catching fire – Zakiya N. Jamal

Man Crush Monday: Cinna

Posted on August 31, 2015August 30, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

I just went to The Hunger Games exhibit and I realized I haven’t talked about Cinna yet which is a crying shame. I love Cinna and if you don’t love Cinna we can’t be friends.

First of all, I always imagined Cinna as a cool, swagged up guy from the Capitol. I was not disappointed when the first movie came out and Lenny Kravitz was cast to play him. That was perfect casting to me.

Cinna was one of, if not the only person in the Capitol that made Katniss feel comfortable. He treated her with respect and acknowledged the fact that the hunger games actually sucked and shouldn’t be praised. When he told Katniss he would bet on her if he could I swooned (although unlike some fans I never actually shipped them).

More than that it was Cinna that first made Katniss into a symbol by turning her into the girl on fire and later an actual mockingjay. His keen eye for fashion wasn’t just a game but was his own personal way of rebelling. Unfortunately it inevitably got him killed.

I loved Cinna and more than anything I wanted a better ending for him but unfortunately it is what it is. This is why fanfiction exists, so Cinna can live forever.

I’ve said this a million times but I’ll say it once more. If you haven’t read The Hunger Games yet please do so as soon as possible.

“Remember, girl on fire,” [Cinna] says, “I’m still betting on you.” – Catching Fire

Woman Crush Wednesday: Effie Trinket

Posted on August 26, 2015August 26, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

Effie always kills the fashion game, except in Mockingjay but that’s not her fault. She’s got the style of the Capitol but a heart of gold. Of course, not at first.

Living in the Capitol Effie only made her way out to District 12 for the reaping but otherwise lived a sheltered life. What’s wonderful is once she starts to actually care about the people she’s working with (Peeta, Katniss, and even Haymitch) she stops seeing them as just people she has to work with and make civil but actual people.

I would love a book where we learned more about Effie and her background and honestly what happens to her in and after Mockingjay. The movies have been good about including her and I hope this remains true in the next (and final!) film but I wanted to know what happened to Effie in the books. Did she survive? What did she do after President Snow’s reign ended? I’m sure the Capitol wasn’t the same after all the destruction that happened there. Did she have to get a new job? What was it? The list goes on.

The point is at first I was indifferent towards Effie and just saw her as a byproduct of the Capitol’s making but then, especially in Catching Fire, you can see that she’s beginning to realize everything isn’t really perfect and something is wrong with the Capitol. That’s when I started to love Effie.

If you haven’t heard of Effie before, honestly you must’ve been living under a rock for years. Please read these books if you haven’t already. The movies are great but the books are always better. Well, except maybe with Mockingjay. The movie (at least part one) I definitely enjoyed more than the book. Regardless, read the books.

Although lacking in many departments, Effie Trinket has a certain determination I have to admire. – The Hunger Games

Man Crush Monday: Peeta Mellark

Posted on August 17, 2015August 16, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

Oh Peeta. He’s such a sweetie. Until you try to hurt Katniss. Or President Snow makes him crazy and … hurt Katniss. He’s a complicated individual.

Honestly though, Peeta is a cute and sweet guy. He tries his best to do what he believes is right and he loves Katniss so fiercely it’s hard to believe it’s real. I was team Peeta from day one (but let’s face it Gale is hotter) and I think he’s the perfect compliment to Katniss’ fierce personality.

Additionally, Peeta isn’t just a softie though. He turns out to be really strong and more than that he stands up for himself. He may love Katniss but he doesn’t always like or agree with what she does and tells her so. I like that Peeta is kind and caring but not a push over. He’s my fave.

“Peeta, how come I never know when you’re having a nightmare?” I say.
“I don’t know. I don’t think I cry out or thrash around or anything. I just come to, paralyzed with terror,” he says.
“You should wake me,” I say, thinking about how I can interrupt his sleep two or three times on a bad night. About how long it can take to calm me down.
“It’s not necessary. My nightmares are usually about losing you,” he says. “I’m okay once I realize you’re here.” – Catching Fire

Woman Crush Wednesday: Katniss Everdeen

Posted on August 5, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

If you don’t know who Katniss Everdeen is you must’ve been living under a rock for years now and to that I say welcome back to civilization.

Katniss is fierce, loyal, protective, and incredibly brave. What she does for her little sister, Prim, is crazy and I think I would be able to do the same for someone I truly cared about but honestly I’m not 100% sure. I mean she volunteered to go into a battle to the death just to make sure her sister didn’t. And she only hesitated for a second before she made this huge decision that inevitably changed her life forever. Who does that? Katniss, that’s who.

Although Katniss definitely has her issues what I love about her is her strength. Once she decides what she wants she goes after it and doesn’t give up until she gets it. She’s stubborn that way. I also like that she’s kind of awkward and sometimes struggles to express herself. She loves so many people but sometimes it’s hard for her to make that evident and that’s something I can totally sympathize with.

Katniss’ love, though, is shown best through her actions, which speak louder than her words.

My spirit. This is a new thought. I’m not sure exactly what it means, but it suggests I’m a fighter. In a sort of brave way. It’s not as if I’m never friendly. Okay, maybe I don’t go around loving everybody I meet, maybe my smiles are hard to come by, but I do care for some people. – The Hunger Games

Man Crush Monday: Gale Hawthorne

Posted on August 3, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Blog

I know they’ll probably be a bunch of Hunger Games fans that are upset with me for this (i.e. fans of Peeta) but let me explain. I love both these guys equally and for different reasons and just because I’m doing Gale first doesn’t mean I won’t do Peeta at some point. It’s just, have you seen Gale? Look at him. He’s gorgeous. One could argue it’s just because he’s played by Liam Hemsworth but I thought Gale was hot before the movies were even a thing.

Moving on, I like that Gale is strong and independent. I loved that he wanted a family with Katniss and he really cared about her. He understood her better than almost everyone. I’m happy that (SPOILER ALERT!) she ends up with Peeta but I wish she and Gale could’ve stayed friends. I understand why that wasn’t possible but still. It hurt me that the story ended with them being so far apart.

Overall, I found Gale to be cute, strong, and a great friend. He really loved Katniss and I think he would’ve been great with her if he was given the change. I can’t believe it’s taken this long for him to be one of my man crush Mondays, honestly.

[Gale] tilts his forehead down to rest against mine and pulls me closer. His skin, his whole being radiates heat from being so near the fire, and I close my eyes, soaking in his warmth. I breathe in the smell of snow-dampened leather and smoke and apples, the smell of all those wintry days we shared before the Games. I don’t try to move away. Why should I anyway? His voice drops to a whisper. “I love you. That’s why.” – Catching Fire

Woman Crush Wednesday: Rue

Posted on May 27, 2015May 21, 2015 by Zakiya N. Jamal in Books

I’ve been feeling like my WCW’s have been lacking color. Therefore this Woman Crush Wednesday I’d like to shout out Rue, from The Hunger Games. Although I’m sure you can still find people who will debate whether or not she’s Black, the truth is she is indeed a POC and everyone just needs to accept that.

If you haven’t read/seen The Hunger Gamesset, I’d advise you do that first before reading this post. There will be spoilers!

Moving on, what makes Rue fantastic isn’t just that she’s a POC. She’s incredibly courageous for a young girl thrown into a battle to the death. Rather than just give up she learns how to hide in trees and protect herself. Additionally, she becomes a great ally to Katniss, helping Katniss get out of a very sticky situation by showing Katniss a nest of tracker jackers to use against the Careers.

Rue is also fiercely loyal. She stands by Katniss’ side to the very bitter end and does everything she can to help keep Katniss alive. I won’t go into how the POC’s in The Hunger Games were really just tools to help promote the survival of the main, white protagonists. That could be another blog post in it of itself.

What I will say is Rue was a cute, young girl, who may not have been fearless but definitely didn’t just cower in the background. When push came to shove Rue was willing to do what it took to strike the Careers back and make them suffer in the games. Rest in paradise, Rue.

But I feel as if I did know Rue, and she’ll always be with me. Everything beautiful brings her to mind. I see her in the yellow flowers that grow in the Meadow by my house. I see her in the Mockingjays that sing in the trees. But most of all, I see her in my sister, Prim. – Catching Fire