I've never read The Hunger Games but you guys have talked about them so much, I think I'm going to look into them. I'll have to check my library.

Yeah! I really want to look into them. Although I probably won't get too attached to Finnick because

Lu

Yay! These are some of my favorite books.

What's your favorite book? The Hunger Games or Catching Fire. I was really disappointed in Mockingjay...

What's your opinion on the ending of Mockingjay? Um, I wasn't very optimistic when I first got it, due to some spoilers a friend gave me. If I hadn't known before I read it, I would probably be happier with the ending. I also think there were some unnecessary deaths in it. I understand about the latter's death, but I don't really think that the former was needed.

Peeta or Gale? Most definitely Peeta. I agree with Valiant_Lucy on this one.

Who is your favorite character in the trilogy? Ooh. Hard question. I do like Katniss... I do like how the book is written from her point of view and (as Valiant_Lucy said) how fearless she is.

Who is your perfect casting for the film? There's going to be a film? I had no idea...

What's your favorite book? Either HG, MJ, or the second half of CF. I'm really bad at picking favorites
What's your opinion on the ending of Mockingjay? I may be in the minority here, but I wasn't much disappointed by Mockingjay. Yes, there were some things I'd change (like

), but overall I thought the book was brilliant and the epilogue was beautiful.
Peeta or Gale? Peeta, definitely. I never liked Gale much- at best I tolerated him, at worst- there were places in MJ when I honestly wanted to kill him :/
Who is your favorite character in the trilogy? Tough one. I love Peeta, because he's sweet, respectful and just such an all around good person. I love Prim, because while at first she may seem like a simple little girl, she has such an inner strength. And I love just how complex, flawed, and human Katniss is. And I love Finnick, because at first he looked like a slimy weasel, but his real self was so different. And him and Annie . . . they melt my heart every time.

Who is your perfect casting for the film? Well, I love Jennifer as Katniss, no qualms there. Hunter Parrish is my Peeta and has been for months. Gale I'm not too concerned about-he's hardly in the first book anyway. I'd prefer Micheal Trevino for the role, but I'll probably be fine with whoever they cast. Hugh Laurie was my top pick for Haymitch, but since he's too busy, I have no idea who should be cast.
I like either Kiernan Shipka or Joey King for Prim. If his hair was lighted, Ray Wise would totally work as President Snow. Alex Pettyfer could make a good Finnick (at least looks-wise, I'm not sold on his acting), but the role might be too small for his liking . . . Yara Shahidi could work for Rue . . .

Okay, I'll stop rambling now. I think you get the idea

Yay, a Hunger Games thread!

What's your favorite book? Probably Mockingjay with The Hunger Games as a close second. Catching Fire was alright, but it wasn't the best of the series, imo. I'm not sure why, honestly, I just don't care for it as much as the other two.

What's your opinion on the ending of Mockingjay? Loved it! There are some things I wish hadn't happened

. But most of the rest of it I really liked, especially the epilogue <3

Peeta or Gale? I'm with the rest of ya'll, I prefer Peeta. Through the series, I was pretty okay with both of them and would have been fine whoever Katniss ended up with, but I think by the end Peeta won my heart <3

Who is your favorite character in the trilogy? Hmmm Probably Katniss or Peeta. I love Katniss's personality and how, even though she's the narrator, we can see she's got some obvious flaws, which makes her more relatable and human. Peeta is just all-around adorable and awesome, and he really complements Katniss whenever they're together, regardless of whether they're friends or more than that. I'm also quite fond of Effie and Haymitch And of course I can't forget Finnick <33

Who is your perfect casting for the film? I don't really know. I haven't really thought about specific actors/actresses for the parts. So long as they can act well and look sort of close to how I imagine them, I'm good with whoever

thank you thank you thank you for a Hunger Games thread!!!

What's your favorite book? Hunger Games- definitally, with Catching Fire in second

What's your opinion on the ending of Mockingjay? didn't like it, the deaths, everything all felt rushed for me- the 2 deaths everyone are mentioning deserved way more than they got. The book as a whole I expected to be alot better

Peeta or Gale? PEETA!!!! No doubt, he is sweet, cute, funny and truly truly loves and cares for Katniss- he would die for her, that gets mega points in my book.

Who is your favorite character in the trilogy? Peeta, before anyone. But I also really like Finnick and Prim, and Haymitch!

Who is your perfect casting for the film? I wanted for the child characters- I wanted unknowns. Look at the Pevensies, all unknowns and truly fit into their roles. Amazing acting. And that way they arn't compared to other roles. Adult roles...really I would love Hugh Laurie as Haymitch

What's your favorite book? I guess i'd have to say "Hunger Games".

What's your opinion on the ending of Mockingjay? It was all rather bleak, but i really thought it was appropriate -

- in the sense that it was true to the story that had been started, and about as realistic as one could expect from a sci-fi series.

I wouldn't say i liked it, but i certainly wasn't disappointed.

Peeta or Gale? Peeta, always.

Who is your favorite character in the trilogy? Oh, i have a whole host of favorite characters, but Peeta is probably the top favorite.

Who is your perfect casting for the film? I don't do "dream casts", simply because it would be based pretty much on appearance and previous films, which isn't really reliable. I'm not thrilled with the casting of Jennifer Lawrence - not because she's blonde (though that doesn't help ), but because she's so old - but i'm not giving up hope yet.

Don't know enough about the actors in the running for Peeta to comment (except that they're all too old ), but Hunter Parrish looks like he could do it.

I would like Robert Downey, Jr. as Haymitch, though he and Hugh Laurie might be out of the price range for the films.

My favorite was The Hunger Games for sure! I like the other two, however Mockingjay was my least favorite of them. Great series though, amazing really! I have a bracelet that says "May the odds be ever in your favor" ^.^

Not reading any post, none. I came straight to the quick reply. I've only read the first book so far, though I do have the other two. Not my type of books really, but I thought it was great. The second and third part mostly. The first section of the book felt like it dragged a bit for me, but the second and third part totally made up for it.

Can't wait to begin the second book.

Arwenel, on your spoiler about Gale in MockingJay

Whoa, I JUST read these books THIS week; and now a Special Feature? The odds ARE in my favor.

I'm a newbie to this series, so you'll have to forgive my...newbieness. I'm still pondering and chewing over these books. I read the first three so fast (three days from start to finish; go me!), and now I'm going over them again more slowly; trying to savor it and get a better understanding for it. I'm not really sure what's considered a spoiler (the last book has been out for a while; if you don't know how it turns out I guess, why are you here? ), so my apologies in advance.

Let me start out by saying that this genre is NOT my cuppa tea...I only picked them up out of curiosity due to some interesting reviews and general buzz surrounding the books and the upcoming movie(s).

I'll answer the Q/A first, and then maybe make some more posts later. I am dying to engage in a really meaty discussion about these books; imagine my horror at scrounging around the 'Net only to find that my best shot at a Hunger Games discussion board was on IMDb. So if anyone is interested in discussing these books a little deeper than "OMW I LOVE KATNISS PEETA IS SO PERFECT I LOVE HIM TEAM GALE ALL THE WAY", I'm all game.

What's your favorite book? The Hunger Games, for sure. It really is the most riviting book I've ever read. It speaks for itself; being able to tell such a story with such a utterly horrifying premise and STILL keep me turning pages, breathless and gasp, WANTING MORE. Yeah, it's an incredible book; this one.

What's your opinion on the ending of Mockingjay? My reaction is probably a lot different than most of you, since I read all these books back to back and didn't have a second to speculate or imagine my own ending.

That being said, I thought the ending was extremely fitting. No, it wasn't happy; but honestly, if anyone thought that this series was going to get a rosy ending after the first chapter of Catching Fire; I don't know what they thought they were reading. You saw how messed up Katniss was after the first books; and she'd only experienced a fraction of the horrors to come. To say that I thought the books ended much better than I thought, is a bit of an understatement. I dunno. Yes, the book was fast, confusing, and gut-wrenching. But after I'd had time to clear my mind a bit and read some extremely insightful and thought-provoking blog posts that I found via Google, I view Mockingjay a bit differently now. The fact that Katniss can even find the strength to go on surviving after everything that happened, is amazing in itself. She and Peeta went down to the very depths of hell and came back, scarred, broken and utterly changed, but against all odds, miracle of miracle, they still found hope. They were able to go on, the best they could, and make a new life together. Not perfectly. Not very happily. But still going on. And in a way, it's almost beautiful.

I read a blog that talked about how Suzanne Collins wrote these books as a sort of essay on war, and how it affects people. It takes no genius to see that in Katniss, she writes the story that is all too familiar to many people, including war veterans and people who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I can't claim to be an expert on this at all. But I had an uncle who suffered from this. He didn't make it out...he had other health problems, and his body just hung on as long as it could. But even when he was struggling the most with his depression, HE was still there...buried, but there. He loved his wife and kids and he wanted to be everything for them so badly. But he struggled so much, and after everything he went through, he couldn't really have the same kind of life that some of us who are blessed enough not to have those kind of experiences aspire to have.

Sorry; rambling a bit. It puzzles me, I'll admit, when I see people moan and groan about how much they didn't like Mockingjay and how it was such a let-down. But then again, I didn't have the time to get really attached to my own ideas of everlasting happiness for these characters as most people did. So when some people see Mockingjay as their own personal fantasies and ideals denied, I see something that is horribly gut-wrenching, but SO true to the struggled that some people face every day. It's not pretty, it's not fun or enjoyable. But for some people, it's their reality.

P.S. I've only read Mockingjay once; I intend to start my second, slow reading as soon as I'm done with Catching Fire. So I reserve the right to change my opinions.

Peeta or Gale? Hehe. Is this even a choice? Peeta, without a doubt. Again, I can't claim to understand the intricate of devotion to these characters that some people have. But I will admit to being VERY surprised when I started searching the 'Net for HG stuff and came across people who genuinely were rooting for Gale. I mean, he's nice and all. But I mean, come on...it's PEETA. Edward Cullen cannot hold a candle to him. JK! I think.

Who is your favorite character in the trilogy? Ooh, so hard to choose. Picking Katniss or Peeta seems like the easy way out. But to me, they're like peanut butter and jelly; you can't have one without the other. So, I will say, both. There.

Who is your perfect casting for the film? I cheated, because I already knew who was going to play Katniss before I even read the books. So that may have affected my perception a lot. No problems with Jennifer Lawrence. My main concern is that they get good actors to play the role, and so far, Jen seems like she's a fairly safe bet for that, so I'm happy. Peeta; again I don't care, as long as he's not too pretty-boy, and is a STUNNING actor. I.e., no Alex Pettyfer. I don't really care who they get to play the roles, as long as they can really embody the characters. Looks are secondary.

I find it kind of interesting in that all my years of following movie production, I don't think I've ever seen a movie that has obsessed over not only an actor's talent and abilities, but physical appearance. Everyone seems to be OBSESSED with Katniss LOOKING exactly right. What it is about these books that make people do that? Ought you not be worrying about their acting before you go all Nazi on their looks? Maybe reading about the Capitol's obsession with physical appearance has rubbed off on us a bit.

Whoa. So much for short post. So sorry, folks? Brevity is apparently not my strong suit. Hope I didn't scare everyone off...

Oh, one last thing; I just HAD to get this off my chest. I think Katniss is a RIDICULOUS name. Always have...it just seems very...teenage heroine to me. No reason; I just don't like it! Maybe I should just refer to her as Kat from here on out. Don't kill me, 'k?

Arwenel, on your spoiler about Gale in MockingJay

I'm definitely looking for some discussion on this. I've talked it over some with my dad, brother, and sister who have also read it.

Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it. - Rabbi Tarfon

What's your favorite book? I couldn't pick. I would say that Catching Fire is probably my least favorite, mainly because it does feel very much like a bridging novel and not as much of an story in itself.

What's your opinion on the ending of Mockingjay? Mockingjay honestly broke my heart a little, nearly as badly as Deathly Hallows did. I wasn't thrilled over the deaths

I do think that the end of the story felt right and natural. After everything that had happened, it would have felt insulting to the characters to have some contrived sugary sweet happy ending.

Peeta or Gale? No question, Peeta. Gale I never liked. I know there was a lot of Team Gale hysteria on the internet, mainly because he was the cute bad boy character but I had him pegged for psycho pretty much from the start.

Who is your favorite character in the trilogy? Katniss, course.

Who is your perfect casting for the film? I was honestly rooting for Hailee Steinfeld, but I'm not upset over the casting. And I've read some articles that changed my opinion somewhat on the topic of casting younger actors. For Peeta, anyone but Alex Pettyfer. Please none of this casting people because they're pretty, not because they can act. Maybe that flies in the Twilight movies, but it would never work in these movies.

This is an interesting set of ideas for the casting. I like their picks for some of the roles very much, but some are just off the wall. Taylor Swift, seriously?

This is an interesting set of ideas for the casting. I like their picks for some of the roles very much, but some are just off the wall. Taylor Swift, seriously?

Oh wow. Some of those are SO crazy! Taylor Lautner? Over my DEAD BODY. And I like Ben Barnes and all (hey, I'm contractually obligated ), but I wouldn't cast him as Gale.

Some of those picks I liked. I think Robin Wright would make an excellent Mrs. Everdeen, and one could only dream at having Hugh Laurie play Haymitch. He'd be PERFECT. Sadly, it seems he's not available for filming.

Speaking of filming, apparently there's a short list of actors floating around who reportedly read for the roles of Peeta and Gale with Jennifer. I have to say, there is nothing encouraging about those lists, except that Hunter Parrish is included, and Alex Pettyfer is not.

I'm really not sure what to expect from the movie. It's got some things going for it, and some things that make me pretty nervous. Casting Jennifer and having Suzanne Collins be the scriptwriter (or co-scriptwriter; either way she is very heavily involved) gives me a lot of hope. But, having all the names for the supporting characters be teen up-and-comings worries me.

This movie could be SO great. The book was so riveting; so incredibly fascinating. If even a fraction of that could be translated to screen, it would be such a great film.

But if the producers view this film as merely a quick buck and some exposure for the latest teenage heartthrob, then it's just not going to work. Sadly I haven't seen much to allay my fears, but who knows...we'll see.

Back to the books, I just finished my second reading of the series today. I think I can officially say that I really, really like these books. Mockingjay was so much better the second time around...now that I knew what happened, I braced myself for everything, and actually came out surprised that it really wasn't as bleak as I thought. Don't get me wrong; the book is pretty grim. But the ending especially, had a lot more hope and love laced in it than I initially thought.