NL blog

            I honestly do hate reading, but for some reason I like this book.  I really don’t know why though.  I like the style she writes in.  Her use of vulgarity made the novel s real and you could almost feel her pain as she yelled them.

            I did however get a little confused when I first started reading it.  Clarissa started the novel off in the middle of her flashback.  It kind of threw me off.  She never identified herself until later.  Then as I read on I realized what was going on.  Another thing that really confused me was I didn’t  Pankaj was her fiancé.  That REALLY threw me off.  I thought that was her retarded brother.  It grossed me out that he was bathing her and sleeping with her.  I thought it was so odd.  I didn’t find out that he was her fiancé until class on Tuesday.  That made me feel pretty dumb, but once I knew it all made sense.

            Her writing is very visual and casual.  I can follow the story pretty well now that I know who is who.  The description of the bellhop seemed so real.  I thought her comment on the bathroom was a little odd, but personal and not many people say those things.  Just little things make me laugh in the book such as, “Earwax gets out of control when a kid’s parents go through a divorce.  You know, a sign of neglect.” page 42.   The issue of neglect is sad, but the way she said it was funny to me.

            I felt like I felt her pain when she found out about her dad.  When her fiancé was bathing her it made me sad.  She was so helpless.  It was interesting to me that she picked up all her things and just left.  Her mother did it too, but it was just so quickly done.

            I like how when the novel continues she talks more about her mother.  She gave her good advice about men and explained the importance of Clarissa’s name.  It gave me more incite on her and Clarissa’s relationship.  How her mother snuck around and lied about cheating.  I found it interesting when Clarissa went to go find her and didn’t want to believe she was dead.

            The next chapter started off in the present again.  It makes things confusing when the flashbacks occur with no warning.  I did like how Clarissa went to find her father.  She went into the church and it made me interested as to what would happen next.  The way the chapter ended was great.  It’s very suspenseful because her father asks is your mother dead?

reader inventory

I’m not big on reading and I really don’t like it.  I did however find a few good books that I couldn’t put down, which is rare for me.  I mainly read in the summer when I have nothing to do often by the pool.  The only time I occasionally enjoy reading is when I read for pleasure.  I like romantic and comedy genres.  The most enjoyable reading experience for me was two summers ago.  I discovered the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series.  At first my mom just told me it was a good book and I should read it even though I hate reading.  I loved it from the start. I finished the book in less than a week.  I moved on to book number two and loved it just as much.  I eventually finished all four books in the series in record time for me.  Usually when I read I read slow and it’s a drag, but these book were different and I loved it.  After reading those books I have enjoyed a few other books, but I still need to read more in my opinion.

I have trouble comprehending textbooks and long boring books.  I can’t retain the information and often find myself drifting when I read.  Enjoyable reading is easiest for me.  There isn’t any pressure on me to retain facts and dates.  I can just relax and have a good laugh when I read for fun.  My favorite types of enjoyable books are romantic and comedy genres.  I can grasp them very easily since the subject matter is interesting to me.  When something is funny I laugh and then remember it very well.  The content of the books I like is usually very light and fun.  When I find a book I like I start to like reading more and gain more imagination, visualization, and better vocabulary. 

I hate serious and factual books.  I hated almost any book I read in high school.  They were very boring and I almost never could relate to them.  Also, when I’m forced to read something I generally will hate it.  I a usually hate the plot and subject matter and it is painful for me to read it.  I think textbooks kill me slowly.  College reading has made me hate reading even more.  I have never been more bored in my life until I started reading textbooks.  I have never read so many textbooks in my life until I got to college.  It’s like pulling teeth.  I would much rather be doing assignments than reading 60 pages of Roman history.  I zone out and don’t retain the information and I have been known to fall asleep on my book.  I think the books that were assigned to me in high school made me hate reading.

I also am big on music.  I listen to different types according to my mood.  I like upbeat music when I workout and when I’m sad I listen to mellow music.  It makes me feel better.  Text and content really affect my mood and have a huge impact on me.

I have so much trouble focusing on reading unless I like what I’m reading.  When I read I need to be in a quiet place.  I like reading in my bed the most.  In order to read in silence I’m usually alone.  I like to read mainly before bed.  It helps me unwind at the end of a busy day.  When I read a book I enjoy at night I will occasionally dream of funny parts and things I liked about the book.  It’s a enjoyable way to end the night if I like the book.

Due to the fact that I don’t read much the books I do read have a huge impact on me.  I read a comical book on religion and God and it made me appreciate my religion.  I think church is still a drag, but the humor in the book helped me gain an interest in it.  Another book I read Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs was about popular culture and incorporated comedy of past culture that I enjoyed when I was younger such as “Saved by the Bell”.  I learned more about popular culture and I enjoyed reading about it.

I have learned a lot about myself as a reader.  I know where I need to read to be able to focus.  I learned that when I read textbooks I need to highlight them to help me understand the text better.  If I find a book I like I gain a lot from it and enjoy reading.  When I do find a book I like I start a reading phase and read a lot of books at once.  In conclusion, I think my reading skills and how I feel about reading has improved, but I have a long way to go to really enjoy it.