A few weeks ago, I was talking with friends about the writing in the Twilight books. The consensus was that while not necessarily high quality literature, the story was not to be missed. I lost an entire day when I first read Twilight. I literally sat down in a chair right after I dropped the girls off and did not stand back up again until I finished the book. In my mind, any writer who can tell a story that compelling is talented.

And I feel the same way about the Hunger Games. Again, I lost days reading each of the books. I am thrilled by what The Hunger Games have done to bring books and reading into the mainstream. Teenagers and grown ups alike can talk on and on about the fictional world of Panem. My husband brought home an article from today’s paper about the upcoming movie release. People are talking.

And in case the picture is not clear, The Hunger Games have made the big time. On the same shelf as the Sports Illustrated Swim Suit Issue, sit two magazines with Hunger Games cover stories. If the small, quiet books are having a hard time pushing to the front, at least we can celebrate that good story telling in book form is still popular and still appreciated by the masses. Even if it takes the movie form of the book to make that happen…