CityView Magazine

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Is there anyone who hasn't read this blockbuster book yet? If you're simply avoiding the band-wagon, I get it. But if, alone one night, you find yourself craving a little bit of pure, unadulter- ated fun, sneak this onto your e-reader. You won't regret it. A sort of gladiato- rial take on the overdone post-apoca- lyptic theme makes this plot-driven book, and later sequels, a pleasure to read for both young and old(er) adults. The protagonist is a young woman who lives in poverty under a harsh regime. For the entertainment of the superficial upper class, she and a bunch of other young people are thrust into an arena and told to fight to the death. All things good – love, loyalty and friendship – are threatened by this wicked game, and acters. Through their voices and inter- connected stories, he brings to life the shortsighted politics and grisly trench warfare that tore through a continent. The military enthusiast, women's his- torian and European scholar will all find something to love. But beyond the impressive research, this is a book about people, their relationships and how they cope in times of change and struggle. Fall of Giants is long enough to last you through the winter months, and good enough to make it worth your while. Don't be surprised when you're leſt wanting for more. Luckily, the se- quel is due out late 2012. Catherine The Great by Robert K. Massie This is a true biography, in the best sense of the word. Massie's skill is re- facets of this leader's life and everyone in it. It is part history, part psychology, part drama and pure enjoyment. Rin Tin Tin: The Life And The Legend by Susan Orlean Susan Orlean (author of The Orchid Thief) re-introduces audiences to Rin Tin Tin, the dog that stole America's heart. This book is not just for the dog lovers, but for people who enjoy history, cinema, and American pop culture at its finest. Rin Tin Tin was a newborn puppy in 1918, abandoned on a ruined battlefield in France when he was found and adopted by a young American sol- dier, Lee Duncan. The luck and love that forged his beginnings remained with the German Shepherd throughout his life. He rose to stardom in the early days of Hollywood cinema, and he and Rin Tin Tin was a newborn puppy in 1918, abandoned on a ruined battlefield in France when he was found and adopted by a young American soldier, Lee Duncan. The luck and love that forged his beginnings remained with the German Shepherd throughout his life. the characters must find a way to stay true to themselves while staying alive. It is action-packed and full of suspense … the perfect combination to keep you up all night until the very end. The movie comes out March 2012, and I highly recommend reading (or re-reading) the book first. Fall Of Giants by Ken Follett Established author Ken Follett per- fects the art of storytelling in his his- torical fiction, introducing readers to eras past. He emphasizes the politics of these times, showing us how interac- tions and decisions between key people can change the course of history. This newest book is a mammoth historical fiction, chronicling the First World War through the alternating perspectives of a believable and enduring cast of char- 52 | January/February • 2012 markable. Every sentence delivers new information, historically researched and artistically delivered. But this isn't a flood of facts, overwhelming and un- approachable; it's more like a subtle im- mersion into the elegant, high-stakes world of Catherine the Great. Readers will not only feel like eighteenth-cen- tury Russian scholars, but they will feel like they know Catherine as well…just as she was – intelligent, ambitious, po- litical and real. Massie scatters excerpts of Catherine's writing throughout the biography, her own voice substantiating his meticulous research. Catherine was the longest ruling female leader in Rus- sian history and helped establish the country as a European power. It is a per- fect linear biography, beginning with her birth and ending with her death. Massie leaves out nothing, exploring all his successors made the transition from silent film, to talking movies, to TV, and into color. Besides describing the dog's rise to fame – at his height Rin Tin Tin earned more than his human co-stars and was a regular in tabloid magazines – Susan Orlean discusses the psycholo- gy of America's love for the dog. His was a rags-to-riches story that personified the American dream. An immigrant of sorts, and a war hero to boot, it is no wonder Rin Tin Tin was embraced so completely. With his master and trainer by his side through it all, this dog rep- resented all that was innocent and true, and Americans loved him for it. You Know When The Men Are Gone by Siobhan Fallon For members of a military communi- ty, this book is a must read. It is a collec-

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