Just finished Mockingjay. Apparently I read the second book too long ago because there was a lot referenced to it that I was like, "What was up with the berries again?"

ooops.

I totally agree with you on the gratuitousness of some of the deaths. What the fuck? There is no place for hope or joy in Katniss's life. Ever. And when she made Gale a Go-fucking-kill-em-all soldier boy I just sort of stopped caring about the "tension" wrt the relationship. I like knowing how things ended, but I can't imagine liking the book on its own merits.

From the slate article this is so true:

Mockingjay sated me, but it didn't satisfy me.

Soulless was going to be the first in a trilogy, from what I understand. But I know that there's a 4th book in the works.

She said she'll stop at five. We'll see. And she's planning a YA series set in the same world that, if I recall correctly, is in the past and focuses on Alexia's dad. Or something.

Huh. Alexia's Dad when he was a teen?

I may be conflating some things she said. It may be that we're going to learn more about her dad in the fourth or fifth books, and the YA series is about a girl unconnected to the Tarabottis. When she told us, she wasn't supposed to since it hadn't been officially announced yet, so we weren't supposed to spread it, but that was back in April, so I presume there's been an announcement of some sort made by now.

This is random, but made me miss reading Nancy Drews: [link]

Raq, I knew what you were talking about even before I hovered over your link.

I just finished Catching Fire. There was so much HSQ at the end; if I didn't have to leave right now to pick up this weeks CSA, I would already be reading Mockingjay. I'm glad I decided to wait and read them all at once.

I'm glad I decided to wait and read them all at once.

Yeah, I sort of wished I'd reread the first two before picking up Mockingjay. In fact, a reread of book one, at least, may be in my future...

Raq, I knew what you were talking about even before I hovered over your link

We're frequenting the same corners of the internets again!