Final Blog of the Year

I thought that independent reading this year was great, and blogging helped out my reading experience even more. It made me dig deeper to find out more about the book without boring me. Something bad I didn't like was how in the beginning of the year, we had to blog almost every week. I felt like it was tedious and at one point i was running out of things to say. I'm glad that you decided to lower the amount of blogs due per quarter. If I had to change one thing about the blogging experience I would want to get some friends more involved in my blog by reading it and commenting on it. It was an option, but I didn't really get many comments. It would make blogging more fun for everyone.

This year I learned the most about Nonfiction and Teen Fiction because my favorite books that I read this year fell under those genres. Also, my group book was Nonfiction, and I really enjoyed it. I would like to continue exploring Mystery and Suspense because I love those kinds of movies, so there's no reason why I shouldn't enjoy those books also. I would also like to start exploring Science Fiction because I haven't read a lot of it, but I feel like I could become interested in it.

My biggest challenges this year were finding time to read and finding a book that I enjoy reading. This is because I have a very busy schedule with a lot of schoolwork, sports and music. It's hard to find extra time to independently read. I also had trouble finding a book to read because I honestly don't enjoy reading a lot and I have barely any patience when it comes to books. I don't like waiting for a book to become good, I like it when I become interested from the beginning.

I think that reading is okay and it depends on the book. Independent reading made me feel that way because I don't like having to meet a genre requirement every quarter. That forces me to read a book that I'm not too interested in, and that's why reading is okay depending on the book.

I plan to read Teen Fiction and Biographies over the summer because I truly enjoy reading those genres. I especially like reading Biographies about rock musicians because I find it interesting how their childhoods lead to them getting into music and other things. Overall, I thought independent reading was a good program and I always look forward to english on fridays.

Group Book Blog

The book we selected is The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne. I know that this book is about a boy in Germany that moves near a concentration camp, and the whole concept is very confusing for the boy. I also know that the genre is historical fiction, and even though it is not a true story, the book deals with themes and ideas that could have very easily happened. We made this selection because Andrew took out the book and thought it would be a great book to read as a group. When I read the back cover, the book sounded very interesting, and it also appealed to me because the Holocaust is something that I would like to know more about and understand better. Matt and Arielle also thought that the book would make a good group reading book, so that's when it became official. I have several goals that I would like to achieve while reading this book with a group. I would like to discuss any problems and confusion that I have about the book with my group members. Also, I would like to read at a pretty fast pace so we have a lot to talk about when we have meetings. Lastly, I want to have organized meetings that use time efficiently.

Quarter 3 Blog 2

I think that my book would make a better movie than a book. Although I really understand the book and how the characters feel, it wouldn't be so easy for someone who doesn't wrestle. If the were able to see how the characters feel, it would enhance the story so much for them. Also, some things may be confusing to people who don't wrestle. As I said before, a visual representation would make things a lot easier for someone who doesn't wrestle. Despite wrestling matches only being 6 minutes long, a lot goes on in that time period. I feel that with a good director and good actors, the true feelings of a wrestling match can be recreated very effectively. I think that the book I'm reading is great, but if a movie was made about it, it would be excellent. The book I'm reading is Pinned by Alfred C. Martino.

Quarter 3 Blog 1

My reading experience has completely changed this year. Not only have I started to enjoy reading more, but I am able to find a deeper meaning in the books I read. Last year I would just understand the basic concept of the books and maybe look for some details. Now I automatically make connections, make predictions and look to interpret parts of stories that aren't so obvious. Also, I can appreciate the book I'm reading now because I recently finished my first season of varsity wrestling. Now I can really connect with the characters and understand their struggles and pains. By connecting with the characters, I can get a better overall understanding of the book and I can put myself in the position of the characters with ease. I'm very happy with all of the progress that I've made this year as a reader.

End of Quarter 2 Blog

I am very happy with my independent reading accomplishments this quarter. I would have to say that my favorite moment of independent reading is when I completed Carrie. This book was quite challenging for me, but when I finished the book I felt very accomplished. The reason I felt that way was because there were points were I came very close to dropping the book due to it's vocabulary and complex plot. Despite these negative feelings, I decided to stay with the book and actually, I was very happy that I stayed with the book because it actually turned out to be a good book. Also, it was a great challenge for me. When I finished the book, I was proud that I finished it and without a doubt, it was the highlight of independent reading for me second quarter.

Even though I feel like my blogs have gotten a lot better this quarter, there's still room for improvement. As a blogger, I would like to pay more attention to the details in the story because they would really improve my blogs. I would also like to write a blog that makes someone want to read the book I blogged about. I think that my blogs are relatively clear, but as I said before, I would like to include more detail in my blogs. Truthfully, I'm not very interested in what I have to say. I like to read, but I feel like going into so much detail takes away from the book. I am happy that we didn't need to blog as much this quarter because the few blogs that I did this quarter were a lot better. To get more excited about blogging, I think there should be some sort of competition with the blogs because that motivates me even more to do well.

Book Review- Carrie

The review is found here: http://www.sfreader.com/read_review.asp?book=460

I really agree with this book review. In a nut shell, the author of the review talks about how brilliant Stephen King is and how dark the book is. Carrie's life is miserable for her because her mom is extremely religious, even to the point where she is crazy. Her whole life Carrie has grown up believing that only bad girls get older and develop breasts, and she truly believes that she is dying when she has her first period at 16 years old. When that happens in the locker room, she gets made fun of and that reawakens her telekinetic ability. I agree that King's word choice illustrates a very clear picture. I find it very interesting that Carrie comes from the personalities of two girls that King went to high school with. As you read the book, you feel sorry for Carrie, and how hard it is for her being a confused teenager with a crazy mom. Also, you really start to to take sides as the book progresses. This was a very good book review.