8.22.2012

SAM CLAFLIN CAST AS FINNICK ODAIR!

So for all you anxious fangirls out there, the day has come. The day in which we have all been anxiously anticipating since the Hunger Games movie franchise was conceived. The casting of the infamous Finnick Odair. He puts every other literary hero to shame with his sandy brown hair, sea green eyes, olive tan, perfectly chiseled jaw, sculpted muscles, and unmistakable charm. Finnick Odair, or, Sam Claflin as we now know him, has been given the theatrical challenge of making all the females in the audience melt and swoon. 

Here is the official Lionsgate press release:


Santa Monica, CA, August 22, 2012- Lionsgate® and the filmmakers of THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE are pleased to announce that Sam Claflin has been cast in the role of Finnick in the much anticipated film adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ worldwide smash hit novel Catching Fire. Charasmatic and clever, Finnick was a District 4 Hunger Games victor when he was fourteen.

After breaking out in his role as the romantic lead in last year’s PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES, Claflin starred in the box office smash SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN playing Prince William alongside Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron and Chris Hemsworth. He recently finished filming THE QUIET ONESopposite Jarred Harris, and MARY & MARTHA, in which he co-stars with Hilary Swank.

-Source: CatchingFireCasting.com 




So with the news being officially posted, what do you all think? 

4.21.2012

USC Festival of Books



It's that time of year again for all us Southern Californian natives! The USC Festival of Books is an annual event that brings authors from all across the United States together in a frenzy of panels, workshops, signings, and more! It's an event that lasts all weekend, with varying events each day. So in 80 degree weather, I stayed for a couple hours to watch a panel on the art of writing Young Adult series with guests DJ Machale (author of Pendragon series), Margaret Stohl & Kami Garcia (authors of Caster Chronicles), and Lauren Kate (author of Fallen series). It was a lively event with awesome advice from all authors and equally reflective questions from the audience! The four discussed their own techniques for mapping out multiple books and the difficulties and surprises that sprout from characters that grow throughout an ongoing story line. DJ Machale had a lively and entertainingly sarcastic sense of humor as he discussed his newest work, Morpeheus Road, and Margaret Stohl was equally hilarious as she revved up the crowd! Kami Garcia was more motherly and soft spoken, while Lauren Kate held herself with all the grace and composure reflected in her writing style. Unfortunately, I didn't stay late enough to see the panel with Josephine Angeline (author of Starcrossed), but I'll definitely be back with more action tomorrow! Not to mention, I got some awesome SWAG (posters, bookmarks, etc.) from various publishing groups including Galaxy and Puffin, so there might be a giveaway very soon! 


Keep Reading,
-Carina

3.20.2012

Hunger Games: Great first reviews!

So as I was diligently surfing Yahoo, I came across this article which highlights some great early reviews of The Hunger Games! Check them out! 




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3.17.2012

The Hunger Games || Bits & Pieces

I've definitely been lagging behind on blog posts these past few months, but please don't lose hope on me just yet!

With less than 1 week until The Hunger Games hits local theaters, I can't help but feel the pre-movie jitters! I see Hunger Games posters and billboards plastered all over the city, and not to mention news, reviews, and reactions streaming all over the internet. I'm so jealous of all those who went to the world premiere at the Nokia Theater last week! I just came back from a robotics competition yesterday, and so of course many people brought books and such to pass the time. I couldn't help but notice that so many guys were reading paperback copies of The Hunger Games! Recently I've found that more of my guy friends have been getting into the trilogy as well (although, they don't fangirl quite about Peeta and/or Gale as much as the girls do).

So anyways, how many of you are going to the midnight premiere? I'm most likely going to be at the midnight showing at Del Amo mall in Torrance, California, so if you're a socal local, be sure to stop by and say hi :) I'll try to do some fan interviews before and after the movie, and post them up on my blog! Take pictures and send me some links :D I'd love to see everyone all decked out in their Hunger Games gear!

May the odds be in your favor,
Carina L. Tai

2.12.2012

Books Read in 2011

My goodness. I haven't updated my blog since December! This is the consequence of being a full time student, unfortunately! So please forgive me, and happy late holidays, happy late new year, and happy early Valentine's day! Just to recap 2011, I've updated the list of every book I've read this past year. I'm so sad that I didn't reach my goal of 100 :(

||Books Read in 2011||
--------------------
1. If I stay
by: Gayle Forman

2. Matched
by: Ally Condie

3. Wither
by: Lauren DeStefano

4. The City of Bones
by: Cassandra Clare

5. The City of Ashes
by: Cassandra Clare

6. Incarceron
by: Catherine Fisher

7. Sapphique
by: Catherine Fisher

8. Bad Boy
by: Walter Dean Myers

9. Thirteen Reasons Why
by: Jay Asher

10. I Heart You, You Haunt Me
by: Lisa Schroeder

11. The Water Wars
by: Cameron Stracher

12. The Vespertine
by: Saundra Mitchell

13. Impossible 
by: Nancy Werlin

14. Delirium
by: Lauren Oliver

15. The Summer I Turned Pretty
by: Jenny Han

16. It's Not Summer Without You
by: Jenny Han

17. We'll Always Have Summer
by: Jenny han

18. Fallen
by: Lauren Kate

19.Torment
by: Lauren Kate

20. The Healer's Apprentice
by: Melanie Dickerson

21. Sent
by: Margaret Peterson Haddix

22. Ethan Frome
by: Edith Wharton

23. The Curious Incident of the Dog int the Night-Time
by: Mark Haddon

24. The Maze Runner
by: James Dashner

25. The Scorch Trials
by: James Dashner

26. City of Glass
by: Cassandra Clare

27. Stolen 
by: Lucy Christopher

28. Twenty Boy Summer
by: Sarah Ockler

29. Stay
by: Deb Caletti

30. Bumped
by: Megan McCafferty

31. Shiver
by: Maggie Stiefvater

32. Linger
by: Maggie Stiefvater

33. Across The Universe
by: Beth Revis

34. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
by: Betty Smith

35. Numbers
by: Rachel Ward

36. Daughter of the Flames
by: Zoe Marriott

37. The Line
by: Teri Hall

38. Hush, Hush
by: Becca Fitzpatrick

39. Crescendo
by: Becca Fitzpatrick

40. The Body Finder
by: Kimberly Derting

41. The Lipstick Laws
by: Amy Holder

42. Lost Voices
by: Sarah Porter

43. Desires of the Dead
by: Kimberly Derting

44. Airhead
by: Meg Cabot

45. Being Nikki
by: Meg Cabot

46. Hex Hall
by: Rachel Hawkins

47. Heist Society
by: Amy Carter

48. Invincible Summer
by: Hannah Moskowitz

49. City of Fallen Angels
by: Cassandra Clare

50. Airhead
by: Meg Cabot

51. Demonglass
by: Rachel Hawkins

52. Where She Went
by: Gayle Forman

53. Entwined
by: Heather Dixon

54. The Goddess Test
by: Aimee Carter

55. Firelight
by: Sophie Jordan

56. Before I fall
by: Lauren Oliver

57. Ophelia
by: Lisa Klein

58. Cleopatra Confesses
by: Carolyn Meyer

59. Ender's Game
by: Orson Scott Card

60. Ultraviolet
by: R.J. Anderson

61. Starcrossed
by: Josephine Angelini

62. The Girl in the Steel Corset
by: Kady Cross

63. Somtimes It Happens
by: Lauren Barnholdt

64. Legacy
by: Cayla Kluver

65. The Day Before
by: Lisa Schroeder

66. Spellbound
by: Cara Lynn Shultz

67. Hereafter
by: Tara Hudson

68. Romeo and Juliet
by: W. Shakespeare

69. The Secret Year
by: Jennifer Hubbard

70. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
by: Harriet Jacobs

71. The Strange Case of Finley Jane
by: Kady Cross

72. Forbidden
by: Tabitha Suzuma

73. Mercy
by: Rebecca Lim

74. 68 Knots
by: Michael Robert Evans

75. The Eternal Ones
by: Kirsten Miller

76. Tris & Izzie
by: Mette Ivie Harrison

77. Fury
by: Elizabeth Miles 

78. Uncommon Criminals
by: Ally Carter

79. Clean
by: Amy Reed

80. Blood Red Road
by: Moira Young

81. The Beginning of After
by: Jennifer Castle

83. Angel Burn
by: L.A. Weatherly

84. Passion
by: Lauren Kate

85. Vanish
by: Sophie Jordan

86. The Juliet Spell
by: Douglas Rees

87. The House on Mango Street.
by: Sandra Cisneros

88. Anastasia's Secret
by: Susanne Dunlap

89. Fahrenheit 451
by: Ray Bradbury

90. Rebecca
by: Daphne Du Maurier

91. Clockwork Angel
by: Cassandra Clare

92. Bright Young Things
by: Anna Godbersen

93. Silence
by: Becca Fitzpatrick

94. The Merchant's Daughter
by: Melanie Dickerson

95. The Death Cure
by: James Dashner