Category: Independent Reading

The catcher in the rye is a novel made by J.D. Salinger, in short, this novel is about a 16-year-old boy, that when he was little his life was fine but then his little brother Allie dies of cancer, that leads Holden to have depression and just have a bad attitude.

“How was the fencing?”

“We win or what?”

“Nobody won,”

“What?”

“Nobody won.”

In the book I’m currently reading (The Inheritance games, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes), the main character, Avery Grambs has been left an incredible amount of fortune from a man she never knew. Avery is trying to solve the mystery of this situation and in this quote, one of the man’s grandchildren is making her view things differently.

”Did Jamie tell you about the old man’s weekly riddles?” Nash asked as we walked. ”Yeah,” I said. ”He did”. ”Sometimes,” Nash told me, ”at the beginning of the game, the old man would lay out a collection of objects. A fishing hook, a price tag, a glass ballerina, a knife.” He shook his head in memory. ”And by the time the puzzle was solved, damned if we hadn’t used all four.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. ”Why are you telling me this?” I asked. ”Why tell me any of this?” About their birthdays, their presents, their expectations. ”You might think your playing the game darlin’, but that’s not how Jamie sees it.” Nash’s voice was gentle enough, but for the words. ”We aren’t normal. This place isn’t normal, and you’re not a player, kid. You’re the glass ballerina —or the knife.” (p.154)

This quote is basically telling Avery, and the reader, that she’s not one of the people trying to solve the mystery, but she is being used to solve the mystery. What I made out from this quote was that no matter how hard Avery tried to be among and figure out the truth, the brothers will not accept her as one of them and will only use her as an advantage.

In ISHMAEL a novel written by Daniel Quinn, the author of another book called “The Story Of B”.  The reason why I chose the following paragraphs is because It made me crack up when I read this part. Because of the sentence” Stupid, no? Childish. Naïve. Simple. Callow. Or just fundamentally dumb. In one so manifestly normal in other respects, it needs explaining.” how he denied that he is stupid but he had synonyms after denying it.

a couple decades ago, when I’d had the silly notion that the thing I most wanted to do in the world was… to find a teacher. That’s right. I imagined I wanted a teacher—needed a teacher. To show me how one goes about doing something that might be called. . . . saving the world.

Stupid, no? Childish. Naïve. Simple. Callow. Or just fundamentally dumb. In one so manifestly normal in other respects, it needs explaining. “ISHMAEL” p.4

I Read a book recently called “Freak the Mighty” written by Rodman Philbrick the protagonist is Maxwell (Max) a giant-sized boy who is not very smart. Max moves with his grandparents to a small town and meets a small smart blonde-haired disabled boy named Kevin or as the bullies call him “Freak”. Together these boys create an unbreakable bond as they work together and keep an eye out for each other.

“I never had a brain until Freak came along and let me borrow his for a while, and that’s the truth, the whole truth.”-Maxwell

In this quote, Max is telling Gram that Kevin guiding him was helping his understanding of reading and writing and that he couldn’t do it without him. To me, this shows how the boys worked together and put their differences aside to bring out the best in each other Kevin being the brains and Max being the Muscle.

In Margaret Atwood’s A Handmaid’s Tale, the protagonist, Offred, is walking home with another handmaid named Ofglen. Handmaids aren’t allowed to have normal conversations; instead, only exchanging polite greetings and simple needs. When Ofglen beings talking to Offred and asking questions that would be considered treason, Offred is taken aback before responding. After the conversation the two discuss how they thought the other was a “true believer”.

“I thought you were a true believer,” Ofglen says.

“I thought you were,” I say.

“You were always so stinking pious.”

“So were you,” I reply. I want to laugh, shout, hug her.

“You can join us,” she says.

“Us?” I say, There is an us then, there’s a we. I knew it.

“You didn’t think I was the only one,” she says.

I didn’t think that. It occurs to me that she may be a spy, a plant, set to trap me; such is the soil in which we grow. (p. 194)

This exchange shows how isolated Offred has become from others, as well as how desperate she is for meaningful social interaction. Throughout the book the author has only given us moments of normality, this made me empathize much more with the protagonist as these brief occasions give both the reader and Offred hope for something better. However, constant fear that Ofglen may be a spy has made it hard for Offred to fully trust her, allowing some of the social isolation to remain.

The book that I chose to read is “One Italian Summer” by Rebecca Serle. This book and specially this quote really touched me because it talks about the real true love in life, the love from our mothers. Katy is a woman that had a really strong relationship with her mother and even after she died, that connection continued and it was stronger than ever before. Katy and her mother had always planned a trip to the most beautiful islands in Italy that her mother had already visited years before; they made this their special country. Then Carol (Katy’s mother) died and before she did, she wrote a special note to Katy for her to read while she was in Italy and Katy found it years after.

“My darling Katy, my baby girl-

Italy is so beautiful. It reminds me of you. How happy everyone is in the morning, how the stars come out at night. I know I am not there, and I hope someday to explain to you why. I hope so many things for you, baby girl. I hope you walk through the work knowing your value. I hope you find a passion, something you love, something that lights you up inside. I hope you find the peace and confidence it takes to trust where your path leads. Remember, it is only yours. Others can wave and cheer, but no one can give you directions, They have not been where you are going. I hope you’ll understand someday that just because you become a mother doesn’t mean you stop being a woman. And above all else, I hope you know that even if you can’t see me, I am always with you.

Forever,

Your mama” (p. 242-243, Serle, R. One Italian summer. 2023)

I chose this quote because I think that the love from a mother is the real true love that exists in every persons life. The love from a mother cannot be trade for anything, it is unconditional; this quote expresses that even though Carol didn’t make the best choices for her daughter and even for her own life, she always had Katy in her mind. Carol left but the memories that they made together will remain in Katy’s memory and heart forever always and the most important thing, Carol will always be by her side even when she cannot see her.

The book I’ve chosen to write this IRJE about is Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen, which I have recently started to read. The story so far centers around the Dashwood family, Mrs. Dashwood and her three daughters, Elinor, Marianne and Margaret. Mr. Dashwood has recently died, and his son by another marriage inherited the estate, Norland Park, where they had lived. The son’s wife is unempathetic and persuades him not to give them any of his inheritance, and Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters go to live elsewhere.

Upon leaving, Marianne is very saddened:

“Dear, dear Norland!” said Marianne, as she wandered alone before the house, on the last evening of their being there; “when shall I cease to regret you? when learn to feel at home elsewhere? O happy house! could you know what I suffer in now viewing you from this spot, from whence perhaps I may view you no more! and you, ye well-known trees! but you will continue the same. No leaf will decay because we are removed, nor any branch become motionless although we can observe you no longer! No; you will remain the same; unconscious of the pleasure or the regret you occasion, and insensible of any change in those who walk under your shade! But who will remain to enjoy you?” (p.16)

I chose this quotation because I find it very beautifully written and it touches on how I felt when I moved homes, though my feelings were less acute as I had spent less of my time there. I also felt regret and sadness upon leaving, and especially as we rented it out for a time, that it may not be “enjoyed” enough or ever quite in the same way.

I like how Marianne reflects on how the trees which she has loved so will continue as they are though she is gone. It makes me think about how often we can be so absorbed in our own issues that it feels as if things are more affected by us than they really are. For Marianne, it may feel as if Norland Park has changed so much ever since her father died and her half-brother and his wife inherited it, but to the trees, nothing has changed except the normal passing of time.

I’m currently reading the book called The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han.  The quote perspective from a girl (Belly). Her mom was at her friend’s house during the summer and she needed something. That was kind of important to her mother, her mother’s friend (Susanah), and her brother (Steven). Since this book has many perspectives it can get confusing sometimes.

‘”Did you kids eat all the Cheetos?” my mother asked, rummaging through a cabinet. “I’m starving.” “Yes,” Steven said. He couldn’t even look at her. “What about that bag of Fritos? Get those,” Susannah ordered, coming up behind my La-Z-Boy.’ (p.g. 56)

The quote “Did you kids eat all the Cheetos” the quote that I’m picking is a quote that made me crackle non-stop until the end of the chapter. It reminded me of one time I was at my friend’s house and she ate all my snacks which made me quite mad but it was all fine.

“They say moving on becomes easier over time, but I can barely hold a photo without my hands trembling,” this quote is from the book You’ve Reached Sam and is from the perspective of Julie. I started reading this book weeks ago and this quote captured my eye.

Many people have experienced the struggle of trying to move on from something or someone important in their lives. The quote speaks to the universal human experience of holding onto cherished memories and struggling to let go when the time comes. I relate a lot to this quote because something similar happened to me.

I chose to read the book Can’t Hurt Me, by David Goggins. This book is about toughening your mind, and facing everyday tasks that are difficult with a sense of perseverance, tenacity, and duty. In this chapter, David Goggins was going through ‘Hell Week’ in Navy SEALS training, which is a 130 hour week, where you get no sleep, and you must continuously perform the exercises and regimens that the instructors order you to do. This was Goggins’ third and final Hell Week, and if he did not meet the standards, he would never achieve his dream of becoming a Navy SEAL. He had also broken both of his feet in the previous week, regardless, he still had to complete a 40 minute run at 3:30 A.M each morning, so he decided to tape up his feet in tube socks, and perform the run with determination. This was his mental dialogue as he was completing the run:

‘ “The only way to guarantee failure is to quit right now!” I was talking to myself now. Silently screaming over the din of anguish that was crushing my mind and soul… I imagined the feeling I would have if I could actually pull this off. If I could endure the pain required to complete this mission. That brought me another half mile before more pain rained down and swirled within me like a typhoon. “People have a hard time going through BUD/S healthy, and you’re going through it on broken legs! Who else would think of this?” I asked. “Who else would be able to run even one minute on a broken leg, let alone two? Only Goggins! You are twenty minutes in the business Goggins! You are a machine! Each step you run from now will only make you harder!” … at the forty minute mark something remarkable happened. The pain receded to low tide. The tape had loosened so it wasn’t cutting into my skin, and my muscles and bones were warm enough to take some pounding.’

This quote goes to show the importance of grit and determination, and that pain is only temporary, and if you face it with strength and perseverance, you can enjoy the fruits of it afterwards, and it will give you the mental toughness to perform harder tasks in the future. In this case, David Goggins’ goal was to become a Navy SEAL, and the only way to do that was to deal with pure agony and torture. In the end, David achieved his goal and went on to become a renowned triathlete, pull-up world record breaker, and ultramarathoner. We think of pain as this uncomfortable, worthless feeling, but it might just be the key to unlocking your potential and becoming the best that you can be.

The protagonist Bob (version 2) has been revived as a sentient being using advanced futuristic programming. The book has brought forth unexpected thoughts of what makes something alive. I had not put as much thought into it until I read this book.

“I had three issues that bothered me. Was I conscious? Could I actually consider myself to be alive? And was I still Bob? Philosophers had been going on and on about this type of thing for centuries, but now, for me, it was personal. A human, regardless of their opinion on the subject, could depend on being a human. The minister’s offhand reference to me as ‘it’ and ‘replicant’ had stung at a level I was just now starting to appreciate.”
― Dennis E. Taylor, We are Legion (We are Bob)

Just after Bob had been revived as a replicant he was philosophizing on what made something alive, weather it was the ability to have thoughts or the desire to survive. I found this very interesting and made me wonder what criteria I use to determine weather or not something is alive.

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚝𝚊𝚐𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚝, 𝙽𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢, 𝚞𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚙𝚒𝚟𝚘𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝚖𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚕 “𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙶𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝙶𝚊𝚝𝚜𝚋𝚢” 𝚋𝚢 𝙵. 𝚂𝚌𝚘𝚝𝚝 𝙵𝚒𝚝𝚣𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕𝚍. 𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚗𝚟𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚘𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚕𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚗𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚕𝚢 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝙼𝚛. 𝙶𝚊𝚝𝚜𝚋𝚢. 𝙰𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚙𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚝, 𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚖𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚘-𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝙶𝚊𝚝𝚜𝚋𝚢 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚞𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚛𝚞𝚖𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜 𝚜𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚑𝚒𝚖 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚜 𝚌𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚌𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚍𝚒𝚐𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚎 𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚑𝚒𝚖𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏.

“𝙷𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚍 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚛𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚚𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚒𝚝, 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚖𝚊𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚌𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚜 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚘𝚛 𝚏𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎. 𝙸𝚝 𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚍, 𝚘𝚛 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚊𝚌𝚎, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚎 𝚎𝚡𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚓𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚏𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚞𝚛. 𝙸𝚝 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚊𝚜 𝚏𝚊𝚛 𝚊𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚘𝚍, 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚟𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏.” (𝚙.𝟻𝟸, 𝙵𝚒𝚝𝚣𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕𝚍, 𝟷𝟿𝟸𝟻)

𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚍𝚎𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚜 𝙶𝚊𝚝𝚜𝚋𝚢’𝚜 𝚍𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚝𝚘 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚊𝚜 𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚕𝚢 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚌 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚋𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍𝚕𝚢 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚕𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚢 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚗. 𝙶𝚊𝚝𝚜𝚋𝚢’𝚜 𝚊𝚋𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚊𝚌𝚚𝚞𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚜 𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚢 𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚐𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚎𝚡𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚟𝚊𝚐𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚒𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚎. 𝙰𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛, 𝙸 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚒𝚙𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚢 𝚙𝚞𝚝, 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎, 𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚐. 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚎𝚡𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚒𝚋𝚎𝚜 𝙶𝚊𝚝𝚜𝚋𝚢’𝚜 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚊, 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎 𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗 𝚘𝚙𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚏𝚕𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚖𝚊𝚢 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚍𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚋𝚎𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚢 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝.

I am currently reading a book given to me by my good friend Samuel, titled Can’t Hurt Me by Mr. David Goggins. I can see why people find this book inspirational since it is full of impossible situations in which Mr. David Goggins was forced to endure through. A relatively early quote in the book which sets the tone for the rest of it is,

————— “You are in danger of living a life so comfortable and soft, that you      —————   will die without ever realizing your true potential.”. p. 32

This quote is very true and made me think about the path of my life that I am on. The author knows that this is true because he has been pushed to and beyond his limits and that never would have happened if his life was soft and comfortable. One thing that is clear to me now is that I have to push my limits in order to find my true potential and lean away from my comfort zones. I am half way done with this book and I have enjoyed it so far, and while Im excited to finish reading it I am equally excited to put to practice the lessons he teaches.

I am currently reading the Star Girl book written by the author: Jerry Spinelli. The book is a fictional novel based on the lives of some teenagers in high school. The novel revolves around a new girl named Star Girl, who arrives at high school as a student.

One morning we had a rare rainfall. It came during her gym class. The teacher told everyone to come in. On the way to the next class they looked out the windows. stargirl was still outside. In the rain. Dancing.

In the quote, I realized that the main character was very interesting and peculiar because she was different from the others and even though her classmates saw it as a little strange, she continued with her thing.

I am currently reading the book Daisy Jones the Six, this is a Sci-Fi Novel based on a Tv Series. This book is about a band and its history of how they become famous. The quote I chose was this one.

“People always say I don’t graduate high school but I did. When I crossed across the stage to get my diploma, Simone was cheering for me. She was so proud of me. And I started to feel proud of myself, too”.

In this quotation we can see how Daisy has no faith in her because everyone thinks she is a fail and that she was only who she was because of her parents, but that’s not true, she wants to let people know what she has done. Her friend Simone showed her she was proud of her so she started feeling proud of her self.

I am currently reading Mort by Terry Pratchett. Death’s student and Death himself have a conversation in the quotation I chose when they first meet.

“But you are Death, you walk around the world and kill people.”

“Me? Killing?” Death was clearly offended. “Of course not. People die, but that’s their trouble. And after that, I get down to business. A world in which people would pass away but not die would look idiotic, wouldn’t it?” (pg.21)

I find this quote interesting since it sort of presents Death from a different perspective. While reading a book I am used to seeing Death being described as someone who waits for the right time and then kills but in this situation, he is doing a great job by transporting people’s souls somewhere else where they will be in peace.

I am currently reading a fictional fantasy series written by Jennifer L. Armentrout. This excerpt was voiced in the first book From Blood and Ash. The two protagonists share this knowledge with one another while independently grieving their own losses and regrets.

“Death is like an old friend who pays a visit, sometimes when it’s least expected and other times when you’re waiting for her. It’s neither the first nor the last time she’ll pay a visit, but that doesn’t make any death less harsh or unforgiving.” (pg.49)

The quote, although extremely profound, was spoken between two characters who recently met. It took me by surprise how this topic was simply and almost unemotionally stated, however, it seemed to strengthen the bond between the characters and ignited a connection of understanding. The raw honesty and reality of the concept of death were revealed and compressed in a single direct and basic line, conjuring the plain horror of the inevitable to the reader. The fear of the unknown and uncontrollable future is defined in the quote, yet also simultaneously sympathizes with the reader through its understanding tone.

The excerpt that I chose to write this IRJE about is from the book, Throne of Glass, by Sarah J. Maas. This is not the current independent book I am reading, but rather a recent read that deeply impacted me. The following quote portrays the characters’ emotions in a deep and meaningful way. The protagonist is discussing the importance of music and the emotions she feels when she plays the piano.

This is the first page of the book, Roxy, by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman that I have been reading as my Personal Reading book. In this excerpt of the book, the opioid overdose reversing medication, Naloxone, introduces itself.

“I am no superhero. But I can save you from the one who claims to be.”

“I am no wizard. But I cast a spell that can bring back the dead”

“Almost”

“And never often enough”

“I am, if nothing else, your final defense – your last hope when hope itself has spiraled into that singularity that crushes not just you, but everyone around you.” (p.1)

This book has a very powerful metaphor entwined in each chapter. This excerpt made me imagine Naloxone as a strong, fearless, and brave person, and drugs in general as dark and deathly things who do not take responsibility for their actions. Naloxone is not mentioned at all for the rest of the book other than one section where characters express despise from the anti-overdose medication. This does not surprise me because the book is narration of dangerous drugs, anthropomorphized, with hate towards the character Naloxone.

If you have read J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye you might enjoy this brief post by Jon Weisman.