Series are awesome, aren't they? You find this great book, you fall in love with the characters and the story, the book comes to an end... but wait! There's more!
Series can develop the most passionate followers, too. For some reason, books like the Chronicles of Narnia, the Harry Potter novels, the Fellowship of the Ring series - heck, even the Twilight books - manage to inspirerabid... er, that is, enthusiastic readers who are willing to do things like get references to the books tattooed on them for posterity.
So, let's take a look at some series.
Special guest Tayla Scott (library placement student) read Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien.
I’m sure by now nearly everyone has either read J.R.R Tolkien’s original Lord of the Rings trilogy (820 TOL 1C) or at least watched the films. However I was one of the few that had done neither. Surprising I know but considering the first film came out when I was five years old, I think I can be given a pardon. Yet now that I’m older, it was about time to finally see why this trilogy is so revered.
Personally, I have mixed feelings about this trilogy. Just by reading Tolkien’s work, you can see he is trying to help build one’s imagination of Middle Earth, the fictional world in which the trilogy is set. At times, the descriptive nature of the character’s surroundings can become quite tedious and a bit of a bore to read. To be fair, the prequel to this trilogy, The Hobbit, was conjured up while J.R.R. Tolkien was telling his children bedtime stories and may be an explanation for such descriptive storytelling.
I must give kudos to the actual story. All the characters are uniquely individual with world views that relate back to their identity, experiences and upbringing. You can still feel the constant fear and danger that the characters find themselves in; whether that be the journey to Mordor to destroy the One Ring or gaining trust of skeptical kings. It is the social dynamics of this world that really captivates the reader and honestly something I would like more of.
These books were not something I could immediately pick up to continue reading. I had to be in the mood or have the energy to read. With that being said, the times when I was really enthralled by the story makes this series worthwhile; especially for those who enjoy the fantasy genre and those who really (and I mean REALLY) like descriptive writing.
Rachael McGarvey read The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins.
I really enjoyed reading the Hunger Games series (and the movies were pretty good too). The series (C 810 COL(S)) is based on the twelve districts located in the post-apocalyptic nation of Panem. Each year two people from each district are selected from a ballot to complete in the Hunger Games where there can only be one winner and to win everyone else must die, seems a bit extreme but there it is!
I found this trilogy (living at c820 KIE) interesting, especially as a part of the genre I usually read. It was tricky at first, as we begin without providing a background into the story - it launched straight into the characters returning home to find changes but, no explanation regarding what this is different to. For example, that the main character could talk to cats or that there were ghosts who interacted with castle inhabitants.
Series can develop the most passionate followers, too. For some reason, books like the Chronicles of Narnia, the Harry Potter novels, the Fellowship of the Ring series - heck, even the Twilight books - manage to inspire
So, let's take a look at some series.
Special guest Tayla Scott (library placement student) read Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Personally, I have mixed feelings about this trilogy. Just by reading Tolkien’s work, you can see he is trying to help build one’s imagination of Middle Earth, the fictional world in which the trilogy is set. At times, the descriptive nature of the character’s surroundings can become quite tedious and a bit of a bore to read. To be fair, the prequel to this trilogy, The Hobbit, was conjured up while J.R.R. Tolkien was telling his children bedtime stories and may be an explanation for such descriptive storytelling.
I must give kudos to the actual story. All the characters are uniquely individual with world views that relate back to their identity, experiences and upbringing. You can still feel the constant fear and danger that the characters find themselves in; whether that be the journey to Mordor to destroy the One Ring or gaining trust of skeptical kings. It is the social dynamics of this world that really captivates the reader and honestly something I would like more of.
These books were not something I could immediately pick up to continue reading. I had to be in the mood or have the energy to read. With that being said, the times when I was really enthralled by the story makes this series worthwhile; especially for those who enjoy the fantasy genre and those who really (and I mean REALLY) like descriptive writing.
Rachael McGarvey read The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins.
We are introduced to the main characters in the first of three books in the Hunger Games series. Katniss Everdeen is the butt kicking heroine who volunteers as ‘tribute’ in place of her younger sister who is selected in the ballot and Peeta Mellark, the son of a baker who doesn’t know how to spell Peter.
Anyhoo, all of the tributes get dropped into the ‘arena’ which is purpose built area where the landscapes can change, the weather and rules of the game can change to suit the twisted minds of the people running the game, and murder and mayhem ensures with Katniss and Peeta doing their best to stay alive.
Book two: is the Quarter quell Hunger Games, where all the past winners have to compete (regardless of age) and it’s on like Donkey Kong again!!
Book Three: The resistance has risen and the people throughout the districts are sick of the powers that be deciding how they should live their lives and the fight is now against the ‘Capitol’ and President Snow who created the Hunger Games to keep the people in line and you guessed it, it’s on like Donkey Kong again!!!
The story follows Wynter Moorehawk as she returns to life at the royal castle after 5 years exile with her father. She struggles with learning that one of her friends, Crown Prince Alberon has been exiled and wiped from existence in the country. After Prince Razi, the illegitimate heir to the throne, is declared the official heir trouble ensues as he is fights against the prejudices that exist. After they run from the castle they discover the crown prince has a plan to unite groups within the realm to fight his father's army. There is a lot of development with different groups and tribes and the inclusion of the main characters into one in particular. Underlying all of this, a love story develops and through adversity the characters eventually realise what the reader has seen all along.
I found the ending disappointing, I searched to see if there was another book, I felt it surely couldn't finish the way it had. It was very vague in the last (brief) chapter with a child with parents who you could not determine who the parent was or how the characters really ended up.
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