Book Review: " Matched " by Ally Condie

IN THE SOCIETY, OFFICIALS DECIDE.

WHO YOU LOVE. WHERE YOU WORK. WHEN YOU DIE.

Cassia has always trusted their choices.  It's hardly any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate.  So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one... until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.  Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path no one else has ever dared follow- between perfection and passion.

My Review:

To start, I did mention this book in a previous post.  I wasn't really sure if I was going to review it, but I REALLY liked it so I figured a quick review wouldn't hurt.  Also, TLG was supposed to be interviewed for our site today by a local paper.  Mara had fallen and injured herself (and her new Iphone!!) so we had to cancel the interview for today and reschedule.  I sort of felt obligated to do SOMETHING site related, so here we are....

First of all, this is NOT a "girlie" book per say.  I was hesitant when I first saw the cover (even a Macho reviewer like myself knows there is a line.  Not sure where it is, but there's definitely a line somewhere).  Being the dedicated reviewer I am, I bought it anyway after reading the flap.   Glad I did.  I wouldn't say it was an excellent book, but definitely a good one.  Unique, which is hard to find these days.

So Cassia lives in this society where they control everything.... (seems to be a common theme lately).  What is interesting is that they control your "match" as well.  It's a big ceremony, etc and the matches see each other for the first time via video screen at the Matching ceremony.  Well, as stated above, Cassia sees her best friend Xander on her match screen which is not only against most odds, but also something that makes Cassia feel really good.  She likes Xander a lot.  After all, mates are supposed to be friends foremost, right? Well, that part was already taken care of.

For a brief second, another pic flashes on the screen which has never happened before.  It is of Ky.  Ky is another kid that is friendly with Cassia and her friends BUT he is from an outer province.  Somewhere where the "rejects" or people who are imperfect live.  Obviously this confuses the heck out of Cassia.

As time goes on, her friendship grows for Ky, but so does her love.  She is super confused.  She really likes and kind of loves Xander, but at the same time is falling in love with Ky.  This is a problem.  The matching system, in fact, everything where she lives is controlled.  Calculated is really the best term.  Everything is calculated so that the most desirable, or most accurate outcome always occurs, including death.  (although I must say, in the first few chapters when Condie is taking us through Cassia's grandfathers death, I was freaked out.  Not only was I freaked out, but the way in which he dies (80th birthday exactly) is the way everyone there dies.  It is calculated.  Pre planned to have a life lived as optimized as possible.  It is something that highly disturbed me.  The death.  I don't know why, and its only a book, but Condie REALLY disturbed me with the controlled death.  Not in a bad way.  She definitely got emotions out of me, which is the point of a book I think.

Anyway, so here we are.  Cassia matched with Xander.  But could Ky be her real match? Is it possible that 2 people fit her match perfectly?  I don't think so.  Keep in mind, this "society" that controls everything, controls EVERYTHING.  I'll leave it at that.  There is a definite budding romance in the story and some tough decisions that have to be made.  Who is the real match for Cassia?  Ill leave it at this- the "society" knows who the best match is.  The questions is- does Cassia figure it out.  Does her heart lead her in one direction, or does the "society" lead her in a different.  That part I will leave to your reading.

So yes, a quick little review.  The story did flow well.  I was most curious about the "society" and how it was all formed, etc.  I would love to have had some more  background info on them, but it wasn't there.  That's all right, the story was good without it.  Maybe next time we can get some more background info.  To me, that would be interesting.  Anyhow, I really liked the story itself.  Fun to read and a fairly quick read as well.  I believe for sure there will be more installments.  Ill definitely read book 2.  Keep in mind what I have said before about authors and series....  sometimes an author can turn a great story into a mediocre series.  We shall see.

Dave

Book Review: " Across the Universe " by Beth Revis

Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the spaceship Godspeed. She has left her boyfriend, friends- and planet- behind to join her parents as a member of Project Ark Ship.

Amy and her parents believe they will wake on a new planet, Centauri-Earrth, three hundred years in the future.  But 50 years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, cryo-chamber 42 is mysteriously unplugged, and Amy is violently woken from her frozen slumber.

Someone tried to murder her.

Now, Amy is caught inside a tiny little world where nothing makes sense.  Godspeed's 2312 passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader.  And Elder, Eldest's rebellious teenage heir, is both fascinated with Amy and eager to discover whether he has what it takes to lead.

Amy desperately wants to trust Elder.  But should she put her faith in a boy who has never seen life outside the ship's cold metal walls?  All Amy knows is that she and Elder must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again.

My Review:

(for my old friends who have been with us for a while, read the review, but I have some thoughts and stuff for you guys at the end)

Well, I guess I sort of owe you guys an explanation as to where in the world have we/I been the last 3 months.  That will be for a Sunday Scoop but I will tell you this- We did move in October and have just had a gazillion problems happen since we did.  Not really "with" the move or because of it, more just- since the move.  Anyway, the short of it is sometimes "stuff" happens and it happened to us, all at once.  I will let you know that for whatever it is worth, I NEVER stopped reading at all.  I just haven't had the energy or or to be honest, the drive to tell you guys about the books I read.  It bothered me a lot that I was MIA, but it was for the better at the time.  If you are reading this, I appreciate your patience and most of all, your friendship to hang in there with me.

But, now things are different and better and we are all ok and I have read some awesome books lately and I wanted so bad to tell you guys about them and I'm rambling on and on and.....oh, man....I just missed you guys and the feeling you gave me when I wrote something that you read and actually cared about. OK....got that off my chest. Now, to the book. (if you are still reading this after that sob story).

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE

I heard about this one oh, maybe about a month or so ago. Not too long ago.  I picked it up on release day and started it.  Couldn't put it down.  Definitely, without a doubt sets a HIGH bar for this type (dystopian/sci-fic/YA/fic) for the rest of 2011.  I might even go as far as saying that I don't know if I will find one as good as this the rest of the whole year.  As a book lover, I obviously hope and pray so, but I don't think it's gonna happen.

So, there are tons of really good books, right?  MOST, although excellent stories, are pretty much written kind of the same way.  I can't explain it, but you can definitely tell when a book is different.  First of all, the whole book is short chapters (which I mentioned once before that I just LOVE that format) and it is told from the poinmt of 2 people.  Amy and Elder.  It goes that way with the chapters- first Amy, then Elder, then Amy, and so on.  That stuff so far, coupled with how Revis transitions from chapter to chapter, and the actual story is what makes this top notch.  It really amazed me how "tightly" Revis puts you in a scenario where Amy is telling you what's going on and how she is feeling about the situation and then BAM, right in the middle, a new chapter starts and the SAME situation is continued in his (Elder's) eyes.  Amazing work.  I also have to say that she must have had an AMAZING editorial staff working with her.  Geniuses.   I absolutely could NOT stop reading.  The entire book flowed that well.

Now, the story.  I was definitely intrigued initially by the science fic part. A spaceship leaving Earth to go to the first habitable planet found, which happens to be 300 years away, or is thought (calculated) to be.  A bunch of people (the Noah's Ark theme) with different skills essential to starting civilization on a new planet (including military in case there is already civilization there when they land) are cryogenically frozen (SO cool!) and packed away on a ship bound for that planet, 300+ years away.  Scheduled un-freezing is for when they land, or around when they land) Amy is a non-essential having special permission to come because both of her parents are frozen on board and labeled essential.  (just telling you how she got a ticket on the ship)

On the ship with these frozen peeps is what started out as a bunch of "normal" people.  Over the years, things got more "controlled" (after the "plague" on board) and were run sort of like Hitler wanted things to be run.  Order- everyone thinking alike pretty much, under control of the one big leader.  Kind of like brainwashed.  Now, when generations and generations (remember this is supposed to be a 300 year trip) of people are on a ship simply for the reason of reproducing and keeping things running until landing it can be a "situation."  What I mean by "situation" is that it can be a good situation if everyone is ok with that and it can be a bad situation if people understand that they actually are stuck in this metal ball, simulating Earth- simply for the purpose of keeping a ship alive ONLY so those "frozens" can have a real life on a real planet when they land.  I would say that if the people know their purpose it is one thing, but if they feel their real purpose, which is not much, it can get to you.  The question is, are they better off knowing their purpose or understanding and feeling their purpose?  Also, how do you make 3000 + people be ok with being trapped on a ship with no real purpose?  Those are some central questions that the story revolves around.

From reading the description above, you should have a good understanding of the story.  I wanted to get you to try and actually "feel" what Revis wants us to feel.  Amy and Elder figure out that something is definitely wrong on the ship.  Things are just not normal.  The fact that someone is also waking up some of the frozens and trying to kill them is also a big mystery.  Remember, Amy's parents are still frozen.  Eldest, the tyrant, has the ship under control (except the murders) and is trying to pass that "control" down to Elder.  Elder however is starting to realize that things might not be so normal on the ship.  Its a story about the future, technology that is so cool (ear com pieces put under the skin that are like built in cell phones), murder, deceit, control, love and hate.  What's great is how they all blend together to make a wonderful story.  In a weird sort of way, I kind of thought of Isaac Asimov when I read this.  Not the same, but I would definitely say you will "feel" the same way after reading it as you do when you read Asimov.  Definitely.  I think that's why I loved it so much.  It gave me that feeling and I LOVE Asimov.

Keep in mind I am a bit "rusty" with this. (reviewing)  It's been a while.  When I read this, the only thing I wanted to do was tell you guys about it.  I sort of wrote this one as if we were talking about the book and I was trying to explain it to you.  My apologies if I am a bit rusty.  I promise that if you do read the book, you would come back here and totally agree with me on most of what I wrote.  

Throughout the book, I found myself trying to actually figure things out on my own.  Figure out what was right or wrong.  Who was right or wrong.  Really got me thinking.  There is a HUGE twist at the end and basically all of your questions are answered.  I definitely want more.  The ONLY thing that I might possibly not be thrilled about (going forward in the series) is location.  What I mean is as great as the story itself was, I would LOVE to see book 2 (at least book 3) be on the new Centauri-Earth.  I would love to see how things end on this ship, but I also want to see the new world and it's development.  That would definitely complete the Asimov feeling.  I believe that Revis has built it up so much that we HAVE to see the new world and how the landing goes, etc.  I think if she does that, and does that right, she has the potential to create a someday "classic"series.  YOU HEAR THAT MRS. REVIS..... PLEASE give us your take on the new Earth and the landing.  She has the opportunity to build something great.  I hope she goes down that road.

If anyone has read the book, feel free to add your comments.  With great books like this I LOVE to get other people's take on it.  Anyway, that's about it with Across the Universe.  On a few separate notes, I recently read "Matched" by Ally Condie.  It was also a great book.  I was going to review that, and still might.  If I don't though, it definitely gets an "A" and it's definitely a buy. I can see that one going on too for a while and I hope it does.

I reviewed a book here last year I think and also did an interview and giveaway with the author.  The book was "Adventurer's Wanted: Slathbog's Gold" by Mark Forman.  A while back I had the chance to read book 2 in the series, " The Horn of Moran" when Mark was still working on it.  I absolutely loved it.  I recently found out that Mark got book 2, "Horn" published (YEAH MARK!) and it is being released on Feb 2nd.  I am going to try and interview Mark and possibly do a giveaway, etc. for you guys.  Lastly, and I mean lastly, (I sure hope this is public info) my good friend Laura Bingham is working on Alvor 2 and I can't wait for that one either.  Laura is one of our featured authors here at TLGBRS and also a wonderful friend and person.  She truly is, and I am really excited to read A2 as well as a little something I know she has been working on for a while now.  When that comes out (not if, but when) you guys are gonna have something really good to read.  I promise that.

Ok, great to be back and just know that I missed you guys. A lot.

Dave

Author Interview- James Dashner - The Scorch Trials Book 2 in the Maze Runner Trilogy!

Interview with James Dashner

Author of The Scorch Trials

book 2 of The Maze Runner Trilogy

Tlgbrs: Dash, I gotta ask, what's it feel like going from an accountant with a dream to a NYT Best Selling author??

Dash: Indescribable. I'm glad I had my experience as an accountant (croak, cough, puke) so I could appreciate it all more. I'm one lucky guy.

***

Tlgbrs: If I'm correct, the Maze Runner was supposed to be a stand alone initially. At what point did you realize that you had a trilogy on your hands?

Dash: Actually, this story has ALWAYS been envisioned as a trilogy. Random House bought the first book, then the sequels just a few months later.

***

Tlgbrs: In Scorch Trials, we learn a lot about WICKED.  Would you say, in your opinion that overall, WICKED is "GOOD?"

Dash: Excellent question. If there's one central theme or moral question in this trilogy, it can be summed up by that phrase. Is WICKED good or bad? It's certainly not black or white.

***

Tlgbrs: You are going on a big tour for the release of Scorch Trials.  What is it about visiting all those cities that gets you most excited?

Dash: Easily my favorite thing about touring is meeting my readers. I can't imagine that's something you ever get tired of.

***

Tlgbrs: Your other series that I personally love is "The 13th Reality" books with our Realitant hero, Atticus (Tick).  What can you tell us about the release of the next book in the series? 

Dash: Book 4 of The 13th Reality is scheduled to come out next summer (2011). The hardbacks are published by Shadow Mountain (publisher of Fablehaven) and the paperbacks by Simon & Schuster/Aladdin. The fourth book is called The Void of Mist and Thunder.

***

Tlgbrs:  Besides the 2 series you are currently working on, do you have any other ideas that you are starting to toy around with or are you going to wait until these 2 are done before creating the next masterpiece?

Dash: Masterpiece, huh? I like the sound of that. I'm already working on my next trilogy to follow up The Maze Runner. But it's top secret!

***

Tlgbrs: What type of support do you get at home? What I mean is, are your wife and kids the first who go through your work? Are they your toughest critics?

Dash: They are a HUGE support! My wife is always my first reader, and she's very good at it. And my kids just love the concept of their dad being an author.

***

Tlgbrs: Our signature question- Besides beating up old ladies in a park what would you, James Dashner do for a Klondike bar?

Dash: That's easy. I'd climb Mt. Everest dressed like a gorilla and slide down the glacier on my head while singing "Grandma got run over by a reindeer." Duh.

Well, there ya have it.  I'll tell you what is great about Dashner, and I've said it before.  The guy really does care for his fans and knows where his roots are.  Last year for the release of Maze Runner, James had promised me months earlier I could be his first interview on release day.  I was thrilled when he kept that promise.  I asked again this year for my new "standing" release day interview reservation, (say that 5 times fast!) gave him the questions WAY too late for anyone's taste, (don't forget, we are in the middle of moving) and he delivers.  Awesome Dash.  So, tomorrow is the official release of The Scorch Trials (found wherever books are sold -  I've always wanted to write that!) and here is the official Scorch Trials interview with Dashner.  Those of you know know him will see that the questions I asked were geared towards giving you some info that maybe you have not seen elsewhere or heard before, or info that is not the "usual."

On a side note, I will announce the winner of the copy of Mockingjay in the next few days.  The contest ended but we are dead smack in between homes and I need some time to unpack the book before I can send it out.  Once we get settled in our new home within a week or 2, I will be posting a ton of reviews and interviews that I have been piling up the last few weeks.  One I can not wait to bring you is the review of the new book in the Time Riders series, "Day of the Predator" by Alex Scarrow.  I had reviewed book 1 recently and was given the pleasure to review book 2 in the series, which is only out this year in the UK!  Thanks Penguin UK!

Thanks for checking us out and as always, any questions feel free to email me at tlgbrs@gmail.com  By the way, who's that stud with Dashner in the pic below????

DAVE

Book Review: " Time Riders " by Alex Scarrow - A MUST READ!!

THREE TEENAGERS HAVE CHEATED DEATH...

Liam O'connor should have died at sea when the Titanic sank in 1912.

Maddy Carter should have died in a plane crash in 2010.

Sal Vikram should have died in a fire in 2026.

But moments before death, a mysterious man told them to take his hand- and they were whisked away to safety.

Now Liam, Maddy, and Sal are working as TimeRiders for a top-secret agency with only one purpose: to stop time travel from destroying the world.  Yes, it's possible to travel through time, and there are those from the future who will try to change the past for their own immoral gain.  The teens first assignment pits them against Paul Kramer, a brilliant physicist from the future who plans to lead Nazi Germany to victory in World War II- with apocalyptic consequences.  Can they save humanity and fulfill their destinies as keepers of time?

THE DEAL:

Ok, so I have to tell you, HANDS DOWN one of the best books I have read in a while.  I am proud of myself too as I picked this all on my own.  I was hangin in a B & N as I always do and also as always, I have to leave there with something.  Its's rare that I go in there without coming out with a book.  Anyway, I spotted this on the shelf, which I can't remember if it was the YA or kid's section, but it was in the new arrivals regardless.  One of my secret sci-fi passions is time travel.  It has been an interest of mine since I was a little boy.  The reason I'm telling you this is because there's nothing more that I love than a really good book about time travel.  The stinky thing is there are so many, 99 out of 100 times it's the "same old stuff."  Well, there was a show once I thought in the 70's or 80's called "Time Cop" or something like that which my pops told me about that sounded similar to him when I gave him the scenario.  Even if there was the same "concept," its definitely got a different story line, and regardless, I absolutely loved it.  It was extremely well written for starters.  It has short chapters, which is my favorite.  I kept telling myself the entire way through that "I can't believe I might have found a great one.... I hope he doesn't disappoint me!"  I can't put my finger on it exactly other than to say it was just a great book.  I do think that the story line was well thought out for sure.  Enough that book 2, called "TimeRiders- Day of the Predator," was only released a week ago in the UK and I pleaded with them to please, please send me a copy even though I am overseas."  And thankfully, they obliged.  Anyway, here's my take on the story in a general sort of way.

MY REVIEW:

The opening is awesome.  Each of the 3 mains here are about to die in some way and in some time.  They are given a chance out. So basically, become a TimeRider or die in about a minute.  The 3 accept.  Stationed under a bridge in NYC, 2001 (Sept 10th and 11th to be exact, right before 9/11) with history being what we know it as.  Their job is to make sure that if anyone in the future with a time machine (although everyone is banned from making them in the future because of the potential damage they can inflict) that goes back and screws things up, they fix.  That simple.  

So after a bit of training, and definitely still wet behind the ears, Liam, Maddy, and Sal along with their boss/mentor Mr. Foster and Bob, who is such a cool computerized/human test tube thingy get their first mission.  By the way, Bob is like 7 feet tall and super strong, etc.  Some guy who worked for the inventor of the first time machine decided to go from 2066 back to 1941 and tell Hitler that he does things wrong and he can help him be victorious.  Well, he does and causes a world wide nuclear fallout where what is left in 2001 is like a picture of hell with these strange mutations of humans.  Basically, the end of the end of the world.

The situation- the TimeRiders have to fix it.  Here's where the writing was just fantastic. From a training mission involving the assassination of JFK to secret messages left many years ago in the Museum of Natural History.  This guy was spot on ever page of every chapter.  The suspense was there for me several times which was cool too.  The other thing that surprised me is I am ok with a trilogy usually, or a series that doesn't go too far deep in, but not with what usually looks like it's going to be more.  I don't know for sure, but he came out (in the U.S. prob next year) with the second book in the series and I am anticipating (and hoping) many more to come.  I will definitely continue on with this series as long as he keeps bringing em the way he did.  

I will definitely give a short review when I get and read Day of the Predator.  I know you guys somewhat value my opinion.  Also, you know that I only review books I really liked a lot.  I have to tell you, this one is definitely worth getting.  I wouldn't steer you wrong (not intentionally anyways) and I would say that this will easily be one of your better reads.  If you pick it up and give it a shot, definitely get back here and tell me what you thought.  I'd love to hear your opinion.

DAVE

CONTEST! Giveaway of a brand new copy of Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

YIPPETY-YAY- A CONTEST FOR MOCKINGJAY!

Alrighty guys and gals, here it is!  Only like the #1 Bestseller.  Ah, who really cares about the Hunger Games???  Oh, you do....  Why didn't you say so????  What was that? You would LOVE to win a copy of Mockingjay??  Ok, well tell ya what, we got one for ya right here.  The day I went out and bought a copy for myself, a nice, shiny one was waiting for me at my door for review.  That means I have an extra copy, and one of you will happily take it off my hands for me.

PLEASE read the entire contest post (oh come on, it's not that long)

The contest will end at 11:59pm on Sunday, October 3rd.  It's not too bad and the reason I picked that date is we are moving (yeah!) and that will be the first weekend in our new home.  I think it will be fun to kick off our new home by giving something away. 

It's pretty simple but you MUST follow our rules.  The first and most important one is that you MUST be a follower of our site.  To clarify a "follower" you must be a signed up member through google friend connect.  It is located on the right side bar of our site and it says "Follow" where you need to click if you are not already following.  When I pick a winner, I will verify you are following and if you are not, I will pick another winner.  Rule 2- I need your email address.  Please either leave it in your entry or if you prefer, you can email it to me directly at tlgbrs@gmail.com  Rule 3- tell me what country you are in because I am making this open to anyone with an address anywhere! Pretty easy, right?

Here's how you get your entries:

+2 if you are an existing follower

+1 if you are a new follower

+5 if you blog, tweet, facebook a link, charter a plane to fly a banner up and down your street, etc. about the contest.  AND link back to it in your entry

+5 for FOR YOU for EACH person that signs up as a new follower, enters the contest, and says in their entry that you sent them (Time to call in that favor they owe you!)

EXTRA FUN ENTRIES

+5 for guessing correctly which YA, fairly new series (a yearish old) I have left a clue for somewhere in this posting.  PLEASE do not say what the clue is. Just tell me the author's name and any of the books in the series and for everyone who is correct I will personally add the +2 on when I am tallying up the entries for random.org.

There are your ways to enter.  I just wanna tell you shanks why I am such a stickler with the whole "following" thing.  Many of my review copies and most of my giveaway copies of the book I get are provided by publishers to me.  The more people following our site, the more they send, the more I can do for you guys as far as reviews, contests, etc.  It's  really marketing for these publishers and that's fine, it a business world out there.  So, it would help me out a lot if you guys followed (and help you out too if you are the winner!)  I did decide that I am going to review Mockingjay in a few weeks.  I read it right away of course and loved it.  I just think it will be nice for me to put a review up for you guys in a few weeks.  For making you guys wait until Oct 3rd for the contest to be over, I have a  surprise.  Scholastic is supposed to be sending me a bunch of Mockingjay swag.  If they do, I will randomly choose people to win throughout the contest.  I will email you if you are chosen (hence leaving the email in the entry).  Lastly, I pick the contest winner by using www.random.org as always.

As always, feel free to contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or just to shoot the breeze at tlgbrs@gmail.com.

**UPDATE- Tues 8/31**

Today I received a bag of (Hunger Games Series) pins and tattoos as well as a copy of Mockingjay from Scholastic for the giveaway.  So, just a quick update, the giveaway copy of Mockingjay is provided by Scholastic and I received no monetary compensation for the contest, promoting the book, or reviewing it.  Also, for the few of you who already entered, I added another opportunity to gain 2 extra entries above.  For those of you who entered prior to the update, ending with "Susan" at 11:40am on August 31st, 2010 I will automatically give you each the +2.

Good Luck!!

DAVE

The Scorch Trials Contest is Over! Who Won, and What Contest is Next??

We have some really good news for you!  Besides announcing the winner for our own ARC of James Dashner's Scorch Trials, we have another contest that will be launched either today or tomorrow.  Now there are a lot of great books out there that many of you want to read.  However, there are few that you ALL want to read.  For that reason, we have decided to give away a brand new copy of " Mockingjay " by Suzanne Collins! 

That's right, at least 1 copy will be given away if not more.  I went out yesterday to purchase my copy, and when I arrived home with it fresh in the Barnes and Noble bag, there was a nice package waiting for me from Scholastic with the Hunger Games symbol on the envelope.  They sent me a review copy! My misfortune turned into your fortune!  Also, I have bothered my friends at Scholastic to see if they are able to kick in another copy and maybe some swag.  So, not 100% sure about the additional copies, etc. but I definitely have 1 copy to give away.  I will make the contest rules up and have them posted shortly.  I guess at this point, you would like to know who won The Scorch Trials, huh???  I used random.org to pick the winner and  well, the lucky winner of my very own ARC of James Dashner's Scorch Trials is......

Steve D

I will send you out an email to get your address or you can just email it to me at tlgbrs@gmail.com if you read this post first.

Thank you all very much for entering.  I wish I had a copy for each and every one of you.  Remember to check back in a day for the contest for Mockingjay.  Again, I have at least 1 copy (hardcover) to give away and hopefully more by the time I post the contest.

Thanks all!

DAVE