I have still been reading a lot but I wasn't able to post at all over the summer. I'm really bad about trying to carve out time to blog. I finally realized blogging makes me feel better. The sense of accomplishment is what fulfills me. I've read Little Women, Jacob Have I Loved , and I'm currently reading the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. I wrote a fictional narrative for my English Language Arts class and next on my list of books to read is Scythe! I'm currently reading a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. This book is set in the future if Earth were to be demolished by aliens. Arthur Dent, the protagonist of the story, is saved by his alien friend that lives on Earth. They literally hitchhike their way through the dangerous galaxy! These two men toy with death many times through out the book. Right before they are about to die Arthur says one of my favorite quotes. *** “You know," said Arthur, "it's at times like this, when I'm trapped in a Vogon airlock with a man from Betelgeuse, and about to die of asphyxiation in deep space that I really wish I'd listened to what my mother told me when I was young." "Why, what did she tell you?" "I don't know, I didn't listen.” *** This shows how utterly ridiculous the book is! Do you recognize the words Vogon and Betelgeuse? I doubt it but the book expects that you are able to pick up on context clues. For example: " a man from Betelgeuse" from this you can infer that Betelgeuse is a planet or a Solar System. Meanwhile, the author also includes some good humor throughout the book to keep you entertained. Anyways this will be a fairly short blog but I'm happy I was able to do it and I appreciate everyone who reads these posts and don't panic! (That's the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy's catchphrase.) Until next time, READ THIS BOOK! (:

I just finished the Hobbit and it was amazing! I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in fantasy fiction. Since I used this book as my book report book, I figured my post will be based upon my book report. The Hobbit is a well-told tale of a journey to retrieve gold and slay a dragon named Smaug who protects the treasure. Bilbo Baggins, a petite hobbit, embarked on this wildly exciting adventure with thirteen other dwarves by the names of Thorin, Fili, Kili, Dwalin, Balin, Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, Gloin, Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur. In addition, Gandalf, a wise wizard, accompanied and guided them for much of their journey. Each of these fascinating explorers contributed skills and helped along the road. Throughout the story, Mr. Baggins must fight tirelessly against goblins, spiders, elves, Gollum, and against himself. This fighting includes a well-balanced mix of internal struggles and plenty of external battles. Though not without deaths, the fifteen explorers win many of these conflicts and grow from acquaintances to family. Unfortunately, Gandalph had to depart with the dwarves and the hobbit at the edge of Mirkwood. For your information, Mirkwood is a dark and mysterious forest between Beorn’s Palace and the Lonely Mountain. This fantasy world is chalked full of fanciful places, battles, mysteries, and treks. In Bilbo’s first battle, he uses an elvish dagger to kill a murderous spider. He, thereafter, names this weapon “Sting,” after its first opponent. Later on in the story, Bilbo steals Gollum’s treasured and beloved invisibility ring, which has the capability of turning its wearer invisible. This ring and “Sting” both assist Mr. Baggins in later battles. The author, J.R.R Tolkein, is also very proficient when it comes to incorporating his own poetry into his work. For example the dwarves sing many songs around the campfire, one of which being: “ The wind went from West to East; All movement in the forest ceased But a shrill and harsh across the marsh Its whistling voices were released…” This quote provides an eerie mood towards the reader. Although the author’s tone is light and jovial with the lyrical dwarves, the reader is prone to wonder questions such as, “ Who is whistling, and why are they so harsh?” This mysterious feeling enhances the book even further. The dwarves, hobbit, and wizard formed an amazing community and spirit throughout their personal adventures. The journey of a lifetime, running through Elrond, the Misty Mountains, Old Ford, Great River of Wilderland, Mirkwood, River Running, Lonely Mountain, and the Dragon’s Keep, is a nail- biting fantasy that is a fascinating and electrifying epic. John Ronald Reuel Tolkein, or more commonly known as J.R.R. Tolkein, uses a variety of literary devices to keep his readers on the edge of their seats. Among these include elaborate descriptions of the fire-breathing dragon. The author says, “ I was a red light steadily getting redder and redder. Also it was now undoubtedly hot in the tunnel.” The symbolism Tolkein uses by describing the strong glow of red coming from the vaguely made out dragon can symbolize death and fear. If you continue reading, the author uses imagery to emphasize the greatness of the hobbit’s anxiety. The hot tunnel can represent the fire coming from the dragon and heat induced by fear in the hobbit’s heart. As you have seen, he also likes to utilize poetry in his works. Tolkein is a prolific author using abundant literary techniques. On top of this, he sustains a well-thought-out plot and theme throughout the storyline. The theme of this book could be, “ Greed comes at a large cost, but if you have a large enough combination of wits, skill,and luck you may reap a benefit more important than gold: friendship.” In J.R.R. Tolkein’s telling of The Hobbit, he exhibits incredible literary expertise while maintaining a strong and central plot. When reading, you can observe how Tolkein deftly makes every event circle back to one another. This particular book is breathtaking, and if I were to rate the book, it would receive five stars out of five! I deeply encourage anyone who enjoys plot-twists or fantasy to read The Hobbit. Thank you for reading today's post, and have a fantastic day. I encourage anyone reading this: READ THIS BOOK! 📖

A while back, I interviewed Mara Baker. Who is a loyal reader of my blog, an intense reader, and works to make video games. I am just now realizing I never fully posted this intriguing moment. This post is pretty exciting for me since the last time I interviewed someone was in 2022, an interview with Erin Schultz . Now, we will dive into the emotions people explore while reading, tell us about some of her favorite books as a child, and Mara will give some adult recommendations. Throughout our interview Mara mentioned her favorite places to read including coffee shops and just at home. Personally, Mara leans towards enjoying reading about books that oppose to her current life, and then is able to connect basic human emotions, reactions, or experiences to her everyday life. In addition, Mara is an amazingly balanced reader. What I mean by this, is that if she reads one book that is fiction her next piece of literature will be non-fiction. When she does read non-fiction she tends to lean toward historical non-fiction. Mara explained a few plots, but unfortunately I neglected to ask about the titles of these books. After an internet deep dive of any books she could have been referring to I am almost 100% confident that the book she was referring to was the Chrysalids . Which is merely, about a society attempting to leave behind any deformities or abnormalities. The main character does have a difference between the rest, but no one else can see it: telepathy. Mara has utterly enjoyed this author, and would highly recommend him. She also read Day of the Triffids by him which she loved. This book is simply about murderous plants arriving on Earth one Day and killing people. The reason that she feels so strongly about each one of her books is that she loves to read. Throughout the journey of my blog, I have learned that my mere goal is to help people love to read. Thank you Mara, and a appreciate everyone who reads this. Always feel free to drop a comment and recommend other books, as well! Coming from Mara: read this book!