The Hunger Games

People have been bugging me to read 'The Hunger Games' trilogy forever.  (The same way they've been bugging me to read the 'A Song of Ice & Fire' series!)  And since the movie previews are out, and I hate watching movies before I read the books, I decided to start.

And within 48 hours, I'd read all three books.  I couldn't STOP.

I'm not going to go into the plot, because it's complex, and I don't want to give away any stories.  I will say that I spent the first few pages of the book convinced that Katniss, the protagonist, was a boy, but was pleasantly surprised she wasn't.  Girl power!  I enjoyed the first book the best... the rest of the books kind of lost my interest over time (like The Matrix sequels), even though I desperately wanted to know how it concludes.  I predicted a lot of the events that unfolded, including which of the two boys in her love triangle she ends up with!

If you like books like 'Dune' and 'The Giver', I think you'll like this series.  I love young-adult fiction...  it's accessible to everyone, and everyone has felt like an adolescent at some point, so you can relate to the characters.  It's driven by emotion, not practicality, like a teenager.

Now I can't wait to see the movie!

(Sidenote: I also can't wait to see the latest Pixar movie next year, 'Brave'.  More girl power!)

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by @mindykaling

OMG, you guys...  YES, another funny girl book by another awesome chick on NBC!

Mindy Kaling is a writer and actress on 'The Office', one of my favorite shows; I even have a Dwight bobblehead doll on my desk at work.  And her first book, 'Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)' had me laughing out loud and causing other passengers on my plane to stare.

I want to be friends with Mindy Kaling the same way she wants to be friends with Beyonce.  I love her blog, we both love fashion/shopping, and I can totally relate to her experience with immigrant parents, being unpopular in school, and living the single careerwoman life.  I LOVED it!  The stories are sometimes a little disjointed, but I couldn't put this book  down.  I read it in a day, and I may even read it again!  I hope she keeps writing, because I'll eat up every word.

Oh, and in both Mindy Kaling and Tina Fey's books, they go ON AND ON about how AMAZING Amy Poehler is.  So come on, Amy Poehler, I want to read YOUR book!

Bossypants by Tina Fey

I had already ready excerpts of Tina Fey's 'Bossypants' before I bought the book on my Kindle, but I was in the middle of reading a bunch of business books and wouldn't let myself buy it.  Then I got a gift certificate for Amazon and I just couldn't help myself!

I love Tina Fey.  I love that she gave us 'Mean Girls'.  I love that she was badass on SNL with Weekend Update and her phenomenal Sarah Palin impersonations.  (You betcha!)  And now she's kicking butt on '30 Rock'!  How awesome is she?

She's a writer, and she's built her comedy career through hard work, intelligence, and this extremely likeable charm.  The book is a great insight into her early life, the beginning of her career, and all the funny little stories along the way.  (She even talks about getting glammed up and the joys of Photoshop!)  Tina Fey rocks.  'Bossypants' is a quick, easy read, perfect for a plane ride or quiet Sunday.  If you like Tina, you won't be disappointed.  She's not as outrageous as Chelsea Handler or Kathy Griffin (other women in comedy I read) but I like it that way.