Ibrahim's Reading Blog - All eyes on Books by Ibrahim Islam https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading This is the blog that I will use to track my reading. I am so excited!! en-us 2018-09-04 12:42:48 UTC 2025-02-22 21:05:44 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Apple.png Jumpstart (Week 1) ibrahimislam755 https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/279122274 Wow. I am astonished. I cannot believe it. It has been so long since I have read a book at my own will (perhaps, half a year). I am so glad I was introduced to the book Scythe by Neal Shusterman. I can finally abandon The Autobiography of Malcom X by Alex Haley and focus on more important books like The Productive Muslim by Mohammed Faris. Although it is gradual, the amount I am reading per day is increasing. I went from an average of 0 pages per month to about 20 pages per day. The three books I read this week (which were already mentioned) are:

The Autobiography of Malcom X by Alex Haley, Scythe by Neal Shusterman, and The Productive Muslim by Mohammed Faris

I will go one by one into the specifics of the books. First of all, I chose to read The Autobiography of Malcom X by Alex Haley out of force. My parents signed me up for a knowledge competition which took place this past weekend that required the participants read that book. After less than an eighth of the way through, I knew I would hate it. It isn’t my type of book. I declared this book abandoned as of Thursday, even though I am not even a quarter through. I was not really understanding much so the book to me was just text on a page. Second in order is Scythe by Neal Shusterman. This book is my favorite book yet, except for the Unwind series (which not surprisingly was written by the same guy). This is similar to the Unwind series in that both of them are dystopian novels. The writing is simple enough for me to understand everything. My favorite character is Citra because of her attitude with Scythe Faraday in the beginning of the book. I am currently about a quarter through the book, as I am a relatively slow. Lastly, I have been reading The Productive Muslim by Mohammed Faris. I am solely reading this book for personal benefit, meaning I want to be a more productive human being. Unfortunately, I have not been able to finish any novels yet. I plan on finishing Scythe by Neal Shusterman in twenty days and The Productive Muslim by Mohammed Faris in forty. I will start a new book as soon as I finish Scythe by Neal Shusterman. You may be wondering: why in the world was this child reading so many books at once? I was reading three book because they were all for different purposes in my life: personal benefit, recreational reading, and academic/competitive reading.
]]> 2018-09-09 02:07:14 UTC https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/279122274 Out with the New (Week 2) ibrahimislam755 https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/281738627 By the time I show up to class, I may be finished with Scythe by Neal Shusterman. My biggest problem this week is that I was keeping reading on the bottom of my priority list. At first glance, I felt like it should belong there but yesterday I thought through it more deeply. Reading IS homework just like for any other class. I started to assign due dates for the chapters of my book. Surprisingly, it was very effective. I learned that when I put due dates on chapters, I find time to read that doesn't take away from other things. I think I will settle at a chapter a day for my next book, Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman.

This week, I achieved much less than my goal. My goal was to finish Scythe, but I ended up procrastinating for the weekend. As of when I wrote this blog, my book is just stating to get interesting. The direction the book is going was much different than y impression towards the beginning of the book. I hope there is a third book in the series but I am unsure. I am very excited for the second book, although I do not know what to expect.

Also, I decided to abandon To kill a Mockingbird because it takes too long to get interesting and the words are to complex for me. I chose to put any other books I was reading or in the middle of on pause in order to actually finish a book and not be unfocused and never finish one of them. I love the book Scythe  because it is so easy to follow. There aren't too many character and all events are in chronological order. When reading other series, such as the Harry Potter series, I found that this often confuses me and I misunderstand the text.]]> 2018-09-15 17:24:37 UTC https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/281738627 Finally, I'm hooked (Week 3) ibrahimislam755 https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/284677488 Warning: In this blog, I am revealing some of the content of Scythe.
What a week! I started to actually love to read this week. I do not know what transformation happened, but I stayed up all night reading yesterday. I am completely done with the book Scythe by Neal Shusterman and I moved on to Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman. Scythe is a book of suspense and surprise. I couldn't stop reading when Citra started to look into the dead of H.S. Faraday. I am interested in the reason that the author allocated more time in the book to Rowan, yet he did not even win. I love Neal Shusteman's form of writing, By using comparisons, he makes is very easy for the ready to understand both, the general plot and the details throughout. Reading this book form e was like an accelerating car. I started the book forcing myself to read but as I got further, I read out of interest and more every day. I can now see that reading is not something that should take time out of your daily activities, but rather fill the cracks in your schedule. I can see myself develop as a reader. I notice myself noticing more about how the author uses figurative language and word choice in his/her writing. The most appealing part to me about Scythe is the development of the main characters. I notice how every few chapters, the makes the main characters reflect on what they have become, saying things like, "How have I become this monster" and "I never knew a few months could change a person so much." I can relate to this, as I see y past self and see the changes that have occurred in personality and thoughts since then, like myself becoming more aware of what I eat.]]> 2018-09-22 22:00:43 UTC https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/284677488 Without a doubt (Week 4) ibrahimislam755 https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/287235268 Warning: In this blog, I am revealing some of the information from the book Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman. 
      Every week has just been improvement!! If I accomplished anything, it is making myself proud of how much I love reading. Since I started high school, I have never been able to gain this much momentum. I think I will continue reading for the rest of the year without a doubt because I am able to continue to read, even when I have the largest workloads.
       My first accomplishment this week was to complete the book Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman. I finished the book in less than a week and I couldn't stop reading it. I loved the book but I ache for the sequel. I only disliked the part when Sythe Curie self-gleans and the part that Sythe Curie locks H.S. Anastia and H.S. Lucifer in the vault. The reason that I disliked these two moments was because they hint towards there being many new characters in the sequel. 
     I also started Warcross by Marie Lu. I am interested in this book because (firstly) I heard many people I know giving good comments on this book and (second) because I found the first and second chapters interesting to me. I find this book unique in that the boo doesn't start with someone with a crazy opportunity or coincidence like the hunger games, Percy Jackson, or scythe. Rather, there is an kid that seems to have less opportunity than anyone else. I assume that this means that he will have to work his way to the top rather than it being handed to him. 
I finally realize that I wasn't enjoying reading before because it wasn't the correct genre for me. All the book that I liked are dystopian novels. I have started to do research on what books i will read next. I went on the goodreads website as well as the Clear Brook Library catalog. I haven't found specific books but I looked through the lists.]]> 2018-09-29 17:13:44 UTC https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/287235268 Averaging out (Week 5) ibrahimislam755 https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/289949253 Before today, I honestly thought I wouldn't be able to maintain a steady reading pace. I was so wrong. Nowadays, Give me a book I love and I can finish it in four days if I want. Although my reading rate dropped from last week, I still have a decent pace. As long as I stay above 350 pages a week, I am satisfied

Warcross by Marie Lu took a turn I did not expect. After reading the first three chapters, I was certain this book was different than the others. I should've known not to make conclusions so early. I thought that main character was going to need to train himself to be the star, NOT get chosen by some authority to have some alternate destiny. I was wrong -ish. At the part of the book I am at, there isn't that much suspense or excitement, but I know it will get better.

I learned a thing or two about myself this week. This most important thing I learnt this week is that my mind works better with larger but fewer chunks of reading. It allows my mind to understand the sequence better because the reading is building on events that are fresh in my mind. I also find it very hard to stop reading. If I read in chunks, it is easier to stop because I never need to stop after a little bit of reading and I need to do it less.

I do not plan on finishing Warcross by Marie Lu before class on Monday. Rather, I plan on finishing it before my next blog post. I still need a few more days to finish the book. I continued my research of what book I want to read next. The problem: I have been reading online reviews and I would trust an in-person review a lot more. I just think it is more reliable. That being said, I plan on asking peers for suggestions as well as English teachers (including you :) ). I was going to read noggin next but it had bad ratings on goodreads.

Because this is basically the last blog in this nine weeks, I decided to reflect on the nine weeks as a whole. (see picture below.) I noticed an increase of pages read per week when until I finished Thunderhead. I think the interesting book motivated me to read more. READING WAS CLOSE TO THE TOP OF MY PRIORITY LIST. That being said, I only want to read books that are surely will interest me. No risks involved. I am sticking to dystopian novels until I can afford a drop in reading rate.

Lastly, I have created my goals for the next nine weeks:
Read four books cover to cover (not including Warcross)
Read at least 1500 pages
Every week, do not read less than %75 of the week before (evenly space my reading)]]> 2018-10-06 19:58:26 UTC https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/289949253 Loving it (Week 1) ibrahimislam755 https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/295276775 WARNING: There are plenty of spoilers in this Blog. If you haven't read Warcross, by Marie Lu, take caution.

        I am addicted. I need to read. Reading relaxes my soul and relieves me from school-related reading.

       Warcross, by Marie Lu is a book of adventure. Relationships change in ways beyond prediction. The most astounding part of this book is Emika's relationship with Hideo. Towards the beginning, Emika looks up towards Hideo. She sees him as role model. Then, their relationship transforms to a professional one, Emika working for Hideo. Next, it becomes intimate. Lastly, they are somewhat enemies. What? That is by far the most drastic change I have ever seen in any book.
       
      A second amazing transformation is how Warcross (the game) is viewed by Emika. In the beginning, it is seen as a game to use as a bounty-hunter, essentially to gain notes, or money. Next, it is seen as a profession, as Emika is hired to find the hacker. Next, it is seen as a game, as Emika becaomes a professional player. At the end, it seen as a resource for Emika to catch the hacker. These transformations align perfectly with the ones above.
I have faith in myself. Although my reading is not consistent on the daily level, it is on the weekly level. I have learned to adapt my reading schedule based on my work load. Days that have more work in relation to recent days, I read less on. Days with overwhelming amounts of work don't have reading in them
 In this blog, I am revealing some of the information from the book Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman.  
       My reading patterns haven't changed really that much, except that I am reading more. Every week has just been improvement!! Since I started high school, I have never been able to gain this much momentum. 
Lastly, I started a book called Bird Box, by Josh Malerman. Mrs. Terry says it is a good book, so I am excited. I am only a little frightened because the back cover says "violence." I look forward to having another great week.]]> 2018-10-22 02:51:35 UTC https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/295276775 Up my game (Week 2, October 22-28) ibrahimislam755 https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/296662236 Introduction
(I was very confused as to which day the blog was due on. For that reason, I finished it on Tuesday and updated it with new information throughout the week)

This week, I read Warcoss (Marie Lu), Ready Player Player One (Ernest Cline), Bird Box (Josh Malerman), and Pendragon (D. J. Mackhale)

This week I was able to read at least five times more than any week since like 2016 (when I read the Hunger Games Series).

This week I found that I like more that one genre.

Warcross by Marie Lu
Warcross was definitely a book that sparked my reading desires. The only other books I liked as much are Thunderhead and Scythe. Although I finished the book last week technically, I still have a lot that  though about during this week about it. It is astonishing how perspective plays such a crucial role in Warcross. Seeing things from a different person's point of view definitely define what you think of as good and bad. For example, seeing things from the view of Emika, the bad guy is Zero. Later, however, that completely changes in that Zero is the good guy. Warcross definitely gets me excited for Wild Card by Marie Lu.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
I love the book Ready Player One for two reasons. Firstly, I love the creativity on the authors end to make the book interesting just from the blurb on the back. The way he incorporates inheritance, virtual reality, and multiple keys astonishes my reading self. By having so many checkpoints (three keys with three doors), the author is able to keep suspense and action throughout the book. I find it super interesting that I read two virtual reality books in a row twice. That is 

The "Reading Bingo" assigned on Wednesday was a game changer for me. Normally the circumstance is the following: I feel like reading but I feel guilty because I know I could be studying. Now, my mind, anyways eager to read new books, has a justification for reading. The effect was tremendous; I found myself staying awake until 3:00 reading. ]]> 2018-10-24 19:40:08 UTC https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/296662236 Ibrahim Islam's Padlet of Quarter 2 ibrahimislam755 https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/297838117 Here are some things to know about my blog in Quarter 2.

Title Formatting: Phrase (Week #, Dates included)

The Content: There are four main sections (introduction, book analysis, self reflection, and future reads or goals)

Schedule: The blogs included in this Quarter are the following:
Blog 1: Loving it (October 15-21)
Blog 2: Up my game (October 22-28)
Blog 3: Keeping the Pace (October 29-November 4)
Blog 4: Box after Box (November 5-11)
Blog 5: The Beginning of a Journey (November 12-18)
🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃Thanksgiving Break🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃
Blog 6: A smack of reality (November 26-December 2)
Blog 7: Itz that season of the year (December 3-9)
Blog 8: The Final Push (December 10-16) 

]]> 2018-10-29 00:59:17 UTC https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/297838117 Keeping up the pace (Week 3, October 29 - November 4) ibrahimislam755 https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/300271843 WARNING: This is a long blog, so get a cup of coffee or something.

Introduction
This week I realized that I am brave enough to read books that do not seem interesting. I have been able to pick up a book of the shelf and read it, even if the cover isn't the most exciting. Honestly, I would never have thought Ready Player One was a good book unless I heard so many compliments about it.

I have been able to keep up the pace from last week, finishing two books this week. I finished Where the Sidewalk Ends by Neal Shusterman and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

I am currently in the process of reading many books. I think I start many books at once because I am looking for a good book to continue to read. I (barely) started many books, including  The Book Thief by Markus Zusak,  A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseni, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseni, and finally NIX. I think this just just shows me that I have been more risky with my reading (meaning that I start books I am unsure of whether I will like).

Looking at the "Reading Bingo," I currently have six squares but no BINGO. I have many goals regarding this reading bingo. First, I plan to finish the first two achievements before the next blog. I plan to get a blackout Bingo by the end of the nine weeks.  A question for you: Is there going to be another BINGO? If I finish it, am I done with extra credit? Lastly, I realized that I needed to talk about EVERY book I read in order to get credit for it on the bingo, which is why I am choosing to write an entry about every book I rad recently, especially the ones I ignored int eh last two blogs.

NOTE:There are spoilers in the following section about Bird Box.

Bird Box, by Josh Malerman
This book is unique. The organization of the plot interests me. I find it awesome how the author incorporates two different time periods into this book. There was a story of the "present" and "past." Normally, an author would give information from the "past" in order to give context to the "present" plot. This author instead has two separate adventures at the same time. This type of plot organization works so well because you know the crazy outcome but not how the plot led to it, causing the mind to be craving the rest of the book. This is the first book I read outside of my comfort zone that I finished. It is a horror book. I see how the author was able to harness people's fear of the dark to create horror in a book about blinding yourself from monsters. One theme I believe is important and throughout the entire book is the theme of loyalty to family. Towards the beginning (I really mean 'in the period of time farthest in the past' because the chapters aren't arranged chronologically), the main character's parents and sister are her supporting figures, even in a time where anyone can be hypnotized into being your enemy. Later, Tom has a strong attachment with his daughter. The strongest and final example of this is the example of the relationship between the main character and her children. Her children follow her command like NO MATTER WHAT. They would die listening to her.

The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
The Kite Runner is a book I have been dreading reading for about a year. I finally forced myself to read it because it was published the year I was born (a box on the reading Bingo). I didn't realize that it would actually end up being a very enjoyable book. Honestly, I think that The Kite Runner spans too much time. I thought that the story was continued much too long. However, this does bring up the theme of discovery of one's old past and sins, which is apparent throughout the book. Another extremely interesting point made in this book is that discrimination is not based on appearance, but rather there is always a deeper meaning and complexity working in the background. This was apparent to me when I saw that Hasan switched with his friend Amir as children. Hasan was still mocked for his looks even when he wasn't actually of the race being discriminated against. Lastly, another important theme incorporated into the book is that the current situation is never the permanent situation. This my seem obvious, but what it really mean is that regardless of how bad or good your situation is, it will always change, for the good or the bad. This is shown when Hasan's relationship with Amir took a hit. Afterwards, Amir's and Hasan's life got better independently. Also, I find it interesting how many of the beginning characters were still there until the end of the book

I realized that I should space out analysis, so I'll do some more "make-up" books next blog.

Independent Analysis
I think that my ability to read so much more was sparked by reading Bird Box. Bird Box was the first book I read that was out of my comfort zone. I normally would read only Dystopian and no more. Reading Bird Box took a little push, but now I broke the limits and I feel proud of myself because of it

Reading Goals
OK, so I mentioned this already but here it's more thorough
Short Term Goals: 
1. Finish The Book Thief  by Markus Zusak by Wedneday
2. Finish  A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini by Sunday
3. Get two BINGOs by next blog
Long-term goals
1. Get a blackout Bingo this nine weeks
2. Read two books a week]]> 2018-11-04 23:52:34 UTC https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/300271843 🦃Blog 5: The beginning of a Journey (Week 5, November 12-18)🦃 ibrahimislam755 https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/303006333 🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃                    Introduction                    🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃

I am changing routine from writing blogs on Sundays to writing them on Tuesdays. Or at least starting them by Tuesdays and adding on throughout the week.

I also changed up the look of my blog to make it cooler and less I-am-a-dinosaur blog.

This week is SUUUUPER important. Really. I plan to utilize this week well in order to get the BLACKOUT BINGO THIS WEEK!!!!!

My goals were not accomplished last week for multiple reasons. The most obvious reason is that I had soo much homework. I reevaluated my goals on Monday and decided that I would only read three hours this week and twenty during thanksgiving break. I think that this reevaluation is valid because I found myself doing all-nighters for other homework assignments.


🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃                   The Book Thief                    🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃

I am about half way through the book thief. I stopped reading because I heard from others that the book get really sad after the point I am at. A friend started crying when I told them I was reading Book thief. So I am scared to continue. But I will. Like I always do. This is not my final entry for the book. I, however am enjoying the book very much up till where I am. I stopped reading this book temporarily also because of the work load of the week before thanksgiving break. That was a big problem because it halted my "Reading Momentum," which is my unstoppable enjoyment for reading a book unless something super important pops up. When is stops, it's hard to start again. 

🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃                        Warcross                          🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃

You already know that I borrowed this from Mrs. Forks. I was at the perfect desk at the right period. I was about to got to Barnes and Noble that weekend to get the book but I got lucky. The most interesting things in the book is the incorporation of conflicting emotions. The conflict is between logic and love. Towards the beginning of the book, Emika has an awkward relationship with Hideo because
she is in love with him but he is also the ""bad guy." This leads her to have dreams about him, yet still plot against him. I suspect that the end of the book will be some resolution of these emotions. Like either she succeeds with her plan and is overcome with emotions, or she fails her plans because of her emotions. I do not suspect that her feelings for Hideo will disappear before the climax of the book, because that conflict most likely plays a prominent role in the resolution of the problem.


🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃                    Turkey Goals                     🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃

GET THE BLACKOUT BINGOOOOOOO!!!
Monday: Make a list of all the books I need to read. Read a book
Tuesday: Go to Barnes and Noble and Library. Buy the Books. Read half  book
Wedensday: Go crazy. Read a few hours
Read a bunch more; as much as I can

🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃                 Turkey Conclusion                🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃🦃

This week is crucial. My grade in English is threatened. I need to save it.]]> 2018-11-11 16:53:04 UTC https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/303006333 Blog 4: Box after Box (November 5-11) ibrahimislam755 https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/305779595 Introduction
This week, I was able to find books that are on the Reading Bingo and super enjoyable.

I am slowly letting go of the dread I have in reading a romance book. Romance isn't really my thing, but I'm getting over it. Like really, I have never read a romance book yet.

Those few seconds at the beginning of class where Mrs. Terry allows me to confer with my neighbors has allowed me to open my eyes to new book choices.

I am in the process of reading so many books. I should focus on one, but I'm too excited about all of them.

Books I am currently Reading:
The Book Thief
The Kite Runner
Wild Card

Books I finished reading but haven't blogged about yet:
Pendragon
Where the Sidewalk Ends

Pendragon (by D.J. Hale)
So Pendragon wasn't really an enjoyable book for me. I got excited the day the Reading Bingo was assigned and I went to the library and checked it out because it looked cool and its squeal was published the year I was born. But it wasn't cool. This book needs to go the elementary schools. Seriously. I normally love fantasy and fiction, but the author is too creative for my taste. Disappearing homes. Tunnels leading to other worlds. Slimy monsters guarding them. The book is mainly about the persecution of a type of monster by another type of monster. Now to the good parts. I liked how the author of this book had multiple perspectives in the multiple universes. It is interesting to see multiple plots occur at the same time, each of which have their own climax and resolution. I also admire how the author incorporates humor and coincidence into the book. Overall, I would not recommend this book to any other person.

Where the Sidewalk ends (by Shel Silverstein)
I already read the rest of Shel Silverstein's other poetry books. My house actually has a collection of them. My mom used to read me a poem every night from our poetry collection. This book really reminded me of that. I absolutely love the pictures, even the simple ones because of their incorporation into the text. They often had key details and conclusions required to fully comprehend the poem. For example, one poem is about someone who looked so much for his lost head that he got tired and sat down on a rock. The picture shows him sitting on his own head. There is no central theme or message I found when reading this book. There are, however, a few patterns I see on this book. First of them is that there are many books about a person that doesn't like to do something. For example, there were poems about people that don't like to take out the trash and about kings who want to eat his sandwich a certain way. Secondly, there are many poems about an item that is cool but not real. Like a homework doing machine or a flying shoe. This book is a good book and I do recommend it to anyone who wants a laugh.

Self-Reflection
I did not meet my ambitious goal set last week. The reason for that is that I am trying out too many new books. For example, I had no intention to read Wild Card this week but Mrs. Forks just happened to have the book on front of where I was during advisory. I need to stop trying new book. I plan to start a "lockdown," which means that I only take suggestions and to not start any new books until I finished my reading goal.

Reading Goals
I am not going to be as ambitious with my goals this week for multiple reasons. 1) School is in crunch time. All the major grades are due this week. 2) I haven't been successful with my recent goals

This week: Complete one book of my choice, probably The Book Thief
The end of Thanksgiving Break: Finish the Reading Bingo
The end of the nine weeks: Finish a row of the updated Reading Bingo, depending on how much time I am given

NOTE: I do not plan on needing the points. Ill use them if I need them. If I don't I hope they carry over to the next nine weeks]]> 2018-11-19 05:50:50 UTC https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/305779595 🦃 ibrahimislam755 https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/305785157 2018-11-19 06:37:04 UTC https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/305785157 Quarter 1 Below this ibrahimislam755 https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/305785210 2018-11-19 06:37:31 UTC https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/305785210 Blog 6: A smack of reality (Week 7, November 26-December 2) ibrahimislam755 https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/310216719 WARNING: This blog contains information about the plot of Warcross by Marie Lu (but only under the heading that is named Warcross, so you only need to dodge those paragraphs)

Introduction
I have learned a fact about myself that will allow me to make my future goals more realistic. I realized that I read when I want to (when I have books I enjoy) and not when I set ambitious goals.

Books I am currently Reading:
The Book Thief
The Kite Runner

Books I finished reading but haven't blogged about yet:
Wild Card

Wild Card (by Marie Lu)
What?!? Who's in charge? Of course the evil history of Hideo would pop up, but an evil research lady who controls Zero??????????????????

One important lesson I learnt from this book is to always realize the scope of your problem. In the first book (Warcross) I though that the entire series was about defeating Zero. But noooo. I noticed that authors love to keep readers interested by increasing the scope of the problem with every passing book. Most of the time, the author will give a cliffhanger in the previous book as to what the problem will be, but that is not always the case.

Have you watched The Incredibles? It is almost like how the filmmakers show a scene about an evil beaver in a drill machine (how creative) in the first movie to entice the readers to watch the second movie.

The scope increases when the reader realizes the real purpose of Zero's actions. That he wants to take over the Neurolink.

Another theme in the book Wild Card is how people are tempted in situations of power. There are many people in this book struggling for control of the neurolink, each of which have their own self-centered purposes. Even if Hideo says by mouth that he is using the neurolink for the greater good, he actually uses it to kill his enemies, and search for his long lost brother. Evil researcher uses it to seize power of the world and so does Zero.

I am not sure if the plot of the story hints toward some greater power and fate. Is it fate that Emika was hired by Hideo. Without that happening, the world would be in servitude to an enemy of Hideo. Is it fate that Hideo abuses his power. Is it fate that Hideo's brother dies? I honestly don't have an answer, but I can see how it may hint towards the subject.

Wow. I talked a lot so I'll talk about the other two books next week.

Self-Reflection
Ambitious (Julius Ceaser Haha). Of course I wanted to fill out the bingo, but that wasn't even possible mathematically. As previously mentioned, I realized that I read when I love a book. I'll read until my schedule is booked completely. I'll read the book in a day. BUT, I need to love the book first, which takes time.

Normally, my books are normally read 90 percent on the same day. THat being said, I should force myself to read a certain amount to guarantee I will get interested into the book eventually.

I am not interested in The Kite Runner at all, nor The book thief. Now for the plan on how to finish them.
Reading Goals
I am not going to be as ambitious with my goals this week for multiple reasons. 1) School is in crunch time. All the major grades are due this week. 2) I haven't been successful with my recent goals

This week: Complete one book of my choice, probably The Book Thief
The end of the nine weeks: Finish two rows of the Reading Bingo

NOTE: I do not plan on needing the points. Ill use them if I need them. If I don't I hope they carry over to the next nine weeks]]> 2018-12-02 20:32:06 UTC https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/310216719 Blog 7: "Itz that season of the year" (Week 8, December 3 - December 10) ibrahimislam755 https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/312111621 We all know what happens when finals comes around. This project That project. Followed with a week of tests. And when you are to go above and beyond, it doesn't always work.

Books I am Reading:
The Kite Runner
The book thief
A Thousand Splendid Suns

The Kite Runner
When I read the Kite Runner I feel like I am rereading the book over and over and over. Why? Its because I do not dedicate a large chunk of time to reading. Instead, I read about thirty minutes a day and gave up. The pressure from school makes me want to read less and less but I know that if I stop reading, my vocab will disappear and soon I'll be speaking googoo gaga. This week, it has come to the point that I don't even feel like reading. I am forcing myself to read. It is a very different experience. My brain focuses too hard that it becomes a rock, unable to absorb much information. The Kite Runner has a difficulty level that is out of my comfort zone.

The Book Thief
I enjoy this book much more than The Kite Runner. The only thing I dislike is the use of German (i think???). Even when it is translated right after, I just think : Why? What is the author's purpose. And my mind goes blank. I also dislike the little astrik sections. (If you haven't read the book, there are little side remarks and definitions abruptly inserted into the text). The action in this book is much faster than the Kite Runner. I am much farther in to this book than The Kite Runner.

A Thousand Splendid Suns
When I say "Books I am reading," I mean that I read at least one page that week. I read the first chapter of this book, but I dislike it passionately. I have a feeling I will not finish this book. I feel horrible, however, when I put a book down in the first chapter because it doesn't give the author an equal chance to express his/her ideas. The rest of the book might be good

Goals
This week I will only be judging based on reading time, not reading pages. Although this doesn't keep me accountable for my reading rate, it allows me to be flexible with my goals without stress. If you don't understand, take this example: There is a studying technique called the Pomodero technique. All it is is study for 25 minutes, take a break, and repeat. This takes away the overwhelming side of studying and allows you to just start.

This week: 4 hours (or 30 minutes a day except for one hour on Sunday)

My Reading
As a whole, my reading has been stagnant the last week or two. I have been studying all day (and all night) and I am struggling finding 4 hours to read. (I say 4 hours because if I tell myself 2 hours, I may or may not reach my goal. Saying 4 hours allows me to be certain 2 hours will be reached.) When I have the time to read a lot, I like reading more and the system is self-fueling. When I do not read much, I force myself to read and dislike it more.]]> 2018-12-07 04:04:06 UTC https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/312111621 Blog 8: The Final Push (Finally WEEK 9!!!, December 10-16) ibrahimislam755 https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/315034212 Introduction
This week I was able to make a comeback on my reading after two weeks of weak reading.

I left my books in your room over the weekend so I had to add a book to my list; Julius Ceaser


For the sake of making this blog not soooo long, I am only discussing half the books today and more next week, as supposed to repeating many of them weekly

Book statuses:
Julius Ceaser                     Completed (all acts)
The book thief                   Uncompleted
The Kite Runner                Completed
A thousand splendid Suns     Uncompleted

Julius Ceaser
I know we read it as a class. I am blogging about the book because I desperately needed a book on the weekend after I left all my books in Mrs.Terry's room. I read the remaining acts and I'll be discussing the book as a whole. I love and hate Shakespeare. I dislike Shakespeare when it is read fast without understanding. I love to read Shakespeare slowly and understand all the figurative language. That makes perfect sense because reading highly complex texts is overwhelming. One thing is to be clear; the ending always suck and always contain suicide. I don't know the social norms during the time of Shakespeare but they don't seem to be very good. My favorite part about this play is how it fits into history. In WHAP, I previously learnt about this power shift due. Seeing it from a literature point of view is quite different. I love when the author leaves things open for interpretation.In Julius Ceaser, I think that that the discussion of fate constantly thinking whether the event plays a role. I was constantly perplexed at whether Rome becoming a monarchy was "fate'".I think the answer in yes. It tales quite a few events to line up in order for a monarchy to form from a different form of government. Firstly, the power must lie in the hands of a single person and secondly it must pass to his son (assuming the monarch is a male). It is hard not to imagine what the world might have been if Ceaser was never born. Would Rome fall like it did? Would other civilizations form like they did?

The Book Thief

As a teenager, I would consider myself extremely uneducated with topics concerning anything in the world after 1750 and before 2000. So yes, the world wars. I entered this book with very little background knowledge. The only thing I could say I heard before were the horrible jokes horrible humans make about WWII. No examples needed. I never knew WWII as such a tragedy as I see it as now. When I think of war, it is normally political leaders having problems with each other and causing problems that don't affect daily life. Man, was I way off? People starving and explosions causing piles of shredded concrete are what hit me hard. I love when "death" is the narrator or at least when he makes it clear he is. The book, at the point where I am at seems relatively slow. The same things are repeating multiple times. The Jew hiding in the basement is close to death and again and again. And everyone is weak. That's not action. Perhaps, if the book was faster, i would be done by now. 

Self-Reflection
This week, my teachers chilled on the assignments. I had more time to read and was able to get further ahead on my reading. My reading is still scatterbrained but I am still reading plenty throughout the week.

Reading Goals
I am going to be out of houston for most of the break! YAY! I do not plan on reading much at all on the break, as i will be camping in the wilderness. I only have goals for when I come back.

Week 1: Complete one book of my choice
The end of the third nine weeks: four more books to my stack


NOTE: The third nine weeks is normally the hardest nine weeks of the year so I am not gonna set my bar too high]]> 2018-12-17 01:17:37 UTC https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/315034212 Ibrahim Islam's Quarter 3 ibrahimislam755 https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/320005420 THIS ISN'T MY THIS WEEK'S BLOG. LOOK BELOW THIS RED BLOCK TO FIND IT

Here are some things to know about my blog this nine weeks:

Title: Phrase (Week #, Dates)

The Content: There will be a strict four sections in each blog:
Introduction: Why did I pick that title? What books did I read? What affected my reading this week? ~5 sentences

Book Analysis: There will be sub-sections in this section, one for each book. What theme's have I noticed? Anything Special? What did I add to my collections and why?

Self Reflection: Total # of pages read? Why did I read how much I did? What should I change next week?

Future: Reading Goals? Next Books? Why?

Schedule: OH NO!!! I don't know yet
Week 1: Starting off strong (January 1 - January 13)]]> 2019-01-13 03:36:25 UTC https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/320005420 Starting off strong (January 1 - January 13) ibrahimislam755 https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/320006147 SPOILERS ARE BOLDED
Introduction
Happy New Year!!🎆🎉🎉. I started the 2019 Year off strong with over 1000 pages!!! I read some during the break but I read most of my pages during school. I read The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness and The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness. The latter is the sequel to the former.

Book Analysis
The Knife of Never Letting Go (~500 pages) SPOILERS IN THIS
I was introduced to this book by a Barnes and Noble worker. She told me a one sentence summary and I instantly noticed a pattern. It isn't dystopian books that I like. It is books in which the world is very similar to our but with one distinct difference. Bird Box was in a world in which sight is retrained. The Knife of Never Letting Go is a book in which hearing is extended to include thought. The slight changes in a human senses create situations in which imagery can be used to explain how the character is feeling in a way different than normal humans do. The author creates a balance between being human and inhuman to balance relatability and exploration. A theme in this book is "Someone's appearance is based more on what someone wants to see than what they actually do." I would argue that this happens three times clearly in the book. SPOILER ALERT!!!  Firstly, it is when he meets Aaron the preacher. Because Aaron attacks him, he sees him as a crazy preacher and disregards his teachings. Secondly, Todd grows up believing women were all killed unjustly. When he sees a woman, he sympathizes for her and defends her because of his false past beliefs. Lastly, Mayor Prentiss is chasing him for the betterment of the entire settlement, but Todd still sees him as evil because of what the Mayor did to him.

The Ask and the Answer SPOILER IN THIS
What is so interesting is how easy it is for the author to include a bunch of suspense and plot through a simple lie at the beginning of the book or a simple fact added. SPOILER ALERT!!! For example, the entire first book is about Todd getting to safety of Haven city but turns out it was gone when got there (oops), which was revealed in the very last few pages. In this book, the author builds up to a battle but turns out there is a major spackle (alien) attack last second so too bad. In addition, I find it extremely interesting that the title of the book is so significant. Most books, it is simply a name or something oddly symbolic. In this book the title can be taken symbolically or just as names. The Answer is an organization fighting against the Ask. The blue mark on the front cover is the logo of the Answer. I am quite impressed with the plot of this book. The author has constant action. There are only a few parts of the book without a lot of action. A theme in this book is that "How long a person spends with another does not determine whether a relationship is positive or negative, but it does determine the extremity of it." Todd and Viola spend a lot of time together so they grow deep into their relationship positively. Todd and Davy spend a lot of time together and their relationship grows in a positive way. Mayor and Todd spend a lot of time together and their relationship grows negatively.

Self Reflection
I read over 1000 pages this week. Is that amazing or what? I completed the first two books of a series. My dad bought me a copy of The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. He "forced" me to read the book by taking me to Starbucks with nothing else. I read 50 pages and I was interested. Similar to last nine weeks, I need that initial push to get interested into a book. With that in mind, I can use strategies similar to what my dad did to get myself started with books.
Future
Goal: 700 pages
Next book: Monsters of Men (third book in series) by Patrick Ness
I need to find another series to get addicted to by the end of this week

]]> 2019-01-13 03:53:33 UTC https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/320006147 Monsters of Men (Book above 500 pages) ibrahimislam755 https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/338826084 (SPOILERS INSIDE THIS)
This blog was written because I needed to blog about a book I read in the fourth nine weeks.

Introduction
So here's the deal: I read this entire series and the last two were above 500 pages. Below I will give my thoughts about the book and refelection.

My Thoughts
This was my favorite book this year. The author is unique because s/he is able to build suspense in a way unlike any other book. For example, there is a part in the book where an army is chasing a teenager. There are numerous factors that seem to all converge to create the ultimate climax such as a group of colonizers on their way from another planet, a dictator who wants to take over the earth, and terrorist groups both having plans to destroy each other. By having all the seen as if they were to converge into one catastrophe, the author is able to create excitement and stress in the reader. Additionally, I ]]> 2019-03-07 13:05:18 UTC https://padlet.com/ibrahimislam755/Reading/wish/338826084