Hooked on Books discussion

Members Starting the BR: Jenny and... group read
Challenge: Book Quest Adventures
Book: Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins


Anyone is free to join in this Buddy Read! Happy Reading!

I hope someone joins in for this. I plan to start it next week sometime.

Hi Jenny! I think I will join you ♥️ I read the Hunger Games trilogy three years ago and loved it, so now I want to return to this world. I'll try to read both this book and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes this month 😄 Do you think I can read them at the same time or does this one contain spoilers for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes?

Pretty sure that Ballad takes place years before Sunrise, but I have no idea about spoilers. We already know what Snow is like as an adult from the first three books.

I am happy to wait for you to read the first one first. I have many others to read as well in April.

Ok, I will let you know when I am ready to start the book. I'll have to borrow it from the library first, or buy it if it isn't available. I got several gift cards for bookstores this Christmas, and I have to start using them😉

I have finally gotten around to reading Ballad, and think I will be able to finish it tomorrow. So will probably start reading Sunrise on Friday :)

That works for me. I have two books to finish before then, and I should be able to do that. If not, I will start on Saturday, and if you post spoilers, I will avoid them. teehee

I will try to start on Friday also!

Yay!

I started this today, and I can tell already that it is going to break me. I kind of wish that I didn't know what happens to victors after their win, or exactly how evil Snow is, as I keep thinking about what is going to happen to Haymitch after the arena.

The arena is at least a mystery to me, except the end, which was covered in one of the earlier books.

The differences in how the "contestants" are treated in Katniss' games vs Haymitch's games is interesting.

I am only on page 70, but I have a feeling that I will be reading this into the night tonight.

I am taking advantage of the Easter holiday (and my lack of sleep) to get some reading in. Going to start this book now. Maybe I can finish this book this weekend, too. A girl can hope, right?

That's one heck of a birthday, huh?

Can you imagine using live reptiles to hold your pants up? Yeah... not happening!

So no on the using a gecko or two as spaghetti straps?

Jenny wrote: "So no on the using a gecko or two as spaghetti straps?"

An absolute no from me.

I don't know about you, but I absolutely love Maysilee. I love her sassiness. Especially when she tells the Capitol people how atrocious their taste in clothing is. She has no filter at all, and I am enjoying every second of it!

Me too. I like the whole team from 12. Well...
It will be interesting to see if any of the other kids are worth rooting for.

Holy crap, Snow is evil in this one. I mean he is always evil and all, but wow is he on a power trip for the quarter quell.

No wonder Haymitch drinks so much. Poor guy! I just finished the book, and now I understand. Then he has to mentor two kids every year through the same hell, knowing they can't fight back, or it will be worse for them. He paid the ultimate price for doing so.

Donna wrote: "Jenny wrote: "So no on the using a gecko or two as spaghetti straps?"

An absolute no from me."

Whew! Same here!!

I started yesterday and didn't want to stop reading to go to bed, but I had to! I'm at about 47% now.

Well, the games are insane to start with, but I can't believe how Haymitch was "picked"!! Everyone in the Capital is on a power trip!!

Snow is pure evil in this book! Since he put his stamp on (view spoiler)[ choosing how Haymitch dies in the games and making him work with a replica of Louella (hide spoiler)], I truly despise him.

Everyone is hellbent on Haymitch failing in spectacular fashion!

Donna wrote: "I don't know about you, but I absolutely love Maysilee. I love her sassiness. Especially when she tells the Capitol people how atrocious their taste in clothing is. She has no filter at all, and I ..."

Snarky characters are always my favorites! That bit with the clothing had me laughing out loud.

I stayed up late last night to finish this. I loved and hated it. I really wish I hadn't known any of Haymitch's backstory before this book. But, on the other hand, it wouldn't have meant as much if I didn't already know Haymitch. I wonder if that was the issue that Collins had when writing this book?

Same here, Jenny!

Poor Haymitch! What a thing to have hanging over him every birthday; knowing he'd have to mentor 2 new kids for the games. Let alone everything else that was thrown at him. I think it is a miracle that he didn't do something worse than drink!!

(view spoiler)[ I knew when over and over it looked like Haymitch was about to die and didn't, that Snow was going to toy with him and make him realize that there is a fate worse than death. I knew Snow was a bastard, but damn, I guess I didn't know just how bad he really was! (hide spoiler)]

Angie ☯ wrote: "Same here, Jenny!

Poor Haymitch! What a thing to have hanging over him every birthday; knowing he'd have to mentor 2 new kids for the games. Let alone everything else that was thrown at him. I th..."

Just finished the book and boy was it brutal. Snow sure was on a power trip in this one. I agree with you Angie, after everything Haymich had been through, I would've thought he would do something worse than drink. He said "I don't drink" two times in the beginning of the book, and each time it stung like hell, knowing how he'd end up.

I really loved the epilogue, and think it was a beautiful way to end the book. I was fighting back tears so hard the last chapters, as I was in public and did not want to break down over a book in front of a stranger 😂

Jenny wrote: "I stayed up late last night to finish this. I loved and hated it. I really wish I hadn't known any of Haymitch's backstory before this book. But, on the other hand, it wouldn't have meant as much i..."

I agree, Jenny. Knowing how it ended took away the element of surprise several times, but I don't think I would've cared much for this book if I had read it before the series.

(view spoiler)[Beetee was one of my favorite characters from the series, and Ampert's fate was one that really marked me. Imagine being forced to watch your kid die like that, and with his wife being pregnant at the end, he must have been so scared for what Snow had in store for his second child.

And Louella! I didn't see her death coming. I wish she would have lasted longer, as I really liked the sweet relationship she had with Haymich (hide spoiler)]

I wondered after reading this if it would be a good intro to the series for new readers, but ultimately I think it is better to read after you already know the world. This one is so harsh, I think it would put people off reading any more of them.
I wonder if Deborah Harkness is having the same issue with her potential book on Gallowglass that everyone wants. (I assume it is everyone. teehee) Since we know what happens to him in the end, is it harder to write?

I agree with your take on Ampert and Beetee, Benedicte. That was hard to take.

What I am wondering about now, is Plutarch's actual motivations. (view spoiler)[ Was he using Haymitch, an untrained kid that he knew he could manipulate with a phone call to see if the games could be disrupted? Did he really think it would work? Did he care? Was he already a rebel at this point, or was he just someone who liked to play with stuff, and became a rebel after? I just don't know. (hide spoiler)]

I agree on the epilogue. I am so glad that there was one.

My copy just came in.

Wow! This book was amazing. I absolutely loved the original Hunger Games trilogy; both books and films and I love this one as well.
“Happy Birthday, Haymitch!” Imagine having to hear that every year and it is Reaping day!

Sunrise on the Reaping is a brutal, gut-wrenching dive into Haymitch Abernathy’s past. Haymitch is 16 and ‘not a drinker’ at the outset of this novel. But after everything that happens to him in the Games after, no wonder Haymitch drinks so much later in life. They gave him hope and took it away.

My Favorite characters are Ampert and Maysilee. President Snow is just pure evil.

Ampert was strategic and resourceful, skilled in technology and sabotage who formed an alliance with tributes from non-career districts. It is horrible that he was reaped as punishment for his father’s actions against the Capitol.

Maysilee is a badass. She has a sharp wit but can also be quite blunt and critical. The Mockingjay pin worn by Katniss Everdeen was originally Maysville’s and later became a symbol for the second rebellion against the Capitol.

Snow a ruthless and tyrannical leader who will go to extreme lengths to maintain his grip on power His primary goal is to ensure absolute obedience, using psychological manipulation and brutal tactics to suppress any signs of rebellion.

A few random thoughts:
• The differences in how the "contestants" are treated in Katniss' games vs Haymitch's games is interesting.
• I can't believe how Haymitch was "picked" in the reaping.
• double the tributes? That’s just crazy!
• The replica of Louella was just creepy.

Jenny wrote: "I wondered after reading this if it would be a good intro to the series for new readers, but ultimately I think it is better to read after you already know the world. This one is so harsh, I think ..."

I was wondering about the same thing with Plutarch and his motivations. I don't know why, but when I started reading, I just assumed he was already in touch with District 13. That was probably not the case though. Did he really believe Haymich could change something?

I found it very frustrating how Haymich's attempts to destroy the arena never made it on screen, but even more frustrating how they put him in such a bad light and didn't show him interacting with and protecting the other tributes. I always knew they would keep the "destroying the arena" part secret and not show it to the audience, but they didn't have to portray him as an unreliable and selfish person in the same go.

I was wondering about that. I didn't get the impression in any of the books that the broadcast was on a tape delay or something, so they could edit before it went out to the public. Maybe some of his reality got out to the districts, but the final edit for the ceremony was the narrative that Snow wanted people to remember.

I can see some enterprising film student finding old footage and releasing a documentary series about the real hunger games after Snow was defeated.

Jenny wrote: "I can see some enterprising film student finding old footage and releasing a documentary series about the real hunger games after Snow was defeated...."

Love that idea!

Me too! Would be very interesting

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