May the Odds be EVER in your favor- My Hunger Games thoughts and Dream Cast

Lately I've fallen back into reading. A LOT. I think in the last 3 weeks I've read 4 or 5 books entirely. Amongst these books that I have read was the Hunger Games Trilogy.

"The Hunger Games (2008) is a young-adult science fiction novel written by Suzanne Collins. It was originally published on September 14, 2008. It is the first book of the Hunger Games trilogy^. It introduces sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in a post-apocalyptic world in the country of Panem where North America once stood. This is where a powerful government working in a central city called the Capitol holds power. In the book, the Hunger Games are an annual televised event where the Capitol chooses one boy and one girl (between the ages of 12 and 18) from each district to fight to the death. The Hunger Games exist to demonstrate not even children are beyond the reach of the Capitol's power." (This description was borrowed from Wikipedia)

I had heard from many friends and family members that these books were fantastic. So on a whim, I bought the Hunger Games 1st book about 2 months ago. Since then it had been collecting dust on my nightstand, and one day I kind of glanced over at it, and decided to give it a go.

HOLY CRAP. I read the entire first book in 2 nights. I could not put it down, especially once I hit the middle of the book where everything picks up lightning fast. This book was intense! After finishing the first one, I had to wait a few days for Christmas, since my mom flat out told me she had bought me the other two books in the trilogy so I wouldn't be tempted to go out and buy them myself once I read the first one (as I did with Twilight)

Once I got my hands on Catching Fire and Mockingjay it only took me 3 evenings to get through both of the books in their entirety. The suspense DEFINITELY did not stop in the first book, I found myself reading faster at certain points in both novels because I NEEDED to know what happened next, and I needed to know it fast. 

I definitely think these books are more for an older YA audience. They are extremely violent, and disturbing even in some spots. I am looking forward to seeing the movie when it comes out, which according to random sites on the internet should be sometime in 2012. Gary Ross will be directing it. 

While reading these books, images of the characters were running through my head based off of the descriptions given, so I created my own dream cast!

Katniss Everdeen-narrator of the story, 16 years old

Camilla Belle (Ellen Page was my runner up, although she's a bit more pale than I was picturing!)

Gale Hawthorne- Katniss's friend and hunting partner

Ben Barnes (with Penn Badgley as a runner up)

Peeta Mellark-District 12 tribute for the games

Alex Pettyfer (with Chord Overstreet from Glee as a runner up)

Haymitch Abernathy - Former games winner, raging drunk

He may be a bit too old looking, but I think Phillip Seymour Hoffman would do a fantastic job at the role. (Robert Downey Jr. as a runner up)

Primrose Everdeen - Katniss's 12 year old sister

Bella Thorne, although her hair is darker than I was picturing. 

Rue - Tribute from District 11, 12 years old

Yara Shahidi, she may be a bit too young though..

Effie Trinkett- escorts the tributes from district 12 from the reaping all the way to the capitol, kind of an airhead

Kristen Chenoweth would be my top pick, with Amy Poehler as a runner up.

Cinna - District 12 tributes stylist, responsible for public appearances

Groany groan groan, I know he was in Twilight, but I think he would make a great Cinna! Peter Facinelli is my top pick for this one, with Jared Leto as a runner up.

Caesar Flickerman - popular Capitol reporter who is famous for conducting interviews for the Hunger Games for more than forty years

Neil Patrick Harris would be my top pick for this. I haven't even thought of a runner up!

President Snow - Ruler of Panem and the Capitol. Needs to be both terrifying but mildly likeable as well

Victor Garber is my top pick. He looks friendly enough, but can also look extremely creepy!

Glimmer - Female tribute from District 1

 Kaley Cuoco fits the description for me

Clove - female tribute from district 2

Malese Jow

Foxface - Female Tribute from District 5

Evan Rachel Wood

Cato - Male tribute from district 2(very large and strong)

Groany groan groan again, but a brunette, clean-shaven Kellan Lutz fits the description for me! (plus this picture is too droolworthy not to post on here)

Those are all the characters that stood out to me in terms of descriptions.

Anyone else read these books and come up with their own dream cast? I'd love to hear!

Are you a book junkie?

How about a music or movie junkie? I know I am, and on the Swagbucks website I noticed a Special Offer link for a site called Swaptree.

How it works? Users sign up (it's completely free!) and then they add items to their "Have" list on the site. These items are ones you are willing to put up for trade in exchange for other items. You also create a "Want" list, where you search and add titles or items that you want. 

Swaptree then notifies you if an item you want is available for trade for an item that you have. The only cost to you is shipping costs, but Swaptree steps it up with the option to add a credit card to your account, and print postage straight from the website after a trade has been accepted! This postage label can be printed on regular computer paper and packing taped to a bubble mailer (you can gets packs of 2 that pefectly fit books and DVDs at the Dollar Tree for $1), and then all you have to do is drop  it in the mailbox and it's ready to go.

Swagbucks offers a nice amount of swagbucks when you complete your first few trades. I just signed up for Swaptree last week, and have completed 4 trades so far. The first trade I was given 100 Swagbucks. And then 40 each for the following 3 trades. That is 220 swagbucks just for trading out old books and movies, for books and movies I would rather have!

By using Swaptree I have decreased my carbon footprint by 35 pounds and saved $23 just by trading 4 items.

Be sure to sign up for Swagbucks first if you are not already a member:

Then click on Special Offers, and Swaptree should be along the top banner!

I received my first two items yesterday:

I decided to read Something Borrowed first and am about 5 chapters in :)

Is Anyone Else Getting Really Excited?

I just recently finished reading all the Twilight books. I was uncertain about them when they first came out, but after enough of my friends recommended them to me, I read through them, and now I'm hooked! I'm currently listening to the New Moon audiobook whenever I'm doing anything else, getting more excited chapter by chapter.

I think I'm becoming a Twi-nerd.....

November 20th needs to show up faster!