The Hunger Games

I just thought I'd share what I'm reading lately. Since I finished the Harry Potter series (finally) I decided to try out a reccomendation from Stephenie Meyer, the author of Twilight. On her website (http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/) she highly reccomends The Hunger Games in one of her posts. So, out of curiousity I check out the reviews on Amazon.com. They seem pretty good. Everyone is raving about it and how they just cannot get enough. How they "hunger" for more Hunger Games. So, I ordered it right then and there. It's supposed to be the first in a new series from this Suzanne Collins. So far, i'm intrigued. The whole premise of the book is quite interesting. I've never heard anything like it. I have now gotten to a part in the book where I feel I cannot put it down. This author is really big into ending each chapter with a cliff-hanger! Anyway, so far i've enjoyed it. I have a feeling if they ever make a movie out of it it will be quite violent. Unless they choose to elaborate on the love story. If you like to read and are trying to find something new, I would say to give this one a shot.

Jax the Cat

I've been promising for a while now to post pictures of our new kitty. Meet Jax!

He's so much fun. We have really loved having him around. He is black with gray stripes. He rarely meows, and never hisses.

He's always anxious for us to wake up in the morning so, right when my alarm goes off at 5am I have cat in my face. It's quite comical, really. He's getting into a routine of pouncing me because he knows it's time to get up! He has taken a huge liking to our Christmas tree, much to our dismay. He has already caused a strand of lights to go out because he plays with them too much. He is a rambunctious cat, but we love him. I wouldn't have him any other way.

We found him at the Petsmart No More Homeless Pets Event back in September. They had some super cute cats. I must admit I was partial to the calico cats at first. They are cute and I already had the name of "Buttercup" picked out for one. But in the end we chose Jax.

Harry Potter/Christmas

I am very excited for the next Harry Potter movie to come out! July cannot get here soon enough. This will be the first Harry Potter that I actually read the book before the movie came out. I must admit, the sixth book was my favorite of the series. The more books I read by J.K. Rowling the more I'm convinced that she's simply a genius. Her character development is amazing. Her ability to draw you in and keep you interested is fantastic. Here's a neat trailer for the movie:

http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/harrypotterandthehalf-bloodprince/

Christmas is coming and I'm really looking forward to it. Last year was an awesome Christmas because Howie and I got engaged! I hope this year will bring just as much joy as the last. It will be fun to spend our first Christmas together as a married couple. Our condo is already trimmed with our new Christmas decorations. We bought a pre-lit tree and I love not having to deal with stringing lights. My Mom gave me a box of ornaments from my childhood which is really neat because it allows a small bit of my childhood to be a part of my Christmas every year. We also pick-up an ornament on every trip we take together. So far, we only have a couple from our honeymoon, but someday our tree will be filled with ornaments of fun vacations we have taken.

This is definitely my favorite time of year. It's a time for traditions, family, and friends. What are some fun traditions you all do for this time of year? I'm always open to new suggestions.

Take care and have a Merry Christmas! I will try to upload pics soon.