Catching Fire

My library got me the third book of the Hunger Games yesterday! Yay! Because I had been anxiously waiting for it.

I haven't yet begun reading it. (I have other stuff to do too, and I'm trying to pace myself.) But it did remind me that I never got round to making a post about the second book of the series, Catching Fire.

The reason most probably was because unlike the first book, Catching Fire isn't a stand-alone book that tells a complete story. It's most emphatically part of a series. It leaves you with the most horrid cliff-hanger!

SPOILERS!!!
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So. Catching Fire.

I confess that I went into it fairly prejudged. The description wasn't very inspiring, and I was pretty sure it was going to be just filler until the last book - where I had been promised Interesting Things would happen.

And it started off rather dull and uninspiring. Katniss's day to day life. Katniss whining. Katniss being horrid to poor Peeta. Katniss not knowing what she wanted and being an annoying tease. Actually I felt like Katniss was turning into a Bella.

Thank god things started happening soon enough! Yay for revolutions! (Even though I thought I would miss all the interesting stuff because we were stuck with dull Katniss's pov.) So Gale is even more awesome than he seemed in the first book. And so is Peeta - but no surprise there.

The new Hunger Games were interesting. I liked the twist and seeing some of the older winners. I really liked the reaction of the people of the Capitol to losing their winners. Very real.

But you know what? Just like I hated all the senseless killing in the arena of the first book, I possibly hated it even more the second time round. This time the people were older, they had lived through far more than one game, they knew each other and were friends. So few of them decided to organise and try and beat the games? Really? So few of them were interested in a revolution? Really?

Anyway. Katniss got far better by the end of the book, but I still don't like her much. On the other hand I love Peeta, and Cenna, and Haymitch, and Finnick (please don't let him die!), and Beetee and even Joanna. What is it with me and not liking the heroes of this types of books?

I always thought Frodo was a drag. Harry Potter is a bit annoying and self-righteous. Luke and Anakin Skywalker were dull dull dull (until the second went bad at least). Half the kids in the Narnia books were rather meh in my opinion. Ged from the Earthsea books didn't get actually likeable until Tehanu. As for Paul Atreides from Dune, I have mixed feelings about him. Etc Etc. I always seem to like the secondary characters far better than the heroes. They are so much more human and interesting. And that is especially the case in the cinema. (Particularly Hollywood cinema - where the heroes are just so plastic and uninspiring.)

So that was my little rant. Time to read book three.

What did you lot think of Catching Fire? (Please don't spoil me for Mockingjay!)

Christmas jobs

I've been depressed and preoccupied a lot lately, which hasn't particularly put me in the mood for updating much.

I would like to ask you all your opinion on something though.

I am desperately looking for work as an architect (or in the worst an architectural assistant), and until I run out of money that will be my goal. I'm not ready to compromise yet.

But my relatives are constantly on my case (they are all underachievers so they don't really get where I'm coming from), and spending so much time at home with my grandmother is driving me up the wall (and her too I think). So I have started applying for christmas jobs at big shops (no way I'm working for a small shop). I would make an awful salesperson, but they don't need to know that. And anyway I'm only applying for part time and temp positions.

My big worry is this: Let's say I get a temp job in say Boots (have you ever tried applying there? Their questionnaire is crazy! I'm sure I failed it.) But then I get an interview from an architecture practice and they want me. What happens then? Can I quit from the temp job, or having signed some sort of contract, that will get me into trouble? I'm pretty sure they won't sit around waiting for me till after Christmas for the other job.

I'm so confused! A bit of extra money and getting my family off my case is so tempting. But not if I might potentially screw up on what I really want.

Help! What are your opinions?