Welcome to our first PoeCoAlum Online Book Club!
We will take turns picking out a book. Let's allow approximately 1 month to complete a book.
Allison has selected our first book as The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. So, Allison will set a deadline (Nov. 23rd?), post a few discussion questions the first 1/2 of the reading period, and another set the latter half for us to comment.
When the book deadline approaches, we can meet face to face at our supper club outing and the person with the upcoming birthday picks the next book.
So go buy/download your book and happy reading!
Nov 23? Darn, I finished it at 2 am today. Little spoiler warning, I "finished" it as in I reached the "end of book 1". Not my typical genre, but it was a fast read and kept my interest. I hate when I get sucked into series books like this though. I'll probably have to read the next few before the 23 rd or else I'll forget everything. I have a terrible short term book memory.
ReplyDeleteWait....what..I have to come up with smart questions??? And not just one set of them but two??? I'll try my best :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the Kindle App suggestion! We don't have to have 2 sets - I was thinking of in the past when it was a longer book, it helps keep everyone engaged, pulls those that haven't read in, so long as it doesn't spoil the ending. Seeing how Ned pulled this off in a day...maybe one set is fine. Whatever you think is best!
ReplyDeleteSome sample questions I pulled off a website that we can use or modify:
Which character do you like the most and why? The least and why?
What passage from the book stood out to you?
Which situations and/or characters you can identify with, if so how?
Do you feel as if your views on a subject have changed by reading this text?
Pick your favorite paragraph, part, or writing in Chapter 1 - X? Why?
Have you had a life changing revelation or maybe a little epiphany from reading this chapter, passage, book?
What major emotion did the story evoke in you?
At what point in the book did you decide if you liked it or not? What helped make this decision?
Name your favorite thing overall about the book. Your least favorite?
If you could change something about the book what would it be and why?
Describe what you liked or disliked about the writer’s style?
I read the entire book last night. It totally sucked me in and I'm quite sure that I can't wait until the 23rd to get together to discuss it. I already ordered the second book.
ReplyDeleteSo - I think the main question to answer is.....at what point did this book stop being ridiculous and convince you to keep reading - to buy into it? If it even did?
In the beginning, I kept thinking to myself, "why am I reading this? This is nothing like anything I have ever liked. This subject matter is preposterous." But, then I found I was totally into it. I think it may have been when Katniss volunteered to take Prim's place and I had to find out where the story was going. And then, I kept wondering what in the world I would do were I placed in the same situation - to kill others to save my life.
Also, I liked how Peeta was worried about staying true to himself. I think that is an interesting comment about his character.
***I think we should all post when we have finished the book or if someone isn't going to read it, and then we can decide when to get together.***
Halfway thru book 2. Totally.sucked.in. Darn that Amazon 1-click
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness...don't even start reading book 2 unless you have book 3 standing by. You will not be able to stop with this half-a@@ed ending. Headed to Amazon now to download the last book.
ReplyDeleteFinished book 2 today, Now on to book 3!
ReplyDeletei was up until 2am and not because of the rain. riveting! i wonder if i can shut my office door and "research" today. researching the last few chapters. Allison, you are a real stinker. my first trilogy. i'll never be the same.
ReplyDeleteI was lackadaisically reading along until the reaping. that was my buy-in. i can't help but equate it to Lord of the Flies. Except that I love that it's a girl, even though I didn't realize it until several chapters in. I kept thinking, oh! this will be my first same sex love novel...and it's really a young adult book!?!
ReplyDeleteI can really see this as a movie - shot like Avatar. oh my! late for a meeting. more soon...
Finally, got on the blog! Love looking at the comments so far...
ReplyDeleteAt first I didn't think I would like this crazy book set in the bizarre world of Panem but once I read a few pages without the sole intent "to read to fall asleep", I was completely hooked. Allison, my turning point was definitely at the reaping when Katniss took Prim's place.
I have finished 2 and 3. If you even remotely like one, you have to read the others but they are very quick reads. I basically read non-stop (even during my football games), just could not put them down without knowing what happened next.
I will refrain from making any specific comments until others have finished. I'm with you though, Leslie, I definitely can see this series made into movies. There would need to be a big budget (Avatar, Lord of the Rings) to make it believable. I have been wondering who I would cast in each role. That could be a fun question!
Looking forward to chatting about it. Happy reading! For those of you doubting, give it a shot. Just might surprise you. BTW, I have book one and three if anybody would like to borrow them.
Ooohh! Just did a little looking on IMDB- looks like book one is "in development" with more news coming sometime in November.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is I'm lucky to have made it through these books alive because I kept trying to read my iPad at traffic lights and would get sucked in and next thing you know I'm driving and reading. Hunger games driving is worse than drunk driving.
ReplyDeleteOkay, okay. I have my copy on my desk. I will start it tonight. I am not finished with a book I have at the moment. My pea brain cannot handle two books at the same time these days, but I'll try. Looks like I'll just be taking a short intermission from it anyway.
ReplyDeleteOh I'd love a movie! I keep wanting more descriptions of the Capital people. Their descriptions were a total surprise to me and I want more and the reason why they make themselves look so strange.
ReplyDeleteAlmost finished with 3. Wondering what's next...
LM, you are so right about book 2's ending! I'm getting ready to download 3...there better be closure. And a happy ending. Or I will dismantle this book club, Katniss style!
ReplyDeleteI know I often have food on my mind, but I actually felt a bit sickened with all of the food descriptions. Is this some covert stab at gluttonous people/society? The Capitol's outfits...? Cant wait to see who they pick to design the cast's wardrobe? Like Jean Paul Gaultier for 5th Element.
I wish the book had illustrations. I couldn't imagine the arena well.
I finished the 3rd this weekend - it wasn't my favorite of the series.
ReplyDeleteBy the middle of the third I was starting to drag. Felt like I was reading to finish rather than reading because I was intrigued. I didn't know if it was just because I was sleep deprived or if the writing took a turn for the worse.
ReplyDeleteI finished the book a little more than a week ago (and read it in pretty much one sitting!). I can't wait to get books two and three, although I'm preparing to be disappointed by book three, based on the comments thus far.
ReplyDeleteI didn't have to worry about "buy-in" when I started reading the book. I love these types of futuristic, end-of-the-world stories, actually - must have something to do with being an engineer and really enjoying sci-fi kind of stuff. ???
The only thing I can say I thought was a little over the top was the description of the Capitol (Capital?) people as being so self-centered that they only care about fashion and their own entertainment - so much so that they force people to kill other people for their own entertainment. I mean, I figure it's supposed to be a commentary on our materialistic, entertainment-oriented US society, but it seems a little much.
Oddly, the one thing I kept thinking through the entire book was that there was no way one group of people could keep the rest of the country/world in servitude by only holding these Hunger Games once a year. (Apparently, I didn't buy in as much as I thought...)
Time to go find books two and three - I find myself thinking about Katniss in the weirdest places! I can't wait to find out what happens next.