Catching Fire - Stephenie Says It's Good!

For many of you, I forced The Hunger Games novel into your hands and demanded that you read it, and not a single student or adult has yet to tell me I was wrong about the book being phenomenal! Apparently the same thing is true for its sequel, Catching Fire. Stephenie Meyer started The Hunger Games craze through her recommendation of the novel on her blog, and she is continuing to stoke Suzanne Collins's flames with her recent post about Catching Fire. Here is what Steph had to say about the novel:

I also got an early look at a book I've been eagerly awaiting: Catching Fire, the sequel to Suzanne Collins' phenomenal The Hunger Games. It not only lived up to my high expectations, it surpassed them. It's just as exciting as The Hunger Games, but even more gut wrenching, because you already know these characters, you've already suffered with them. Suzanne takes the story places I wasn't expecting, and she's never afraid to take it to very hard places. Stunning. You won't sleep when you're reading this one. It hits shelves September 1st. I suggest beginning in the early morning and clearing your calendar for the day.

So with any luck, my friend Marci will be throwing the sequel down and screaming, "No way!" at the ending of Catching Fire. It sounds like the third book will have us eagerly anticipating its arrival as well! Why can't I be important enough to get ARCs? Ugh! What do I have to do, sell my soul? And for how much?! My friends, September 1st isn't that far away, and I hope to see you at B&N on the big day!

On a slightly different note, I found this picture of Katniss at Publisher's Weekly, and it has me considering being the strong heroine for my Halloween costume this year, but I doubt I can convince my husband to be Peeta. He wouldn't be Edward last year when I wanted to be Bella, dadgumit! There was also a HILARIOUS picture of guys dressed up like Paula Dean, and I really think it would be the BEST costume for my brother-in-law for some reason! Layci, maybe you AND Casey could each be Paula like these guys!