Fans of The Hunger Games rejoice. Suzanne Collins’ highly anticipated prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, has been chosen as a special selection for the Barnes & Noble YA Book Club. Barnes & Noble is selling an exclusive Book Club edition that includes a reader’s group guide and Q&A with Suzanne Collins and Scholastic Publisher and Editorial Director, David Levithan as well as hosting a free virtual discussion to discuss the book on Fri., May, 29 at 7 p.m. ET.
This exclusive edition will be published on May 19 and can be preordered on the website.
“You would have to live under a stone to have missed the triumphant storytelling of the original Hunger Games trilogy,” said Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt. “Suzanne Collins has given us now the prequel, a publishing event of a magnitude and excitement that really only a new Harry Potter could rival. Most of our bookstores offer curb-side pickup and we are certain to have long, appropriately distanced queues on publication day, and record online orders. This publication could not come at a better time for booksellers.”
While Barnes & Noble can’t hold its usual Book Club meetups for readers in stores, the bookseller has been hosting virtual Book Club events with authors as a way for readers to connect, discuss, and comment online.
“Hunger Games fans are going to fly though this book, so we scheduled our virtual event with Scholastic Publisher and Editorial Director David Levithan just ten days after the release,” said Shannon DeVito, Barnes & Noble Buyer, Children and Young Adult. “The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is going to be just as page-turning and addictive as its precursors. But readers should put aside any preconceived notions about what will happen because odds are in favor of Suzanne Collins surprising you.”
“When Scholastic announced the The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Suzanne Collins stated that she wanted ‘to explore the state of nature, who we are, and what we perceive is required for our survival,’” said David Levithan Vice President, Publisher, and Editorial Director for Scholastic. “I am thrilled to be able to host the Barnes & Noble Virtual book club with readers to discuss these concepts and more.”
The virtual event on May 29 will be hosted live on B&N’s Instagram at 7 p.m. ET. Before the virtual event, customers can also join in discussion at their convenience on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, using hashtag #BNYABookClub.
—Jennifer Swartvagher
Featured photo: Barnes & Noble
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