Required Reading for School Wrap-UP
Happy Friday!
Now that school is over I decided to do my Wrap-up for the books I was required to read for my classes.
As many of you know I was in 4 English classes this past semester and I had many different type of books and stories that I needed to read I decided to make these required readings more fun than they already were by talking about them here on this blog.
Here is the breaks down of my classes and the books that I read:
Women and Literature
1. Oroonoko By: Aphra Behn- I never heard about this book but I did enjoy this book. Although I did enjoy this book it did not grasp it enough to fully enjoy it. I found the narrator detached from the people she was writing about, I felt that she was bragging more in a sense that she knew these mysterious people than truly understanding their trouble and pain~ 2 out of 5 stars
2. Frankenstein By: Mary Shelley- This was the second time I read this book, but this time around I enjoy the book even more. The first time I was in high school and honestly I really did not want to read it so I did not go into it with the open mind than I should have so that contributed to it.This time around I went into it with an open mind and I have to say I felt so much for the monster! I felt the pain and love read the parts when I monster voiced his trouble more than any other parts of the book. I hated Victor although at times I pitied him as well. I also loved that I read this book in a Women and Literature class because we looked at the book in a feminist approach and honestly I learned so many different things because of it as well as I took away a different message from this book. ~4 out of 5 Stars
3. Various poems and short stories from Emily Dickinson, Sandra Cisneros and Harriet Jacobs- The short stories and the poems as well were very enjoyable. There really were not any story that I truly disliked. They all had a beautiful message or an empowering concept and I enjoyed them all. ~3.75 out of 5 stars
Charles Dickens
1. Oliver Twist By: Charles Dickens- This was my first Charles Dickens book that I ever read. At first the language was vert difficult to get the hang of it, but when I did, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I really enjoyed how Dickens can intertwine people in his story to connect each other in some form of way. ~ 3 out of 5 stars
2. American Notes By: Charles Dickens Well I actually did not read this whole..yeah well I just could not take all his complaining of the spitting and the trains and the people it was tiring.~ No rating since I did not finish it
3. Our Mutual Friend By: Charles Dickens Alright so this was the last book that I read in my class and I went into it ready for annotation and notes since my final paper was over this novel. The end result is that I loved this book! The characters and story line was amazing. I loved as I said before the way Charles Dickens could intertwine these characters into each other and how their actions affected one another. Another things I do love about Dickens are how his books always have a happy endings for the ones that deserve it as well as justice for the ones that need it. At the moment with only two Dickens' books under my belt I would have to say this one is my favorite~ 4.5 out of 5
Adolescent Literature
1. The Outsiders By: S.E. Hinton- This was my first time ever reading this book and I really did not know anything about other than it is pretty much a classic in Adolescent Literature. I did overall enjoy the book, although I do not think I was in the age demographic that was intended for this book.With that being said I did enjoy this book it contained a very interesting a powerful story about loss and friendship I really did enjoy reading this book.~4 out of 5 stars
2. The House on Mango Street By: Sandra Cisneros` I am just going to say I gave this book a low rating, not because I did not like the story, but I just do not think It contain a sense of directions. If the book was put together as a book of short stories I would have enjoyed it more but at times I was lost when reading this book all together. In another class I had we read two of the "chapters" and with it being isolated from the book I found I enjoyed it even more. I do believe that Sandra Cisneros is a good writer but this book did not do it for me.~2 out of 5 stars
3. Harry Potter and the Chambers of Secrets By: J.K. Rowling- Well what can I say about Harry Potter! This wonderful world was amazing to get lost in and they never disappoint. The only downside for me was that I have never actually read the Harry Potter books and my professor decided we were going to read book 2 and I just wish we read the first book. Yes I have watched the movies so I do know the back story but reading the book is always different. Even though I did not read the first book I truly enjoyed this book and now I want to go to the beginning and read the entire series and then watch the movies. ~4.5 out of 5 stars
4. Twilight By Stephenie Meyers- Well I was suppose to read this book for class. I own this book and I have to say I did not read it again. I still remember this book from the first time I read it and honestly I had no desire to reread the book so I decided not to. I know this book is full of corny writing but the nostalgia behind it is what is important so I did like that our class talked about the book but I just could not read it again.~ No Rating since I did not reread it
5. Street Love By: Walter Dean Meyers~ This book was assigned to read the second last week of class during which I was working on two final papers and studying for a final among other studying so I really did not give my full attention into this book, but I still did thoroughly enjoyed it. In the beginning it was a little difficult for me to immerse myself into. The book is written in verse so it was a fast read but the language of the story contained a deeper understanding and background but after the first hurtle I enjoyed the writing style. This book is considered a version of Romeo and Juliet, but in my opinion a more realistic one where suicide is not the answer and young love is not romanticized and there is more a realistic undertone that I enjoyed.~3.5 out of 5 Stars
World Literature
1. Things Fall Apart By: Chinua Achebe- This is the only full novel that I read for my world literature class and I have to say I really did like this story. It contained a story of a custom I had no knowledge about wit ha character that struggled with identity and shame. The description of the invasion of the outsiders and the destruction of their own government. Also, how the outsiders considered them savages when they had their own method of living is sadly represented throughout history many times over and over. I also enjoyed how our we read this novel after reading Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness and We learned that the author of this book decided to respond back to Conrad through this book which is evident at the end of this novel.~ 4 out of 5 stars
2. Various Short Stories, Novellas and Poems from Joseph Conrad and many others- I did enjoy some stories and novel in the anthology where most of these stories were from, but there some I had difficulty to get through them. Well you cannot love all the literature out there can you.~2.5 out of 5 stars
Alright Guys so that is my Spring Semester Require Reading List Wrap-Up. I will be doing this for the Fall semester as well.
-Thanks for Reading
~Pants
Now that school is over I decided to do my Wrap-up for the books I was required to read for my classes.
As many of you know I was in 4 English classes this past semester and I had many different type of books and stories that I needed to read I decided to make these required readings more fun than they already were by talking about them here on this blog.
Here is the breaks down of my classes and the books that I read:
Women and Literature
1. Oroonoko By: Aphra Behn- I never heard about this book but I did enjoy this book. Although I did enjoy this book it did not grasp it enough to fully enjoy it. I found the narrator detached from the people she was writing about, I felt that she was bragging more in a sense that she knew these mysterious people than truly understanding their trouble and pain~ 2 out of 5 stars
2. Frankenstein By: Mary Shelley- This was the second time I read this book, but this time around I enjoy the book even more. The first time I was in high school and honestly I really did not want to read it so I did not go into it with the open mind than I should have so that contributed to it.This time around I went into it with an open mind and I have to say I felt so much for the monster! I felt the pain and love read the parts when I monster voiced his trouble more than any other parts of the book. I hated Victor although at times I pitied him as well. I also loved that I read this book in a Women and Literature class because we looked at the book in a feminist approach and honestly I learned so many different things because of it as well as I took away a different message from this book. ~4 out of 5 Stars
3. Various poems and short stories from Emily Dickinson, Sandra Cisneros and Harriet Jacobs- The short stories and the poems as well were very enjoyable. There really were not any story that I truly disliked. They all had a beautiful message or an empowering concept and I enjoyed them all. ~3.75 out of 5 stars
Charles Dickens
1. Oliver Twist By: Charles Dickens- This was my first Charles Dickens book that I ever read. At first the language was vert difficult to get the hang of it, but when I did, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I really enjoyed how Dickens can intertwine people in his story to connect each other in some form of way. ~ 3 out of 5 stars
2. American Notes By: Charles Dickens Well I actually did not read this whole..yeah well I just could not take all his complaining of the spitting and the trains and the people it was tiring.~ No rating since I did not finish it
3. Our Mutual Friend By: Charles Dickens Alright so this was the last book that I read in my class and I went into it ready for annotation and notes since my final paper was over this novel. The end result is that I loved this book! The characters and story line was amazing. I loved as I said before the way Charles Dickens could intertwine these characters into each other and how their actions affected one another. Another things I do love about Dickens are how his books always have a happy endings for the ones that deserve it as well as justice for the ones that need it. At the moment with only two Dickens' books under my belt I would have to say this one is my favorite~ 4.5 out of 5
Adolescent Literature
1. The Outsiders By: S.E. Hinton- This was my first time ever reading this book and I really did not know anything about other than it is pretty much a classic in Adolescent Literature. I did overall enjoy the book, although I do not think I was in the age demographic that was intended for this book.With that being said I did enjoy this book it contained a very interesting a powerful story about loss and friendship I really did enjoy reading this book.~4 out of 5 stars
2. The House on Mango Street By: Sandra Cisneros` I am just going to say I gave this book a low rating, not because I did not like the story, but I just do not think It contain a sense of directions. If the book was put together as a book of short stories I would have enjoyed it more but at times I was lost when reading this book all together. In another class I had we read two of the "chapters" and with it being isolated from the book I found I enjoyed it even more. I do believe that Sandra Cisneros is a good writer but this book did not do it for me.~2 out of 5 stars
3. Harry Potter and the Chambers of Secrets By: J.K. Rowling- Well what can I say about Harry Potter! This wonderful world was amazing to get lost in and they never disappoint. The only downside for me was that I have never actually read the Harry Potter books and my professor decided we were going to read book 2 and I just wish we read the first book. Yes I have watched the movies so I do know the back story but reading the book is always different. Even though I did not read the first book I truly enjoyed this book and now I want to go to the beginning and read the entire series and then watch the movies. ~4.5 out of 5 stars
4. Twilight By Stephenie Meyers- Well I was suppose to read this book for class. I own this book and I have to say I did not read it again. I still remember this book from the first time I read it and honestly I had no desire to reread the book so I decided not to. I know this book is full of corny writing but the nostalgia behind it is what is important so I did like that our class talked about the book but I just could not read it again.~ No Rating since I did not reread it
5. Street Love By: Walter Dean Meyers~ This book was assigned to read the second last week of class during which I was working on two final papers and studying for a final among other studying so I really did not give my full attention into this book, but I still did thoroughly enjoyed it. In the beginning it was a little difficult for me to immerse myself into. The book is written in verse so it was a fast read but the language of the story contained a deeper understanding and background but after the first hurtle I enjoyed the writing style. This book is considered a version of Romeo and Juliet, but in my opinion a more realistic one where suicide is not the answer and young love is not romanticized and there is more a realistic undertone that I enjoyed.~3.5 out of 5 Stars
World Literature
1. Things Fall Apart By: Chinua Achebe- This is the only full novel that I read for my world literature class and I have to say I really did like this story. It contained a story of a custom I had no knowledge about wit ha character that struggled with identity and shame. The description of the invasion of the outsiders and the destruction of their own government. Also, how the outsiders considered them savages when they had their own method of living is sadly represented throughout history many times over and over. I also enjoyed how our we read this novel after reading Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness and We learned that the author of this book decided to respond back to Conrad through this book which is evident at the end of this novel.~ 4 out of 5 stars
2. Various Short Stories, Novellas and Poems from Joseph Conrad and many others- I did enjoy some stories and novel in the anthology where most of these stories were from, but there some I had difficulty to get through them. Well you cannot love all the literature out there can you.~2.5 out of 5 stars
Alright Guys so that is my Spring Semester Require Reading List Wrap-Up. I will be doing this for the Fall semester as well.
-Thanks for Reading
~Pants
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