If you’ve come here from the lovely land of Twitter or Facebook, thine eyes do not deceive you. This is very real and this is the big “secret” that I’ve been not-so-subtly referencing for a few months now.
I have been under contract with Buzznet for the MRHP series and couldn’t reveal this until now, which is why I stopped posting and there’s been such a large gap in reviews and such. I still have one final post to make this weekend, which will be the recap of the Deathly Hallows meet-up, and then everything else will exist here: the liveblogs, the re-read of the series, etc. I was saving them because I did not want to waste them on Buzznet when I did not need to post them there.
If you’re curious what is happening to the old reviews, have no fear: They are staying precisely where they are. I not only wanted to avoid any contractual nastiness, but I felt that separating the reviews from their respective comment threads was completely removing the context they had. The conversations we had are as much a part of the review as the review itself. There are now full archives for both series (including the much-desired archive of Mark Reads Twilight, complete with new commentary), which you can view here:
Mark Reads Harry Potter archive
This is not the final design of the site, as I’m waiting for the custom template to be finished, but this is the home for all future Mark Reads projects.
With that in mind, let me formally and publicly announce my next project: Mark Reads The Hunger Games trilogy. I was initially going to do The Lord of the Rings, but feared its density might be too much to tackle just yet. I was intrigued by the idea of doing something that was less known so that more people could actually read along as well.
Anyway, please chime in throughout the process over the next week or two as the design kicks in to place. I’ve removed the restriction that required you to register to post a comment. You don’t need a WordPress/IntenseDebate account anymore; you can just provide your email/name instead. For now, though, you must have at least one comment approved by a moderator before your comments will appear instantly without approval. I think that’s a pretty fair system, but I am willing to hear other options!
Thank you, again, for your endless support. You made this site (and it’s twin brother, Mark Watches OH THAT’S RIGHT, TWO FUCKING SITES, HOLY SHIT.) a reality. Soon, we will have a forum attached to this place so we can discuss spoilers and other nonsense; there will be contests, a new liveblogging tool, and FINALLY, I will be able to run multiple series AT THE SAME TIME.
I will have plenty of introductory posts this week, but we’ll get started with the Harry Potter re-reads and The Hunger Games sometime next week. (I might wait until after Thanksgiving, but we’ll see.)
Thank you. Thank you. THANK YOU!
Oh, this is exciting! I can't wait to have you start the Hunger Games series! 🙂
& we definitely don't want to lose out on any of your HP reviews from buzznet.
Long time lurker, first-time commenter. Congratulations on the new site! And your Internet fame! And…everything! Just…going to go back to being creepy now…*lurks*
This is amazing Mark! I can't wait to get started!
YAY! I am SO excited for this! Mark, this is TOTALLY AWESOME! (AVPM too soon?)
Cannot wait for this to kick into gear 🙂
Oh wait- when is Thanksgiving? I could google that actually…K
Hahaha, it's next week!
I am very sad that you're reading the hunger games next because i havent read them yet BUT I am not getting them until Christmas! I will miss looking forward to your blog posts every day. Hopefully i can join you for your next series!
Also YAY for the new site! Have to say i'm more excited for markreadsandwiches though haha
BUT I WILL BE DOING HARRY POTTER POSTS TOO AND THEN I WILL ALSO BE DOING FIREFLY/SERENITY OVER ON MARK WATCHES AND THEN AND THEN AND THEN.
Hi!!
I AM EXCITED BY ALL OF THIS NEWS!
I never got around to getting a Buzznet account (I'm just massively lazy like that) but I have been reading along since about June. So I am very massively glad to be able to comment here – thank you for being so accommodating! 🙂
And I've just finished re-reading The Hunger Games, so this is very well timed for me. 😀
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT IS TO COME AND EVERYTHING. THE FUTURE LOOKS AWESOME.
THANK YOU.
OMG EXCITE~
yay new site omg I WILL HAVE TO READ THE HUNGER GAMES ASAP Y/Y OMG?
NO THANK YOOOOOOU <3333 we love you MARK! TWO SITES! AAAAAH! I AM SO EXCITE
FUCK. YEAH.
Congratulations! I am really looking forward to reading Hunger Games for the first time along with you.
does anyone know if the hunger games trilogy is on the amazon kindle? I just searched "the hunger games" but it didn't seem to be there. Is that not its actual name? is it on the kindle at all? Thank you in advance 🙂
Yeah, it is. I have it on mine. Try searching for Suzanne Collins, or I think that the last book is on the top sellers list that should lead you to the others.
OKAY OKAY YOU CONVINCED ME TO KEEP CHECKING THE SITE!!! I PROMISE I WILL!
I just am afraid to be spoiled about the hunger games cause i plan on reading them over winter break!!
Just wondering: How long do you think it will take you to read each book for the Hunger Games? I don't have my own copy and although I want to read along I'm already having issues because it's not yet available at the library. I want the second book to be readily available, but I don't want to place my hold on it so soon that I'll have to give it back before you read it.
*this comment is to get my post approved by a moderator for later* :D!!!!!!!!
AHHHHHHH YEAH!!!!!! TWO NEW MARK WEBSITES!
Soooo excited for the Hunger Games! It's such a great series!
p.s.-DEATHLY HALLOWS COMES OUT TOMORROW AT MIDNIGHT!!!!! ARE YOU PUMPED MARK?!?!
Oh man, this is a HUGE step for you! I have only been a lurker so far, but I was a SERIOUS fan of your Mark Reads Twilight series. I still tell people about it whenever the horridness of anything Stephanie Meyers-related comes up.
Congratulations, and I can't wait for you to start another series!
I feel like I should break a champagne bottle on my laptop or something to celebrate. 🙂
THIS IS SO EXCITING! This means I have to reorganize my bookmarks! Although there would be something sad about deleting my MRHP bookmark when the time comes…
Wonderful! I just knew it! Btw, I'm a total lurker up until now (since reviews of New Moon!!) but could not figure out Buzznet for the life of me. Luckily I have a wordpress and am so excited to comment. I've already read/watched Hunger Games and Firefly and liked/absolutely loved both! Yeah, figure that forwardslash-fest out!
Anyway, absolutely love the blogs and can't wait for them to continue! Oh, and re: Hunger Games? You are not prepared.
I AM SO EXCITE. Dear god, I love The Hunger Games. SOOOO much. We love you, Mark! <3
I think I'll keep my original Buzznet name here. =P
Just wanna share with you guys…… I was watching Glee and tater tots was part of the story. I immediately thought POTATO BABIES. Thanks, like, alot you guys.
I THOUGHT THE SAME THING WHILE WATCHING GLEE!!!!
ME TOO!!!
SO EXCITED I found MRHP right before you did DH and read the entire thing and i've pretty much been stalking your blog ever sense, just sayin
but seriously this site is legit as hell, I love it
Omg you guys haven't even seen the final template. IT WILL BE AWESOME.
ha I was wondering if it was going to stay "default wordpress template."
(in related news, I need to update my wordpress blog… ever.)
Congrats MarK on your new website! I can't wait for all the projects you have in store for us!! I am definitely going to get the Hunger Games from the library and read along! Also, you are going to love rereading the HP series. You will discover things the second (even the third and fourth) time around that will make your head explode. It's wonderful.
PS: I think it is time to watch AVPM and AVPS!!! They are totally awesome!
HOLY CRAP! I'm SO EXCITED FOR THIS. I'm so gonna read The Hunger Games along with you…. eeeeek! :DD
OMG YES.
YEEEEEEEESSS.
Congratulations Mark (from someone old enough to be your mom)! I fell in love with your writing when I started looking at your Twilight series. How I adored you for that. When the books became so popular, I had a hard time believing that anyone would like such horrid writing and loved you madly for your criticisms of Stephanie Meyers' "writing" & I so enjoyed reliving the Harry Potter journey again through you. It was more than most pleasurable.
Thank you Sue!!
Don't know if this is too obscure or not, but if you ever need to review a MAD LONG series like THE LORD OF THE RINGS that's not so serious but quite amusing in an adult fashion, give George R.R. Martin's A SONG OF FIRE AND ICE series a shout. I'm on the second book right now, and even though it's like ridiculously long (first volume alone is over 800 pages, albeit small paperback pages), it's surprisingly intriguing for high fantasy (a lot of which feels derivative after a while) and it doesn't shy away from (relatively) tasteful sex, gore, prostitution, bastardy, etc. Only problem is that it's still only half-finished and he's been working on it forevah.
Also it's going to be an HBO miniseries in 2011 so there are plenty of read/watch IN TANDEM things to get excite about. 🙂
Yay new site! (I'm keeping my Buzznet username, though…seems wrong to change it even though I use a different one everywhere else.) Can't wait for you to start Hunger Games and Firefly. It'll be nice to have regular reviews to look forward to again.
YAY FOREVER! Congrats on the site! I had so been hoping this would be the announcement!!!!!!!!!!
Oh, this is fun!! I am not a fan of Buzznet 🙂 And now, now I have to go buy The Hunger Games trilogy. Oh man, buy more books? That I've never read? What shall I do?! I'm never going to be able to read chapter by chapter. I tried to keep up with Deathly Hallows, but gave in half way through, and read the rest. AND I HAD READ THAT BEFORE.
The tragedy. Life is soooo hard.
This is SO exciting! I can't wait for you to start Hunger Games!! It took me awhile to get into it, but they are so. much. fun. to. read. YAYAYAYAY!!!
P.S. congrats on the new site, I love it 🙂
Wow, this is great for you and us. Congratulations. I have been following you since back in the dark days of Twilight. I'm really interested in reading Hunger Games along with you and the timing worked out great as my daughter just read them all with school and got to keep all her copies, it was ment to be I guess 🙂
Yay!!! So excited this site is finally up. I've been checking up on it every day for last week or so.
Mark, I'm so excited for everything you have planned!
I'm so excited about this new site! I was going to read The Hunger Games with you Mark, but I got impatient and then couldn't put them down. I can't wait to see what you make of them. Also, I know you've already had your mind blown by HP, but as far as The Hunger Games? You are STILL NOT PREPARED. =]
HOORAY! I've never read the Hunger Games, so, excitement! I'm so glad that you can talk about this site freely to everyone, now. As though a weight has been LIFTED!
Is it okay if I am excite for it to be a WordPress site because now I can totally comment with my own WordPress account and GRAVATAR? 😮
(i mean i am excite for OTHER REASONS AS WELL but also because i am a dork for wordpress)
I KNOW. I LOVE GRAVATARS.
I actually run a gaming community with WordPress (BECAUSE NOBODY WILL HIRE ME SO I WILL JUST HIRE MYSELF OK) and the SimplePress forum plugin thing is actually kind of awesome, if a little horribly tedious to administrate (adding new forums, mostly, which we have many of because GAMES and GUILDS and USER GROUP PERMISSIONS).
Looks like I know which books I'm buying next.
Yay! SO EXCITE!!!!
I bought The Hunger Games and I was gonna read it along with you, but I started it and now I can't stop.
I can't wait to read the reviews!!
I told myself I was just getting a head start in case I got busy and couldn't keep up for a few days. But then, I could. not. stop. reading. Someday maybe I'll actually read along with Mark.
Great new sites! Now I can comment from my acct here at wp (and, hopefully, it will mean that I get to finally revive my poor blogs once and for all).
I'll be awaiting your cue to start reading the first book of The Hunger Games. I decided to just read along since I have so many other books to finish in the mean time (I just finished one of them, The Mists of Avalon; now a lot more to tackle, some of them to take back for others to read in the BC group to which I belong) and I know that I wouldn't even start if otherwise. I hope I can get the other 2 of the trilogy before the start of the second to keep up with your reading.
See you soon over here then! ^-^
This is so exciting, Mark!
You have a url with your name in it! I mean, one that doesn't belong to someone else.
I mean….lol I can't express what I mean.
I am looking forward to your take on the HG series. I have a …wide variety of feelings on the subject 😀
Hooray! I'm so excited for your new sites, Mark! Reading and watching more series with you will be so much fun, and I'm glad we're away from the terrible commenting system at Buzznet now.
THIS (is awesome).
Pretty much commenting to get mod approval!!
We are all stalking you!
HELLO!!!
Oh Mark, the things I sign up for for you. And now I'm sad I went ahead and read The Hunger Games a few months ago, but it's not like I could force myself to not read ahead anyway xD LETS GET THIS PARTY STARTED.
(I was lusine on buzznet).
I KNOW YOU. Hello!
Yay 😀 Hi!
Congratulations to the new sites, Mark! I'm excited to see your review series continue :).
Oooh, and I really need to get the books so that I can read along with you! I've been putting it off for too long …
Yaaay, the official reveal of your Not-So-Subtle-Secret-Because-We-All-Kinda-Figured-It-Out-Right-Away Secret surprise!! I love the new site- can't wait to see us attempt to break it later on 🙂
Can't wait to see your take on the Hunger Games. Like it, Hate it, Apathetic about it, all that matters is that we get to experience another journey with you 🙂
I'm a newbie at this WordPress account thing, so please forgive me for a "stupid-esque" question, but, because we don't have to "register" for anything, can anyone else use our usernames? For example, I'm Stephalopolis….. can there be a second Stephalopolis, or could someone pretend to be me?
But I do love having an official Mark Reads Website. SO SUPER FREAKING EXCITING!!!!!
It's somewhat possible, but I see all comments/emails/IP addresses, so it would be hard to pull it off.
I'm so excited for this new phase in Mark-dom! I've been following since the beginning of MRHP, but I never got around to making a buzznet account, (laziness trumps all over here) so I'm really feeling this whole new commenting system. I've never read the Hunger Games, so I'm pumped to experience this all with you.
So how do we post jpegs and gifs? Cause you know, MRHP feeds on gifs. It's a life sustainer. Along with potato babies. And red vines.
I will be posting a full FAQ when the site is finished, but for now, IntenseDebate allows embedding of any filetype via HTML codes. So use the < img src="URL HERE" > to post them. (Get rid of the spaces, though.)
I'll look into a custom CSS tweak to see if we can upload files to my hosting service.
Oh html, alright thanks Mark! 😀
YAY!!! I love Suzanne Collins! I'm going to reread the Hunger Games with you! 😀
EXCITE EXCITE EXCITE! Congratulations, Mark! 😀 Also, have fun watching Deathly Hallows, it's a big step up from HBP, and that's coming from me – one of the freaks, I mean people, who liked that movie.
Heh, can't be bothered being anon, I'll just get a WordPress account…
Yay Mark! This is so exciting! My friends keep asking my why I haven’t read The Hunger Games yet and I told them “I’m waiting for Mark”
This is going to be so much fun 🙂
Also, I’m keeping my username from Buzznet because I like it and couldn’t come up with anything better.
It is a very good user name.
Hmm, I've never actually read the Hunger Games Trilogy. I've heard good things, so I suppose this is as good a reason as any to read them.
I can't believe it was just mark reads/watches! I remember you telling someone to try and look for the sites using .net but I am stupid and tried markreadsandwatches.net and when that didn't work I was stumped. I'm glad about the new site. On Buzznet I was hermanonucleosis but as much as I love MRHP it's almost over so I might as well have a new username. I'm am excite for Mark watches ATLA even though I have no idea when that starts. I only watched it this summer and a couple months ago, got into fanfic and started re-watching the series – SO GOOD. I'm also excite for Hunger Games! I can't wait for the spoiler page because I need to blurt out my opinions to someone who's read the trilogy and your blog.
I will probably do Doctor Who next and then A:TLA. 🙂
YES, third on the list! And I've been meaning to get into Dr. Who but I never knew where to start, now I do- it's wherever you start- YAY! I hope it'll end up in the summer so I can watch along without having to bother with school. I already know I probably won't be able to follow along with Firefly 🙁
Incredible! Congrats on your two new sites Mark. Your internet fame will surely grow. I haven't read Hunger Games but I'm thinking of reading along. I will definitely watch Firefly with you as I've been meaning to watch it and it will be a lot more fun this way.
Good luck Mark and thanks for creating a way for us interwebbers to tag along. 🙂
Yay!!! This is really a great news!!! Can’t wait to start reading with you the Hunger Games! *iz excited*
The Hunger Games is great…but I'll never stop suggesting A Song of Ice and Fire. I guess I'll just keep bringing it up incessantly until you acknowledge it somehow. So…yeah. 🙂
I think I'm prepared for it to be added to my list of THINGS I WILL ABSOLUTELY DO. Many of you have suggested it.
I am so excited and so in love with you right now I can barely coagulate myself (and I'm using words that make no sense…thats how existational I am!) This is the best news ever! *dies from harpyness*
IT'S SO AWESOME! I LOVE George R.R. Martin.
/squealsofjoy
ASOIAF YES! So effing good. Loooove it.
Yay, new project! It would take me a while to get used to wordpress. 😀
Yeey!! This is so cool!! *is in awe*
Holy crap! Holy crap! YAY!! I waited to read Hunger Games with you.
Yes! I still haven’t gotten to read Mockingjay, so this will be an AMAZING way to refresh my memory before I do! 😀
Oh man. So much <3 forever.
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Yay for the new site, loved Mark reads twilight.. I never read Mark reads Harry Potter because I have never read Harry Potter (embarrassing I know) but I will do one day.
I will read along with you this time for Hunger Games. Although I have absolutely no idea what it is about. Cant wait
Yaaaaaay!
So excited to hear all your thoughts on Hunger Games (and Firefly even though that's a completely different site)
It's so amazing how far you've come! & I will always support what you do because you got my picture featured on buzznet….like three years ago, but i will always be grateful :))
MARK READS THE HUNGER GAMES?! SDFAKJSFHJKASHDF SO EXCITING! CAN'T WAIT!
Love the site, it was a great surprise! 😀
Yay! I am so looking forward to this! ^_^ *makes a note to borrow The Hunger Games from the library* I’ve been wanting to read that series for a while.
Hi! This is so exciting and I think having these two websites of your own will be great!
Do you have any knowledge as to why WordPress accepted my registration (and sent me a confirmatory email) but now won't let me log in, saying the username/email doesn't exist?
Or maybe someone else has had a similar problem? Am I being really internets/interwebs-dense? (Totally plausible).
Okay, aside from that, a question:
Are you doing your reread of HP first? Or The Hunger Games?
Also, forgot to mention this, but I haven't read The Hunger games, so I'll be reading along with you! I already got my copy of the first book 🙂
Did you click "Register" over on the bottom right corner under "Meta" or did you just register for WordPress.com?
I went to the registration via clicking "register" under "meta" over on the right…
very strange. It looks like you've got a new post to get us all going, so I'm heading over to that now.
Hope you figured it out!
This is such an exciting discovery!
Thanks so much for everything, Mark. I look forward to future adventures!
I love how everyone is like YAY FOR LEAVING BUZZNET! . …. but we're all keeping our buzznet usernames. lol
HAHAHAHA. Mine is different!
Was panasonicyouth taken or something? o_O
Oh my god this is awesome! :DDDD CONGRATS MARK ON THE NEW SITE. I might have to find time to read along with this next one.
AND ALSO HARRY POTTER TONIGHT HOLY SHIT
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SQUEE. No, seriously, SQUEE!!!!
Congratulations on the new site! I'm really excited for the Hunger Games, I have my own copy all ready (my friend randomly shoved it into my hands and ordered me to read it a few days before you announced you were going to).
I'm really really really really excited for this!
The lack of regular reviews was starting to make me sad 🙁
Question: Ages ago you posted that you were going to read some HP fanfiction, especially My Immortal. Is that still going to happen and will it be before or after Hunger Games?
It will mostly likely happen after the HP re-read.
Congratulations on the new site! I'm really excited for the Hunger Games, I have my own copy all ready (my friend randomly shoved it into my hands and ordered me to read it a few days before you announced you were going to).
Wonderful! I tried reading the first chapter of The Hunger Games and I simply couldn't read just one: I read the 3 books in about 4 days. I will enjoy reading your reviews.
THIS IS WHAT PEOPLE TELL ME. Oh god, I can't imagine something worse than reading Harry Potter chapter by chapter.
I think I just shrieked whn I realised you were starting with the Hunger games series…. this is going to be EPIC!!!!
Congratulations Mark on having a pretty amazing blog and for making me (and I'm sure a lot of people) want to read those novels again and finding more good books to share…
YAY!! I've been waiting to start Hunger Games to read with you. *happy dance*
Congrats on the new sites!
Awesome! I love The Hunger Games – I finished them not too long ago. 🙂
I'm so pumped for everything that is coming! I'm glad that the posts will stay on Buzznet, though. All those discussions, even if I didn't actively participate, were very enjoyable and I'm glad that if I feel like going back, I can. (:
Excite.
Awesome, I can’t wait to read your opinions on the Hunger Games. I finished reading them not too long ago, so they’re still fresh in mind (unlike HP or Twilight). This should be fun. 🙂
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omg this is so exciting.
I'm so excited you're doing The Hunger Games! I recently bought/read the trilogy and I loved it a lot. And I did actually think (probably more often than I should admit too) when I was reading it that if you were going to do another Mark Reads, I really hoped it would be on that. Very happy right now. 😀
Also love that this is a site now, Buzznet and I did not get on so I never really commented there 🙁
I'm glad you have a new home. Can't wait for the redesign because this layout is KILLING ME.
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Are you going to review other books? Because it would be ABSOLUTELY AWESOME if you reviewed the Percy Jackson series sometimes. Could you perhaps do it after The Hunger Games?
OMG, I was just about to suggest this! =D
Congrats on the new site/page!
I was directed to you through Cleolinda, and thoroughly enjoyed your experiences with HP. I'm now reading through your Twilight reviews and you are a brave, brave man for sticking it out.
I also added you to my own blogroll (which I will update mine again sometime before the New Year [for whatever reason ID won't let me log in with my WP info. Gah.]), if that's alright.
I look forward to reading along with you in the future.
🙂