Semester 1 Reflection

I can't believe the semester is already over and the holidays are around the corner! As I look back and reflect on this past semester, I feel proud of what I accomplished in my independent reading. When I first started my blog in August, I had set a goal for myself to read 15 books by the end of 2014. That's a huge goal set for myself considering that I'm not the strongest reader. However, I'm proud to say, I've read 10 out of 15 books. I'm hoping to reach my goal of 15 books during winter break when I have more time on my hands. I think my favorite book I read throughout the whole semester would have to be either Water for Elephants by: Sara Gruen or If I Stay by: Gayle Forman. Overall, I'm satisfied with the books I chose to read and the accomplishments I made.
I had never written a blog before I came into this class in August. I was aware of what a blog was but I could never find the time to start one or have the knowledge to write a well-written one. This semester, I learned so many things about blogging and I think you can see my progression through my blogs. I started off the semester writing essay-like blogs. My blogs were too serious and even though they were informative, included visual aids and were well-structured, they didn't have any style. As the semester continued, I think I improved immensely in adding my own voice and style to my blog. I found myself to be more comfortable as I wrote more and more blogs and I think this contributed to my engaging style. As I look back at my blogs as a whole, I think they were good quality and I can only learn from my mistakes and improve.
I've set many goals for myself for the second semester. I now know what I need to work on and include to be as successful as I can in blogging as well as my independent reading. One goal I set for blogging is I want to make sure I'm including all aspects of a "knock-your-socks-off" blog. I realized that I lacked in textual evidence and I want to make sure I include that. Also, I need to remember to update my progress in Goodreads because that is important to my blog. I have two goals for my independent reading. First, I want to expand my choice of genres next semester. I felt that this semester I limited myself to romantic novels, I want to make sure I go out of my comfort zone and explore different genres. My second goal is to push myself to read longer books. I tend to pick shorter books because like I said before, I'm not the strongest reader but I think becoming more strong is giving yourself challenges instead of taking the easy road. I think with these goals I can become more successful in the second semester and I can't wait to continue with my blog.

New Book!

I've finally decided to start the Maze Runner by: James Dashner! I've heard many different reviews about this book. If you have read it, leave a comment and let me know what you thought! I did see the movie and I thought it was amazing. I always think books are better than the movies so I think the book will be incredible. I read the blog about Maze Runner by Mrs. Bross and I'm prepared for an emotional rollercoaster. I'm usually not into this type of genre and books that generally make me feel sad but I'm making a goal to start stepping out of my comfort zone with books.
If you haven't read the Maze Runner or seen the movie, I think you should definitely look into it. It's a really great idea for a book and it's full of many different genres actually. I will link a trailer for the movie so you can watch it, but I always suggest reading the book before seeing the movie. This book is about a boy named Thomas who is placed in an alternate, unknown, closed-off world (that's the best I could describe it). This place is full off other boys all trying to survive. A side note: I love the characters in this book, they are so well-developed and you just fall in love with their personalities. My favorite character has to be Chuck. Ok, back to the summary. They are all trying to survive in this place, which they are all clueless to how they got there, and locking them in this place are these huge walls. You probably can't visualize this but they are literally huge walls bordering them in. And that's where the "Maze" aspect comes in the title. I don't want to reveal or spoil anything, but let's just say that "Maze" might be their solution to all their problems and a possible route out of this mysterious place. I will try to fill you in on this book when I read further into it. Again, let me know what you thought of Maze Runner if you read it!

A Pair of Star-Crossed Lovers

We have started Romeo and Juliet by: Shakespeare in class! I have to be honest and say, at first, I was not very excited to read this book. I've already read one of Shakespeare's novels before: A Midsummer's Night Dream and let me say, that novel was super confusing. I didn't understand Shakespeare's language, his plot and mostly the whole entire book. I think that's what caused me to have such a negative attitude on Romeo and Juliet. However, I am really enjoying it so far. I may not know all of the story word-for-word but I understand what is happening. I'm so excited to read about Romeo meeting Juliet and read the conflict between the two families.
In our textbook, the pictures of Romeo and Juliet are not how I imagined them to look like, that's why I included this picture to the side because this is how I visualize them. I have some questions about Romeo and Juliet so far. First of all, what caused the families to have such a strong rivalry between each other? And why don't they both just try to mend their problems? I hope we find out more about the history between the two families further into the book. Also, I had a question about Shakespeare's writing that I did not come across through our class research. Why does Shakespeare include comedy in this story when I thought this story was more of a romantic drama? I can't wait to keep reading this story in class. I love when you read a book that you had negative thoughts on and end up really enjoying it.

Fierce Attachments by: Vivian Gornick

In the book that Brianna and I read, Fierce Attachments by: Vivian Gornick, we realized that religion can be a source of comfort and happiness. Our memoir starts off in the Bronx, around the 1950s. This is set in a busy apartment building where Vivian and her mother encounter different people and different experiences. Even though some bad memories were created within the apartment building, it still helped Vivian find a way to connect with her mother. In later years, the reader can see how Vivian and her mother's relationship slowly crumbles. In Manhattan, when Vivian and her mother are both older, they attempt to rekindle their relationship they once had. They take long walks together through the streets of Manhattan and reflect on their memories from the past. They both soon realize that the strong relationship they once established in the busy apartment within the Bronx will never be the same again.


Our Research Source
This source connects to our realization because it discusses the idea of how religion can positively impact someone's life as well as society. The first point they discuss in this source is how religion impacts a mother-child relationship. We can definitely see in our memoir how religion helped build Vivian and her mother's strong relationship. In our source, they say when mothers and their children share the same level of religious practice, they experience better relationships with one another. When Vivian and her mother lived in the apartment building within the Bronx, they both practiced the same religion which was Judaism. I think this is why many happy memories were created within the Bronx because they built a strong relationship through their similar dedication to Judaism. However, when Vivian decides to go against some traditional Jewish practices, we can observe how this weakens their relationship. Also, in our source, they mention how a community with similar religious practices can form a more hospitable and overall stable community. Religiously active men and women within a community are often more sensitive to others, more likely to serve and give those in need, and more likely to be productive members of their communities. This relates to our book and central idea because of the busy community in their apartment building. As I said in my synopsis, Vivian and her mother encounter many different experiences including problems where we discover a characteristic of Vivian's mother we didn't think existed. She becomes more generous, sympathetic and overall helpful towards her neighbors and leads them out of their problems through her wise advice. The apartment building community consisted of men and women who practiced Judaism and I think that's why Vivian's mother becomes more hospitable.

After Many Tears

I finally finished At First Sight by: Nicholas Sparks! It is a really well-written book and as you can probably assume by my title, very emotional (but aren't most of Nicholas Spark's books). I won't spoil the ending but let me just say this book is a must read. You would never predict the ending. At First Sight made the reader feel like they were in the middle of the relationship. At some points, I was on Jeremy's side, other times I was on Lexie's side. Overall, I would give this book a 4/5. I think I enjoyed other novels written by Nicholas Sparks better than this one. However, I still think that if you enjoy romance but not a common love story, this is right up your alley.

Now that I've finished At First Sight, I decided to focus more on The Color of Water by: James McBride. This is a book that we are reading as a class. We've already started this book and I've really enjoyed it! I have to be honest and say that I did judge this book by it's cover. When I first bought it, I had no interest in reading it. But once I started and read more into the character's past, I became really intrigued. My favorite aspect of the whole book is reading the chapters where it is Ruth's perspective. It is sad to see the tragic events that have occurred throughout her life but it's also so interesting to see how those events shape who she is. I can't wait to keep reading!

At First Sight

I started reading my second book: At First Sight by: Nicholas Sparks. As I mentioned before, I am a huge fan of Nicholas Sparks. I love his books and I love the movies that are resulted from his books. I'm very anxious to get further into this book. It is apart of the romance genre, so if that's a genre you typically don't enjoy, do not read a majority of Nicholas Spark's books.

At First Sight is revolved around the idea of newly-weds. Nicholas Sparks captures the troubles, doubts and fear of newly-weds.  The two main characters are: Jeremy Marsh and Lexie Darnell. As I was reading the story, I felt a lot of sympathy for Jeremy. You feel so much sympathy for Jeremy because he is such a great character. He is very cliché and sweet to Lexie. For example, "He'd proposed at the top of the Empire State Building on Valentine's Day." (Sparks, 118) Jeremy is a character that many readers will grow to love. As I mentioned before, the author adds a lot of problems to this couple and you'll have to read to know what happens. But let's just say, this marriage will not end happily.

When you look at the cover of this book, what immediately comes to mind is a cheesy love story with a loving couple and a happily ever after. That is definitely not the case. The reader is thrown into a web of lies and they discover the truth about this marriage. Many problems and new characters surface throughout the book and it really keeps the reader engaged. I would say this is not your typical love story and this could definitely reach out to a larger audience. If you enjoy lots of conflict, I would recommend this book. This is an example of why you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover.

One Book Down

I finally finished If I Stay by: Gayle Forman and I was overall happy with the book. I am very excited to read the sequel to this book, Where She Went. This book does leave off with a cliff hanger so I'm anxious to read on. I recommend this book to any romance fans who enjoy a typical love story with a sort of twist. I did think If I Stay was unique in the sense that Mia was ghost-like however, the aspects that included Adam was a common, young-adult love story. In the end though, I would rate this book: 4 stars. I also recommend that you read the book before you watch the movie (the book was a lot better).

I didn't want to jump straight into Where She Went but I did want to follow the same genre of romance so my new book is, At First Sight by: Nicholas Sparks. I am already a huge fan of Nicholas Sparks. I love all of his classics: The Notebook, A Walk to Remember, Dear John, etc. As you can probably tell from my book choices already, I'm very drawn to romantic stories that make you cry. I appreciate how an author can make you feel an intense emotion by a simple pairing of words. I am so excited to dive into my new book, At First Sight.

Adam

As I come closer to the end of my book, If I Stay By: Gayle Forman, I reflect on my rollercoaster relationship with the character, Adam. Adam is Mia's boyfriend, he is cool in the sense that he has his own style, he has his own band but he isn't necessarily popular. I like how the book describes him when they say, "He had a small group of friends and a large group of admirers." (Forman, 64) That's just how Adam could be described. As a reader, I found myself loving Adam along with Mia in the beginning. Was it his sweet gesture to take Mia to the symphony? Or his burning passion for music? Adam is just an overall lovable character.

Although, as the story progresses along with the flashbacks, Adam and Mia's relationship crumble as well as your admiration for Adam. I mentioned before that Adam was part of a band, a very small and not well-known band at the time he met Mia. The longer their relationship flourishes, his band does as well and he becomes popular. Adam starts becoming distant and spends more time with his band and now fans more than Mia. This upsets Mia, as well as the reader because Gayle Forman writes the story in such a way where you can feel the sadness. You feel disappointed in Adam. The conflict that rises between Mia and Adam shows a very bad side of Adam. It becomes clear that he values music over Mia. At that time, I hated the way Adam was acting.

Now that I am close to the end, I recently encountered (in my opinion) the best quote of the entire book. It is, "If you stay, I'll do whatever you want. I'll quit the band; go with you to New York. But if you need me to go away, I'll do that too...and that would suck, but I'll do it. I can lose you like that, if I don't lose you today." (Forman, 386) This is said from Adam to Mia while she sits in the hospital still in a coma. This quote reveals the Adam that I adored in the beginning. I loved the way Gayle Forman revealed Adam's personality. He first made you hooked on Adam and kept you reading because you want to know everything about him. Then, the fight occurs and you hate the true Adam. But in the end, you realize the sweet person he really is and fall in love with him all over again. This definitely is a rollercoaster relationship and as of right now, Adam has become a favorite character of mine.

If I Stay

I recently started reading If I Stay by: Gayle Forman and I'm already hooked. It actually surprises me how similar the book compares to the movie. Also, I didn't realize how the book switches perspectives. It goes from Mia's current point of view to various flashbacks. I really enjoy the way Gayle Forman structured the book that way, it helps the reader understand how the characters relate to Mia and their personalities. I think Mia's personality is very relatable and that's what makes me drawn to this book.

I said in my most recent blog post, that If I Stay and The Fault In Our Stars are similar in the sense that it makes you cry. I definitely predict that If I Stay will become even more tragic and sad than The Fault In Our Stars. I did see the movie, so I'm aware of the outcome but I'm still curious to see how Gayle Forman adds the sad tone to the words. It amazes me how an author can add emotion by a simple pairing of words. I can't wait to continue reading this book and I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a great romance story.

Currently Reading

The book I have purchased and I'm about to start reading is If I Stay by: Gayle Forman. I am very excited to start this book, I had recently seen the movie this weekend. It's always common that movies turn out to be completely different than the book, so I'm curious to see how the book's plot compares to the movie. I received multiple recommendations from my friends, urging me to start reading this romantic story. I knew this book was right up my alley just from seeing it on screen.

If I Stay is similar to The Fault in Our Stars in the sense that it definitely causes you to cry. The story starts off with a young girl named Mia, who is gifted on the cello. She has a easy and content life. She has a perfect family, adoring boyfriend and an incredible career ahead of her in music. But one car crash washes all of that away. Mia finds herself stuck between life and death, watching as her friends and family visit her in the hospital. As she watches, more complications resurface into her life. Then, she has a critical decision to make. Should she stay and live her now difficult life or let go of all the obstacles and die? The genre of this book would be classified as romance and young adult.

Water for Elephants

The book I read this summer was, Water for Elephants by: Sara Gruen. This book was filled with dynamic, rounded characters that each contributed to the plot in different ways. My first main character was Jacob Jankowski, a young veterinarian student. Jacob starts off very naive. He enters the circus unaware of the rules, unaware of the people he will get involved with and unaware of the circus's dark secrets. He first encounters August, immediately becoming friends and companions. As the book progresses, you slowly watch this relationship crumble. Also, Jacob becomes more familiar with the circus and is well aware of the situation. Tension starts to intensify between Jacob and August as more secrets are revealed. Jacob's caring nature also creates most of the conflict. His initiative to help both Rosie and Marlena causes August to turn against him.

August is the antagonist of my story and involved within all the conflict. August begins with a charming, warm and genuine attitude when Jacob first arrives. This definitely starts to change as the plot continues. August's true colors are shown and his abusive ways lash out on Marlena and Rosie. August also slowly starts to realize how close Jacob and Marlena have become. This results in a love triangle within my story. August only becomes more and more cruel as the story progresses and this causes major conflict. August despises Jacob and Jacob despises August and they both love Marlena.

Marlena is a major character in my book as well. When Jacob first meets Marlena, it is love at first sight. Unfortunately, August comes between them. Marlena struggles with obeying August who holds all the power or running away with Jacob, someone she truly loves. She finds herself in a tough situation as August becomes increasingly abusive. Marlena is a character who advances the theme of love. She finds the courage within herself to go against August and run away with Jacob. Marlena also is the main cause of all the conflict. She is the center of the love triangle.

Overall, my book had many strong characters that really contributed and advanced the plot as well as the theme. Without these characters, there would be no conflict, resulting in a very boring story. The various characters within my story each have distinct personalities that the reader can relate to. This book would definitely not be as spectacular as it is without the characters.

My article is about the success of the author of my book, Sara Gruen. It also shows an interview where Sara Gruen explains her relationship with animals and why she includes animals in her own writing.

Water for Elephants Article