In recent years, several young adult or teen novels have made the crossover (crossed the boundary; become popular in more than one category) from popularity with just teens to popularity with adults. Perhaps the most notable (worthy of attention) example is the Harry Potter books. Although written primarily (mainly) for children and teens, the books have become bestsellers among adults as well. The same can be said (the same thing is true) of Twilight, a series written for adolescents or young adults.
Another adolescent series is about to join these popular teen favorites: The Hunger Games trilogy (a set of three books telling a continuing story). The Hunger Games books are written in the genre (category of books) of science fiction and is set (takes place) in the future, where present-day life on Earth has been destroyed, but a new population has emerged (come to life), ruled by a repressive (very controlling and strict) government. The three books in the series feature (have as its main character) a teenage girl, who reluctantly (does not want to) participates in the annual (done each year) Hunger Games, a tournament where teenagers from every district or area fight to the death, with only one teenager left alive, who is crowned (officially given the title of) the champion or winner. These Hunger Games become much more than a just a competition; it is the catalyst (something that starts an important event) that begins a revolution (an attempt to remove the government).
The Hunger Games books have consistently (without change) been on the bestseller list in the U.S. for many weeks, and the series is about to do what the Harry Potter and Twilight series have done: Make the leap (large jump) to the big screen (into the movies). The first Hunger Games movie is set (scheduled) to be released in March of 2012 in the U.S. If you want to get a jump on (be ahead of) the movie, there’s still time to read the first book in the series before the movie release. I just finished the trilogy and highly recommend it. It is well-written and has the complexity (with many elements; complications) that would appeal to an adult. They’re the type of books that are hard to put down once you’ve started reading them because the plot (storyline) and the characters (people in stories) are so compelling (interesting and easily keeps your attention).
So if you like good adventure stories, you might like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. (The second book is called Catching Fire and the third book is called Mockingjay.) If you like adventure movies, look for the movie in theaters early next year. Hopefully, the movie will do the book justice (reflect the high quality of the books).
~ Lucy
Art Credit: “Hunger games” from Wikipedia
thanks Lucy for your recommendation on the hunger games.I am currently checking out reviews on that book and it’s awesome .I’v already seen and read Twilight and harry potter and i am a big fan.I’ll definitely pick up a copy of the hunger games and I will see the Movie once it hits the theaters.thanks Lucy again and thanks to Jeff and all other ESL podcast team. You guys are awesome and your scripts are solid.
Thanks for your recommendation. I have watched Harry Porter series again in recent days and I feel very excited with The Games Trilogy the next year, maybe I will try to reach the book before watching the movie.
Thank you very much indeed, Lucy, for once again telling us about a famous series of books to read.
In addition to learning a lot of vocabularies in your article, I have also learned a lot of special terms about novels and films/movies.
I was so impressed with your description about the book that I googled more about the book and was attracted by what it says in the Wikipedia about the book.
I might not buy the book in Hong Kong because English novels are exceedingly expensive in Hong Kong. But I will certainly try to read more about this book from the internet and I will watch the film if it is available on the airplane’s films when I travel next time.
You may wonder why I don’t try to borrow it from our public library. Borrowing famous English story books from our public library is even harder than hunting down the whole world’s website to find a discounted price copy of the book. There might be only up to ten copies for the whole of Hong Kong, while the number of people waiting to borrow the book could be at least ten folds.
Thanks again, Lucy, I have enjoyed listening to you introducing books in English Café, and I enjoy reading your article telling us about books. Very touching. 🙂
Hello everybody!
I recommend this trilogy too. I’ve read the three books months ago and I’m still caught with the plot, characters, etc. And they’re easy to read for non-native speakers.
Thanks, Lucy, for your recommendation, I’m already wating for the next one!
Thanks Dr Lucy for your recommendation. I have watched Harry Potter Series several times, they were master pieces. I listen to your suggestion will read the book also. I think The Hunger Games trilogy will be worth of reading. So, I will do that.
Thanks Dear Jeff and Lucy for your patience in teaching us.
I once read about ‘The Hunger Games’ from one of my favorite blogs. The blogger said that he was reading it, and did not want anybody tell him any spoilers. The other day I went to the bookstore near my house to get the book, ‘Breaking Down’ of ‘Twilight Saga’ series. When I entered the store ‘The Hunger Games’ was sitting in the front so I decided to pick it up, and I thought, “Is this really a good book?”. There were no praises in the back of it so I could not tell if it was a good one. I decided to check out the review on the Internet and see what the readers are saying. I’m big on this site that I make sure that I visit this and see if there’s an update. I really got excited when I saw the latest post was all about. What a coincidence! Thanks, Lucy, for your recommendation.
Forgot to tell – I’m getting all of the books and going to see the movie as well.
Thanks so much Dear Lucy for it.I think we all need your recommendation and introduction on good novels.
Thank you very much for your recommendation ! Do you know if they are published in Spanish ? Thank you ! 🙂
People are degenerating. They don’t want to think very much and read really sophisticated books and books with complicated and controversial content. I think these books are so popular among adults nowadays, because there are not too much intelligent people in the world. I prefer world classic literature, but realize that not many people are able to read and process that.
Sorry for hurting your feelings, all of the Harry Potter’s or Twilight’s fans.=)
That is incredible nice Lucy, I have the books in my kindle for only 20 dollars the three, buying them in amazon.com is absolutely
easy and cheap.
I have done it just a moment ago, and I need them for these moments where life seems a little complicated for me.
Well, who is the person that have not his/her life some way complicated living these moments?.
No work, no money, no health, sickness, uncertainty…….so yes, we need good books.
emiliano needs good books, that is for sure.
——–
Betty, you need a kindle.
Now it is really cheap and you may have all the new books for less than half their price.
But there are also thousands of free books that there is not necessary to pay anything as they are in public domain already.
All the classics are free at this moment and it is as easy as to go to another site of internet.
The only thing required is to be registered, have an account, buy a kindle, the cheaper one and so forth.
Just from home.
The same I say to Betty may help everyone of you friends, it is really easy and not very expensive.
I have found the three books Lucy has told us at the first sight…..in amazon site.
Eva, my daughter have one kindle, Cuca another, emiliano another, Camila /my friend/ another one.
But also Ana my pupil, her father and friend Juan too.
I have seen people with more than eighty years reading a kindle as you may adapted the letters as big as you want so for them
is really easy when their sight is decreased.
Again, thank you very much Lucy, you know I am really grateful to you for giving us nice books to read
that could help us to improve our English and pass the hard time as good as possible.
emiliano
Dear Val,
It is really nice to read your post Val as it confirms all what I have listened to a lot of friends
about these kind of books without having read them.
Of course I do not know if you have read these kind of books you are saying about but
if you did, please forgive me, you have a based opinion.
My experience about this subject it is as follows:
From my early years of being a child I have been reading all kind of books simultaneously, serious
or good Nobel’s like Thomas Man, Garcia Marquez, Bernard Show, Shakespeare, Cervantes,
Alexander Pushkin, Mario Vargas Llosa, Thomas Moro, Umberto Eco, Lope de Vega, Pearl S Buck,
William Somerset Maugham, Blasco Ibañez, Camilo Jose Cela, Tirso de Mollian, Calderon de
la Barca, or even some of the firs books that have been written like “Gengi Monogatari” that
I think it is the first novel that have been written. By the way Murasaky Shikibu the author was
a Japanese woman.
Also French or Russians writers have been several of my favorites.
Zola, Guy de Maupasan, Balzac, or Alexander Dumas I think are really good classics.
At the same time I also liked to read Science Fiction (Bradbury, Asimov, Frederick Pohl, Clifford D Simak, Robert Silverg, Jack Vance…etc.)
by the way Jack Vance was one of my favorites.
I can not forget Agatha Christie, or R.L. Stevenson, Blackwood, Poe, Robert Bloch, and so on.
Now I like Stephanie Meyer, J.K.Rowling and Stephen King but also the last Nobel or Stieg Larsson.
I do not think this variety of choice has nothing to do with intelligence.
As much as a person read, easy books or difficult ones, more facilities have to accept all kind of subjects.
To me is crucial to have tasted a food or reading a book to have an opinion about the matter.
I respect your opinion as it is natural, but I have listened so many times the same opinion in people
that have not read or tasted the subject they are talking about that it is like an odd way of acting.
Not all classics are good and it is so with films, literature or every kind of things.
It is nice to have new friends here with variety of opinions that make a chance to have this kind
of controversies.
Thank you very much Val it will be always a pleasure to have some talks with you in future, be sure
about that.
emiliano
It is interesting the fact that this interesting old classical novel
“Gengi Monogatari” have a very special site in our library just because being
a Japanese woman Murasaky Shikibu who wrote the novel (? ??? c. 978? – c. 1014?)
Cuca, my wife is very fond to it and have read the book several times.
It has been always difficult for women in the old times to write and expand
books so this woman has too much merit and Cuca knowing this she likes
to recreate her lecture.
At her times, the Bronte sisters or Jame Austin have similar problems
because they have to fight among a world of men.
Good for them.
It is also curious that this japanese novel could be the oldest classical book of literature
so Japanese people could be real proud about this woman author and her works, but
also Haruki Murakami (?? ?? Murakami Haruki) is a genial japanese author
of our days from I have read three or four books, one of them “Kafka on the Shore”
is absolutely brilliant.
Is him a classical?
Well, I do not know but he is a real good japanese writer too despite he is a best seller
author too, just the same like J.K. Rolling or Stephanie Meyer, Agatha Christie or
Charles Dickens at his time.
Could any body tell me what is the difference between them?
Sorry, but I like too much this kind of subjects.
All the best.
Dear Emiliano
Yes, you are right, I think I should invest in a kindle.
After I pressed the “Submit Comment” button for my message above, I immediately thought of you mentioning about owning a kindle in previous blogs.
It is so nice to hear you recommending a kindle here again.
Time has changed and we must follow the trend or we will be swept away by the strong current.
It is incredible you have read so many books before. It is even more incredible that you remember so many of them.
I totally agree with your points in your message to Val. Although it is not exactly a debate between you and Val, it helps people like me to learn a thing or two about how to put forward arguments effectively.
Thanks again, Emiliano, I love reading your messages which always have lots and lots of advance English in them.
All the best
Betty 😉
Hello, first I would like to say a big thank-you for your podcasts, always interesting and useful.
About those comments, be careful about the advise gave above to goggle the book, because the article on Wikipedia revealed all the plot…
Best regards,
Fred (from Paris)
Dear Lucy,
Thanks alot for your recommendation. I definitely like to read The Hunger Games Trilogy. I like reading books of all kinds.
I agree with Emilio in this point that we should not be rigid in sticking to the things that we’ve thought they are always right. It’s so good to be flexible in accepting and experiencing new things, even in reading books. Everything changes time by time. The world is changing second by second and I think it’s worth to try new things otherwise we can’t catch up with this world. Variety is good even in reading different genres.
Hi! The books written in the genre of science fiction are very trendy among the young people (Z generation) but thanks to the movies
I think they become trendy and among the X and Y generations.
The young people give the tone in society. Thank you for this approach.
Thank you and for the ESLPOD 743 – Writing a Story.
Best wishes,
Tania
Hi! Dear Emiliano, I think you are an inexhaustible person talking about literature. I admire you very much.
I have not read so much like you and so many literary genres.
And better later than never, I wish you “Happy birthday to you” and much health to you and to your family.
Best wishes,
Tania
Thank you very much Tania, it is pleasant to receive a congratulation
which ever moment you may received it.
—–
You know, when I was a child or even young there was nearly nothing at home.
We did not have TV. till I was 17 years old or even a phone as the phone company
delate years to gave you a line.
The only thing a young boy like me that did not like sports was reading, reading
and reading.
Also going to the cinema to watch some movies, but it was expensive.
Being young you could exchange books in some little shops if the book was in
good use.
For a small amount of money you may change the book and have another one
to read.
Going up and down in the underground there was easy to carry a book and
read while you reached your station.
Madrid is a big city and you need to spend a lot of time going every place.
What can you do apart of reading at the time I was young or even an adult
traveling in the underground for hours day after day?
Just read.
I was ever holding a book under my arm and that could be one of the reasons
Cuca looked at me and said what a peculiar man, always carrying a book
at hand.
Yes, I was an odd young man that did not like sports, football or other kind of mass
shows.
Music and books these were my way of being delighted.
The Retiro park was also a nice site to go, take a seat and have a goo lecture
in the open air.
I did not like to share my time in groups of friends like other boys.
Always I have liked to be alone till I found my girl but I have good friend either
but not too much, few but good ones.
So that is the reason I have made such a lot of reading and like every kind
of books.
There is not any merit about it, it is just the character of every one but also the
circumstances we grown up or the form we like to spend our time.
Cuca has been more or less like me.
We enjoyed our time reading instead of watching the TV.
If you asked her about her most pleasure it would be sure she replies …just
reading a good amusing book.
The curious thing about her, or even my daughters Eva and Fátima, it is the
even that they likes to read some books once and again, and once again
after some time if the like them.
By my side I only read as much as twice if I like some of the old books.
There is a said in Spanish “a book is the best friend as it is at your side always
you need it”….well a cat is a good friend too, or a dog, but by my side
Gatufo is really a nice good friend.
Too late 2,22 am, I am going to the bed, good night friends.
Unfortunately, I don’t have much time to write a long post with lots of arguments and references to support my point of you.
Anyway, Emiliano, you know that I always respect your opinion (I’ve already mentioned that in previous posts) and admire your personality. And, of course you are right at many points. Yes, not all of the classics is good, but it’s wonderful that we are free to choose which books to read and also it’s wonderful that we all have different tastes. This diversity makes this world interesting and unique.
I personally don’t have much to talk about with people who love The Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. They are usually pretty immature and infantile, as I see them. And also I think that this product of retarded imagination of the strange British housewife(I mean Harry Potter) is very overestimated in our modern society.
But I want to repeat again that it’s my opinion and if someone has another point of view I feel absolutely easy about it.
P.S. Yes, I’ve not read these books because didn’t want to, but was unfortunate to watch some parts of the movies.
Everybody, have a good day!=)
That´s right Val, money is the rule everywhere and usually money contaminates
all what is touched by the men´s greed.
“Lord of the Rings” could be one of the best books of last century english
literature.
Talking with and English teacher when I was living in Alicante, she told me
that not every student in England could read the book as it has such a lot
of vocabulary that is very difficult.
In Spain the first book was published about the 1977 more or less and
no body knows anything about the book or the author.
Even me, that bought the book, knew nothing about it till the moment
I started to read it.
Well the book is amazing and to me incredible good till the point that
it changed the form of writing new books and literature.
Years after my Everest was trying to read the whole trio-logy in English.
More than a thousand pages.
I did it but cost me more than five or six moths.
—–
After that was the movies, the fury about these kind of movies or
books etc. etc.
So yes, I know what you mean but it is not so good to have
previous prejudices because the big publicity or multimedia industry
deteriorate something good in origin.
Like you, Cuca was not in good disposition of reading this book
also but after insisting once and again with her about the subject
she read it and now is a fan of Tolkien´s books.
Reading the book slowly you get the spirit of the author that
anticipate everything what is happening now in the world.
It touches nearly everything, power, corruption, earth destruction, nuclear
absolute arms, deforestation of forests, ambitions, loyalty, love., well
everything.
Thank you Val, you are right I have lot of time to write and frequently
I am just too much excessive with my opinions, writing or in person
just another problem to add at my character.
Sorry friend if I could pass the limits, but what is clear to me is that is
an absolute privilege to talk with blog´s friends like you.
May you suggest you to read “Lord of the Rings”?
Try it please, sure you may enjoy it very much.
All my best for you Val, and thank you for you reply.
I’m sorry, there is a typo in the first sentence of my previous post- point of view instead of point of you=)
Dear val,I have totally the same opinion about these kind of books and movies as yours ,but as I respect emiliano’s thoughts too much ,I am going to follow his advice on reading “Lord of the Rings” and recommend you to do the same.I am sure we won’t regret.
Dear Sara, sure you don´t regret it.
If your previously read the life of
Tolkien it would be nice to see he was a Professor of Anglo-Saxon
at Pembroke College, Oxford, from 1925 to 1945 and Merton
Professor of English Language and Literature from 1945 to 1959.
(I know something about that as I have seen some advices about
his life, and now I have a new look to the Wiki)
It is like a prof. that he was a high qualified person in English
and Literature.
Reading the book you may see that immediately, but in English
is just splendid but also difficult.
Thank you for your kind words Sara, if you did please tell me
after, sure you don´t regret the effort and at the end it would be
a pleasure.
Frequently movies have nothing to do with the books.
My best, emiliano
Dear Emiliano,thanks for your kind explanation.I will start reading it soon and will inform you as soon as it is finished but as I am too busy at work and home ,I don’t think I can finish it soon(I have to confess that I am also some how slow in reading in English!).
again my many thanks for giving up your time to help.
I can’t wait to see the movie. Amazing history.
Sara and Emiliano, you talked me into it. I promise I’ll try to read these books when I have free time 😉 But there could be another problem- I don’t like fantasy, albeit maybe I’ll enjoy the originality of the Tolkien’s writing style…