As my final reading blog ever for etymology, I must say it is a bittersweet feeling. As much as I have enjoyed reading this quarter and writing about what I have read, I am happy to put an end to them and focus on the last few weeks of school. Since this is mostly likely my last post, I thought it would be a good idea to review my goals for the quarter. I managed to read a Classic Lit novel and read in at least one unique place almost every week (my favorite of all of my goals). Unfortunately I didn't exactly get to read for 30 minutes everyday, but I did whenever I could. To my surprise I didn't accomplish my goal of reading 1400 pages for the quarter. I read well of that last quarter, but came up a little short this time around. It could possibly be due to my lack of eagerness to read this quarter or because I became too focused on my anthology notes! Either way, I still have a couple more weeks to read even though I won't post about them. That still counts, right? I am so thankful that this etymology has renewed my enthusiasm anout reading!

Reading Log

Sure enough, one more week has passed making my deadline to accomplish my goals fast approaching! Luckily, I have one more goal that I need to accomplish while the others are accomplished (almost) weekly. This week I continued Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Although I haven't finished it yet, I can already say that it one of my favorites out of everything I have read this semester, maybe on my list of all time favorites. I started off the week strong by reading 30 minutes each day, but by Thursday I got bogged down with a monsoon of projects preventing me from continuing my adventure through my book. I also didn't have time to read in a fun location, but the weather this coming week augurs well for an adventure! I only have a couple more weeks to hit my goal of 1400 pages for the quarter. I sure hope I can make it and I hope that I can read each day this week!

Read this Week: 102                                                               Read this Semester: 2242

Reading Log

For this week's reading log, I started Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Just by reading the inside cover at the library, I knew I would enjoy it. Sure enough, I was right. Once I started, I could not put it down. It reminds me somewhat of Shutter Island, one of my favorite movies. For a fiction novel, the diction is written very artistically and thoughtfully; it was a nice surprise because it keeps even the usually boring narration lively. I absolutely love the idea of including pictures in the book because they provide better mental images. Although I didn't get to read everyday like I had hoped to as a part of my goals for this quarter, I did read in a somewhat unique place once again: on the streets of downtown Wabash. That's unique, right? Hopefully this week, I will succeed in reading everyday and meet my goal of 1400 pages for the quarter!

Read this week: 120                                                            Read this semester: 2140

Reading Log

 

For this week's reading I focused on Connectome by Sebastian Seung. Like I have said before, it can be a difficult read at times because the author is a neuroscientist and he likes to include a lot of medical lingo. Aside from that, Connectome was very intriguing. I chose not to read the entire novel because that probably would have taken me the rest of the semester to finish. Instead, I focused on a few sections of the book that interested me. After reading a good portion of the book I realized that I should have included reading a non-fiction novel as one of my goals because this surely did accomplish that! It's not typically what I enjoy reading so it was definitely a challenge. I knew that it was important for me to read at least thirty minutes each day to accomplish reading 100 pages for this post. Luckily I succeeded in accomplishing that goal for this week! I also achieved my goal in reading in a unique spot: my new hammock! Next book on the list is Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children.

Pages read since last post: 140                              Pages read this semester:2020

Notes 2 & 3

 Garden State (2004)

The closing sequence of Garden State transforms the static protagonist into a vivacious man seeking the true significance of life. The gentle musicality of Simon and Garfunkel personifies the moment of pure bliss with lyrics chiming "I've got nothing to do today but smile." Andrew climbs the rusted tractor mimicking the actions of scaling a mountain and overcoming the obstacles that stifled him. The cascading rain washes away his dull existence as if to baptize him with the opportunity at a new life. As Andrew ejects a powerful scream, it signifies the release of the deep-rooted anguish that has been trapped inside of him, thus sending it away into an infinite abyss.Without any eye contact, the three characters scream in unrehearsed unison supporting each others quest of exuberant existence.

Clearwater Beach, 2011

 

In two personal photos, each infinitesimal aspect of the picturesque scene is captured through the action of birds gliding through an intense sunset which instills a sense of peace and serenity. The rusted orange sun resting upon the horizon casts beams across the calm ocean and illuminates the sky announcing the day's end, while each sunrise represents a creation of new opportunities to fulfill hopes and dreams. Silhouettes of soaring birds highlight the liveliness found in all parts of nature as they float through the air as if nothing else matters except for that precise moment. As the crystal blue water ebbs,  it carries away the lost causes of the day and brings fourth renewed opportunities within the crashing waves. Gazing from the sandy shore to the glowing coast, the infinite horizon imbues a permanent feeling of wonder and awe.

Reading Log

Spring Break was such a great opportunity to accomplish some of my reading goals because I had a great deal of free time. My main goal was to complete The Great Gatsby, and fortunately, I succeeded. By doing so, I completed my reading goal of reading at least one classic literature novel. I have heard great things about the book, so it was definitely number one on my list for this genre. It started out kind of slow, nothing like the emotional and controversial novels I have read this semester. I considered giving up numerous times within the first couple of chapters and return to my typical fiction books I had waiting for me at home, but I really wanted to accomplish this goal so I persevered. Along with accomplishing that goal, I also succeeded in reading in unique places, such as on a charter bus next to a snoring friend while Captain America played overheard, on the beach (my favorite place), and on the top bunk of a bunk bed (I've always dreamed of having one). Although I haven't necessarily read thirty minutes everyday, some days I read more, so that makes up for it, right? In addition to The Great Gatsby, I have been reading sections of Sebastian Seung's CONNECTOME. It is probably one of the most interesting books I have read, but it is also very intensive because of it's medical and psychological lexicon.

Pages read since last post: 256                   Pages read this semester:1880