Reader! I am breaking my September hiatus because everyone is out there talking about Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. If you haven’t heard, Mockingjay is part three of a trilogy. If you’re attention deficient and have other things to do, let me tell you that I liked Mockingjay but didn’t love it. For the rest of you, read on:

Here’s my review of part one, The Hunger games. That first book was one of the nicest surprises I have ever had in a book. I went into it knowing very little, which is very hard to do these days.

I only knew that it was getting a lot of press, so I was desperate to hurry up and read it so I could form my own opinions without any influences. Here are the broad strokes of the plot so far:

The Hunger Games

Set in my favorite of all literary landscapes–the nightmare dystopian future (I have no idea why I love it so much)–there are 12 colonies (called districts) which are all subject to The Capitol. They resisted once, but were thrown back and thrown down with a vengeance. So now every year each of the districts must offer a tribute to fight in the Hunger Games at the Capitol. The tributes are children and are chosen by lottery.

The heroine, Catniss–this name is not getting any less weird to me–winds up volunteering herself for reasons I won’t spoil for you. Book one is largely about her preparation to enter the arena, and then the fight itself. If there has ever been a nail-biter for me, this was it. Book one had a feeling of dread that I absolutely loved.

Catching Fire

I loved Catching Fire, but not as much as part one.

Catniss is still alive. As the winner of the games, she is now entitled to all sorts of glamorous perks, but also made an enemy of The Capitol through her defiant acts. So now wields a lot of power with her status as a champion, but the leaders of the Capitol, including the nasty President Snow, know that she holds more sway over public opinion than they would like. Without going into much more detail than that, let me say that there was a surprise about halfway through that nearly everyone but me seems to have seen coming.

But then, I watched about three quarters of Snow Falling on Cedars without realizing that Ethan Hawke only had one arm…

Mockingjay

Catniss is still alive. Sorry if that was a spoiler, but it shouldn’t be. Now that the official revolution has started–it has been revealed that the mysterious District 13 actually exists, and is the headquarters of the rebellion–Catniss is still being used. This time by those who want her to be the symbol of the revolution.

Unfortunately, I felt that most of the suspense of part one and two was absent from the conclusion. I felt similar to when I went to the final, craptacular Matrix movie. The scenes in the Matrix itself were always the most appealing and interesting to me–but the trilogy concluded with a bunch of people fighting robots, which could happen (and has happened) in many other movies.

The Hunger Games Trilogy ends as an action story, an indictment of war, and a heavy dose of teenage angst. I feel like Suzanne Collins was able to expound her views of warfare and savagery, and I am not disagreeing with her. But this book did not feel as original as the other two did, and it’s not just because I had had two books to get used to the story.

It felt like if the characters had had different names, it could have been part of any other story.

But overall I liked it. I just did not love it the way I loved the first one. And I have no idea how I could have done it any better or what I would have changed, so maybe this is just fanboy whining.

There were some satisfying moments. I especially like Catniss’  response at the conclusion of the final trial.

If you have read the first two, I’ve no doubt that you’re going to read Mockingjay no matter what anyone else says. Let’s talk. What did you think?

Josh

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Hey gang. Duty calls (by which I mean the book I am writing is at a stage where I can’t focus on much else). I will be in and out during September, and don’t plan on writing more than one post each week. If guests submit posts to me I will publish their informational articles, but if they do not advance the running narrative of World’s Strongest Librarian, I will not send them out to those of you who subscribe via RSS.

Otherwise, this site will be slowing down drastically for about 30 days. Don’t feel any obligation to check in. I won’t either:)

Thanks as always

Josh

Fact: if you declare that you’re about to finally take the steps to combat insomnia, thus bring to a close two decades of restless nights, going to Yellowstone National Park for the next four days will completely screw everything up. There is nothing less conducive to getting on a sleep schedule than taking a long trip with a toddler, staying up way too late, eating crappy food, sleeping in a freezing tent, and wondering if that sound in the night means that a bear is deciding whether to drag you out of your sleeping bag by the head or not.

But seriously, those are just excuses. Pretty good ones, but still–the fact is, the willpower that usually serves me so well is not doing a thing for me yet on the restless nights front. I have stated “I will do this and this,” and then I have not followed through.

That’s really not how it usually goes with me.

In short, as scientific experiments go, my attempt at insomnia relief has been a disappointment so far. Even after I got home from Yellowstone, I did nothing to get back on track. I’m honestly not sure what to make of my inconsistency.

If we decide to race each other to a strength-related goal, I’ll probably win. The same goes for reading the most books, eating the most shrimp, and so on.

When  I am driven, I’m not unstoppable, but it’s not the least applicable term either.

But I have not been able to buckle down with my self-imposed (and ignored) sleep study.

If you’ll remember, in my reasons for insomnia post, I was determined to:

• Cut caffeine out of my diet after 12 noon each day
• Start getting in bed at the same time every night

I have slightly decreased my caffeine intake, but I have only gotten in bed before midnight once or twice since that post. Some scientist, eh? I also put a couple of drops of lavender oil on my skin one night after someone mentioned that they were bathing in the stuff.

It made

So today, in light of this least triumphant of posts, I am recommitting to treating my insomnia. Or, at the very least, I am committing to figuring out why the hell this particular area of my life seems immune to my usual persistence.

Blah. (It hasn’t been all bad. The unlimited guest posts idea actually came to me while I was trying to sleep)

Josh

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Note from Josh: I know a lot of people who are looking for jobs. I asked Jerret to write this post for anyone who has any questions about their resume.

Guest post by Jerret Turner

The number of job applicants per job opening has increased dramatically, this according to the latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

That only means one thing. You’re hosed. No, not really. But to stand out, you’ll have to re-think how you present yourself, especially on your resume. And that may require getting professional help.

I was lucky in that I had to write my own performance reports when I was in the military. And when a promotion depends on your performance report, you would be surprised at how well you can write.

Hiring a resume writer is more than sending your job history to a typist to crank out a nicely formatted piece of paper. A resume writer can actually help you land a job. Consider the following reasons for hiring a resume writer:

No Time

Maybe you’re already working two or three jobs. Or the job you have squeezes every free minute out of you. If you’re not sending out resumes because you simply lack the time (and don’t want to give up control), it might be better to admit defeat and get the resume done. You’re not lazy, just realistic.

Information Overload

Sure, you could buy a book and look at thousands of resumes online. But it’s overwhelming. And confusing. Depending on a job’s industry, you could spend hundreds of hours scouring the Web for a resume that most closes matches the job you’re applying for. This is the cornerstone of a resume writer’s service—to piece your work experience together and make it fit snugly to a specific job.

Upgrade Required

The last time you updated your resume, WordPerfect was hip and the Beastie Boys had good music. Your work experience may be woefully outdated but a resume writer knows the latest technical lingo. A great resume writer will translate your skills and accomplishments and bring you into the 21st century.

If you’re still undecided, the following are reasons why you may not want to hire a resume writer.

You’re Cheap

Resume writing services can start as low as $50 and can reach $500 or more. Be prepared to spend several hundred dollars for a decent writer. You have to think of your resume as an investment in a job that will pay you tens of thousands of dollars, or more, over the job’s lifetime. If you’re not ready to make the investment, don’t assume a cheaper service will do the trick. You may be better off getting help from a relative or neighbor.

You’ve Done it Before

As I mentioned earlier, I had a lot of experience writing my own performance reports so I felt I had a good grasp on the process. If you’re confident in your own abilities, then I say go for it. You know yourself better than anyone else.

You’re Willing to Learn

There are free resources galore on resume writing. If you have time, and you’re willing to research and read, finding a suitable resume example online should be no problem. And, of course, don’t forget your bookstore or library. Last I checked, my local bookstore had several shelves dedicated to resume and job-hunting guides.

So, which will it be? If you’re ready to hire a resume writer, be ready to make the monetary investment. If you’re not ready, it’s possible to put together a worthy resume of your own with a little hustle and willingness to learn.

About The Author:

Jerret Turner is a writer and researcher on budget tips. Save time and money by getting free tips and in-depth information on all things debt, investment, and budget related at BudgetSnob.com.

I was in Yellowstone National park a couple of weeks ago and I went white water rafting for the first time. I’m not really sure if what I did qualifies as rapids or actual white water. I was on a raft with 12 other hollering people, ranging from age 7 up to what appeared to be age 104.

But I watched an entire episode of Twin Peaks once without realizing that a man had only one arm, so I’m not overly perceptive.

For about 45 minutes we drifted down the Snake river. Occasionally the water moved faster. And less occasionally it moved quite a bit faster, but it never lasted. By the end of the trip I was disappointed every time the water slowed down.

I was hooked

I believe that every adult should learn (or re-learn) a sport. For me, that sport is going to be white water rafting or kayaking. I actually don’t even know if there’s a difference, or if it matters. But I’m probably going to buy myself a kayak or a raft for Christmas this year.

Here’s why: in my life I can think of two experiences that absolutely cannot be compared to anything else, by me at least.

1. Riding a horse that is galloping as hard as it can

2. The feeling when the river started racing and I knew that we couldn’t stop the raft

I don’t get to ride galloping horses as often as I’d like (read, ever), but I can get back to the river a lot more frequently. Heading through rapids with a group of friends sounds like heaven to me, adequate preparation and skill levels assumed and acquired.

Do any of you raft? What does a person need to know, in your opinion? How do you get started? Am I too tall for a kayak?

I’d love to put together some sort of White Water 101 type resource here if any of you are interested in contributing.

Josh