Welcome to Litsy!

Just finished Sunrise on the Reaping the other day. Absolutely loved it but it was definitely hard to get over it. I never really liked or disliked Hamitch but I definitely understand him. His trauma was way worse than I imagined.

One of my May books is finally done. 🎧 read by Jefferson White. Haymitch and his backstory were even more tragic than was alluded in the original trilogy. Reading a book that doesn‘t have a lot of hope in it, but lots and lots of pain is hard, so it took me a while to get through it. A pretty gorey book. More connections to The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. I am looking forward to the movie.

Interesting story, with lots of tie-ins to the other books. It felt like there was a huge build up to the game, then the game, then an incredibly rushed ending. But I enjoyed it.

I devoured this, even with knowing the ending. It‘s been a long time since I‘ve read about the reaping, training, parade, trying to overthrow the Capital with disastrous results, and the arena where all things go to hell. This pairs fantastic with sitting poolside and is nostalgically wonderfully dramatic.

5/5 my new favorite book in the series. Couldn‘t put it down. Very graphic compared to the others in the series. Only negative-it left me emotionally exhausted

I ate every crumb. Idc if it was “needed” or not. This one was for the fans. 💜 4.5/5

I‘m not much of a cryer while reading books. Too many tears and I can‘t see what I‘m reading! However, this book definitely got me in the feels. #sundayfunday

I loved this book! Definitely on my list of favorites for 2025. I kept describing it as brutal & it is (not sure how they‘ll make a pg-13 movie out of this one). As I‘m sure everyone knows, this is Haymitch‘s story, so readers of the trilogy know how it‘s going to end. That doesn‘t take away from the emotions throughout. There‘s also a lot of connections with characters from Catching Fire & Mockingjay. 5/5 ⭐️

For me, this wasn't as amazing as the 'Hunger Games' trilogy or 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes'. However, I did really enjoy it - it was heartbreaking to read Haymitch's story and discover everything he suffered. This is definitely one of my all time fave series.

Follows the formula of the first 2 books: reaping, training, the games, the aftermath. It was excellent
💔😭💔😭💔

My husband's out of town, so I decided to spend my Friday evening reading this book for 7 hours straight and making myself miserable 😂😭 It was like being transported back to Christmas 2008, when I was 14 and had just received The Hunger Games as a gift from my dad, and I stayed up all night devouring it. Much more so than the other prequel, this one enthralled me and broke my heart.

My #readingbracket2025 as of April 2025. Sunrise on the Reaping told Haymitch's story the way I knew it had to go for him to cope the way he does as an adult victor. But then Collins took it up 10 notches and absolutely decimated my heart with the other tributes' stories/deaths, the spotlight on the insidious nature of propaganda, a small glimpse of what it takes to start a revolution, and the reality of how long it can take to effect change.

This is a gut punch of a read. If you read the original trilogy or saw the movies, you know this is going to be tragic. However, the author still gives us hope@and keeps us reading and then crushes you to itty bitty pieces. Still an excellent read, but now I need to go rewatch/reread the original so I know it is not all for nothing. 4.5⭐️

I really liked this one. The set up to get us to the events of the original series were some of my favorite things to see.

I used this one for another Orilium prompt. This time was Inscription.

My best April book knocked out some really good books in the battle for my best book of the year. 🤩

May hopefuls.

This doesn‘t include my ebooks or audiobooks.

I had two five star reads in April so I decided to use one of my wild cards #BookBracket2025 @CSeydel

What were the best books you read in April?

This was a hard choice for April!

33.2025

Finally got my hands on this one! Can‘t wait to cry hysterically!

Good but I didn't love it like the original trilogy. Which I now want to reread!

Time flies, it has been forever since I read the original books.

As a prequel, there are certain things that won‘t come as a surprise in this book, but that doesn‘t mean they don‘t pack a punch!

Haymitch‘s hunger games was an excellent choice for its own book, and really shows how he became the man we meet in the hunger games trilogy. It was great to see some other familiar people in there too, along with Snow being as despicable as ever.

3.5/5 🌟

I liked it better than the last book, but it still didn‘t measure up to the original trilogy. Just okay.

5✨ Loving the Hunger Games Series so much that my husband had to remind me to eat. I knew I needed to pick this up. I was not disappointed. While we know the outcome of the games if you‘ve read the series it doesn‘t stop the excitement. With obvious dread as we near the end, and then it also has information of after the games that leads up to the hunger game series.

1. I‘m still thinking about the tagged book on a regular basis…
2. I‘m sad to say that I tried two Leigh Bardugo books and bailed on both. Maybe at another time…
#wondrouswednesday

Finished this and I really enjoyed it. I liked the small details this added as well.

Haymitch‘s backstory gripped me just as hard as when I read Katniss exclaim, “I volunteer as Tribute.” Loved stepping into Panem again. Seeing characters in earlier years and knowing where they end up was bittersweet. Quite a satisfying emotional rollercoaster. If Collins has more of these kinds of backstories in her pocket, I‘m here for them!

This is incredibly dark for a YA book, and it is really difficult to read a dystopian at this point in history, but Haymitch's story is well told. The book is not uplifting, but it is gripping. I appreciated the Poe quotes.

Unlikeable though Haymitch initially was when he was first introduced in The Hunger Games, there was always an indication that there was more to him; a reason why he had become a miserable alcoholic. SOTR does a brilliant job of capturing the feel of the original books, making the reader feel for the characters, and keeping us smack dab in the thick of the battle both inside and outside of the arena.

Better than the last one, but the first two are still my faves. I did like how this connected some of the dots. And it was just fun, in a sort of sick & twisted way, to return to the Gamemaker‘s world.

Suzanne Collins knocks it out of the park once again! It's the second quarter quell and Haymitch's infamous Hunger Games with twice the number of children reaped. It was fascinating to see how the experiences in his teens made Haymitch the man he was when Katniss met him. I also loved the focus on propoganda and questioning why people don't fight back against oppression. Timely.

So good. I love Haymitch. All the characters were so fleshed out and I love the connections between this book and the original trilogy. You find out so much. And it‘s so tragic. Love this book.

This. This is what I expect from a Hunger Games book. It‘s fantastic.

Oh hamitch any of this would be enough to turn anyone to drink ! I personally loved this book I loved the slow paced start the reaping the run up to the games the friendships and comradey. Yes it is shocking and violent in places but I think a great story , loved the old characters appearing mags as mentor and the nod to Katniss at the end , a wonderful wonderful edition to brilliant series. Now don‘t mess the film up !gardens at Blenheim palace

5⭐
•Now this is the character backstory I wanted, not Coriolanus Snow. This was so freaking good, even knowing, for the most part, how it ends. The journey it took to get there, the characters from past Hunger Games books, and the easter eggs of info, all made this a standout prequel.
•Jefferson White (Jimmy from Yellowstone) was super fantastic.

Can you guess what I did this cold and rainy day

Mostly been listening to the new Hunger Games prequel this weekend but I might start The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet #WeekendReads

Suzanne Collins gives us another revelatory, thought-provoking, tragic, and hopeful piece of Hunger Games history in this prequel starring our favorite, inebriated mentor from District 12, in his own lethal Quarter Quell, when he was 16 and in love with a daring Covey girl of his own. The insights and character origins we get are more than worth the read on their own, but young Haymitch‘s powerful examination of propaganda is even more valuable.

Like so many others I was worried about this one- I didn‘t like Ballad so much. So I was relieved at how good it was. Brought back the same feels as the original even though you kind of already know how this story ends. I loved being back in Panem and getting Haymitch‘s story. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another very mixed week IRL of joys and otherwise but that‘s life right? This week‘s joys:
1. SOTR discussion at my favorite indie bookstore, complete with gifts and a cool tote.
2. Cory Booker and Susan Crawford.
3. Reconnecting with former coworkers at a rooftop reception.
4. Penguin resistance!
5. Shopping at the Amish market, but first breakfast! Including a big bowl of grits swimming in 🧈
#5joysfriday

Finally it's outdoor reading time. And outdoor napping for 🐕

Starting this one

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wrapping my head around this one, so I don't have many words. This might be the most well-written of all of them.

Continuing to break hearts, Ms. Collins. I am unwell.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐