Catching Fire

Catching Fire is the second book in The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.  The book picks up after the events of The Hunger Games.  Katniss and Peeta have returned home after winning the Hunger Games and are attempting to adjust to life back in their District.  But everything is far from good in Panem.  There are rumors of a rebellion against the Capitol and Katniss has become the unwilling face of the rebellion which makes her and Peeta and everyone they love enemies of the Capitol. 

I loved The Hunger Games and had very high hopes for Catching Fire - and Suzanne Collins did not disappoint.  It was odd.  I bought this book off Audible as soon as it came out but I kept it letting it sit on my iPod and never got around to listening to it.  I had no problems postponing it while I listened to other books.  But, once I started listening to it, I found it impossible to turn off.  (Carolyn McCormick does an excellent job narrating this series by the way.)  There were plenty of things that I saw coming in the story but that didn't detract from it all.  I highly recommend this series to everybody. I eagerly anticipate the release of the third book in August 2010; however, the release will be bittersweet.  Once I read the third book, I'll have reached the end of the series. Like Harry, Ron and Hermoine, I'll only be able to visit Katniss and Peeta in rereads (or fan fiction!)

Also, if you would like to explore more of Suzanne Collins' work, I advise you to give The Underland Chronicles a try.  They're fantasy books also but have a very different tone than The Hunger Games.  There's a lot of humor in them and they're good reads.  The Underland Chronicles are also  more suitable for younger audiences than The Hunger Games.