Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a wonderful series and I hope that the upcoming Hunger Games movie does it justice. A very enjoyable read.

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Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I purposely procrastinated reading this book due to the uncomfortable subject matter. Now that I am reading it, I wonder why I didn’t read it sooner. Yes, it touches a deep nerve in the reader that makes the subject matter extremely disturbing. That being said, it is magnificent and I can’t wait to return to reading it. It is honest and raw and Humbert, the middle aged pedophile who seduces the 12 year old girl Lolita, is a witty, charming likeable character. At times, you can actually see things through his eyes and even sympathize with this madman. That shows you the incredible capabilities of the writer. The writing is sheer poetry with perfect diction and syntax. There is a reason that this book gets almost all 5 star reviews and is listed in the Top 100 Books of All Time.   Jeremy Irons reading on the the audio version definitely added to the richness of this exquisite novel

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The Things They Carried

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a reminiscing collection of short stories about the Vietnam war. This is raw and captures the emotionally intensity. He captures the fiction and non-fiction, imagination and reality of Vietnam in a way I have never read before. What a powerful writer.

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The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This dystopian novel envisions a world in which religious fundamentalists rule and women are confined to female roles, to the extreme. Atwood's poetry shines in her writing and she captures this world in beautiful sparse phrases. This is my first Margaret Atwood book but, it will not be my last. Thanks Mandy! :-)

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A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I fell in love with Little Owen Meany. The audio book was excellent and made Owen come to life. I could have done without the current day ponderings of John and some of this book felt long but, over all, extremely enjoyable.

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The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A dystopian novel that tells the story of Dorrit Wenger who, shortly after her 50th birthday packs a suitcase of her most prized possessions, gets into a van, and checks into The Unit.

The Unit is a beautiful spa like setting with walking paths, beautiful gardens', wonderful food, medical experiments and body harvesting from their "residents". Their residents are women at the age of 50 and men at the age of 60 who are childless and deemed dispensable.

Despite how it sounds, this novel is not depressing but, is very intriguing and an enjoyable read. Great writing and characters. I loved the Swedish pacing, plot and translations of this novel.

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