happy hunger games.

When I get hooked on a book, or heaven forbid a series...everything in my life is affected. My work ethic (which has never been particularly good), my relationships, my eating habits. I don't talk to anyone. I eat finger foods as to not disrupt my reading, utensils simply get in the way. This has been the past 48 hours of my life reading the first installment of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I have heard about this trilogy for a while now. I was in a school district last year that had reading workshops and many students chose The Hunger Games to read, so I got the scoop from them. I finally broke down and sent a copy to my Kindle so that I could see what all of the fuss is about. I can't have my students thinking I'm a pussy and can't handle kids fighting to their death for show like some morbid Olympic games. Psshhhh. I can handle this. (I cried at least three times while reading).

For those of you who are grossly out of the loop, here is the deal. Katniss Everdeen is sixteen, she lives in District 12 (there are twelve districts in this little country, each has a job, hers is one of the poorer ones, as they make the coal). She lives with her mother and little sister, Prim as her father died in a mine explosion five years before. She illegally hunts outside of the marked territory of their little district with her best friend, Gale. This is how she trades for money and other things/feeds her family. Once a year the Capitol, which is like the government, chooses two children (called tributes, one boy and one girl, ages 12-18) to participate in the Hunger Games, where they basically fight to their death and the last one standing wins. They do this to remind their people of their control, so that they never revolt, again. On "reaping" day which is the day each person is chosen for the games, twelve-year-old Prim was chosen as tribute. Katniss volunteered in her place, which is allowed. She goes off to fight with the baker's son from their community named Peeta. Twenty-four participants all together, and there can only be one winner.

The writing in this story is absolutely exquisite. I honestly think that Collins could right about anything and keep me on the edge of my seat. I cannot wait to begin the second book, Catching Fire, and I am counting down the days until the movie comes out at the end of this month. From what I have seen so far, the previews are identical to the storyline.