Divergent Series

For the next installment of that very specific genre that I like so much, I read the first two books in the Divergent series by Veronica Roth (and I am very anxiously awaiting the third, and I think final book, so like, come ON already!) Divergent and Insurgent.

The setting: Chicago, a couple centuries in the future. The city has the same landmarks as we would find now including Lake Shore Drive, Navy Pier, and the John Hancock building, but the city is now surrounded by a wall and the population is broken up into five factions that each have a different set of values:

1. Candor-- the honest
2. Abnegation-- the selfless
3. Dauntless-- the brave
4. Amity-- the peaceful
5. Erudite-- the intelligent

On their sixteenth birthdays, kids must choose a faction. Most choose the faction they were raised in, or the one they "match" with according to some super high-tech virtual reality test.

Our protagonist: Beatrice, also known as Tris, who is raised in a very conservative Abnegation household but chooses Dauntless for her faction after her test results are "inconclusive". Tris, who starts out meek and without a clue who she is, slowly grows into an incredibly strong woman who, like both of her factions, is both brave and selfless.

The love interest: Four, an older member of the Dauntless faction who helps Tris find her strength. He is dark, tormented, dreamy, and mysterious... you know, the usual.

What's so dystopian about it? Well, across both books (I'll try not to give too much away here), Tris learns more and more about the different factions and discovers they aren't as peacefully coexisting as she once thought. 

The verdict: As far as I can tell, this series has it all-- it's a coming of age story, has a strong female lead, the swoon factor is off the charts (in the first book especially), and has enough action (in the form of a revolution!) to satisfy anyone. I can't wait for the next installment!

A very specific genre

When I log in to my netflix homepage, the things they recommend to me are sometimes slightly, well, ridiculous. I will receive lists of very specific categories of movies-- categories that I didn't know existed, let alone that they were "my favorite". For example, "quirky British movies with a strong female lead", or "feel good sports movies based on a true story", of my favorite, "films starring Ryan Reynolds". Okay, who am I kidding-- I obviously know those are my favorite categories of movies, but I guess I was still surprised that Netflix could figure me out so specifically.

Well, I have come to realize that I have the same thing going in with books. My go-to genre has become something along the lines of "Young Adult futuristic dystopia novels featuring beautiful teenagers almost kissing". (Note. This is different from "YA fantasy novels featuring beautiful teenagers almost kissing", though I've also read my fair share of those!)

I think that The Hunger Games trilogy started it off, but since then, I have read installments of at least four other series.

Anyway, since getting a Kindle for Christmas (have I mentioned I got a Kindle?) this addiction has become even more of a problem since these fluffy-yet-epic reads are now only a click away. I'm ages behind in blogging about any of these books since I can't figure out how to write about all of the angst and take-you-back-to-high-school crushing without spilling the beans about the twists and turns of the plots. So, instead I thought it would be easiest to introduce the whole genre at once so when talking about the books/series, I can save some time!

20th Meeting: The Lathe of Heaven

After reading Ray Bradbury for our 19th book club, Mandy was inspired to choose another old school sci-fi book for our 20th meeting. She selected The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin (1971).

It seems that sci-fi is a good genre for our reading group, as the book received a pretty warm reception overall. The story follows a man named George Orr who realizes that his dreams are literally coming true. If he dreams about a horse running in a field, he wakes up to see a painting change from a mountain to a horse; if he dreams there was a plague that wiped out half of the population, when he wakes up, reality confirms that it's true. When Orr visits a psychiatrist, Dr. Haber, he is hoping to put an end to his "effective" dreams, but the doctor tries to wield Orr's powers and use them for his own good by giving Orr things to dream about.

While reading the book, I kept thinking to myself "I've heard this story before" in some form or another (e.g., Inception anyone?) but when I reminded myself that this story came first -- in 1971-- I was blown away with the genius of it all.

This is the type of book that all of the Eat, Drink, and Literarians wanted to read again after discussing it so we could re-discover the symbolism, foreshadowing, and brilliance of Le Guin.

The Hunger Games Series

Oh. My. Gosh. That is really all I can say.

I finished the Hunger Games series over two months ago and I have just been contemplating what to write about them ever since. Nothing I can say could ever accurately represent these novels or how much I loved them. This series was like brain candy. I read all three books in a combined four sittings, and after I finished them I went through a mourning period. I couldn't think of reading another book, I couldn't believe the world Suzanne Collins had created for me was over, and I found myself literally cuddling with the books at night re-reading select chapters to get my fix.


No spoilers here-- the Games are best experienced if you have no idea what to expect. But, let me just say that these novels have something for everyone.

If you can't remember the last time you stayed up all night to finish a book then it is time to pick up the The Hunger Games, Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games), and Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, Book 3).