Comparing Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and Twilight

"What is your favorite book?"

   This seems like such a simple, friendly question. It is a great start to what could be a fabulous, productive discussion....or it could be a start to an ugly conversation that could quickly turn into a cat-fight. (Or, at the very least, raised eyebrows and pursed lips of disapproval.)

   I read the Harry Potter series and Hunger Games Trilogy, and some of the Twilight Saga and the Chronicles of Narnia. All except for Twilight are, in my opinion, well-written and enjoyable, but I can understand how some people can hate them (however, I'm sorry, if you like Twilight I really can't understand you) and why others refuse to read them. 

   So if you want to hear my opinions on these these books and what I learned from them, keep reading.

Harry Potter

   Most of the people I know that dislike this series dislike it because of the witchcraft. Which is a good point, and the witchcraft plays a huge part in the story. But J.K. Rowling is a Christian, and she once said "I believe in God, not in magic.".  So if your main concern was that, you don't have much to worry about.

    Another thing people don't like is the violence. And I do have to agree, there is quite a bit of violence in the books. However the main characters don't like it, rather they are thrown into it. For example, in the sixth book there is a duel between Harry and Draco. Harry tries out a new spell even when he's not fully aware of what it does, and what he finds out is that it causes gashes to appear on his enemy. There is a lot of blood, but Harry, despite the fact that Draco has been terrible to him, feels bad for causing him so much pain. 
   Harry, Hermione, Ron, and many of the other characters in the series are loyal friends who are willing to make sacrifices for one another. In the wizarding world there is racism between the purebloods, half-bloods and Muggle-born wizards, but it is shown negatively. There is some teenage romance but not too much, and it's more about the friendship between the two people and not so much about the kissing. 

   

The Hunger Games

   When I first heard of The Hunger Games, I thought it sounded terrible. Teens killing teens wasn't exactly my idea of a great story. I had no plans to ever read the books. Then my Godmother (who I really look up to and respect her taste in books) recommended it to me. If not for her, I never would've read the books, and would've continued being judgmental and hateful of what I now know as a great series.
   I recently found out that the author, Suzanne Collins, is Roman Catholic. She based the story of The Hunger Games after reading about how people used to watch Christians being tortured for entertainment. She didn't put religion of any kind in her books to show that as we become more obsessed with TV and our looks, we're cutting religion out of our lives. 
   One of my favorite things about this series is Katniss's character. She sacrificed herself for her sister, she's brave, she's kind, and basically, she's not Bella Swan. Most of the teen books that are out now have a boy-crazy main character (like Twilight) and I never can really care about that character because I can't relate to them. 


Twilight

  I actually haven't read all four of the Twilight books. I read the first one and hated it, and I started reading the second but stopped after a few pages because I couldn't stand Bella. But just from reading the first book I know that Bella and Edward's relationship is not at all about their actual friendship. Bella isn't likable at all, and I'm sorry, but I don't think anyone should be so sensitive about sparkling. Others might, you know, have real problems. And I'm sure that they would much rather sparkle than have those problems. 
   

   I've realized too that Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia are usually books that are okay to read, even if Harry Potter and The Hunger Games are terrible. And may I say that I like both these series as well, but Chronicles of Narnia has witchcraft and violence in it too, and the battles are over power. The Lord of the Rings has violence too that is also over power. The arguments to this are "But the authors are Christians, so it's okay.". Well, as I've said above, J.K. Rowling and Suzanne Collins are both Christians who showed their Christianity in their writing. 
   And one more thing; there's a newer series, the Matched Trilogy, that I read and found enjoyable. So if someone could do me a favor and read those books, make them controversial and ruin them for me, that'd be great. Thanks!

Wildwood

 When Prue McKeel's baby brother Mac is abducted by crows, Prue embarks on a journey to rescue him. Prue and her classmate Curtis head into the Impassable Wilderness--a place where no one has ever gone in and lived to tell the tale. In the Wood, Prue and Curtis are faced with more challenges then they'd hoped, and they begin to wonder if they'll ever get out alive.
    
    Wildwood is full of unexpected turns, exciting twists and fun characters. I highly recommend for anyone who loves a good story!

Breadcrumbs

Hazel and Jack have been best friends since they were six. But they are eleven now, and Jack just isn't the same. He's ignoring Hazel and hanging out with other kids--something Hazel's best friend would never do.
Then Jack gets hurt and soon after disappears. And although they seem to be growing out of their friendship and she knows they'll never have what they once did, Hazel goes after him, and has an adventure of her own along the way.

This book was another wonderful read. I absolutely love Anne Ursu's sense of sarcasm, especially in the first couple chapters. I also enjoyed the book references (Narnia, Harry Potter, A Wrinkle in Time, Lord of the Rings) that are woven in to this magnificent story.

Picture the Dead

 Jennie Lovell lost her parents when she was young, putting her and her brother Toby into the hands of their stingy aunt and uncle. By the time Jennie is sixteen, her brother and her fiance have both died in the Civil War.
  But there is a presence that has been haunting Jennie since Will's death. Is it Will himself? What is her late fiance trying to tell her? The more Jennie tries to find out how he really died, the more she wonders if she actually knew Will at all.


  Intelligently written and hauntingly told with plenty of twists, Picture the Dead is a highly enjoyable read.

Thirteen Reasons Why

     Two weeks after Hannah Baker commits suicide, her classmate, Clay Jensen, finds a box of cassette tapes on his porch. The tapes--seven in all--are recorded by Hannah herself. Hannah's voice tells Clay that there are thirteen reasons she ended her life and that each side of each tape tells one of those reasons. Hannah also says that Clay is one of those reasons--but on what tape does Clay's name appear? To find out, Clay must listen to all the tapes, which means he has to follow Hannah down the path that led to her final decision.

  

  Thirteen Reasons Why is one of those books that you start reading and then can't put down. It has a very strong message about how things that may seem funny and lighthearted at the time can have a huge effect farther down the road. Some things seemed to me pointless to include in the story, but overall this was a really good book that I enjoyed reading.

Because I was tagged....

Maria, at Four Blessings Academy, tagged me for the following meme.

Here's what to do:
1. Post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself and then write 11 things about your life.
3. Answer the questions for you set in the original post.
4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.
5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you have tagged them.

Me and my brothers~St. Patrick's Day

11 Things About My Life

1. One of my favorite things to do is read. My favorite book would have to be Shiloh, followed closely by The Naming.

2. Another one of my favorite things to do is write. Most of my stories are inspired by my brothers and my cousins.

3. I love to crochet, and my mom and I have spent many evenings crocheting and chatting.

4. I don't have cable, but thanks to the library, Netflix, and Roku, I am still able to watch TV shows. My favorites are Gilmore Girls, Friends, Downton Abbey, and Parenthood.

5. I have great parents and three awesome brothers.

6. My favorite colors are blue and yellow.

7. I enjoy listening to music, and my favorite band is The Decemberists.

8. I'm homeschooled and I absolutely love it!

9. My dad and I have spent many late nights watching movies.

10. I am a volunteer at my library, which is really fun.

11. I am very lucky to belong to two great homeschool groups!

Maria's Questions for Me

1) If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you like to go? I would go to Ireland. I've always wanted to visit there, probably because I'm Irish.
2) Who do you admire most & why? I admire my mom and dad for many, many reasons. 
3) Do you like to dance? Not really, though I do enjoy the Just Dance Wii games.
4) If you could go back in time & change something in your life, what would it be? I don't know. I'm pretty happy with how my life is now.
5) What is your favorite genre of books? My favorite book genre would have to be fantasy.
6) From that genre in the previous question, what one book would you recommend to others? When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead.
7) Texting...Yay or Nay? I'd say both. Like Facebook, texting can be bad if used in the wrong way, but as long as you're careful and responsible, it can be a great way to keep in touch.
8) What is your favorite spot to visit on the internet? Probably my email. I love emailing with my friends and family!
9) What is your favorite scent? My favorite scent is that of books, probably why I love the library so much.
10) Who is your favorite saint & why? Saint Francis is my favorite saint because we share the same love for animals. Saint Patrick is my second favorite because he's Irish.
11) Tell me about a favorite memory from your childhood.....when I was younger, I was extremely allergic to red dye. Once I ate an entire jar of maraschino cherries and afterwards told my parents I hated them (which was not something I'd normally say).

My Questions for Those I'm Tagging


1. If you were to write a book about your life, what would the title be?
2. If you were to change your name, what name would you choose?
3. What is your favorite school subject and why?
4. What is your favorite hairstyle?
5. In your dream world, your pet would be a....
6. Is there a character in a book, movie, or TV show that you think is like you? What about this character makes her similar to you?
7. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would that be?
8. What is your favorite thing about yourself?
9. What is your favorite hobby?
10. What is the riskiest thing you've ever done?
11. If you could have any superpower, which one would you choose?


I'm going to tag Green, Horses, and Candy, Tacos, Dolphins, and Friends, and The Magic Violinist! I hope you guys enjoy doing this as much as I did!

The Hunger Games

In the ruins of North America is the nation called Panem, where a shining Capitol rules twelve districts. Every year, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12-18 are selected from each district to fight to the death in the Hunger Games.

When Primrose Everdeen is selected for District 12's female tribute in the Games, her older sister Katniss volunteers to take Prim's place. Prim asks Katniss to promise that she'll win, but Katniss doesn't think she can keep that promise. Twenty-four teens go in and one comes out. Will the odds be in Katniss's favor?

  This is one of my favorite books. Though I thought the beginning was a bit slow, the excitement of the middle and the end make up for it. Suzanne Collins created characters that were admirable, interesting, unique, and who had you caring about them by the end of the book.