The Hunger Games

My goal is to read 100 books by the end of 2013.  I just finished book 62.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Summary (via the book jacket):
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts.  The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games.  But Katniss has been close to dead before - and survival, for her, is second nature.  Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender.  But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

My Opinion:
Why did it take me so long to read this book?  Besides the fact that I'm usually one of the last people to read popular books, I was a little nervous about the premise of this book - kids killing each other for a game didn't sound like something I'd be able to handle.  But the popularity just became too much to ignore so when I saw it on the shelf at the library, I grabbed it.  And I'm so glad I did...I loved it!
My concerns were relieved quickly; there is so much more to the story, and the deaths weren't gory or overdone.  This is the kind of book that was still on my mind when I wasn't reading it, and I was annoyed that real life kept interfering with my ability to finish it (darn kids insist on eating daily, and those soccer uniforms won't wash themselves!).  If I had my way, I would've absorbed it in one uninterrupted sitting and I will definitely plan accordingly when continuing the series.
Yes, I recommend it, but as one of the last people to read it, I'm not sure there's anyone left to recommend it to.

Quote from the Book:
"The one thing that distracts me at all is the view from the windows as we sail over the city and then to the wilderness beyond.  This is what birds see.  Only they're free and safe.  The very opposite of me."