Craving the Hunger Games...

I didn't read Harry Potter. Never saw the movies. Too far out there, too many characters, too much.

I'm not really into vampires or werewolves either, although I did break down and see the first Twilight movie. Didn't do it for me.

About 2 years ago a good friend said I should read the Hunger Games. She said it was like Gladiator but with kids... and only one gets to survive.

I was pretty confused... kids killing each other was a best seller?

Almost a year ago, desperate for a new book, and stuck in an airport, I downloaded it onto my Kindle.
3 chapters in... I quit. 

It sat taunting me in my Kindle while I went on to read, The Help (awesome), The Secret Life of Bees (good) and Water for Elephants (interesting). Then the world of Facebook and the news, and morning shows, magazines, etc took over. 

I'd already paid for the darned thing and I like to have my opinions based on my actual encounter with said topic/product etc. So I figured I'd just read it and then I'd at least be validated that the idea of kids killing other kids was ridiculous. 

Boy was I wrong.

 I think I only got through the first 3 chapters and quit because I didn't want to get to the meat of it, the part where kids kill kids. Well once I got past all that, the next thing I knew I was searching Amazon for the next book to download. And now I'm halfway through the final book, doing everything I can to not read it until I'm on my flight to Dallas... I've already started anticipating the let down I'm going to feel when it's all over. Is that crazy? 

And now here I am a few days before the movie comes out just as hungry as the rest of the world. 

Unfortunately or fortunately I won't be camping out to be the first in line at Midnight. 

(Tickets are sold out in Dallas anyway... according to the news) 

I did manage to only flip through, not purchase, the 5+ magazines at the airport that have entire sections dedicated to the cast and behind the scenes pictures. I've even discussed the casting of the film... This is really something I thought was reserved for those who were a little obsessed. Uh oh.

And despite my perusal through the cafepress.com website of various Hunger Games paraphernalia I've managed to shut the computer and walk away without a Mockingjay pin :) But this whole nothingnewforayear thing may have been the only reason. 

My whole life I've sort of been anti jumping on the bandwagon about big trends but I feel like this story is so much bigger. I hate to sound like one of those teachers I had in school who made every choice by an author seem like some deep underlying message. 

(Do you think the author chose to put the character in a red shirt to symbolize his anger? No, I think the author may have just seen someone walking by in a red shirt that day)

The book is an easy and quick read, which turns some people off who think they're above those kinds of reads, but if you ask me it addresses some pretty big picture stuff. It's a little Gladiator, a lot the Truman Show, some high school popularity/bullying drama, growing up too fast... etc.
And obviously... a love story.
(My mom said even as a little girl I was never embarrassed but more... ecstatic, about the "kissing part" in movies. My name is Ann and I'm a sucker for sad songs and love stories)

Anyway. I'm sitting on the edge of my seat like the rest of the world.
 I found this song yesterday and have had it on repeat ever since...

Taylor Swift - Safe & Sound - Music - More Music Videos

And then I got this... :)

I won't be buying any t-shirts or mugs... but.... I may have packed my (fake) pearl earrings :)

P.S. Movie tickets... an "experience" right?