Even before I saw the movie, I kept thinking "How are they going to transition from the first book to the second? Where are they going to fade to black?" I was disappointed with how it ended; I think they should have spent more time on the aftershocks of Katniss & Peeta defying the game rules and living, and what it…

The book delved deeper into both of those points.

The worst kind of wizardry. Some kind of evil, boob-restraining magic.

Yep. That, and the soldiers blown in half on the beach in the first 5 minutes.

I agree. I've read several of his books, and I've started to think the non-violent parts are like dialogue in a porno: he's just doing it to get from one gore scene to the next.