Mockingjay Midnight Madness!

As most of you know, MOCKINGJAY, the third and final installment of the Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins released at midnight last night!!!! Books of Wonder, an independent bookstore in NYC that you absolutely have to stop at if you've ever out this way, hosted the official release party with Suzanne Collins!

Books of Wonder has been taking preorders for MOCKINGJAY for weeks. The bookstore closed its doors at 7pm, like always, and reopened at 8pm for the party. The line formed out on the street starting at 3 o'clock in the afternoon!!! Suzie Townsend, of Fine Print Literary, and company were at the start of the line.

Those girls are carrying bow and arrows!

Sorry some of these are dark. That's the line all the way down the street.

The bookstore workers were very organized. They had us form two lines--preorders and those who needed to purchase books. I was cursing myself for having not preordered, until I got inside and saw the preorder line wrapping around the building. I stepped up to the counter in the empty buy-your-book-now line, and got ticket #103, meaning I would be person #103 (and I got there about 45 minutes before they reopened!) to get my book stamped by Ms Collins.

Books of Wonder hosted quite a few mega signings, they can handle this sort of event.

It was crowded, extremely, but it was amazing. They had a magician, jugglers, face painting, trivia games, raffles, and with the purchase of MOCKINGJAY plus one other book at a set price or more, they gave you this awesome mug!

On to more pictures!

David Levithan was there to announce Suzanne and just be his awesome self.

This is Mitali (http://www.thealleyofbooks.com/), myself looking freakishly tall next to them, and author of KNIGHTLY ACADEMY, Robin Schneider, AKA Violet Haberdasher.

Beautiful girl in a beautiful dress!

Elizabeth Eulberg (THE LONELY HEARTS CLUB) was there. Elizabeth, how did we not take a picture! And Elizabeth Law, publisher at Egmont USA was also in attendance. Unfortunately, she was on her way out, as I was on my way in and I didn't get the chance to speak with her again.

Suzanne Collins and Beautiful Dress Girl

Suzanne stamping my book!

*Squee!!*

It was a GREAT night! HUGE thanks to Books of Wonder, Suzanne, Scholastic, and all the entertainment! I've been to quite a lot of book signings and events and this was one of the very best, and not just because it was MOCKINGJAY! These folks worked hard to make it a successful night.

Did you attend a launch party last night? Don't forget to check Suzanne's tour dates!

The Hunger Games

THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins

Product Details Reading level: Young Adult Hardcover: 384 pages Publisher: Scholastic Press (September 14, 2008) Language: English ISBN-10: 0439023483 Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Kat's sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place.

This book is not to be missed. It grips you from the very first page and--like the ladder that lifts Katnis into the hovercraft--it holds you there. I read until I had a splitting headache, took a motrin and went back at it. Collins creates such remarkable characters and throws them into a vivid world where anything can happen and their every move is monitored by people who would rather see them die a gruesome death, than have a scrap of food. There were times I wanted to scream a warning at Katnis! And times I wanted to cry right along with her. This book has it all. A must read!

As most of you probably know, the cover for the third book in this series, Mockingjay, was just released. If you haven't seen it, here it is.

Notice from the first book, the bird is gold and enclosed in a circle. By book 2, the bird is more realistic, and here she's alive and broken free from the circle. Cool, right?

Feels like I am the last person to read this book, but better late than never!