#finally reading the hunger games books is fucking me up

[gogtropica]

Who wants to discuss the ballad of songbirds and snakes with me no one understands the sadness plaguing me as i make my way through this book

[englishsub]

book rec by me

so you want to get back into reading books but have no idea where to start and disdain booktok (if you get me started on this however i will become an unskippable cutscene so that's for another day). understandable. there is so much out there and it is all so overwhelming and you don't even know what you like now that you've been a decade out of the game. again, understandable. it does not have to be scary. i will help you. below i have created some categories that can get you started.

i want to read Literature

literary fiction, with crossover from historical fiction and magical realism

PEACH BLOSSOM SPRING by melissa fu

THE VASTER WILDS by lauren groff

THE FAMILY CHAO by lan samantha chang

OUTER DARK by cormac mccarthy

SEVERANCE by ling ma

LIGHT FROM UNCOMMON STARS by ryka aoki

IDENTITTI by mithu m. sanyal

PIRANESI by susanna clarke

i want to read sci-fi/fantasy that won't break my brain

sci-fi and fantasy that is gentler on the brain cells. easier to grasp magic systems with multiple but not an overwhelming number of overlapping plotlines

EMILY WILDE'S ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF FAERIES by heather fawcett

KINGS OF THE WYLD by nicholas eames

THE JASMINE THRONE by tasha suri

THE CITY OF BRASS by s.a. chakraborty

A RIVER ENCHANTED by rebecca ross

JUNIPER AND THORN by ava reid

BLACK SUN by rebecca roanhorse

THE FINAL STRIFE by saara el-arifi

THE BONE SHARD DAUGHTER by andrea stewart

i want to read sci-fi/fantasy that forces me to lock the fuck in

i would not recommend picking these up as your first foray back into books after many years of not reading recreationally, but i'm not your mom.

THE SPEAR CUTS THROUGH WATER by simon jimenez

JADE CITY by fonda lee

THE FIFTH SEASON by n.k. jemisin

THE RAGE OF DRAGONS by evan winter

A MEMORY CALLED EMPIRE by arkady martine

GIDEON THE NINTH by tamsyn muir

THE ART OF PROPHECY by wesley chu

THE GRACE OF KINGS by ken liu

horrify me!

there is far more to the horror literary canon than stephen king and dean koontz, i promise. consider looking up warnings for these.

TENDER IS THE FLESH by agustina bazterrica

THE RUINS by scott smith

CONFESSIONS by kanae minato

EPISODE THIRTEEN by craig dilouie

REPRIEVE by james han mattson

MARY by nat cassidy

DEAD SILENCE by s.a. barnes

AUDITION by ryu murakami

THE SALT GROWS HEAVY by cassandra khaw

don't care, i want romance

some of these feature crossover genres, like fantasy and horror.

VAMPIRES OF EL NORTE by isabel cañas

DAUGHTER OF THE MOON GODDESS by sue lynn tan

SEVEN DAYS IN JUNE by tia williams

HAPPY PLACE by emily henry

ONE DARK WINDOW by rachel gillig

i want QUEER romance

again, a mix of historical, fantasy, and contemporary crossover genres.

WE COULD BE SO GOOD by cat sebastian

IN MEMORIAM by alice winn

MOST ARDENTLY by gabe cole novoa

A STRANGE AND STUBBORN ENDURANCE by foz meadows

A MARVELLOUS LIGHT by freya marske

THE EMPEROR AND THE ENDLESS PALACE by justinian huang

SPELL BOUND by f.t. lukens

SORRY, BRO by taleen voskuni

ONE LAST STOP by casey mcquiston

DELILAH GREEN DOESN'T CARE by ashley herring blake

i haven't felt anything since i read percy jackson/the hunger games in middle school/high school

adventure is still out there.

SCYTHE by neil shusterman

WE HUNT THE FLAME by hafsah faizal

SIX OF CROWS by leigh bardugo

GEARBREAKERS by zoe hana mikuta

i'll read anything that's not straight or white

many books in the above categories fit this, but here's even more, across a variety of genres.

LAST NIGHT AT THE TELEGRAPH CLUB by malinda lo

BABEL by r.f. kuang

WHEN THE RECKONING COMES by latanya mcqueen

THE UNBROKEN by c.l. clark

IF YOU'LL HAVE ME (graphic novel) by eunnie

LEGEND OF THE WHITE SNAKE by sher lee

THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR by amal el-mohtar and max gladstone

SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN by shelley parker-chan

"all ya books suck"

like any other genre or book age group, there are duds and there are standouts. ya is not special in this regard. try some of these!

DIVINE RIVALS by rebecca ross

STRIKE THE ZITHER by joan he

THE RED PALACE by june hur

A STUDY IN DROWNING by ava reid

EMPIRE OF SAND by tasha suri

LEGENDBORN by tracy deonn

i check out and read a lot of these books for free via my local library by using the libby app (you can even add your friends' library cards to gain access to libraries in places you don't live). when i'm feeling like reading via audiobook, i use libro fm!

look, no one HAS TO read diversely. no one is going to be reverse fahrenheit 451'd and locked in a room with no fanfic and only books and not let out until they work their way through the entire literary canon. but reading, and reading widely, and reading diversely, is what teaches people to form their own opinions and question the things they are told. it's why they hang up stuff like "READ READ READ!!" in grade school classrooms.

we live under systems that increasingly benefit from going unquestioned. no, of course reading ASSASSIN'S APPRENTICE by robin hobb is not going to dismantle these systems tomorrow, nor probably even in our lifetimes. but doing it will help set up a world capable of doing it in the future. and until further notice, we are all part of this wretched world. might as well read a good story while we're here.

anyway, i'm reading THE WEST PASSAGE by jared pechaček and the new cmq book this week.

[daintyys]

needy

MDNI - fem!reader x coriolanus snow, 1k words, angst, swearing, non-descript masturbation, needy coryo, intentional lowercase, lmfao i hope its not obvious but i need to reread the book

an: this is literally AWFUL but i needed to post and i didn't want my first post in a while to be smut. i'm taking asks for coryo and sejanus! if u want me to write anything just ask me!

he's into you. he hates to admit it, but its true. when you're assigned as partners for a project, coryo doesn't know how to act.

coriolanus snow had a problem: he was too observant. whenever you were around, he couldn't stop himself from watching your every move. he disgusted himself, honestly. how perverted he was, being obsessed with a girl he hardly knew. how even more perverted he felt as he rushed home from the academy, straight to his bedroom, needing to fuck himself to the thought of your face. you were too pretty not to think about, he had to rationalize with himself whilst cumming on his sheets.

the professors at the academy were being tough on their students, as the end of term was drawing near. coriolanus constantly found himself buried in projects, textbook readings, and presentations. he wasn't worried though, his grades were perfect, he had exemplary attendance, and had never turned in a late assignment. all he had to do was get past his exams, and then it was all over.

history class was no exception. professor demigloss assigned an 8-page essay analyzing cassius heath, the winner of the first hunger games, and it was to be done with a partner.

demigloss was notorious for not letting students pick whom they wanted to work with, so it was no surprise as he began to read out the pairings for the essay.

coriolanus was bored. he knew all about the first games, and certainly didn't give a damn about cassius heath. he was 8 when the games happened, his father had just been killed, and he understood they were made to punish the districts.

what finally got his attention was hearing your name, along with, ironically, his. he looked up quickly, turning his head toward where you were seated. you stared back at him, flashing him a smile. fuck, coryo thought. just his luck.

the essay was to be done outside of class, so coriolanus gathered all his courage to stop you in the hall after history.

when the bell rang, he ran straight for the door, and stood outside it to wait for you. he clutched the strap of his satchel, palms sweating and knuckles turning white.

you exited the classroom, and coryo's breath hitched. he'd never been this close to you before, even if it was just 10 feet. he cleared his throat and you looked up. "y/n." he greeted, sounding colder than he had intentioned.

you approached him and smiled, reaching out to shake his hand. coryo quickly wiped his palm on his jacket and took your hand in his, shaking it. "i'm afraid we've never actually spoken before." you noted, taking your hand back. "you seem to be right." you answered his agreement with a nod. this was awkward.

"so, y/n, when should we plan to do this essay?" coriolanus queried, running a hand through his unruly hair. you cocked your head. "tonight? my place?" you proposed, opening your satchel to retrieve paper and pen to write your address.

coryo nodded, feeling his neck begin to sweat. "great," you affirmed, handing him the paper. "just come over after class lets out." with that, you walked away, leaving coryo dumbfounded.

he had been quiet, cold, and he was disgustingly clammy. stupid, nervous, guilty, girl-crazy coriolanus.

when school let out, it felt to coriolanus like it had been days since he'd seen you. he took out the paper with your address, admiring your handwriting. your hand had been small and soft... he wished he could touch you again.

covering the growing bulge in his pants with his satchel, coryo made his way to your apartment.

coriolanus deeply regretted all those times he'd jerked off to the thought of you. he never thought he would actually have to talk to you, and yet here he was. how could he look you in the eye? he hardly knew you, and you hardly knew him.

you lived in a nice building, and your apartment was close to the top floor, with a fantastic view of the city (which wasn't really much to look at). coriolanus knocked at your door, pushing his hair out of his face.

you opened the door after a moment, out of the academy uniform and wearing an adorable floral sundress. "coriolanus!" you smiled, opening the door further for him to enter. he walked into your apartment, admiring the interior.

"you have a very lovely home, y/n." he complimented, placing his satchel on a bench next to the door. you blushed at his remark. "it is lovely, isn't it, but it's quite far from the academy. speaking of which, you didn't walk all the way here, did you?"

coriolanus paused. neither him nor tigris had a car, so there was no way for him to be driven somewhere, and he hated asking for favors. "i like walking," he lied. "i get to see the city." you smiled, guiding him to the study. "there really isn't much to see." you joked.

the two of you sat close to each other at the desk, legs brushing against together every few minutes. you both read your textbooks, compared your finds, and drafted the essay.

you found yourself admiring coriolanus. everything you'd heard about him seemed to be true. he was a genius, sickeningly handsome, and one hell of a writer. every time you made eye contact with him, you could feel your heart pounding in your throat.

there was definitely tension between the two of you, your bodies grazing each other, feeling the other jump every time you touched. coriolanus struggled to focus on the task at hand, resisting the urge to kiss you. you noticed this change in him.

"coriolanus, do you like me or something?" you joked, eyes skimming your textbook. coriolanus paused. "i tolerate you." he deflected, face burning. "well you hardly know me!" you giggled, eyes bearing into his.

"that's why it's easy to tolerate you, y/n." he smirked, blue eyes glistening. you rested your head on your hand, studying his features. coryo pretended not to notice, his heart beating rapidly as he acted like he was reading.

you smiled at him, and bit slightly down on your lip. you hardly knew this guy, so why were you trying so hard to get his attention?

coriolanus met your gaze, looking from your eyes to your lips. "i want to kiss you, y/n." he ventured, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. "oh do you?" you giggled. "yes, i do." coryo sat up straight, turning his body towards yours. you looked up at him longingly, mouth slightly ajar.

he gently cupped your face, rubbing your cheek with the pad of his thumb. "i need to kiss you." coryo clarified, his cock straining against his pants. "then do it." you purred.

so he did.

[iwillseeyouinanother-life]

Just finished the hunger games trilogy. Fucking wow.

I am glad I waited till college to read this. I would not have understood a single thing when these were popular in middle school.

The final act of mockingjay was brutal.

I use hoopla so I have a bunch of bookmarks throughout the book (mostly me bitching).

I have a history and political science class this semester (I’m in college) I think I’m going to compile all my thoughts and take what stayed with me into those classes.

These books further support something I hold dear to my soul as a social studies major.

Art is the documentation of the human experience.

The Hunger Games is documentation of American apathy to war and violence perpetrated by our own government. The glorification of said violence through propaganda and well executed lies. How division is created by a few powerful people at the very top to conquer and rule to keep a death grip onto whatever power they can grasp.

The Hunger Games is also the documentation of the resilience of the human spirit. How hope in the depths of despair can make a difference. How radical kindness and empathy and love can be in such an unequal broken system designed to chew up and spit people out can be.

I think these books should be put on the shelves and taught in classrooms right next to Fahrenheit 451 and The Outsiders.

I am anxious and excited to see what Sunrise On The Reaping has in store.

[skinnypig2]

see, the thing about starfield, is that if i were my character - not just any space explorer, but specifically my character, as a member of Constellation, in the setting of starfield - i would be so content and happy in that life.

i would love the day-to-day domesticity of the lodge, being around people who not only enrich your life in an academic sense, but are truly family.

like, everything. the little things. the meals, the conversations, the debates, the learning, the helping and growing, the movie nights, the game nights, the quiet calm reading by the fire, the cookie days, wondering what Barrett is cooking, what Noel is currently researching, what book Cora’s reading at the moment. being part of everyone’s life as much as they’re all a part of yours and each others’. Helping Sarah through and overcome her fear, anger, grief, doubts. Falling in love and getting married?Helping Andreja open up to the rest of the group, growing closer as a family. The appreciation for science, history, art, culture, humanity. That eager excitement on the cusp of learning something new, either out in the field or among anxious chatter as Sarah calls a meeting. that inexhaustible wonder always ever so present. Visiting the Eye. I would love to spend some time up there, just learning all the equipment and how everything works. And hearing Vlad’s stories from his time in the Fleet. Hearing all their stories. And telling them mine. This positive feedback loop of care, wonder, love, learning, happiness, and hunger, intertwined.

And then traveling space together with the people you care about??! finally commissioning a bigger ship for us, being able to travel as a group on longer, further expeditions when the want or if the need arises. And the day-to-day that comes with that. The dynamic of being cramped on a ship, sure, but it doesn’t matter because you’re with people you love, all doing something you love. Being among the beauty of the cosmos, encountering so many interesting people, the thrill of piloting, even the routine maintenance, and the tired evenings after a day of exploration. Peering into space for hours contemplating everything. Landing on a barren moon and basking in its serenity. Being awestruck at the beauty of a planet lush with diverse life.

It is so much but it is all wonderfully appealing.

More than just an interesting pipe dream – It would be truly fulfilling for me.

Insane how deeply this game resonates with me. How it speaks to me and appeals to this side of me which I love, but has been so starved. “You’re part of Constellation now…” -yes, Sarah, you don’t know much I actually wish that were true.

Is that fucking stupid?

[myfruitlessthorns]

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐧𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬, 𝐅𝐎𝐌𝐎 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥-𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐞𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬

as an 18-year-old, 2006 baby, most of my fandoms were in their prime long before i was even cognisant. i mean, merlin had finished by the time i had just started school, superwholock was thriving away as i obliviously flicked from the ludicrous image of matt smith dancing away in the tardis to sherlock babbling away to john on the bbc, and even by the time i'd hit secondary school, i was left with the tail ends of pretty little liars. i can just remember so desperately binging the entire show at the ripe age of 11, just to catch the shitty season finale and exactly on time for the enraged twitter afterparty. living like this, i've somewhat made peace with the fact that i am a sort of fangirl-archaeologist, sifting away happily through the dusty ruins of once great and mighty fandoms and finding the occasional relic hidden - fantastically written fanfiction.net smut hidden amidst the rubble of mid 2010s jhutch whistle edits.

however, bitter as i am, nothing - and i repeat - *nothing* has given me such enraging, all consuming FOMO as the ballad of songbirds and snakes. 

picture the scene. its 2020. a young, 14-year-old tisha has just finished the hunger games trilogy. she adores it, and to her luck, the brilliant suzanne collins has decidedly published a prequel just as she tucks mockingjay away, back into her bookshelf. perfect timing, right? i just remember the feeling of 'i cant wait to read it!' battling away with 'except it's covid so i cant' and one of my friends had pre-ordered it anyway, so i was determined to get my hands on a copy as soon as lockdown was over. 

except, after lockdown finished, came gcses and after gcses finished came a levels and it was then, amidst personal statements and entrance exams and oxbridge applications that *it* came out. the ballad of songbirds and snakes: the fucking film. i was long out of my hunger games phase; i dont think i considered even quickly flicking through the novel before going to the theatres. im a purist like that - book before film always - but i just didnt have time to read it and so, completely oblivious to the fact that i was alive and concious, missing the hunger games renaissance when every other teenager was obsessing over tom blyth and making fan edits of rachel zegler and listening to the soundtrack on repeat, i decided to save the book till after a levels.

and what a fucking mistake. 

the fact that i could’ve revelled in the prime of tbosas fandom in live time and been there at its peak!!! and that i fucking missed it???? everyone i knew watching that masterpiece play out in theatres and now, i have to sit and listen to you all reminiscing about november 2023 not knowing what that felt like, envying the fyp full of coriolanus snow edits and the fresh off the cut late night interviews with the cast that you all got to experience. in fact, the movie has aged just enough to be declared a ‘phase’ by everyone that was there in at its peak. and its driving me up the wall, because the worst part of all this is i have no one to talk to share my burning obsession with, knowing well, that 11 months ago, half the internet would’ve happily shared it with me.

so please, tbosas fans, if there are any of you still active, if you empathise with the plight of listening to ‘cant catch me now’ on repeat whilst pretending to be lucy gray - lets be mutuals. please.

-a girl going slightly insane.

(on a side note, i have sincerely learnt from my mistakes and will not, by ANY means, be leaving sunrise on the reaping to the last minute. i just hope its as good as tbosas!!!! in suzanne collins, we trust!)

[starysky1289]

hii OMGG I LOVED HOW YOU WROTE MY REQUEST 💗💗💗 could i please maybe request sorority vannessa (again) maybe her and the reader get into an argument over something and she fucks the reader dukb?:3

Hehehe yes I love the idea of being railed dumb <3 also note, I’m not in college yet, so idk if they call the end of semester grades anything but they are report cards to me. Also this strayed from the main idea but it’s still kinda the same

Toxic!Sorority!Vanessa X Reader. Grades.

TW: toxic relationship, degrading, DubCon

“ haha, yes! A 100 in my English history class! If I keep this up I could graduate a year early! “

“ whatever, it’s just a superlative, I’m passing my classes just fine. “

You were walking across campus with Vanessa, eyeing down your report card. They were straight 100s, minus a few 87s in your history class. Vanessa’s card was 65s, 70s, and a few 93s. You held her arm tighter, looking up at her.

“ well, I can always help you study, you know I don’t mind, I wanna see you do good. I watched your mock court case, you where completely right about your case, even if it wasn’t ‘ bar appropriate’ “

“ I don’t study. I party, get wasted, and spend time with my pretty girl. Besides, you sound like a nerd when you talk about your grades. “

Vanessa pulled you into her, kissing you gently. You chuckled, rolling your eyes.

“ well your grades show it, don’t be upset when i graduate before you. “

Vanessa scoffed, walking faster towards your dorm house. You pulled against her, you had to get to your next class.

“ Vanessa stop, we don’t have time for pit stops- “

“ well you like to run your mouth, i think i should show you what you really are to me. “

“ No Vanessa, I want to go to my class. I’m not in the mood anyway. “

You let go of Vanessa arm, turning to head towards your class. You made it a bit before being yanked back, feeling Vanessa fingers shoved down your throat. You knew it was hers, you could feel her acrylics scratching your throat. Your eyes rolled back slightly, and you felt Vanessa gentle kisses against your face.

“ see how you just stop for me? You go stupid with me. Cmon. To your dorm, we have a hour before your roomates back. “

She pulled her fingers back, they dripped with your saliva. You reluctantly followed her back to your dorm. Most professors had been letting you off for the lates or missing because of Vanessa, only because you’d always get any work you missed done.

She walked you into your dorm, and sat you down on your bed. You tried to push her away, tried to fight back against her advances but you couldn’t.

“ see how pretty and stupid you are? You can’t even get me off you…you love me too much y/n…. “

“ I-i don’t love you…y-your gonna make me fail my classes- “

“ here we go again. Did you just see your grades? Yourll be fine, infact, why don’t we study~ “

She finally got behind you, sitting behind you and pulling you onto her lap. She dug through your back pack and pulled out a textbook, flipping it open to a random page.

“ Here. Read this page, and if you finish in time we’ll run to your class. “

You grumbled, narrowing your eyes on the paper. Vanessa’s hands trailed up and down your body, as you began to read.

“ as seen in works such as ‘ the hunger games-?! “

You where immediately interrupted by the thrust of Vanessa fingers into you cunt, you could feel her warm breath heavy against your neck as she nuzzled into you.

“ keep going…any time you mess up or moan you restart the paragraph…”

“ f-fuck…w-written by s-Suzan c-Collin…a-a curr-erupted government c-can symbolize- oh nessy p-please…”

“ restart. “

You whine as she slams her fingers deeper into you, how she curled them up against the roof to f your dripping pussy just to mess you up.

“ a-as seen in w-works…s-such as t-the…Vanessa please~! “

“ your not getting anywhere like this. What, that desperately horny you can even read? For shame L/N. “

Vanessa slowly pulled out, putting the book to the side. You thrusted into her hips, whimpering softly for her again. You never got like this, how did she do this to you, how did she melt you so much you were desperate for her, like you hadn’t been touched in years.

Vanessa slowly laid you down on the bed, kissing every part of your revealed skin, slowly stripping you of your pants.

“ isn’t this better than another annoying class? Keep your legs spread, I’ll take care of you..”

Her words were soft, as she bent down to your core, gently being to drag her tongue against your folds, moans leaving your lips as soon as she did.

She’d keep you spread open with her hands as she would work her mouth over every part of your sensitive cunt, eating you out like you where her last meal. Your mind was melting from every movement, your mouth could only muster up incoherent words.

“ f-feels so good…so so good…n-need you..need your help a-always…”

“ awww…you get cuter every time I eat you out. Are you gonna cum already Y/N? Is my baby girl gonna cum from her mommy’s mouth? “

You moaned out again, pushing her head closer between your legs as you vigorously nodded.

“ Y-yesm!! G-gonna…gotta cum m-mommy…pwease p-please please let’s…”

“ that’s it baby…you cum all over mommy’s mouth…and afterwards I’ll make you taste yourself on my lips~ “

Her tongue only sped up, and so did your moans, feeling yourself get closer by the minute. First it was your legs shaking, then how you gripped the bedsheets, until you finally reached your climax, a loud ruined cry coming from you as your went limp in your sheets.

Vanessa rode out your high, before pulling back, chuckling to herself.

“ worthless, arnt you? You’re not all brains up there huh? Most of that brains just filled with thoughts on how I fuck you…what would your teachers say if they knew you weren’t all that smart huh? You can’t even complete a sentence with me on you like that…”

You couldn’t answer her, your mind felt like it was a mushy puddle, and your legs would twitch every few moments. Vanessa bent down and kissed you gently, letting her tongue slide into your mouth as you tasted her saliva mixed with your cum. You hated to admit how sweet you tasted, but you did, you were almost jealous that Vanessa could taste you and you couldn’t. You both pulled away from the kiss, Vanessa wipped her lips and turned away.

“ now. I have- “

“ stay p-please…d-don’t wanna be alone…”

She looked at you from the corners of her eyes, you must of looked pathetic, your legs a sticky mess and how you couldn’t move your own legs. She hesitated, looking down at her phone before groaning.

“ fine. But I’m not cuddling. I’ll just gonna sit here and scroll on my phone. “

She sat abover your head, and kicked her shoes off, beginning to scroll through her phone. You nuzzled your head against her thigh, she surprisingly didn’t move it away. You smiled softly, closing your eyes.

“ m..love you ness…”

“ yeah. You too. “

[exhuastedpigeon]

December 2 - 8

Here's your weekly rec list! I didn't reread anything this week, but I will be rereading some of the fics I read this week so it all balances out, probably.

The lists are tagged as ‘Han’s Buddie Recs’ and 'Han's Weekly Fic Recs'. Comments in italics are from me! 

Newly Read

Your Love is an Oil Slick (It Glows like Rainbows, It Stains My Soul) by letmetellyouaboutmyfeels/@letmetellyouaboutmyfeelsExplicit || 67.9k When Eddie's son claims he has an imaginary friend, Eddie doesn't think much of it. Christopher is seven, it's what kids do. But then weird things start happening around the house, and Eddie starts dreaming about a handsome blue-eyed man.

Turns out, Christopher's friend isn't so imaginary.

Their house is haunted.

If you liked Hot Ghost Problems by ebjameston this fic is for you. 

Both Blade and Branch by Daisies_and_Briars/@cal-daisies-and-briars Mature || 62.8k The chances of being struck by lightning twice are incredibly minute, but Buck still manages to pull it off. During a double date with Marisol and Natalia, nonetheless. Eddie manages to resuscitate him, but as Buck recovers from yet another trauma, Eddie can’t help but notice there’s something very different about him. He’s not quite sure what version of Buck he got back

This fic made me rabid. I’ve bullied at least three people into reading it in the last week and now you all are my latest victims. Read this story!!!!! It’s so damn good.

you and i'll be safe and sound by spaceprincessem/@spaceprincessem Teen || 50.8k the buddie hunger games au

This fic does such a great job staying true to Buck and Eddie’s characters while keeping the same plot/structure as The Hunger Games books. Highly recommend it! 

yearning from wanting you by farfromthstars/@buckactuallys Mature || 18.3k while christopher is at camp, buck and eddie strike up a friends with benefits situation. it doesn't really get complicated until the kid comes back.

it hurts to hope for more by 42hrb/@exhuastedpigeon Mature || 15.5k Buck wants to be a dad, it takes a couple break-ups and a major non-romantic heartbreak for him to figure out that maybe he already is.

This is half shameless self plug, half I actually read this fic this week after I posted it and was like 'damn bitch you actually did it, you wrote the fic you wanted to read'

reachin for me (makin love to someone else) by inbetweenthestacks/@organizedstardust Explicit || 8.3k Buck says Eddie’s name while having sex with Natalia.

can't do a love song (not the way you sang them to me) by hattalove/@hattalove Mature || 7.3k in which buck sleeps around for healthy reasons, and thinks about his next-door neighbor a healthy amount.

even when the heat breaks I’m still yours by thewolvesof1998/@thewolvesof1998 Explicit || 6.1k Buck and Eddie get stuck in a cabin during a heatwave, they finally take the next step and fuck nasty on the floor.

Ruin Me Like Castle Walls and Burn Me Like a Village by letmetellyouaboutmyfeels/letmetellyouaboutmyfeels Explicit || 6.5k When a call goes wrong, Buck sees a new side to Eddie, and starts to realize a lot of things about his best friend. And himself.

Dragon Eddie and extremely hot sex? Yes please. 

I have not wanted syllables by iphigenias/@oatflatwhite Mature || 3.3k Five times Buck and Eddie don’t say “I love you” + one time they do.

moth to a flame by brewrosemilk/@gayhoediaz Teen || 1.7k Eddie’s kiss is so gentle that Buck aches.

From the way in which he could be pushing Buck back into the lockers and cage him in - but is doing anything but. To the careful, barely-there hold on his face, and the sweet brush of his lips - light as a feather, no pressure added, tongue absolutely nowhere in sight.

WIPs

let you set the pace by devirnis/@devirnis Explicit || 12.7k (1/2 chapters completed) When Eddie had first broached the idea with Buck – haltingly, like he was afraid Buck was going to take offence, or something else ludicrous – Buck had gotten hard so fast that he’d felt lightheaded. Two whole days where Eddie would keep him tied to the bed (or other furniture, Buck’s sure) so he could have his wicked way with him? Buck must have done something very good in a past life.

[michellemisfit]

Weekly Tag Wednesday

Thanks for the game @heymacy 💜 and for the tag @gallapiech @sleepyheadgallavich

name: Michelle

age: 39

location: 🛁

top sheet, yes or no? I’m not sure what a top sheet is… is it just a thin sheet? Like instead of a duvet? In which case No. if it’s something else then someone please explain it to me and I will decide if yes or no lol

how many stuffed animals do you own? These days only like 5-10 max. Used to have hundreds.

the names of your pets (and the explanations behind them): Wiggins (after Bradley Wiggins the cyclist), Howard (after the foreman we had on a big build on the farm when we got the three kittens. His name was Howard Allen Crisp, and we loved him, so we named the three cats Howard, Allen, and Crispy), and Mouse R.I.P (after Mouse from The Dresden Files and Michael ‘Mouse’ Tolliver from Tales of the City)

favourite color: rainbow 🌈

any tattoos? Mickey Milkovich Voice: YEP YEP

how you transport your belongings (purse, tote, hands, pockets, etc.): small tartan backpack

the last movie you watched: watching the hunger games mockingjay tonight 🙌

how long does it take you to get ready in the morning? 10 minutes to get dressed, 10 minutes to eat breakfast, 10 minutes to do make up. If I am running late 2 and 3 are optional lol

favourite weather: 20 degrees, sunny, scattered clouds

relationship status: single, and not mingling

ice cream flavor of choice: chocolate with brownie chunks and stuff like that. The more bits of cake you can put into my ice cream the better. Which is ironic as I’m not a big fan of cake 🤷🏽‍♂️

first fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer 🫶 (I’m pretty sure wearing a Claddagh ring to a job interview got me my first real job lol)

how many books have you read this year? Trying to re-read Mockingjay, which will make the grand total… 1. Fucking fanfic man… 😬

first 4 words of your last notes app entry: Arrowshaft. Knock. Feathers. Point.

and finally, if you had to change your URL tomorrow, what would you change it to? I wouldn’t. There’s a few socials where I had to be MichelleMisfitX and I would like to drop the X. But that’s it.

Okay my lovelies. I’m very sleepy so tagging is gonna be a MESS! haha

@rutherinahobbit @deedala @darlingian @iandarling @too-schoolforcool @the-rat-wins @suzy-queued @vintagelacerosette @heymrspatel @gallawitchxx @whatthebodygraspsnot @ian-galagher @iansw0rld @palepinkgoat @faejilly @rereadanon @energievie @lupeloto @wehangout @sickness-health-all-that-shit @mybrainismelted @crossmydna @captainjowl @creepkinginc @tsuga-of-mars @lynne-monstr @mickeygifs @mikhailoisbaby @crestfallercanyon

[godsfavdarling]

Here's my acosf review. If you enjoy sjm and acotar pls don't read.

Also, this isn't much of a review. I just had to get this out of me.

The review is: this shit stinks just like everybody's arousal in this fucking book. Imagine being able to smell everybody's sex stink all the time. Disgusting.

1. The book should be half as long.

2. It reads like a fanfic and as if it was written by a man at the same time, which is strange, but congrats Sarah! You must be the first to ever achieve that.

3. Nesta is the only thing I liked.

4. Why was this sooooo long?

5. Sarah, please, I'm begging you: stop writing smut and focus on writing a good story.

summary:

In this final (for now) continuation about our favourite group of friends, we get to follow Nesta, Feyre's sister, who's been a million times more interesting from the beginning. Nesta is in her spiraling crazy hoe bitch era and spends some of Rhysand's money, which he doesn't like even though he's the fairy version of Jeff Bezos. Nesta is told she can't be a little hoe anymore and is locked away in one of Rhysand's houses "for her own good."

You see, when Tamlin locked Feyre away in his mansion for her own good, he was a bad, bad fairy. But locking Nesta up is totally okay because they just love her. Thank God she has Cassian around, her pilates instructor, who makes sure she eats well and exercises every day before she goes to this huge af library to put books away. There, she meets some girls who've been through it and try to find peace in their work and community. But Nesta thinks they should start working out.

At last, Nesta has some friends who also love smut. Good for them. Nesta has to find some horcruxes or something to stop some people, something, something cauldron. Anyway, she meets some bad guy and pisses herself <3

Also, Feyre is pregnant, and Rhys is a piece of shit, but I guess he is our favorite book boyfriend, and he can do no wrong.

But who cares about the plot? Most of this book is Cassian's huge veiny schlong and balls hitting Nesta's bare skin. This is what we're here for. Good for them, I guess? I didn't need to know all that, but hey! There's 800 pages! So they had to fill those (just like Cassian fills Nesta every day) since the plot is just kind of there.

Nesta is the best character in these stupid books, and everybody else sucks. Maybe except Az or Elena or whatever her name is. I don't care about Cassian. But thank God he's there to eat our girl out and pound his waaaaaay too big (don't you dare forget how big his fairy dick is) schlong into her beautiful, dripping wet pussy.

At the end, three women who have been doing pilates classes for a few months win some Hunger Games against a bunch of men who have been preparing for this their entire lives. Some evil bitch gets killed in a second, and everybody lives happily ever after.

I am so tired.

[metanarrates]

I'm really interested in your takes on hunger games bc despite what this site says based on their memories of reading it 10 years ago in middle school I do think it's a little overhyped and there are political messages in the third book that are straight-up counterrevolutionary. and keep in mind it IS for 13 year olds and as an adult I personally would never reread it so if you've underwhelmed that may be one of the reasons why...I do look forward to hearing your thoughts on the final book if you get there tho! thanks for sharing your thoughts so far - in hindsight the narration WAS extremely cruel to haymitch for his trauma response. fwiw there are more compassionate depictions of addiction later but none that I think are...great

yeah I agree that me being underwhelmed is largely due to it being YA. it has goals and priorities that are not at all interesting to me given that i am a decade too old for it. I'm also not exactly sure how to handle it critically due to that - a lot of its political stuff makes no fucking sense but I don't know whether I'm expecting too much from a YA novel!

my other big critique, though, is I feel that it pulls its punches when it comes to its depiction of teenagers exploited by being objects of popular entertainment. again, I'm very aware that this is a novel For Children, but so far in the novel (just finished part 1,) there's just not as much discomfort as I feel there needs to be. katniss enjoys the food, she finds the outfits cinna has her wear pretty, and as much as she hates being trained to be a cute object of entertainment, there just is not a strong sense of her being dissected for the benefit of an audience. it's played quite straight that the audience likes her For Her. I want it to make my skin crawl and it doesn't! isn't the point supposed to be that it's scary and uncomfortable!

[alwaysahiccupandastrid]

I watched TBOSAS today (Sunday) and I’m sadly not very well (bad cold or flu), but I wanted to try and make a little post to appreciate the film/give my thoughts.

I saw the first three Hunger Games movies on opening weekend during my teens - the only one I didn’t watch at the cinema was Mockingjay Part 2, because it coincided with my GCSE mocks and some other stuff I had going on. I saw the first one twice at the cinema, once on opening weekend with one friend and then a second time with my then-best friend a few weeks later; I saw CF and MJP1 with my younger sister on opening weekend because it’s one of the few series we both love and so it’s one of the few things we can both enjoy together. My point is that I’m a huge THG fan, have been since I read the first book in late 2011 when I was 13 - I even still have my Mockingjay pin that I bought in March 2012 from Waterstones that I still wear!

Anyway, I read TBOSAS during lockdown, my sister bought the book and let me read it after she did, so this has been one of my most anticipated movies of the year!

!Spoilers below!

I was ill when I watched it and I’m even iller now but I’ll try to remember as much as I can

I LOVED IT

I’m glad they made Coriolanus Snow hot because I felt so conflicted watching him and that’s EXACTLY what was needed for the character, he’s got this beautiful exterior but he is POISON inside

Rachel Zegler was AMAZING by the way, I’m not her biggest fan by any means but I say fuck the haters

Hunter Schafer as Tigris was AMAZING casting, she really needs to shine away from Euphoria because damn she was so good in this film

Just in general casting ATE in this movie; Viola Davis, Peter Dinklage, Jason Schwartzman etc

Tigris was spot on: “I wouldn’t sing a note for you” and pointing out that Coryo needed to get Lucy Gray’s trust in order to help her win

Arachne Crane deserved death, idc 🤷‍♀️

NO ARACHNE FUNERAL LIKE THE BOOK?!?

The fact that the tributes were just dumped in a zoo and put on display like animals?!? Compared to six and a half decades later where the tributes are glammed up and treated like royalty, even allowed to train before entering the arena??? I love how starkly different it is

I won’t lie, Lucky Flickerman stole the film whenever he was in the scene 😭😅 absolute scene stealer?!?

Lucky trying to cancel his dinner reservations on night 1 of the games because “this is taking longer than I expected” 💀

Also telling one of the mentors not to puke on the floor after their tribute was killed?!?! Iconic really

“Those drones really are not very good” - PLEASE 😭

You can definitely tell Lucky is an ancestor of Caesar lol

The bow and arrow when Coryo enters the arena?!?! 👀🏹

Coryo killing Bobbin was BRUTAL. He could have stopped after the first hit, that was self defence - but he carried on and kept hitting him. It was definitely a huge moment

I obviously knew Wovey wasn’t going to survive, but god DAMN it 😭 DID THEY HAVE TO MAKE HER SO SWEET AND LIKEABLE?!? She just wanted to go home, and those were her last words before she was killed by the snakes 😭

Coryo really cheated just so Lucy Gray could survive, and it still has me questioning whether he cares for her or if it is just to do with the Plinth prize? 🤔

“What are the Hunger Games for, Mister Snow?” And all I can think about was him explaining in the original HG movie why there’s a Victor, why they don’t just kill 24 kids at random:

THE SNAKE SCENE IN THE ARENA WHERE LUCY GRAY SINGS?!? ASDFGHJKL THIS IS CINEMA

The Games felt so much more primal and sad, like you could tell all of them were just trying to survive, even Coral who seemed to target Lucy Gray ruthlessly but then before her death made the comment that it can’t have all been for nothing…

The fact that Gaul didn’t want to call an end to the games even though Lucy Gray was the final survivor, and it was only when the other mentors were chanting to let her out, to call it, that she finally did it…

I nearly lost my shit during the first hanging scene because I suddenly remembered that THIS was what the Hanging Tree song was based on; “they strung up a man they say who murdered three” “dead man called out for his love to flee” etc. And that is EXACTLY what happened, right to a tee: the man protesting his innocence, calling for his love to go…

Listen I may be REALLY off, but the meadow where Coryo and Lucy Gray met up again… is it the same meadow from the final scene in Mockingjay P2 with Everlark and their kids?!?

It probably isn’t but it reminded me of it idk

THE KATNISS PLANT - FORESHADOWING 😭 “it’s not ready yet” “things change fast” ASDFGHJKL

SEJANUS PLINTH YOU HAVE ALWAYS DESERVED BETTER 😭 knew it was coming but I was so sad

The scene where they hang Sejanus was so chilling, because the birds (i think they were Jabberjays and not Mockingjays but I could be wrong?) repeated his blood curdling calls for help as he was hung, like I was so haunted by it afterwards

No wonder Coriolanus Snow hates the fucking birds, Jesus Christ

THE CABIN AND WOODS SCENES?!?

The absolute tonal shift when he finds the guns, when Lucy Gray remarks that she’s the only loose end as if it’s a taunt, a challenge etc.

Coriolanus running through the woods, screaming “AFTER EVERYTHING I HAVE DONE FOR YOU?!?” - it just SCREAMS toxic relationship quite frankly, like whether you believe there was any genuine love at all or not, it just screams how toxic the relationship was between them. It was doomed from the start frankly

I was so concerned that the film would make it clear whether or not he killed Lucy Gray, but thankfully they left it ambiguous just like the book. Did one of his bullets hit her? Did she fly free?

It’s so interesting that Lucy Gray and her games were completely and utterly wiped, there was no trace of them - but her songs, her art, survived even after she disappeared. Songs like the Meadow song and the Hanging Tree survived and were passed on through District 12, becoming part of their culture - Snow couldn’t destroy that, no matter how hard he might have tried

Someone on Twitter made this comment and I agree:

Also YES, I noticed that Tigris called him “Coryo” until their last scene together, and then it was “Coriolanus” 😭 and also the fact that she warned him not to turn into his father, his father had hate in his eyes… and then at the end, she sadly tells him “you look like your father, Coriolanus” 😭

The small little hints of the man Coriolanus Snow is in the original series though??? The roses, the Katniss plant Easter egg, etc. And then there’s the fact we see glimpses of what later became his preferred method of killing his enemies - poison. He put poison in the compact and gave it to Lucy Gray, and then he poisoned Casca Highbottom… it’s just so fascinating to think of who this young 18 year old becomes later on, the way he changed over the course of the next 64 years and how those changes came directly from what happened in this story.

Ending the film with Donald Sutherland’s delivery of “It’s the things we love the most that destroy us” from the original movies?!?! FUCK YEAH I WAS THIS CLOSE TO SCREAMING

Honestly it’s got to be VERY hard to play a younger version of a Donald Sutherland character, but especially this one because that man KILLED the part in the films, but I think Tom Blyth did a really good job and I could definitely see hints of the older Snow being included in his performance, like I could genuinely believe it was the same character?

The fact that 64 years later a dark haired girl from District 12 wearing a mockingjay pin and singing songs once sung by a girl he thought dead absolutely fucked his life up?!? We love to see it. It’s like Lucy Gray gave him a middle finger lol

I’ll be honest, as soon as we left the cinema I said to my sister “the only thing is now I want to watch the original four Hunger Games movies” 😭

That’s all I can think of right now because I’m very feverish, I’ve got work in the morning and it was also a long film so there was a LOT going on, but I absolutely LOVED IT. The Hunger Games has truly been the only franchise that has a prequel that has been nearly universally loved and accepted by the fans, Suzanne Collins is truly amazing.

[sameschmidtdiffname]

I'm actually desperate to hear your thoughts on the new hunger games book.

What characters do you wanna see? You think there will be a romance aspect? Who's POV should it be in?

Do you think this is Suzanne's final attempt to make it as clear as possible that the games are NOT cool and snow is NOT a misunderstood good guy?

And the movie too!!!! You have any fan-casting ideas?? Think young haymitch is gonna be hot?

Idk no pressure man I luv u :3

I'm excited! I'll actually be completely honest, I seriously didn't think that we were going to get any media about Haymitch's games since we already went over the events in 'Catching Fire.' I would like to apologize to the prophets, clearly I was wrong. Sorry for silently judging your requests by thinking y'all missed the point, I'm sittin' down now.

So, tackling POV first, I personally think it's definitely possible that we're working with a multiple POV situation due to the fact we did already go over the events of the Games in CF. Or, if not multiple POVs, I actually think it'll be retrospective.

Remember how Katniss and Peeta end 'Mockingjay' by creating the book of memories? I think it's possible that Sunrise is meant to be Haymitch looking back on his Games. How he survived, maybe who he mentored after. Honestly, this is what I'm hoping for because I admittedly am a desperate whore for canon post-Mockingjay material. (Please, Suzanne. Just a crumb. A CRUMB!!)

I think we're done with Snow's POV. I may be wrong on that, but I'm admittedly hopeful on it. 😭

LISTENNNN I liked Ballad and I think it was WONDERFUL writing, but Jesus fucking Christ was I happy to be away from Snow by the time it was over. He was an asshole, that was the point, I respect it and love it as media but reading it was/is hard, and honestly? That's praise. But besides personal preference, there's also just a straight 'The End' at the end of Ballad. Maybe that's subject to change, but with Suzanne's masochistic level of detail? Probably not. Or maybe I'm stupid and will eat this post in nine months, find out soon!

ANYWAYS. I so want to see Mrs. & Mr. Everdeen in this, as well as Peeta's parents. Give me their fucking names, Suzie. NAMES.

Haymitch's girlfriend is probably gonna be my favorite character. Imma be honest. I know nothing of her, nada, zip, zilch. But I can sense it in the air. There will be kinship, and I will kill myself when she dies.

(Suzanne, please don't make me eat that last statement.)

Romance aspect? Yes. Between Haymitch, his girl, and the Everdeens? Plus if we get Peeta's parents? I think one of the main points of The Hunger Games is love and the different ways it exists, so I think there will 100% be romance.

Hell, maybe Suzanne will throw us a curveball and the POV will be one of Everlarks parents. If so, probably Mrs. Everdeen as that'll give us insight to the merchant part of District 12, Madge's family and what it was like to be of Reaping age in the thick of Snow's reign.

I want Mr. Everdeen confirmed as Covey. This is a demand. I have hostages. (My lawyer wants me to clarify I don't.)

Now, in terms of the books real world meaning, I'm interested to see. I think the safest guess is 100% a commentary on Palestine, Congo, etc. But I am interested to see what else there is to say.

Personally, I think there really is a possibility this book will be centered around healing. Especially if this is Haymitch looking back at his life, it could offer commentary on his recovery from his Games, the war, as well as everyone else's. This perspective is 100% the one I would love to see the most, but we all know imma be a fiend for whatever happens.

And to wrap this up, fancasting? Stanley Tucci. If Caeser comes back and he doesn't, I have fucking hostages. (Again, I don't.)

Imma be honest, to add to your question, yes young Haymitch is supposed to be hot, but I want him to be a kid. I want a teenager cast and I want him to obviously look like a teenager, even if he is handsome. I think that's an important point of the Games people miss.

[waywardsunlight]

Everything that really sticks out to me in the Hunger Games was in the books unfortunately. I think the movie did a really good job for the opening, the first 20-30 minutes of the film are AMAZING and then it just doesn’t hit as hard as the book when it gets into the games and I think a major issue with the Hunger Games is that the movies kind of gloss over Haymitch’s and Katniss’s trauma and the scenes that really make the characters feel hopeful. I think the ending of the books is extremely depressing and I think the movies absolutely fail to capture the final book especially due to splitting it in two when the first half of the book is... just not that interesting at all and they should’ve kept it as one film. Because the ending of the movies skips the really awful parts of Katniss after the Hunger Games. My favorite scene in the books (and forgive me if this isn’t super accurate because I haven’t read them in almost 8 years) is the one where District 13 is getting bombed and Katniss has a flashlight and notices that Prim’s cat is chasing it and then the people in the bunker kind of gather around and they watch the cat chase the light. Everyone is terrified and scared but they still watch the cat chase the light because it’s fun and it gives them hope. The Hunger Games are a distraction. People watch them because it helps them ignore reality, however the Hunger Games is actively harming them. It’s like getting entertainment from the news, or how people were watching the war in Ukraine while people here are kicked off of welfare every day. War as a distraction to the inhumanity of our systems. But also this scene with the cat has a take that... we need joy to survive. And it’s okay to take a minute to watch a cat play with a light, we deserve to be happy but not at the expense of the lives of others and we shouldn’t let media distract us from the wider reality that our system is fucked up. I think the Hunger Games doesn’t give a clear answer on that issue and I love that it doesn’t. I think it’s just really interesting.

[boookfreeak]

Introductory Post

I think it's time for me to finally do this

Hi lovely people looking at my blog <3

I'm boookfreeak.

My name is Lilli - like Lily or Lilly or Lili, but different.

I'm German but was born and raised in Singapore so I grew up bilingual, which means I'm just as bad at English as I am at German. I also speak French and Swedish.

I am 19 y/o but because of Covid I feel like I should still be 15, school and friend group drama being my biggest problems.

I first turned up on tumblr in 2020 because my older sibling introduced me to it and it was a great platform to interact with fandoms with (that wasn't tiktok). Now I'm still here to talk about my special interests but also to speak to my mutuals and make new ones because you guys are the best!!

I am also on ao3, eventhough I don't post as much as I'd like to. You can find me under the same name boookfreeak.

-ꕥ-

my interests are:

The Witcher, Marvel, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Avatar (the blue ones and the airbender lmao), Lockwood & Co, Dead Boy Detectives, Sherlock Holmes, Pride and Prejudice, My Lady Jane, Voltron, Supernatural, Hunger Games, Teen Wolf, Grishaverse, Cruel Prince, Karen M McManus books, Holly Jackson books, Rubinrot (a German book series very few people on here know :') ), How To Train Your Dragon, The 100, Shadowhunters, Anne of Green Gables, Ghosts, The Office (both versions), Shameless (only the US one), Brooklyn 99, New Girl, Derry Girls, Merlin

The Amazing Devil, Taylor Swift, Noah Kahan, Hozier, Bo Burnham, Lin Manuel-Miranda, Chloe Ament

books, movies, tv shows, musicals, video games (mostly tw3 and sims), mythologies, historical dramas, linguistics, crime, writing and drawing

If you don't support LGBTQIA+ or the people of Palestine you are not welcome here.

-ꕥ-

my current read: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams

my current watch: Supernatural and X-Men

-ꕥ-

Some fun facts about me:

I am queer (mostly in the asexual way, but who-knows-what-else way)

I have the ability to lick my own elbow (but only the left one for some fucking reason)

I love rain and snow

I've been to four continents and 20 countries

the first musical I ever saw live was Cats and my first concert was P!nk

people like to debate if I am a blonde or a redhead so I'd confidentaly say that I have strawberry blonde hair

my eyes are green and blue

I do not wear glasses (the only one in my family not to, suckerrrs)

I have 3 siblings and am wedged in the middle

I tend to curse so you probably see that a lot in my tags even if I try to keep it down

I have 3 budgies and a golden retriever

My hogwarts house is ravenclaw

My personality type is INTP

[redshoes-blues]

I’m finally rereading The Hunger Games and I’m on chapter ten and have already cried so much. I really didn’t expect to be so emotional this early in the book (let alone this early in the series), but it really hits different reading this book as an adult and realizing just how young Katniss and the other tributes are. One of my brothers is a year younger than Katniss. Another is the same age as Rue. I don’t think it hit me the same way when I read it as the same age as Katniss, that those are kids in the arena. Which is really obvious in hindsight. I knew this when I read the series as a kid, but as an adult, there’s just a whole extra layer of fucked-up that I’m recognizing.

And the amount of foreshadowing early on in the book is just insane. Katniss’s comments about how, yeah, she thinks the Capitol and Games are fucked up, but she mostly cares about survival and not starving and keeping Prim safe. And how she’s willing to do literally anything it takes to save her sister’s life—to make sure her childhood is just a bit easier than Katniss’s has been.

That’s not even getting into the depth of the world building that is laid out brilliantly. The way that even in an impoverished district like District 12, there are still class and labour divisions. The nuance and subtleties and the ways that race and gender and class commentary are all woven into Panem. There’s so much depth and realism built into this world that is just so brilliant, and absolutely the reason why this YA dystopian has broken past the bounds of the genre, reaching the modern classic status that it has today.