Monday night

This cool spell we're enjoying in these parts is exceptional. I promise I won't be posting bird photos every day now, but I was pleased with this shot of what I think is a Carolina chickadee that I took tonight and had to share.

While I was out I finished reading Mockingjay, the third book in The Hunger Games series. It's a marked improvement over Catching Fire, the repetitious second novel. All three books are pretty quick reads. I suppose they ought to be since they are young adult novels, but I also mean that they hold one's interest fairly well in spite of my quibbles with them.

My criticisms? Collins is better at building scenarios than characters. While all three books are first person accounts, none of the other characters are fleshed out all that well. (For that matter, I don't think the protagonist is deeply drawn.) The series is derivative of dystopian/post-apocalyptic stories, especially films. Those complaints aside, the series wraps with an unexpected toughness that should provide good discussion starters for younger readers.

And then I made a strawberry rhubarb pie. Just because.