#MondayMayhem: Mockingjay 2 and the Void it Left Behind

The great thing about a good series is when it’s made into a movie. You get to relive the excitement of the books all over again. But inevitably this to shall come to an end, which is what has happened with Hunger Games.

I have put off watching Mockingjay 2 for this reason alone – I just can’t let go. Not yet! But if I wait to long it will leave the theaters, and I can’t do that to myself. This book is so much more than people realize. I have to see if the movie ends how the series means it too. SPOILERS: Does Katniss reflect on the Hunger Games while watching her children playing? Does society really not learn its lesson? These are the elements of the books that made them so much more than the movies could show. Katniss’s utter disgust with the system but desire to just be left alone; the ultimate loner, driven only by her urge to survive, which can only be won over by her deep moral and values when surrounding the love for her little sister.

Eventually I will have to suck it up and go see the movie. But for now, I’ll just binge watch some trailers!

#MondayMayhem: In Search of a YA Monster Story

@Repost from my tumblr blog: wereadyabooks.tumblr.com

Today “M” is for Monster. Specifically Zombies (yeah, yeah I know zombie starts with a Z - let’s not split hairs). Last night’s The Walking Dead was, as always,fantabulous. I know, I know, The Walking Dead is not YA, but it has a lot of the same elements that make YA awesome: great characters.

I have been a zombie fan since I was allowed to watch scary movies. I’m talking as far back as Stephen King’sPet Sematary (yeah I still can’t crawl into bed without thinking of that creepy kid underneath). I even had a copy of George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead(on DVD of course – how old do you think I am). My top 5 favs are: 28 Days Later & 28 Weeks Later, Pontypool, Resident Evil, and Zombieland.

But upon reviewing my fav big screen Z’s, I realize my zombie-reads have seriously suffered. I’ve read World War Z and I Zombie, but nothing in YA. So last night I went on a fact-finding mission. I mean, YA has everything else; there’s fantasy, science fiction, contemporary, romance, mystery, crime and every other genre and sub-genre out there, so there must be this untapped vein of YA zombie books I’ve been missing out on.

Where do you turn to when you need some good book recommendations? Personally, I LOVE Goodreads! In this case they did not fail me; there was a huge list of YA zombie novels (226 - wha!!). And guess who I found right at the top? Carrie Ryan and her book, Forest of Hands and Teeth. I have wanted to read this forever, looks like I just needed an excuse!

So, I will get a copy of Forest of Hands and Teeth, and finally enter the YA Zombie-fest I’ve been missing out on! It’s even a series (eeek – I heart series)! Please, if you have any other recommendations, let me know!

Check out the list here:  https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/5059.YA_Zombie_Novels