My School Summer Reading List

I know its a little too late to put up this list considering school starts in less then 2 weeks for me and I have yet to read any of the books I was suppose to.

But here are all the books that are needed to be read, understood, annotated, understood front to back cover-back to front cover, formulate a critical essay in which I make up shit about themes and how this relates to my life and whatever the hell the teacher wants.


The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway

Synopsis

A brilliant profile of the Lost Generation, Hemingway's first bestseller captures life among the expatriates on Paris's Left Bank during the 1920s, the brutality of bullfighting in Spain, and the moral and spiritual dissolution of a generation.

This one I'm looking forward to reading. Why? Because Jess Mariano, the bad boy hottie who played the only literate boyfriend of Rory in Gilmore Girls, mentioned Ernest Hemingway. And ever since then I been wanting to read it. Now I get to kill two bird with one stone.

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

Faulkner's distinctive narrative structures--the uses of multiple points of view and the inner psychological voices of the characters--in one of its most successful incarnations here in As I Lay Dying. In the story, the members of the Bundren family must take the body of Addie, matriarch of the family, to the town where Addie wanted to be buried. Along the way, we listen to each of the members on the macabre pilgrimage, while Faulkner heaps upon them various flavors of disaster. Contains the famous chapter completing the equation about mothers and fish--you'll see. (Amazon)

Now this sounds interesting. But I have this horrid feeling the writing will be weird, thus making me hate the book. We'll see? But I am interested by the synopsis unlike the Hemingway book.

The Things They Carried by Tim O' Brien

One of the first questions people ask about The Things They Carried is this: Is it a novel, or a collection of short stories? The title page refers to the book simply as "a work of fiction," defying the conscientious reader's need to categorize this masterpiece. It is both: a collection of interrelated short pieces which ultimately reads with the dramatic force and tension of a novel. Yet each one of the twenty-two short pieces is written with such care, emotional content, and prosaic precision that it could stand on its own.


I started reading this on the bus when I first got a copy from the teacher right before summer vacation. I read a page or two and the writing seemed easy to understand and not cryptic. So that's a bonus. *thumbs up*


Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby is a novel by the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. First published on April 10, 1925, it is set in Long Island's North Shore and New York City during the summer of 1922. The novel chronicles an era that Fitzgerald himself dubbed the "Jazz Age." Following the shock and chaos of World War I, American society enjoyed unprecedented levels of prosperity during the "roaring" 1920s as the economy soared. At the same time, Prohibition, the ban on the sale and manufacture of alcohol as mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment, made millionaires out of bootleggers and led to an increase in organized crime. [google books]


This is a book that I heard great things about from my brother, who doesn't read unless he is required to for school. So hopefully, for once he's right and it will be something I like.

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So what are some books you read/reading for your summer assignments for school? Love to know. Do you hate, surprisingly enjoyed it?

Its Official. . . I Hate Chemistry

On the second to last day of June I went to school to take a very important Chemistry exam. And on that very same day after three hours of enduring the groveling exam I left.

Fast forward a few weeks (about 6 or so) I get the exam grade. And I begin to curse out my Chem teacher for holding a "party" instead of reviewing and regretting getting side tracked so many times and not going all out studying my brains out with every little detail and hating my teacher (I can't help it).

If you haven't already guessed the grade was horrible even if I passed but compared to my usual 90s on final exams, the grade might as well as been failing.

So now the few remaining of my summer weeks I will be studying my ass of for the retake of the Chem exam JUST FREAKING FANTASTIC. And I can't believe how it already 27th of July! Its insane how fast time goes. Clocks ticking and I got to stay away from the blogsphere


On to other news I should announce the winner of Suit Scarlett the same day as the Harry Potter contest which is July 31st. So enter away while I study. *sob sob*

Writing: HELP!

Okay next year I'm taking THREE AP classes, not a lot compared to other people but to moi 3 APs= No Life.


Aside from signing my life off my life to an array of textbooks, and other mundane reading material what concerns me is AP Language & Composition.


From what heard this class requires you to write a essay practically every other day, literally.


No big right? Yeah, think again because guys I am the worst essayist in the existence of mankind. Third graders could write more effective essays then I can, actually scratch that, a neantherdal could most probably write better, with a few movements of their pens on paper. (Try to ignore how, very historically inaccurate that last statement is.) What I'm getting at is, aside from how much I suck at World History, is that me and writing are like water and oil, we do not mix.


I do not enjoy writing, I do not enjoy planning stupid essays, I do not enjoy revising essays and I sure as hell ain't any good at it. Yet here I am sitting on my bed already enrolled in an AP course in which I'm most likely guaranteed to fail.


Any logic person would ask, "Why, oh why would you sign up for this class?"


And here's my logistics for this act of stupidity.


Like I have mentioned a gazillion times I am not good in any manner or degree of writing an essay. That is bad. What also is bad is admission to a college requires one emaculate transcript, one hell of a extracurricular activities, and one kick ass ESSAY (oh no that word again). And this is what my brain thought:

• Transcript- is irrevocably scared or ....about to be

• Extracurricular activity- most probably the same as the kid sitting behind you in class second period, nothing extraordinary.

• Essay- . . . . . . . (I will not tell you something you already know)

So here was my reasoning I'm not going to be turning into Einstein overnight and I don't think NASA will allow sixteen year old girl to go on a space mission with them anytime soon. So technically, the only thing I have to resort to is what I am horrible at most- writing. And so I signed up for AP Lang & Comp signed the contract saying I will not drop the class and if I do I get an automatic fail.



So I need to write, write, write and aside from reading I will be writing, writing, writing. Not only do I want to do well in the class I also want to prove my friend who gave me this look o_0 when I told her I will be in the meeting Tuesday for AP Language and Composition. She bluntly told me that I sucked writing essays, thanks biyatch love ya to.


So, I got June, July, and August to become a somewhat decent essayist. I am so ready for the summer assignment.


Not sure how many will read/skim this post in its entirety but I would LOVE you if you can give me some ideas, pointers, suggestions in how I can become a better writer. And please let me know if you took or taking the course next year or if someone you know took the course.

A Note To My Teacher

A little note to a teacher of mine who thinks her class is the only class we need to pass. We all had/have on of those.....

Dear Teacher,

I understand you want us to do well in your class and that dreaded state exam at the end of the year, I really do, whatever your intentions may be. Whether it be getting a higher pay check or winning that bet with the teacher next door to you, that your class will have a higher average then his/her's class, or something as noble as wanting to "make" something of ourselves.

But please realize you are just one of all the other teachers, that are vying for the raised salary, winning a bet, or wanting to make an honest to God difference in our lives, and get a higher grade in their subject-related state exam. A little acknowledgment of the fact that your class, is not the only class that we students have to endure but one of many others.

We have other exams, quizzes, oral presentations to worry about that do not occur in room 146. I know its hard to believe, because your basically their teaching in that room for more then half the day. But its true.

All I'm asking for is just a little acknowledgment of that. You can even keep giving us those gazillions of packets that we work on daily in class, which to be honest DOES NOT help us, but it does help killing the earth in which we dwell on, just realize your class is not the only one. For now, I'm okay with that because I plan on recycling the paper rather then take all the packets you gave us and having a bonfire like that one kid suggested, but please realize we have other classes, that are just important as this, if not even more important.

Sincerly,
Exasperated Student


PS. I was repetive, I know, and I most probably have a shit load of grammatical mistake, which could have been avoidable if I studied for the PSATs or SATs rather then do your stupidd butt project.


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On an entirely different note: OMG its MAY. Time flys by even when your certainly not having fun. =(

Top 10 Things I Hate About School . . . Currently

1) Chemistry teacher who refuses to teach.



2) GEOMETRY PROOFS!!! They are pure evil!



3) AP World History. Why? 1,200 AP World History Terms to be written in index cards!



4) Spanish speaking test, I can barely speak English properly half the time.



5) Poetry unit in English! Let's just say I don't get unless its written in white and black, I can't decipher the "gray" area (teacher's word not mine).



6) After-school activities that are in session for only 5 minutes and the rest of 25 minutes waiting around for the school bus, what a waste of time.



7) Stupid people who boast about drinking and puking their guts out over the weekend. (Since when was that considered a huge accomplishment??)


8) Redox - Yes its Chemistry.



9) Being sleep deprived.


10) Having overbearing parents (still love them though =] )

Update

Okay, I can NOT believe it the last week of October and I haven't update since September! And
the only reason I can give you is...school (shocker).

I haven't been able to read nearly as much as I would love to. I remember last year I would get through a good 10 books by the end of this month and be able to come home on Fridays hangout with friends or stay up 'till 4:30 in the morning reading. But this year, the work load is so much more then I expected. My Fridays, now, is just are horrible I sleep! And I'm about to reveal a secret to you guys...I make up excuses and ditch all plans with my friends so I can sleep. Isn't that just messed up?!

Anyway, I'm am still reading, obviously, (you can't keep a book lover away from reading) just not in the same speed as I used to last year.
I
But this whole not-updating-for-a-month was a big eye opener. I'm a sucky blogger. But I worked out a plan to read and review more books efficiently. Hopefully, it works.

If any of you have advice for me, I would really, really, really appreciate it! How do you guys manage doing everything even with all your school work load?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!