Suzanne Collins - Mockingjay

Continuing to the final book of this trilogy "The Hunger Games", and "Catching Fire", the main characters find themselves midst a revolution and full blown war effort between the Districts and The Capital. Both sides tries to manipulate the thoughts of the public as means to hang onto power. The war draws Katniss Everdeen and Peter Malark into the fight, and their thoughts are clearly reflecting them being "damaged goods" after the arena and the war. Katniss is the source, and the revolution - she does not fit into normal life at all, and has to find a way to live with that, and herself.

The book closes the story completely, in a good manner. I was left to ponder the acceptance of government, and how we create perception about our own reality. How people are manipulated to serve the good of those in power.

Suzanne Collins - Catching Fire

Catching fire is the second book in the trilogy from Suzanne Collins. The Story picks up where it stopped in "The Hunger Games" with the victors requiring to go for a tour of the districts. The true significance of Katniss Everdeen's betrayal of the Capital in the games are made know to her, and the tour throws her and Peter Mallark into the thick of understanding the fragile grip the Capital holds over the Districts. The mood changes in the Districts as the Capital clamps down on the uneasiness.

In a bizarre twist of faith, the two lovers find themselves in the arena of another Hunger Games. Things however does not appear normal as the contestants are very open in their criticism of the Capital, and their desperate attempts to enslave the Districts. Katniss struggles with her inner fears and her desperate concerns that she is the source of the disastrous outcome of events. The Games however seeming continues, and she cannot believe how right she actually is.

At times the book was moving slow with the uninterrupted misunderstanding of Katniss' being frustrating. After the improbable introduction of setting the landscape and rules in the first book, the story does not need to over explain the bizarre situation. The book ends suddenly, and the third book in the series, "Mockingjay", has to be read to see how things pan out.

Dan Brown - Inferno

Harvard history professor, Robert Langdon, wakes in a Hospital in Florance and finds himself running for his life. He is tracing the steps of a genetic engineer in Florance, who aims to reduce the world population in order to save the human race. His adventure tracks through ancient cities where his history knowledge allows him to progress as he suffered short term memory loss, and the deception around the adventure unravels as the book progresses to test his trust of others.


The book highlights a serious problem facing the human race, I.e. overpopulation, and the solution presented in this book seems very understandable as the facts are explained. It presents some interesting questions to the intellectual mind, which allows for afterthought and further investigation. The book refers to the poem of the Italian poet, Dante Alighieri, with the same name.

I found it a very interesting book, requiring me to form opinions as I was drawn into the adventure, about overpopulation as well as the presented solution. The plot is masterfully created, protecting the hidden surprises.

Suzanne Collins - The hunger games

In a future society, life is a struggle for survival where 12 districts are controlled by a Capital. As punishment for a past rebellion against the Capital, each district is required to sent two children as tributes to participate against each other like gladiators till one survives. The story is about a girl from district 12, Katniss Everdeen, and the boy from the same district, Peeta Mellark,competing in the games. The games takes the form of a game show, televised live in the districts, with the game makers influencing events to improve the excitement for the audience. The event and her chosen strategy influence her performance. The final revelation of rebellion is a clever twist in the tale.

It is a strange story which changes direction, but is somewhat predictable at some stages. The life she had before drives the girl, and her actions makes sense, considering her predicament. Despite the potential to turn the book into a gruesome horror, the focus remains on the actions of survival rather than the eventual murders. This is the first book in the triology, with the story being taken forward in "Catching Fire".

Paulo Coelho - The alchemist

A Spanish shepard boy explores his dreams and find himself on a journey across the Sahara desert to Egypt on a treasure hunt. He looses his belongings, and build a treasure, to loose it again. He gets confronted with incredible questions of life, but choose an uncharted path. He met the love of his life, and as the story of life, he finds himself soon at the beginning of the adventure, and facing death.


The book reads very easy, the turns the story takes is not completely unexpected, but the little life stories are very clear. A good read, and a fairy tale with life lessons in perseverance.