Lazy Book Club: Paper Towns by John Green

It is FINALLY time to discuss our latest LBC, Paper Towns! Contemporary fiction was actually a little departure for me, as I tend to surround myself by misty-fairy-unicorn-alien-beings (actual term *grin*) but I loved it, as Stacie said I would, and I hope you guys did too! (And, since this is a book club, of sorts, this post will contain **SPOILERS**! If you haven't read the book, don't read this post!)

Our dear reader Picksee commented that, “this is one of the smartest and thought-provoking YA book I’ve ever read!” I have to agree with her. I also want to add that it is one of the funniest books I’ve ever read. Radar’s character alone made this book worth reading. The confederate flag tee shirt made me laugh so hard, I woke my husband up from a dead sleep. And the idea of the World’s Largest Collection of Black Santas is one of the best things ever. And, seriously, I’ve searched for Black Santas - they are not easy to find. I really wanted a black Santa for my son (who dresses like Santa in the summertime - obsessed), but perhaps someone is out there hoarding all of the Black Santas...

For those of you who don't know, Stacie's son was adopted from Ethiopia. But even if he wasn't, you have to admit that the Black Santas are pretty sweet.

Picksee also mentioned the banter in this book, and that was one of my favorite things as well. The verbal contests between Ben, Radar, and Q were so spot-on. I have to agree with Picksee again in her observation, “The language was really well written-all of the conversations and interactions felt sincere. The banter was funny and natural.” My favorite scenes are from the Road Trip, where I felt like Q was really beginning to understand himself and the quest for Margo, but at the same time, he was truly embracing the moment and the joy within.

I loved the whole road trip section of the book. I especially liked the interactions with Lacey. It would've been so easy to hate her on a basic, stereotypical level but she had a depth and likeability that I wasn't expecting. Like Picksee said, "I appreciated that this VERY EASILY could’ve been a typical 'popular kids are sooo much deeper than they appear and tortured by their popularity.' But then, it wasn’t. I mean, it was, but in a muli-faceted way."

I see we're moving on to the Smart and Thought-Provoking now. I’m a little scared because there is SO MUCH BRILLIANCE in this book. I know we won’t get to all of it, so please feel free to continue in the comments.

I’m going to start with the end. Because the end? It’s brilliant. I’ll admit, on my first read, I was a little crestfallen. I think this has something to do with my love of Pretty Endings with Bows on Top. But, reading it again has made me fall in love with the end. It reveals so much about both Margo and Q.

One thing that struck me that I’d like to put out there is that, in the end, Q seems so much braver to me than Margo. Yes, Margo is striking out on her own, and Q is seemingly taking the “safe” route with college, marriage, family. But Margo says something that made me question, and it is this: “...I go back to my room in the morning and I just miss you. I want to come over and hang out and talk, but I’ve already decided to leave, so I have to leave.” To me, this seems cowardly. She is almost as set in her routines as Q is in his. Maybe it’s my desperate want of the happy ending, but if she missed him, why not stay? Why not throw caution to the wind and give it a chance?

No, I don't think you're projecting. I think you're right. I think they are just polar opposites in that way. Q is going to do what Margo fears most: stay. And I think she fears it because if you stay then you might fail. I moved a LOT as a kid, and while it was hard to make new friends, it was also much easier to never have to deal with the fallout of friendships as they grow and change. If Margo is always leaving then she never has to adjust who she is. She can swoop in, be Margo, enjoy it for a while, and then start over before anyone expects too much from her.

I'm not dissing Margo for that, though, because I understand it. I think John Green did too. He let the characters just be who they were. They had flaws, and no one made any apologies for those flaws. Maybe we got some backstory here and there that explained why someone *cough*MARGO*cough* was maladjusted, but that didn't excuse him or her form it OR doom him or her to judgement. The narration felt, in some ways, documentary-like or journalistic (in a good way.) Sort of like, "Here are real people. You make your own call."

That is a really great way to put it. I kind of love that about John Green's writing in general. You're never expected to feel one way or another about the characters, but they just are, as you said. I think that says a lot about him trusting his audience. Or maybe that's just how he writes. Or both. He often writes characters that are deeply flawed, and even unlikable on the surface, but they end up being important to me in the end. His characters stick with me, and this is probably because they are more real.

And as Picksee said, she had to come around to empathizing with Margo - she didn't like her as a child, but by the end had come to understand her. I kind of felt the same way. I admired her bravado, but certainly didn't like her much until the end.

The characters aren't perfect. It would have been really easy to make Margo this Amazing, Fabulous Person, because you want Q to succeed and to get his dream girl at the end. It would have been easy for Margo to be that Dream Girl, but that's not the point. John Green didn't do the 'easy' with rainbows and puppies. Also, it would have been easy for Q to follow her in the end, but that would have been wrong.

Exactly. I don't think this book would have haunted me the way it did if it had ended with a Pretty Bow on Top (Q following Margo, or Margo coming home with Q with a Happily Ever After). The fact that it ended the way it did, with both Q and Margo leaving with a deeper understanding of themselves, made it all the more powerful and lasting.

Well, and that's really what the book is about, isn't it? Understanding and acceptance. Understanding who you are and accepting that other people, as Radar puts it, "aren't you."

And there is so much more to discuss - Paper Towns, Paper Girls, the string theory, the grass.... but rather than make this the longest post ever, we can continue those in the comments! We'd love to hear your thoughts!

Lazy Book Club: You Pick!

Hi Everyone! After our last Lazy Book Club, I promised we would read something a bit more fun. Delirium was a heavy read so I think we should follow it up with one of my favorite writers - John Green. His books are hilarious, but also meaningful and thought-provoking. But, here's the thing: I cannot decide which book! I love them all too much, so I'm leaving it up to you.

I've put a handy little poll at the top of the sidebra (see it over there?) and am hoping that you'll help me pick next month's LBC book. Just to be honest, I think Looking for Alaska is the one I would not pick, but only because it's a bit more heavy, and maybe even depressing. It's brilliant, but not the happiest book ever. But, it's up to you all! So go on, vote and let your LBC voice be heard! And thanks for helping me pick!

You can check out John Green's books here: www.johngreenbooks.com

Informal Lazy Book Club: City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Anyone up for a little book talk? Instead of a rec this week, I was thinking we could discuss (in the comments) the fourth book in The Mortal Instruments series: City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare. Our informal LBC on Mockingjay was so much fun, I thought we'd do it again!




So, while this post does not have spoilers - THE COMMENTS WILL HAVE SPOILERS! MANY, MANY SPOILERS! If you've finished the book, click on the comments and add your thoughts (you know we love to hear them!). If you haven't finished - what are you waiting for? Get to reading! It's so very good! (I think it may be my favorite of the series. Maybe.)

Lazy Book Club: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Okay, so have you all read Delirium? I know a few of you have and I've loved your comments so far! I have to tell you - Leigh has not finished the book! She claims that it is too hard to read, which I can understand. Sometimes you have to be in the right mood for an intense dystopian book, and I think Delirium is definitely one of those.


I think the first thing I said when I started reading Delirium was "It's beautiful and very uncomfortable - a true sign of a great dystopian novel." It really is both of those things. I admit it, I'm not done with it. Not because I got bored but because it was so intense that I just couldn't immerse myself in that world right now. I have a lot of mom-stress right now and the lack of any real parental love in that society really struck me. I admit it, I'm weak. I will finish it someday, but until then, this LBC is all you brave souls. *smiles* Have fun!

***SPOILERS WILL FOLLOW!! IF YOU HAVE NOT YET READ DELIRIUM, PLEASE GO AND READ IT BEFORE READING THIS POST!***

Since some of you have left comments (thank you!), I'm going to start with your thoughts. Nikki mentioned the storyline of living without love, and how effectively it was written. It worked so well that it made her question, "how on earth I would live my life with no real emotion anymore." I think one of the interesting things about the book is that Lena is on the generational cusp of this new way of life. In the beginning she looks forward to the "cure," and, as Picksee pointed out, feels a certain comfort in it: "She didn’t like her situation necessarily, but she felt safe in it and looked forward to finally being really safe in the cure." That 'safety' is definitely something that jumped out at me as well. It was almost reassuring to me, in the beginning, that she would have the "cure."

A problem that I have with the cure, and I do believe it's an intentional problem on the author's part, is that it cannot be administered until age 18. If I think back to the point in my life when the "symptoms" of love affected me most, it was definitely in high school. Although I truly love my husband, it is a more mature love. When I was 16, I could fall in and out of "love" in a week, and the world could end if a relationship didn't work out. (Or so I thought...) I don't know if it was the same for you all, but I'm guessing it was or is.

Picksee also mentioned how the book made her think of freedom, "The whole idea of non-freedom sold as protection is so scary." I agree completely. And the idea that something within ourselves, a basic emotion that does indeed rule our lives, could be erased is truly frightening. The fact that The Powers that Be in Delirium can go beyond taking away rights and freedoms of what people do and extend that to what people feel is what makes this book so interesting. It really got to me when I thought of my love for my children. Trying to imagine raising them without the extreme, intense love I have for them is basically impossible.

Sophie mentioned the excerpts from the government propaganda that preceded each chapter. I also loved the way Lauren Oliver used this to give us as glimpse of how the "cure" was being sold as protection and freedom. It also made me think of the role of the Big, Bad, Evil Government in many dystopian novels. It's interesting how those in charge are most often the Villains in this genre, and Delirium is no exception to this rule. It was also mixed in with religion, as Picksee brought up. The same is true in The Handmaid's Tale, although in that book it was external freedoms that were taken away in the name of religion. Delirium, as I mentioned, takes it a step further by erasing a basic human emotion, and I think that makes it all the more powerful.

*sneaks back in to discuss before you touch on the ending I haven't read* I think there is a point in Delirium where Lauren Oliver does an excellent job of showing, physically, the emotional loss and emptiness that the current society experiences. It really struck me when Alex is taking Lena to his camp and they come upon the ruined neighborhood, complete with city streets and a rusted truck and a completely unharmed house. The house was physically untouched, "safe", but without a connection to other houses or to a society it had no purpose or value. It was a turning point for Lena to realize what her society was capable of in the name of "safety" but I felt like the house was representative of all the "cured" members. Because, without being connected by love and emotion, what purpose do they really serve? What meaning does their life have?

I knew you couldn't stay away, Leigh! And you jump in with such an amazing observation!

Now, of course, we must discuss the ending. *cue tragic soundtrack* Personally, I loved it. I honestly feel this book could stand alone and not be a series. I would have been okay with Alex dying to save Lena. Of course, now I want him to be alive and for her to find a way to save him and they live happily ever after with a Big Red Bow on top. But, I've read two of Lauren Oliver's books (this one and Before I Fall), and she does not seem one for the Big-Red-Bow type of ending. I will say, I'm really looking forward to seeing what comes next for Lena and Alex, and hopefully Lena's mom.


Okay, so what about you all? What do you expect for Lena in the future? Even if you've commented already, I'd love to hear more!

And, just to give you something to look forward to - our next LBC book will be something fun! I promise! I'm going to pick a John Green book to make you all read (because I looooove him!), so if there is one in particular you've been wanting to read, send me an email or tweet. Basically, help me pick which one because I love them all!

Lazy Book Club: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

**SPOILER ALERT** This post will have spoilers, as we are discussing the book!

Right, so we said around the 15th and here it is the 20th. But, it's finally time to discuss Nightshade by Andrea Cremer!!

I'd like to start with something that was brought up in the early comments: Calla's attraction to both Ren and Shay. I thought it was interesting that you all keyed in on this, and I did notice it as well. Ren just had to get close enough to breathe on her and Calla was a puddle on the floor. While reading, I attributed this to the fact that Calla is a wolf. Her basic nature is animal, and that is what is responding to Ren. Especially given that Ren is an alpha, and that they are betrothed. Her human nature does not really factor into the passion, but her animal nature does. At least, that is how I read it.

As for Shay... I'm still not so sure about him. While I was reading, I was thinking that he was obviously tied to the Guardians and Keepers somehow, and maybe Calla's instincts were responding to that as well? But Picksee brought up the idea of him being a Shiny New Boy - something different, and forbidden, which of course makes him more attractive.

I agree that I cut her a lot of slack in that department as well, mostly because she was responding to something as basic as lust on that animal level. I also thought that her relationship with Ren was probably more complex than what we saw. They grew up together, after all, and have been leading up to this. He's supposedly the hottest guy around (hello, Alpha who was inspired by BinBons) so of course she's going to find him attractive. Whereas some of our readers had issue with her drooling over two guys, it didn't bother me that way. I assumed that her animal side was drawn to Ren and her human side was drawn to Shay, and if both of them want to make out with her, what of it? Good for her. *winks*

One thing I really loved was the whole storyline of the witches war and the mythology of the Keepers and the Guardians. It was so well done and very believable. It also kept me interested in the story as a whole - this wasn't just another werewolf story. And the betrothal! I loved that aspect. I think it was shocking how okay everyone was with it. Commenter geemoney02 mentioned that it was strange how quickly Calla fell for Shay, but I was having more trouble with the whole idea of Calla being forced into a marriage. The Keepers were forcing the situation, but everyone just accepted it as completely normal. I found that so interesting.

I loved how comfortable Calla was with all of the physical violence going on around her. Picksee mentioned this in her comment about Calla in the beginning of the book, "She was kind of edgy, funny, and dangerous-she dispatched a Searcher like it was nothing. AWESOME. And another character makes a big deal out of it being her first kill and she's all 'whatevs, it's what I do.'" I think this is another instance where Andrea Cremer used Calla's actions to draw attention to the struggle between her human side and her wolf side. Her wolf side is all honor and instinct and quick reactions. Honestly, I didn't like the wolf "mentality" but I completely understood it, which means Cremer did her job.

I agree, and I think that the wolf nature vs. human nature is central to the novel as a whole. It was something that came up repeatedly as I read: Calla's desire to do what she should do, as pack leader, and her desire to follow her own heart. I think it will be interesting to see if Andrea Cremer continues to explore this in Wolfsbane.


Speaking of Wolfsbane, I wanted to touch on the ending-that-wasn't-an-ending to Nightshade. When I finished this book I wanted to throw it against the wall, not because I didn't enjoy it but because it didn't feel FINISHED. I can appreciate a cliffhanger, but I didn't feel like a single story arc had been completed. When I read a book I don't want to walk away feeling like only half of it was published. Fortunately Stacie linked me to the first chapter of Wolfsbane, which should have been the ending of Nightshade in my opinion. If you haven't done it already, go online and read the first chapter. I think it'll help with abrupt ending jitters that some of you might be feeling.

Yes! Thankfully, I was reading on my ereader, so the link was right there at the end and I was able to just click and continue reading. If you haven't read it, definitely do so now!

Okay, I think we've got a good discussion started, so please feel free to keep it up in the comments! We'll be reading your comments and adding our own thoughts too!


Link to the first chapter of Wolfsbane: http://www.nightshadebook.com/assets/pdf/WolfsbaneCh1.pdf

Lazy Book Club's Future?

After it took Leigh and I a whopping three months to post the LBC on Graceling, we thought it might be a good idea to think about doing our book clubs differently in the future. Here's the thing - you all have so much to say! And we LOVE that. But, we HATE leaving out some of these great things! There was so much submitted for Graceling that we just couldn't get to - and we really wanted to.

So, I had an idea that we do our LBC's more in the way we did our informal LBC on Mockingjay - where we basically had an entire discussion in the comments section. I love the back and forth that occurred in that format, and that's just not possible with the way we currently do things. We could always start a forum for each month's book... but then that wouldn't be lazy, now would it? You'd have to sign in and I know that, for myself, I tune out if it's "too much work" to do something online.

Thus the question that we'd like your help in answering: Should we continue with LBC as is, or switch to the more informal format where we can discuss in the comments? Leigh and I would post our thoughts to get the discussion started, but then the rest of you can chime in and we can actually (sort of) discuss the book with you all. What do you think? We'd love to hear what you think!

Lazy Book Club: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

**Here goes the usual warning: SPOILERS ABOUND! We're DISCUSSING the book which includes plot points and characters. Don't read THIS if you haven't read Graceling!**




So, we took two, er three? months with Graceling. Our original thought was to give some readers a little extra time, and because you all submitted such great comments - we wanted more time to devote to this book. Also? At the end of August, Leigh and I discussed Katsa and Po's relationship FOR DAYS (literally). We had our first literary disagreement so we had to talk about nothing else until we made the other understand our side. And understand we do, but agree? Nope. We've agreed to disagree. More on that later...

But here we are and I am happy to report that all of you love Graceling as much as we do! You all loved Katsa, but mostly loved Po, and we're in agreement with you there!

I'll start with Katsa. I think she is an amazing character. Her physical strength and abilities are awesome, but I also loved seeing her grow emotionally throughout the book.In relation to her physical ability, Nicole from Words for Teens said, “I like kick ass characters. Katsa is one of those kick ass characters.”

I totally agree, but I think that Katsa is amazing because she has this Grace, but she does not want to use it for harm. I loved when she started to realize this about herself and finally got away from Randa. It was so simple, but she needed so much emotional strength to do it. I always love Chicks Who Can Kick Our Asses even more when they have (or begin to have) the mental fortitude to back up their ass-kicking ability.

Ah, Katsa... I LOVED Katsa - really - even though you and I disagreed about her growth, Stacie. I was so thrilled to see a strong female main character who was downright scary in the way that she was superior in physical strength to anyone else. I also appreciated that she was balanced enough to be fragile mentally in some ways. What I wanted to see so badly was for her to grow more emotionally. Whereas you could argue that she grew because she was able to get out from under Randa's grasp, she wasn't starting from a zero on the emotional scale. She already had made steps to be subversive, to take on side projects and try to help people. She had the seed planted in the very beginning of the book and that's why I was unsatisfied with where she and Po ended up. It felt anemic to me.

Ah yes, this is where our disagreement begins. I concede that she wasn't starting from a zero, but I do think that her entire self-image had been shaped by her supposed Grace. Until Po, she believed she was a killer , and therefore believed she was intrinsically bad. I think Po helped her to see that she was actually a good person, which in turn gave her the strength to get away from Randa.

And that brings me to Po. Who doesn’t love Po? Is he not the greatest boyfriend ever? And he's hot and carries a sword. Check and check. Everyone agreed that Po is a great character (most of you said he was your favorite), and a lot of you brought up the fact that he wasn’t threatened by Katsa’s superior strength in the way that most men would be. Hoping4More mentioned her favorite quote to illustrate this point, “It humbles me. But it doesn't humiliate me.”

Picksee also had a lot to say about Po:

"Is he not just perfection with rings and golden hoops? Here is this prince, who has an amazing gift of sensing other people and how they feel and think about him so he should be arrogant and bratty, but he's not. He's just lovely and everyone loves him-as they should. And, he loves Katsa and recognizes that she's his better--which is so not something you see often...or, well ever."

While I was reading, I really didn't take note of the fact that Po wasn't threatened by Katsa's strength (physical), so I'm happy that Hoping4More and Picksee pointed it out because it is definitely one more thing that I love about Po.

I loved Po, too! He was hot! He was talented! He was completely, as you said, not threatened by the fact that a chick could kick his ass and then some! And his talent was so unique and also kinda sad. Who would want to know everything that everyone thought about them? I very highly doubt I'd still be married if that was the case. Not to mention this huge burden he's lived with his whole life - at what age do you face the reality that the people you love would use you, no matter how hard they may want not to, because they're human? Excuse me, I need to mentally console Po. *takes a moment*

Okay, I'm back. Now, can we please discuss how Katsa and Po are these amazing and flawed people who are in a SERIOUSLY DYSFUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIP? See, I'm afraid that everything I say is going to come across as "this sucks" when really I adored this book. I recommended this book to everyone. I want to snuggle Po and give Katsa a good hug, and then sit them down and explain why their relationship is doomed for failure if they don't admit that they have needs and that they should compromise. Po is so relieved to have found someone who loves him that he's all, "Whatever you need, babe, I'll just sit back and wait for you. No commitment needed. Really. In fact, you go off for months at a time and never even promise you'll ever come back. No worries. I'll be here." That, my friends, is not healthy. PO HAS NEEDS, DAMMIT!

I'm going to cheat and pull a comment from a friend of mine, who wishes to stay anonymous. She put what was bugging me into words:

I think what you're reacting to is that it feels like Katsa's emotional arc falls flat--that she doesn't grow emotionally to a point where she would do something out of her comfort zone because of an emotional response.

I'm assuming that this is a series and the author is planning the emotional arc to span the entire series, which is fine. But we still need the little victories, and sleeping together in a cave does not an emotional growth victory make.

Pearl-clutching aside, I like that she took a step away from the marriage thing here, especially in a traditionalist society that would expect that as a next step. But marriage isn't really an emotional issue here. The issue is COMMITMENT, and the fact that her self-focus and unwillingness to commit should have consequences for her, but those never materialize.

I actually think it might have been a stronger ending if she'd had to make a conscious choice and take the consequences of that.

*snorts* And here we go. In my opinion, Kristin Cashore ended it this way on purpose. Katsa didn't settle down and become a princess - she followed her dream to teach other girls how to fight! And Po needed time to himself. In my post-book imagination they return to each other after some separation and realize they can never, ever be apart again. So, THEN they marry and have little Po and Katsa babies. But before that, they each have to find their own way - especially Katsa. She had only recently freed herself from the idea of being a born killer, and she had finally found a use for her Grace that she believed in. She OWED it to herself to see that through. She owed it to Po too - if she didn't take this time, she would always wonder, and Po (amazing man that he is) knows this and willingly lets her go, knowing she'll come back to him. Because she does. In my world.

Of course she does, but the lack of a realistic give-and-take in their relationship is really, at the end of the day, what bugged me about it. I get that Katsa is dealing with some stuff, blah blah blah, but she loves him. I know it, you know it, she knows it. So why doesn't she ACT like it? *ponders throwing book* *hugs it close instead* The fact that I care THIS MUCH is just proof what a good book this is.

Picksee had this to say about how their relationship ended, and I agree: "The ending kind of broke my heart when she was going to leave-but then I totally got it. His Wildcat (love his nickname for her by the way) couldn't be caged-and he knew this was this was the way to have her. And, they have other things going on with their lives-not just each other. Such a good couple."

I also liked what Harmony from Harmony's Radiant Reads had to say about Katsa and Po's relationship in general, and I think you could apply this to the ending as well:

"I love that when they found out they were in love, they didn't start to ravage each other and throw their lives away and just not THINK. I like how they stepped out and thought about it for a while, giving each other space and time to make sure that it was something they truly wanted with their lives. Po never pressured Katsa to do anything and instead kept his distance until he knew she had made up her mind. I really admired that about their relationship."

Yes, and yes. Agreed.

Even people who didn't love the ending didn't feel quite so strongly as I did. Hoping4More said "The only thing that I wasn't thrilled about was the ending, because I'm a HEA type of girl, but it totally fit with the characters and the story so I'll embrace it as it is."

So, in the interest of moving forward, I'm agreeing to disagree about the "Po and Katsa as Best Couple EVAH!" point. *winks* What I think is interesting is that this book is not a romance. I didn't read it because it was going to have lots of hot heaving bosoms and kissing and whatnot. It's a mystery, and a coming-of-age story, and a high fantasy all rolled into one. What I think we can all agree on is that this mixture is what makes it so engaging. I think every commenter talked about how awesome they thought the idea of the Graces was. It's truly original.

Picksee said it well:

"I love the idea of a ""Grace"" and how it was regarded--to use for the king only and also to be feared-even if it's just something as mundane as cooking or strong swimmer-rather than revered. Someone asked what I was reading and was starting to explain the graces-and they said, so, like a superpower? I was like, nooo, well...yeah, kinda. But, I never thought of it that way. And superheroes are not feared-they're Superheroes! They get sponsorships (unless they're X-Men of course). So, I appreciated that she was able to give these characters special traits without it feeling like a rehash of other supernatural or comic books. And, that she realistically built in reactions to them-I have to think that this would really happen in the real world--we're not so good with those who are different-even if in a really good way."

So, at the end of the day, we all loved this book. It was fresh, original, and had a host of kick-ass characters.

Whew! Leigh and I made it through our first literary disagreement!

And, if you haven't read Fire by Kristin Cashore, be sure to add it to your list! Leigh actually liked it better than Graceling, so it comes highly recommended. And, keep your eye out for Bitterblue as well - I'm hoping we get a tiny bit of Katsa and Po in there. Just a little? Please?

Finally, there was so much in the LBC comments for Graceling, we really couldn't get to everything! We'd love to hear more of your thoughts in the comments. (And we're actually thinking of revising LBC because of this - more on that soon.) Thanks for reading Graceling with us!

Informal Lazy Book Club: Mockingjay!

***This POST contains NO SPOILERS but the COMMENTS WILL HAVE SPOILERS***






I need to discuss Mockingjay! I have finished but Leigh is just starting Catching Fire, so I'm barely speaking to her for fear of letting something slip. And I know there are people out there who have finished, but have no place to discuss without causing a riot because you've posted spoilers. I figured those of us who have finished can discuss in the comments section so we don't ruin it for anyone.

So, obviously, if you have not finished the book, DO NOT READ THE COMMENTS!! For those of you who have... I would love to hear what you thought!!