The Hunger Games

I've had a problem with reading lately. I can't seem to stick with one book and finish it. The books haven't been bad, it's just that the library keeps sending me ones from my request list, so I have to read those first before they are due. So even though my last post was at the end of December, there has been reading progress. The books in queue are Cleopatra, A Life; One, Two, Three, Infinity, Facts and Speculation of Science; Anne of Green Gables, Sherlock Holmes, and Shop Class as Soul Craft.

The latest diversion was a trilogy by Suzanne Collins called the Hunger Games Trilogy. It is a set of juvenile fiction books set in the near, post-apocalyptic United States. It's these types of books that make library waiting lists seem to take forever and tempt a person to go buy the series just to see what happens next. The story starts with The Hunger Games, continues with Catching Fire and ends with Mockingjay. The main charcter is teenager Katniss Everdeen. She's a female hero you root for, but probably would not want to be in her shoes.

For 74 years, what remains of the United States has been divided up into the Capitol and 13 districts. In an effort to keep the districts under control, The Capitol maintains propoganda and strict discipline to keep each district relying on help from the Capitol without having much to do with other district. To remind them of this reliance and warn against rebellion, the Capitol hosts the annual Hunger Games where a male and female teenager from each district is selected during the reaping and is sent to an arena to fight to the death during a televised "celebration." The first book features the 74th annual Hunger Games. During this episode, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark represent District 12 in a highly unusual Hunger Games.

In Catching Fire, Katniss' performance in the previous Hunger Games has sparked dissent in the districts. As part of her role as victor, she is to travel to the other districts for celebrations, even as she as to face the families of those she has killed in the Hunger Games. Despite warning and her best effort to avoid trouble, her presence inflames more people in the districts to rise against the Capitol.

With Mockingjay, the rebellion begins to take place. Secret alliances are brought to light and the series comes to a satisfying, if not happy, ending.

I realize I am being vague with the book descriptions, but I do not want to give anything away if you readers decide to try the series. Here's my warning: be prepared to start and finish a book in one day or you may have trouble sleeping as your brain tries to guess what will happen next.