The Sketch Book

Most of you will probably not know any other stories by this fellow, Washington Irving, except the famous Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I have to admit that this collection of short stories was enjoyable. There were themes of journeys, romance, and haunting. The short tales really captured your attention and wanted you to jump into the pages. It was enticing and my favorite had to be the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I have to admit I had only heard a short summary of this masterpiece. Once I read it became my all-time favorite story to read. I can see why people find it facinating. I just felt kind of bad for Ichabod Crane in the end. He was what most of us nowadays would call a town gossip. He was just about whatever the town needed, a schoolmaster, choral teacher, handyman, and notorious storyteller. He loved to tell the ghost stories especially that of the Hessian soldier or the Headless Horseman. However, my least favorite character would have to be Katrina Van Tassel. She was awful for being a tease. Poor Ichabod fell for someone who would never love him. That just plain sucks. Well how could he compete with Brom Bones? He couldn't he didn't have anything on this guy except a tender heart and beautiful voice. Which by my standards is pretty good for a guy. Unfotunately Brom being the jealous type couldn't stand Crane. The thing that bugs me abou the story is that no one knows if it was the horseman or Brom Bones pretending to be the Horseman that made Ichabod disappear. It is kind of spooky thinking that this once schoolmaster and storyteller mysteriously disappears after a party at the Van Tassel with nothing but his borrowed horse left. Now I don't know about you but that is just freaky to me. I did not appreciate Katrina because she continued on with life without a question as to what happened to this Ichabod Crane. If you were to ask me I would say Brom Bones totally did it. No question. That was most definately my favorite story and it goes with the Halloween theme!

Practice Analysis

In the excerpt from The Mezzanine, Nicholson Baker writes with and elevated and business like diction that expresses a mood of intimidated amusement. The narrorator describes the escalators as "free-standing" and "radians of black luster" suggesting that the work day is dull and boring. On the other hand, Baker's precise and pleasing descriptions of the sun give the effect of playful distraction. "Needly are of shine," "adding long glassy highlights," and " Towering volumes of marble and glass." With dignified and straightforward figurative language, Baker gives off a mood of delight and gloom.

Close-Reading Bingo

1. "He says whatever comes to mind, saying that his parents "would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told anything pretty personal about them," shows that he doesn't really care what he says, just wants to get his point across." http://maddie17-booklover.blogspot.com/

2. Baker describes as the escalator as "They were the free standing kind: a pair of integral signs swooping upward between the two floors they served without struts or piers to bear any intermediate weight" and  he tells us that "On sunny days like this one, a temporary, steeper escalator of daylight, formed by intersections of the lobby's towering volumes of marble and glass, met the real escalators just above their middle point, spreading into a needly area of shine where it fell against their brushed-steel side-pannels, and adding long glossy highlights to each of the black rubber handrails" http://theycallmefreshmoney.blogspot.com/

3.There is no rhythm to the first paragraphs - merely blunt statements that pull the reader in. http://beccaboola1013.blogspot.com/2011/10/observation-and-inference.html

4.Throughout the excerpt Barker used excellent verbs and description to explain all of the sentences. http://jess-jess1993.blogspot.com/2011/10/mezzanine-nicholson-baker.html

Best:   In the excerpt from the novel Catcher in the Rye, Salinger’s defiant and intensely irreverent diction infers the unruliness and juvenile attitude of Salinger. “I’m not going to tell you my whole goddam autobiography or anything” is an ideal example of the childish and disheartened diction of Salinger. The formality of this excerpt is low and the connotation is very literal and straight forward. The mood seems to be quite coarse. The irreverent diction and attitude from this excerpt emphasizes the low formality and tone of the novel. http://hogsmogblog1.blogspot.com/2011/10/practice-diction-analysis.html

Favorite Long Poem

Dream-Land

By: Edgar Allan Poe

By a route obscure and lonely,   

Haunted by ill angels only,

Where an Eidolon, named NIGHT,   

On a black throne reigns upright,

I have reached these lands but newly   

From an ultimate dim Thule—

From a wild weird clime that lieth, sublime,

       Out of SPACE—Out of TIME.

Bottomless vales and boundless floods,   

And chasms, and caves, and Titan woods,   

With forms that no man can discover   

For the tears that drip all over;   

Mountains toppling evermore   

Into seas without a shore;   

Seas that restlessly aspire,   

Surging, unto skies of fire;   

Lakes that endlessly outspread   

Their lone waters—lone and dead,—   

Their still waters—still and chilly   

With the snows of the lolling lily.

By the lakes that thus outspread

Their lone waters, one and dead,—

Their sad waters, sad and chilly

With the snows of the lolling lily,—

By the mountains—near the river   

Murmuring lowly, murmuring ever,—   

By the grey woods,—by the swamp   

Where the toad and the newt encamp,—   

By the dismal tarns and pools

   Where dwell the Ghouls,—   

By each spot the most unholy—   

In each nook most melancholy,—   

There the traveller meets, aghast,   

Sheeted Memories of the Past—   

Shrouded forms that start and sigh   

As they pass the wanderer by—   

White-robed forms of friends long given,   

In agony, to the Earth—and Heaven.

For the heart whose woes are legion   

’T is a peaceful, soothing region—   

For the spirit that walks in shadow   

’T is—oh, ’t is an Eldorado!

But the traveller, travelling through it,   

May not—dare not openly view it;   

Never its mysteries are exposed   

To the weak human eye unclosed;   

So wills its King, who hath forbid   

The uplifting of the fring'd lid;   

And thus the sad Soul that here passes   

Beholds it but through darkened glasses.

By a route obscure and lonely,   

Haunted by ill angels only,

Where an Eidolon, named NIGHT,

On a black throne reigns upright,   

I have wandered home but newly   

From this ultimate dim Thule.

Currently

Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: The Sketch Book by Washington Irving

Pages of the Week: 513
Last Week: 558
Total: 4,790

Style Mapping Favorites:
5. "Adair's passage is more of a in-your-face type of writing" -Twilight

4."The melodic feeling one infers from the town of Wall is merely a reaction to its physical beauty and awing presence." -The Blog of Epic Proportions

3."The common language doesn't detract from the poetic melody of the sergeants thoughts." -I Think Therefore I am.

2."In contrast, Cormac McCarthy's figurative-language-heavy introduction to Blood Meridian balances both an earthy grittiness and an elevated vocabulary as McCarthy describes the surroundings."- Zengerine goesacademic

1."There is nothing melodious to this excerpt it has a gritty tone to it and as you keep reading it, it seems more and more intriguing." -The Lurking Times

I like The Lurking Times and ZENGERINE goesacademic because they used the work gritty. Plus they both made the excerpts sound dark and that the style or tone is ominous. They use interesting adjectives to describe the tone.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr.Hyde

Ok I'm going to be honest here, this was a dry and confusing story. I think I maybe made it through half of the book before I gave up. Most teens these days have only heard these names in popular fiction novels. For example, The City of Bones, The City of Glass, The City of Ashes, and The City of Fallen Angels. Honestly I was curious to know who they were talking about. Clearly they were not referencing any character in the book so who were the characters talking about? Who in the heck is Jekyll and Hyde? So I did my research and BOOM! I found this book. Granted it was interesting along the way and normally classic novels are not hard to read, but this one was just bizzare. I couldn't finish it because I already knew how it ended. I don't know it just didn't keep me interested enough to continue reading and complete the book.

The Wonder Spot

I absolutely adored this book. It is not my usual forte but the title definately got me curious. Since the book didn't have a summary I read the first couple pages and couldn't put it down. I got a little lost at times trying to keep up with all of Sophie's jobs and boyfriends. Yes plural boyfriends. I do not practice religion but what she does by skipping hebrew class all the time is just ridiculous. It may get her into trouble but this chick does not really care at all. I was able to relate to Sophie because our personalities are alike. She is a procrastinator and reluctant to try something she assumes she won't like. She is carefree and strives to figure out just exactly who she is. I'm not going to lie some of the stuff she does in the book I would never try even if I got older. I'm pretty sure she has had every alcoholic drink there is to comsume. Goodness it is scary how every time she meets with someone there is wine or beer or something stronger. What facinated me the most was the types of guys she dates and the people she befriends. I mean she doesn't really have a type of guy but if I had to make an assumption it would probably be a little something like this: lean, a smoker, somewhat authorative, funny to talk too, younger, and usually a mutual friend of someone she knows. She is what I would call a mercy giver to an extent. She seems to date guys with some sort of dilema. It is not that she tries to fix that more that she listens to the situation and that seems to be enough for her. I like this girl because she is involved in many careers journalist, advertiser, editorial assistant, etc. She likes to explore her options and keep an open mind. I like that her character is a variety compared to the rest of the family. She does, however, rely on her brothers and father for guidance. After she graduates and such she keeps in touch with her brothers and Jack is just as spontaneous as she is. He is spunky and wants to be "in love" when it is convient for hime. That is nice but at the same time it puts a strain on the kinds of relationships he has with his significant other, family, and his friends. Her younger brother is the sterotypical father. He marries Naomi and they have 3 kids. The strange part about his relationship is that he doesn't really have that head over heals, can't live without you love with his wife. He married her really out of custom. He is the firm believer in the Jewish beliefs and so is she. It almost drives me insane, her personality, because she is what I would call a stick in the mud. She does not like Sophie and she by my definition is socially awkward. I just felt that her character was just the opposite of Sophie's. I think her friends are the most interesting. She has an odd group of people she encounters and I think that adds to her character. When you read you notice miniscule changes in Soph's character and it has to do with her surroundings, who she meets, and what she learns from them. The book does a good job with life lessons like Hardwork gets you farther in life, Do not use excuses to cover up something you know you alone did wrong, Time management, and There is no perfect romance. It enjoyed every minute of this book and thought it was fabulous. I recommend it to anyone who is desperate to read.

Style Mapping

In the excerpt from Neil Gaiman's Stardust, the narrator's diction is literal, direct, and ordinary. In the style map, the excerpt would fall into the third quadrant. The speaker describes the houses of Wall with casual, blunt language such as "square" and "old." Also, the speaker repeats conventional adjectives. For instance, another wall built of "square lumps" is described as "old." Dissimilare to Stardust, Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian demonstrates a thorough understanding of classy, picturesque language. Expressive adjectives such as "pinewood," "endless," "gnashing," "bitter," "hobbled," and "oblique" create an ornate description and illustrate the dark mood of the passage. Therefore, the first quadrant is where the excerpt would fit. Lastly, the diction in Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is archaic, sophisticated, and imagistic. In the style map, the passage would fall in the third quadrant as well. Dramatic adjectives like "tranquillity," "implored," "peculiarly," "gambols," and "rustic" describe and exemplify the ominous mood the excerpt.

Currently

Enthralled
Lost in Time by Melissa De La Cruz
The Wonder Spot by Melissa Bank

Pages this week :558
Last week: 498
Total: 4,277
Sentences of the Week:
3. "'Begin from the beginning,' Allegra said. 'I only know my side.'" -Lost in Time

2."'Tell me what happened, my love,' she begged. 'Help me to come back to you.'" - Lost in Time

1."It scares me. But then I get this big feeling, simplebut exalted: He's like, me just with different details." - The Wonder Spot
I liked this line for one reason, most people these days who are in a relationship with someone do not realise that the person they are with have the same feelings as they do. Generally, I think most people get blinded by worry or blinded by the previous that they kind of forget that there is another person who may or may not feel exacly the same emotions as they do. I think they forget that any other person can have certain insecure feelings while being in a relationship. It is surprising when you see a character or even someone you know finally understand that the small details in any relationship whether it is with a friend, sibling, or significant other, really do matter and really do count. The small gestures or even little things really count and mean something special. In a way it is kind of bizzare how the simplest things are the ones that are remembered. I like that.

Quarterly

So far this year I really haven't changed all that much as far as how much reading I have done. The genre of reading I have done hasn't really changed too much either. I have started to read more classic literature which is surprising to me because normally I would hate to read those kind of books. Another thing that surprised me in my reading was that I have been reading more of the modern books based more on reality rather than fantasy. I liked these books probably because it was a "breath of fresh air" somehting new and unique from the norm. I did however continue to read more of the paranormal romance novels that intrigue me. I feel like certain people are attracted to a certain genre because it is something like an a escape to most people. Stories or novels are a means of escape where anything can happen and you could be any character you wanted. In my personal discovery I found that when I read the books that I had it was hard not to get lost in thought. It was difficult to not want to be a supernatural creature or the be melodramatic about a situation. I think that surprised me most. The most challenging books to read were definately the victorian novels. The language is so intricate and has an elegant flow that it can sometimes be hard to understand. Another thing that I stuggled with in those novels were the metaphors and references to events. Often I had to do a little research to figure out what was going on, but in that process I discovered I liked the challenge more than the easy books I enjoy. I have to say I read more in the afternoon and evening hours because that is when I feel my brain is most active. I like reading then because there is little disturbance and I can relax after homework or practice. I hope that I start to read some mystery novels I know that when I was younger I used to read Nancy Drew and I absolutely loved those books. I have read James Patterson's Alex Cross series which is a never ending suspense thriller that I can never seem to put down. I love James Patterson he is one of my favorite writers and authors. One thing that kind of surprised me was that I started to get intrigued by Stephen King. I haven't actually read any of his books yet but I think I'm going to start so that is one of my goals. Also I hope to get to at least 5,000 or more pages this year. I hope that I can finish a series to without discovering a new one in the process. That happens to me a lot of the time. I have definately broadened my horizons this quarter and I hope to continue.

Lost in Time

I could not wait for this book to be released! The novel is the sixth book in a seven book series called Blue Bloods. I absolutely adore these books! Yes, they are about vampyres, but the difference is they are realistic to the modern day. The vampires in thsi book are what most would call high society families that are the main supporters of any organization. I liked these books because of the religious background and the adventures the characters take. There are two main families, the Forces and the Van Alens. There are a lot of other characters in between, but the main ones in this book are Schuyler Van Alen, Jack Force, Madaleine Force, Kingsley Martin, Oliver Hazard-Perry, Allegra Van Alen, Stephen Bendix Chase, and Charles Force. I liked thsi book because you had three different plots to follow and one of the stories is a flashback. When you read the whole series up to this point there are many things you think you have figured out and this book just does a 180. Everything you thought you knew up to this point is wrong which makes you ask even more questions especially about Allegra and Charles. Before I continue you should know this, all of the vamps in this book are fallen angels because they have sinned and been condemned to earth. Each had a side you were either with Michael and Gabrielle (Allegra and Charles) or Lucifer and in the end they chose wrong. Now, Jack and Mimi are actually Abbadon and Azreal the twin angel of Destruction and Death. They at one point were the lead generals of Lucifers army and now in order to have the freedom they desire they must once again pledge alligence to the Dark Prince. I have to admit it was kind of confusing at first to read because you had three different main characters to keep track of and each chapter was in a seperate location, seperate time period, and different storylines. I think my favorite character in this book who I related to the most was Mimi. She has all this responsibility to the Coven and to herself she doesn't quite know how to handle it all. In the beginning she is a cold-hearted, selfish, bratty character that is almost impossible to like. In her journey to find her one true love she discovers what it feels like to be disappointed and feel the guilt of her actions. She does end up getting what she wants, but at the price of her own soul. I liked her journey that she takes she comes to discover her true self and what it means to truely sacrafice yourself.

Enthralled (Continued)

Scenic Route I liked for the characters and their integrity. It is kind of a funny story in a twisted "I am going to end up killing you anyway" kind of way. I realted most to Margie in this tale because she grows by learning to trust her judgement and be honest with herself. I admired her prtection of her sister and her defensiveness to every little thing. She really overcomes her struggle and learns respect herself. She is determined and just when you think she is going to do one thing, she does the opposite. I really liked that about her character. Her suspicion and softness made her easiest to picture and find common ground with. WHen she meets Calvin that is really when her change begins to happen. All the walls she puts up to guard her emotions and protect her sister are slowly let down and just when she trust Calvin most her betrays her. His character is kind of comical. First, he spies on the two girls for many days, enters the house on several occasions without their knowledge, and steals a guide book of West Virgina. I do not know many people who go through that much trouble to hide and find a safehaven. Another thing that is quite funny is that every night he stays with Margie and Sally, Margie ties his hands behind his back and makes him sleep outside of the cabin. I understand the precaution, but the fact that she has whimpy knots and he never tries to escape makes that situation all the more ridiculous. Even after several weeks of staying with them she still doesn't trust him and the very moment she does is the moment his betrayal becomes real. Turns out this little boy has secrets of his own and when they, his brothers, come to kill and take everything the girls own he himself changes. Instead of killing Margie he lets her go. The instance where you think she would rip him to shreads and just be so angry for his betrayal, she simply asks him to come along. I found the whole story comical witha  touch of tenderness. It is why the tale was one of three faavorites.

Enthralled

This collection surprised me. I like a certain genre of books for a specific reason and these short stories by some of my favorite authors really reminded me why I enjoy Paranormal stories. The tales all had one common theme, Journey. That word has many interpretations soem of which I relate most with such as journey of identity, a literal journey like a road trip or a new destination, a journey of honesty and trust, a journey of hope, and most of all a journey to fall in love. Of course that is many topics for such a term, but each of them has a special meaning. I feel like I have learned a valuable lesson from this book, I was reading a story in this book and realized that I wanted to be each character. I wanted to just jump right in and be the leading role, to take the risks, to discover pain, to have that special moment, to be the "perfect" person, I had never thought about it until I read this book. I have two favorite stories out of all nineteen in the book, Scenic Route, and Giovanni's Farewell. Each of them had a different journey for the main character and they are my favorite because they were the ones I most related too. In all three of the stories the main character has to discover trust, true identity within herself, and perseverance. The first story deals with supernatural powers and discovering to trust the people you love and being able to trust yourself. I related most to Ravenna because as much as things seem to be getting stranger with her brother, Cairo, she continually brushes it off. Another thing is that she tries with great effort to fit in with her peers, she is an intellegent girl who knows a good deal about history and languages, but puts it all aside to feel or pretend to be normal. There are days where I feel the exact way she does, where you have to act or talk a certain way to be able to be around friends or even people in general. In some ways I find it distasteful, petty, and annoying. She is the stereotypical teenage adolesent who wishes for the effortless love to come along and accept everything about her and it is pretty clear that isn't going to happen until we meet Giovanni. Only one problem he is dead and as a favor to complete his passage to the other world she kisses him. In her struggle to understand her ability Ravenna leans on her brother and they both try to understand what exactly is going on. After that moment with Giovanni she begins to accept all her qualities and who she truely is. In a way she grows up. I feel like that in order to mature or become fully aware of self-worth you have to accept every piece that makes you exactly the person you are and have always been. I liked that story because she realizes that and she realizes that when all else fails family always pulls through and has your back.