Sunrise on the Reaping centers on the 50th Hunger Games 24 years before the events in the first novel about Katniss Everdeen, and fans of the series know that Katniss's mentor, Haymitch Abernathy, was the victor of the 50th Hunger Games, or Second Quarter Quell.
SOTR comes about five years after the release of the first prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which featured a young President Snow in the early era of the Hunger Games. Like TBOSAS and the three other Hunger Games books, SOTR will have a film adaptation, which is slated for a Lionsgate release on November 20, 2026.
"We're all excited to read about Haymitch, a character who is so beloved by many of us," says Lexie Robbins, marketing manager at Tattered Cover Bookstore.
Tattered Cover will hold SOTR release parties at 8 p.m. Monday, March 17, at all four of its locations: Colfax, Aspen Grove, Union Station and Stanley Marketplace. The festivities will vary from location to location, but Robbins says attendees can definitely expect Hunger Games-related activities — not fighting to the death for copies of the new book, but costume contests, trivia and more. "Union Station is partnering with Terminal Bar, which will do Hunger Games-themed drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, and Stanley Marketplace Denver Biscuit Company will be staying open late as well to accommodate attendees," Robbins says.
Tattered Cover staffers have seen customers wanting to gather again, she adds, and SOTR provides a perfect opportunity to do so. "It really takes us back to the days of the Harry Potter releases, the Twilight releases — just the midnight releases that we used to have for big books," she says.
The releases can be a nostalgic way for people to rekindle with books they loved when they were younger. "We hope that they feel a renewed connection with the Tattered Cover community but also a group of readers who have similar interests," Robbins says. "It's a way that we hope people find new friends and reading buddies."
The events are free to attend, but registration is required. And again, there's no need to fight Hunger Games-style for copies of the book: Those who haven't pre-ordered SOTR yet can get 20 percent off by pre-ordering through Tattered Cover through Monday, March 17. Pre-order by calling or visiting a Tattered Cover location; books will be available at 10:01 p.m. at the launch parties.
"It's a way of finding your community and doing something fun after work hours on a Monday," Robbins says.
Let the Games begin!
