CATCHING FIRE

There have been a great number of books that have given me sleepless nights.  The very first that I can remember was way back in high school when I first read the Amityville book; and that because of the horror that my vivid imagination gave me.  After that, there have been an innumerable string of titles that I can barely remember the titles of, simply because I could not put them down as soon as I started reading.  But then, I can remember reading something that I had to pause in between chapters and think about what I have just read - that is, not until the second book in the Hunger Games series; Catching Fire.

After i virtually devoured the first of the series, I was totally prepared to be taken into the whirlwind of Panem after Katniss' and Peeta's victory.  As expected, the book delivered the twists and turns that though some have been forming at the back of my mind while reading the first book, others have totally unnerved me, but, totally in a good way.  If I though I was addicted in the first book, i'm totally much worst here in the second staging of the Hunger Games.

Katniss as always is the girl on fire.  The other cast of characters have been totally hard to hate and its hard to root for the main characters when some of the other tributes are equally as appealing.  Finnick, Johanna and the rest have given me stunned minutes as I imagine how they might look like.  The ending is as always a bomb!

I still can't wait to see the first of the titles on screen as Hunger Games open in theaters March 23, 2012 but now I have something else to watch out for, Catching Fire, out in theaters November of 2013.

Now I'm on fire as I am immersed in the third and final installment.

HUNGER GAMES

I have heard a lot of good things about the HUNGER GAMES trilogy by Suzanne Collins but for some reason, I did not have the push to read the book when I started by YA bookfest late last year.  It was only when I had nothing else to read that I finally got down to haphazardly read the first book of the post apocalyptic series.

And boy was I blown away.

The Hunger Games series is set in the future where the continent of North America, or what is left of it has been taken over by what is known as the Capitol; a pseudo-communistic government that is led by the snake and rose smelling President Snow.  The center, Capitol, is home to the rich and privileged while the rest has been divided into Districts.

In "celebration" of Capitol's win over the people, the districts are made to "sacrifice" two of its teens every year in a reality-television game of survival where the lone winner must kill each and every other tribute in the arena.  In its 74th year, the Hunger Games pits 24 youth whose cunning, skill and sometimes luck will eventually decide the victor.  It is a story of Katniss, of Peeta, of Gale and the rest of the cast who though some are silent in the book have made what could only be one of the most exciting premise I have ever read.

I was so immersed on Hunger Games that I lost tract of time and am currently devouring the next book.  Sad, I may be as the pages I have yet to read gets thinner, I hunger for the third book and am eagerly awaiting the movie coming out next year.

For those who wish to see the movie and is excited on how they look, here are the main cast of HUNGER GAMES coming out March of 2012.

KATNISS EVERDEEN

PEETA

GALE

PRIMROSE

CINNA

THRESH

RUE

GALE during the District 12 reaping

Katniss and Gale at the forest near District 12

Katniss as District 12 tribute

Peeta at his family's Pastry Shop

TEEN WOLF the series

Watch out vampire lovers but lycanthropy is about to go viral!

These past several years, we have been witness to a resurgence of the blood suckers much like the hype that happened during the eighties when Anne Rice's Vampire Lestat de Lioncourt gained followers the world over. The glamorous vamps is reintroduced to the public eye through Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Saga making the otherwise frightening fanged creatures of the night into day walkers in the silver screen.  Since then, the Vampire Diaries have made a killing on television and that does not only count the number of fans earned by the delectable cast. (Damon's eyes are to die for).  Not to mention, True Blood. Now, countless book series have joined in the band wagon and introduced new vampire mythology, bite in you neck characters and we lowly mortals have been totally taken in. While indeed, Twilight introduced werewolves with the uber pumped up Jacob Black, lets all face it, its still Edward's turf. But then, MTV is about to change all that with the just begun TEEN WOLF the series.

TEEN WOLF is loosely based on the 80s teen flick of the same title that starred Michael J. Fox, the teen wannabe jock that became a werewolf because of genes.  The remix (the call it a remix rather than a remake), TEEN WOLF stars Tyler Posey as the teen lacrosse player wannabe that became a werewolf after being bit by one while lost in the forest one night.  His condition, known only to his best friend, Dylan O'Brien soon makes him a jock to be reckoned with to the distress of the lacrosse team captain played by actor/model Colton Haynes.  Not only that but our lupine star also gets the new girl in town played by brunette Crystal Reed.  Now that's one series that starts off with a howl.

The series debuted on MTV the first monday of June and has new episodes every Monday. It started with solid ratings and has since then climbed as it begins to gain a fan base, most of which are the exact same fans that catapulted vampires to the daylight; well, maybe its time to let go of the fans and start growing the fur, well see as the series is still on its 5th episode. But as early as now, a lot of skin has been bared and the cast are very vocal that the screen will only get steamier as the story unfolds.  In fact, they promise that there will probably be no other teen series with more sex than TEEN WOLF the series.

So lets all keep our claws on this promising new show.  As early as now, I am addicted and cant wait for it to be shown on Philippine shores via AXN this coming July 17th.  And if this does not convince you, maybe these will:

TYLER POSEY - TEEN WOLF

COLTON HAYNES - THE JOCK

TYLER HOECHLIN - THE MYSTERIOUS BAD GUY or not?

DYLAN O'BRIAN - THE BEST FRIEND

CRYSTAL REED - THE NEW GIRL

HOLLAND RODEN - THE HOTTIE

Now, doesn't that just make you want to howl?

a series begins

about a year ago a friend lend me a copy of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time book 4, The Shadow Rising.  i have seen copies of this particular series for years now but since the book is really thick, i was not all that interested to follow the titles one after the other.  in fact, a cousin who is an avid fan of the series had been telling me to go and read since according to him its a really cool read.  well, having nothing else to read at that time, i read my friend's copy.  and i only read until about a quarter of the thick book.

i did not finish the book not because i did not like it but simply because i liked the world that it introduced to me so much that i never wanted to experience it like a stranger suddenly thrust in an unknown world that would only confuse me and not allow me to get the most of my visit.

at this time, there are already 13 books in the series if we include the prequel, Robert Jordan wrote.  so what i   did is begin my quest for all the titles and promised myself not to read a single one until i have all available titles.  

it took me 6 months to complete the first thirteen books and as soon as i was able to purchase the last one i started my journey to the land of Aes Sedais and the Dragon Reborn.

so far, i have finished the prequel and is halfway through the first title.

in the Wheel of Time, Robert Jordan has created a whole history of intrigue, suspense, adventure and magic that has captured my fancy since the very first time i read a part of that fourth book.  not only will you feel the tension of each of the seemingly real characters but you get to understand all that pushes them to do the mounting action upon action that propels the reader to move on from one page to the next.

after finishing New Spring, i feel the magic of Jordan's world grip me.  immediately, i grabbed the first official book of the series and continue my journey this time in the company of the main characters that will show me why we need to at least in our lifetime share in the intricately interwoven tale that could have been reflection of our very own.

19

nineteen

the number does not describe my age but counts the number of books i have read so far this 2011.  This is in my quest for 100.  I recently finished the last two books, one the ending of a trilogy and the other the second book of one of Raymond E. Feist's numerous series.

the Amber Spyglass ends Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, a story of Lyra Belacroix, a young girl on the verse of adolescence as she moves from world to world in an adventure that will ultimately save the world.

this third book for me is the most thought provoking.  No wonder it was questioned by the Catholic church in some countries as a book not fit for young readers (as it rightfully is).  It presents the story of paradise lost in an entirely new vision.  Not only that, but it also questions the very basis of the catholic faith.

but remember that this is fiction and along with the premise and the superb writing of Pullman, I truly believe that this book is a must read.  Adventure, magic, suspense and the ultimate sacrifice that will always mean that good will always prevail.

lately, i have noticed that i have been reading a lot of Feist.  and with this title, the second in the Serpentwar Saga, i again realized why.  Raymond E. Feist presents young out of the way characters as the main personalities of his adventures.  what started with Pug and Tomas in the Riftwar Series, this story now has a different cast of characters in a setting that to me is almost more familiar than my own.

rise of a merchant prince is truly the story of Roo, an ambitious criminal turned soldier turned merchant as he rises from non-existence to that of being an important figure in Krondor, set of the story. with equal amount of wit, adventure, danger, and sexuality this is one novel that is truly Feisty (pun totally intended).

the end of a saga...

among the different genres of novels, there is one that i believe needs an unending supply of creativity and imagination from the author.  that is epic fantasy.  with these kinds of works, one needs to create a believable world and characters that would not only entertain us but also make us believe in their reality.  so far, i have visited upon worlds that have given me cause to imagine and wish to be transported there.  while one would be the middleearth of the lord of the rings novels created by j.r.r. tolkien, one other world has time and again invited me to visit.

the world of midkemia and its parallel world of kelewan.

written by the genius of raymond e. feist, i have first glimpsed upon the beauty of this land and got to know these characters back in college so many years ago.  since then i have never forgotten the beauty and the intrigue that it has shared with me.

now, i have just reread the whole series that have introduced these worlds to us, the riftwar saga.

since being introduced to pug, i have been immersed to the politics and the adventure of the personalities and creatures that have since then been made known to me.  with the growing powers that he has learned as the years go, i have also increased the thirst for more and more of all things midkemian and tsurani.

devouring chapter after chapter of the first four books, i cant wait for the other titles and series that have sprung up after the best selling initial saga.  though i have read a lot of them, still reading them once more have given me the visions like a well loved movie seen again after a long period of longing.

ill bet, these titles would soon be known as novels to film just like the other works from other authors before this.  surely i will welcome the visions to compare them to the visions i have made in my mind.

like all epic fantasies, the series has ended with darkness at sethanon.  but rest assured there are still other stories about these worlds out there, just waiting for the pen of feist for us to have a glimpse of them.


*ending the series puts me at 17 at the 100 challenge:
14.Apprentice,15.Master,16.Silverthorn,17.Sethanon; almost finish with Amber Spyglass as of writing