The Hunger Games

If you haven't yet read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins you should stop what you are doing and run out to buy it!  I know the author has a huge amount of input in the upcoming movie based on the book, but I always insist people read the book before seeing a movie.  The books are always better!

As with the magical world J.K. Rowling created for Harry Potter, Suzanne has created an amazing post-war world with a unique game of its own.  This game isn't quite as lighthearted as a good game of quiditch, but it will pull you in and leave you hanging on the edge of every moment while you root for the players, and hope for the rules to change.

The characters in this story are amazingly detailed.  They grab hold of you and tug at your heartstrings throughout the entire story.  Katniss Everdeen is the girl who refuses to give up, even as she tries to discover who she really is.  The story is told from her perspective and through her point of view you feel the battles she must endure - both physical and emotion.  As a tribute in the Hunger Games she must strive to survive while learning to love and cope with the death that surrounds her.

This is a must read book for everyone 12 and older!  I am sorry it took me so long to discover it, and now I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series.

Being Human: BBC vs America

I love a good vampire tale, a ghost story, or  werewolf adventure.  When SyFy started doing promos for the American version of a British show set around the premise of werewolf, a vampire, and a ghost as roommates, of course I was intrigued.  I hadn't been aware of the BBC version until then. So, I did what any good enthusiast would do - I stalked down the BBC originals and started watching.  Along the way I was also watching the American version.

There are parallel story lines, of course, but there are also places where the American version strays onto a different path.  I won't tell how different or how alike they get because I don't like spoilers - and certainly don't fancy being the one to ruin anything for someone else.

What I will say is that they are both equally deserving of your time if you have any love at all for the supernatural.  

I will say, I am partial to the BBC version.  Maybe it's because I have seen those characters through three seasons (series) of the show already or maybe it's the cougar crush I have on John Mitchell, played by Irishman Aidan Turner.  Eight years isn't that big a difference is it?  No, not really.  

At any rate, these are great shows!  There is so much human drama tossed all about with a healthy portion of supernatural that you can't help allowing yourself to be drawn in.  Both shows have very rich and humanly flawed characters that stick with you long after you finish an episode.  This is must see TV for anyone who, like me, enjoys an imaginative tale and all the things that go bump in the night.  As to who wins the battle  - well - I guess that's up to you to decide!