How I Read Mockingjay and Why You Shouldn't Follow My Example

Let me tell you a story.  The story of how I read Mockingjay.  
There are no spoilers!

I pre-ordered from amazon in February with free 2-day shipping.  The book was released on Tuesday, so I expected it to arrive on Wednesday.  Once I discovered it was coming via UPS, I kept a vigilant eye on the street.  I thought, It will arrive around 1 pm; I'll put the boys in bed and read it the entire nap time!  I even spent the entire afternoon in my front yard waiting and watching.  Nothing.  I filled the time reading another book and then visiting (on the front yard) with unexpected visitors.  Still no UPS truck.

Our friends had invited us over for dinner that night at 5 pm.  We were buckled into the car and backing down the driveway at 4:50 when what do I hear?  Yes, my book arriving--when I can't read it!!!  Aah!  So, I was forced to leave my precious cargo in the car while we spent the evening at our friends' house.  We had a great time there eating, talking, and watching the kids play.  Later that evening after my kids were in bed, I got about 50 pages in.  I was falling asleep at 9:30--I know, pathetic.

Day 2.  And Day 2 was a day when I babysat my friends' twin babies while they work.  That meant I was responsible for providing care for 4 preschoolers while trying to read a book.  I snuck in 5 pages in the morning.  And then it was nap time.  I got to read for 2 hours without interruptions!  Bliss.  Fast forward to that evening.  I was up late reading in bed.  It's late.  I was on page 289, and the content on that page caused a physical reaction in me.  I put the book aside, ready to face sleep because I didn't want to face the next page.  There was an ache inside me, and I started to whimper.  My husband came in bed and let me talk things through with him while he held me comfortingly.  We ended the conversation with a decision to read a few more pages because that was a bad place to stop for the night.

Day 3.  I had roughly 100 pages left to read before my husband's relative arrived from 2 states over to spend the weekend with us.  No problem, I thought.  He's supposed to arrive around dinner, and I'll have all of nap time to finish the book.  I enjoyed a morning at the zoo with the kiddos, arrived home to fix lunch, and answered a phone call from my husband to hear these words: "My uncle is ahead of schedule.  He could be there in an hour."  Aahh!!!  Mayhem.  I abruptly told him, "I need to get off the phone.  I have things to do!"  He may have taken that to mean make the guest bed, pick up toys, vacuum, unload the dishwasher, clean the kitchen, etc.  But of course, you savvy readers know what I meant: I needed to READ and read NOW!  I got the kids in bed ASAP and started to read.

I'm about 5 pages from the end--5 pages!!!--when my relative pulls into my driveway, and I am forced to stop reading!!!!!!!!!  Gasp.

I was courteous enough to greet him and play hostess.  But as soon as my son woke up to entertain him, I excused myself to the restroom and finished the book!  After which I pulled my hostess hat back on, and was busy touring, eating, and watching a high school football game.  Any spare second of alone time I got (read using the restroom), I was thinking about Mockingjay.  It was so frustrating that I didn't have time to process the book!  Give yourself time to process this book!!!  You will not be able to read the last page and go on with your life.  You will need to analyze it.  Talk it over with a friend.  Question Collins' motives in writing it.

May your reading and post-reading experiences go smoother than mine! 

Heather