The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

It's been awhile since I've had a book in my hand that I COULD.NOT.PUT.DOWN. This is one of those.
North America as we know it has been wiped out. In its stead is the Capitol, its corrupt government, and the 12 districts into which the remainder of the country has been divided. Hunger, oppression, and desperation rule. In order to remind its subjects of the power it holds, the government holds the Hunger Games once a year. Each district must send one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to participate in a fight to the death, with one victor who receives prestige and riches for him/herself and his/her district. Katniss Everdeen, in a twist she certainly didn't expect, ends up volunteering to be a part of the games, and what follows this action on her part is a brutal game of survival.
Sounds uplifting, right?
You may be put off by such heavy material, particularly in a young adult work of fiction. However, the author beautifully weaves in such themes as friendship, love, loyalty, courage, honesty, and integrity. The author, herself, admits that she has an ulterior motive beneath the brutality of the subject matter: exploring the effects of war on young people.
http://www.scholastic.com/thehungergames/about-the-author.htm

BOTTOM LINE: It is a stunning read, and I'm anxiously waiting to get my hands on the second installment in the trilogy.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

I didn't even know this book existed until the release of the film, which is pretty sad but just the way it goes sometimes. The series has been talked up a great deal by a great many people, so I had high hopes and expectations, but for some reason found myself disappointed by the end. Perhaps it's that wretched first-novel-in-a-series-provides-all-the-set-up drag.
If you're not familiar with the premise of this first book in the trilogy written by Mr. Larsson it centers on journalist Mikael Blomkvist and his failed expose on a Swedish industrialist/billionaire. In disgrace, Mikael must relinquish his position as publisher of his political magazine but in turn is given an unusual assignment by a Swedish CEO to write his family's history. Underlying this assignment is the CEO, Henrik Vanger's, true motive: to solve the mystery of his niece's disappearance/suspected murder 40 years earlier. Blomkvist pairs himself up with an unlikely accomplice: pierced, tatooed, and very mysterious, Lisbeth Salander. Together, at the risk of their lives, they uncover a dark and twisted family past that continues into the present day.
Throughout the book we are given only bits and pieces of Salander's own past and what causes her to be the unusual and mysterious individual that she is. This intrigue, combined with the mystery of the book, certainly makes for a suspenseful novel. However, as I stated, there was a sense of let-down when I reached the end.
BOTTOM LINE: Not one that I couldn't put down.

No-Obligation Book Club

It's probably no secret that I LOVE book clubs (I'm in two of them after all). Marrying two of my most favorite things (books and friends) is the highlight of my month. But I know there are some people who feel too much pressure in a book club (carving out time to meet, choosing a book/leading a discussion, finishing a book by a deadline), so I thought this was kind of cool when I stumbled across it in an issue of Real Simple (a magazine I LOVE!). It's the Real Simple No-Obligation Book Club, and you can access it here. Basically, one book a month is chosen, and a Real Simple editor leads the discussion, which you can join any time (or not at all). Sometimes I know I just love to have a good recommendation, and it looks like a variety of reads are suggested here.

Three by Ted Dekker

Dekker is a Christian author who writes psychological thrillers of, in my humble opinion, a high caliber. While this is the only book of his I've read thus far, I've heard from other readers that they're big fans of most, if not all, of what he has written.
Three is the story of Kevin Parson, a seminary student who, at the age of 28, struggles with the idea of evil in human nature. Following an unusual, if not troubled, childhood, Kevin seems to have escaped his past only to have it suddenly thrown back into his lap with one chilling phone call from a man who identifies himself only as Slater. Slater threatens Kevin and those close to him with death by bomb if he doesn't solve Slater's riddles, all of which play into his requirement that Kevin confess a secret sin. The ensuing game of cat and mouse leads the reader into a constant guessing game of true identities, next steps, and the extent of the repercussions to evil and its part in our identities.
BOTTOM LINE: Not an in-your-face theological read but a wild, will-get-you-thinking ride.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Twice, now, I have read this World War II-era novel. Twice, I have found it difficult to put down once I started. The narrator of this tale is, oddly, Death. He (it?) follows the life of a young girl named Liesel, intrigued by her largely because their paths cross several times. Due to tragic circumstances, Liesel arrives at the home of foster parents in Nazi Germany and forges a new life in their home and neighborhood. She develops a close bond with her foster father, as well as with Rudy, a neighbor and classmate, and with them, along with her foul-mouthed foster mother, experiences harrowing escapes from bullies, Nazis, bombs, and death itself. The title makes note of the fact that Liesel is, in fact, a book thief, and eventually she authors a book of her own life. You might note that here, again, is a historical fiction book on my list (love them!) and a highly recommended one at that!
BOTTOM LINE: A dramatic, enthralling tale which evokes, among other things, a sympathy for Death.

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

It's true that Christian fiction as I knew it growing up was a bit on the, well, I'll just say it - cheesy side. And, really, while it's not all bad, it can feel a little hokey. Do you know what I'm saying or am I totally offending you right now? Francine Rivers has found a way to marry the truth and beauty of the love of our Heavenly Father with some real-life issues and believable characters.
Redeeming Love is based on the Biblical book of Hosea, focusing on the life of Angel, a prostitute in California during the Gold Rush. Snapshots of Angel's heartbreaking past are given throughout the book, making it obvious why her profession and subsequent bitterness and hopelessness are inseperable to her view of herself. Enter into her life Michael Hosea, a kind, honest, God-honoring farmer. Following what he believes to be God's prompting, he brings a reluctant (to put it mildly) Angel home to be his wife. What follows are a tangled web of emotions that result as Michael attempts to break through Angel's defenses and share his love and the love of the God he faithfully and joyfully serves. Angel cannot see herself or him any other way than through the lens of her past experiences, starting from her childhood, and she cannot/will not accept that she could be in any way lovable. Several times she leaves Michael to return to her former lifestyle, believing that is all she is capable of. Eventually he begins to break through her defenses but until the Father can capture her heart, she cannot fully heal and commit her heart to her husband.
I found myself angry and frustrated with Angel for her stubbornness, in tears for her pain-ravaged past and present, amazed anew at the love of God as He works always to draw even the most destitute of us to Himself.
BOTTOM LINE: A TRUE love story

Home Game by Michael Lewis

Contrary to what you may believe glancing at this blog, I have not, in fact, stopped reading. Quite the opposite. I feel like somehow this summer has afforded me time to voraciously devour some pretty stellar material (and some pretty brainless, summer-appropriate material as well). A recent read was Home Game:An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood by Michael Lewis. In this hilarious, self-deprecating memoir-of-sorts Lewis chronicles his adventures in fathering throughout the first year of each of his three children's lives. While he originally journaled the included accounts of his offspring and their foibles in order not to lose their memory amidst sleep-deprivation, he also ends up using the book to grapple with the constantly-shifting role of fathers in family and society in this day and age. If you happen to be a woman and take Lewis too seriously you may find yourself offended by his wistful longing for the days of yore when fathers affected a "detached amusement" (at best) regarding their offspring and didn't, as a generally accepted rule, jump in and do the dirty work (quoting his father: "I didn't even talk to you until you were 21!"). Through his openness regarding his moments of poor judgment, confusion, and blossoming love for his children, however, one can clearly detect a father who loves his children and feels somewhat proud at his contribution to their personhood.

Bottom line: Laugh-out-loud hilarity regarding a father's bewilderment over fathering.