The Hobbit Reading Update #2!

Hello!! It's been a really long while since I've posted, but the past few weeks have been hectic. For that reason, I unfortunately haven't gotten around to my reading. I'm still reading the Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein, and I'm very much enjoying it! At the beginning, I found the plot a bit slow and hard to immerse into, but things have started to pick up as Bilbo faces several mishaps. My favorite part of the adventure thus far is Bilbo's encounter with Gollum. Admittedly, Bilbo is starting to grow on me, and I find him to be a very interesting and likeable protagonist. I definitely think once you get past the first few chapters, it gets easier to get into this novel. It's understandable that this story might not suit everyone's taste, but do not give up with it after the first few chapters; it gets better! 

Reading Update - The Hobbit

Hello!
Since my last update, I unfortunately had to put down Hamlet by Shakespeare. I felt I would enjoy it fully if I had more time on my hands to read it. However, I decided to start The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein, which I felt would be an easier read. It starts off with a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins who relishes in staying in his homely hobbit hole. However, things change for him when a wizard named Gandalf knocks on his door with a bunch of dwarves and an adventure. Bilbo, used to the peace of his own hobbit hole, refused to accompany the dwarves on their adventure. In the end, Bilbo is still forced to accompany them, but then finds some joy in the beginning of the dwarves' journey. I'm really enjoying this epic adventure so far, and I'm excited to read more of Bilbo's experiences as he breaks out of his shell and continues on his unexpected adventure. I would recommend this to people who like adventurous epic fantasy books!

Underneath the Mask - A Gothic Poem

Hello guys! Here's my attempt at a gothic poem inspired by Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven. Hope you like it :)

On one of many stormy midnights,

The lady sat on the creaking chair,

Mourning the loss of her husband,

But to bring up his memory she did not dare. 

She sought not to recall the events 

From which she suffered nightmares;

She sought not to remember his death,

So tragic that recalling it she could not bear.

It was when she was drowned in sorrow

That she heard a creak so faint,

And then again she heard it louder  

Until with dread her heart was constrained.

The lamplight shook and she shouted,

"Who's there?" but only her voice was echoed.

Then, without warning, the door opened wide,

And the ghost of her beloved invaded her abode.

The sight turned her face white as sheet.

At a loss of words, she could not speak,

And the ghost began to chastise her; 

"It's all your doing!" was all it shrieked.

And wildly the lamplight above her shook 

And the ghost began shrieking "Murderer!"

Finally, the grieving woman grew enraged 

And mask her crime she could no further.

Remorselessly, the woman confessed her deed.

And the ghost, angered by her blatant pride,

Was bent on taking his revenge from his wife,

While of her elaborate crime proudly she cried

Then, under the effect of the avenging ghost,

The lamplight shook with all its might 

And fell atop the lady whose sanity was long lost.

Finally avenged, the ghost slipped away into the night.

Reading Update! - Hamlet + Wonder

Hello guys! I hope you've had a great spring break. I haven't posted a reading update in a while. Sorry for that! However, I did read quite a lot during the break. I made a bit of progress on Hamlet, but I decided to put it down temporarily for a lighter read. (Maybe because I lost my copy of Hamlet.. Maybe not. I'm looking for it!) In place of Hamlet, I started a middle grade book called Wonder by R.J. Palacio. It's about a fifth grader who was born with a severely deformed face and his struggle to be a normal kid with friends. Starting this book, I did not expect it to blow my mind, but it surprised me. This book left me a bit emotionally unstable but thankful for a lot of things I take for granted. I'm really glad I picked this book up, and if you ever lose faith in humanity, I recommend you read it.

Hamlet Update #2

    Since my previous update on Hamlet, I have completed the first act of the play. The events are certainly growing more interesting. Hamlet confronts his father's ghost, and he learns the true nature of his father's death. The king's ghost urges his son to take revenge from his father's murderer. I was also introduced to Ophelia, Hamlet's love interest, who is warned by her father and brother not to maintain her relationship with Hamlet since they believe that his love for her is untrue and that he is too high in rank to consider marrying her. Knowing Shakespeare's passion for tragedy, I am almost certain that Ophelia and Hamlet's relationship will be rocky. The play has managed to capture my interest, and I do plan on reading further and completing it eventually.

    I would like to note that spark-notes has helped me understand most of the play, and anyone who wants to read Shakespeare's works but is intimidated by the diction can use spark notes to help them through the difficult language. Shakespeare's works are definitely entertaining once you get past the ancient diction!

http://nfs.sparknotes.com - The No Fear Shakespeare segment translates the original text in all Shakespeare's works into simplified Modern English text.

http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/ - For anyone who is interested in going more in depth of Shakespeare's works, the site also offers study notes that include summaries and analyses.

Reading Update - Shakespeare!

In my last reading update, I mentioned wanting to read Hamlet by William Shakespeare after I've finished Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. Indeed, I have started reading the play, and two scenes into it, I am very intrigued! Hamlet is one of Shakespeare's most famous works and I've heard wonderful praise about it. In Denmark, there seems to be unrest after its king, the protagonist Hamlet's father, died. The guards of the castle claim to see the ghost of the dead king, and report the news to Hamlet. Hamlet also seems to have resentful feelings toward the new king of Denmark, his uncle, and is appalled at his mother's hastiness in marrying him. I do admit the difficulty of reading a Shakespearean work for pleasure, but I hope that with enough resources and notes, I will be able to get through the play with enjoyment.

Reading Update #3!

I can finally say that I've read and completed Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen! I did mention in my previous reading updates how much I admire Catherine Morland, the protagonist. Towards the end of the novel, Catherine endures many hardships that I truly sympathized her for and wouldn't want to be in her shoes. However, by the end, things work out well for Catherine and the book tied together greatly! Overall, I can say that I immensely enjoyed this book and would recommend it for anyone who wishes to embark on a Jane Austen works journey!

Next, I plan to read Hamlet by William Shakespeare. I know it may be difficult to get past the difficult Shakespearean diction, but I will try my best to use resources to help me go through the play. I have read Othello and Julius Caesar by Shakespeare before and I've enjoyed both of them, so I hope to enjoy Hamlet just as much!

Reading Update #2 - Northanger Abbey

   Hello! I'm here again with another reading update. I'm still reading Northanger Abbey, and is it possible that I love it even more than the last update? I am usually a quick reader and would have finished it sooner had it not been for all the schoolwork. However, I do plan to complete this beautiful novel this weekend (even though I would hate to part with it). 

   Since my last update, Catherine has met more people, some of whom have become her close friends, and her interactions with them are still as enjoyable as ever! Because of my fondness of Catherine, I really hope things go well for her and that the book ends on a good note.

   Also, I found out about the movie adaptation of the book today, and I'm definitely going to watch it as soon as I'm done with the book. The casting is amazing, and the actors are almost as I envisioned the characters.

   I hope everyone has a great weekend and happy reading!

Reading Update!

I will try to update on my reading from time to time. Currently, I'm  reading Northanger Abbey by the lovely Jane Austen. The novel follows a young girl, Catherine Morland, who  moves from her mundane home to Bath, a sophisticated town and is in pursuit of becoming a "heroine". I am only a few pages into the story, but I've already grown extremely fond of Catherine. She has a charming personality, and her interactions with the various people she meets are very enjoyable. The reason behind my strong admiration for Catherine's character may largely be the fact that she fervently reads and enjoys books, much like myself. Having read Pride and Prejudice by Austen, I can't help but recognise her oddly charming sense of humour in both these novels, which has added to my enjoyment of Austen's writing. I hope to enjoy the rest of this novel as much as I enjoyed Pride and Prejudice. I would recommend this book to fans of Jane Austen or anyone who wishes to read her works for the first time (which you should).

Narration

A week ago in English class, we watched some suspenseful snippets of several movies. We were then paired up and each pair chose one movie to narrate a short story based on the snippet. Here is the story my partner Dima and I came up with for the snippet of the movie Speed.

"Everything was normal on the highway that day, until a bus came hurtling down on the wrong lane. Chaos ensued; cars swerved to avoid the bus, streetlights crashed to the ground, and at one point, a baby’s trolley flew off the road. The bus driver’s main objective was to keep the vehicle’s speed above the 50 mph mark so that the bomb planted on the bus doesn’t go off.

The driver was burdened by the fact that she had to get all the passengers to safety. Taking many risks, she crosses red lights, swerves between lanes, and turns to unfinished roads. Then she takes a larger risk that ensured little success by attempting to jump across a 6 feet wide gap. After successfully landing on the other end of the road, she makes her way to the airport, an emptier spot where they can’t cause damage to civilians. They end up circling the airport’s runway multiple times while trying to dismantle the bomb. While making their way around the runway, they spot an empty airport bus driving past them. One of the passengers signals for the driver to align one of the bus’ doors with theirs at the same speed, and the passengers start moving from one bus to the other. After all the passengers safely board on the second bus, the bombed bus is steered away. When the speed of the bus goes under 50 mph, the bomb detonates at a distance from the second bus, and all the passengers are safely rescued."

Lumosity personalized test

First and foremost, it's been a while since I've last posted! I'm in the middle of my junior year of high school, and it's been a good year so far. I will try to post more frequently, so stay tuned.

My english teacher, Mrs. Shabana, shared a link to an interesting site. It offered games that help train your brain and work to enhance your weak points. I did their "Fit Test" and here are my results:

Apparently I have weak memory.. I can't argue with that!

Here's the link if you would like to give this test a try:

http://www.lumosity.com/app/v5/personalization/me