Monthly Archives: January 2012

this is serious first grade business.

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First Grade Girl: MISS CAITLIN. HE’S COPYING ME.

First Grade Boy: MISS CAITLIN. HE’S COPYING ME.

Me: First Grade Boy, are you copying her?

First Grade Boy: No, I’m not copying her.

Me: No, I’m not copying her.

First Grade Boy: Are you copying me?

Me: Are you copying me?

First Grade Boy: Stop copying me, Miss Caitlin!

Me: Stop copying me, Miss Caitlin!

First Grade Boy: Why are you copying me?

Me: Do you like it when I copy you?

First Grade Boy: Noooo…

Me: Then stop copying her.

First Grade Boy: …okay.

I am shocked, delighted, and in need of a new bookcase

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So remember when I wrote a bunch of word vomit a while ago, about an author that I loved and how she was having a book giveaway and you had to write a thing so I wrote a thing and just sort of flailed everywhere?

I won.

I KNOW. I’M AS SHOCKED AS YOU ARE. I don’t win things. Like ever. Not lotteries, nor spelling bees, nor competitions. I am not a winner.

BUT I WON ANYWAY.

I got a message via the contest site from the author that I won! And she even told me she was glad I won, because she thought my entry was awesome!

I was speechless for the next hour. And then reread my blog entry only to find comma splices and incorrect prepositions, so I had to go hide in shame for a while.

Well, in any case, last night while I was at work, I got an ecstatic text message from my husband saying “YOUR BOOKS ARE HERE,” which made rebeading the hem of a wedding dress a lot more bearable. And I got home to discover two GIANT boxes, one of which was cleverly labeled.

(Hiccup was not pleased at the prospect of adding a puppy to the family.)

P helped me rip the boxes open and I pulled each of them out one by one, oohing and aahing over titles and authors and glossy covers and shoving them in P’s face as I exclaimed “LOOK THIS IS AN ADVANCED READER’S COPY ISN’T THIS AWESOME?!”

And then we stacked them up, just to see how tall they’d be. Then again, I haven’t grown since the sixth grade, so I don’t know if this is a testament to my shortness or the sheer amount of books now in my possession.

All right, even if I’m only a hair under five feet tall, that is still a lot of books! I think my reading for the next year is well scheduled.

So thank you, Maggie Stiefvater, for randomly selecting me to win, saying a nice thing to a very discouraged girl, and sending me a glorious collection of books. They will be very much loved.

And also my cat thanks you for his new fort.

Book Reviews: The Hunger Games

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The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve heard so much about the Hunger Games, but I just never got around to reading them. Fortunately, a friend had a copy of the first book, and I devoured it. Like…read it in two hours one morning, wandering aimlessly around my house trying to do laundry and keep a book in my hand.

The premise isn’t new to me- I’ve read Battle Royale many a time, and thoroughly enjoyed that one. It’s also why I couldn’t quite give the book five stars. I’ve already read a book about teenagers sent to kill each other in a remote location, with the main characters being a jaded former contestant (Haymitch/Shogo), a protagonist with severe emotional constipation (Katniss/Shuya), and a noble love interest (Peeta/Noriko). But while the heroes of Battle Royale are plagued by a terrifying sociopath classmate (seriously, if you haven’t read it, read it now), the heroes of the Hunger Games are in an entirely different contest.

The most unsettling thing about the Hunger Games is how real it is. The world is a destroyed United States, now divided in 12 districts that are defined by their exports and ruled by a cruel government. The 24 tributes are taken from their homes, the only places they’ve ever known, and dragged to the Capitol- a vapid, fashionable city of fools. Because the Hunger Games are not merely fought, but broadcast. It sounds almost like any kind of reality show we could tune in and watch right now.

Honestly, while I’m supposed to love Katniss, I don’t. I admire her, I like her, but her inability to deal with emotions makes me grit my teeth. My favorite character, surprisingly enough, is Cinna, her soft-spoken but tremendously wise and fascinating stylist- although I have to say that Rue and Peeta round out my favorite characters.

I’ve been needing a new series to get excited about it, and while the trilogy is complete, I’m excited about the movies coming. Hopefully it’ll be just as good as the book!

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