Hunger Games "Lives Up to the Buzz"

Stacy Nunnally, a member of the Read to Succeed Advisory Council, definitely enjoyed The Hunger Games. Here are some of her thoughts about this year's One Book selection:

I was so excited to see that One Book Rutherford County chose The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins this year! I have wanted to read this first book in the three book series for a while now. What better time than as part of One Book?

One of my concerns in reading this book was… would it live up to the hype? Would it be another book or movie that everyone raved about, but by the time I read it (saw it) I was ultimately let down because the hype outshone the reality?

I am here to say that whatever you have heard about this book, it lives up to the buzz. Seriously. I read the book in almost one sitting—completely engrossed by the action, the story and the characters. And once I finished the book, I spent days thinking about the book and its underlying messages and commentary on governments, poverty, the human condition, love, war… you get the idea.

The book’s action packed passages will literally leave you breathless with anxiety. But beyond this fast paced action, there is a deeper story, I think, about rebellion, standing up for one’s values, the corruption of power and maybe even a warning about a future we would like to avoid. Add in a complicated story of love and selflessness and you have The Hunger Games.

When I was through reading The Hunger Games, the stories, characters and words lingered with me… made me think about underlying themes of the book and possible correlations to modern-day struggles. Here are just a couple of the things that have kept me thinking after reading The Hunger Games:

The story line about class struggles struck a chord of familiarity with today’s discussions and headlines about the 99% and Occupy movements. In The Hunger Games a small ruling class lives in relative luxury seemingly on the backs of the hard labor of the working classes in the districts. While the people in the 12 districts struggle to survive, the residents of the Capitol hold parties and spend money on altering their appearances. There is a clear division in the “haves” and “have not’s” in this book which offer a critical lens with which to look at our own societal divisions of wealth.

There was a correlation in our obsession with reality TV…the way we all tune in for other people’s life stories often without reminding ourselves these are real people’s drama we are watching. The districts in this book watched The Hunger Games on TV, some with gratitude that is wasn’t their children, some in horror as they watched their loved ones struggle and fight, and others for sheer entertainment. Reality television has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. After reading The Hunger Games, it made me question what I get out of it and at what expense to those people on the shows. I know that our “reality stars” have a choice (where the contestants in The Hunger Games did not), and maybe that is enough difference to assuage my guilt for the time being. Nonetheless, The Hunger Games brings “reality TV” into a whole other light that will leave you hoping it is not a glimpse into the future.

Maybe the most meaningful thing I got from The Hunger Games is the reminder about how hunger and poverty affect families. Throughout this book, we see the main and supporting characters struggle to feed and take care of their families. They are willing to bend the law and, at times, break it, in order to put food on their tables. Priorities and values shift when families are cold and hungry, as many are in this storyline. And perhaps the starkest realization is how hunger and poverty affects children. The main (and many supporting characters) in this book are teenagers or younger; however they think and act like adults—taking on much responsibility in the family for providing food, comfort and basic needs. This impoverished life steals the main character’s childhood long before the actual hunger games do.

I love books, like The Hunger Games, that pull you in with an incredible story, complex characters and page turning action. They suck you in and make you feel as if you put the book down for a moment, you will miss something. And then, the best part, when you are done with the book, the story continues to make you think and re-think. You realize the book was much more than just the initial story—and you go back to re-read sections to analyze a little more. But most of all, I love books like The Hunger Games for the excitement they create around reading. When you mention this book, people light up and tell you how much they loved the trilogy. The Hunger Games reminds us that the simple act of reading can transport us into different worlds and give us a critical lens with which to view our own world.

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A P.S. from Stacy:

I also want to warn those who have not yet read The Hunger Games that they should go ahead and buy (or download) the whole trilogy. You will want to begin reading the 2nd book, Girl on Fire, as soon as you turn the last page of The Hunger Games. I am now reading the 3rd book in the series, Mockingjay, and already feeling sad that my journey with these characters is about to come to an end.

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Stacy Nunnally is an expert in nonprofit management and social media strategy. Her career has been dedicated to the nonprofit sector, working primarily in the areas of social and economic justice in Tennessee. This career includes work with Girl Scouts, Sexual Assault Center, Vanderbilt University Women's Center, and the Tennessee Economic Council on Women. Recently, that passion and activism has been translated into her own business, Stacy Nunnally Consulting, where she consults in the areas of social media strategy, nonprofit management and public policy. Stacy is an alumna of Vanderbilt University.

One Book of Rutherford County Picks Fiction Phenomenon The Hunger Games

In the fall of each year, the One Book of Rutherford County program challenges local residents to join together to read a chosen book. This year’s selection is The Hunger Games, an adventure novel by Suzanne Collins. One Book is a collaboration of Read To Succeed, Linebaugh Library, Barnes & Noble and Middle Tennessee State University to promote reading and literacy in Rutherford County.

This work of fiction is set in a not-so-distant future in which reality has taken a turn for the worse and reality TV has taken a turn for the deadly. The United States has collapsed; in its place, the country of Panem is divided into the Capitol and 12 oppressed districts. Each year, a boy and girl from each district are selected by lottery to go to the Capitol and participate in The Hunger Games as a reminder of the Capitol’s control. The televised games are required viewing throughout the country as the 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors in a fight to the death. In District 12, formerly Appalachia, 16-year-old Katniss volunteers to compete when her younger sister’s name is called. As she and her male counterpart, Peeta, are whisked to the Capitol, they soon realize how difficult it will be, whether as friends or foes, to fight for their lives and their humanity.

“The Hunger Games grabs you from the first page and doesn't let you go,” said Read To Succeed Executive Director Lisa Mitchell. “It appeals to teens and adults and provides a great opportunity for families to discuss all the issues raised.” This year’s selection is unique to One Book’s five year history, Mitchell added, in how it appeals to readers of all ages (12 and up) and both genders. The book, first in a trilogy, was on the New York Time’s bestseller list for over two years.

One Book co-chair Laura Beth Jackson said, “The Hunger Games speaks in a refreshingly original voice for our time. While being a wonderful fantasy novel, it also addresses very relevant issues of poverty, injustice, family relationships, and culture, and challenges us to examine what we believe and value. I'm thrilled about this choice for One Book and believe our community is in for a wonderful read.”

Mitchell expressed gratitude to this year's One Book committee, also co-chaired by Kory Wells, for their many months of reading and discussion to make this selection. The committee continues to work on plans to promote the selection, provide public forums for discussion through the winter, and perhaps have an event related to The Hunger Games movie, which is due out in March 2012.

Interested Rutherford County readers, businesses and organizations can learn more about getting involved by joining the One Book Rutherford Facebook page or visiting the One Book Rutherford Blog at http://onebookcommunityread.blogspot.com

What Is One Book of Rutherford County?

One Book is a collaborative project of Read To Succeed, Barnes & Noble, Linebaugh Library System, and MTSU, created to challenge readers in Rutherford County to join in reading the same book. The objectives of One Book are to encourage reading among adults, to demonstrate to our children the importance of reading, to unify our community through a shared experience and to highlight an issue of importance by means of a book’s theme or subject matter.

How Can I Get Involved?

There are a number of ways every person and business in Rutherford County can be involved in the One Book experience.

Individuals: Read the book and encourage your friends and family to read it too. Take part in a neighborhood discussion of the book or participate in one of the events organized by One Book. A calendar of those events will be available on the One Book Rutherford Facebook page at facebook.com/OneBookRutherford or the One Book Rutherford Blog at onebookcommunityread.blogspot.com. If you’re part of a book club, consider having your group read the One Book selection between now and the end of April. If you’ve already read the book, encourage those around you to share in the experience. You can also help by volunteering to join the One Book committee or making a donation at readtosucceed.org.

Companies: Companies and workplaces can encourage employees and customers to take the One Book challenge and read. They can also help further the One Book cause by becoming a sponsor of the project. For more information on One Book corporate sponsorship, contact Lisa Mitchell, Read To Succeed Executive Director at 738-READ.


For More on One Book and Our 2010-11 Selection – The Hunger Games:

Visit:

The One Book Rutherford Facebook page

The One Book Rutherford Blog


Read To Succeed
PO Box 12161
Murfreesboro, TN 37129
(615) 738-READ

Executive Director Lisa Mitchell
Email: lisamitchell@readtosucceed.org
www.readtosucceed.org

Read To Succeed, the community literacy collaborative in Rutherford County, will promote reading, with an emphasis on family literacy. This non-profit initiative supports literacy programs and fosters awareness of the importance of reading.

Book club disagrees on Pettigrew, but "best discussions develop out of disagreements"

Murfreesboro resident Michelle Palmer shared her personal response to Major Pettigrew's Last Stand in a previous article here on our blog. Now, pictured here at far left with the members of her Murfreesboro book club, she returns to talk about their differing opinions of the book:

In the time before there was written word, people told stories: cautionary tales, anecdotes about family history, and legends. People told stories to entertain, to educate, and just to pass the time. In the days before books, the oral tradition was an essential part of society, and as long as there have been stories to tell, there have been people eager to discuss them.

Jump ahead by thousands of years, and we have multimedia that our ancestors couldn’t imagine. One thing remains the same, though: the joy of sharing a good story. I have been a member of a book club of wonderful women for almost a decade, and I was eager to discuss Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand with them this winter.

The group was evenly split between those who did and did not enjoy Major Pettrigrew, and our discussion raised a lot of issues about what we, as individuals, look for in literature. It was surprising how divided our group was: several people felt it was boring, lacked direction and focus, and was not relevant to their lives. They were passionate about their dislike of Major Pettigrew, and were eager to defend their opinions. The rest of the group loved it, with many enjoying the details and minutiae so much that one person commented, “I wished Major Pettigrew could have continued on indefinitely, just so that I could read about the things happening in the Major’s daily life!”

It came down to a difference in what we want in a “good read” – a big, meaty plot, or a book that is character driven. Even though not everyone enjoyed Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, each person came away with something different from the experience of having read it. That’s what makes being part of a community of readers so wonderful.

One Book of Rutherford County serves a vital purpose. Its function is not just to get people reading, but talking about what they read – in essence, a community-wide book club. Like all book clubs, not everyone will love every book that the committee chooses – that’s simply not possible. But that’s what makes literature so interesting. Some of the best discussions develop out of disagreements, because we have a chance to learn about other people’s viewpoints and opinions.

How a person feels about a book is as unique to them as their own fingerprint. We bring our own history, insights, and emotions to each reading experience. A good book can challenge, provoke, and thrill. It can make you cry, laugh out loud, or sigh with contentment. It is my hope that readers will take the spirit of One Book of Rutherford County and carry it with them through the year, because the only thing better than reading a good book is the joy of sharing it.

Michelle Palmer is an avid reader and has been a member of a local book club for ten years. Having worked as a writer and editor since college, she recently began a book blog, michellepalmersbooks.blogspot.com, so that she could share her love of reading with others. Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand is included on her blog as one of her “Favorite Books of 2010.”

Murfreesboro reader finds important lesson in Major Pettigrew

Murfreesboro resident Michelle Palmer, an avid reader and local fitness instructor, contemplates the lessons readers may find in the pages of Major Pettigrew:

In today’s hustle and bustle world, there are few things that we slow down for anymore. Everything from food to information to books is available to us instantly; we are a nation of people “on the go.” The One Book One Community’s pick for this year, Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, shows us the importance of slowing down and enjoying the little things in life.

As a novel, Major Pettigrew is character-driven, not plot driven. In our hurried times, that can be a difficult adjustment. We have become accustomed to action and instant gratification, and events that unfold in Major Pettigrew do so at a leisurely pace. This delightful book is to be savored slowly, like a fine meal. There are no explosions or random acts of violence, and while there is a cliffhanger, it is a literal one, not figurative. That’s not to say that the book doesn’t have humor, action, and drama, but much like other classic novels that have gone before it, they accentuate rather than define the plot.

Set in a small village outside London, Major Pettigrew is almost timeless. While there are signs that the 21st century exists, the old customs and traditions still remain. The main characters, Major Pettigrew and his friend Mrs. Ali, take walks together, and have afternoon tea, and read to each other. They communicate through letters and impromptu visits. Through their eyes, we see the joy of living in the moment, and enjoying each day as it comes.

Much like Major Pettigrew and Mrs. Ali, to truly enjoy Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, you must set aside that need to rush, and instead appreciate the minutiae of daily life. Take the time to learn about the Major’s quirks and his stuffy British ways, and Mrs. Ali’s struggles with her heritage and family demands. Laugh at the one-liners and dry wit that makes Major Pettigrew such a delightful character. Relish the romance that blossoms between two people bound by a love of reading.

There are many reasons to appreciate the One Book One Community choice for this year, but perhaps the most compelling is that it reminds us, as readers, that sometimes life is more than just the next big thing. Sometimes, life is all the unique little things we find along the way – if we slow down long enough to look for them.

Michelle Palmer is an avid reader and has been a member of a local book club for ten years. Having worked as a writer and editor since college, she recently began a book blog, michellepalmersbooks.blogspot.com, so that she could share her love of reading with others. Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand is included on her blog as one of her “Favorite Books of 2010.”

Busy Young Mom: Pettigrew Brought My Love for Reading Back to Life

Sarah Porterfield of Read To Succeed admits that this year's One Book selection started out slow for her - at first:

When you have a one-year-old at home and you work full-time, finding precious time to read is a tricky task. If my daughter, Adelyn, is awake, there is to be nothing in my hands that is off-limits to her. My phone, a glass of water, scissors, a book—all are seen in her eyes as things she is entitled to. And this entitlement can lead to a lot of crying, and temper-tantrum-throwing, and all-around not fun stuff for a mother who doesn’t particularly love loud noises.

When she is awake, I keep these things away from her. Often, the TV is on, because as much as I hate loud noises I sometimes hate silence more.

When she goes to sleep, there are dinners to be eaten, rooms to be cleaned, laundry to be done, work to be finished, a husband to be talked to. I get in bed and often I am too tired to read. I want to turn on the TV. I want to watch reruns of shows I have seen hundreds of times.
I want to sleep.

And this leaves little time for reading.

But the thing is, I love to read. I consider myself a writer; I’ve been in love with books since I can remember; there are more books in my house than food; my father is an English professor and published author; I work at a non-profit dedicated to literacy. Books are in my blood.

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, this year’s choice for Read To Succeed’s One Book Community Read, has brought my love for reading—reminded me of the solace I find in it—back to life.

I’m on the One Book Committee, and I’ve been integrally involved in the event for months. It has taken me as long to finish Major Pettigrew. This is partly due to the aforementioned list of reasons that reading has taken a backburner in my life, but it’s also because—and I’ll just be honest—it’s not exactly a page-turner. Not in the beginning.

Major Pettigrew is a story of subtlety. Major Pettigrew, himself, is a man who finds power in delicacy and nuance. He is not a man of great excitement. He is, however, a man who loves tea and literature, living a quiet existence in a peaceful English village filled with characters equally preoccupied with manners and dignity and tea-drinking (although they don’t all pull these off as dutifully as Pettigrew).

Reading this book is like being transported into a world in which the TV is never on, where the protagonist would always pick up a book before going off on an adventure, where one-year-olds know more about tea and etiquette than they do about Mickey Mouse and McDonalds.

Major Pettigrew doesn’t become a page-turner until you become engaged in the relationship between Pettigrew and Mrs. Ali, a local Pakistani shopkeeper, and its many challenges begin to infuriate you as much as the couple themselves. You start to root for them, and before you know it you’re going to bed and staying up too late because you want to see them happy, and all-of-the-sudden a seemingly dull story has stolen your heart.

And reminded you why you loved reading so much in the first place.

Sarah Porterfield is the Family Literacy Program Coordinator for Read To Succeed. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in Journalism. While at MTSU, Sarah was the editor-in-chief of MTSU's student newspaper The Sidelines and she interned for and was published in The Village Voice in New York. She is newly married and the mother to a one-year-old girl, Adelyn Belle, who provides never-ending content for her parenting blog, NineMonthstoLife.com.

Murfreesboro pastor: Major Pettigrew will "grip your imagination"

Murfreesboro pastor Mike Smith shares his thoughts - and advice - on reading this year's One Book selection:

Do not start reading Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand at night, unless you are prepared to sit up until you finish the book! Helen Simonson’s characters, plot, settings and—above all—dialogue grip your imagination. Before you realize what is happening, you start to care for Major Ernest Pettigrew (retired), Mrs. Jasmina Ali, and the other inhabitants of Edgecombe St. Mary.

The novel may be read in one of two ways. First, and most important, read it as a refined love story. The budding relationship between Major Pettigrew and Mrs. Ali is at the heart of the novel, but several other love stories play out as well. Each rings true. In fact, you will recognize others (and perhaps yourself) in one or more of the stories. As it turns out, love is not simple, even in a small English village. Love, in fact, takes root, grows, and lives or dies in a challenging environment featuring family histories, religion, careers, compromise, courage and passion.

Second, the novel may be read as a commentary on aging, family, prejudice, religion, ambition, the conflict between preservation and development, and the never-ending difficulty of bridging cultures even when there is the will to try. Don’t panic. Such commentary never intrudes, but instead emerges naturally in the conversations and actions of Major Pettigrew and those around him.

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 representing the highest possible praise, I award Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand a 4.5 (after all, we must reserve some space exclusively for the classics!).

Dr. Michael A. Smith serves as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church, Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He also is a historian, writer, editor and teacher and would like someday to achieve respectability as a golfer. Dr. Smith is married to Grace Smith, who teaches ESL in the Rutherford County School System. They have two children and one grandchild.