Finally, the (almost) complete Hunger Games Casting!!!

Fanart Disclaimer

Lionsgate confirmed in March 2011 that about 30 actresses either met or read for the role of Katniss, including Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, Emma Roberts, Saoirse Ronan, Chloë Moretz, Lyndsy Fonseca, Emily Browning, Shailene Woodley, and Kaya Scodelario.^[According to The Hollywood Reporter, contenders for the role of Peeta other than Hutcherson included Alexander Ludwig, Hunter Parrish, Lucas Till, and Evan Peters.


On April 13, Lionsgate announced that Willow Shields was cast as Primrose Everdeen, Katniss's sister. They also announced that the roles of Marvel, Glimmer, Thresh, and Rue were cast and Jack Quaid, Leven Rambin, Dayo Okeniyi, and Amandla Stenburg would portray the four tributes. On April 24, Lionsgate announced that Paula Malcomson would portray Mrs. Everdeen, Prim and Katniss' mom.^[John C. Reilly was confirmed to be in talks with Lionsgate about portraying Haymitch Abernathy, former victor of the second Quarter Quell.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunger_Games_%28film_project%29

WOW CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT HAILEE STEINFELD (True Grit), ABIGAIL BRESLIN (Rango), EMMA ROBERTS (Scream 4), SAOIRSE RONAN (The Lovely Bones), CHLOE MORETZ (Kick-Ass), LYNDSY FONSECA (Nikita), EMILY BROWNING (Sucker Punch), SHAILENE WOODLEY (The Secret Life of an American Teenager), and  KAYA SCODELARIO (Skins) TRIED OUT FOR THE ROLE OF KATNISS??!?!?! OMGGG!! THERE WERE SO MANY GREAT ACTRESSES WHO COULD HAVE BEEN THE PERFECT EMBODIMENT OF KATNISS!!!! KAYA SCODELARIO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LYNDSY FONSECA!!!!!!!!!! IT'S AWESOME TO KNOW THAT  A LOT OF THESE AWESOME ACTRESSES RESPONDED TO FANS ASKING THEM TO AUDITION FOR THE COVETED ROLE OF KATNISS!!!! ok, my fan moment is over. Moving on.

I can't believe that all the new faces of actors and actresses are emerging as characters from our beloved Hunger Games. It seemed that for a while, no solid casting information would be released, but now, things have been kicked into high-gear!! All the main characters have been cast, and it looks as though things are finally making progress and fleshing out.

Here's the official casting thus far:

Hunger Games Official Cast

• Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen
• Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark
• Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne
• Willow Shields as Primrose Everdeen
• Paula Malcomson as Mrs. Everdeen
• Amandla Stenberg as Rue
• Dayo Okeniyi as Thresh
• Leven Rambin as Glimmer
• Jack Quaid as Marvel
• Kalia Prescott as Tribute Girl (District 3)
• Ian Nelson as Tribute Boy (District 3)

That's a pretty good list don't you agree? A lot of people aren't happy with the casting, me somewhat included, but I do understand that regardless of who gets chosen for which role, not everybody is going to be thrilled.  I've come to accept that Jennifer Lawrence will make a powerful Katniss, but... JOSH HUTCHERSON AND LIAM HEMSWORTH!!!?!?!?!??! I really do have my doubts.  Anyways, the rest of the casting seems to be moving along swimmingly. I'm still going to definitely watch the midnight premiere of The Hunger Games movie, and I'm just crossing my fingers in hopes that everything will turn out okay.

Last Day to Enter Giveaway Hop!

You could be the proud owner of a SIGNED copy of CoFA + Swag, or  Desires of the Dead, Where She Went, and Demonglass! It's not to late to enter! Today's the last day :) Please comment on the post below to secure an entry.

http://dystopiandesserts.blogspot.com/2011/04/easter-eggstravangaza-blog-hop.html

Easter Eggstravangaza Blog Hop!

AHHH!!! I totally lost track of everything and I believe that my link was deleted from the linky list, but now it's back up! Thanks so much to Kathy for being awesome! It's been a while since I've done a giveaway, and I'm so excited to be up and running again xDD TOMORROW IS MY BIRTHDAY!!!!! I'm so excited xDD *cough* that means that I might be feeling extra nice and do a Birthday Giveaway or something *HINT HINT*

Visit all participating blogs: http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/p/giveaway-hop-page.html

How to Enter:
1. Follow My Blog

2. Leave a comment with your name, e-mail, & which prize pack you want.

Extra Entries:

1. Every comment is an extra entry (+1)
2. Follow me on Twitter  (+2)

3. Spread the word (Twitter, FB, etc.) (+3)

AND NOW FOR THE PRIZE PACKS!!!

City of Fallen Angels Prize Pack

- 1 SIGNED copy of City of Fallen Angels 

- City of Fallen Angels Special Edition Postcards

- Special Swag :)

SUPER SEQUELS: YA PRIZE PACK

Just a few of the AWESOME sequels I've read this year! Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

-Demonglass (Rachel Hawkins)

- Where She Went (Gayle Forman)

- Desires of the Dead (Kimberly Derting) 

 

Where She Went || by: G. Forman

Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. I've read books about love and books about heartbreak and sacrifice, but none of them have amounted to the literary beauty of Where She Went. Books don't need to be action-packed or filled with complex plots to be considered a "great read." Instead, they can have two characters, both with deeply instigating personalities and a passion for opposite types of music. Throughout my teenage life, I've acquired a taste for both rock and classical, and it makes my heart swell with enchantment when I see the two styles resonating to create a cacophony of emotions.

Adam and Mia were an unlikely high school couple who've now gone their separate ways in life. Mia's accident brought them close, but then it pushed them apart. Adam, whose band has hurled into the depths fame, is living the life of a rockstar. Mia's life couldn't have been more different. She's a child prodigy in the world of classical music whose career is only beginning. One last fateful night in New York City leaves them both reminiscing about the past, enduring the present, and fighting their way into an uncertain future. Adam promised Mia he'd doing anything for her if only she'd stay. But for Mia, leaving would have been so much easier than staying.

Usually, I’m no fan of romances involving careless and shallow teenagers in love. But Adam and Mia are different. Despite their youth, their love was the kind that reached into the soul and bonded together for eternity. All the suffering they’ve endured was the kind of passion and pain that fueled their lives emotionally. Their music, their life, and their love was in completely harmony. And that in itself presented a beautiful and complicated obstacle for two polar opposites meant to attract. There’s something about Gayle Forman’s writing that’s hauntingly elegant. In the midst of her story, I’d sometimes find myself stopping just to relish the poetry-like descriptions, or to soak in the radiant flood of overwhelming emotions. I found myself completely engulfed in the wave of grief and hope that was the foundation of Adam and Mia’s relationship. Towards the last few chapters, I nearly felt my heart shattering at Mia’s proposition of closure. For a moment, their friendship seemed to hang in a delicate balance. One look could send them down opposite sides of a bridge, while it could also send them crashing into one another’s arms. The ending, however, was a song that still echoes in the back of my mind. I have never read a book more poetic, pure, and musical. It was stunning. It was painful. It was beautiful. It was the strings of an electric guitar and a cello playing in harmony.

Have you finished City of Fallen Angels yet?!?

OMGG!! ( I realize, I start a lot of posts with OMG) I finished Cassandra Clare's City of Fallen Angels last night, and it was PURE AWESOME!!! It took me around four hours to finish because I read every single world twice. This post is gonna be a blend between a review/fan reaction :P So as you might or might not know, I went to Cassandra's book tour/signing on April 5th, and she gave away some AWESOME book swag including post cards from Magnus and Alec's trip around the world, and a sneak preview of the next installment in her prequel series, Clockwork Prince. JEALOUS?!?!? Yes, be jealous. I wish I could show you all the postcards (they're SO cute!!!!!), but sadly, I don't have a scanner with me. Who knows, maybe I'll just type up all the text from the postcards in another post :)

Anyways, CoFA was absolutely heart-stopping! It's the best book I've read in a long time! It's such a beautiful blend of dynamic romances between Jace/Clary, Simon/Maia/Isabelle, Jordan/Maia, Simon/Isabelle, Luke/Jocelyn, that you'll never know what's going to happen next in their whirlwind of a world. The first 3/4 of the book dealt with how all the old characters were dealing with their new lifestyle and coping with loss and more change. Usually, I hate it when authors whip up new characters and toss them in during the fourth or fifth book, but Cassandra made the interactions with both the new and old characters very smooth. I'm thrilled to say that reading from Simon's point of view also felt very natural, but Jace's felt a bit vague and foggy. Even after four books, it's hard to tell what he's thinking, but that's what makes him sexy. The last quarter of the book was where the story kicked into high-gear. Everything leading up to those last few moments felt trivial compared to the intensity and mind-blowing complexity of the end! It made Valentine's war look like a ripple in the ocean as this new plot line came crashing down on me like a wave! Right when I think I've got a grip on the story, the next paragraph throws me completely off balance! I have to admit I was a bit skeptical about how Cassandra was going to come up with an equally engrossing plot as the first three books, but the fourth book completely blinded me with awesomeness. Yeah, it was THAT good. The transition between the old plot into the new plot was subtle, and completely refreshing. It's entirely clever and I'm thoroughly impressed by how the author was able to turn the smallest detail into the greatest weapon. The mark of Cain is EPIC. The only thing I wasn't too enthusiastic about was Jace's MAJOR slight identity crisis. It becomes slightly repetitive since this issue is a reoccurring theme that was supposed to be dealt with in the third book. I thought he had come to terms with himself, but I guess not. Throughout the book he's completely depressed and starts to emotionally and physically deteriorate from morbid nightmares and demon possessions. His relationship with Clary is on thin ice, even when Clary tries her best to understand and hope for the best. She's the superior one in the relationship during this book, and has matured and developed immensely as a character.

Just for the fun of it, I created a list of names/identities that represent Jace:

1. Jace Wayland
2. Jace Morgenstern
3. Jonathan Wayland
4. Jonathan Christopher Morgenstern
5. Jace Lightwood
6. Jace Herondale
7. The Love of My Life

Even though the identity crisis is a little overdone, I can certainly understand why Jace is distraught. It's not everyday you encounter a boy with 6 (possibly more) names that are actually legitimate. And is it just me, or do you find it weird that Valentine was Jace's fake father who was pretending to be a fake father when he posed as Michael Wayland? Haha, this is just confusing.

Fool For Books Giveaway Winner!

The Winner is: Jenny C. CONGRATULATIONS! You've won the Dystopian Prize Pack!

*Please respond to my e-mail within 48 hours.

I'm just as pleased, if not more so, with the success of this giveaway! Thanks so much for everyone who participated, I really appreciate it!

I went to the City of Fallen Angels Book Signing!

OMG! I just have to start out saying that Cassandra Clare has so much charisma and charm! She's absolutely hilarious and easy to talk to. So today, I dragged my dad along with me to the Barnes & Noble in Santa Monica, California (30 minutes away from my house) to purchase (another two) copies of City of Fallen Angels and to get them personally autographed. I have to tell you, one of the more upbeat book signings I've been to. Everybody, staff included, was genuinely friendly and helpful. Also, it was awesome meeting Holly Black in person as well! She's just as sweet as Cassandra, and the duo make awesome book tour buddies! So, now to the juicy stuff, there were a lot of fans asking questions and though I didn't get a chance to record the event, I have some bits and pieces I'd thought you like to know.


Keep in mind, both the questions and answers are paraphrased and detailed to the best of my memory.


1. Is the City of Bones movie going to be a mix of all the books, or just the first one?
- Only the first book.

2. What was inspiration for Magnus Bane and his sense of fashion?
- My friend John and I went out clubbing one night, and he was absolutely caked in glitter. I try to give Magnus a versatile sense of fashion and sometimes model his clothes after certain outrageous J-Pop members.


3. What inspired you to make Jace and Clary believe they were siblings?
- I saw a British show about a couple who wanted to have a baby. Naturally, they went to get their genes tested, and found out they were siblings who were separated and adopted by different families at birth. Sine their marriage was now illegal, they were forced to split and I found myself feeling very sympathetic. Every love needs an obstacle, which was why I found this concept fitting for Jace and Clary. I just gave them a happier ending.

4. How involved are you in the making of the movie?
- Usually authors aren't considered important figures when it comes to turning their books into movies. Fortunately, I've been kept very updated, and every few days I get pictures of hot blonde guys in my inbox from the casting director asking me if I think the guy in the picture looks right for Jace. I call it the Pretty Boy Parade.

5. What do you do when you get writer's block?
-Most people think that writer's block is a disease that needs to be cured. But usually, it's caused by small imperfect factors such as the setting, point of view, etc. When I get writer's block, I watch House, the T.V. show.

6. Are the characters in your story based on anybody you know in real life?
-Yes, some characters have names and character traits similar to people I know in real life, but they usually end up becoming somebody different entirely by the end of the book.

7. Do you read and/or watch Anime and Manga?
Not at first, but I had a roommate who was obsessed with it, so she introduced me to Trigun, Fruits Basket, Rurouni Kenshin, etc. A lot of fans have asked me if I've read Angel Sanctuary, and now I know why. I thought it'd be funny to mention it in the third book.

PEETA & GALE ARE FINALLY CAST!!!!!

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!! I'M HYPERVENTILATING RIGHT NOW!! Peeta and Gale have FINALLY been cast!!!! HERE ARE THE RESULTS:

Liam Hemsworth is Gale Hawthorne! I haven't seen The Last Song, so I have no comment about Liam's acting, but, I suppose he could pull off the sexy hunter look if he dyes his hair. He and Jennifer Lawrence look like they could compliment each other nicely. He looks almost physically right to play Gale, and he's had experience playing both a lover and a fighter. I'm not too upset with Liam as Gale.



Josh Hutcherson is Peeta Mellark! I thought his performance in the Kids Are Alright was average, and now I simply can't imagine him playing Peeta, a total sweetheart. *Sigh* This really wasn't what I imagined, but we can only hope for the best. As cute as I think Josh is, he doesn't seem to be a great fit for Jennifer Lawrence, who has a very dominant and strong personality. We'll see...


SO THERE YOU HAVE IT! The three main characters of The Hunger Games have been cast. Now, all we can do is wait (some more) and hope (some more) that the movie will be as epic as the books were! I have to admit, all three of these casting choices (Jennifer, Josh, and Liam) were not what I expected, but I'm trying to stay optimistic. No actor or actress is going to be perfect for any role (except maybe Alex Pettyfer as Jace Wayland), but as a community, we should all try to show some support in the end. May the odds be ever in their favor!

City of Fallen Angles: Audiobook Sneak Peek

Ed Westwick

Molly C. Quinn

Good afternoon lovelies! I'm just typing up a quick post on my Nook Color right now! Alright so, while snooping around a couple websites, I found a great video of the audiobook voices, Ed Westwick (from Gossip Girl) and Molly C. Quinn (from Castle), chatting it up! They're answering fan questions, and Ed Westwick is even reading an excerpt :) YUM! HIS VOICE IS SMEXY! ONLY TWO MORE DAYS UNTIL CoFA COMES OUT!

Check it Out: http://shelf-life.ew.com/2011/04/03/mortal-instruments-behind-the-scenes-of-the-city-of-fallen-angels-audiobook/


NOTE: P.S. It's not too late to enter my Fool For Books Giveaway Hop! It ends April 5th, 2011.

FFB Giveaway Hop EXTENSION!!!

Two days is just TOO short to be hosting a contest! Therefore, I would like to extend the contest an extra THREE days! There is definitely no ulterior motive for this extension. It's not like I have a Biomedical conference in Sacramento which would mean I won't be home in time to choose a winner and ship out prizes. Of course not.

The giveaway will now end Monday, April 4th.  Please see the post below to enter the Fool For Books Giveaway Hop.

Thanks so much for understanding!

Much Love,
Carina L. Tai