Catching Fire and Mockingjay

What can I say about these two books. The first Hunger Games Book was OK, an interesting read really. But my God, these two are complete drivel. I finished the second really quickly hoping the final instalment would be better but I have just abandoned it. The characters, storyline, love triangle crap and whiny main character are just too much for me. 
Everything is rushed, explained badly and totally unconvincing. NO, this is not because I am too old to read these books. that's just insulting to teenagers and me. It's because the books have been quickly churned out to make a profit from innocent readers on the back of the first book. Characters are  made from cardboard/tissue paper and the different zones of tyranny are just farcical.
 Everything just takes a back seat to Katniss whining on. Katniss, the feisty main character, ends up being so pathetic. It's ended up mirroring what happened to Bella in the Twilight series. Why do these girls become so bloody useless?! 

Maybe I am being too serious and hard on these books but I really don't think so.  I read for pleasure and there was no pleasure to be found here! In fact the problem was this poor author was actually trying to get a serious point across about 'freedom, love and war and stuff '. But labouring it all in such a naff way it just turned to complete mush. 
I hope she is happier and richer now she has finally been released from the tyranny and torment of writing this dross.

The Pickwick Papers

The Pickwick Papers is like Sausage and Mash or Jacket Potatoes  to me, comfort food in book form.  I've been dipping in and out of it and I love it still. It was Dicken's first novel and was initially serialised in pamphlets over 18 months. Because it's like the first soap opera ever written it's easy to just pick up where you left off.  When you are feeling low  the mad characters, ridiculous story lines,slap stick humour and the miles of charging around the country by horse and carriage ending with copious amounts of drinking and story telling in taverns will soon sort you out.
It's definitely Dicken's most upbeat book (especially the first half.) There is hardly any plot but whenever Mr.Pickwick or his gang of traveller mates get into trouble you always know that Sam Weller will be there to sort things out...Sam Weller is my Hero, if only I could find a guy like him these days!

Alone In Berlin

I  finished this book in 5 days and to be honest I'm exhausted! What a dark, dark book. What a testimony.. I was totally gripped and have been reading late into the night to get this finished. It's taken me on a roller coaster ride and to be honest I'm glad it's over because it kind of took me over.  I just needed to know what was going to happen ( I had already  guessed  that there would be no happy ending!)I will never forget the power this book held over me whilst I was under its spell.

 I can't believe I'd never heard of this book before I found it in a charity shop. Hans Fallada wrote it in 1946 in just 24 days and it is probably the first real testimony of what it must have been like to live under the Nazis. Fallada was one of only a few authors/artists who didn't leave Germany during the war.   Unfortunately he died before this book was published and for some strange reason it was only translated into English a few years ago.(Maybe because some publishers thought Fallada was complicit with the Nazis, as are so many of the normal, everyday characters in this book.)
 I found out more about Fallada later; his life was totally bonkers too...

Anyway ,the style of the book was pretty easy to read, almost like a newspaper report with added parts of black humour (pitch black humour). the translation is obviously modern and it's like a book written in the last 10 years. It also has an amazingly beautiful end section...which is incredibly positive even in such dire circumstances.

 I think it's the the most heartbreaking book I've ever read about fighting against injustice. The main character drops hand written postcards around the city denouncing Hitler and the Nazis.He innocently believes that if people read them there will be a people's uprising but instead 95% of the cards are instantly handed into the Gestapo and a massive man-hunt begins.

I loved the way he perfectly crafted his characters, the strength of some people against the cowardly behaviour of others. All kinds of low-life people appear in this book...and their weaknesses and strengths are so well described..(To be honest most of the characters are foul.)
 It does ramble off in places and could have been shorter but ultimately I enjoyed (if that's the right word) reading this book but I am looking forward to a far less harrowing read now!