The Scarlet Letter

I'm not completely sure why this book is considered a classic. Honestly, half the book isn't even necessary. Hawthorne could have condensed this novel into one of his famous short stories. Hawthorne is too wordy and descriptive, and he uses the same words over and over again (i.e., "ignominy," "epoch"). The timeline is choppy. However, the story does have a strong plot. Some readers may claim it is difficult to read, and it is, but if you have ever read out of the King James Bible, then it is very similar.

Date Completed: 7/5

Rating: 3/5

Paper Towns

Paper Towns by John Green is decidedly not as moving as The Fault in Our Stars, but it was a good read nonetheless. It begins with a ten year-old Margo and Quentin having an adventure together and ends with the two parting ways to lead their own separate adventures. It was hard to get into at first, but John Green's style easily draws in the reader. Paper Towns was a fun story about a bunch of high schoolers, but it was also about finding a deeper meaning in life.

Rating: 4/5

Date Completed: 6/28

Writing Contest: Are You a Writer?

Technically, this post has nothing to do with my reading lately - it's about my writing. I'm entering in the writing contest (http://positivewriter.com/writing-contest-you-are-a-writer/) by Positive Writer.

I didn't always know that I was a writer, and honestly, sometimes I still don't know. I think the first time that I had the realization that I was meant to write was my sophomore year in highschool. I chose to take an advanced composition/creative writing class as one of my electives, and it was the best decision I've ever made. Before this point, I had only fiddled around writing song lyrics and poems, so this class was a whole new experience. I learned how to write plays and short stories and such. This class was the only place where I could really be my "nerdy" self and no one would pass judgment on me. I often received praise from my teacher and from my mother for what I had written, but my lack of self-esteem never let me take their positive feedback seriously.

Now that I'm in college, I'm supposed to decide how to spend the rest of my life. Unfortunately, this is quite a daunting task. I played around with the idea of becoming an editor or publisher, but I was never completely sold. One day I came across a video narrated by Alan Watts. He raised the question, "What would you do if money weren't an issue?" I didn't have to think twice. I knew I wanted to be writer, but at the time I didn't think there was a future in it. I now realize that it doesn't matter how successful I am at being a writer because if I spent my life doing anything else then I would be miserable.

I am not a published author, I don't have any literary prospects, and I don't always have the motivation to write. I may or may not end up be a successful writer. I do not know where my literary skills will take me, but one thing I do know - I am a writer.

The Fault in Our Stars

Well, today I finished The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. It was a beautiful novel, but so, so sad. Once in a while you come across one of those stories that leaves you wanting the author to write more about the characters, and you feel hollow inside because there's nothing left for you to read about. This was one of those novels. The book was a haunting story about young people with cancer. The protagonist, Hazel, is a very intelligent sixteen year old who is pessimistic about her life. She meets Augustus, who is quite the opposite. They form a bond that only those faced with a terminal illness can form. The novel is a gripping read, right until the last plot twist.

Rating: 5/5

Date completed: 6/20/13

So...I haven't finished a book today, but I found an awesome website via another blogger. It's called "whatshouldireadnext.com" and it can prove to be very useful. You type in a book or author you like, then it will show you other books or authors that you should read. Sometimes it doesn't have a lot of options, though. I'll be using it to aid me in my reading quest!

One Pink Line

One Pink Line is another book I discovered through Amazon's kindle advertising (you go, Amazon). It's a novel by Dina Silver that follows a girl named Sydney beginning after her high school graduation all the way through college. Sydney becomes pregnant during her senior year of college and has to deal with her responsibility. By the end of the book she has raised a daughter, healed broken relationships, and rekindled love. One Pink Line is an engrossing read that would  be enjoyable for women of all ages.

Rating: 4.5/5

Date Completed: 6/11/13

Silver Linings Playbook

Since I have nothing better to do at the moment, I'm going to catch up on my recent reading. I finished Silver Linings Playbook on Saturday (and then I watched the movie). I actually didn't know it was a book until I was searching for something good to read on my kindle. For those of you who haven't seen the movie, the book is about a man named Pat Peoples and a woman named Tiffany. Pat's wife has left him, and he has been in a mental health facility for 3 years, suffering from bipolar disorder. Tiffany's husband died and she has major depressive disorder. The author tells the story of their friendship and how they heal each other. Even though  there is a lot of language in the book, it is very well written and I enjoyed it immensely.

Rating: 5/5

Date Completed: 6/8/13