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? 

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

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! 

Source: http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/hunger-games-movie-inspires-good-early-reviews-223152800.html

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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

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