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I Finished Hunger Games! Some Questions for the Read-Along plus Today's New York Times on the Popularity of Young Adult Literature

And, well, wow. I know I'm not exactly breaking new ground to say that I couldn't stop reading it all the way through and that Suzanne Collins' book is utterly compelling, surprising and has given me so much to think about.

For those reading along with me, I promised questions for Hunger Games before starting on Catching Fire (which I furtively started today while my DH drove us all to Trader Joe's for dinner supplies).

Here are just a few of my questions and observations so far:

1) Were you able to move beyond the horrific premise of the Hunger Games and if so, were you surprised at how quickly you were able to make that transition? (as a mom, I was crying at page 25).

2) I found it ironic that as much as Katniss dismissed her mother as ineffectual, it was her skills that she often needed most in the Games, ie, the ability to heal others. What did you think of that?

3) Did you find Katniss's appraisal of her relationship with Gale and of Peeta's supposed interest in her to be naive?

4) Did you find yourself, at times, wishing you could see the Games as those watching were seeing them, and witnessing their reactions?

5) What did you think of the Gamemakers sending the fallen tributes back as muttations to attack the final 3 players in the Games?

I'll leave you with this article from today's New York Times, about the power of young adult literature, inspired by the passion so many adults have for the Hunger Games series.

Happy 60th Birthday Sheltering Sky!

Paul Bowles' groundbreaking classic novel The Sheltering Sky celebrates its 60th annivesary this fall and Dwight Garner wrote a very interesting piece about the novel and Paul Bowles and what the book's publication meant in yesterday's New York Times. Reading the piece made me think it would be a great book to introduce at book club, and that reading it, one could discuss the time period in which it appeared as well and how it influenced books that came after it. Ecco Books is offering 5 copies of The Sheltering Sky to give away in celebration of its anniversary. To enter to win, tell me in the comments about a modern classic like The Sheltering Sky that your club has read, or if you've read The Sheltering Sky, tell me about that! I'll choose 5 entries from all those received by midnight Friday, September 4th (US and Can only). Browse inside The Sheltering Sky, check out the reading group guide, and learn more about Paul Bowles.