#T5W Hard Topics

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I haven’t read too many books that deal with hard/difficult topic.  However I was able to come up with four books.

Life Unaware by Cole Gibson- I chose the book because it deals with bullying. I feel like bullying is a hard topic because sometimes it is not dealt with properly. I also feel that some people don’t fully understand the many ways in which one can be bullied. The main character Regan, seems to have a perfect life, but that life gets turned upside down when every text, instant message and email gets printed and posted all over school. She ends up getting bullied by the people who, in her messages bullied herself. She also suffers from anxiety, but keeps it a secret. I could have focused on Regan’s anxiety, however I don’t know too much about anxiety, so I decided to go with bullying instead. Bullying is something that in recent years, has garnered more attention and zero tolerance policies have been established in schools.

The Fault in our Stars by John Green- This book deals with cancer and death, which are both difficult to talk about. However, it seems like almost everybody these days knows somebody who has cancer, has had cancer or has cancer themselves. There were a few really good lessons in this book. Hazel had an amazing support system around her, she had family, friends and the support group she went to. While the topics of cancer and death are hard to talk about, I feel like books like TFIOS, while fiction put things into perspective in a different way. Everyone deals with this subject matter differently, it’s important to listen, pay attention and be there for the people in your life going through it.

I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai- The hard topic in this book is violence against women. Malala was 15 years old when theTaliban shot her. She was shot because she was a female with a voice of her own, and she spoke out about her right to be educated. The shooting of Malala was a deliberate act of violence against women. Just because women have voices and opinions, it does not mean that they should be attacked for it, in any way shape or form, whether it be verbally or physically.

Beloved by Toni Morrison- The hard topic in this book is slavery. The main character Sethe escapes slavery, but even though she escapes to freedom, she is never really free. The memories of Sweet Home, the place where she escaped still haunt her memories. The house where she lives is haunted by the ghost of a daughter. I feel like slavery is a hard topic because it still exists, while some think slavery has been completely abolished, there are other forms of slavery that better fit the modern times. I had a difficult time reading this book, especially because of some of the subject matter. Slavery is a difficult thing to read about.

#T5W Rainy Day Reads

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These are the books that I would read on a rainy day in no specific order of preference.

The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss- I just had to put this one on my list. I mean a cat in a hat shows up unannounced to the house of a girl named Sally and her brother on a rainy day while their mother is out. The cat shows the children that they can have fun and find things to do when it’s raining out. It’s a fun book to read.

Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne- I don’t know what exactly it is, but for me there is just something about Winnie the Pooh that makes it a good rainy day read.  It’s a really cute, and my opinion cozy, quick read.

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein- I will always love Where the Sidewalk Ends. There is something in it for everyone, and I feel like there are a lot of poems for a rainy day.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling- I couldn’t not put a Harry Potter book on this list. It’s the shortest book in the series, and I just love curling up in my reading chair on a rainy day with this book, even though I mainly stick to reading Harry Potter during the winter months.

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White- While there is a sad part of this book, it’s a quick read and really cute. Because it is a quick read, I feel like it’s such a good book to curl up with on a rainy day.

Top 5 Wednesday- Banned or challenged books I have read

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Harry Potter by J.K Rowling- The first book was published when I was in fourth grade, which was 1997.  Although I read it later in my life, it is something that I can re-read over and over again.  I can, but at the same time I can’t  understand why it would be banned.  I understand that parents might not want their kid to be reading about magic and monsters, but at the same time it’s all fiction.  I also feel like it promotes use of one’s imagination and thinking more creatively.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald – I had to read this for a college class and at first hated it.  It took me a while to fully understand the importance of what this book is about.  The 1920’s were a somewhat difficult time in the United States, and was a huge part of American history. The reasons for this book being banned to me are utterly ridiculous, language and sexual references.  Sex is human nature people.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien- Banned for being satanic in one community.  I don’t see anything satanic about his book at all, but that’s just my opinion.  The series is very cultural as there are many different cultures in the book.  The books could be used to teach people to accept those from other cultures that are different from their own.  If you look at the Fellowship there’s so many different cultures that come together to form common goal.

Friday Night Lights by HG Bissinger- Banned in one community due to racism, profanity and references to sex.  Number one, this book is nonfiction meaning it is a true story, the things that happened in this book are 100% real.  The main thing about this book has to do with high school football.

1984 by George Orwell- I had a difficult time with this one, because there were so many others that I could have chosen.  However I chose this one because I remember reading it and thinking it was such a creepy book, because of “Big Brother.”  Some things that stood out to me, looking back, that really bother me today is how in the book individualism and individual thinking are considered crimes.  Something that is now celebrated is individualism and individual thinking.  I couldn’t imagine living in a world where those things were a crime.

Top 5 Wednesday: Title fonts on covers

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K Rowling- My favorite title font is the Deathly Hallows.  I love the font that was used because it really goes well with the plot and storyline of the book.  There’s something dark about the font too, and the way it was positioned on the cover.

Challenger Deep by Neil Shusterman- I love this font, it reminds me a little bit of ocean waves.  The kerning was also done extremely well, making the title extremely pleasing to look at.

Pedro by Pedro Martinzez with Michael Silverman- This font is extremely similar to the font that the Red Sox use, and it’s one of my favorite fonts.  It’s unique and different.

Finding Paris by Joy Preble- I think this font is really pretty and I love how the “F” is the biggest letter.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas- I love the simplicity of this font, and I feel like with the art on the cover, simple works best.  Sometimes fonts overtake the cover art, but the font used on this cover blends in really well.

Top 5 Wednesday- Favorite things about blogging

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I feel like I have more freedom to say the things that I want to say about any topic that I choose.  It could be books, music, sports anything that my heart desires.

I’m better at writing my thoughts out than expressing them vocally, so blogging is a better outlet for me sometimes.

I can be more opinionated blogging.  There are certain topics that I’m extremely opinionated about so it’s easier sometimes for me to blog them.

With blogging, people can get an idea of who I am just by reading the things that I blog about.  I have two blogs so people get to see what I’m passionate about with both blogs.

My blogs are like my journals that I don’t mind sharing with the world.

Top 5 Wednesday: Fictional Cities

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Hogsmeade from Harry Potter- I just love how Hogsmeade is a quaint little village like town.  There was just something comforting when I read anything to do with Hogsmeade when I read the books.

Godric’s Hollow- I find something so intriguing about Godric’s Hollow and all the events that occurred there.  There’s so much mystery surrounding Godric’s Hollow too, and I just love that.

Rivendell- Just reading about this city/town in Middle Earth made me love it.  Elves and Magic?  There’s something so beautiful about rivendell.

Narnia- I know it’s not a city but it does have cities in it, and it was really hard for me to just pick one.  Everything about Narnia is unbelievable.  I find the entire world of Narnia to be full of intrigue, imagination, curiosity and it was so beautifully written that you could picture yourself in Narnia.

Fangorn Forest in Rohan- I love Fangorn Forest just for the simple fact of the Ents.  I think that the Ents extremely unique, and really cool too.  What’s not to love about Orc fighting talking trees?

Top 5 Wednesday: Series I wish Had More Books

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I only have four because I while I have read more than four, these series are by far my most favorite series I have ever read.

Harry Potter- I would love for this series to continue on so that way we find out what exactly happened to Hogwarts.  Another reason why I wish this series had more books is so that we could read about what the offspring experiences at Hogwarts were like.

The Chronicles of Narnia- I would love to read more Narnia books just because those books took me to other places in my imagination.

Divergent- I loved this series and hated how Allegiant ended.  I just want more.

Lord of the Rings- This is another series that I just want more of.  Like I wanna know if Aragorn and Arwen had kids, does Frodo ever recover during his time in the Undying Lands?  This is why an extension of the series would be amazing!!

Top 5 Required Reading

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These are my favorite books that I had to read in school in no particular order.  Most of these books I read in college.

The Crucible by Arthur Miller- I loved the historical and local aspects of this.  This one takes place in my state and the book has so much rich historical content that it was a no brainer to be on this list.  It’s about the Salem Witch Trials.

Tartuffe by Molière- I found something so humorous and entertaining about this book.  The humor made it easy to read and get through.

Beowulf- I read this in British Lit 1 and even though it was difficult to read due to the language, I really enjoyed the story.  And no, I never saw the movie.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald- At first I hated this book, but I learned to love it.  It was full of glitz and glamour.  It also deals with resistance to change.

Beloved by Toni Morrison- This book deals with slavery, and racism after the end of the Civil War.  There is also something so haunting about this book.  I really found this book captivating.

Side characters that deserve their own series

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1/2*- Merry and Pippin from the Lord of the Rings Series, why because they are absolutely hilarious.  They also end up going on an adventure of their own for a little while, and I think an entire series about their adventures, told from their point of view would make for a very entertaining read.

3/4*- Fred and George Weasley from Harry Potter, they love mischief and pulling pranks.  They also seem to have a knack for getting into trouble without actually getting caught.  I think if they had their own series it would be fun to read.  That way fans could read about what happened to Weasleys’ Wizards Wheezes after the death of Fred.  Did George and Angelina continue on with it, or did it close?

5- The Lost Boys from Peter Pan, where did they come from, how did they get to Neverland, when did they first meet Peter?  I think it would be interesting if the Lost Boys had their own series.  There are so many things about them that are so mysterious and intriguing, which would make for an extremely interesting series.

*Merry and Pippin are always together as with Fred and George, that is why I have grouped them together.