Reading: Catching Fire

Back to the suspense of the Quarter Quell in Catching Fire. Here's my summary up through page 204.

In a rage of panic Katniss runs across the lawn of the Victor's Village looking for an escape. However she doesn't make it far; she ends up in an empty Victor's house. Everything that's been going on lately has been flashing through her mind. She's freaking out at the idea of having to kill either Peeta or Haymitch. She's determined that even if Haymitch gets picked Peeta will volunteer to go in his place to protect Katniss.
She leaves the empty house and goes to see Haymitch. He thinks she's there to ask him to take Peeta's potential place in the games and she asks him for a drink. She's afraid that he's actually right for once and that she'lll want Peeta to live. She settles on the idea that if she and Peeta get sent into the arena again that Haymitch will save him this time.
She wakes up with a hangover the next day. Katniss can't keep her act together now with this little surprise. She's crying all over the place. She goes back to Haymitch's bringing food and finds Peeta pouring out all of Haymitch's alcohol. Peeta admits that he's paid off the Ripper to not sell anymore alcohol to either Haymitch or Katniss. Peeta's in game mode planning out their strategies and getting the others heads in the game. He's determined they will once again win.
They spend the next few nights watching recaps of old games learning about the other tributes. They also begin training exercises during the day. New has been buzzing in the Capitol and people are already betting on possible victors. The three share all of their personal tricks and trades that could become useful in the games.
Katniss finally is able to talk to Gale. He admits it's impossible for him to hate Peeta. They begin thinking in "what ifs." What if Peeta died? Where would we be? Thinking on her toes she replies that they'd be hunting just like they did every Sunday. She's watching what she tells him because she's afraid that any emotional upset will cause Gale to start a riot in the mines.
It's the day of the reaping and Effie quickly announces the tributes, Katniss and Haymitch. As predicted Peeta volunteers to take his place. They're all stuffed into vehicles and driven away watching District 12 disappear on their way to the train station.
Worried about her last words, Peeta calms her in the idea of telling her they'll write letters home. Katniss feels awful and she can only think of how she'll manage to keep Peeta alive. At dinner Effie suggests that everyone on their team gets some sort of gold item to match Katniss's mockingjay pin. Effie's hair is now gold and she suggests that the boys should get ankle bracelets. Does Effie know about the uprisings? Is this her way of saying I'm on your side? Katniss doesn't think so. They watch more recaps of reaping and take more notes in hopes of maybe winning again. They discover the other victors from the various districts.
Peeta tells Katniss to go to bed but she knows she can't without him being there in bed with her. She can't take the nightmares anymore. She leaves her room in search for something to drink and finds Peeta who can't sleep either. The two are affectionate towards each other and Katniss seems to be loving it. Together they watch more tapes to learn different fighting techniques of the various tributes. They start watching Haymitch's tape. I would like to see this one, it'd be so interesting to see how he handled the games by himself. They watch it because it's their only tape from the Quell and they hope they're be able to see how these games vary.
Turns out Haymitch was in an alliance with his district tribute as well, however they split up when it came down to the final five. He ends up watching her die in a similar situation to Katniss when she watched Rue die. Haymitch was tracked down by the remaining tribute who died from her own weapon. She threw an ax over a cliff, but she didn't remember that there are forcefields at the bottoms of cliffs that prevent people from jumping and committing suicide. Anyway the ax came back and killed the girl. Also like Katniss's game this part was never shown again, similar to the berries.

What's in store for the new tributes in the Quarter Quell? I'll keep you posted!