Reading Over the Semester

Most difficult to least difficult reads: In Defense of Food, LOTF, The Throne of Fire, Nation, Insurgent, Divergent, The Power of Six, The Rise of Nine, The Serpent's Shadow, Cherub: 1, Cherub: 2, All of my own selected reading was pretty much on the same playing field so after about the first four they are kind of the same.

        I think I have done a pretty good job reading this year. I have always liked to read, but when annotating is brought up I think of "Blehhh". I love to read adventure books and other action-filled stories. These are normally the ones that I choose to read and I enjoy them a lot. I think one of my weaknesses is that I'm not very open-minde about reading (In Defense of Food strengthened that trait of mine). I like to read a whole series and then when it's over I'm sad and have to find a new one. I don't like nonfiction that much unless it's about sports and I read very slowly when I have to annotate. This is kind of what I learned about myself as reader this semester.
       I think that I should set a goal of finding a book that is not in a series that I enjoy. This might help me be more open-minded in what I select and maybe not so much of a "series reader". I also need to do a better job of tracking my specific reading times for these blogs. I normally have my overall time for the week and then I split it up logically over a few days on my blog. This is not a good habit and I will try to break it next semester. I will also try to find a nonfiction book that I like. This will help me broaden my horizons and might open up a whole new area of reading that I have never explored. Hopefully I can accomplish these goals.
       
Reading Times:
LOTF 12/7  1 hr.    12/9  35 mins    
The Kill Order by: James Dashner      12/8  1hr. 10 mins

Power through Chapter 11

        Chapter 11 was a huge chapter as far as my reading focus goes. There were some big power shifts and the conch breaking made me very sad. So, in chapter eleven, Ralph's "reign", if you would, comes to an end when he is the only one left on his side. Piggy is dead. He had been loyal to Ralph and always sided with him even if it took a while and now that whole relationship is out of the picture. Ralph is now literally up against the whole island who now basically wants to kill him since it is ruled by Jack. Ralph knows how it will be when Jack, "Hurled [hurls] his spear at Ralph. The point tore the skin and flesh over Ralph's ribs." (181). This is when he figures out that the power struggle between himself and Jack has become a battle to the death. This struggle had been going on throughout the story, but is focused right here.
        Another obvious thing that happened in chapter eleven related to power was that the conch is destroyed. This has been the number one item in this story and it had everything to do with Ralph's power as chief. The conch gave him his power as the leader and now that it has, "exploded into a thousand white fragments and ceased to exist." (181) I would say that Ralph's time as chief is up. This was a huge symbolic item and now that it is gone Jack has total control of the island with the savages. Power was fully given to Jack in this chapter and everyone, including Sam and Eric, are now part of his group. Jack has taken over. Everyone must die.

Reading Times

LOTF- 11/29  35 mins    12/3   40 mins      The Kill Order by: James Dashner  12/3    1 hr. 25 mins