Finally

Wow. Never slow down, huh? :)

Towards the beginning of the year, I was already an independent reader - however, I didn't have much time to read. Between marching band, family, my boyfriend, and volunteering? Time was really sparse. During the summer, I love to read. Pillars of the Earth was probably one of my favorite reads, along with Atlas Shrugged...See, I like long books! Both of those were over 1000 pages and I just loved loved loved them! The last book I read on my own, (just finished it a couple days ago!!) Pathfinder, was over 600 pages long:). I liked reading a lot of fiction then...I still do in all honesty! But, I have read some REALLY good non-fiction this year. I read Columbine and now I'm reading Odd Girl Out. They are both pretty good. Before this class, I would read whenever I could find a good solid few hours...I like reading in large chunks, not in small little increments. It drives me insane...I just need to know what will happen in a novel...you know? Reading on my own? I hoped to get my dad's chair. I love my dad's chair. It's totally awesome. It is really comfy and soft and he has wooly(his wool blanket...a family necessity) and you can see the entire house from that chair, you know? It's the greatest! :) I usually read when I was bored, or when I had a really good book and I just needed to finish it! Sometimes it's just necessary to finish a book...It's that good:).

Calm Before the Storm...

It's the FINAL week...isn't that a little weird? I'm starting to make plans for next week...and I can make them anytime I want. I HAVE that time to make plans...that's so confusing for me. It's like LC last night...when he got back from drum corp he had the hardest time MAKING DECISIONS. What am I going to do? I don't have anyone telling me where to go, what to do, when to do it....AH. Going home and having five hours of free time?!? (And that's if I'm in bed by eight!) That's insane...I hope I can make time to read:) That would be really awesome. Well, tomorrow I am heading to Towles middle school. I am a member of the LEAD program and we are going into middle schools to give mini-leadership seminars. I'm a little nervous about what to wear...because I need to dress up for band that day anyways...(last day of school before State competition!) ...but I don't want to look like I'm overdressed. Not to mention, it has to be something I can go to band practice in....sigh...tomorrow is going to be crazy..and today is just the calm before the storm. And here we go...

Diction Bingo!

This gives the impression of a fancy an intimidating lobby. - To Kill a Mockingjay - Number 9

He describes his childhood with the word "lousy" and a general introduction as "stuff that bores me." 
- Laughapalooza - Number 1

Aside from his connections with family the narrator reveals a pessimistic attitude towards the place he lives describing it as a "crumby place." - Bud in the Garden - Number 4


In the excerpt from Cather in the Rye, J.D. Salinger, utilizes a use of simple, but complex vocabulary. - XC 2012 - Number 6


In the excerpt from Catcher in the Rye, the conversational and common language and tone of the narrator helps to emphasize his apathetic views of life and the period of rebellion he has gone through. The narrator describes his parents as "quite touchy," before going right back and calling them "nice." Together his words help to show off his conflicting opinions about his parents and the period of growing that he seems to either be in the middle of or about to finish. His allusion to "all that David Copperfield kind of crap," display that while his words and phrases don't do well to portray his maturity, the fact that he pulls an allusion like that out of his hat alludes to him being more intelligent or more mature than he lets on in the first part of the book.

-The Best - Headlines

Practice Analysis

      In Nicholson Baker's The Mezzanine, the elevated descriptive language describes the eye for detail of the main character. When describing a simple he book, he states, "black Penguin paperback," when he could have just stated paperback. This description used by the author, describes the character as a descriptive and fastidious man or woman. The man noticed the "glossy highlights" on the "black rubber handrails" which further added to his fastidiousness. Continuing throughout the excerpt, the meticulous descriptions continue as well. After a side note describing lustrous items in his point of view, he continuous his descriptions of his "CVS" bag. Nicholson Baker's descriptive and elevated language describes a man who is quite fastidious.

Currently

Even though she uses a high language it has at the same time a hamonious and sweet sound to it. - UNDERWATER

McCandless and his quest to alaska. The words on the pages create a  language of denotative tone and sound almost journalistic as if I was reading a two hundred page newpapers article. -TheyCallMeFreshMoney

It is blunt and straight forward.  - Wolf Spot

First, giving a well painted vignette,  then introducing the main character, not directly though, simply through descriptive language with great indirectness. - For Lack of A Better Name

The tone is connotative because it has an emotional feel to it and it describes the poetic and lyrical emotions of young love. - T-Rex

I think Wolf Spot is my favorite becuase it is blunt and straight foward:) hahah:)

Books I read this week:

Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card

Pages I have read this week: 79 pages

Style Mapping

     In Stardust, Neil Gaiman uses a familar language, a picturesque tone and meloduous sound to the reader. In Blood Meridian, Cormac McCarthy writes with an elevated language, suggestive and descriptive tone with a grating sound to the reader. In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley writes with an intricate language, descriptively figurative language and a harshly melodic sound. Blood Meridian and Frankenstein share the same descriptive tone and also some harshness. The description describes ruggid terrain with short words to help create a harsh sound to the reader. In Stardust and Frankenstein a meloduous sound is created. While Frankenstein also has a harsh sound, the harsh words flow together in a certain musicality, similar to Stardust. All three novels share an element of figurative language. All three authors began their novels with intricate words and exciting descriptions to help peak the reader's interest.

Quarterly

I have noticed this year that I tend to find the human factor in each novel. I like to know what each novel means in laymen terms. In my head, I turn almost every novel I read into a chat between to friends with the dorky "like" and awesomeness. It's hard to explain...but like...I try to make it an entertaining story to tell. That's what I have started to gain out of novels this semester.

The novel that was the most difficult for me to read was On the Road.  It was a difficult novel for me. The wording was a little heavy but even more, the theme was almost too intense for me! I feel as if I need to experience more of life to really understand it.

My goals for next quarter is to do more reading. This quarter was heavily monopolized by marching band...but given two weeks and it will no longer matter because the season will officially be over and I can return to making reading a daily occurence. My brain will love that:). My books will too:)!