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I really liked the idea of having a free reading choice throughout the year. I feel like sometimes when teachers select books for the class to read it can be discouraging. Having a free choice of which books we wanted to read made the class more enjoyable. Not everyone in the class enjoys reading the same genre or type of book so getting to choose aloud us to express ourselves as a reader. I think I challenged myself as a reader by choosing books that I normally would not have read. I’ve read so many good books this school year it’s really hard to choose a favorite. However, if I had to choose it would probably be All the Bright Place by Jennifer Niven. Although this was a very sad book Jennifer is a very good writer and was able to make you feel the emotions portrayed in the book. I had a very good experience in class this year and I think I am prepared for AP English. If I could suggest a change I would maybe suggest to do a refresher at the beginning of the year on what we are supposed to know how to do. I will say that coming off of freshman year I don’t think I was very well prepared for some of the things we did in this class such as analytical paragraphs. But after you showed us how they were structured and the different parts of an analytical paragraph I felt more confident when we had to write them. Thank you for giving me a positive English class experience, have a good summer Mrs. Cornett!

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I just finished reading We’ll Always Have Summer, by Jenny Han. The final book in The Summer I Turned Pretty series. Although I was pleased with the way this book wrapped up the series, I wish there were more books to carry on the story. One thing I enjoyed that Jenny did was she occasionally switched the point of view between the main characters. Most of the story was told through the first person point of view of Belly however, during critical parts of the story she would switch the point of view to either Jeremiah or Conrad. This allowed me to see what the characters were thinking about the circumstances that were taking place. This same writing style was used in All the Bright Places, by Jennifer Niven. I really like when authors use this technique because I think it makes the story more interesting. This book and the whole series for that matter, really showcased the idea of what “true love” looks like and how it impacts everyone differently. For Belly, even though she was with Jeremiah, and loved him very much, she still had first love feelings for Conrad. Because I enjoyed this series so much next I hope to read the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series also by Jenny Han. I’m not sure if these books will carry the same themes as The Summer I Turned Pretty series or take a completely different approach. Either way I am interested to see what they are about.

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There are many universal themes presented in Julius Caesar. One theme that heavily relates to this play is the idea of whether or not fate or free will has more control. When discussing this idea in class the points were presented on whether or not it was fate that people were trying to lead Caesar away from the capitol or towards it, and whether or not his free will ultimately took him there. I am currently reading We’ll Always Have Summer, by Jenny Han. Although I am not that far into the book I am starting to see the theme of fate being developed. One way I am seeing this theme develop is when Belly breaks up with Jeremiah. Although I’m not sure where this breakup will lead, it could end with Belly discovering who she is really meant to be with. Another very strong theme in Julius Caesar is idealism. Brutus wants to live in this perfect Roman state but is worried that if Caesar takes the throne that will all be ruined. This theme is very, very prominent in my personal choice book. Throughout this whole book series Belly has dreamed of being with Conrad and growing up to live a happy life with him and only him. However, in this book she’s been able to realize that maybe its Jeremiah she will live a happy life with. Although Julius Caesar and my book are very different in setting, characters, and story line, the one thing they have in common is these universal themes.

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I am currently reading It’s not Summer Without you, by Jenny Han. One of the major themes that is discussed throughout the book is the virtues of what a true friendship really is. Throughout this book people are having to keep secrets from one another or lie to help cover for their friend. One question that supports this theme would be, How far would you go to cover for a friend, even if it means you could get in trouble? Would you put the blame on them?  Another question that relates to the theme would be, How big of a lie would you tell your friend in order to protect their feelings? Or would you tell the truth even if it hurt them? A second major theme that is discussed thought the book is the idea of “true love” and what it really means. In the book Belly is so focused on this person because he was her first love that it is hard for her to see his true personality. One question that supports this theme would be, Is the first person you fall in love with the right person for you? And is there a such thing as the perfect person?  Another question that relates to the theme would be, Do you think there is a difference between truly loving someone and being IN love with someone? If so, what is the difference?

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I just recently finished reading The Summer I Turned Pretty, by Jenny Han. I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to the other two books in the series, It’s not Summer Without You and We’ll Always Have Summer. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a crazy love story. The book is constantly taking different turns so it keeps you wanting to come back and read more. One of the things I liked most about the book was how the chapters changed from current events to a past story. In one chapter it would be talking about what was currently going on at the summer house and in the next chapter it would be relating back to a story from a previous summer. I really liked this because it shows how the characters have changed over the years. It will be interesting to see what the other two books will be like. Will they carry over the story from the first book or will they have a completely different approach? In the past reading hasn’t always been something that I liked to do so finding books that I enjoy can be difficult. I always love when I find a series to read because if I like the first book then it is most likely guaranteed that I will like the other books. Once I finish this series I would like to read some of Jenny Han’s other very popular books like Shug and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

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I am currently reading The Summer I Turned Pretty, by Jenny Han. The author does not use much figurative language however she does use characterization and she goes into detail. The author Jenny, takes the current situation and relates it to a past story to help better develop the characters personalities. For example, when Belly, the main character, is describing her room at the summer house she points out a stuffed polar bear. In the next chapter she proceeds to explain the story of how she got the polar bear which then reveals Belly’s jealousy towards Conrad’s feelings for other girls. By using this technique things are slowly revealed about a characters personality which helps to create suspense on how that character will impact the story. By getting insight on how the relationships between the characters were in past summers, we are able to see how things have changed and how they have grown as people. Another example of her using this technique is when she introduces a new character named Taylor who is Belly’s long time best friend. The author includes stories from when they were back home to show what type of friend she is and the relationship they have. I can improve my writing by incorporating this authors stylistic technique into my work. When writing a personal narrative I can include a back story to help the reader better understand what is going on. This can also help the reader to understand the characters in the story better.

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I am currently reading Finding Audrey, by Sophie Kinsella. The main character Audrey struggles with social anxiety. She finds human interactions hard and eye contact even harder. Her therapist Dr. Sarah suggests that going to Starbucks could help improve her interactions with other people outside of the family. One pivotal moment that has occurred is when Linus talks up Audrey into finally getting the strength to go to Starbucks. Although it doesn’t seem like a big deal, this trip acted as an early stage of recovery from her anxiety. This part of the story was important because it pushed her outside of her comfort zone and led her to do things that might not have been so positive. If this moment would have never happened, Audrey would not have gotten into a relationship ending fight with her boyfriend Linus. She also would not have meet up with Lizzy, which resulted in Audrey’s anxiety relapsing after all of the progress she had made. The story would have been impacted positively if this event was not included because she would not have worked up the strength to meet with her enemy Lizzy which resulted in Audrey going missing. If Audrey would have taken her recovery slower and realized she wasn’t ready to confront Lizzy, she could have saved herself form relapsing her anxiety. She even stopped taking her medicine because the thought she was cured. I think Audrey should have listened to the many people around her that were telling her she wasn’t ready and shouldn’t go.

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Throughout the school year I have read some very, very good books and have also managed to read on a daily basis which I did not do in previous years. If someone else were to look at my book list they would probably be able to tell that I like books with a good story line but that have simple text and are easy to follow along with. One of the things I struggle the most with is finding books that I enjoy reading and that keep my interest. I typically will have to pick up 10 to 15 books before I find one that I like, and even then I might get 10 pages in and decide it’s not the right one. I defiantly think I have expanded my book horizon as far as the genre but I don’t think I have exactly challenged myself as to what I am capable of reading. One way that I can challenge myself for the next book I read is by choosing one that has a more complex structure and more challenging text. In the past I have stayed away from books with more challenging text because I can very easily get confused in the story if it’s not clear. To try and fix this I will try to not give up on a book so early into it. To help move myself up a reading level or two I will read books that are above my current reading level and are highly ranked.

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I am currently reading The Face on the Milk Carton, by Caroline B. Cooney. This book is addressing the issue of kidnapping. Janie the main character, was at lunch with her friends when she noticed a picture of a little girl that had been kidnapped on the bottom of a milk carton. She soon realized that that little girl was her. Although Janie had a good childhood, throughout the book she is trying to figure out whether her parents are really her parents or not. The book explores the issue of kidnapping by showing how most people overlook the topic, just like Janie’s friends did when she told them she might have been kidnapped, but the subject really should be paid more attention to. The book presents many instances where Janie is conflicted on whether she should alert authorities first or talk to her “parents” about the situation and evidence she has. I think the book gives the message that you should follow your gut instinct when the outcome of a situation seems uncertain. It implicitly states this idea in the book by showing us how she is faced with tough challenges in the book and she is forced to make a decision about who to tell and who she trusts with the information. I completely agree with the message the book is conveying. All of us are faced with individually tough challenges that cause us to make risky decisions, and sometimes have to make decisions that seem wrong to others but feel right to us.

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The book Girl, Stolen, by April Henry made me think twice about how lucky I am to have my eyesight. The reason for this is that the main character Cheyenne, is blind. There are many obstacles she faces throughout the book that I do in my everyday life without giving them a second thought. Losing your eyesight is like losing a basic connection to the world. You are forced to rely on your other 4 senses to get around. Even if I don’t know where to go I can still figure it out by looking around and observing where everyone else is going whereas Cheyenne has to ask someone or follow the movement of others hoping she ends up in the right place. Something as simple as walking is a task for Cheyenne, she is good at getting around but needs a guide dog or cane to make sure where she is walking is safe. For sighted people we are for the most part able to tell how a person is feeling by their facial expression but for people who are blind they have to detect clues in that persons voice to figure out their emotion. When given money Cheyenne has to fold it a certain way so she knows what bill it is, she has to put her clothes in specific drawers to ensure her outfit is matching, and she has to have special computer programs that read to her and tell her if what she is typing is correct. This book has really opened my eyes to the little things that most people including me, take for granted every day.

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I am currently reading Girl, Stolen, by April Henry. The main character in this book is Cheyenne Wilder. She is 16 years old and her dad Nick Wilder, is the president of Nike. When Cheyenne was 14 her and her mom got into a car accident that ended up taking her mom’s life and leaving Cheyenne blind. Cheyenne was accidentally kidnapped while waiting in the car for her stepmom who was picking up prescriptions for Cheyenne’s deadly if not treated properly illness. I like Cheyenne’s personality because instead of showing hate towards the kidnappers she talks normally to them like nothing is wrong like asking questions such as “What kind of dog is he?” or giving the kidnapper Griffin, some insight on what it’s like to be blind. I think the author wants us to like Cheyenne so that we will become worried for her about what might happen. I also feel bad for Cheyenne because she is unable to see what the kidnappers look like to be able to report to the police, and she is having to navigate an unfamiliar place without being able to see where she is going. I don’t think me and Cheyenne are anything alike because if I were in her situation I would be freaking out not knowing what to do even with perfect eyesight. One thing I would like to do that Cheyenne does extremely well is learn how to better use my other 4 senses. Because she can’t see she has learned how to adapt to certain situations. Cheyenne has learned effective ways to remember certain things that could come in handy when studying for tests at school.

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Throughout the book Don’t get Caught, Kurt Dinan does not use a ton of figurative language but when he does it is extremely impactful to the intenseness of the story. In the beginning of the book he uses the line “it’s stupid, irresponsible, and borderline suicidal.” to show that the main character knows that he could get in serious trouble but is choosing to take a risk. By repeating words and phrases with common meanings, he is putting emphasis on how serious the situation is. In the beginning, he also repeats the word “Blame” meaning that although he knows what he is doing is bad he has every movie and TV show to blame for letting him think that this is a good idea. One thing I’m still not sure of is why the author, Kurt makes the first 4 words of each chapter bold and in some he only has 3 bolded. One thing he does throughout the whole book is create lists such as heist rules, possible outcomes, code names, and prank rules. Another thing Kurt does throughout the book is list Heist rules when they happen in certain situations. Over the course of the book we are able to see how the main character Max or Maxwell Cobb, changes by the way he approaches certain situations. At first Max is very timid and has the biggest fear of being caught, but once it turns to seeking revenge he is all in and helps his group come up with the most elaborate plans.

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The book Girl in Pieces, by Kathleen Glasgow is told in first person point of view by the main character Charlotte Davis. Because the book is told in first person, it allows us to see how Charlotte views her peers at the mental facility. The book is introduced with Charlotte giving a detailed description of the looks and personalities of the doctors, nurses, and her peers at the mental facility. Charlotte is quiet and does not enjoy talking so being able to see what is going on in her head is crucial to the story line. Charlotte has very reserved feelings and likes to keep things bottled up inside of her, but because we are seeing things from her point of view we are able to tell when her mood or tone shifts. The book being in first person point of view affects the plot because we can see how each character mention in the book shifts throughout the story. Being told through first person helps the reader to understand the theme by describing how differently every girl in the mental facility is handling their suicidal thoughts. The last book I read All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven shifted point of views throughout the book and allowed us to get more details about each character. If Girl in Pieces was told through shifting point of views we could be able to see what the other girls think about the treatment of the mental facility. Charlotte does not sleep at night but instead rome’s the halls while everyone else is sleeping, if the book was told through the perspective of a different character the reader would not get to experience the things that she encounters.

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A book I enjoyed reading last year was Asylum, by Madeline Roux. One thing this book and All the Bright Places have in common is that they are both about a boy and a girl in school who discover each other in odd ways. Both of the books share the idea that the most unlikely of people can become friends, and later fall in love. In both Asylum and All the Bright Places the characters love to take on new adventures and enjoy exploring new places. The books share the same setting as they both take place inside of a school. The main girl characters in both books Abby and Violet are both very creative. Abby enjoys art while Violet Markey loves to write. The main boy characters however are very different. Daniel Crawford is very shy and soft-spoken whereas Theodore Finch says what’s on his mind and doesn’t care about what anybody thinks of him. As a reader, I would say that I never know if I will like a book. Although the book might be a genre that I typically like it might not hold my interest. When I am choosing a book to read I typically won’t go for the genre that most interests me, I will usually just pick up a book and read the first couple of pages to decide if It is something I would enjoy reading. One way I have grown as a reader is by choosing to read books that I wouldn’t normally choose. For instance, All the Bright places is more of a love story which isn’t usually my first choice of book.

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A conflict that has occurred in my weeks reading is Theodore and Violet are partners for a U.S. Geography project. However, Violet is embarrassed to be seen with Theodore because she fears what her friends will say if she is seen with Theodore “Freak”. Violet enjoys hanging out with him but when she talks to her friends she says that Theodore is annoying and won’t leave her alone. She also has an on and off boyfriend and she is left to choose who she wants to be with. After the accident with her sister Theodore is trying everything he can to get Violet back on her feet. So far, he has helped her overcome obstacles that she would not have ever attempted before. Violet will sometimes ignore Theodore because she doesn’t want to risk being seen in public with him.  I don’t agree with the way Violet is handling being friends with Theodore. I think she should embrace having a caring friend like Theodore that will always have her back and not listen to what her friends that could turn on her at any moment will say. If I were in this situation I wouldn’t care what anybody else thought and I would know that my real friends wouldn’t mind who I was hanging out with. Between social media and school cliques it can be hard to know who your real friends are, but you should never be embarrassed of the ones you have. True friends are hard to come by but when you find one you should treat them fairly.

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The book I have chosen to read is All the Bright Places, by Jennifer Niven. The reason I chose this book was because of the blurb. It first gives a short description of the lives of the two main characters Theodore and Violet, then states how they both change once they meet. One reason this book appealed to me was because after each chapter it switches between the perspectives of both characters. This allows you to see the thoughts of each character and get their perspective of what is happening. Another reason this book appealed to me was how the character switches personalities. In the beginning of the book Theodore is Finch the 80’s kid, then he switches to British /Australian /Russian Finch. One prediction I have for the book is that the two main characters Theodore and Violet (who you would think would never be friends) will realize that they have a lot more in common then they originally thought. Another prediction I have is that Violet will overcome her fear of riding in cars. My overall opinion of the book is that it’s a great novel and it takes a dark subject matter and ads bits of humor to lighten it up. Although there is still a huge part of Theodore’s life that has not entirely been revealed. I feel this book will challenge me in the way that this isn’t the genre of book I would typically choose to read. My preferred genre of book would be a mystery not so much the high school love story.