Self-Isolation Read - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

• Title And Author: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: Physical
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought
• Length: 528 Pages

Ok, let's address the elephant in the room. The world at the moment is awful. There's no other word for it. It's awful. And I thought long and hard over whether to continue posting on the Pewter Wolf or not over the next few weeks. I decided, in the end, that I am going to continue posting for a little while (I am going to take a small break later in the moment due to work and my mental health), but I wanted to say that this blog is my safe space and I want to keep it being a safe place for you, dear reader. I will one or two things the next few weeks and you will notice a shift on what I read and how I educate and entertain myself. But please bear with me. I will try and be/do better.

So... the long awaited prequel to The Hunger Games trilogy! And it’s a chunky beast. And it had a bit of a journey to its worldwide release - we were told it was a prequel, following an eighteen President Snow becoming a mentor for the 10th Hunger Games and happening in the middle of the COVID-19 and other things (can we just cancel 2020?) - but we’re here now. And this book is getting some very mixed reactions. 

So, what is mine? 

Now, before we go further, the book. On the morning of the Reaping for the tenth Hunger Games, young Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot of fame and glory as a new mentor of this Hunger Games. The name and respect for the Snow has fallen on hard times and he thinks this will save himself and his family. 

But when he is told he will mentor the female tribute from District 12, he feels humiliated and starts trying to figure out his next move. For someone desperate to survive, how far will he follow the rules for?

The Hunger Games Trailer

Earlier today, Good Morning America (a breakfast show on ABC in the USA) revealed the trailer for The Hunger Games... and here it is!



Reactions, ladies & gentlemen?

The Hunger Games Character Posters!

Yesterday, Liongate revealed, from several different online locations, character posters for The Hunger Games. It was simple, yet effective posters. And, the lovely people at Hypable, got them all together and here they are...









And here is the only poster, where the character is looking to the right. Well, with the lead being Katniss, THEY HAD TO!!!



I really like them, much to my surprise. I'm still not 100% certain on Lenny Kravitz being Cinna (he's my fave character hence my resistance to him), but I love Rue's poster (it's perfect and heartbreaking) and whenever I look at Effie's poster, I feel the urge to laugh. It's tacky and it's perfect for her! Still not sure about Cato's poster (as I can't remember his character) but I thought we would see President Snow or Foxface. Now, that would be interesting to see...

Also, reported from Hypable, the real name of Foxface will be revealed in the movie! The actress playing Foxface, Jackie Emerson, revealed that the film will reveal her character's name as Suzanne Collins was heavily involved in the script writing process. She even, to my knowledge, wrote the first draft of the movie.

But what are you guys think of the posters and the news of Foxface's real name being revealed?

Hunger Games ADULT covers!

I've been away (at Alton Towers with the Person I'm With aka the PIW). And, of course this happens, book news hits Twitter. Scholastic UK revealed that they will be publishing The Hunger Games trilogy with adult covers. Now, I'm not 100% certain why we need adult covers, but Scholastic revealed them on Friday and they do look lovely!





For those eagle-eyed amount you, the birds are the Mockingjays taken from the US covers (and I do like the US covers of Mockingjay. I love the blue) so I might consider getting the adult Mockingjay. But what do you guys think?

The adult covers of the Hunger Games will be out in the UK on 1st December, just in time for Christmas and a good several months before the first movie.

Hunger Games Teaser Trailer

On Sunday at the MTV VMAs, we were shown the first teaser of THE HUNGER GAMES. This was introduced by Jennifer Lawerence (aka Katniss), we were shown this...



Reactions? Well, on Twitter from what I've seen, it's been mostly positive. There has been one or two "is that it?" and I feel like that. But this is a teaser to the trailer so I will wait before I past judgement, but from the looks of it, it feels right. But am going to wait for the real trailer and then the movie to past judgement.

But what do you guys think???

The Hunger Games MOTION Teaser Poster

I agree with Empire Of Books. I have no words for this. Just perfect!

KATNISS REVEALED!

The first photograph of Jennifer Lawrence being Katniss for Liongate's THE HUNGER GAMES has been revealed!



So, what is your reactions to this picture?

I'm not sure. I like that the first image of her as Katniss is in her Hunger Games getup. And I like the fact that she looks a bit like Katniss in my head, but I always imagined her more dirty looking for some reason. But I suspect that at the start of the film and while she is in the Hunger Games, Katniss will get more the way I imagine her to be.

But I's curious on if Jennifer gets the essence of Katniss. Will have to wait till March 2012 to find out...

The Hunger Games Casting

Yesterday, news was released about who would be playing Peeta and Gale within Liongate's THE HUNGER GAMES, based on the bestselling trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Now, seeing as I haven't reported on the film before, am going to reveal to you the Tritiny of the Hunger Games. Who is playing Katniss, Peeta and Gale...

For Katniss, we have JENNIFER LAWRENCE.


For Peeta, we have JOSH HUTCHERSON.


And for Gale, we have LIAM HEMSWORTH.


What do you guys reactions to these castings? Do you like or dislike? Or are you surprised over these castings? I am surprised (because I never had an actor in my head when I was reading the trilogy) but these actors (to me) are quite unknown so am happy on that front.

But what about you? Yea or na to the Hunger Games castings?

EDIT: Has just found out that The Hunger Games will be released in UK cinemas on 23rd March 2012. That means Liongate has LESS THAN A YEAR to do all the castings, film the film and then do the Post-Production. Can they do it? Or will it feel rushed?

Tomorrow When The War Began & Hunger Games Movie Update

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY, FOLKS!!!

As it's Australia Day, one of my fave sites revealed a trailer for Australia smash, TOMORROW WHEN THE WAR BEGAN. The book series, written by John Marsden, is huge down under and, if this trailer is anything to go by, it might become huge in the UK and the USA!



According to DigitalSpy, the film will be out in the UK on 15th April. Not sure who has the publishing rights to this book series, but if you are waiting for the Hunger Games movie, this might be the film you need to see.

Speaking about the Hunger Games movie, Liongate and the director, Gary Ross, have revealed the US release date for the movie. The date in question is 23rd March 2012. This comes mere days after Liongate hired Debra Zane as Casting Director. Some people will know her as the casting director for Breaking Dawn.

But what do you think? Do you think that Liongate can make a great movie within a short time period?

My reaction: I can't wait to see how the film looks, but I always thought we would get the film at the end of 2012, the start of 2013. But I feel I can trust the director and the script writers (the author herself, Suzanne Collins, wrote the first draft) so I can trust them. But I do worry over the CGI/Special Effects - my example is the first Twilight movie...

GoodRead - Mockingjay

Okay, this is a review of Mockinjay by Suzanne Collins. But... er... HELP! IT'S BEEN OVER A WEEK SINCE I FINISHED THE BOOK AND I'M NOT SURE HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT!!!

I'm not sure how/if I should review it. Because, like I cap locked, I still not sure how I feel about it. So, let me show you want Amazon says about the book on its Product Description (Am trying so hard not to go spoiler on you lot):

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge...

The thrilling final instalment of this ground-breaking trilogy promises to be one of the most talked-about books of the year.

All I want to say is that this book will split opinions. Some people will love it. Some people will hate it. And some will need time before they make up their minds. I think I'm in the latter...

Now, a song that I was listening to (while reading Part 3 - yeah, I know...)

GoodRead - UK Cover Vs US Cover

Am very excited about this blog entry on UK Cover Vs US Cover! Just... aw! It's the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy, "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins!

So, here is the UK cover (just revealed yesterday!)



And here is the US cover.



Now, after months of knowing the US cover and annoying ScholasticUK with tweets, we have a UK cover. And I love it! I adore the UK cover! I like the US cover, but the UK cover...

Sorry, but it's been so long waiting...

GoodRead - Trend Setters?

I was wondering this today at work about authors and how/why their work got popular and how?

Think about it, if you will. When Harry Potter became popular, wizards suddenly became the “In” thing to read. The UK publisher ever printed an Adult Cover for those “grown-up” fans who were ashamed to read Harry Potter with the kiddy cover.

Then Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy came along and then, people started to read epic books that question religion.

Then conspiracy theories suddenly became popular due to one Dan Brown with his Da Vinci Code.

Then vampires became very popular due to Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga.

And with every successful novel or series, there have been an upsurge of books that it linked in somewhere to the original. Look at vampires at the moment. Stephenie Meyer got popular, now we can’t go into the Young Adult section without seeing a supernatural or a vampire series waiting to catch your eye – ie. House of Night series, True Blood, MorganVille Vampires, etc.

Some people call these upsurges a fad. Some don’t, but they call them trends that will stay with us for quite some time.

So, with these authors that start a trend, are they trendsetters or were they at the right place at the right time, making them lucky?

I go with luck. But maybe the world of the internet has changed. I discovered two/three authors last year via podcasts and sites such as Twitter and YouTube. Both couldn’t exist without the internet. Whether people like it or not, the internet and social networking sites are playing a part in what books we decide to read or pay attention to.

So, what’s the next trend to hit the Teen section of a book shop? Well, by the looks of it, there are three contenders. We have the werewolves (and not a vampire in sight), Angels or dark human nature stories.

The best 3 examples from each of these 3 areas, I have read and reviewed. And they are, as followed:

Werewolf – “Shiver” by Maggie Steifvater
Angel – “Hush, Hush” by Becca Fitzpatrick
Dark Human Nature – “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins

Each of these seem to be making headway in the Young Adults section and all these books have got attentions of, not only readers and other authors, but also by film companies. The film rights to Shiver has been bought by Warner Bros (?), Hunger Games has been bought by Liongate and an angel-based story Fallen by Lauren Kite (with its three unwritten sequels) have been bought by Disney.

Each book within these 3 areas have fiercely loyal fans (and I class myself as one of them), but I have a feeling that angels might have the edge over the other two areas over the course of this year.

But whatever happens, it looks like fantasy or paranormal will be hanging round in the Teen Section for quite some time to come…

GoodRead - "Catching Fire" & "Shiver" Book Reviews

I’ve never done a book review before so this is a FIRST! And not only that, am doing two books! Am going to do Catching Fire (Book 2 in the Hunger Games Trilogy) By Suzanne Collins and Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Let's start with Catching Fire, shall we? Taking place several weeks (if not, months) after the nightmare-ish events of “The Hunger Games”, Katniss returns to District 12, knowing that she can no longer lead the life she once had. And it will never return to normal, seeing as she made a fool of the Capitol after she saved both her and Peeta’s lives, and that the Capitol (and its president, President Snow) wants revenge.

And revenge it will get. In any way shape or form.

But that’s not Katniss’s only problem. She and Peeta have to travel all 12 Districts and the Capitol, and in some Districts, both Peeta and herself have become figureheads to a resistance and if that continues, there will be uprisings and who knows what the death toll will be…

Now, I have several more pages to go (I started the book a week later than everyone else and decided to take my time. Plus, I don’t have a week off work to read it, unlike when I read the Hunger Games), but this is possible more gripping than its prequel. And that’s surprising because, in a trilogy, the middle book is usually the let-down of the series.

But not Catching Fire. It’s almost like being on a rollercoaster. After the first few pages (a huge improvement compared to Hunger Games opening pages – very hard to like or relate to Katniss), you dive into the thrill of the book. All the twists and turns and the breathlessness of it all. And it still has that moral effect to it as it did with the Hunger Games where you question if you would watch such a thing and you reminding yourself that the characters in both the Hunger Games & Catching Fire are children who have to kill to live, all in the name of entertainment.

I “hunger” for the third and final book in this trilogy. (Am so sorry for that awful pun!)

(And, as I promised my lovely friend Sasha, here is a photo of my mockingjay pin that she sent me [and two others – James and Andy] from the USA. [Hint Hint, Scholastic UK, this is what you should do when book 3 comes out, hint hint!])

Now, while I’m on a roll, I might as well do a quick review of Shiver by Maggie Stiefavter. This book is out in the USA and will be out, in the UK, sometime in late October so this is, maybe, an Advance review (oh no, the pressure!)

Since Grace was attacked by wolves when she was young, she has had a fascination with them (I won’t say obsession, but take it as you will). Especially one wolf in particular. A wolf with gold eyes.

Sam has always been in love with Grace. Ever since his gold eyes first laid eyes on her. But he has a secret that makes it almost impossible for him to be with her.

So when they meet under near tragic events, the two realise that they can’t live without each other and must fight to stay together. Fight against Sam’s secret and fight to keep Sam human. But how can you fight something when the coldness of winter is the enemy?

In America, some bookshops have used the promo “Stephenie Meyer Who?” and I can kinda see why. Apart from the supernatural element (am not going to tell you if she uses vampires or werewolves. Maybe she used the kraken for all you know), the language used is very poetic. There are some beautifully written lines that you get swept along with the story and the characters. Here’s one of my favourite lines from chapter 5:

"They were silent, beautiful ghosts in the woods." (Page 15 in US Edition of Shiver. Copyright owned by the author, Maggie Stiefvater.)

If I have any fault with this book, it’s the ending. I’m not dissing the ending as a whole, but there’s one thing in the final few chapters that I found a bit disturbing and I think, because of that, all the work of wanting Grace and Sam to be together (so, the first 3 quarters of the book) felt a bit tainted by the time you closed the book (once you’ve read the book, you’ll know what creeped me out.)

But I would recommend both of these books, but with a warning that both books have scenes that sensitive readers might find disturbing.

(Wow! I really enjoyed myself writing this! I will do a few more over the next few months on books am going to read and books I’ve read in the past. Anyway, I hope you’re all well and you all are reading gripping reads!)

EDIT: Just twitted Maggie Stiefvater (http://twitter.com/mstiefvater) and she has confirmed that Shiver is the first book in a trilogy. I believe the next book is called Linger (not 100% sure on that so...) But am very happy about that!

Excuse Me While I Kick Myself!

This is my own stupid fault.

A facebook and twitter friend, somehow, GOT THE ADVANCE COPY of CATCHING FIRE! And he said I could borrow it if I wanted.

Guess what I said?

That's right, folks. I said no. I am a stupidly SLOW book (I doubt it with this book). Plus, I thought I would distroy his copy so...

I'll say it before you can - FAIL! I FAILED BIG TIME! But, to make up for it, I have offered to put up his review of it, if he ever writes it and allows me to put it up here and on LiveJournal and goodness knows where else I am!

I was going to upload the UK and the USA covers to Catching Fire, but my laptop isn't happy with doing that so... SORRY! My opinion on them - I prefer the UK. There's something more dramatic about it!