Book Review 13: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes by Suzanne Collins

I read the original Hunger Games trilogy (for the first time) a few months ago. I wanted to read it in time for the new book's release. Although I was late to the Hunger Games craze, I was curious to read this one shortly after it was released. (Partially because I missed The Hunger Games hype, so wanted to be a part of it this time around.)

I didn't know what to expect since it already has so many mixed reviews. It seemed like not a lot of people were interested in hearing a story about President Snow, but much rather wanted to learn more about Haymitch. I also know a lot of people felt like the book was a way to sympathize with the villian. Nevertheless, I am always curious to know more about the villain's (tragic) backstory.

The first half of The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes started off slow (another complaint people seemed to have). I feel like Collins started the story off slow to show Coriolanus' character development. It picked up and got a bit more fast paced halfway through. Not only did we learn about Coriolanus' adolescence, the book also gave insight to a few other significant aspects of The Hunger Games.

Unsurprisingly, the story ended on a high note. Whoever has read The Hunger Games trilogy already knows Snow's fate. I didn't love the first half of the book, but I started to like it when things got a little more interesting. I'm happy I read it and would give it a 4/5.

Considering this book contains a lot of violence and death, I am onto a much lighter book next!

President Snow

Book Review 11: The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

*** This review contains minor spoilers***

I remember hearing about The Hunger Games books many years ago from a local librarian. There were a couple of librarians who knew me personally and knew my genres of choice when it came to reading. The last book (Mockingjay) was about the be released that year, so she suggested it was something I may enjoy. I had the books on my TBR for many years, until I finally decided to pick them up near the end of 2019. I was lucky to have found all three books in pretty good condition at my local library book sale. 

The book(s) were intriguing and hard to put down. However, by the time I reached the last few chapters of Mockingjay, it was when the world started dealing with the covid-19 pandemic. As much as I was still enjoying the story, I couldn't help but notice the parallels between this (dystopian) book and reality. People living in bunkers, secretly hoarding food, the government implementing food rationing, and one chapter even had them wearing masks as protection from a deadly gas. It made me feel a bit uneasy. Real life should not feel like a dystopian book/movie. Eventually, I pulled through and made it to the end.

Although I found the ending a bit anti-climactic, it was overall an enjoyable and entertaining read. I liked that the author portrayed the story through Katniss' eyes. It gave the story some heart. I would recommend this series to anyone who is a fan of YA books. Even though I was a bit late to the Hunger Games party, I finally made it! Better late than never! I would give this trilogy a 4 out of 5 stars. 

Book Review 10: Escape from Aleppo by N.H. Senzai

I received this advance copy of Escape from Aleppo from an online contact. Unfortunately, it didn't reach me in time to do the review before the book got released. It took me some time to get into it. The first few chapters didn't reel me in like I was expecting. However, once the story got interesting, I had a hard time putting it down. It follows Nadia on her journey through the war torn streets of Syria in search of her family. She makes unexpected friends (and enemies) along the way.

 

The story is full of love, friendship, sadness and mystery. N.H. Senzai plans to write future books in the same world. I am interested in checking those out as well, to find out what happens to all the characters in the book and how their fate plays out. Overall it is a heartwrenching tale about family. I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

 

 

 

Book Club: Poetry Reading

I have been a part of various book clubs in the past and they all usually work the same way. The group all reads the same book and meet the following month to discuss that book. What we liked about it, what we didn't like about it, would we read something from that same author again, etc. The books read at book club are meant to start up a lot of discussion, so they tend to be books that make you feel. This upcoming meeting in February, my (current) book club is doing something a little different. Instead of reading a book, every book club member will be choosing a poem each and read it out loud to the rest of the group members. Each reading will be followed by a little explanation of why we chose that poem. 

Literature was always my favourite subject in school and I loved studying poetry. Back when I was a teenager, I used to write a lot of poems, short stories and journal entries in my free time. It is sad for me to admit that I haven't written a poem or a short story in years. However, I do occasionally still write in my journal. I was going through some of my old notebooks recently and found a collection of some of my writing. Some of them I had completely forgotten about, so it was nice to go back to them after all these years. Looking back at some of my old work, I feel like I may want to get back into writing poetry some time. Maybe one day when I am inspired, I will start again! One of my book club members suggested for me to bring one of my own poems to read for the next meeting. I was a bit hesitant at first to share my own work, but I decided to go with the one I liked the best...so here it is. Most of my writing is dated, and I wrote this one when I was sixteen.  Hope you enjoy it! 

Growing Up

by Sadaf Hussain

I am quiet,
I am lonely,
I have imaginary friends,
I am a laugher,
I am a crier,
I am a thinker,
As I look at my reflection,
In a mirror view of my past,
I let my inner-child free,
I come back to reality,
Today I am friendly,
I am loving,
I am caring,
I am a laugher,
I am a crier,
I am a thinker,
I am a writer,
I am a drawer,
I am a dreamer,
I am a friend,
I am a sister,
I am a daughter,
I am an aunt,
I am not perfect,
I make mistakes,
I am a learner,
After all,
I am human.

2016 Reading Challenge.

2015 I did not actively read as much as I had hoped. My book list was ever growing but some days I just didn't feel like reading. There were only a handful of books I read this year which were page turners. The last few months of 2015, I decided to join my local book club (again) to force myself to read more (for lack of a better word.) The very first book club book just happened to be a lovely book I'd read before; The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. 

I'd been a member of the online Good Reads community for quite some time now, but I'd been relatively inactive on it. I've started using the app more lately, and it's helped me find some good books which I've added to my TBR book list. One nice feature Good Reads has on it is a "Reading Challenge" page. Members challenge themselves to read a certain amount of books for the year. I was going through many of the other members' reading challenges, and noticed numbers like 50, 75, 100 and some even as high as 200! 

I wanted to challenge myself to reach a realistic reading goal. At first I was going to do a 30 book reading challenge. Then I decided to start off with 25. At first I thought it was a low goal, considering that so many others' wanted to read 100 books! However, a good friend of mine reminded me not to compare my goals with others. Maybe those people have more time to read, but there's nothing to be ashamed of. Furthermore, the most important thing is not the quantity of books but the quality! Hopefully I can reach my goal and will read some enjoyable books along the way. 

Happy Reading! =) 

Reading Slump

Most of us have probably gone through reading slumps in our life time. On days that you've gotten too busy or those lazy days that you would rather binge-watch your favourite TV show, we've all been there. It's important not to feel guilty about it. Even though you may not be reading as much as you'd like, those books are not going anywhere. Once you find some free time and your TV shows are on summer break, you can always go back, pick up those books and start reading. Remember, there is no deadline when it comes to how many books you should be reading or how many pages you need to read a day.

I went through a bit of a reading slump recently where I wasn't able to read for a good month or two because I just didn't have the time. However, I've been able to pick myself up and start reading again! The wonderful thing about reading slumps is that it feels so good when you start reading again and have a hard time putting your book down! I've been reading most nights, and on days that I don't feel like reading: well it's okay! No book police will come breathe over my shoulder and tell me that I'm being bad! Hehe. =)

I also think it is important to remember that there is no race on how many books one can read. I follow many Instragammers who post like 7-8 books with captions that say things like "These are all the books I read all month!" Well good for them! However, there is no reason for me to feel bad. Everyone reads and enjoys books at their own pace. Some people may read a novel in one sitting, others may take a few weeks to finish, there's no shame in that. Reading should be a hobby, not an obligation. People should read because they want to not because they have to.

Happy Reading! =)

Small Town Library

My husband and I recently moved from a big city to a very small town. Amongst many differences between city life and country life, even the public library was very different from the ones in the big city. I went in today (for the first time) to make my new library card. The library is a quaint little building, it almost looks like a small house. The upstairs is the library portion, and the downstairs is a small thrift shop which sells used items (like clothes, toys, kitchenware, etc.) and all proceeds go to the library. When I first walked in, I couldn't help but notice the warm welcome I got from the librarians on duty. There were three female workers who welcomed me with open arms and big smiles. They were super friendly, and it almost felt like we'd been friends for years. When I looked over the front counter I noticed a dog in the library! Well that was a first for me! As far as I understand, the public libraries in Toronto don't allow animals! To my surprise, the dog actually belonged to one of the librarians. Just a lady bringing her dog to work! At the LIBRARY! The book, DVD and magazine selection was very small. However, they did have well known authors and I even saw a few best sellers. Even though they don't have quantity, they still have quality. After I was done browsing through the library, I went downstairs to check out the thrift shop. The workers and customers at the thrift shop were just as friendly and welcoming as the people upstairs! My first experience in a small town library, and I loved it!