Semester 1 Reflection

Wow! I can't believe the semester is almost over! I've done a lot of independent reading in the last few months, and with reading comes blogging. I have completed 3 novels, am almost finished with the one I am currently reading, and have started -but not finished- four books. (I guess you could say I'm picky. If I'm not completely engaged in the book by the halfway mark, I'll most likely end up putting it down.) I select my reading mostly by listening to recommendations from my friends, family, or the internet. The three novels I have completed are I Am Not Myself These Days by Josh Kilmer-Purcell, A Lovers Dictionary by David Levithan, and A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Baeh. The book I'm currently reading is Looking for Alaska by John Green. I thoroughly enjoyed all three books that I finished, as they all gave me a new perspective of life by teaching me to be myself, appreciate the little things, and to be grateful for what I have. In the novel I'm currently reading, there was a HUGE plot twist (which I'm thankful for, because I was just about to give up), and I can't wait to read on! 

I believe that my blog posts have improved a lot over the semester. I learned how to focus on my perspective of the novel, versus just summarizing the text in a few sentences and slapping on a rating. I have learned how to apply specific textual details to make my post stronger and add my own voice, making each post my own. For example, in my most recent one about Romeo and Juliet, I don't just say the scene we are currently studying and tell the reader if I like it or not. I go in detail about each element of Shakespeare's writing that I find interesting an explain why. 

Although I believe this semester has been a success in blogging and independent reading, I have set some goals for the next semester to help me grow even more. My first goal is to use more figurative language in my posts to help the reader visualize what I write more effectively. My second goal is to spend more time finding information that connects to my post and linking my reader to it, rather than just providing a picture of the book cover. My final goal is to step out of my comfort zone a little bit more with what I'm reading, such as choosing a challenging classic rather than re-reading a Harry Potter novel.