Like Father Like Daughter...

     In every family... children are created in the likeness of their parents... some favoring their father more and some their mother.  In my family... the first two seem to be a spitting image of our mother.  Then the fourth... well... she is a pretty even combination of the two.  I, the third, am the most like my father.  Left-brained more than right, honest to a fault (as my mother would put it), a little OCD when it comes to some things and generally more practical than creative.  There are really only two differences that I have ever seen between my father and I... his love for (what I call) strange music (i.e. indian instrumentals? I think thats what I've heard him listening to... not quite sure) ... and sci-fi.  Anything sci-fi... movies, books, etc.  I remember growing up that my father was always watching some sort of sci-fi movie... something about killer spiders, The Fly, ALL the Twilight Zone movies... and so on with movies that seemed so impractical that I just could not see his enjoyment.  And then one day... I stumbled upon a semi-sci-fi book... and realized ... once again... my father and I are not so different. I still don't want to read anything about killer spiders... however... my new favorite kind of book is the one where I find myself in a world that is hidden to the common people but somehow believable.  A stretch maybe... but believable.  My most recent? A suggestion made by sibling #4... you know... the one that was a perfect combo of the two.  So, after reading the complete series (3 books) in 4 days... I thought I would recommend it to those of you that might like... well... a little sci-fi. :)

Let me introduce you to... The Hunger Games.

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The 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. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed.

May the odds be ever in your favor.