The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Description:

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival.

Review: A (4.5/5)
I can honestly see why this could be comparable to Harry Potter & Twilight because it does have that easy to read narrative that is super addictive and compelling. It's not a difficult book to get into at all. Two pages in and I was already invested. I approached this book with caution because the general genre and plot did not appeal to me at all. I'm not too big on science fiction, dytopian, battle royale type of books. I like my novels relatively happy and usually assured of a happy ending and I saw no way that this could provide that. In addition, I wasn't really aware that there was going to be any romance in it but there was and it kept me happy. The narrative was easy to follow with a first person perspective and it immediately hooks you in. Few pages in and I was already interested in what was going to happen. The setting was interesting with it being set in a futuristic North America with twelve districts and the plot of the hunger games was definitely one that kept up the suspense. The characters were extremely likable even though I found myself scared to attach to them since they could be eliminated. Finally, it kept me thinking about it even after I finished it which good books tend to do. Can't wait to read the next book in the series to see the build up/fall out.

Paradise by Judith McNaught

I figure for my first post, I'd review my all time favorite romance novel ^_^

Description:

Corporate raider Matthew Farrell had come a long way from the poor, scruffy kid of Indiana’s steel mills.  A long way from the country club where, feeling like an outsider, he had dared to fall in love with a beautiful blonde named Meredith Bancroft, and known a once-in-a-lifetime passion and betrayal that still haunted his memory….Now world leaders courted him, the media watched his every move, and he was ready to move in on the Bancroft empire.

A cool, poised executive in her family’s legendary department store chain, Meredith had once defied her father for the sexually magnetic, intense Matt Farrell – and their brief, ill-fated marriage was the disastrous outcome.  Now, as the Bancroft firm is threatened by a hostile takeover, Meredith is forced to confront Matt. As tensions build between them, bittersweet memories rise to the surface, leaving them suspicious, restless, and uncertain.  Will they be able to believe in each other – and grasp the tender miracle that is before them?

Ruthless corporate raider Matthew Farrell was poised to move in on the legendary department store empire owned by Chicago’s renowned Bancroft family. In the glare of the media spotlight, it was a stunning takeover that overshadowed the electric chemistry between Matt, once a scruffy kid from steel town Indiana, and cool, sophisticated Meredith Bancroft. Their brief, ill-fated marriage sparked with thrilling sensuality—he was the outsider who dared to rock her country club world—and ended with a bitter betrayal. Now, locked in a battle that should be all business, dangerous temptations and bittersweet memories are stirring their hearts. Will they risk everything on a passion too bold to be denied?

Rating: A+ (5/5)

This is my all time favorite romance book ever. I can seriously read this over and over and over again. I think in the past year I already re-read it 5+ times. And with each re-read I catch something that I didn't the last time around. I know some people complain that the book gets too technical with the business aspect and the take-over but it honestly doesn't bother me at all. Personally, I like the detail and depth of research that was involved in writing that aspect of the book. I thought Meredith was a great heroine and Matt is prolly my favoritest hero in all books ever. He's basically the perfect romance hero. He's aggressive and tough and rich and sexy as hell but he's sweet and understanding to Meredith in a way that he isn't to anyone else. I know people were annoyed by the amount of time spent with Meredith's past but I honestly like books that spend time delving into the character's past since you get to know them better. It gives you better insight into their character and I tend to like stories that span longer periods of time. I loved their initial meeting and just their interactions when they're together. I felt for them as they went through their struggles early in their marriage and their separation and loved their re-meeting. I liked the whole glitzy Chicago city setting where they faced difficulty due to differences in social status because he started off poor and became a self made man. And I would say the scene when she comes back to Matt after choosing him over everything is one of the most poignant scenes in the whole book. I really think Paradise is in a class of its own and have yet to find another book quite like it. I really don't even think any review I could do would do it justice and I would definitely consider it a classic and wholeheartedly recommend to anyone to read.