Quarterly

Frankenstein, Mary Shelley

Pages Read this Week: 103

Pages Read this Semester: 988

(Including Other Classes: 3,076)

I am now halfway through this class.  I don't like that.  This and novels are my two favorite classes because I love to read, but they will each end at the semester while I must continue to suffer through my A.P. classes.  Doesn't sound like fun.  The books I've read in this class have been fantastic!  I started with A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and I absolutely loved it.  It was different than what I normally read, so it was very challenging for me to get though, but I thought it was brilliant.  Profound, insightful, thought-provoking - What more could you want in a book?  After I finished that book, I moved on to something more like what I normally read - The Magicians and Mrs. Quent.  That was a new twist on some old classics that I enjoyed, so I thought it was worth the time it took to get through this gigantic book.  I found it slightly repetitive since I basically knew the plots, but the addition of magic and mystery made it something different.  I didn't like it as much as my first project, but I definitely enjoyed it and look forward to the sequel.  The book I am on now is different than my first two, but I have had just as much fun reading it.  In fact, Frankenstein may end up being my favorite.  Its dark and brooding, but for some reason I am drawn to the language and the morbid story.  I saw the musical a few years ago, so I know the basic plot, but it a way, that makes it better.  I anticipate the events, so when I know they are approaching I feel like I can't put the book down.  I only have a few more chapters left, so I will finish next week.  Then, I will have to choose a new book.  I realize that the works of literary fiction have been better for me - with my busy schedule, setting a goal of 100 pages a week is more realistic that 150.  So, I'm considering A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.  I've had it sitting on my bookshelf for a while and I figure its about time I get a start on it.  I have had a good time with my reading this semester, so I have no reason to believe I will hate it.  Reading is  time consuming and a little stressful (I'm trying to get through Crime and Punishment and Frankenstein right now) since I average about 50-75 pages of reading a night.  Usually, I do this reading pretty late.  After band practice and other homework is when I generally find the time, so I've been up as late as 1:30 trying to finish a book in bed.  Despite this, I am glad to be in so many English classes when faced with the alternative -  I'd rather be up late reading than doing math or science homework.  Because I prefer reading, my goal for the rest of the semester is to accomplish the reading requirements every week in all of my English classes.  I often lose track of how many pages I've read (I had to do a quick tally for today's post), but I can honestly say I have read every one.  No skipping, lying, or sparknoting.  It may seem like an obvious goal, but when I look at how much I have accomplished this nine weeks, I hope to do all of the required reading, in every class, during the coming quarter.