My History as a Reader by Ariana Urgiles

Earliest Reading Memory

aurgiles25 — 2024-05-21 16:45:58 UTC

My earliest memory is my mom telling me stories about Greek Mythology. She read books to me but this is extremely special to me because these stories pushed me into wanting more, into wanting to read more about the gods that impacted mortals life so greatly. The mythologies bring forever memories of laying on my mom lap while she reads to me and falling asleep in her arms. I will always remember my mom telling me the stories because that is where I developed my love for Greek mythology or any type of mythologies.

First Shift- Reading on my Own

aurgiles25 — 2024-05-21 16:45:58 UTC

I remember being obsessed with this story, I think it was because how ridiculous the bird looked throughout the chapters, or how funny it was as a child to see how a bird could be going through school, and life's problems. While reading this story it influenced me to want to read more, to read more about difficult challenges and how one could overcome them which led me to the road of loving to pick up a book and read it. As a kid I loved reading animal picture books and this had a life lesson in it to not be lazy and to do things even if you do not want to.

Favorite Quote from The Pigeon HAS to Go to School

aurgiles25 — 2024-05-21 16:45:58 UTC

As a toddler reading this while in pre-k, I found it hilarious how I felt the same exact way, how I was able to relate to a bird not wanting to go to school and spend their day at home.

Important Book - Lennie & George

aurgiles25 — 2024-05-21 16:45:58 UTC

I remember reading this book in 6th grade and at first not really enjoying the story. My mom said that it was a good book to read and give it a chance and I am so happy I did. John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men can leave a lasting impact on young readers by vividly portraying the harsh realities of discrimination, loneliness, and shattered dreams through the struggles of the kind but intellectually disabled Lennie and his loyal friend George. it led me to believe that even with struggles that power of friendship is so much more powerful.

Reading Mentor - My Mom

aurgiles25 — 2024-05-21 16:45:58 UTC

I always had found Shakespeare interesting on how he could create his own words and it was used during that period, though I was not that invested to actually read the plays until my mom got me this book. This fanciful play transports readers into an enchanted forest filled with mischievous fairies who delight in sowing confusion among the human characters. With its clever wordplay, farcical cases of mistaken identities, and exploration of the irrationality of love, the play exemplifies Shakespeare's unparalleled mastery of language which is what encouraged me to pick up more plays despite its somewhat difficulty of understanding. After reading this play I spoke to my mom for hours about it and I knew it made her feel good that another person was able to share their interests and love for reading. Without her I do not think I would have loved Shakespeare as much as I do now.

Favorite Quote from Midsummer Nights Dream

aurgiles25 — 2024-05-21 16:45:58 UTC

I loved that women were recognized to be strong and fierce despite of size differences between men and women

Shift #2 - Pain In Love

aurgiles25 — 2024-05-21 16:45:58 UTC

I remember watching the movie first and I cried so much and when I found out that there was a series of books based on this story I knew I had to read it. The book made me cry even more than the movies because of the depth in detail it has but it unlocked so many other emotions. It has a complex issue surrounding one of the characters who is set on suicide because of his tragic story, even with finding love he ends up hurting the love of his life simply because of his disability. The novel led me to question that someone's will is so much more stronger than love that they would ultimately destroy everyone they love and care for just to get what they want.

Favorite Quote from Me Before You

aurgiles25 — 2024-05-21 16:52:27 UTC

Even within all of the horrible things that people see in themselves, there will always be another person to love them and cherish them.

Favorite Quote from Mice and Men

aurgiles25 — 2024-05-21 16:53:36 UTC

This novel left me in tears, and this quote has always been a comfort due to the bond between Lennie and George.

Important Book - Stuck In The Book

aurgiles25 — 2024-05-21 17:03:37 UTC

This is a book that I was not able to put down because I was in love of the stories within the overall story. In a way I was able to relate to a lot of the aspects of this book which led me to finish it in a day. That entire day I could not put this book down because I wanted to know what happened I needed to know if the characters were able to overcome their obstacles and end up loving each other while embracing the challenges in their paths. It is very relatable in the sense of family connections and having young love. It has a spot-on depiction of the modern teenage experience wrapped in a charming romantic comedy, The Upside of Falling offers an eminently readable, funny, and uplifting story that speaks directly to the teenage condition.

Favorite Quote from The Upside of Falling

aurgiles25 — 2024-05-21 17:04:29 UTC

I can relate to this quote because even if it is not with a person I can confine with, when I do something I love everything in my head is at peace and silence

Biggest Challenge

aurgiles25 — 2024-05-21 17:11:13 UTC

My biggest challenge during reading is that I find books very boring easily. I tend to gravitate towards one genre and that is usually romance or mythology. If a book's summary, and/or first paragraph does not interest me I immediately put the book down instead of giving it a chance to redeem itself. While having a favorite genre can foster a deep appreciation for the conventions and nuances of that particular literary style, limiting myself to reading only within that genre creates some challenges

Reading Goals

aurgiles25 — 2024-05-21 17:12:07 UTC

My goal is to venture out and find more books to read that are of multiple genres. I do enjoy reading different types of books but never to the point where I would finish one because I "love" it. Exploring new books would open myself up to different opinions and stories that deserved to be read. Being able to read more books of different genres would expand my view of books and have more of a deeper appreciation for it.

Favorite Thing About Reading

aurgiles25 — 2024-05-21 17:13:46 UTC

Since my brother was born, I had always read to him. I loved knowing that even though he could not understand what I was saying I enjoyed that I shared this love I have for books with my little brother. Even though he does not enjoy reading as much as I do, or even enjoy reading at all I know that in our childhood he favored reading when I read to him. I knew he felt safe with me and that I was able to expand his world of books. Our memories together as kids will forever be in my heart because of how he was so curious and even if he did not like the book I was reading he would still lay there and listen to me read to him. Us being in our own world together has left such a great impact on me and on us as siblings.

Shift 3 - A New Perspective

aurgiles25 — 2024-05-30 11:46:13 UTC

This was the first book I picked up n my own that was not romanticized, it was real life, not actually real but what minorities undergo because of their skin color. It showed the harsh reality of a black community being targeted just because they are black. In the novel there are issues like poverty, racism, broken families, violence, and prison culture are unflinchingly portrayed, exposing readers to the complex web of societal factors producing injustice. This novel led me to pick up more crime books and become more interested with the law. It brought me down the road to follow my interests of forensic psychology and open up to so many more genres. This has been the only book that every year I read over and over again, and every year I am able to find new topic to talk about or discover. It has easily became my number 1 book because of the story it tells about how differently minorities would be treated in law. It shows the truth behind the law and how it would pick favoritism based upon someone’s upbringing and background. As a minority it opened up my eyes to how much minorities have to work even when we are innocent, that our case has to be 10 times stronger than of the opposition because we forever will be seen as incompetent.

Favorite Quote From Monster

aurgiles25 — 2024-05-30 11:51:14 UTC

Life has unexpected turns and is like a movie.

Important Book - The Collector

aurgiles25 — 2024-05-31 16:26:56 UTC

While reading this book this year, it really captivated me in the world of crime. The Collector is a chilling exploration of power dynamics and the darkness that can lurk within the human psyche. The novel provides an unsettling glimpse into the mind of a criminal, forcing one to confront the notion that those who commit horrific acts are not always obvious monsters, but can be disarmingly ordinary individuals. This invites self-reflection on the capacity for evil that may exist in anyone given the right circumstances and skewed perspectives. Fowles' haunting prose and profound psychological insights linger long after the final pages, leaving an indelible mark and fostering a deeper appreciation for the complexities that can drive people to criminality. Wanting to go into the forensics field this novel really interested me because it explored the human brain and why the antagonist did what he did.

Book Spine

aurgiles25 — 2024-05-31 16:34:38 UTC

represent the full arc of a person's experiences with romantic love - from the starry-eyed start, the risks and pain, the need to rebuild oneself, the ever-evolving nature of partnership, and the wisdom one is left with by the end. It reflects the deeply human process of journeying into love and having one's life fundamentally reshaped by it.

Guest Book

aurgiles25 — 2024-06-03 15:28:21 UTC

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