Catching Fire is the second book in the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. It’s another great book, and I finished it quickly even though it starts out at a slower pace than the first. It can be found in the SMCM library.
Availability: SMCM Library and COSMOS
Review Submitted by: Heather Pribut
Rating: Must Read
Read Mandy Reinig’s review of Catching Fire.
I read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins in two days. I probably could have read it in one if I didn’t have to work! It’s an awesome book, and very fast-paced! Great for getting back into the habit of reading for pleasure if you haven’t done it in a while. A “must read”!
Availability: SMCM Library
Review Submitted by: Heather Pribut
Rating: Must Read
Read reviews of The Hunger Games,
Life and Death in Shanghai by Nien Cheng is an autobiography about the author’s experiences during China’s Cultural Revolution. Before I read this book, I knew next to nothing about the Cultural Revolution. She not only makes it personal, but she includes some of the other history and the politics, so you really learn something from your read. The author is amazingly brave but at the same time, very human and relatable.
Availability: COSMOS
Review Submitted by: Rebecca Thayer
Rating: Must Read
I picked up this book partly due to my interest in all things travel and I am always looking for new books discussing someone’s adventures abroad. This book was a little different since it was written in letter style. The main character wrote letters back to her best friend about her week-long cruise in Europe and talked about everything she did in general and how it related to the to do list her best friend gave her for her big adventure. Hijinks ensued and the book was a quick but enjoyable read.
Availability: COSMOS
Review Submitted by: Mandy Reinig
Rating: Highly Recommended
City of Fallen Angels is the 4th book in the Mortal Instruments series. Having just finished the 3rd book I was looking forward to continuing the story. However, while the characters were the same and the writing was still great the book started off extremely slow. It did finally start moving along about half way through the book but it took a few hundred pages to get to that point. The story and characters were developed further and a few surprises happened along the way. The book ended with a bit of a cliff-hanger so it will be interesting to see what the 5th book has to hold.
Availability: COSMOS
Review Submitted by: Mandy Reinig
Rating: Recommended
Read Mandy Reinig’s review of Cassandra Clare’s City of Glass.
It has been awhile since I have read any of the Mortal Instruments series and so it took me a little time to get back into the book since I was trying to remember what had happened that lead up to where they were in the story. However, this is a great series and the third book was no different. In City of Glass, the author develops the two main characters and several of the supporting characters even further. Additionally, you see several characters from the two previous books re-emerge. There is quite a bit of action and adventure as well as a little romance thrown which makes this book a great read for almost all types of readers. Overall, just as enjoyable as the others and can’t wait to start the 4th book.
Update from the editor: There is now a website for the Mortal Instruments film, City of Bones.
Availability: COSMOS
Review Submitted by: Mandy Reinig
Rating: Highly Recommended
Lisa Williams has won the monthly prize drawing for July.
Submit a review by August 17 to be eligible for the our next drawing. Don’t forget prizes are available for all participants who submit a review between June 4 and August 17. Note that the prizes are cumulative, so if you review ten books you pick one prize from every category.
If you enjoy reading books by Koontz, King, and the like, then you should definitely check out this book. Having said that, I believe it goes without saying that this book is not for the faint of heart. It is one of the strangest and darkest books I have read because it takes place entirely within the realm of real human action — nothing supernatural. It is a reminder of the lengths people will go to make their point but also of how much people are willing to do for the ones they love. Best of all, this book keeps you on the edge of your seat and drops your jaw by the end.
Availability: COSMOS and USMAI
Review Submitted by: Samantha Schwartz, SMCM student
Rating: Must Read
I found the beginning of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins a little bit slow going, but once the Games themselves started, I was riveted. The premise of the fall of the United States and the rise of Panem was fascinating. I would enjoy a world-building book that described life in each of the 12 districts and the Capitol, along with the rebellion and the destroyed 13th district, much more than I would more stories about these characters.
Availability: SMCM Library and COSMOS
Review Submitted by: Rebecca Thayer
Rating: Recommended
Read Mandy Reinig’s reviews of The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay.
I would recommend this book but with reservations. I am usually kept on the edge of my seat by Stephen King books, but this one didn’t quite do it for me. Most of the action took place in flashbacks, which makes it seem as though the story is dragging and the reader is just waiting for real action to happen in the present. The plot was original enough — a stranger showing up with a car from another dimension/planet/somewhere unknown. The car continues to do strange things, acting as a portal. I certainly don’t feel as though I wasted my time reading this book, I just would not add it to the top of my to-read list.
Availability: COSMOS
Review Submitted by: Samantha Schwartz
Rating: Recommended with reservations
