Buzz in the Beehive: The Hunger Games Triology!

Wondering what to read after I finished my beloved Harry Potter series is what originally brought me into Beehive Books two years ago. A friend had told me of a series that was just as addicting, only more aimed at a female audience, so I was on a mission to find and devour it. At the back counter I found Erin and her great knowledge of what's hot and what's not in the book realm. When I told her what I was looking for, she lead me straight to Twilight. I got a smoothie from the cafe, plopped down on the red leather couch, and within twenty minutes I was in love. Two weeks later I was working at Beehive and finished with the Twilight Saga.
Finishing a series is always bittersweet. You grow to know and love the characters as if you were life long friends (well, most of them, *cough, cough* Draco Malfoy and The Volturi!). I could hardly wait to get my hands on the next book and continue the journey. However, when you finish the last book, it's hard to say goodbye and then there's always the question of "What do I read next?" First you always look for the book that reminds you of the series you just finished. This is always a mistake because the characters are not the same, and the story is not the same, no matter how much you want them to be. This is why it took me so long to find Twilight after Harry Potter, and then why it took me so long to find The Hunger Games after Twilight. Which brings me to the reason behind this post, to introduce you to The Hunger Games.

It was Erin again that introduced me to this book, and I was admittedly skeptical at first. This didn't really seem like my kind of book. But I was hooked in from the opening chapter when I met Katniss and Gale, secretly hunting beyond the fences of their home in District 12 on reaping day. The only way I can think to describe this series to fellow readers and pop culture lovers is a meshing of The Giver, Lord of the Flies, and Lost. Intrigued? I thought so.

"Twenty-four are forced to enter. Only the winner survives. In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the districts are forced by the Capitol to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the Hunger Games, a brutal and terrifying fight to the death - televised for all of Panem to see.

Survival is second nature for sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who struggles to feed her mother and younger sister by secretly hunting and gathering beyond the fences of District 12. When Katniss steps in to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, she knows it may be her death sentence. If she is to survive, she must weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

WINNING WILL MAKE YOU FAMOUS. LOSING MEANS CERTAIN DEATH." (http://www.thehungergames.co.uk/about_the_book)

After I devoured The Hunger Games (pun intended), it was on to Catching Fire, the second installment of this thrilling series. I could hardly stand to put this book down and finished it in two days. I hate to give away anything from the first book in case you're gathering your keys and heading to Beehive Books right now to buy Hunger Games (available in paperback and hardcover). All I can tell you is that the twists and turns of this book kept me thrilled and terrified for my beloved characters. Several times I had to take a break from reading simply to absorb what had just happened in the rollercoaster ride that was the plot.

I am now anxiously counting down the days (12 + some hours) until the release of the third and final book in the heart-stopping Hunger Games triology.

Set to be released August 24th, I have my copy on order. Call today & reserve your copy! (740-363-2337)

Plans for a movie have recently been announced as well, look for it in theaters in 2011!!


- Iris