The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins

So I have been a busy little reader these last few weeks and decided that since I held out in seeing the movie until I read the book best to review it as well. WOW! What a great story is all I have to say. It starts with 16 year old Katniss Everdeen and her friend Gale in the woods hunting on the day of the reaping which is where the capitol chooses at random the name of a boy and a girl that are between the ages of 12-18 for a fight to the death in the arena of the Hunger Games. Katniss' sister is chosen and Katniss volunteers to take her place for the tribute of district 12. The boy is named Peeta who unknowingly will change the very nature of the games. They then travel to the capitol and are put on display for the entire county to see as they prep for the fight of there life. As they go into the arena they form a bond that survives all sorts of bumps in the road, the story is wonderful and keeps you on the edge of your chair.

I loved every minute of this book and couldn't put it down. It only took me a day to read it, and I can't get over what a wonderful writer Suzanne is, to paint these vivid pictures of what all the characters are going through. One of my new favorite books :)

A Dance with Dragons

After reading A Feast For Crows I was really excited to get into this one. I had missed all my favorite characters Jon, Dany, and my favorite Tyrion. It picks up at the begining of where AFFC started only it's these guys stories so you have to sort of backtrack and remember that the stuff that happened at the end of the last book hasn't happened at the begining of this one. It's was like seeing my old friends that I missed so much. This story goes from a bit dull at the begging to EPIC by the end. I like how it goes right into what was happening from AFFC and tells the other characters stories. How Tyrion has escaped and is trying to get away from Westeros, who he encounters and how they might and do play into the story. We follow Dany through  being a good queen to her people and trying to find her way back to the kingdom that she rightfully deserves. Jon is still at the wall dealing with the aftermath of the wildling wars and trying to keep it all together while facing major challenges of his own that are coming from is old home and life. Reek is another character that has been to hell and back, that has a significant roll to play out in this story. Great to see that Cersi and Jamie have a quick cameo in this book to keep you going with what is happening to them, and one of my favorites Arya has a journey of her own that is changing the very person that she is. I loved this book and can't wait for the next one to come out and put more of the puzzle together. I must find out what has happend to Jon, Dany and all the rest of my beloved characters. Excellent read!