Going Back to Hunger Games

I'm thinking about The Hunger Games et al (again) because I'm supposed to be writing a paper about them for a conference presentation in about ten days.  So, in re-reading Abbey's post about how well written they are, I'm intrigued.  One of my fellow panelists will be discussing the mixed reader-response to Mockingjay, and I'm very much looking forward to her thoughts.  I'll do my best to pass them on, but when I'm presenting I'm not at my note-taking, attentive peak. I will try to focus my nervous energy on taking notes, rather than on ripping my fingernails into tiny shreds, in hopes that I'll be a calmer presenter and a more reliable scholar. So I can then hear some feedback from other THG readers (that would be you).

I'm looking at the various faces of rebellion in THG, exploring how Katniss, Peeta, Gale, and Haymitch each has their own peculiar response to the capital's oppression, and none of them are what we might find "typical."  I hope I come up with more than that in the next few days.

The Post-Feminist World of Beka Cooper

In her quite marvelous thesis, Emily (Lanning) talked about Post-Feminism as something beyond the need for feminism--a society (fictional, of course and unfortunately) where traditional gender roles, perceptions of gender as we understand them, just don't exist (Garth Nix's Old Kingdom, just for instance). She initially speculated that perhaps Beka Cooper's Tortall (created by Tamora Pierce, a woman, btw) is such a place.  I'm now midway through book two (I can tell you that I am 55% through the book, but I can't tell you the exact name of the book because I'm reading it on my groovy new Kindle! [Is that product placement?  Should I demand compensation?]) and I can see how Beka's not-entirely-but-pretty-close-to-post-feminist society is about to fall into the dark abyss of patriarchy, the dark abyss that will eventually lead Lady Alanna to cut her hair, bind her breasts, and call herself 'Alan' in order to follow her dream of becoming a knight.  Interesting.  This means that EMILY had better read those books while she's jaunting about overseas, and post something here to address this burning issue.

Readings

So, outside of class requirements, I have recently finished The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay, the three book series by Suzanne Collins. All three books were incredibly well done, capturing the essence of a totalitarian society and coupling it with the beautiful heart of the adolescent characters. I was most blown away by Collins' ability to isolate what the reader could see, and the sense that there was something sinister going on outside of what Collins was letting us see. Did anyone else notice this as they were reading?

More recently, I have finished Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell. The book follows an uptight rule following bookworm named Vassar who has always lived up to everyone's expectations of her and is perfectly happy with who she is. Well, that's how she is in the beginning, until she's forced on a surprise trip across the world with her Grandmother. I don't want to spoil anything for those of you who haven't read it, but I loved the realism of this novel. Like most adolescent/coming of age novels, there's an exploration of a new world that eventually teaches the main character something more about themselves and gives them a new identity, but what I loved about this particular tale was that we never had to leave our world to get there. There were no elements of fantasy or magical creatures--but it still had the feel of being completely foreign in a similar way. So, if you have room on your ever growing list of books to read, add this one. (and if you've read it, what did you think?)

And now I'm out of books. I forsee a library trip in my future soon.

Please write on my blog!

I know I said I would do this long, long ago (well, at the end of the spring 2010 semester), but look, here it is!  If you have lost your enthusiasm or just have no time, no hard feelings, I totally understand.  If you want to read and occasionally comment, that's wonderful, please do to your heart's content.  If, however, you would like to author posts from time to time, you may already be able to do so.  If you don't have that permission and would like it, just comment to that effect and I'll figure out how to make it happen.

What are You Reading?

Okay, so maybe this is not the best time to ask, what with the semester well underway, but what are you reading? I've just finished Conspiracy of Kings, the fourth (perhaps final) Megan Whalen Turner book set in the fictional worlds of Eddis, Sounis, and Attolia. They are remarkably well drawn in terms of setting and character, and while book one, The Thief, may have been intended as a single story, the series momentum pulls you through to the end. It's personal and political, and funny, a combination I can't resist.