In my opinion Hunger Games has only a somewhat novel idea ('gladiators in the present day') but the prose is pretty mediocre, and the sequels absolutely torpedo the author's credibility as a good writer.
I thought it was a good book as a youngster but even then panned the second and third books. However, I do understand that a lot of people like novel ideas and it's certainly very far from the worst YA novel when taken as a standalone.
Adding another AMEN. Ya'll would love this mom-and-pop book store run out of an old converted house nearby. They have first editions, out-of-print, signed first editions, and mountains of just plain books. You walk in, and it smells like heaven: old paper and coffee. One room is nothing but periodicals individually encased in plastic. Several years ago, I found an original Life Magazine from the week my inlaws got married back in the 40s. They LOVED it. Everyone I take there falls in love with it. (TJH, I know you just lurk here and rarely comment, but you can confirm, lol)
Before I was 11, I had read Rafael Sabatini's Captain Blood and a hole smear of other books by him. I liked the high seas adventures. Scaramouche never got me. I read Christopher Wren's Beau Geste, Beau Sabeur but never found Beau Idea'l. etc.... those were the good days. If you reas Scarmouche get the First edition. The Opening Sentence is WAY MORE involved then what was in the Third edition.
Captain Blood and a hole smear
For some reason all I can think of when reading this is Megan Kelly's (warranted) rant about trans "women" going to gynos
Years ago, I went in looking for a copy of The Diary of Anne Frank for one of my kids, and a young intern told me they didn't sell journals. Ran into Mrs. Becker at the grocery store, and she got a big laugh out of that while rolling her eyes & probably regretting the day she helped out a friend's kid.
In my opinion Hunger Games has only a somewhat novel idea ('gladiators in the present day') but the prose is pretty mediocre, and the sequels absolutely torpedo the author's credibility as a good writer.
I thought it was a good book as a youngster but even then panned the second and third books. However, I do understand that a lot of people like novel ideas and it's certainly very far from the worst YA novel when taken as a standalone.
Adding another AMEN. Ya'll would love this mom-and-pop book store run out of an old converted house nearby. They have first editions, out-of-print, signed first editions, and mountains of just plain books. You walk in, and it smells like heaven: old paper and coffee. One room is nothing but periodicals individually encased in plastic. Several years ago, I found an original Life Magazine from the week my inlaws got married back in the 40s. They LOVED it. Everyone I take there falls in love with it. (TJH, I know you just lurk here and rarely comment, but you can confirm, lol)
Before I was 11, I had read Rafael Sabatini's Captain Blood and a hole smear of other books by him. I liked the high seas adventures. Scaramouche never got me. I read Christopher Wren's Beau Geste, Beau Sabeur but never found Beau Idea'l. etc.... those were the good days. If you reas Scarmouche get the First edition. The Opening Sentence is WAY MORE involved then what was in the Third edition.
This is how you can search their database and get things shipped: http://www.texasbooks.net/catalog/ Mr. Becker told me once that they had a HUGE warehouse. This is the place on TripAdvisor where you can get an idea of what the whole place looks like: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g56003-d9748258-Reviews-Becker_s_Books-Houston_Texas.html
Years ago, I went in looking for a copy of The Diary of Anne Frank for one of my kids, and a young intern told me they didn't sell journals. Ran into Mrs. Becker at the grocery store, and she got a big laugh out of that while rolling her eyes & probably regretting the day she helped out a friend's kid.