English Semesters

This year, I am looking forward to being exposed to new genres of literature that I would not normally read. I'm excited to be able to relate real world history with literature. Even though the work load is already pretty heavy right now, considering I never had homework the last two years, I think its going to be a good semester. I am especially excited to read The Great Gatsby, because I saw the movie and it's now one of my favorites. I have never heard of the first book we are supposed to read, so I'm just going to keep an open-mind about it. Although, from how Ms. Laxton has been talking about it, it sounds like it's going to be a pretty hard book. English is not my favorite subject, but it's almost my favorite. I like to read, but I only like to read books that interest me. My English teacher last year picked out books that were hard to read, because they were so boring. I am hoping that I don't find the books this semester to be boring. In conclusion, I am excited about taking English 3, and will try to enjoy the curriculum, even if it's not very interesting.

Summer Reading

This summer, I read a couple books. The first book I read was called The Boy Next Door. It was a romance novel. It took place at the beach, and it was about a girl who was on summer vacation. She lived with her mom and her sister, and they always kept a very neat house. One day, a big family moved in next door that was not as neat as they should have been. The yard was not well kept; the kids were always loud and running around; there was junk all over the porch. The families were polar opposites, but the girl ends up meeting the boy and falling in love with him. They sneak out and spend their whole summer going on adventures together. This book was very intriguing and heartwarming. I would definitely recommend this book. The second book I read was called Dear John. This was another romance novel, but, in my opinion, it was better than The Boy Next Door. Dear John starts off with a guy telling his story about how he was a rebellious teen, but then later decides to join the army. He is the only one out of his military buddies that does not have a girlfriend, and he makes it clear that he's not really looking for a girlfriend. Because he is always stationed outside of the country, he thinks it would be a waste of time trying to find love. He was on leave, so he went to visit his father in Wilmington, North Carolina. He didn't have a very strong relationship with his father, because his father was very introverted. John spent most of his time at the beach. While he was at the beach one day, he met this girl who he instantly felt a connection with. They fell in love very quickly, but towards the end of the book, there was a huge plot twist. This book definitely holds your attention, and makes you want to keep reading until the very end. I would recommend this book to anyone. You feel as though you are right next to the characters the whole time, grasped in full attention. My summer was filled with romance novels by the pool, and both of these books were worth the read.