If you are new to Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games books, start with The Hunger Games, then read Catching Fire and Mockingjay. That is our recommended starting point before exploring the prequels. If you already know the trilogy and want to read the story behind the next film, choose Sunrise on the Reaping.

The timing is useful: Lionsgate schedules the adaptation for North American theatres on November 20, 2026. Here is a spoiler-light way to choose your next book, whether you have read none, watched the films, or already have a well-used set on the shelf.

The five books in publication order

For a first read through the whole series, we recommend publication order. It lets you meet Panem through the original trilogy before stepping back into its history:

  1. The Hunger Games (2008)
  2. Catching Fire (2009)
  3. Mockingjay (2010)
  4. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020)
  5. Sunrise on the Reaping (2025)

Scholastic's series guide confirms these publication dates. Publication order is a reading recommendation, rather than a rule that every reader must follow. The prequels take place earlier in the story, but an earlier setting does not automatically make a book the best introduction.

Keep the first three together. If you are buying one book to try the series, make it The Hunger Games, rather than whichever later volume happens to be cheapest. There is no need to buy a complete set before deciding whether you want to continue.

Where does Sunrise on the Reaping fit?

Sunrise on the Reaping is Haymitch Abernathy's story. It begins with the reaping for the fiftieth Hunger Games, 24 years before The Hunger Games. Scholastic describes that starting point and confirms the November film date.

Our suggestion for returning trilogy readers is simple: if Haymitch is the reason you want to return, read Sunrise next. You can leave The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes for another time. We would not turn an enjoyable return to a series into a requirement to finish every book before a cinema visit.

If you have only watched the original films, consider starting with the first novel. You already have a point of reference, and reading it gives you room to decide whether you want to follow the trilogy in print before moving to the prequels. This guide avoids endings and arena outcomes; detailed character summaries elsewhere may not.

What about chronological order?

For a reread, following Panem's timeline is another option:

  1. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
  2. Sunrise on the Reaping
  3. The Hunger Games
  4. Catching Fire
  5. Mockingjay

Ballad takes place 64 years before the first novel, according to Scholastic's description of the prequel. Sunrise comes between that earlier period and the original trilogy.

We favour this route for readers who already know the series and want to compare its different periods. For newcomers, publication order keeps the decision easier: start with book one and continue from there.

Choose the book, then choose the copy

A used copy can be a practical way to begin or fill a gap in your set. Before ordering, check:

  • The exact title: a listing that mentions the trilogy may still describe one novel. Check the contents before expecting three books.
  • The format and language: choose the reading copy you want, whether paperback, hardcover or another stated format. Do not rely on the cover design alone.
  • The condition: decide whether notes, cover wear or a previous owner's name matter to you. Our used-book condition guide explains what to inspect.
  • The edition: if matching covers or a particular printing matters, compare the ISBN and listing details. An attractive cover is not a substitute for checking the description.

Browse Hunger Games books in our shop to look for the volume you want next. Check the selected copy's current availability and details before ordering; used-book stock changes. You do not need matching editions to follow the reading order.

If you are starting from scratch, pick up The Hunger Games. If the trilogy is already familiar and the new adaptation has brought you back, put Sunrise on the Reaping on your reading list. Let the film give you a reason to return, without making the release date a reading deadline.

Image credit: David Shankbone, Suzanne Collins David Shankbone 2010, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Display cropped for this article.

Copies to browse in our shop

These three original-trilogy editions had available copies when checked on October 22, 2026. Follow each direct link to check the current condition and availability. The covers identify the listed editions; they are not photographs of the individual used copies. The two prequels remain reading recommendations, rather than a promise of shop stock.

The Hunger Games: paperback

View The Hunger Games paperback by Suzanne Collins, ISBN 9781407109084. This listing is for the first novel, not a three-book set.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: black paperback cover with white title lettering and a silver mockingjay emblem.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Published by Scholastic; cover source: the linked shop listing.

Catching Fire: hardcover

View Catching Fire in hardcover by Suzanne Collins, ISBN 9780439023498, the second novel in the original trilogy.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins: red and orange hardcover edition cover with a bird inside a circular emblem.
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. Published by Scholastic Press; cover source: the linked shop listing.

Mockingjay: movie tie-in paperback

View the Mockingjay movie tie-in paperback by Suzanne Collins, ISBN 9780545788298, the third novel in the original trilogy.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins: black movie tie-in paperback cover with a golden mockingjay and flames.
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. Published by Scholastic; cover source: the linked shop listing.