Gimme Fiction

One nice thing about TDYs is that I have ample free time. Tons. Like, a lot of free time.

In Alabama, I had a chance to read about 6 1/2 books over the 6 week period, which was kind of great. (As a side note, ebooks are amazing. Instant books. Awesome). Since we got back, I haven't taken the time to read much more. Even on this trip, I haven't finished the other half of that book, though I intend to. I think my choice in books kind of gives away that I'm secretly a 16 year old girl. I *hate* nonfiction. Sitting down to read nonfiction takes real commitment for me. And I love sci-fi, fantasy, completely different worlds. So it might be slightly embarrassing (though I still think grown-ups can appreciate these novels just as much as the "young adult" crowd), but here it is, my list for those 6 weeks:

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Eragon by Christopher Paolini-I know I'm way behind the curve on this one. I've had it sitting on my shelf for years, but was turned off by the dragon on the cover. I don't know why, because as soon as I started reading I realized for the umpteenth time that I am a complete sucker for fantasy. Such a fun story about a young man being thrown into a huge position of responsibility (I'm also a sucker for super hero novels...) in a world filled with elves, dwarves, and depleted of the majestic, intelligent, and magical dragons that used to populate the earth. Eragon finds a dragon egg, a near impossibility given that an evil tyrant has basically eradicated them, and becomes a "Rider", forming a bond to the dragon and beginning an adventure to restore peace in the world. Also, Paolini started this book when he was FIFTEEN. Seriously, what have I done with my life?!

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Eldest by Paolini-Ok, also I apparently love book series. Anybody else get that drop in their stomach when they finish a really good book and realize that it's *over*? No? Well, I do, and I try to put off that feeling for as long as possible.

Eldest continues Eragon's story, as well as the story of his brother. Slightly less exciting as the first, but still worth the read for sure.

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Brisingr by Paolini-The third book in Paolini's "Inheritance Cycle". Similar in excitement to the second. The fourth and last book has yet to come out, but I am SO pumped to read it!

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The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins-Again, this beginning novel to Collins' trilogy is most definitely classified as "young adult science fiction"...but I love it! Very 1984-esque. A tyrannical government has taken over 13 districts, in which only 1 is run in any kind of acceptable condition. The other 11 (13 was destroyed in an attempt to rebel) live in poverty. As a sign of the Capitol's rule, each district is forced to put 2 children, a male and female into "The Hunger Games", a nationally televised and sponsored event in which the children are put into an arena and the last one standing is declared the winner. Katniss Everdeen volunteers when her young sister is chosen at random, and is bent on surviving for her family's sake through viewer manipulation and cunning. A very intense read, filled with some heavy themes, but it causes that kind of edge-on-your-seat anticipation that means you read it in a day!

The other two books I completed finished the trilogy by Collins. I won't go into the details of each, but they have romantic and political twists as the districts try once more to rebel from the Capitol. I was happy with the events, but disappointed altogether with the character development in the protagonist. She suffers much, but is hard to relate to, and eventually becomes so cold as to almost be sociopathic, or at least apathetic. Bummer.

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I'm almost done with the first novel in George R. R. Martin's series A Game of Thrones. This one is certainly still fantasy, but I think a bit more adult oriented. It tells the story of a family (and other characters involved) by breaking up into chapters narrated by each character. I suppose you could classify it as a medieval fantasy, a story of kings and loyalty, deceit and betrayal, honor, politics, love, and a few mythical creatures. I'm excited to move on in the series and see where it goes. Also, HBO is starting a TV series based on the novels, so that should be neat to compare.

So there's my "review" of a few of the books I took the time to read in the last few months. I'm looking forward to doing some more reading this time around, though I definitely don't think I'll do quite as much.

Oh, and also, you should check out http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/! It's a great resource to find similar books to your favorites that you might enjoy.