First a Book, Now a Movie?

I'm getting ready to do my reading for my English class, oh how I despise this current book, so as I was searching Sparknotes for help (yes I read both the book and Sparknotes)a little link caught my eye. This wonderful link gave me some great information. THE HUNGER GAMES MOVIE COMES OUT MARCH 23, 2012!! I know it's a long ways away but I'm so excited now that I've been reading the book.

Action List: Teenage Driving

So I picked option B, to read this article, I've had my license for almost a year and a half and I partially agree with what the article is saying.
Basically this group did a study on teenagers and young adults focusing on the influences passengers have on drivers. They had each 'guinea pig' play four different rounds of a simulated driving game while wearing a brain scanner. The pigs were told that they would receive prizes for finishing the game with a certain time. They had to make basic road decisions like whether or not to stop at yellow lights, which would result in a delay, or to speed through the yellow lights, which would result in a crash and an even longer delay.
For half of the game two of the pig's friends would be watching them from a nearby room. "Teenagers ran about 40 percent more yellow lights and had 60 percent more crashes when they knew their friends were watching." The article talks about how the presence of peers increases the pig's decision to take risks.
I agree that drivers are influenced by the passengers, but all drivers are affected differently. For example, I'll admit that when I have friends in my car I'll get so wrapped up in conversation I don't realize that I'm going a little bit over the speed limit. On the other hand, I know teenagers who text while they drive when they have friends in the car so they appear to be 'cool.'
Anyway, I think that teens need to focus and make decisions for themselves. Don't give into the peer pressure from your passengers.

Shhh...it's on!

For anyone who follows football, last night was the mother of all games, the Superbowl. While I was pleased with the outcome, GO PACK GO, I was also pleased with many of the commercials. I know I'm not alone when I say that the commercials are my favorite part of the Superbowl. Where I was watching the game it was not a secret that we all held a greater interest in the commercials than the game. My top favorites, in descending order (of course to build suspense), are...
5.

4.

3. I know this is a trailer and not your typical "Superbowl commercial," but I have to stay I can't wait till it comes out!

2.

1.

Reading: The Hunger Games

I'm just a little more than half way through The Hunger Games. Here's today's summary starting on page 208 and going up through 261.

The predictable problem comes to Katniss's mind regarding her alliance with Rue; she knows that both of them can't survive, but she's excited to put her plan against the Career's into action. We left off with Katniss formulating a plan, and now she's decided that they're going to take the Career's food. Once she falls asleep she's instantly reawaken by a cannon, one more person dead.
The girls eat breakfast and try to form a plan while they hunt. Rue tells Katniss that the Career's food is hidden in plain sight down by the lake. Seeing how it's the Careers, Katniss thinks that it's all too simple and that it must be rigged.
While Rue and Katniss are hunting, Katniss learns new things about Rue. She's the oldest of her six siblings and she's overly in love with music. Rue tells her how she sings with the mockingjays in her district. Katniss remembers her mockingjay pin and tries to give it to Rue, who declines the offer because she has a grass necklace with a charm. The girls come up with a signal plan. Katniss learns the mockingjay signal from Rue. The signal from the birds means that Rue is ok. They split to initiate the plan. Being able to talk to/understand the 'code' of the mockingjays would be cool. I guess this is similar to the people who claim to be dog, or any other kind of animal, whisperers. The plan being in two parts, the first being Katniss will spy on the Careers at their base. She sees all of the supplies piled into a pyramid towards the back of their camp. Katniss is still confused as to what might be protecting the pyramid.
The second part of the plan involves Rue. She is to lure the Careers away from their camp by lighting a fire. Falling for the fire, the Careers leave and Katniss overhears one boy say that Peeta is most likely hiding somewhere in the woods but not to worry because he's too injured to be a threat to them. When Katniss is trying to figure out how to execute her plan, a girl Career strategically runs in a definite pattern up the pyramid, and in the same pattern back. Ah ha! Katniss has figured out the Career's secret; the pyramid is protected by land mines.
Rue makes an additional fire, signaling to Katniss that she's running out of time. She shoot a bag of apples with an arrow hoping it will fall and set off some of the mines. After a few shots the apples are falling everywhere triggering the mines sending Katniss flying through the air.
The supplies pyramid is completely destroyed. Katniss tries to escape but is hindered by dizziness and an ear ache. She manages to get herself back to the woods before the Careers make it back to their camp. The 'leader' of the Careers, Cato, throws a fit and breaks the boy from district 3's neck. The Careers think whoever set off the mines is dead; however, during the playing of the anthem they realize that the bomber is still alive.
The Careers set out on a hunt for the bomber, and Katniss remains hidden right where she is. Katniss falls asleep freezing in mid thought of the eight remaining players. She wakes up to a Career girl's laugh, she must have found supplies left over from the pyramid. Katniss contemplates whether she should recruit the girl or kill her, but before she makes up her mind the girl runs away.
Katniss goes back to the rendezvous spot, but Rue is not to be found. She climbs a tree to wait for Rue, however, she's impatient and starts off for the spot where Rue was to set the third distraction fire. I don't blame her. If I'm waiting for someone and I have to wait on them I start to get impatient and look for them too. When she gets there she's still unable to find Rue and the third fire. Thinking optimistically, Katniss knows Rue must still be alive otherwise she would have heard a cannon. In the midst of her search for Rue, Katniss hears the call from the mockingjays signaling that Rue is ok.
Katniss begins to follow the bird. She hears a scream that sounds like Rue. Katniss finally reaches Rue to find her tangled in a net. At first sight Rue calls out Katniss's name, but can't get out anything else before she is killed by a spear. Oh no Rue! I liked her character, the little unsuspected underdog. I feel like she could have made it close to the end of the games if it wasn't for this incident.
Katniss takes her revenge and shoot Rue's killer with an arrow. In her last moments Rue asks Katniss to sing to her. So she sings her a lullaby and the mockingjays join in. Rue death really sinks in once Katniss hears her cannon fire. Before the Capitol's hovercraft swoops up Rue's body, Katniss decorates Rue with wildflowers from the arena; her purpose in doing so is to remind the Capitol and the viewers that Rue is a person, not just a 'game piece' in the Hunger Games. A parachute carrying bread from District 11. She climbs up a tree, eats the bread, then falls asleep. When she wakes up she packs up her supplies and takes off for the stream. She lights Rue's old fire and cooks some of her game. She's shocked that none of the Careers have spotted her fire. Stunned, she climbs into a tree and reflects on her day. Katniss realizes that the boy who attacked Rue was her first 'kill' of the game. Claudius Templesmith, the announcer for the games, is broadcasted across the arena. He congratulates the six people who are left and announces that a new rule has been made; the last two tributes will be declared the winners. Man, why couldn't Rue hold out a little longer, or why couldn't Katniss have saved her a little quicker? This could have totally been them! Talk about major girl power. But I can't help but wonder, did they make this change to benefit Peeta, so he and Katniss can get together if they're left?
Without thinking, Katniss calls for Peeta. Realizing what she just did Katniss covers her mouth and hopes no one heard her. She thinks that the Gamemakers have changed the rules to support the star-crossed lovers in the games.
Katniss goes over the remaing tributes: Foxface (who's alone), Tresh (from Rue's district), Cato and his fellow tribute (from District 2), and Peeta (of course from District 12). She starts following the stream until she comes across bloodstains. Again, Katniss calls for Peeta. She hears his voice when he asks her, "You here to finish me off, sweetheart?", however, she doesn't recognize him because he's been covered in mud and leaves in the bank of the stream. She pulls him out and reminds her that they are supposed to be in love, and that it'd be ok for her to give him a kiss. Ok, seriously, he totally wants her and it's even more clear now. Katniss cleans Peeta and helps him with him injuries.
While Katniss is washing Peeta's clothe, he tells her that he hasn't gotten anything from a sponsor. He thinks it's because Haymitch likes Katniss more (because they're very similar to each other). Peeta's injured to the point where his mobility is very limited, so Katniss makes a shelter out of rocks. When Peeta starts to talk of not making it out of the games, Katniss gives him a kiss hoping it will shut him up, which of course it did.
Katniss takes a second and leave the rock shelter and sees a pot full of hot broth. These sponsors must be falling head over heels for this sappy lover stuff! Maybe the two will start kissing more? She goes back into the cave and wakes Peeta up with kisses and shows him the gift from the sponsors.

This book is definitely getting interesting with this rekindled alliance. Stay tuned for summaries to see what happens next! Thanks for reading.

Reading: The Hunger Games

Picking up from where we left off in The Hunger Games, starting on page 172 and ending on 207.

Katniss wakes up to a burning forest and quickly manages to unbuckle herself from the tree. Following the woodland creatures she starts booking it out of the forest when she decides that this fire must have been made by the Gamemakers. The Gamemakers tend to be the cause of crazy things in the games to add a little flare. I guess that'd kind of be like girls and gossip. Not that I'm supporting it, but if you think about it, if we didn't gossip what would we really talk about? It all just makes life a bit more interesting. Anyway, while she's running through the woods her, the bottom half of her jacket catches on fire, which she manages to distinguish, and then she starts throwing up everywhere. When she's resting these big fireballs are being shot at her, most likely by a Gamemaker that's hidden somewhere. Once again she starts running and her calf gets hit by a fireball leaving her calf scorched.
She made it back to her little pond where she relieves herself by putting her burnt body into the water. Finally able to rest for a few moments Katniss falls asleep. It's not long before she hers the Career tributes running near her, which sends her painfully climbing up a nearby tree. The Careers spot Katniss in the tree, and one boy tries to climb up the tree while a girl tries to shoot Katniss with an arrow, however they both fail. Katniss hopes she'll be able to get her hands on the girl's bow soon.
With the Careers camped out at the base of the tree, Katniss spends the night in the tree and spots a mysterious pair of eyes. At first thinking it was an animal, she learns that the eyes belong to the little girl who followed her and Peeta around in the training center named Rue. She's pointing to something in the tree above Katniss's head. That something is a tracker jacker nest (another awkward hybrid made by the Capital). She starts freaking out because just a few stings from these killer wasps can make you hallucinate and even kill you! If you somehow survive the stings these wasps can track you down (hence the name tracker jacker).
Katniss creates a brilliant plant to cut down the branch that is holding the nest, with hopes that it will land on the Careers below her. In her bed she finds a little silver pot from Haymitch (he finally came through for her!). It's a small container filled with this special ointment that provides instant relief for her burn. Rue and Katniss's eyes meet again and Katniss now discovers Rue's talent; Rue can leap from tree to tree.

When I read this I was picturing a girl with flying-squirrel-like apendages. You know everyone talks about these flying squirrels, but I've never actually seen one of these guys aside from pictures.
The next morning she saws off the branch, the nest falls, and a storm of tracker jackers fills the air. Unfortunately, she manages to get stung three times; however, she's smart enough to pull the stingers out. One of the girl Careers gets stung and beings to seize. As a result of the stings, Katniss's body is swollen and in pain. Luckily she still has enough common sense left after the stings to grab the dead Career's bow and quiver. Accomplishing this was not so easy surprisingly. She struggled to lift the dead body from the quiver while she slowly began to hallucinate. Out of the woods, not sure if it's real or just a mirage, she sees Peeta telling her to run. She takes off running and continues to battle with the hallucinations. Still in a daze, Katniss thinks that Peeta just saved her life from the Careers. Suddenly, everything goes black (by the way she's out for two days). Why did he do it? Was it because he truely loves Katniss and wants to spare her from the Careers? Or is it because he's playing up the 'loverboy' thing trying to win himself more sponosors? Well...I don't know quite yet.
Katniss wakes up alive and in a hole filled with leaves. She can't help but wonder how long she's been out or who else was effected by the tracker jackers. Keeping her mind focused on the game, Katniss remembers that she has a bow and arrow now! Without hesitation, she starts hunting and instantly succeeds; she manages to not only kill a rabbit, but also find a stream as well. Still keeping her guard up Katniss washes herself and her clothes in the river. The mental picture I got was similar to what you would see in the commercials about families in Africa or some other poor country in the world.
Katniss kills a bird and starts to cook her findings for dinner. She spots Rue in the woods and invites her to join her for dinner. To repay Katniss, Rue heals Katniss's wounds from the tracker jackers by chewing some leaves into a gummy paste then putting it on the welt. The two girls form an alliance and begin to learn more about each other. Being from the agricultural district, Rue knows exactly which kinds of nuts, berries, etc. are fine to eat.
Rue spots the sunglasses that Katniss found in the backpack from the Cornucopia. Katniss tells her how they're useless and only make her vision worse. Rue explains that they aren't sunglasses, but that they're some type of night vision glasses. Katniss tells Rue how she thinks that Peeta saved her life from the other Careers. Rue says that she has been spying on the Careers and that Peeta has left their group. By spying, Rue finds out that the Careers also have two pairs of night vision glasses also.
Rue talks about how she and Katniss are a lot weaker than the Careers because they're not as strong. Katniss disagrees explaining that they are strong because they know how to deal with being hungry all the time, unlike the Careers. Thinking this is pointless, Rue tells her that the Careers aren't hungry because they have all of the supplies to survive. This point turns on Katniss's light bulb and she starts to create a plan against the Careers.

More to come I promise! What will Katniss's plan be against the Careers? Will she and Rue make it til the end together? What happens with Peeta? Find out soon! Thanks for reading.

Reading: The Hunger Games

Hopefully you’re excited because this book is definitely getting good! Here’s what’s gone down pages 133-171.

Katniss puts two-and-two together and realizes that Peeta is saying he has a crush on her. The crowd sighs and sympathizes with the star-crossed lovers. Once the ceremony is done the tributes are shuttled back to the training center. Katniss tries everything she can to avoid Peeta but when her elevator reaches her floor she sees Peeta in the hallway and angrily storms towards him. She shoves Peeta ordering him to tell her why he told everyone he has a crush on her. Haymitch and the stylists arrive. Peeta admits that it was his idea to fake the crush to win both of them sponsors. He claims that Katniss is mad only because she’s afraid of Gale finding out. Now to everyone following the games she appears desirable as an object of love.
At dinner they all watch the recap of the interviews. Haymitch gives the tributes their finally bits of advice. He tells them that “when the gong sounds, get the hell out of there” because they are not able to survive the battles that will go on at the Cornucopia. They’re instructed to get away as far as they can from the other tributes. Once they get away, they have to find their water source. After that his only piece of advice is to stay alive.
Katniss tries to fall asleep but spends countless hours lying awake in bed. Her mind is overwhelmed with scenarios of the day to come. To ease her nerves Katniss escapes up to the roof where she finds Peeta watching the Capitols celebrate with a party. This whole evening Peeta’s been worried about how he can keep his personal identity during the games and how he can avoid making a disgrace of himself.
Today’s the day of the games and Katniss, along with the other tributes, has a tracking device inserted into her. That must hurt. I absolutely hate shots and would most definitely cry during this. The tributes are taken to the Lanch Room where she will get ready for the games. After the Hunger Games are finished the arenas become historic sites, and the people from the Capitol come and vacation there.
Going into the Games all tributes are equipped with hooded black jackets that reflect body heat. Cinna remembers to attach Madge’s mockingjay pin to her simple outfit. Once all the tributes are dressed and ready, the games begin!
All tributes must wait sixty seconds before they’re released into the arena. Katniss contemplates whether or not she should disobey Haymitch and fight at the Cornucopia for supplies. Still unable to decide, she eyes a bow and a quiver of arrows. She looks at Peeta and he’s shaking his head no, and Katniss misses the gong and now doesn’t stand a chance at the Cornucopia. Disobeying Peeta and Haymitch, Katniss takes off sprinting towards the Cornucopia and grabs a sheet of plastic, a loaf of bread, and a backpack. However, Katniss sees another tribute coming towards the same backpack. When he’s close enough he coughs spattering blood all over Katniss’s face (when I first read this I thought this was going to be some kind of stupid human trick he could do). Quickly she notices the knife in his back, and the girl who threw it begins to throw another knife at Katniss. Protecting herself with her backpack, Katniss manages to escape with one of the girl’s knives and heads running towards the woods.
She hears the cannons that are shot daily, once for every tribute killed that day. The first day into the games and already there are eleven shots. Inside her backpack she finds a sleeping bag, crackers, beef strips (I’m thinking these strips are supposed to be like beef jerky? I hate beef jerky, but maybe in the games I could maybe manage to choke some down), iodine, matches, wire, sunglasses, and an empty water bottle (shoot why’s it have to be an empty one?!). Determined to find a water source, Katniss keeps heading away from the Cornucopia. She sets two snares and climbs into a tree to rest for the night. Katniss is for sure a thinker. I mean who else would of thought to put their belt around the tree and fasten herself in it?
It’s morning now and Katniss awakes to the sound of a snap. Nearby she can see someone is building a fire. Katniss thinks whoever this is must be a complete idiot to be building a fire because it will only attract the bigger tributes. A pack of the stronger ‘Career’ tributes come along and kill whoever the girl was making the fire. Katniss notices that the Career tributes has teamed up and made alliances. Still in the tree, she listens to the tributes talking about the death of the girl, and Katniss realizes Peeta has teamed up with the Career Tributes.
Katniss is completely oblivious as to why Peeta has joined forces with the Careers. Peeta leaves the group to make sure the girl with the fire is dead, and the group discusses how they’re just using Peeta to find “her.” Without hesitation, Katniss realizes they’re talking about her. I feel like everyone at some point anyway, has been ‘used’ so people can get closer to another. Poor Peeta!
She climbs down from the tree, checks her snares, and finds a rabbit. She cooks it from the hot embers of the recently killed tribute’s fire. Katniss hopes that her hunting and cooking skills will help her earn sponsors. Still without water, Katniss is starting to become dehydrated. She keeps on moving forward in hopes of finding her water source.
The next morning Katniss keeps moving and is still unable to find water. She thinks that Haymitch has given up on her and refuses to send her any help from her sponsors. After thinking about why Haymitch wouldn’t send her water, she thinks that maybe it’s because she’s close to water. Mustering all of her strength, she keeps going but collapses into mud. Mud means water. Katniss finally found her water source, a pond full of water lilies. She purifies her water and immediately replenishes her weak and tired body. After a successful night she climbs up a nearby tree and sleep for the night.
The next morning Katniss wakes up to a loud noise that sounds like a stampede. She see a huge ‘wall of fire’ coming towards her.

Get ready the next post will be even more exciting. I’m finally getting hooked onto this book, and I can’t wait to read the next two in the series. Thanks for reading!

Reading: The Hunger Games

Picking from where we left off in The Hunger Games, starting on page 103 and ending on 132 (the end of Part One: The Tributes ).

Due to Katniss's little scene with the Gamemakers, she is determined that she's going to have to suffer the consequences now. She's paranoid of what they might do to her mom and Prim, but she doesn't think they'll kick her out of the games, seeing as how it's too late to find a replacement for her. Katniss comes to the conclusion that the Gamemakers will just give her a low score for her private session, which will decrease her chance of getting sponsors. "Since the training isn't open to viewers, the Gamemakers announce a score for each player. It gives the audience a starting place for the betting that will continue throughout the Games." Scores range anywhere from one, being the worst, to twelve, being the best; however, these don't determine the winner.
At dinner, Haymitch asks Peeta and Katniss how bad they did today in the private sessions (he's a real optimistic coach isn't he?). Peeta tells of how he threw weights while no one watched, and Katniss tells of how she shot an arrow at the Gamemakers. The scores are finally and officially televised to the public for the first time. Peeta has received an eight, which is average, and Katniss has received an eleven, which is outrageous.
Once she returned to her room, Katniss is lying in bed thinking about her first in counter with Gale. They first met in the woods when Gale thought Katniss was trying to steal one of his rabbits. From that moment on the two silently became a strong hunting duo. He gave her a much needed sense of security and they trusted each other with everything. Still trying to fall asleep, Katniss starts to compare Peeta to Gale and her relationships with both.
The next day at breakfast Haymitch announces that they will be coached on interviews, but Peeta has chosen to now be coached separately. Immediately, Katniss feels betrayed by Peeta. She thinks he changed his mind because she got a better score than he did. Typical boy who gets mad once he gets beaten by a girl. A manly man would just accept it and get over it!
While in training for presentation, Effie teaches Katniss how to walk in heels, hold her dress, sit properly, make eye contact, and smile more. This reminds me of Princess Diaries when Julie Andrews is trying to teach Anne Hathaway how to act like a proper princess or in Miss Congeniality when Sandra Bullock is learning how to become a beauty queen. After a long session Effie feels defeated and aggravated by Katniss. During her interview session with Haymitch, he becomes equally defeated when he cannot come up with a good 'angle' for Katniss. She can't act cocky, witty, funny, sexy, or mysterious. The entire time he criticizes her, and then finally tells her to act humble.
Katniss eats dinner alone in her room, then bursts out into a tantrum throwing plates and other dishes out of anger. The Avox comes in to take her dishes, but Katniss orders her not to. The Avox goes into the bathroom, comes out with a wet rag, and cleans the blood from Katniss. She finally apologizes to the Avox telling her that she should have saved her and the boy from the hovercraft.
Cinna and the prep team arrives to clean up and make over Katniss for her interview. She's completely transformed looking more "radiant than the sun." With a complete face of make up and a beautifully shimmering dress she's ready for her interview. Cinna tells her to act herself, be completely honest, and to look at him when she's answering questions. This whole entire process seems like they're in a beauty contest, seriously! The private session with the Gamemakers is just like the talent portion of the contest and the interview is just like the interview portion of the contest too.
At the interviews Peeta and Katniss still have to act as they're a pair. When it's Katniss's turn for her three minute interview, she follows Cinna's advice and answers honestly. She was most impressed by the lamb stew, this comment gets a laugh or two out of the audience, she adored Cinna's opening ceremony outfit, the audience reacts with oohs and ahhs, and she explained why she volunteered. Peeta's interview goes better than could be imagined, and it seems as if the crowd loves him. A surprise comes when the host asks him if he has a girlfriend. He responds saying no, but there is a girl who has had a crush for as long as he can remember, and how she didn't even know he existed until the reaping. *Sigh* Awww Peeta! I feel like things like this make the best stories if the two end up together. The host tells him that if he wins the girl will be all over him when he returns, and Peeta tells him that if he wins he won't be able to get the girl because she's there with him. Finally it's come out! Peeta has feelings for Katniss. How will this effect the Hunger Games?

More next time when I start Part Two: The Games. Thanks for reading!