Sunday, March 25, 2012

Sunday Salon- Hunger Games Books and Movies, Oh My

So this week at work has been all about The Hunger Games. Probably every other customer bought either the first or one of the other two books, mostly the first, and of course the movie debuted this weekend. The books have been just flying off the shelves, making me glad I finally got around to reading the series (I'm about ten pages into Mockingjay) when I did, since it's been essential that I be able to talk to customers about them. I'm going to review the whole series eventually; I decided not to review the individual books after it seemed to me that they really comprise one long narrative.

And I did go see the movie last night, and it was pretty great. It wasn't perfect- I think it helps to have read the first book to get a better idea of Katniss's circumstances and thought processes- but it was pretty fun. I went to a late-night showing after work and saw the movie with a jazzed-up, enthusiastic crowd. I will say though that the cinema chose just about the worst previews to show with it. My husband wants to go see Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter with his friends but other than that there was just nothing I'd ever want to see. The audience broke out in laughter at the ridiculous trailer for the final Twilight movie, showing Bella eyeing up a deer. Whatever!

March is winding down; it's been a pretty bland reading month for me but I'm hoping to end on a good note as I finish up Lauren Groff's beautiful Arcadia and James Hamilton-Paterson's fun Cooking with Fernet Branca. I also started Eduardo Sacheri's promising The Secret in their Eyes, a mystery set in Argentina from Other Press, much more my thing than a lot of what I've been reading this month.  While I love China Mieville to bits and pieces, I'm sorry to say I was not wild about his latest, Railsea. I'll have a review for it in a few weeks when it hits the shelves.

For today I'm lounging in a little (late night with the movie and a long day at work) and heading to a family party later this evening. In the meantime I hope to get a little Fernet Branca in but no big deal if I don't. What are you up to today? I hope you have a great Sunday. More Sunday Salon here.

7 comments:

Harvee said...

My better half thinks this book if for a YA audience and is very sad also. In other words he doesn't want to see it! What do you think?

JoAnn said...

I'm on the library hold list for Arcadia... hope the wait isn't too long!

Athira said...

I'm with you on the previews shown before the Hunger Games show. None of them appealed to me either. Quite a boring start!

bermudaonion said...

I finished The Hunger Games yesterday since my husband wants to see the movie.

caite said...

Loved the book, and I want to see the movie, but I think I will wait a few weeks.

Sandy Nawrot said...

We went to see the movie last night, and I would agree on all counts. Great movie, great casting, and they stayed FAIRLY (not completely) true to the book. But those previews! Really!? My husband leaned over and said "all of these movies look exactly the same". My daughter, though, is all over the last Twilight movie and the Snow White one. Guess who gets to take her?

Anonymous said...

I must be the only person around who doesn't want to see the movie! I'm happy with just the books. But I'm glad it wasn't as cheesy as the Twilight series!!