Suzanne Collins - 'The Hunger Games'

For me reading this book was a bit of a have to read it not a want to read it. My 11-year-old daughter had it recommend to her at school last week by her classroom teacher and the deputy principal. I was horrified. I had seen the movie preview (which has a M rating in Australia) and had already decided I didn't want to watch the movie or read the book because I thought it looked too scary! Admittedly, at that point I hadn't realised it was aimed at a teenage audience. My daughter of course wanted to read it and she knows with these sorts of books she has to check first. I need to say here, that I love my daughters' school and this particular teacher is fabulous! However I think he made a error in promoting this particular book to a class of students that age. After reading, it wasn't as inappropriate as I thought it was going to be, but nothing takes away the fact that the story is about children being sent out to kill other children as entertainment for other people. I did decide to let Erin read it, but I am still not terribly comfortable with the decision and I am going to go speak to the teacher about it.

Now that bit is out of the way, I admit that, as an adult, I loved the book! Once again unputdownable (sorry to anyone who doesn't like this word). But I literally sat and read it in two sittings in the one day. The story is simply written and is fast paced. It is a little predictable, but I don't think it would have been as good if the story had gone another way.

The Hunger Games is a reality TV show where each district is forced to choose one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to compete. The contestants are chosen by a ballot and are then paraded as part of the lead up to the show. Once placed into the arena it is a fight to the death and the audience expects it to provide entertainment. Katniss Everdeen steps forward to compete rather then let her sister die. It is a battle of survival where food, shelter and weapons are all currency and the way to get ahead is by pleasing the audience, but at the end of the day there can only be one winner.

I recommend this book for teenagers or adults who enjoy action books and who can separate the themes from the fact it is supposed to be about children. I am still not convinced it is a book for younger children thematically, even though stylistically written at a style and pace that is appropriate.

Traci Harding - 'Being of the Field'

I read Traci Harding's first book 'The Ancient Future' when I was 17. It was my introduction to historical fantasy and it immediately became one of my favourite books. Since then I have read all of her others (except two) and some I love, some I haven't thought were as good.

'Being of the Field' is the first book in her most recent triad* and it was published in 2009. I have only just got around to reading it despite the fact it was originally lent to me a couple of years ago. Not that I have had it since then! It sat at my place for a while, then I gave it back and ended up buying my own copy a few weeks ago. The reason for this lack of motivation to read it was that this book, like some of Traci Harding's other books is most firmly in the science fiction genre. Science fiction is just not my favourite genre. In fact, I think they only ones I own are other books of Traci Harding's which finish off trilogies.

I shouldn't have waited! Once I finally picked up the book and began reading it,  I was unable to put it down. The thing about waiting is I know where I can borrow the second book and the third one is due for release any day now. Sometimes waiting is a good thing.

Dr Taren Lennox is a comparative youngster at 50 years of age and yet her research into is being carefully followed by a number of people from a number of organisations for reasons Taren has no idea about. Her personal life is a mystery and she is careful to keep most people at a distance in order to protect herself and her "Powers". However, Taren is overjoyed when she is invited to join a prestigious space project thinking it is an opportunity for her to extend her work. Instead she discovers colleagues who quickly become friends, danger and a whole new world.

Definitely recommended for any Traci Harding fan and for anyone who likes science fiction. This book is "very Traci Harding" with all the characteristics that this entails.

*If anyone knows the difference between a triad and a trilogy please feel free to enlighten me!

Matthew Reilly - 'Contest'

This is the first book Matthew Reilly wrote and it was the one he initially self-published. According to what I read on the Internet today, it is also the only one he has written with a science fiction element to it (and this may very possibly be inaccurate now).

Dr Stephen Swain finds himself involuntarily a contestant in an alien competition set in a labyrinth inside the New York State Library. Seven contestants from around the universe enter the library and the competition and only one will come out alive. To make matters even worse, his daughter Holly is also drawn into the competition with him. It is a competition where you must kill or be killed, the fight is to the finish and the alien knowledge of the event and of combat surpasses anything Swain has contemplated.

Science fiction is not normally a genre I would pick to read. However, this book is also most definitely an adventure book and contains all the face-paced action you would expect from Matthew Reilly. I think it will turn into one of my favourite from this author!