Joe - The United States (254 books)

Joe is now friends with Meika Boogert

Joe rated a book 3 of 5 stars

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2)
by Suzanne Collins

read in June, 2012

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Joe rated a book 4 of 5 stars

The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1)
by Suzanne Collins

read in March, 2012

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I saw the movie first, then went home and devoured the book in a couple of days. My daughters had both read the book last year in school and said then that it was the best book they had ever read. The premise is disturbing, so I was wary, but enough...more I saw the movie first, then went home and devoured the book in a couple of days. My daughters had both read the book last year in school and said then that it was the best book they had ever read. The premise is disturbing, so I was wary, but enough people told me it was really good that I decided to check it out. I took my daughters to see the movie on opening day and found it compelling: visually impressive and well-acted, with an intriguing and satisfying plot. What impressed me were Katniss' actions throughout the ordeal: she volunteered for certain death to save her sister, then survived the impossible situation while maintaining her honor throughout. She won with survival skills, self-defense, and compassion.

I was disappointed somewhat when I read the book, however, because I found out what was going on in Katniss' mind, and realized that her thoughts were not as honorable as her actions. She was far less charitable in her thoughts toward the other competitors than she appeared to be in the film, especially Peeta. She was more ready to kill if she had to, even Peeta, than it appeared. And her love for Peeta, which seemed to develop naturally and fully in the film, was actually much more of an act; and in the end she breaks his heart, which is not evidenced in the film.

That said, I must admit that her response to the situation in the book is realistic. How was she to know that she and Peeta might both ultimately survive? For all she knew, the Gamekeepers would force her or Peeta to kill the other in the end. She could not allow herself to get close to him nor could she trust him, as he could be her killer. Even when the rules changed, she could not suddenly let herself fall in love. She was still getting over the feelings of betrayal from thinking Peeta was in league with the careers. Then Peeta was dying. The entire time they were both locked into a life and death struggle: not exactly the most romantic environment. She was forced to show more affection than she naturally felt for the sake of their survival, although she might naturally develop that affection in her own time were it not for the ticking time bomb of the game. Her emotions were, therefore, extremely complex. It was the awful reality of the situation she was forced into. When it came down to it, she did do the right thing in critical situations.

The story has relevance for us. Although the scenario seems impossibly contrived, humans are capable of such bizarre cruelty. Just look at the Romans and their gladiators. There are also parallels to Soviet, Nazi, and other atrocities. And yet, in these and other impossible situations, where victims are denied all freedom, they nevertheless had choices to make that made all the difference in whether they suffered with dignity or disgrace. In our time, we are entertained by crime dramas and reality shows that thrive on contention. The more the "real" housewives verbally abuse and betray each other, the more the ratings increase. At what point might we cross the line between verbal and physical abuse in these reality shows? Or haven't we already crossed it? Haven't people thrown chairs at each other on Jerry Springer? And were we not entertained? Other shows, while still dramatized, have become increasingly realistic, creating the feeling that we are watching actual events. Shows like 24 and Lost follow this pattern. At what point will we cross the line between watching and enjoying dramatizations of suffering, torture, cruelty, and death to watching reality shows where such things are actually happening live? As some have already pointed out, our enjoyment of watching the Hunger Games is in itself a reflection on us that we are capable of finding a real Hunger Games entertaining. The movie was purposely shot in a way that conveyed a sense of realism. We could have just as soon be watching a real life Hunger Games. We might justify it by rooting for the little guy, the likable one, the honorable one, or the one who "deserves" to win. But it would be evil nonetheless. The book, and the film, should make us look in the mirror and ask ourselves what we are capable of, and ask ourselves, "What if we stopped watching?"(less)

Joe rated a book 4 of 5 stars

Keys to the Demon Prison by Brandon Mull

Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven, #5)
by Brandon Mull

read in December, 2011

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Joe is on page 9 of 593 of Keys to the Demon Prison

Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven, #5)
by Brandon Mull

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Joe rated a book 4 of 5 stars

Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull

Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary (Fablehaven, #4)
by Brandon Mull

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Joe rated a book 4 of 5 stars

Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull

Grip of the Shadow Plague (Fablehaven, #3)
by Brandon Mull

read in April, 2011

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Joe rated a book 3 of 5 stars

The Oligarchs
by David E. Hoffman

read in February, 2011

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This is a fascinating book, but a chore to read. Hoffman packs it with details about the oligarchs, but the narrative is hard to follow, because it is bogged down with so many facts. The first few chapters are the best, as they tell the initial rags...more

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Waking the Tempests: Ordinary Life in the New Russia
by Eleanor Randolph

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Joe rated a book 5 of 5 stars

The Lord of the Rings (The Lord of the Rings, #1-3)
by J.R.R. Tolkien

read in January, 1985

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1985-First read when I was about 12. Thoroughly enjoyed it then.

7/97-Although the battle scenes were difficult to follow, the Elven stuff sentimental and dialog of less developed characters (Legolas, Gimli) sometimes melodramatic, there were plenty o...more

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Joe is now friends with Meika Boogert
May 07, 2013 06:11pm · like
Joe rated a book 3 of 5 stars Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2) by Suzanne Collins read in June, 2012	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 08, 2012 10:24pm
Joe rated a book 4 of 5 stars The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1) by Suzanne Collins read in March, 2012	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I saw the movie first, then went home and devoured the book in a couple of days. My daughters had both read the book last year in school and said then that it was the best book they had ever read. The premise is disturbing, so I was wary, but enough...more
Apr 01, 2012 03:53pm · see review
Joe rated a book 4 of 5 stars Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven, #5) by Brandon Mull read in December, 2011	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 01, 2012 07:56am
Joe is on page 9 of 593 of Keys to the Demon Prison Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven, #5) by Brandon Mull progress:	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 07, 2011 09:16pm · like · see status
Joe rated a book 4 of 5 stars Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary (Fablehaven, #4) by Brandon Mull	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 07, 2011 09:06pm
Joe rated a book 4 of 5 stars Grip of the Shadow Plague (Fablehaven, #3) by Brandon Mull read in April, 2011	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 08, 2011 09:14pm
Joe rated a book 3 of 5 stars The Oligarchs by David E. Hoffman read in February, 2011	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This is a fascinating book, but a chore to read. Hoffman packs it with details about the oligarchs, but the narrative is hard to follow, because it is bogged down with so many facts. The first few chapters are the best, as they tell the initial rags...more
Aug 08, 2011 09:12pm · see review
Joe is currently reading Waking the Tempests: Ordinary Life in the New Russia by Eleanor Randolph	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 08, 2011 09:10pm
Joe rated a book 5 of 5 stars The Lord of the Rings (The Lord of the Rings, #1-3) by J.R.R. Tolkien read in January, 1985	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
1985-First read when I was about 12. Thoroughly enjoyed it then. 7/97-Although the battle scenes were difficult to follow, the Elven stuff sentimental and dialog of less developed characters (Legolas, Gimli) sometimes melodramatic, there were plenty o...more
Jul 29, 2011 06:53am · see review

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