Give It: A Book
In late 2008, my friend Lizette sent me a copy of The Hunger Games.
It changed my life. It made me want to write young adult fiction. By the end of that year, I had a manuscript, an agent, and a community of writing friends.
The Hunger Games was compelling, not just in its story, but in how the book compelled me, literally. Not only did it inspire me to write, it made me want to talk about writing and books with everyone - even people who didn't care.
I gave away over 35 copies of the book that year. About half of the recipients talked to me about the book. Of them, half gave copies to their own friends and family. A select few became as compulsive as I was about the book.
Here's an illustration of the effect. Just a tiny portion - the half I gave the book to that talked to me about it. Who they gave new copies to. It doesn't even include our general raving about the book, or how many strangers I went up to in bookstores, screaming like a banshee, "YOU MUST READ THIS!"
Now, when I meet the friends of friends who have read it, I feel instantly connected to them. It's like this book is a litmus test for whether you're a good person. (Are you?)
So maybe you don't feel that way about The Hunger Games (why not????), but I hope you find your own book to compel you.
posted by Martha Flynn @ 12:53 PM
14 Comments:
I kept picking this book up every time I went to the bookstore, but never bought it. It didn't seem like my kind of book. People would talk about it. I'd pick it up and put it back. One day I checked it out from the library on a whim. I am so glad I did. I loved this book. I bought it and "Catching Fire". It's opened my eyes to a whole world of YA that I wasn't reading.
i use it as a litmus for taste too! if someone is recommending a book to me, i usually ask-- have u read & did u like Hunger Games? if the answer is yes and yes, i proceed to take their recommendation seriously. connection made.
conversely if the answer is "no" then i smile, nod and walk away. =)
I haven't read this book yet. Martha, you just COMPELLED me to go out and get it asap.
Haven't read it yet because I'm reading THIS OTHER GREAT YA - ahem - but gave both to Bethany for Xmas.
I love it! Isn't this just the sort of thing you hope you can do with your own writing? The Hunger Games is legendary! I tell everyone I talk to about books to buy it and I have lent it out countless times. Suzanne Collins is a genuis!
Ooooh - Nova and Rachael - I almost envy that you guys haven't read it yet and get to enjoy it for the first time. Hopefully you'll love it as much Danielle, JD, and Rebecca and I did.
And Rebecca - I'd love to get a fraction of the response that this book has gotten!
I couldn't put this book down. Bought a copy of it too and got my sister totally hooked.
I have finally given a copy to my (YA) sister for Christmas - and "Catching Fir", too! Now can I be taken off the naughty list?
I've called back the hit team, Kim. Rest easy. And yes, E - I included you in the graph above! :)
I LOVE THE GRAPH. You are a girl after my own heart, Martha Flynn.
Could you share a brief synopis of the book from your point of view. Think I have heard of the book, never read it, think it was made into a movie, and also think Boy George of Culture Club fame sang the title song to the movie. Can't read every book, I guess.
Forgive me if I do not share "your" (plural to include comments above) opinion about people who have not read a book you think everyone should read. I feel that's a prejudice one should strive to overcome. Otherwise, you may miss equally great books, others wish to share, from their own list of great books to read.
No disrespect intended to anyone. Thank you for pausing to read my thoughts.
I envy that you haven't read The Hunger Games because I would love to wipe the book from my memory just for the opportunity to read it fresh. It was optioned for a movie, but to my knowledge has not been filmed yet, much less released.
My synopsis?
Katniss, a 15 year old survivalist who provides for her grief-paralyzed mother and younger sister, must battle other teens to the death in a televised reality show produced by the fascist government, but her strong will to survive is challenged by the relationships and bonds she begins to develop with the other contestants.
I see. Thank you very much. I confused it with the movie "The Crying Game" which I did not know was a book and maybe wasn't. I wonder if it might be vaguely based on something I ran across recently. Seems there may have been a Concentration Camp prisoner in WW2 who was a boxer and had to fight his fellow prisoners, so a similar dilemma came into play. Although your story may go deeper than the book I mention. Yes, that would be a fascinating and emotional read. I have read a few books on Nazi Germany and what went on there. It must be quite a challenge to fictionalize that kind of thing in a way that tugs at one's soul. I will look up the book.
I am just dying for book 3 to come out. It is worse than waiting for Harry Potter titles.
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