The Hunger Games

If it's a book that has been out for only a few years, chances are you've read it before me. That's especially true if it's a series.

I tend to favor works of literature that have stood the test of time, or, if it's a new book, I read it because it's a critic's choice, not a best seller. The latter of which has sometimes led me astray and left me disappointed.

I usually don't get caught up in all the hype surrounding new best-selling books. I prefer to get lost in them after the hype (which is often no fun because no one wants to talk about them at that point).

It was true for Harry Potter - sort of. I began reading Harry Potter about the time "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" was published.

It was true for "Twilight." I read the books two years ago. Like everyone else, I was completely obsessed with Edward Cullen for a period of time.

It was also true for "The Hunger Games." I started and finished "Mockingjay," the final book in the trilogy, while in St. Augustine.

I probably wouldn't have read this series if one of my best friends hadn't kept after me about it.

While they weren't Harry Potter or Twilight good, I did enjoy reading the books.

The storyline was equal parts philosophical, science fiction and relational. Peeta was by far my favorite character. The sweet, yet often messed up love story kept my attention more than anything else.

I had nightmares the night I finished "Mockingjay," so I'm not sure how recommendable a book is if it gives you bad dreams?