I finished Mockingjay last week, after reading the whole trilogy back-to-back (I didn’t want any of that super-long anticipation like my friends had to deal with, so I just waited to read any of them. Here are a couple of thoughts I had after finishing. This whole post is pretty much me “thinking out loud” so it might not make any sense at all. Fair warning.

1. Team Peeta vs Team Gale

I heard a lot of questions since Catching Fire came out about Team Peeta or Team Gale. It was actually kinda a bummer, because I then knew that, no matter how bad things got in The Hunger Games or Catching Fire that Peeta survives it. Because, if he hadn’t, there wouldn’t be the contest anymore.

When reading, though, I had to wonder: why is there even a Team Gale? I liked Gale’s character a lot (well, less so in Mockingjay) and I thought he and Katniss were great together. As friends. Maybe she was just completely oblivious to his affection toward her – and since we see everything through her eyes we don’t see it – but I did not like that he suddenly seemed very interested in her once he had competition. Before Peeta, he was a great friend, a great hunting partner. Maybe he was too shy to act on his feelings for her until he thought he might loose her, but still. Peeta was so open and honest about how he felt about Katniss, it was hard to not want them to end up together.

Also, at the end, Peeta came back. Maybe Gale didn’t go back to District 12 because he knew that Katniss would not be with him the way he wanted, who knows? But Peeta went back as soon as he could and stayed beside her, helping her learn to deal with what had happened.

(While she might be crazy (kidding, Pam!), there are people who don’t like Peeta!)

2. Why I didn’t like Mockingjay as much.

And, no, it wasn’t because she killed Prim and Finnick. Actually, I went into the book knowing that Suzanne Collins was not afraid to kill off anyone, so I kinda expected Prim to die at the end. Prim was the one person Katniss cares about above all others, so it would be the most tragic thing to do. Then, once Finnick and Anne finally found happiness, I immediately started to worry about him. Because it would be the most brutal thing to do to kill him right when things are finally looking up for him. So, really, I was not surprised when either of them died.

I was still super sad when they died, but that is not why I didn’t like the book as much as the first two. My issue with Mockingjay stemmed more from Katniss’s character.

In the first two books, Katniss takes charge and acts. I mean, she has to – she is thrown in an arena where to not act is to die. But in Mockingjay she was being acted upon for the first half (at least) of the book. There was a lot of internal dialogue about things she would like to do, but she very rarely acted upon them. Which, given the situation she was in, I am not sure she could, so I think Suzanne Collins wrote true to her world, but I still had a hard time with it.

Also, her selfishness really started to get to me. In the arena, until she heard that both she and Peeta could win, she had to be selfish – it was the only way to survive. But even then she let herself go and took Rue in. She was not a selfish person then.

Then, in Catching Fire, her only goal is to save Peeta. She goes into the arena ready to sacrifice herself for him. So what happens in Mockingjay? The first part of the book she is still gung-ho on saving Peeta. But when he shows up after having been traumatized and manipulated by the Capitol, she gives up on him completely, sure that there is no getting him back now. She wants nothing to do with him and tries to stay as far away from him as possible. Just like that she drops the person she swore she would save – even at the cost of her own life.

Suddenly, she went from this caring, selfless person to someone who thought only of her own wants and needs. Grrrr.

Still, I loved Mockingjay. Katniss eventually came around and I got to liking her as a character again. But for a while there, I really couldn’t stand her much.

Today’s question comes from Jessie Sin, who asks: Who are your most read and awaited authors and why?

Here’s the deal: I don’t really have any authors whose books I eagerly anticipate. That’s not to say there aren’t a lot of wonderful, talented writers whose books I love; I just tend to do things on a more book-by-book basis.

For instance: I am a big Nicholas Sparks fan. I have read, um, six or seven of his books. But I haven’t read any of his most recent ones. I will eventually, but I don’t have that author-draw that compels me to buy everything he puts out right away. Similarly, I read all 7 Harry Potter books, but when The Tales of Beetle the Bard was released, my reaction was more meh than anything else.

I guess I am just not great with the whole author loyalty thing. Sorry author friends.

But, I do have a list of books I am incredibly (like, holy sporks, can this book come out already, ’cause I have to read it…can’t live without it, give it to me now) excited for. So, in lieu of a list of most awaited authors, I give you:

Books I am SO excited for

Book three in the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.

Why? Well, books one and two (The Hunger Games and Catching Fire) are sitting patiently on my bookshelf waiting to be read. I am trying my hardest to not read them until just before the third comes out, because I seen how people get with these books. I think the anticipation will be even worse if I read the first ones now. But still, they have all the way until August to tempt me; I don’t know if I will be able to hold out.

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Why? Four reasons: 1. Jackson is awesome, and hilarious, and adorable. 2. I really enjoy Jackson’s writing (have I mentioned my love of As You Wish yet?). 3. The story sounds great–modern retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, complete with the bond of sisterhood and, oh yeah, werewolf hunting. Heck yes. 4. THE COVER!

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Why? The story of a teenage girl who works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency is intriguing; the narrator’s voice is great; Kiersten’s blog is so fun that I just can’t help but to want her book too.

Spells by Aprilynne Pike

Why? I loved Wings. The story is fairly simple, but completely captivating. I love the characters. And Aprilynne’s writing is crisp and beautiful. I can’t wait to read more about Laurel.

Wow. That is all I can think of off the top of my head. I have a list a mile long (no, seriously, it is that long) of books that I want to read–some on shelves now, some not yet–but these four are the ones I am most looking forward to this year.