3rd Quarter Reading Reflection

Book List:

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne
Five Weeks in a Balloon by Jules Verne
Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Left to Tell by Immaculée Ilibagiza
Dorothy Must Die  by Danielle Paige
The Bright Forever by Lee Martin
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Matched by Ally Condie
Crossed by Ally Condie
Reached by Ally Condie
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Looking back on the goals I set in my 2nd quarter independent reading post, I met all of my goals for this quarter. My goal was to read 10 teen fiction books and 5 classic books, which I met (exactly :) ). 3rd quarter is usually the busiest time of year for me. I didn't find much time to read, but I still pulled through (YAY!!!). I really enjoyed reading all of these books (though I am a bit tired of love triangles), and look forward to continuing my reading experiences.

Measurable goals:

I want to read...

-7 classics

-12 books total

...in order to gain exposure to all kinds of texts and writing styles.

"Crafty" Book Review

A family struggles to stay alive, a ravaged land is torn to shreds by genocide, a single girl is left to tell.

Set in Rawanda during the year 1994, Immaculée Ilibagiza tells her harrowing story of survival during the Rawandan Genocide in her nonfiction autobiography Left to Tell. In her own version of the diary of Anne Frank, she details her experiences, some of which are as terrifying as the flames of Hell; being locked in a tiny bathroom while listening to stories the heinous crimes taking place all around their safe haven. She pleads with us to find ways to accept each other despite our differences, reminding us that we are all God's creations, one and the same. As we follow her in her struggle for survival, we too must struggle to survive our own demons and conquer the darkest corners of the human soul.

Through the murder and abuse and terrible conditions in Rawanda, the narrator manages to keep hope alive, hope that she wishes to share with all of us, hope that there will be change, hope that will never fade.