Greetings.

In advance, thank you very much for the initiative you have created, it is a great opportunity to talk about tastes in particular, besides encouraging us to look for new titles to read through the recommendations of other Hivers. Also, I'm glad you are overcoming those hard stages that are just around the corner for all of us, waiting to mistreat us a little and of course waiting to give us the opportunity to be reborn. Gotta keep going in the best possible spirits.

Going into a bit more detail regarding the initiative. A book, which had an impact on me and which I inevitably relate it to how we as a society develop. It is the book of the Hunger Games, to be more specific I am talking about its second book, Catching Fire. Although, the idea that I take away and want to share with you can be found in all three books.

The Hunger Games are 3 books written by the author Suzanne Collins. The first book is called The Hunger Games, the second is called Catching Fire and the third is called Mockingjay. As I was reminiscing some things from the books, I realized that there is a fourth book called Ballad of Songbirds And Serpents that I am already encouraged to look for to read.

These books show a world, we could say with a glimpse into the future, where what's left of the most important groups of society have settled in a location called Panem. Panem, as time went by, grew and in order to give it order, it has been divided into 13 districts. All these are led by the capitol, a place where aristocrats make life, where all the best of society is established, technology, food, weapons...

But, as it usually happens, sometimes the excess of power makes the inequalities manifest themselves in the form of repudiation and discontent. The districts most allied to the capitol are in their favor and receive their favors. But, those who are not, could suffer the fateful fate of district 13, which had opposed it and was wiped off the face of the earth, as an example to the other districts, to prove the power of the capitol and the guts they could show. Regardless of whether there were children or women, the fate of everyone in the district was the same.

As if it was not enough, having been defeated, day after day humiliated and increasingly unhappy. The capitol, to commemorate the dark days and how they managed to prevail against the boldness of the rebel districts, decided to create a special day called The Hunger Games. For this special day, the remaining 12 districts were to select a pair of young people (boy and girl) between the ages of 12 and 18, to be known as tributes, each year. In order to fight to the death in an arena made by the capitol.

Only one tribute can win the Hunger Games and the other 11 will perish on the battlefield....

Why have I selected these books for this initiative?

To give a little context, I am from Venezuela and for most people it is no secret that we are living through extremely complex times. Currently the situation is improving, but not thanks to the government system but thanks to our fellow citizens who have emigrated and have allocated many salaries for their relatives and friends who stayed in the country.

Next year, it will be almost 10 years since a very delicate political moment in Venezuela that colloquially we call "Guarimbas" The world was attentive thanks to social networks, I remember that almost at the same time there was a civil battle in Ukraine. Those were times of battles (not war), but what we experienced was shocking.

Venezuelans were fighting for their freedom, from the most peaceful, which managed to bring tears to the eyes of the police officers who were there by orders of the state, to the most aggressive, where unfortunately there were deaths on both sides.

It was a time when the refuge I had were books, because social networks only made me depressed and angry. At that time, I started reading The Hunger Games, exactly the book Catching Fire. Every time I read it, I identified with what happened in the book. My reality, it was captured in that book, especially the injustices, the oppressions and the feelings.

Then events came to a standstill when some politicians who "represented the feelings of the people" became martyrs and told the government that if they messed with them again the people would back them up that way and put an end to the established government. We were used, people were hurt and died in vain and then hopelessness caused migration to increase disproportionately....

Already then I read Mockingjay, the third book and this very thing was told in the book, mainly about betrayal and hidden agendas of the powerful. The way, how we have treated each other as a species, seems to have a perfect guide to oppress us and to manipulate us. It is so much so, that it can bring up the same feelings for someone who is struggling, as well as someone who is just reading. It can be a sad thing indeed or a wonderful thing depending on which side you look at it.

This perspective over time, expanded to better analyze or at least have a more personal view on political and social issues. To do more research and try not to be so visceral about these issues. I am surprised that a novel, gave me this perspective. Of course, I am open to listen and understand what politicians want to share with me. But, now I take everything with a grain of salt.

I now know that there are two ways we think as a society. One, where I, or anyone else, can share their own thoughts and make their own decisions based on their personal experiences, a very individual way. An example of this is the way just over 100 people have shared in the comment box of this post their thoughts on books they treasure. And, there is the other option, where we think as a mass, where the loudest voices are the ones that echo in our heads and make us do crazy things, something that as individuals we would be incapable of thinking. An example of this is to think that a child has the maturity to face his sexuality and the decisions he wants to make about it....

Of course, this in the end are very personal thoughts and examples. But, that in the end I was learning with this impulse that these books gave me. I guess, most of my life, I lived like in a bubble where, what people say, is always true, where most politicians have desires to see their country better, where people can impose their own personal interests and benefit society. Then, I contrasted this in my personal experience with the Guarimbas, that this was a reality in other countries and it was a reality that was captured in a very good book.

There are many edges from which a great number of topics can be derived about these books. If you have any doubts or want to contribute a perspective, a comment, whether you agree or disagree with what I wrote. All your comments are more than welcome.

Happy Holidays to all!