During December I didn't really have any time to read. I was ridiculously busy during the week with work and I had so much to do on the weekends that just sitting down with a book was not going to happen. However, in November I had mentioned to my friend that I really wanted to read the first book in the The Hunger Games series before the movie came out in March. She had never heard of the book or the movie before but apparently I sold it well enough and she got the first book on CD to listen to while she was commuting to work. Because she is a thoughtful girl, she offered the discs to me once she was done. I hesitated, not thinking I'd be able to find the time to listen to it, but took her up on the offer in the end. Boy am I glad that I did!
First of all, listening to an audiobook is a really great thing when doing holiday baking. It just keeps rolling on in the background and I could listen, bake, frost and fill all at the same time. It's also a really great form of entertainment when working on crochet projects. My hands were busy with my work and my ears were being entertained...SCORE! In the end I not only finished listening to the first book, The Hunger Games, but I also managed to listen to the second and third books in the series: Catching Fire and Mockingjay.
I really, really liked this series. I don't want to give away too much but here is a brief synopsis of the first book:
In the future, after North America has destroyed itself, a country called Panem rises from the rubble. The survivors end up in a state with a ruling government living in the Capital which is surrounded by 13 districts. It's a dystopian society where the citizens of the capital have everything they could want for and the districts are filled with poor and struggling men, women and children who have to work like dogs to survive. Because of this imbalance an uprising occurs where the districts try to over throw the Capital. Ultimately the uprising is quashed by the Capital; District 13 is completely decimated; the remaining districts are even worse off than they were before; and in order to ensure that nothing like this happens again, the Capital creates The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is an annual event where 2 children, one boy and one girl (ages 12-18) are selected from each district to participate in a fight to the death for Capital entertainment. The first book of the series starts at the beginning of the 74th annual Hunger Games and follows the 'tributes' from District 12.
The premise is dark but it is so well written. The character development is excellent, not only from the start of the book to the end, but also from book to book. I also loved the fact that it's not just about children being forced into doing something awful. There is hope and love in the story as well. It has something for everyone.
Anyway, as I sit anxiously awaiting the arrival of the movie I just wanted to share this series with you. I figure if you're ever looking for something new these books are at least worth considering!
I have heard good things about the book series. I do want to read the first one soon. However, I got myself hooked on a different series, so I'm going to have to finish the series before I can start The Hunger Games. Unfortunately, I can't do audiobooks - they put me to sleep in cars and I prefer to read it myself (use my reading voice in my head than to hear another person's reading voice). Anyway, it sounds like you found a good loophole to not having time to sit and read. You'll have to give a review of the movie if and when you see it. Thanks for the synopsis - it wasn't too revealing.
ReplyDeleteI'm also thankful for the summary. A friend of mine got the books for Christmas and raved about the story line but didn't really explain much of it to me. It's now on my list of things to read. I used to partake in audiobooks when I traveled for research but it was just random audiobooks that my boss had in her vehicle. Someitmes I enjoyed them sometimes I just wanted to listen to nothing and watch the scenery.
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