Catching Fire

So far Catching Fire (the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy) by Suzanne Collins is really good. ever since Katniss and Peeta were about to kill themselves in the arena with the wild berries, there has been many problems in Panem. Everyone in all 12 districts all ways hated living under the rule and control of the capitol, but never really knew how to stand up for themselves. but when Katniss pulled the move in the arena they saw it as defying the capitol, and took it as their chance to fight back. there has been many uprisings and the president Snow personally visits Katniss; he tells her that she better sell her love to Peeta. i feel bad for Katniss having to choose between Peeta and Gale, if i were her i would be really confused on what to do.
Gale had been Katniss's best friend and hunting buddy ever since her father died in the mining accident, and she had to take on all the responsibilities in the house (at age 12). it was never really like put out there that Katniss and Gale were best friends, but they just clicked. they were the best hunters and would always bring back the best things to trade at the hob or to the mayor; even though it was illegal to hunt outside of the confines of district 12, no one ever told on them. Gale obviously loves Katniss, but she just doesn't see it. she never really saw Gale in that way; but before the games started, she started to think of him more and more.
when Katniss's dad passed away she would always go out in the streets and look through the garbage cans to see if there was food. Peeta's dad is the baker, so he worked in  the bakery. one day when she was on the brink of starvation, Peeta through her a loaf of bread; he saved her life. she never talked to him after that day, she always wanted to thank him for the bread; but she didn't know how to bring herself to say it. when he is chosen as a tribute for the games, he admits his love for Katniss and he has loved her ever since he saw her when they were 5; and he wants to be with her forever.

Gale and Peeta both love Katniss and want her to be with him, she obviously can't be with both; so she has to choose one. this is a really hard decision, i would feel so stressed if i was in her place; because, i feel like of she chooses Peeta she'll lose Gale, and if she chooses Gale she'll lose Peeta. if i was Katniss i think i would choose Gale because, even though Peeta threw her that loaf and saved her life at that moment; if it wasn't for Gale, her and her whole family would have starved. Gale taught her how to hunt and set traps, he also helped her family, and more than anything; he was her best friend and always had her back. Peeta gave her that loaf of bread and was absent from her life until the games, for all she knows he could have hate her guts. i'm just saying that Gale has done a lot more for Katniss then Peeta has.
but you never know, she could choose Peeta. im just stating my opinion. 

Its not Summer Without You *SPOILER ALERT*

i recently finished reading the book It's Not Summer Without you by Jenny Han. this book is about two best friends Laurel and Susannah, they grow up to have their own children. Laurel has a daughter and son: Belly and Steven. Susannah had two boys: Conrad and Jeremiah. they are all best friends, but Belly is closer to the boys than her brother Steven. they live like 1 hour away from each other but each summer they go to their beach house at cousin's beach and stay there the whole summer. one year everything changed, Belly had matured into a young adult and both Jeremiah and Conrad were in love with her. however she was in  love with Conrad, and when she turned 16 they started going out.Susannah got cancer and died the following year. after that things changed Conrad kept to himself and didn't want to see anyone. so Belly was left heart broken and her mom Laurel just stopped caring about life. 

Conrad and Jeremiah's dad tries to put the beach house up for sale, Jeremiah asks Belly for her help because; Conrad is going out of control. but Conrad doesn't listen and he sends her mixed emotions. in the end Laurel saves the beach house and Belly falls for Jeremiah. even though Conrad still loves her he doesn't want anything to do with her and she is tired of getting thrown around and used by him. 

there are obvious hard things happening in the text like dealing with Susannah's death but deep down i think that there are more hard things happening:

Conrad hates his father because most of his childhood he wasn't there. his mother loved him and he left her when she needed him most, when she was dying. he came back a month before she dies but now he wants to sell the house that has her all over it; and start over and move on like nothing happened. he is also madly in love with Belly but just doesn't know how to show it. he gets mad very easily and he knows how his brother is also in love with her. 

Belly has always loved Susannah,  even more than her own mother; as a child she would always wish that Susannah could be her mother. when Conrad suddenly ends things with her and Susannah dies, its like her world comes crashing down. her heart was broken by Conrad and it got shattered by the death. her best friends doesn't understand what she is going through and tells her to just get over it. she loves cousin's beach and wishes she could live there, she has been looking forward to going there; especially since its the last summer before college. but now she can't even go there either.

this book was really good!! i recommend it to people who like social issues, realistic fiction, and emotional books. :)