2012 January

Review: The Hunger Games

January 30, 2012 by Mocha Girl Alysia 13 Comments

Author: Suzanne Collins

Genre: YA Fantasy/ Dystopian

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Release Date: Reprint edition (4/3/10)

Paperback: 384 pages

Buy the Book: Amazon

Book Description

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, “The Hunger Games,” a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed.

Reviews by Mocha Girl Book Bloggers

Reflections of a Bookaholic

My Little Pocketbooks

Mocha Girl Tia’s Review: I really liked this book. It was unlike any other book I have read before. It kept me entertained the whole way through. I look forward to reading Catching Fire.

Mocha Girl Shannon’s Review: There was so much hype surrounding the recommendation of this book that I feared it would be a big disappointment. How wrong I was! It may not be the most original idea, but it was an extremely refreshing read and incredibly well-written. I especially liked how the story ended, with loose ends still trailing along behind it instead of everything being all tied up nice and neat. I enjoyed the story from beginning to end and am looking forward to the second installment.

Mocha Girl Rochelle’s Review: Good Morning Mocha Girls and Happy Monday just finished the book, this book kept me on the edge of my sit, it kept me intrigued and anxious to get to the end and then there is the end, (don’t want to spoil the end for those that have not finished,) overall good book.

Did you read The Hunger Games? What did you think of the book? Leave your review in the comments.

Please use the 1 click Review as well. Pick one of the following selections for your overall feeling of this months book.

Filed Under: Home, Reviews Tagged With: book, review, The Hunger Games

Quote It!

January 29, 2012 by Mocha Girl Alysia 1 Comment

Filed Under: Chit Chat, Home Tagged With: inspirational, inspirational quote, quote

Why I Love Wednesday

January 25, 2012 by Mocha Girl Alysia 13 Comments

Why I Love Wednesdays…Types of Endings

Mocha Girl Alexis from Reflections of a Bookaholic started a Wednesday Meme called Why I Love Wednesday. What is a Meme you ask? According to wikipedia…The term “Internet meme” refers to a catchphrase or concept that spreads rapidly from person to person via the Internet, largely through Internet-based email, blogs, forums, Imageboards, social networking sites and instant messaging. Basically, a topic from the meme host (Alexis) is posted on participating blogs with blog authors (me) answering it on their site (here).

The topic this Wednesday is…Types of Endings

This one is easy! I love endings that make you wonder if there is going to be another book coming. I need a few resolutions here and there to tie up some loose ends before it ends. As for my mom she ALWAYS needs a happy ending. She even will go as far as to read the ending first just to see if she will like the book.

What types of endings do you like? Are you a sucker for a happy ending? Or do you need a cliff hanger? Leave a comment.

♥Mocha Girl Alysia♥

Filed Under: Home, Why I Love... Tagged With: Books, meme, reading, Wednesday

February Book of the Month: The Darkest Child

January 24, 2012 by Mocha Girl Alysia 15 Comments

“In an extraordinary fictional debut, Delores Phillips delivers a narrative with the kind of brutal force that renders a reader breathless…. A captivating and emotional tale, The Darkest Child is a narrative as much about hate as it is about love.” —Noir! African-American Book Review

After all the books nominations and over 150 votes cast…Mocha Girls Read February book selection winner is The Darkest Child by Delores Phillips. Take a minute to see what this book and the author are all about.

Synopsis

Rozelle Quinn is so fair-skinned that she can pass for white. Yet everyone in her small Georgia town knows. Rozelle’s ten children (by ten different daddies) are mostly light, too. They sleep on the floor in her drafty, rickety three-room shack and live in fear of her moods and temper. But they are all vital to her. They occupy the only world she rules and controls. They multiply her power in an otherwise cruel and uncaring universe.

Rozelle favors her light-skinned kids, but insists that they all love and obey her unquestioningly. Tangy Mae, thirteen, is her brightest but darkest-complected child. Tangy wants desperately to continue with her education. Shockingly, the highest court in the land has just ruled that Negroes may go to school with whites. Her mother, however, has other plans.

Rozelle wants her daughter to work, cleaning houses for whites, like she does, and accompany her to the “Farmhouse,” where Rozelle earns extra money bedding men. Tangy Mae, she’s decided, is of age.

Author Biography

Delores Phillips was born in Georgia. She is a graduate of Cleveland State University and works as a nurse in a facility for abused women and children in Cleveland. This is her first novel.

OFFICIAL DARKEST CHILD WEBSITE

Congratulations to Mocha Girl Delores for becoming Mocha Girls Read book for the month for February 2012.

Feel free to leave comments and thoughts here as you are reading the book. I’m looking forward to reading this book and hearing what everyone thinks of it.

Keep the pages turning!

♥Mocha Girl Alysia♥

Filed Under: Book of the Month Tagged With: book, book club, book of the month, February, Read

The Hunger Games Readalong: Progress Report 3

January 23, 2012 by Mocha Girl Alysia 9 Comments

Now I am hooked to this book. It took me a minute to REALLY get into it and now that I am…I am hooked.

How are you doing with the book of the month? Are you reading along with Kris? If so, you should be done with Chapter 18. What do think of the first 18 chapters so far? If you haven’t made it to this check points yet, no worries! Here is a recap for you.

~~January 1st: Reading begins!~~
~~January 7th: Progress Report #1 – End of Chapter 6~~
~~January 14th: Progress Report #2 – End of Chapter 12~~
January 21st: Progress Report #3 – End of Chapter 18
January 28th: Progress Report #4 – End of Chapter 24
January 31st: Final Report – End of Chapter 27

Progress Report 1 (Chapter 1 to 6): Take a look and see what these bloggers thought of the first 6 chapters.

Words That Fly

Book Snob Wannabe

Hint of Sunshine

Pop Quiz at Mocha Girls Read

Progress Report 2 (Chapter 7 to 12): Take a look and see what these bloggers thought of the first 12 chapters.

Words That Fly

Book Snob Wannabe

Hint of Sunshine

Essay Question at Mocha Girls Read

If you haven’t made it to Chapter 18… Don’t read further!!

SPOILER ALERT!! SPOILER ALERT!! SPOILER ALERT!! SPOILER ALERT!!

Chapter 12 to 18 Test Questions

1. How many tributes can you name from the Hunger Games?

2. What is Haymitch’s advice to Katniss before the Hunger games begin?

3. Where are the weapons located at the beginning of the Hunger Games?

4. What does Katniss get?

5. What are the most important skills she has for staying alive? What qualities of her personality keep her going?

6. What do you think will happen next?

What do you win if you get all of the answers right? The satisfaction of knowing you are… RIGHT! It’s not to late to join Kris in the Read Along. Click on the owl and it will take you right to her Read Along. Keep the pages turning!