What’s On Your Nightstand?: The Hunger Pangs

Do I have to admit this? OK, I’ll admit this: I just read The Hunger Games. The first book. I’ve never read any of the books before, and I haven’t seen the movie, either. I’m only admitting this because I am in a weakened state, as we are delaying dinner this evening in order to meet up with friends for half-price burgers and I’m trying to avoid snacks so that I can fully enjoy every salty, greasy, bacon-cheeseburger-with-fries bite. So it’s not snacking on the soft inner bark of pine trees a la Katniss; I’ve still got hunger pangs!

To tell the truth, reading The Hunger Games satiated me just as this evening’s burger will. My TBR “menu” has been of late filled with what we jokingly call “first-world problems,” from “Why didn’t Daddy pay more attention to me?” themes to plot lines filled with privilege: fine clothes, household staff, and the like. It was good to read a book in which the characters have to pay attention to the lowest needs on their hierarchies, such as getting water, food, and shelter.

So my question for you this week, as you share (or don’t share!; lurkers welcome) your TBR list, is whether or not you actively select what’s on there. A few of you have hinted at this in comments, and I’d love to hear more. In case you hadn’t guessed, my own “selection process” consists mostly of me looking at release dates and/or what’s new than about looking back to classics or carefully curating a stack that gives equal time to fiction and non-fiction, e.g.