Happy Hunger Games!

I will be the first one to admit, I have a bit of an obsessive personality. When I am passionate about something, I throw my whole heart and soul into it and want to learn more about it, want to learn everything I can. Though sometimes it means I can quickly become lost in another world, I absolutely love the feeling of being so captivated by something that it consumes me.

Like most people in this generation, the first thing to really captivate me was the Harry Potter series. I read these books over and over again, each time as enjoyable as the first. I remember waiting not so patiently for each book and movie to be released, going to midnight premieres or book release parties, crying at the death of some of my favorite characters and shrieking for joy when something wonderful happened. It was almost like a secret language was formed with my siblings and friends; we could use words like ‘muggle’, ‘bloody brilliant’, ‘better than firewhiskey’, ‘seeker’ and ‘blimey’ in daily conversation and not even be thrown off. The characters were so real to me in such influential years of my life that sometimes I wonder how much of my life was influenced by Harry Potter without even me knowing it.

I am notorious for getting caught up in tv shows, like Boy Meets World, Dawson’s Creek, One Tree Hill, The OC and, most recently, The Vampire Diaries. But nothing ever captured me the way the Harry Potter books had. I read Twilight and enjoyed it, but I couldn’t feel myself right there with the characters and I wondered if there would ever be a novel series to make me feel like that again.

And then I read ‘The Hunger Games’.

I realize I am late into the game on this one, but I don’t think that makes me any less of a fan. When reading the books (over the past 5 days I have read both ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘Catching Fire’), I feel like I am in Panem, like I am running alongside Katniss in the arena. When she screams out for Peeta, I feel my heartstrings tug because I want to scream out for him too (and sometimes do). My eyes watered when President Snow made the Quarter Quell announcement and my heart broke during the interviews. I plan on starting “Mockingjay” the minute I get home from work and will no doubt have it done by the time ‘The Hunger Games’ DVD is released on Saturday. I am told that my love for Peeta may waver during the third installment, but I doubt it. Peeta is the man and I am very loyal to my literary crushes!

It’s been the week of The Hunger Games for me and I am so excited to have found a series where I can be captivated again, where I can escape my own world and feel like I am right beside the tributes. If you haven’t read it, I strongly strongly recommend blocking a few hours of your life and starting the first book, but don't say I didn't warn you about their power to make you obsessed.  I can’t wait to reread them over and over again, not to mention watch the movie!

(This should have really been the thing to hook me months ago...)