See the movie, then read the book

My awful book memory (I read for pleasure and then almost immediately forget almost everything) usually makes it okay for me a see a movie if it's been a couple years since I read the book, but I found myself kicked out of the Harry Potter movies sometimes wondering, "Did this happen in the book?" or "Did this happen differently in the book?"  Recently, I've decided not to read a book immediately if I know a movie is coming out.  I'll see the movie and then later read the book; that way I'm more likely to enjoy both.

For the Hunger Games, I was waiting for the whole series to come out, and then they announced the movie, so I put off reading it, and it seems like a good decision on my part in some ways.  I was able to see the movie as its own, real story, and I thought it did a good job of being coherent if abbreviated and making me want to go read the book to fill in the details.

It also made me kind of sick because I can't handle graphic violence, so I may just switch to the books.  That way I won't have to wait as long to find out what happens in the end, too.  On the other hand, there was some amazing acting in the movies, and if I read the books, I'll find scenes I really want to see in a movie and be disappointed . . .

Tough choices.  If the Hunger Games is on your horizon, how are you handling this?