AR Book Club

[Rynnec]

The Hunger Games seems like something that would benefit if it were told through shifting POV's. From what I can tell, the series just sticks with Katniss' POV for all three books.

[Dr. Insomniac]

Yeah, it was treated like Katniss was the only one suffering through the Games, and everyone else was in the wrong for merely trying to survive.

Anyway, I finished the Baroque Cycle. Longest book I've ever read, and while there were plenty of times where nothing happened, I can't picture anything being cut out without weakening the story.

[Avaitor]

When thinking about it, how does the concept of the Hunger Games make sense? So they think that forcing the Panem's children to fight to the death WON'T cause uproar among the districts?

I haven't read the other books yet, but it doesn't seem like the people of Panem really have much of a choice to feel otherwise and are just accustomed to the games. That, or the other districts don't want to end up like District 13.

I do think that shifting POVs would have helped to make it better, too. For one thing, maybe Peeta would have been a better character if we could actually get to know him and not Katniss's change in feelings towards him.

Also, I called that Peeta's dad had a SnapexLily thing with Katniss's mom the moment he appeared. Way too predictable.

I do want to read the other books, but I also don't want to pay retail for them. I'll look around thrift stores to see if I get lucky again, since I don't think I could read either in one sitting at Barnes & Noble.

[Spark Of Spirit]

So is this the next thing I'm going to see hyped to high heaven for the next 6 years or so?

It looks a LOT like Battle Royale.

[Avaitor]

Katniss is a more interesting character than Bella or Hermione.

That's all it really has for it.

[Pharass]

I'm currently reading Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey and so far, I have to say that it's pretty damn good, especially when it comes to the characters, who are all engaging and believable. The heroine and narrator of the book is a sort of courtesan/luxurious prostitute, so as you can guess there's quite a strong erotic element running trough the story. Oh, and she's also a masochist. Just thought I'd point that out.

If the above puts you off on reading the book, I should point out that the sex-scenes are, at least in my opinion, well-handled and never come off as artificial or crude. There's also plenty of political intrigue, betrayals, assassinations and all that other stuff that makes a novel worthwile. The closest thing I can compare Kushiel's Dart with is George R.R. Martin's stuff, so if you like his books, I'd recommend checking this one out.

[Pharass]

Currently making my way through Bleak House. It's been awhile since I read any Dickens and I tend to find him a bit hit and miss (for example, I enjoyed A Tale of Two Cities but didn't care all that much for Great Expectations except for the scenes featuring Miss Havisham). However, this novel with it's tangled web of legal feuds, deceit and sinister lawyers is pretty good so far. Hopefully, it'll manage to sustain my interest for the remaining 600 or so pages.

[Angus]

Out of boredom I started browsing through my older brother's collection of books and began reading Douglas Adams's The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul.

Ah, nice choice. I miss Douglas Adams. I remember using Dirk's strategy of following the person in front of you when you're lost and it worked.

[Angus]

So how does Hunger Games compare with Twilight? It's totally hyped up this month.

[Dr. Insomniac]

So how does Hunger Games compare with Twilight? It's totally hyped up this month.

Well, for starters, things actually happen and the prose isn't pretentious. At least, not by much.

[Avaitor]

On the subject of Dickens, I'm reading David Copperfield now, and I keep on thinking to myself "when will this end? When will this end? WHEN. WILL. THIS. END?!!!!"

Dickens really isn't for me.

[Pharass]

On the subject of Dickens, I'm reading David Copperfield now, and I keep on thinking to myself "when will this end? When will this end? WHEN. WILL. THIS. END?!!!!"

Dickens really isn't for me.

The only thing I can really remember from David Copperfield is the main villain. He was pretty entertainingly loathsome though, if there's one thing Dickens was good at writing it was bad guys. Sure, his villains are caricatures but at least they're memorable caricatures.

As for the length, one thing to remember is that Dickens work (and the works of most of his colleagues) was the 19th century equivalent to on-going TV-series and/ or soap-operas. Some of these works have aged well, such as most of Dumas' works (The Count of Monte-Cristo for example is a tousand pages long in it's unabridged form but reading it I hardly noticed) and others have not.

Personally, I'm more of a Wilkie Collins guy. The Woman in White is one of my favorite novels.

[Avaitor]

I agree, his villains are typically interesting. His characters and prose are just fine for the most part, but I can't get into his work for the life of me.

[Angus]

Well there's always Don Quixote if you want huge paragraphs that go on and on.

[Pharass]

Just finished Bleak House. I liked this novel more than Great Expectations, but still found it to be quite uneven in places. There are parts of the novel that were excellent and other parts that were a chore to get through. Not a bad novel by any means I don't regret reading it, but I'm in no hurry to read another Dickens anytime soon.