Twisted

From a very young age, we are all taught right from wrong and learn that all of our decisions come with consequences. A person’s age should never exempt him or her from the law and they should face all the consequences that they deserve. A crime is a crime no matter what and they should be given an appropriate consequence, regardless of age. Children who commit serious crimes should be tried as adults because they were aware of the crime they were committing and should not be absolved because of their age. 

Kids who commit serious crimes should be tried as adults in court because in the eyes of the law, everyone is equal and no one is too immature to possess morals. In the article, “Jennifer Bishop Jenkins on Punishment and Teen Killers” authored by, Teacher, Jennifer Jenkins, she states, “ I understand how hard it is to accept the reality that a 16 or 17 year old is capable of forming such requisite criminal intent,”. Jenkins is an educator who is surrounded by children for the majority of her days so she truly sees the reality of how these kids are and how they behave. She argues that, because she talks with these kids face to face and it is clear that they are completely aware of what is immoral. Interactions between a teacher and student is not a between and adult and a child, but between an adult and a young adult. Becoming an adult is not the crossing point that automatically allocates you morals. We all know how to behave from an extremely young age so, therefore committing these crimes are a conscious decision made, not dictated by the age of the person committing the crime. Hence, the punishment should also not be dictated by the age of the perpetrator. 

As a child/student myself, I see first hand just how other people around my age can be. I, as a person know that I am completely aware of my actions and I can differentiate right from wrong. Kids my age should never be excused from justice just because of their age. My age does not change the fact that I committed a serious crime and that I must suffer the consequences. When we become teenagers we are old enough to differentiate right from wrong. We are taught morals from a very young age and kids who commit crimes are fully aware of what crime they are committing but are just choosing to evade the law. 

Some people may argue that juveniles are too young to be charged as adults and their brains are not fully developed. However by the age of 16 majority of people can drive, work, and carry on multiple other responsibilities so what would prevent them from acting in a civil fashion?  In the article, “Should Juveniles Be Charged as Adults in the Criminal Justice System?” written by Nicole Scialabba, she states that, “The reason that juvenile courts were originally created in the nineteenth century was because society recognized that juveniles did not have the cognitive development that adults had.”. Committing crimes such as murder, rape and robbery are not caused by a lack of cognitive development, but by a lack of humanity and morals.  

Trying juveniles as adults creates a consistent and fair justice system. For example, there was a 12 year old girl who murdered her brother and parents in an attempt to be with her 23 year old boyfriend, who also murdered her family and her maximum sentence was 10 years, due to the fact that she was a minor. This creates an imbalance within the justice system and excuses minors from committing horrific crimes such as this one. There is no justice for her parents or her brother

because of her age. She should be tried as an adult and given the death penalty, even though there is no punishment she could serve that would excuse her from the crimes she committed against her family. 

In conclusion, Children who commit serious crimes should be tried as adults because they were aware of the crime they were committing and should not be absolved because of their age. We are all born with humanity and kindness and eventually, we learn other ways and those who choose a different path of committing crimes should be punished appropriately. There is no difference between a 12 year old murdering someone and a 50 year old murdering someone. Both should be held responsible, regardless of age because the justice system is all about accountability. 

A Thousand Splendid Suns Book Review - Marc Pascual

     For the first semester, I decided to read Khaled Hosseini's "A Thousand Splendid Suns". "A Thousand Splendid Suns" follows the story of two middle Eastern women who, in a series of unfortunate events, get stuck with a man who is both verbally and physically abusive while also being stuck in a country riddled with war and destruction. The first woman, named Mariam, was an illegitimate child of a rich man named Jalil. Because of this, she had to live with her mom, who was also verbally abusive, at a place that is cut off from the rest of the town. Having had enough of her mother's manipulation, she decides to visit Jalil. Eventually, after her mother's suicide, Jalil sends Mariam off to a person named Rasheed who had lost his son in the war. Laila, a girl who is significantly younger than Mariam, was also sent to Rasheed after her family got killed by a bomb.
     As the story progresses from the time both Mariam and Laila meet up,  I couldn't help but notice the overwhelming amount of very dramatic and negative events happening to both protaganists. However, it did make me realize that these types of situations can and have happened to a majority of people in the real world. The more the story develops, the more I find it interesting how all of it is realistic and how its so much more than a tragedy in a novel. This book is a great read for everyone as it helps people become more educated in a different culture while also providing examples of the destruction and costs of a war.

-Marc Pascual
   

Tweak: Nic Sheff

In Nic Sheff ́s chilling memoir, Tweak: Growing up on Methamphetamines, Sheff traces his addiction from his first experiences with the drugs to his last healing steps. He describes his hardest nights and his rugged journey through life. Even though Sheff came from a family with plenty; his father being a famous movie producer and his mother owning her own beauty salon. He still fell sick into a meth addiction after abusing alcohol and drugs at a young age. This college-bound, striving young man was destined to do great. He went from being top of his class with his head in the sky to stuck on the streets with a mind full of dope. I felt that this novel opened my eyes and made me understand that addiction is truly a sickness. It isn’t something that you can decide to leave behind and part ways with. It clouds over an individual’s mind and it takes them away from the people they love. Sheff underscores how addiction can take the life of anyone, poor, rich, smart, or dumb.. It can really happen to anyone. This book inspired me to try and empathize with others in hard situations. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes more somber novels. It kind of reminds me of the Ellen Hopkins series or Go Ask Alice. They both are first-person journals made from a series of poems about women who suffer from drug addictions. These kinds of novels interest me, if anyone can recommend any similar novels, please comment!
 Claudia Reyes

Tweak: Bic Sheff

In Nic Sheff ́s chilling memoir, Tweak: Growing up on Methamphetamines, Sheff traces his addiction from his first experiences with the drugs to his last healing steps. He describes his hardest nights and his rugged journey through life. Even though Sheff came from a family with plenty; his father being a famous movie producer and his mother owning her own beauty salon. He still fell sick into a meth addiction after abusing alcohol and drugs at a young age. This college-bound, striving young man was destined to do great. He went from being top of his class with his head in the sky to stuck on the streets with a mind full of dope. I felt that this novel opened my eyes and made me understand that addiction is truly a sickness. It isn’t something that you can decide to leave behind and part ways with. It clouds over an individual’s mind and it takes them away from the people they love. Sheff underscores how addiction can take the life of anyone, poor, rich, smart, or dumb.. It can really happen to anyone. This book inspired me to try and empathize with others in hard situations. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes more somber novels. It kind of reminds me of the Ellen Hopkins series or Go Ask Alice. They both are first-person journals made from a series of poems about women who suffer from drug addictions. If you would recommend any similar novels, please comment!

Claudia Reyes

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

One novel that I had the pleasure of reading during the first semester was Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, a young adult fantasy, that revolves around a dystopian society in which the main social and economical divide is based off the color of blood, whether that be red or silver. To take it one step further, the blood of those with silver maintain abilities that are automatically used as a leverage over those of red until our main protagonist comes in to play. The story itself contains many fantasy components which is initially what drew me in yet the constant that kept me entranced in this world was the underlying real world issues and topics the book touched upon. The most present one would be the reference to discrimination of all kinds that is still a consist present issue during this time. The novel shows the more upfront version in which those with red blood are obviously treated as though they're less than those with the blood of silver and their abilities, that Aveyard consistently describes their self-image with that of Gods. A quote from the novel that pertains to the whole theme of it was, “I used to think there was only the divide, Silver and Red, rich and poor, kings and slaves. But there's much more in between, things I don't understand, and I'm right in the middle of it”  (Aveyard). Overall, this book handles the divide and separation prominent within our society with flawless attention to detail and brutal honesty with the blunt flash to our possible future if we continue to pick things to differentiate ourselves from one another, when in reality our differences is what could be making us stronger as one people. Luckily, this story continues on totaling to a series of four that contains the same message through it all: a warning with hope for a better future. 

Alexandria Salazar

The SilkWorm

The book I chose for my book review is The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith. It is a 455-page long mystery/crime fiction novel. While reading this I found out J.K. Rowling was the author but she writes using an alternative name so readers read the book for what it is, instead of because of her popularity. The Silkworm is the 2nd book in J.K. Rowling’s detective series. Although it is the 2nd book it was pretty easy to catch on without actually reading the beginning of the series. The book follows private investigator Cormoran Strike on a hunt to find a missing writer Owen Quine. His wife Leonora asks him to go find her husband that’s been missing for some time at a writing retreat. When he finds out Mr. Quine has been viciously murdered he goes on a chase to find who the murderer is. Owens’s last manuscript he was working on was a story that incorporated real-life scandals about people in the writing industry. This gives Strike a big clue as to why he was murdered but it still leaves a lot of suspects.

One thing I really enjoyed about the book is the build-up. The whole time all the way up to the end of the book I still had no idea who committed the murder. I also liked the large variety of characters it makes the plot interesting because the murderer could be anyone. Although it was a little difficult at first to get to know all the characters I was expecting it to be a lot harder because of it being the 2nd book. Overall I would recommend this book to anyone interested in crime novels.   
-Daniel Saldana

The Cellar by Natasha Preston

One of the books I chose to read during the first semester would be The Cellar by Natasha Preston. This book is very suspenseful and is a fictional book about a 16 year old girl named Summer who is kidnapped in her small town that she always swore was the safest place where everyone knew everyone. This book had a total of 368 pages switching back and forth between the characters so we could get a point of view from Summer, her kidnapper, and her boyfriend who is very worried about her. When Summer is kidnapped, she is taken into a cellar where everything is spotless and squeaky clean but she is not alone. There are 3 other girls down there as well and the man who kidnaps them changes their names to flower names and she becomes Lily once she is in the cellar. I enjoyed this book because I knew what all the characters were thinking as the point of views continued to change. Summer realizes how much she took for granted back at home and she missed all the things she used to complain about. The book made me mad at times because I just wanted to help the poor girl escape if I could and I chose to read a thrilling book on this topic because it is scary being a girl in this world. It is a good read for high school girls as we feel nervous to be alone in this world because of exact situations like this book. You can really feel how scared Summer is throughout the book as she becomes desperate to escape. 

Beyond Cruel - Stephen G. Michaud

The most interesting book I read during the first semester was “Beyond Cruel” by Stephen G. Michaud. Although this book was very sad and based on true story of a sadistic killer it was very interesting to look more into the investigation and to see how the story unfolds. The book is based on “the worlds most sadistic serial killer” James Mitchell “Mike” DeBardeleben it tells the crazy stories of how he executed his crimes and got away with them for so long and about the many occasions he was very close to being caught but then would hide out.  

The story all starts with DeBardeleben kidnapping women then he moves on to counterfeiting. Investigators began to call him “The Mall Passer” because of the simple fact that he would go to the mall and use his counterfeit. DeBardeleben  targeted women only he would typically be charming some victims said but then he would show his true colors kidnapping them and sexually assaulting them. He kidnapped many women sexually assaulted them then let them go but on occasion he took as far as murdering them. When DeBardeleben was finally caught years later he was sentenced to 375  years in prison. 

In all honesty this book is very dark and goes very deep into detail with crime scene evidence and how things played out which can be very uncomfortable to read. This book definately isn’t for everyone but I would recommend this book to people who are interested in reading true crime books and would like to learn more about “famous” serial killers. 

I'll Give You the Sun ~ Book Review

The first book I read at the beginning of the first semester was called "I'll Give You the Sun" by
Jandy Nelson. This book is in the Young Adult Fiction genre and has 371 pages. I was skeptical
of this book when I read the first few pages. I am not a big reader and found the characters hard
to relate with. I also did not enjoy the personality of the character speaking in the first chapter.
However, after reading more and more, I came to really enjoy the book. If it were only the first
character speaking the whole time, I probably would've grabbed a different book from off the
shelf. This book was interesting because is told the story of twins that are drastically different
but are definitely each other's best friend.
I believe the book starts when the teens are 13 or 14. They are going through struggles
of their own but end up always having each other's backs at the end of the day. The twins are
about to go to high school and they must decide what schools they are going to go to. The boy is
very artistic and uses drawing as an escape, while the girl could not draw anything to save her
life. The second chapter jumps to 3 years in the future... the girl got into the art school and the
brother did not, though he truly wanted it. For these past 3 years, they have barely talked to each
other. The problem with their story is that they don't communicate their feelings enough to
understand what really happened.
I found this book interesting because it highlights the fact that there are always two sides
to every story. The reader gets to figure out who knows what before the other character does.
Also, the plot was not at all predictable, which makes it a good book to me. I would recommend
this book to anyone that likes some family drama.

The Sisters Brothers

The novel does not follow a traditional narrative arc. Eli and Charlie travel from hitching post to hitching post on their way to meet their prey, so it’s essentially a road novel. The first half of the book is, to a large degree, a series of vignettes, which include, among other even stranger things, a witch’s curse, Eli discovering the joy of toothpaste, and a San Francisco local who delivers a charming monologue about how living in the city by the bay invariably makes you insane. These minisodes in the lives of our heroes are, blessedly, not brought around full circle to connect Crash-style. Rather they serve to let us get to know the brothers better, particularly Eli, whose simultaneously endearing and unnerving voice provides the novel with the legs it needs to get through its free-floating plot. Eli is a hired assassin who can witness and, indeed, participate in acts of horrible violence without so much as flinching, but he’s also essentially a young man at his first school dance, trying to figure out how to talk to the pretty girl and simmering with jealously at his older brother’s confidence. Eli wants a quieter life, to sleep in the same bed each night next to a kind woman, and he can’t shake the feeling that any one of the kind women he meets on his travels might fill that role. He reflects on his own complex emotions with heartbreaking simplicity: “I had nowhere to go and did not wish to be seen by anyone for fear they would recognize my sadness, and so for several minutes I simply stood in the hall, shifting my weight and breathing and attempting to clear my mind of every recognizable thought.” When the brothers zero in on their mark, the book settles into a more conventional plot structure, which is not to say it becomes conventional.

The Spy Who Came In From The Cold Book Review

 During the first semester one of the books I decided to read was The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, by John Le Carré. I chose to read this book because I read the front and back cover in the library and it really caught my attention. The story begins during the 1960s Alec Leamas, is the head of the Berlin station for the British secret service. As he waits at a checkpoint near the Berlin Wall for his agent to cross safely to the West, however, his agent's cover has been blown. Karl Riemick, Leamas's agent, is captured by Hans-Dieter Mundt, who is the head of the East German secret service. Riemick is Leamas's last agent so he must rescue him. Before he goes on his own, he is summoned back to London by Control, the head of the British intelligence agency called "The Circus". Before retiring, Control gives Leamas one last mission, to kill Mundt. At Control's house Leamas meets Peter Guillam, an agent, and George Smiley, a former agent who has worked on Mundt's case before. Together the three of them must develop a plan to stop Mundt.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the 1960s Cold War era. Le Carré has so much experience when it comes to spies, as he used to work for the Security Service and the Secret Intelligence Service, that I think he has a clear image of what the Cold War was actually like and what crazy events took place. The book has so many shocking moments that are very unpredictable. However, those kind on unpredictable and shocking moments is what kept me reading through the entire book. The ending is something I did not expect at all while reading this, I believe the ending was great for the how the story was put together and I think you should read it and tell me what you think.

Miles Morales - Nicholas Rosales

        The book that I had read this semester was "Miles Morales" by Jason Reynolds, I understand that that this book to some may be a kids book but it's much more then that. I'll be getting to talk about that later. The book setting takes place in Brooklyn, New York were introduced to Miles Morales a 15 year old teenager. He at school was some type of prodigy, he was very academically gifted, and very athletic. His academics got him in Brooklyn Visions Academy. The school was like a college, with dorms and roommates. living with his roommate/best friend Ganke.  Miles was just a normal kid..... but thats not the case he's also Spider-Man.
        Its not easy being a Hero, Miles has had some strange occurrences happening to him, his spider sense has been all over the place with him getting in trouble at school and causing problems such ditching and tardiness. This news upsets his parents who are having troubles financially but doesn't want Miles to worry about it, which sort of stresses him out even more. He then talks to his police officer dad(who knows that he's Spider-Man) and finds out that his uncle and him were the Brooklyn bad boys back in the day and that his dads family last name is so infamous that it can cause Brooklyn to panic. With news like that, it makes Mile's question himself, and has him believe that people like him aren't supposed to be the hero or even the good guys.
        This book does have indeed simplistic writing but does have adult themes and some very interesting words and writing. It can really get too you with some themes having to talk about depression and living off of nothing. Having to see your "invincible" parents struggle, with characters even having metal breakdowns of frustration. Its an easy read and you can have a lot of fun with it. I picked this book for Spider-Man but I stayed for the fun adventure/action story , I would really recommend this book to anyone who wants to have fun and have a good time.

           - Nicholas Rosales/Period 1
       

Idaho

ASYLUM by Madeleine Roux

During the first summer I read the book asylum, without much knowledge or research on the book, besides knowing it was a creepy thriller, I unknowingly got sucked into Dan Crawford's world (protagonist) pleasingly. I am a very picky person when it comes to books, so when  I say this book was really good I do mean it and truly recommended it, because it also only has 317 pages and its not exhausting to my brain when writers can't get straight to the point. The book starts out as any suspenseful book setting the scene in a creepy town with the main characters not knowing what they are getting into. Dan is a smart kid for his age and spends a few weeks of his summer in New Hampshire for a college summer program. He meets his soon to be close friends and they are very observant on how the college is built. There is a blocked off area that they suddenly get curious about so they plan to sneak in. They sneak in and find nothing, however they do hear noises in a place that has been closed off for months and no one is able to go in...…..
There were many things about this book like I really liked. The book had some illustrations throughout the chapters which is very beneficial to me because I am a visual learner. Although it was heavy loaded on how many chapters there were, it was a little refreshing knowing that I won't be reading a long chapter and falling asleep. Kudos to Roux for keeping me on the edge of my seat. There wasn't anything I can honestly think of that I did not like, besides the thickness of the book because it wasn't welcoming to my backpack and the snacks I keep inside.
                                                                                                        Maya Burch

"The Young Elites"

           During the first semester, I read the book, "The Young Elites" written by Marie Lu.  The book sets off in the country Kenettra where both Adelina and her younger sister, Violetta are survivors of an illness called the blood fever.  Only Adelina was strangely marked from this illness causing her to have special abilities.  She and others who are like her are called Malfettos.  Adelina is sitting in a prison cell as she is being accused of killing her father.  A flashback occurs discovering that her father wanted to sell her off to a man.  Once she heard, she ran away but she didn't get far.  Her father finally caught up to her and as she struggles to be free from him, Adelina produces strange black shadows or figures from the earth.  There, her father terrified crashes into his horse causing the horse to kill him.
           Back to the present time, Adelina was going to be set on fire but before they could burn her, the Reaper came to save her.  She was then brought to Estenzia where there were more people like her called the Young Elites.  During a special performance, Teren who works for the King seeks out to find Adelina and in return to not kill her sister, he wants information about the Young Elites.  Enzo returns calling everyone for a mission except Adelina.  Adelina secretly arrives and save Gemma who was competing, amused Enzo assigns her on a mission and initiating her into the Young Elites.
           I enjoyed reading this book because as I was reading, I was able to picture the details in my mind.  I really like how Marie Lu added depth and adventure to the book.  She uses specific details in order for us to understand and picture what's happening.  This book caught my attention because of it's title, it seemed very interesting to read about.

-pisey chiv

Gone Girl Book Review

   One of the books I read first semester was, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Gone Girl is a mystery novel that consists of 432 pages. I chose to read this book because a friend recommended it to me when I wasn’t sure which book to read. The main plot of the novel begins when Nick Dunne discovers his wife, Amy Dunne is missing from their home in North Carthage, Mississippi. A few years prior, Nick and Amy moved to Mississippi from New York because Nick’s mom was diagnosed with stage four cancer. Amy wasn’t very happy with the decision which created a lot of stress since they had both lost their jobs. At first, Nick was delusional that his wife had gone missing. Police and news stations invaded his home, and began the search for Amy Funne. Flynn uses a parallel set up in which she alternates between the perspectives of Nick and Amy with each chapter.
        Overall, I would recommend this book to those who are interested in the mystery genre. Flynn sets up the book so that the reader is able to receive both perspectives of their marriage as well as the plot. In addition, The book is full of plot twists that keep the reader entertained and wanting more. Personally, I did not think the plot twists were predictable. I would not normally describe myself as a reader, but I did find this book pretty fascinating. One thing I did not particularly like about this book was the ending; however, you may have to decide that for yourself.

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

My favorite book that I had read during the first quarter  was 13 Reasons Why written by Jay Asher. Many people, including myself, have already seen this show since it is very popular on Netflix. I had already knew the plot and what had happen in the T.V. show which is based on the book, however, I wanted to read the book for myself to see the difference between the show and the book. Being completetly honest, the book wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I would rate it a solid 6/10 and this might be because the show dropped my expectations drasticly, but even so, the book wasn't that bad. The plot overall can be considered controversial but considering the year it was written it wasn't so bad. The character flas are still visible but not as much as in the series, so when compared to the show this looks like the best you can get. 

Another book I read that I would recommend to read is Bee Season written by Myla Goldberg. In all honesty I has chosen to read this book because me and the author have the same name and thought it would be interesting and it turned out to be way more interesting than I had expected. The protagonist of this novel is nine year old girl who is showed to be a spelling prodigy. This book is written and draws the reader into the world of this nine year old girl, the compelling world of Jewish mysticism, spelling bee politics, family dynamics, and deep secrets that goes on within the family. 

Tuesdays with Morrie Book Review

During the first semester, I read the book Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom. Tuesdays with Morrie is a lesson between a college professor, Morrie, and one of his long lost students and the author of the book, Mitch Albom. Mitch loses contact with Morrie after graduation until sixteen years later, when he sees him being interviewed on ABC's "Nightline." Morrie has been diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease. The disease will eat away at his nerves, rendering his body useless but leaving his mind and soul intact. Although doctors have estimated him two years to live, Morrie knows it will be less. Mitch has been obsessively working towards achievements, but has been unsuccessful in his pursuit towards happiness. Because of his frantic lifestyle, Mitch has cut himself off from all his past acquaintances, and forgotten the lessons Morrie had taught about relationships and being human. Seeing his old professor dying on tv rekindles old yearnings and Mitch is drawn to visit Morrie after feeling guilty.

Mitch arranges to visit Morrie every Tuesday, in what eventually becomes the opening session of the professor's last class for one. Their discussions ranged from the world, regrets, death, love, and money; the purpose of their meetings was to discuss Morrie's view on the meaning of life. With each lesson, Morrie becomes increasingly sick, but still continues to share his philosophies with Mitch. This book is very inspirational and heart-warming as it delves into deep topics like happiness and death. Tuesdays With Morrie is a memoir of Mitch's professor and serves as a very insightful read on the meaning of life when confronted by death itself.

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Elizabeth Casas
For the first semester, I had the opportunity to read the novel Tiger Lily written by Jodi Lynn Anderson.
This novel takes the classic tale of Peter Pan and puts it into the perspective of Tiger Lily, the daughter of a very respected shaman. On an island where no one ever ages, Tiger Lily has never grown a day over fifteen. 
Since she was very young, she has grown up hearing the tales of the vicious Lost Boys and their violent ways. Because of this, Tiger Lily has always been advised to stay away from the woods, until one day she meets their red headed leader, Peter Pan. From this point on, their friendship begins to form and eventually blossoms into something more.
This book includes the classic characters like Wendy, Captain Hook, and even the famous crocodile. The novel was actually recommended to me by one of the librarians here at Mayfair and if I'm being completely honest, I at first thought this book was extremely corny. I am not the type of person who frequently indulges in fantasy tales and thought this book wasn't for me. However, my opinion on this book completely changed the more I read it.
From time to time, I've felt a lot of sadness reading the details of some books, but I have never felt anger like I did when finishing this book. That's how I know this book was amazing. This book had the power to make me feel a certain emotion and if you have a heart you will feel something too. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes books that contain emotion.

Playing Zensational Tennis Book Review

One of the two books that I read for the first semester was “ Playing Zensational Tennis”, by David Ranney. The genre of this book is Tennis/Sports Psychology and has a total page number of 353. To start off with, Ranney reveals the Zen Principles that lead to improving your game. The Zen Principles include playing in the present, non-judgement, enhancing focus, awareness, and relaxation. This book allows you to become more of a student of the game of Tennis by giving mini- lessons and Tips that will benefit any player that wants to improve their game. For example, Ranney writes about how the reader will learn to use zen techniques as powerful solutions to conquer your frustration. Romney writes about this breathing technique that is very helpful as I have used it many times after I read this book and gone out to play. It really allows you to loosen up and relax your body when hitting. Romney also writes about visualizing and conditioning your mind to attain quick and effortless movement. I liked that this book actually discussed the positive reinforcement to bad habits. Like when Ranney presented a problem many players have, which is being too tense and not being fluid, he gives positive reinforcement to the readers by telling them to practice breathing slower and letting go. This is a method that can also be used when taking tests, because we as students tend to get very stressed in situations, where if you were to read about the Zen principles, it would help to ease the frustration and stress. I also liked that this book allowed me to be more consistent and stronger mentally. My favorite part of the book was when Author David Ranney was talking about how Roger Federer will always be the greatest player of all time, because he shows no frustration while hitting any ball, and if you look at the photos of any other professional player in magazines, they always show their emotions on their face. While Roger always keeps a straight face. I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend any tennis player that would want to reflect and improve on their game.

The Bean Trees Book Review

The Bean Trees begins when Taylor (whose real name is Marietta) decides that it's time to leave Pittman, Kentucky, where she lives with her mother, and make something of herself. Her life changes dramatically when, sitting in her car and ready to leave the restaurant and continue driving, a Cherokee woman puts a child wrapped in a blanket on the front seat of Taylor's car. The woman asks Taylor to take the child and then disappears in a pickup truck. Taylor made a big decision by taking responsibility over a child who she later names turtle. Looking for a place to live, taylor responds to an ad in a newspaper and rents a room from Lou Ann Ruiz. an immediate bond forms between Taylor and Lou Ann when they realize that they both are from Kentucky. Lou Ann, whose husband left her, and her young son, Dwayne Ray, and Taylor and Turtle provide a sense of family for each other. The secure environment and love that taylor gave to turtle paid off because she was learning and talking more until something happened that made her stop. Taylor not having custody of turtle gave them more complications but didn’t stop Taylor from being the mother that turtle deserved. 

I really enjoyed reading this book simply because I had a connection with the mian character. She reminded me of one of my family members who took in a child who wasn’t theirs but made them and treated them like their very own. I reccomend this book if you have feminist beliefs, intrest in political issues, and the importance of family and the need for community as emotional support systems for individuals facing hardships.

The Night Circus Book Review

Of all the books that I read the first semester, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern was by far the most memorable. This novel is very readable with only 387 pages. In this book we follow around two main protagonists, Celia and Marco who are magicians at a circus. Behind the scenes of this circus, a competition is taking place between these two characters. Celia and Marco end up falling in love with one another, and they have to figure out a way to get around this competition in order to stay together. In the end whoever is the stronger magician wins this competition. This book consists of many flashbacks of the characters previous lives and their different experiences in growing up with magic. It also consists of minor characters and their different stories as to how they ended up joining this circus. I would rate this book a 9/10. It wasn’t my all time favorite book, but it is definitely something that I would be able to pick up and read again. I recommend actually looking at the date at the start of the chapter in order for the book to make a little more sense because the date changes back and forth between chapters. Overall, this book was really good and contained many different plot twists that kept me guessing the outcome throughout the whole book. I would recommend it to people who are looking for an elaborate tale full of magic and unexpected plot twists.

The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Palace Book Review

 

I read The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Palace by Julie Berry. I really only chose this book because I needed to find one last minute, and it was a mystery book. I have read many books, but I have not read many mystery books, so it intrigued me. This book takes place in the 19th century, and it’s about a group of girls in an etiquette school to prepare them to be “good” wives. It starts off with two people dying the girl’s mistress and her brother. Instead of freaking out they mostly celebrated then started to freak out not because they are dead, but because they were going to be separated. They make a plan to cover up the murder, so that they could all stay together. It goes on like this until their lie is discovered. 

This book was interesting, but I am not really sure if I would recommend it. It’s not boring, but for some reason I just couldn’t get that into it. There wasn’t really any major plot twist which disappointed me a lot. Usually with mystery books there are some type of really good plot twist, or more clues that could lead you to believe it to be another person. This book did not do much of that. That is mostly why I would not recommend this book. Still it did have interesting points in the book that I did enjoy. I liked the way that their lie came to light, and it was ironic too. It made me laugh a little at the irony.

“The Last Good Day of the Year” - SSR Book Review

The Last Good Day of the Year

SSR Book Review 

Out of all the books I read during the first semester, one of my favorites was “The Last Good Day of the Year” by Jessica Warman. The story focuses on a young girl named Samantha, switching between the night and year of the event, and years later. When Samantha was young, she was sleeping downstairs with her best friend, Remy, and her younger sister, Turtle. Their parents were upstairs having a New Years Eve party, not knowing that downstairs, Samantha and Remy had just witnessed Turtle being grabbed and carried off into the night by a man dressed as Santa Claus. Samantha and Remy identify the man and he is then put in jail, Turtle’s body never being discovered. After leaving town and then returning years later, Samantha starts to question whether or not she was right about who they accused of kidnapping her sister. 

This story stood out to me over others I have read because it is very unique and keeps you guessing who could have really committed the crime. Throughout the story, I had many guesses but hadn’t been right in the end. There are many plot twists in this story and the author is very good about tying everything together at the end. One of my favorite things about this book was that the author used the last chapter to pick out key points in the story and restate them to where you connected the dots of things that didn’t make sense until you found out the ending. The book was 289 pages, and does not have a sequel, which is upsetting considering it ends on a major cliffhanger. I would give this book a 10/10 and definitely recommend to those who love mysteries and constant shocking plot twists. 

Pachinko Book Review

Pachinko Book Review 

I have read several books during the first semester, however, the book that I enjoyed the most was Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. The meaning of Pachinko is a Japanese gamboling mechanical game. There are 490 pages the genre of this book is Historical Fictional and Domestic. Characters names are Sunjia Baek the main protagonist, her two sons Noa Baek Mozasu Baek and many more important characters in Pachinko.The book takes place during ww2 and the Japanese occupation of Korea. Therefore it’s a story about how Sunjia had to move to japan and having to adapt to Japanese and korean culture with her kids in poverty that the accumulation of wealth continues on in multiple generations.The characters face issues such as racism and stereotypes as Koreans living in Japan trying to survive the 20th century. 

Overall, I give this book a 4 out of 5 because of the ending of this book and I expected more out of the ending, I felt it needed more explaining.That would be something I would change in the book.However, this book is a great book to read if your interested in culture, war and historical novels. There are times in the book where the plot was getting predictable. It is one of my favorite books and if you are interested in reading Pachinko I hope it also becomes of your favorites. “ living everyday in the presence of those who refuse to acknowledge your humanity take courage” Min Jin Lee 

Classic Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (SSR Review)

  One of the books I read during the first semester I read "Classic Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Now if you are unfamiliar with the name Sherlock Holmes, he is a fictional character created by this same author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and he is known as the "world's greatest detective." Even though the setting is in the UK, there still is no other detective as good as Sherlock Holmes. There are even movies about Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jr. which just goes to show how popular this got at the time of Doyle's creation. Sherlock Holmes is very well known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, and forensic science. He is partnered alongside his faithful companion Dr. John Watson who is also his best friend in the story. This story describes his greatest adventures to solving many crimes and how he managed to determine who the killer was to each crime.
   Even though I am not so into Forensics, I have to admit this was a very good book to read and it made me really become more interested in the subject. Even though learning that Sherlock Holmes is a very strange person when he is not solving any crimes, he is a truly extraordinary man with remarkable abilities. I highly recommend this book if you are into Forensics and if you are a fan of mystery as well. For there were many questions asked in this story during every crime and like always after solving each one, all questions were answered in the end.

The Book Thief Review

For the first semester, I decided to read The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak. This coming of age novel was 550 pages, which included pages filled with drawings and scribbles to provide the thought processes of the secondary character. Interestingly, the narrator of this historical fiction is Death. 

 Liesel Miminger is the main character who was a foster child, but gets adopted by a German family, the Hubermanns. Little does the outside world know, the Hubermanns are hiding a Jewish man in their basement. 

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish the book before the quarter ended, but from what I read, the Hubermanns were helping Lisel become a fine young lady. Hans Hubermann taught Lisel how to read, write, and confront her fears. As Lisel fell in love with books, Hans discovered that she stole three books. Hans, a new father, understood Liesel’s obsession with books since she was ripped apart from everything in her past life. Thankfully, he let her keep them without punishment. 

    The writing, for the most part, was extremely poetic. Throughout the entire novel, Zusak incorporated German words to teach the readers the new words Liesel is learning. For the poetic passages, it was pleasing to interrupt them because some passages connected to true events, and foreshadowing events. 

I liked this novel, and wished I finished it, because of how Death saw Liesel’s life. The way Death explained every step of her life seemed like Death had a strong connection to this child. Although Death is suppose to be the “Devil”, Death acts like a “guardian angel.”

I would only recommend The Book Thief to anyone who prefers historical fiction and poetry.  There weren't many plot twists, and there was plenty of grief. The book is meant to feel sad, but it is also meant to carve the way to overcome sadness. 

Sabrina Cazares

Pharaoh's Daughter Book Review

Pharaoh's Daughter is a fictional book by Julius Lester with a total amount of 173 pages. The story takes place in ancient Egypt during the reign of Ramesses the Great. It's about an infant boy who was born into slavery and was adopted by a princess and raised in the kings palace. The boy struggles to find himself along with the three women who love him who is all defined by him as his mothers. His biological mother was forced to give him up as a child by the kings order and raised by the princess as her own. His sister Almah who was adopted by the king as his daughter discovers a love for the Egyptian deities than the god for Hebrews. The story is told by both the boy and his sister from alternating point of views and questions identity, faith, and destiny. I enjoyed how the author wrote it using detailed text because it had me visualize and experience what was happening in the book and how the characters felt as if I was in the book. Overall, the book had me thinking about issues people face today with their identity and the journey they have to go through and understand them more.

If I Stay Book Review

In the first semester I read two books, however, the book that I overall enjoyed more was If I Stay, written by Gayle Forman. This book is about a seventeen year old girl, Mia. Mia and her family thought that it was every other normal snow day off of school, however they were in for a rude awakening. They went out on a normal car ride, however they got into a horrible car accident that almost killed their entire family instantly. Mia is the only member of her family to survive, and she finds herself in a coma. Throughout the book, it explains how Mia is almost having an out of body expirience because she is alive but almost like a ghost. Mia watches over herself as her grandparents, bestfriend, and her boyfriend stay with her. The the doctor explains to the grandparents how every other family member has passed and Mia is the only one left. She thinks about how easy it would be to just give up and to be with her family. However, she thinks about her college chance at Julliard which is just about the best arts school in the country. 

If you want to find out what happens with Mia, you need to read the book to find out. This book kept me engaged and made me really want to keep reading it to try and find out what ends up happening to Mia. I usually do not like fictional books, however, it made it seem like a real story so that is why I enjoyed reading it. If you enjoy reading non-fiction type plots this would totally be a book for you. I give it an overall rating of 9/10. If you end up reading it, I hope you enjoy it like I did!

Mindhunters Book Review

One of the books that I read during the first semester is called Mindhunters written by John E. Douglas and Mark Olshaker. Originally I had no interest in reading a 400-page true crime novel, but after Mr. Suttle forced us to do a project about true crime novels I decided to give this book a go. I was not prepared for all the content written inside the novel and to tell you I was surprised. The book is about John Douglas and his life working inside the FBI. It goes in-depth about all the cases that he had to solve, and all the interviews he conducted against serial killers.

One of the most interesting stories that I read inside the novel was when he was able to predict that a serial killer had a speech impediment. I know, crazy right. How can you predict that based off of clues left at the crime scene? But using his extensive knowledge in the FBI and experience profiling criminals he was able to come to that conclusion. The craziest thing is that he was right!  The serial killer had a speech impediment when he was a child and it went away in his early adult years. I won’t go into more depth about the details of this case, but you should read the book and find out how he was able to come to that prediction. 

Even though I was forced to read this book for an assignment, I actually enjoyed it. There are so many things that I never knew about the criminal world and what drives serial killers to commit such hefty crimes. Although I recommend this book, I would advise those who have a sensitive stomach to stay away due to the graphic details described inside the novel.  

Milk and Honey Book review

 
One of the books I read during the first semester was Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur. Milk and Honey is a book with  204 pages of poetry about her different kinds of pain she faced. Kaur split the four different types of pain into their own chapters. The chapters are  the hurting, the loving, the breaking, and the healing. Each poem is either about her relationship, love, feminism, or her trying to find herself in her own body

Chapter 1 was called “The hurting”. The hurting was about her relationship with her boyfriend and being raped. She talks about how her boyfriend hurt and abused her. Kupi talks about how she doesn’t feel the freedom of her own body. The poems in the first chapter are mainly  comparing her relationship with love and rape. 

The loving was the second chapter of the book. Chapter 2 is about her actually loving her new boyfriend because he is not abusing her and is actually loving her. When she is with the new boyfriend she finds herself and is finally loving herself. 

The Breaking is the third chapter of Milk and Honey. The breaking focuses more on the dark side of life, breaking up with her boyfriend. In the third chapter she finds the difference between needing someone and wanting someone in her life. 

The healing is the final chapter of the book. This chapter focuses again on gaining that self love back. She also talks about her recovery from her relationship.  

Overall I give this book a 4.5/5. I gave this rating because I really enjoyed it and I learned about life. I would  highly recommend this book to someone who enjoys reading about love and pain.. 

The Upside of Unrequited Book Review

For the past semester of the school year, one book that I read was called The Upside of Unrequited. It is a young adult novel by Becky Albertalli and consists of 336 pages which I feel like many young adults would be able to relate to. The main character of this book is a girl named Molly who has had twenty six crushes but never had a boyfriend. Molly is a very unique girl. She has a habit or a talent of making and designing clothes; she is a very artistic person that loves to do crafts. Molly suffers from anxiety and takes medication for it. She has the character of being afraid of rejection and she does not quite understand how to manage her own feelings. Despite having anxiety, that does not affect her from her daily living. She has the appearance of a fat girl and she is not really that person who someone will be attracted to at first glance. Molly has a twin sister named Cassie who is sort of opposite of her character. Cassie is a little bit more of a sociable and outgoing person than Molly. She would always tell Cassie to “woman up” and shoot her shot whenever she has someone that she likes. Molly and Cassie are really close to each other but as Cassie meet new people, Molly kind of pushed out of the frame as Cassie would spend more time with her girlfriend and would always be on her phone texting. As Molly starts a new job, she met a guy named Reid. Now, Reid is not someone that Molly sees herself getting attracted to for the first time but there might be a possibility that Molly will develop feelings for Reid eventually.The relationship between Molly and Reid gets more interesting as each of the page goes by. Molly is a really family oriented person; she is a loving sister and daughter. This novel also shows a pretty unique family dynamics. It is very open about the LGBTQ Community which made it really unique and interesting. It is not a "typical" family that only consists of mom, dad and kids. Cassie and Molly came from a family of two moms and the two of them are actually sperm donor babies and they came from a jewish family which shows diversity when it comes to religion. Cassie has a girlfriend named Mina. Just like some other families, conflicts arises within Molly and Cassie's family too when their grandmother arrives whom was actually against about the relationship of their mom at first. Overall, this novel shows how people can be attractive in their own unique ways. It shows the reality of this world when it comes to teenage love. Some people easily know what type of person they are looking for, some like many people at once which happens, and some just like a certain type of person.

I personally like this book though I don't fully relate to it. This novel clearly shows the reality of a teenager where they have those crushes, lying to their parents or having secrets, going out, being a rebel; basically just being teenagers themselves. I also like that this novel do not just simply covers the complicated life of teenage love, but it also covers real problems of teenagers. It covers anxiety which is a mental illness that Molly suffers from and it is very real and open on how most teenagers of this world are. Many teenagers suffer from anxiety and it is the reality. It also covers real family problems which I feel like many people are going to be able to relate to. I would recommend this novel to teenagers or young adults. If you are into life relatable books, especially for teenagers who have been through the sweet teenage love, then this book might be perfect for you. 

Labyrinth Lost Book Review

After reading several fiction novels last semester, the book that intrigued me the most was the first book I read called Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova. It is somewhat a fantasy and paranormal fiction novel with a total of 336 pages. The book focuses on a Latin family of brujas (witches) who live in Brooklyn. Alex, the middle child among three sisters, despises the magic she was born into. Because she is already considered as weird at her school, she wants nothing to do with the magic she believes is a curse on her. Despite being the most powerful witch in her family's bloodline, she hates magic with a passion and would do anything to become normal. On her Deathday celebration, she turns to her family's Book of Cantos (Book of Spells) and attempts to execute a spell to liberate herself of her power. However, things don't go as planned. Instead of getting rid of her  power, it makes her whole family disappear into another world. The only way to save them is to travel to the land between the realms of the living and the dead known as Los Lagos. Because she knows nothing of the land of and what dangers await for her there, Alex travels with a bruja boy named Nova with malicious intents and strange markings on his skin. Through this perilous journey, she must face a creature known as the Devourer; a monster who feasts on the magic that gives life to Los Lagos. In order to rescue her family, Alex must overcome her hatred for magic and use it to get through the dangerous realm and defeat the beast holding her family captive.

Frankly, I truly enjoyed reading this book. Knowing it is a part of a series makes me more interested in finding out what happens next. Although the cliff hanger in the end did give away that there would be a continuation, I honestly thought that the author would leave it as is and let the readers imagine what would happen next. Often times while I would read this book, I would anticipate what would happen to the main character as she went through her journey. However, I did not expect a love triangle to form in the middle of the story line among three certain characters, it really surprised me because I only saw the one romantic relationship forming between two of the characters. I would have liked it more if the author did other characters' perspectives and not focus only on Alex's point of view. I wanted to see how several characters would see the situation differently from the main character's perspective, but it was fun to see how going though a death-defying rescue mission changed many of the characters as a person in several ways. I would recommend this novel to readers who are interested in magic and drama.

Map of Days Book Review

A riveting tale of adventure and peculiar stories needing to be told, Map of Days is the 4th installment in the Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children series. The longest book so far at 480 pages, Ransom Riggs has outdone himself in carrying on the journey of Jacob Portman and his several peculiar friends. Under the eye of Miss Peregrine, the children all display incredible  abilities that ceases them from being in the public view to prevent mass chaos. From the ability to be light as air to controlling bees that live inside their stomach, they truly are a spectacle. However, with such powers comes at a cost, with the children being constantly hunted down. From invisible beasts who want to eat their eyes, agents who are chasing them down for no reason, to the peculiar world being threatened to be destroyed, it seems like the children will never hear the end of it. This book introduces new concepts, interesting characters, and has photographs that help drive the story.

Personally, it is not my favorite book of the entire series. I am very glad that Riggs decided to continue to the franchise, but I feel as though that the 4th novel was a stretch. If  Riggs had kept it as a trilogy the ending to the 3rd book would have been a very thrilling end to a good series. On the contrary, now that he has continued the plot I feel as though it is a really good sequel. The new characters and new problems gives the series new flesh and allows for an opening to something new, but familiar. This young adult fantasy is definitely a good series to binge read on and one that will always keep you on your toes. 

Red Queen Book Review

Although I read numerous amounts of books during the first semester, the one that really stood out to me was the book Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. It is an adult fantasy novel with a total of 388 pages to enjoy. This book is about two different groups of people separated by blood. People with Silver blood, Silvers, who have intense abilities, and people with Red blood who are sent to die in a war that the Silvers have started. The main character, Mare, has red blood which means that she is supposed to have no special abilities, and when she turns 18, she will be sent to war. She was able to gain a job working as a servant in the Silvers palace, when it was discovered that she was different then the Red Blooded people. Mare is now supposed to pretend to have silver blood and forget everything she ever knew in order to adjust to a new way of life. She learns that even in the palace, everything is not as perfect as it seems, and that Red Blooded Rebellions are starting to form against the Silvers. It is up to her to choose a side to be on, all while trying to survive and lie in order to protect everything she loves.

Personally, I really enjoyed this series, and especially this book. I found it to be an interesting concept. Usually, I am pretty good at predicting plots, but there was a major twist that I never even saw coming, which propelled me to continue to read the other books in the series. There was a lot of character development and many different sides to each one of the characters which helped me build a stronger connection and become more attached to what I was reading. I would recommend this book to read if you like action, romance, and dystopian societies.

Fly Away by Kristin Hannah book review

In “Fly Away”  a novel by Kristin Hannah. Tully Hart and Kate Mularkey were two best friends who were inseparable, they were also the complete opposites of each other. Until years later sadly Kate had ended up passing away from cancer and Tully was left trying to deal with the loss of her best friend. She had made a promise to Kate that she will be there for Kate's children but had no idea how she would be able to because of her troubled past. Tully had come from a very unstable family, Dorothy Hart, Tully's mother abandoned her so many times when she was a child. Her mother  tries to return a couple years later and wants to rebuild there bond. One of Kate's children Marah Ryan who is six-teen years old took her mother's death in the worst way. Her father Johnny tried his best to keep his family together but has trouble doing so as Marah just blocks everyone out and bottles up her emotions. Marah ends up falling in love with a troubled young man but he is very dangerous. Something horrible ends up happening to Tully and she ends up in a coma in the hospital. The story goes back and forth from the past to the present day. While in a coma Tully is able to hear and ̈see” whats going on in the hospital. This tragic event brings this broken family together. I personally recommend this novel because because this family fought through the hardships and came together in the end. 

[KC]: SSR Semester 1 Blog Post

Hi, folks!

I hope you enjoyed reading the books you've committed to for Independent Reading so far. Here's your first SSR check-in:

Step 1: Create a new POST in which you review one of the two books that you read for the first semester. If you read more than two books this semester, you can choose any of them to review. In your review, be sure to clearly state the title, author, genre, and total page number of the book. Then, summarize a bit of the plot (but don't give away the major spoilers!) to give us some context. Next, discuss what you liked or didn't like about this book.

• Feel free to use these questions to help guide you, but don't feel tied to simply answering them: How was the main character? Did you feel connected? Were the major plot points predictable? How was the writing? Poetic? Simplistic? Were the characters dynamic or static? Did that hurt or help the story? If you were to change anything about the book, what would it be? 

Step 2: Once other classmates have posted their reviews, COMMENT on two other reviews. (Be sure to read the comments on your review as well and engage in conversations as necessary.)

As always, your post should be around 250 words and your comments should be at least a few meaningful sentences.

NO PLAGIARIZING!

DUE DATES
One original post: Thursday, January 23rd
Two comments: Tuesday, January 28th

[KC]: Ms. Colln's Writing Territories!

"There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." - Maya Angelou

Hi all! A lot of times we get stuck early on in the writing process because we think that we have nothing to write about, which is just straight-up poppycock! We have tons about which we can write! We've been on this earth a good while and we have had many different experiences in many different realms of our lives. 

This activity is meant to get you to see just how much you have up in your brain into which you can tap and from which you can write. A writing territories list shows a bit of who you are and it is also a bank of ideas to use at your disposal -- turn to it when you want to write, when you need to write, when you'll just die if you don't write! (Take a look HERE to find some ideas on what types of territories to create.) 

Notice how I've taken more broad domains and then narrowed them down to specific experiences that I've had in my life. You can do it this way or you can set it up in a different way. The creativity is left up to you!

MY WRITING TERRITORIES!

(all the areas in which I can write and write well)

FAMILY:
I am a daughter.

• wanting to make my parents proud; building things with my dad; sharing music with my mom; summer solstice parades; sand-sport super shows, car shows with dad; the divorce;

I am a sister.

• my brother, Chris; video gaming together; the first time I saw him cry as an adult; being there for his first heartbreak (and second heartbreak); 

I am a friend.

• late nights talks at Mimi's with Tati and Katelyn; getting to know people while traveling; "the band"; 

BELIEFS:
I am a Christian.

• being invited to church by my cousin; Area Bible Studies in high school; working with the K-2nd graders; going on a missions trip to Africa; speaking in FUEL

ACADEMICS:
I am a teacher.

• realizing I wanted to be a teacher in 11th grade; meeting Kenzie in the credential program; student teaching under Phinizy and Fletch; subbing for Mrs. Brown and growing our friendship; having fun at professional development days and/or workshops;

I am a reader.

• my favorite books: Pride and Prejudice, The Night Circus, The Harry Potter Series, etc.; dreaming about a book while I'm in the middle of reading it; sharing my love of a book with someone else; buying books; missing my opportunity with BJ Novak

I am a writer.

• reading through old essays; choosing to write poetry;

I am a scholar.

• wanting to remain a student forever; being in class (sharing your thoughts, trying to stay focused, meeting my classmates, forming study groups, etc); English classes at UCLA; film classes at UCLA;

I am a Bruin.

• being an athlete on campus; joining the FPS (Film and Photography Society) club (the first meeting, the short film festival); creating a friendship with my counselor and some professors (Janel, Batten, Mott, Monica); attending sporting events; Bruin Bash; Monday dinners with Claudia & Kristen; catch and dinners and classes with Troy; graduations; considering going into the PhD program; alumni events; always feeling like I'm home at UCLA;

ART:
I am a film-analyzer.

• taking film and television production at Mayfair; creating my own short films in high school; creating our softball video; having my film viewed in a festival at a theater on a big screen; 

I am a movie-goer/TV-watcher.

• My favorite movies: A League of Their Own, Pride and Prejudice, Big Fish, Hugo; sitting in a theater, talking to my friends after a movie;
• My favorite shows: Chuck, Pushing Daisies, Parenthood, American Dreams;

SPORTS:
I am an athlete.

• playing softball (Heartwell, travel ball, high school, college); one year of golf; first time traveling for softball alone (Georgia); two years at Cerritos and one state championship; walking on to the UCLA softball team; meeting some of my closest friends; learning key characteristics through the sport; learning who I am outside of that sport;

I am a coach.

• quarter-final game in Temecula Valley; our first time beating La Mirada; surprising everyone at the Division 1 tournament; the players I've coached; starting with the volleyball team;

EXPLORATION:
I am a traveler.

• Africa; Ireland; Canada; San Francisco; Hogwarts (Florida); New York twice by myself; journaling while traveling; what it means to "just be" (completely unplugged); hiking in Southern California;

Another way is to create a map of your territories. (Note: this is just a brief sketch. There would obviously be much more to mapping out a particular territory.)

Devote a FULL PAGE of your notebook to thinking about your writing territories. If you fill a page and have more to say, just keep going! Be sure to put the page into your Index to make it easy to find and work with.