Hooray for Mockingjay Parties!

I haven't read any of Suzanne Collins' books yet (never cracked open a HARRY POTTER or a TWILIGHT book either), but seeing the excitement these Big Series generate, reading all the coverage on the web about the release parties for MOCKINGJAY at bookstores and libraries alike, and seeing editors, agents, and other writers tweeting with joy about the book's release made me so happy for the world of print books.

With so much talk of e-books and e-readers taking over (and their sales are rising--click here, here, here, and here if you dig statistics), I love seeing reports of brick and mortar bookstores ordering 3600 printed copies of MOCKINGJAY.

Not that I'm against e-books. Go e-books! Knock yourself out. Sell, sell, sell. As long as consumers are happily reading, I (as publishers) don't care how they are doing it. (In fact, a recent survey suggests that consumers with e-readers do more reading since they got their devices.)

But how do you throw a party for an e-book release? Does everyone show up at a coffee shop with their Kindles and simultaneously download? And, what--no line numbers, no autographs? No fun!

So I guess when, someday, printed books go the way of the album {shudder} someone will have to come up with a new way to throw a party. In the meantime, enjoy this coverage of MOCKINGJAY events:

• Powell's Books
• Publishers Weekly
• MTV
• GalleyCat

And Party on, readers!