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My favorite work of the semester would definitely be A Lesson Before Dying. That book captured me in such a way that i had never experienced before or since. I was able to imagine it as if it were a movie playing in front of me, not just words on a page. I devoured it at such a feverish pace that I couldn't stop until it was done. Until the very last page A Lesson Before Dying gripped me in an emotional roller-coaster as if I was there living it. After finishing the book, I tried to find a movie version of it to compare to what I imagined. I did find one but it paled in comparison to how I was able to picture it mentally. Some books are better left as books, and this one I can say is definitely one of them.

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This song is all about escaping reality into another dimension. There are many different ways a person can escape reality, good and bad. My favorite escape is books. Books provides me a way to decompress and destress after a long day in a way that television or internet or anything else can.

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No Suits - Escape Reality (ft. Aubren Elaine)

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Fences-When I first started reading this play I allowed myself to become distracted by the long length of it. I had never really read play before, but as I began reading Fences I was pulled in and was able to picture it as if it were a movie playing in front of me. That is the best experience when you can imagine a story unfolding in front of you!

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The House on Mango Street- This whole book, although juvenile in context, was an easy escape. The pressures that a young girl feels in life is familiar to me. This story evoked sadness, humor, anger, and happiness at different times. I enjoyed reading this book and did so in a matter of days.

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A Lesson Before Dying- This story I read in about a weekend. This story pulled me in and refused to let me go until the very last page. The pure raw emotion I felt from this book was unlike anything I have ever experienced! This is the only book I have ever bawled through, I loved this book!

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My Papa's Waltz- Sadly this poem spoke as if taken from a page in my own book. I dealt with an alcoholic parent and would often encounter nights much like the one described in this story. This poem was realistic for me but allowed me to disconnect at the same time.

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Rite of Passage-This story was so easy to picture. The party of little boys all trying to exert more strength and masculinity than the others. Kids from all generations experience this and this story was so easy to place yourself in.

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Speech To The Young, Speech To The Progress-Toward- This whole poem would have been amazing to read when in my youth. I pictured the kids of my generation and the pressures they were subjected to and the stress kids deal with. The encouragement and strength in this poem is amazing!

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Those Winter Sundays- This story brought me into it. I envisioned being the daughter of the father who worked so hard to support the family. I imagined being that moody teenager laying in bed, irritated by anything and anyone. I could identify with being that child that has since grown up and looked back in appreciation for all that was done in vain.

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Girl-I could see my young self in this story. Growing up for me I was exposed to harsh criticism and direction. Today's children would be offended but in my family that was the way to teach children sometimes. I could see my young self in this "girl". It brought back memories I haven't thought of in a long time.

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A&P- This story brought me back to the days of being a teenage girl wandering around town with my friends. Reminded me of the boys and the games we would play as youth. It reminded me of the simpleness of life at that age free of real responsibility.

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Why We Should Read Poetry- This piece was at a difficult time in my life. My mother was suddenly sick and I was in the middle of my first year of college. After reading this essay by Lowell, I was reminded that the joy books can bring and the escape it could provide. I had quit reading for fun years before but after reading this I picked up a book and began to find the joy I had since lost.

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When reading, I can become so engulfed in the story that I forget what's going on around me. I can shut off every distraction and imagine myself in the book. Books provide me with a mental break when I am about to explode from the pressures of the real world.

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"And then there's been the occasion where I just want to get out of my own head. [Laughter] Sometimes you read fiction just because you want to be someplace else."-President Obama