Blog Reflection

I feel as is this is my best blog post : http://christinesreadingblog.blogspot.com/2015/04/i-was-here-420.html . I believe so because this is one of my best posts I have written where I've organized my thoughts and included a well said summary of the book. I also included complex words; I feel as if my choice of diction in this post was more open instead of closed off. My writing is connected to my reading in this post, and I do feel as if my blog meets the expectations placed for analyzing different sections, in depth-ly.

My future reading goals are to continue reading. I originally planned to read 19 books this year, but then exceeded that so I changed my book goal to be 39, and now I am past that goal, so I am hoping to continue reading and exceeding my goals. I want to broaden my vocabulary and change my perception on topics, which I think books can help me do. I want to read different genres and more novellas and learn more about the authors I read. Although I can't find too many areas in reading that there's room for improvement for as I read about 2-4 books a week, and I understand the book, I want to improve on my perception and views when I read. I want to start reading with an open mind. On another note, I am hoping my writing will grow. I often have a hard time getting my thoughts laid down in a way that is understandable. My mind is often running with so many thoughts at once that it’s just so hard to write all of them down in an organized matter. I want to get better in that subject as English is one of my favorite classes. I have high expectations for me to grow in such a way where I can reach all of these goals, while having fun in doing so.

I Was Here, 4/20

I am currently reading I Was Here by Gayle Forman, who is the bestselling author of If I Stay. In this book, Cody receives an email from her best friend Meg. The email was a sort of suicide note, but as Cody looks into her death, she realizes how much different Meg was in her last few months. The book then progresses as Cody continues finding more information about Meg, and how it seems some one pushed her over the edge to off herself. Did someone coerce Meg into drinking poison? What really happened to Megan Garcia?

Cody, former ex-best friend feels obligated when Meg's parents ask her to go pack and send Meg's items from her college frat house home. Upon arriving in Seattle, discoveries are made. Meg's room is packed up, her laptop contains mysterious emails with a large gap missing from a few months and an encrypted file in her trash and a business license to buy lethal chemicals, which leads Cody to plunge into her unanswered questions- leaving one way to get the answers: Cody must trace where Meg was. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx6C24o7qRw
BOOK VIDEO

Although the summary sounds morbid in the least, it really isn't. This book is a twist off a romance and a mystery- almost thrilling. Cody goes on with her journey with Ben- Meg's "one night stand". With their two brains and help from computer genius Harry, and $300 round trips to find All_BS, Cody seems to find herself entangled with Ben.

I'm excited to continue reading into this, as A) It's the first Forman book I've read and B) I cannot wait to find out what lies behind all the dead ends.

Since You've Been Gone, 4/6

Over spring break, one of the books I read was Since You've Been gone by Morgan Matson. I held back a little on reading due to the cover, but the cover photo was also one of the things that made me want to read the book more.

This book is about Emily, who's best friend Sloane goes missing all summer. A few days after Emily decides to accept that Sloane is gone and she'd return after summer for school, Emily receives a letter. A list. From Sloane. Sloane had wrote Emily another list of things to do for this summer, with no return address. Nothing but a crescent moon and a palm tree in the left-hand corner.

As I continued turning the pages, the exciteder I got. I was excited to find out where Sloane was, I was excited to see what Collins or Frank would do, if Emily would finish the list, if her parents' play would turn out good. I was able to hypothesize, and to the end, most of mine came out true! This was a definite quick read, that of course gets you pumped for summer.... (I can't wait to see how my summer turns out (if it'll turn out as great as Emily's.)) I would definitely give this book a 5/5, and I think any girl should read this. I genderize my recommendation because I don't think a boy would enjoy reading about this as A) it is from Emily's point of view and B) this book is kind of considered chick-Lit. But definitely for anyone looking for a book that flies by!

Shatter Me - due 3/23

I find myself very amazed that I an so interested in this book series... It is more of a sci-fi, fantasy genre which I normal do not enjoy reading, but this book... WOW. This book is like The Hunger Games, but not like The Hunger Games. This book is like the Divergent series, but not like the Divergent series.

I have finished Shatter Me, Destroy Me (the novella, 1.5) and I just finished Unravel Me. I'm excited to read Fracture Me, the second novella that Tahereh Mafi has wrote, as 2.5, then to read Ignite Me, the conclusion to the series and continue onto reading Juliette's journal.

The series is about a girl, Juliette who has spent her entire life excluded from the world; she has a gift/curse. She soon finds there are many, many others like her. Many other people who have an Energy as she does, and as she continues on she finds everyone she'd never think possible, also have a gift. Juliette is forced to focus on something other than herself for the safety of her love, Adam and others. But soon, things get complicated and life gets even harder than before.

As a side note, I don't think I have ever loved a series more than this. I have never wanted a book adaptation into a TV series or movie more than ever. I have never read 2 full books and 1 whole novella in the course of 7 days. Shatter Me has easily become my new favorite series, without a doubt.

P.S.: I'm so rooting for Adam!

Satire Example

This satire example is caricatures. I know so because in caricature, the artist exaggerates facial expressions in which the artist of this cartoon shown does the same. The expressions of the boys' faces shows their attitude towards high school drop outs, where the cartoon begins to make fun and sarcastically speak of the the statistics facing the amount of high schools drop outs.

Krista Ramsey, Song writer's motives to end mean

Keenan West, and end to bullying.

Within this column, Song writer helps kids summon courage to stop Bullies, Ramsey writes about Keenan Wests plan to stop bullies, why, and how.

Ramsey's strongest line within this column, "A statistic he shares with every group: in 57 percent of cases, the bullying ends within 10 seconds of a bystander speaking up." provides the reader with an intriguing fact, how Keenan West brings the bully bystander epidemic up. Instead of simply forgetting or skipping over the detail, she includes it. With the lines own paragraph. Krista Ramsey's word choice and order keeps it simple; easy to read and easy to understand.

Krista Ramsey writes in such way for the readers of each article to understand. By not using too many large words, she keeps us drawn in and interested. Whereas an author who may use larger words and a different word order could lead the reader to lose interest and move on to the next page. The three columns I have read by Ramsey, (For better vision, kids need time outdoors, Super Bowl QBs score points for great style, Song writer helps kids summon courage to stop bullies) all express such kind of writing. I have been tied and locked in to every column I have read by Krista Ramsey.

Now, I just have a few questions I would ask Ramsey if I were ever given the opportunity:
How do you come up with titles for each column you write?
How do you get the ideas to write about such unique and different stories?
When did you know you wanted to become a lifestyle columnist with the Cincinnati Enquirer?