If you're paying close attention to your calendar, then you know today is a very special day. In just 365 days, the big-screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins' best-selling novel "The Hunger Games" hits theaters. The Reaping is so close, yet still feels so far away. After all, the only role filled to date is that of heroine Katniss Everdeen, to be played by 20-year-old "Winter's Bone" star Jennifer Lawrence. Peeta, Gale, Prim, Haymitch, Effie, Cinna and a cavalcade of supporting characters are still big questions marks. [Breathe. BREATHE.] Okay, we're just going to put our faith in director Gary Ross, and let him get the job done at his own pace.
But, admittedly, that doesn't make the wait any less bearable. Thankfully, we've cooked up a few suggestions for how to pass those long Peeta- or Gale-less (depending on where your alliances lie) months. Keep reading after the jump for three ways to get your "Hunger Games" fix in the meantime!
1. Read: "The Girl Who Was On Fire" from Smart Pop
Sure, Suzanne's dystopian trilogy may have come to a close, but that doesn't mean you can't read new material about Katniss. In this collection of essays, some of our favorite writers (like "The Forest of Hands and Teeth" author Carrie Ryan), weigh in on the "Hunger Games" phenomenon. We'll admit this recommendation is a bit of a tease considering the book doesn't hit shelves until April 5, but that's a much shorter wait than the movie's March 23, 2012 release date.
2. Play: The Hunger Games: Training Days
This is so much-less morbid than challenging your friends to a backyard version of The Hunger Games. In this board game, players compete in feats similar to those tributes complete during their pre-Games training. So keep that bow and arrow tucked safely in the closet, k?
3. Read: Suzanne Collins' other YA series "Underland Chronicles"
Before there was Katniss, there was Gregor. In this fantastical series also by Suzanne, 11-year-old Gregor tumbles down a New York City rabbit hole, taking him to the Underland—a magical world filled with giant cockroaches and spiders, in which Gregor must find his missing father and save the land, all while babysitting his 2-year-old sister, Boots.
3.5 Read: Hollywood Crush
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What will you do to pass the time until "The Hunger Games"? Tell us in the comments and on Twitter!
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