The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

By Suzanne Collins,

Book cover of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Book description

Ambition will fuel him.Competition will drive him.But power has its price.

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house…

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Why read it?

4 authors picked The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I was in a reading slump when I read this book, and it jump-started my love of reading again. I was genuinely impressed by the cleverly woven descent of Coriolanus Snow’s mind into the evil President Snow we witness in the Hunger Games trilogy (plus all the easter eggs along the way). This book was so good I read it twice back-to-back.

Since I was young, I have been fascinated by morally questionable characters framed as the hero. In this book, Suzanne Collins captures this interest perfectly. With her careful description of a flawed, scarred character forced into darkness by the cruel world he lives in, Collins shows that none of us are truly safe from evil.

In addition, telling the story from this character’s perspective really drives home the idea for me that everyone is the hero of their own story. Authors can attempt to mold readers’ opinions one way or the other, but there is often more happening under the…

I’m a big fan of the Hunger Games trilogy, from its gripping concept and what the history of its world says about humanity, to the violent challenges Katniss must face if she’s to protect the ones she loves.

I adore writing strong female leads in violently challenging worlds too! So I wasn’t sure how engaged I would be reading from the perspective of the struggling-with-appearances Coriolanus Snow. I was so glad I gave it a go! Some stories need you to trust them with a couple of chapters of reading, but then they capture you, just like this one did!

Eyes of Blue

By S.M. Sykes,

Book cover of Eyes of Blue

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Why am I passionate about this?

I have always been a fan of Young Adult fiction, even into my late thirties. This is why when I decided to write my first novel, I wrote it for that genre. My biggest draw to this type of book is the emotional connection and hope you get from younger characters. Like most of us, we lose hope as we get older, so reading a book about a young character full of hope in a chaotic world gives me a little of that hope back. Young people feel things much stronger than we do when we’re older. It feels good to reconnect to that and remember what it’s like. 

S.M.'s book list on ignite hope in a dying world

What is my book about?

In a world ravaged by an inexplicable plague, society lies in ruins. Amidst the desolation, a lone survivor perseveres in a secluded state park along the Delaware Coast. Over a year has passed since she lost everything, yet as the sanctuary she’s carved for herself begins to crumble, she must summon the strength to endure once more. 

Venturing beyond her haven exposes her to the horrors spawned by the plague, creatures both cunning and primal. Their origins shrouded in mystery, they pose a formidable threat to any who cross their path. Armed with scant knowledge and a grim resolve, she…

Eyes of Blue

By S.M. Sykes,

What is this book about?

In a world ravaged by an inexplicable plague, society lies in ruins. Amidst the desolation, a lone survivor perseveres in a secluded state park along the Delaware Coast. Over a year has passed since she lost everything, yet as the sanctuary she's carved for herself begins to crumble, she must summon the strength to endure once more.

Venturing beyond her haven exposes her to the horrors spawned by the plague, creatures both cunning and primal. Their origins shrouded in mystery; they pose a formidable threat to any who cross their path. Armed with scant knowledge and a grim resolve, she…


I hated that I came to an understanding with the younger version of President Coriolanus Snow—the villain of the Hunger Games novels.

Despite living in the capital, his family is starving. Coriolanus buries the secret of his family's relative poverty, hiding it from the world by overcompensating in school and social achievements. Having been raised in the inner city, by parents who worked minimum wage retail jobs, I truly, truly felt this one.

Having to pretend you don’t need food is something I deeply understood. But Corio—as his little sister calls him—slowly descends further and further into ruthlessness, as he…

From Ben's list on YA with boys who defy stereotypes.

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