later be explained in a different book. This has been one movie recently where I want to continuously spend my money to go see it. I think that it’s really special for there to be a character that you want to emulate in your every day life. Someone who is willing to sacrifice and do what ever it takes to be there for those she loves even when the circumstances could mean her emanate death.

If you can’t tell already, I highly recommend this movie and this book to everyone. It is definitely one of those rare cases where it does not matter if you read the book first or not, but if you have not read the books it will make you want to buy them immediately and get to reading. Don’t forget to check out my posts on the other books an some other issues that have come from the casting of this movie.

Until Next Time
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90s Born Reader

Book Reviews, Uncategorized

The Street by Ann Petry

India

To continue with my English Lit class, the next book we read was The Street by Ann Petry. In The Street a young woman by the name of Lutie Johnson is faced with a lot hard decisions of which she has to remember that each decision leads to a response. Some of these incredibly difficult decisions include whether or not to leave her husband and son to be able to work and earn money for them, to move to an apartment with her son that might not be the safest, and to partake in a singing career that may or may not get her anywhere.Of course with every decision that is made there is always a consequence, which can either be a positive or negative experience. For Lutie Johnson, most of her decisions come with a negative consequence. She decides to work to provide for her family, and her husband leaves her. She moves to a  new apartment and Bub, her son, is afraid of the impending darkness that is surrounding him, and the superintendent makes Lutie uncomfortable.When the time comes to make a decision that could help her and Bub move from the apartment, she is presented with an option to sing with a band.

Lutie is faced with so many decisions that affect her life and the people around her, and sometimes people don’t always understand why people make the decision she does. Lutie is a strong woman who is trying to care for her son in whatever way possible. What Lutie comes to understand is that sometimes the right decision isn’t always the easiest. At the end of the story she makes the hardest decision a mother could ever make, but in her heart and mind she believes that it is right.

I recommend this book to anyone who has ever been faced with hard decision and are not sure what to do. It does so much to open the eyes of young readers everywhere who have not had to face such hardships as the young characters in this book. Definitely read this book, it is one of my favorites so far this year. Until next time

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90s Born Reader

Book Reviews, Uncategorized

The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins

India

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is such an amazing, amazing book. With all the hype that is going on with the movie, it was on my list of must reads. Also every last one of my friends who has read the book has absolutely loved it as well.  In The Hunger Games North America has been ruined through war and other causes and from it a new era and nation was made. From it 13 Districts and a Capitol were made, each district were given a different specialty to produce goods for the Capitol. Through the unfairness of the Capitol, District 13 decided to rebel against the Capitol. It is because of this rebellion that District 13 was destroyed and the Hunger Games were created. The Hunger Games were created to show the rest of the districts that the Capitol is in charge of their lives. Every year 2 children from age 12 – 18 have their names put into a drawing to be apart of them. One male, and one female will be chosen and are made to fight to the death of the last child for the whole nation to see. From these Hunger Games, Prim and Peeta were chosen from District 12, but Katniss Everdeen was not going to allow her little sister to fight to the death, and she volunteered as tribute.

It is because of these events Katniss and Peeta are taken away from their family and are forced to go to the Capitol and be nothing but a show for them. Luckily for them though they have a wonderful team who is able to gain the Capitol’s attention through their fiery wardrobe that Katniss’ fast friend, Cinna made for them. Through some stories of untold love, volunteering your life for the ones you love, and doing some very unexpected things that may or may not insight a rebellion. Katniss and Peeta enter into the ring where they literally have to fight to the death against 22 other kids like them.

I’m trying not to give a lot of the story away because it is an amazing story written by Suzanne Collins, I can see how it has taken the world by storm. I loved reading this story so much that it only took me a day to do so. I highly recommend reading this book, and I’m even going to the movie on Friday after my exams that is hahaha. Look for a post from me about the second and third books!!!!
Until Next Time
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90s Born Reader

Book Reviews, Uncategorized

Selected Poems of Langston Hughes

India

As part of my English class for this semester I was required to read Selected Poems of Langston Hughes. I never thought in my life I would read a whole book of poems, mainly because of my attention span, but I got through it. The interesting part about this collection is that Hughes himself put this collection together, and decided what poems should be in the book. In the book he divides the section up into different categories of poems. The most interesting section to me was the “Montage of a Dream Deferred” section. What I did not know about the section is that the whole section is to be read as one big poem. When it is actually read like that it makes sense with how it flows, and the overall theme of the poems.

What I liked about Hughes’s work is that he brought up a lot of topics that were being addressed and pushed under the rug all at the same time. The topics of segregation in America. Through out his poems it can be seen that he talks about the ways that black people are being used socially and economically. It is from these threats to society that the motif of dreams comes through in the black population in Hughes’ work.

For someone like me who is not very good at reading between the lines of poetry, I really enjoyed reading his. Hughes does a great job of talking about the issues in ways that people can understand on the surface, but talking about so much more underneath. If you don’t want to read the whole body of Selected Poems of Langston Hughes, I highly recommend reading a few of them and really thinking about what he is trying to say in this poem.

Until Next Time,
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Book Reviews, Uncategorized

Cane by Jean Toomer

India

This year I’m taking an English Literature class called, Modernism in Black Literature. Let’s all remember that I am not English major, and I have finished my English requirements, so I’m truly taking this class for fun and out of an interest. The first novel that we read this semester was Cane by Jean Toomer. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Cane was very interesting in the fact that Toomer breaks it up first in big chunks, of the southern portion and the northern portion, and then goes on to make the “chapters” of the book individual stories. In the southern portion of the book the individual stories takes a look into the lives of different black individuals and what they go through being black in the south. He tells about the highs and the lows, what it’s like to be part of race that is feared and hated, and what it’s like to be part of the southern injustices.

When the second half of the novel starts the location has shifted to the north where the treatment of blacks is a little bit different. There’s not as many injustices or problems, but there is always the feeling of being different than the rest of the world. The feel of the north comes through as the characters experience different clubs and also there is some integration.
In a lot of the stories Toomer uses the view point of women, which is also very different in the fact that women at this time still don’t get much of a say.Not only are women telling the stories, but they are also the object of many of the stories when a man is telling the story.

This book to me was sometimes hard to get through. It had high points and low points, but I do believe that it is worth reading. It’s not something that I would have picked up on my own, but I’m glad that I had to read it.

Until Next Time,

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90s Born Reader