Surely you’ve heard of the NYT Bestselling Hunger Games trilogy? You’ve read all three books, right? In fact, you were at the bookstore first thing the morning of August 24th to pick up your copy of Mockingjay, the final installment in the trilogy. And you didn’t eat, work, or speak to family or friends until you’d read the final word.

Wait . . . are you saying you haven’t read them?

Well, consider this a PSA — whether you usually read YA fiction or not, you gotta read these books.

I’ll admit the premise of The Hunger Games didn’t grab me at first: “In a dystopian future, a girl fights for survival on live TV.” Sounded a bit like a teen version of that Schwarzaneggar film The Running Man. (Oh, how I date myself!) But so many people — folks whose reading tastes I respect very highly — kept badgering me to read it that I finally gave in. And here are some of the reasons why I enjoyed the series:

– streamlined yet evocative prose

– characters that one can’t help falling desperately in love with

– page-turning momentum

– action AND romance

– humor and pathos (though quite a bit more of the latter, I must admit)

I won’t even mention the trilogy’s unflinching look at totalitarianism, war and revolution. (Wait, I just did!) Maybe that sounds like a turn-off, but I just want you to know that these books have some MEAT to them, along with being addictively readable.

If you haven’t read The Hunger Games yet, the best news is that you won’t have to wait months and months to FINALLY read the sequels. They’re all out on the shelves and waiting for you — ready to be devoured!

If you have read the books, why not share something you loved about them, without being too spoilery?  (And sometime in the not-too-distant future, I hope we can discuss the film!)