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This week I finished “Catching Fire” by Suzanne Collins. This is the second book in her “Hunger Games” series and I was enthralled. The first book was so good that I feared the second would fall flat. In fact I couldn’t think of any way it could help but fall flat. But no, this lady is skilled. The second book was just as awesome. I loved it and zoomed right through to the end in no time at all. A good book, fast paced action, but delving into the deep waters of war, conquest, servitude, poverty, entertainment, wealth, love, duty, freedom… Thank you Momma Griffith!

This week when inside on the safe softness of our sofa, I am reading The Count of Monte Cristo by some old dead famous guy. And when outside playing at the gravel pile or sports court or hammocks with the boys I am reading Stardust by Neil Gaiman (which I discovered is not… cough cough…written for children. Just to warn you). Oh, and I read just a little bit from Body of Work by Christine Montross which is written by a Doctor about all the things she learned while dissecting her very first human corpse in medical school. Interesting but not as helpful as I had hoped. I think I’ll send it back. What did I learn from reading this week? The value of creating reader sympathy for both your hero and your villain. In The Count of Monte Cristo both the hero and the magistrate who sends him to prison are at their betrothal parties when all heck breaks loose. You feel deeply the pressures and passions that drive both men and you are inexplicably rooting for each of them. So amazing, I’m loving this book, even though there is no way I’m finishing over a thousand pages in the 14 days that I have it on loan from my sister. She loaned it from her nook so I know that it will simply disappear when the time is up…Ahhhhhh!

This week I finished “Hood” by Stephen R Lawhead. I simply love his books. They are lyrical and smart and he does lots of research and has legendary folk falling in love and slaughtering one another with wild abandon. But legends are that way and he writes legends. As you may have guessed, “Hood” is a retelling of the Robin Hood legend but with lots of research attempting to place the story in the time frame and country where it probably originated. Much much earlier than the traditional location of Nottingham. Since that forest was basically a game park and could not have hidden even one “merry man”, much less a band of them.

And the absolute coolest thing about this book…the author traveled to the last primeval forest in all of Europe in order to research the ancient wood that Rhi Bran (Robin) called home. This is my new goal in life, to write a book requiring a visit to the last ever Primeval forest in Europe! Just the thought of walking a wood gone wild. Oak trees that have stood longer than most governments. I mean we have been around for less than 300 years and Ancient Assyria was in its height for only 500, and although Egypt is still here it is by no means the same thing it was in ancient times.

These trees are old. Some individuals are over 800 years old. I have goosebumps. All the old tales and legends that grew out of this type of forest. The kind of forest that we have no clue about because they no longer exist. Just entering such a place… So that is my goal. But the good news is that our family will be visiting the redwood forest this fall, the American version of a primeval wood. These trees are indescribably ancient as well, never cut by man, nature in its most massive non-mussed state. Such works speak of God and I can’t wait to experience them!

This week I re-read Heist Society by Ally Carter on my Nook. I had read it in hard cover from the library, but never on my nook and I was in the mood for more of her wonderful writing after completing Only the Good Spy Young the week before. So what did I learn? That sometimes a series the books just get better and better due to character development and marvelous plotting and sometimes they get worse and worse, generally the fault is plotting in that instance. But both first books in both of Ally’s two series are wonderful and I love them. But at least with her spy series the second is better and the third is better than that and the fourth is the best of all. Heist Society feels very much like the first book of her other series. It is wonderful, but leaves you wanting more, wondering what will come. I think this must be how things are supposed to go when the author does her job well. As you read more the characters deepen and the plot thickens and things just go from marvelous to spectacular. Now that I am almost finished with the first book of my…cough cough unsold… series, I have the challenge of constructing the second book, and taking it up a notch, making it better and bolder and purely awesome! Argh! There is truly no rest for the wicked.

This week I enjoyed a little more Sherlock Holmes and read an entire non-fiction book. “78 Reasons Why Your Book May Never Be Published And 14 Reasons Why It Just Might” by Pat Walsh may seem like a depressing choice but the book is hilarious and has lots of good info. Good books and a good week. Yeah summer!