The Hunger Games Reread - 5 stars

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is my most anticipated release of 2020. I decided to re-read the Hunger Games trilogy before diving in the new book.

Last time I read this trilogy was in 2011 and hence it is almost like reading the books for the first time. I forgot a lot of things that were different from the movies. Despite the fact that Jennifer Lawrence is amazing Katniss you can't see in her head and read her thought on the screen. I realised (again) how much of The Hunger Games is actually happening in her head. All the ideas, thoughts, internal monologues are much more important than the actual events. 

This was one of the first (if not the first ever) sci-fi/dystopian Young Adult series and I am not even surprised it was so hyped up and loved. The books are amazing!

The writing style of Suzanne Collings is something out of this world. There is so little direct speech it is shocking. The descriptions are short, sharp and not detailed at all. I love how much space is there for my imagination to take over. We know there are 24 kids in the arena, but we get to know only a few. I know that a lot of authors (including me) would introduce all of the Hunger Games competitors. Tell the reader their names and maybe some interesting information. I love that Suzanne Collins doesn't do any of that. 

Thanks to her unique writing style the books are short, dynamic and have such a brisk plot that you don't have time to take a breath without something going down and I love it. 

I admire how the character involve. At the beginning of the first book I believe that Katniss and Gale should be together because they have so much in common, they understand each other better. They are meant for each other. But during the books, events take place and by the end of book three... it does make perfect sense that Katniss picks Peeta. They went thought impossible together and that creates such bond and such love between them you can't compete with that in any way. 

I love to hate President Snow. He is perfectly evil, he loves the power and comfortable spot in the Captial. I can point out several politicians who are like him in the real world. His character, despite the fictional novel, seems very real. We do have people like Snow at power at this moment and just like districts we have to shake the earth to get them off of their comfortable chairs in the Capital. 

To be honest, back in 2011 I was 23 years old and I have had no interest in politics what so ever. That is why I didn't really understand the ending of the trilogy to the full extent. Let me tell you (without spoilers) that after reading the end this month, I had an existential crisis. The realisation that you have maybe 20 pages until the end of the trilogy and such a surprising turn around of events takes place almost killed me.  I had a hangover for a few days and I kept thinking like everything I read was real and truly happened. The politics in Hunger Games is on the background because Katniss doesn't care about it that much and all the scheming is done by other characters, but this time I was able to read between the lines and see things that my 23 years old me simply just couldn't see and it was horrifying. 

I am not ready to let go of this world. It is time to read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. I know this is a story about President Snow. Am I ready to learn his backstory? Am I ready to understand him better? No. I love hating him in the original trilogy, but no one is simply evil and I am curious to learn the "why" behind his actions. 

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The Camera talk

                         

I have vowed to myself while in secondary school that I will never buy a DLSR camera. I have admitted that I do not have an eye for photos that I will never be a professional photographer and that I will never need such an expensive tool in my life. 

After joining bookstagram I have used my android phone to take photos. I did flat lays and it was enough. I focused on other things. I focused on composition. How to arrange items to work together on the photo. I learned the importance of light. How artificial light turns your photo into a grainy yellow mess and how natural good light makes even horrible camera take an amazing sharp photo. 

Then I decided to buy a camera. I wanted to let go of my phone and I wanted to get better quality photos. So I found a cute little camera that was under 200 euros and I went to buy it. It was a compact Canon PowerShot 430SX. I have rarely used this camera for my Instagram or for any photos in that matter. It didn't do anything else than my camera already did. It provided slightly better quality photos but I paid a price of moving photos from the camera to laptop or to my phone which eventually required more effort so again I slipped into using my phone.

I am on bookstagram for two and a half years and now I am struggling to achieve a photo I have imagined. The blurry background is not happening in my phone so I took my forgotten PowerShot and tried it. I dedicated days to learn how to use it well and it was great fun! I went outside and took pictures of ducks and plants. But what I realised was that long ago when I bought this camera I didn't look at what I do as a photographer and what the camera I am buying is meant for. 

The result was that the PowerShot is great for zooming in, it is great for videos, but I don't need any of those properties. So I went to electro shop and I went to look at cameras. I didn't intend to buy one, but just look and play with them... I picked one in my hand and almost like a miracle, it did exactly what I tried to achieve with my phone and my PowerShot. It was like the camera read my mind. It new what to focus on and blurred the background in one second. 

The decision was made. I started the research that took 3 days, 20 coffees and one sleepless night full of strange camera dreams. In the end, Wookie helped me with a decision because I was so confused and overwhelmed with all reviews, information and videos that I watched. 

I ended up buying a DLSR - Canon EOS 250D with 18-55 mm lens. I have it for almost a week and I am so happy. I take photos of EVERYTHING (mostly Luna) but every time I click the photo I instantly think: "I love this camera". The photos are amazingly sharp and even with bad light, I am able to take beautiful photos. The background is soft and blurry exactly as I want it. The point of focus doesn't need to be in the middle, I have so many options and so many different settings to play with and discover. This camera is great for any photos I am taking now and gives me enough space to improve, experiment and involve my photography skills. 

So what is the lesson I learned here? 

A professional camera is not going to make sure your photos are amazing. But your phone camera will only get you this far. You really need to evaluate what you want from your photography and then get a camera that fits your needs...

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