MYP5 English 10

“Stone Fox” by John Reynolds Gardiner is a very exciting and thrilling tale that follows a young boy named Little Willy and his loyal dog Searchlight as they enter a dogsled race in an attempt to save their farm from financial collapse.  Gardiner creates an excellent narrative that explores themes of determination, courage, and the unbreakable bond between humans and animals. The author’s descriptions of the long race and the harsh winter create a powerful atmosphere that immerses readers in the story. leaving readers with a lasting impression.

“When you’re out there with the lead dog, you can’t ever stop and look back, ’cause there’s always someone or something gaining on you.”

This quote captures the key component of the novel, showing the importance of perseverance and forward momentum in the face of adversity. “Stone Fox” is a timeless and emotionally testing story that is great for readers of all ages, delivering a powerful message about the strength that lies within the human heart.

“You can’t keep choosing someone who doesn’t choose you”

I chose this quote because it made me think a lot about relationships and friendships. It was a phrase that made me change my perspective of people, because I noticed that I can’t be chasing or beg to people to stay with me.

I’m reading the novel “If he had been with me” and so far so good, I love the connection that Finny and Autumn have even though in the part of the book that I´m at they don’t really hang out much.

“I sat with him for three hours and we did not exchange a single word. At the end, he handed me, as he had done before, an envelope with money in it.” pp. 206.

I love this quote because it shows how people can still connect after years of not “knowing each other” and how you can connect with someone and get to know them even though you do not exchange a single word.

But sometimes you can’t control where your mind goes. You just have to train it not to go there anymore.

 The quote expresses the idea that certain thoughts and memories can be difficult to control or suppress, but with practice and effort, it is possible to train the mind to avoid dwelling on them. It suggests that our thoughts and emotions are within our control, and we have the power to shape them for our benefit. The quote is from the book “It Ends with Us” by Colleen Hoover and is spoken by the character Lily in a letter to Ellen.

I recently started reading the book “It Ends with Us” written by Colleen Hoover. The book tells the story of a young woman named Lily who finds herself caught in a love triangle between two men – one of which is her first love, and the other is a mysterious stranger. As the story unfolds, Lily discovers secrets from the past that threaten to disrupt her present and possibly her future. The book explores themes of love, loss, forgiveness, and the complexities of relationships.

I feel like everyone fakes who they are when deep down we’re all equal amounts of screwed up. Some of us are just better at hiding it than others.

~Colleen Hoover, It Ends with Us, (Character: Lily Bloom as the narrator), Chapter 1, Page 16

This quote expresses the idea that people often pretend to be someone they are not and that everyone has their flaws and struggles. The quote suggests that despite our differences, we are all fundamentally the same in that we all experience challenges and imperfections. The difference lies in how well we can conceal our flaws from others. The quote implies that it is important to be authentic and honest with oneself and others, rather than trying to present a perfect image.

Lately I have been reading the book of “Twelve and a half” from Gary Vaynerchuk. This book is about the important values in business success and also in life. I got a little quote that goes like this.

“I prefer to die by my own sword than from someone else’s.”

This quote is from the chapter called “Accountability” which it explains that is very to fail because of your own desicions, beliefs and actions than from someone else’s, like you have to be independent and take moves by yoursefl and if you fail it would be only your responsability.

I continued reading the Chinese novel from my past entry. It’s called “Heaven Official’s Blessing” (天官賜福) by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu (莫想童秀). The story is really interesting. I always enjoy reading about deities and this book is not the exception. In this quotation, we have the main characters talking. The one referred as “the youth” is young man who was friends with the main character, the one who is a God who was fallen from the heavens multiple times.

In the mortal Realm, it was easy to find books on lore that spoke of the stories of gods and ghosts, the subjects ranging from their kindness and grudges to trivialities. Some were real and some fake. It wasn’t odd that the youth knew so much.

Xie Lian put down his scroll “Then, my friend, you know about gods, but do you know about ghosts too?”

“Which ghost?” the youth asked.

Xie Lian replied, “Crimson Rain Sought Flower, Hua Cheng.” (p.172)

I chose this fragment because of the philosophy it is talking about. Is everything that we read about the gods real? How can we know when it’s not?

This quotation contains the first mention of Hua Chen. He’s relevant for the novel since his first apparition. We could say he’s also one of the main characters.

Lately I’ve been reading a new book called “Night” by Elie Wiesel. This book  “Night” is the terrifying record of Elie Wiesel’s memories of the death of his family. I got this small paragraph that I love how he describes it. It goes like

  Crammed into cattle cars by the Hungarian police, they cried silently. Standing on the station platform, we too were crying. The train disappeared over the horizon; all that was left was thick, dirty smoke.                                                                  p.6

I love the short paragraph because of hoe descriptive it is and I hope I can have writing like this after reading an image would pop up in the reader’s head so I will improve until I can do that

In this quote from the book I’m currently reading The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, one of the a potential moles in the Hawthorne house is scolding the main character.

“You should be ashamed of yourself,” Mrs. Laughlin said fiercely. “Playing with an old woman’s feelings like that. And dragging the boys into whatever you were doing in Toby’s wing? It’s cruel is what it is.” p.g. 44

This quote just gives a brief insight of how the members of the Hawthorne house feel about Avery Grambs and they judge her even without getting to know her. Most of them just want her to stay away but that’s almost impossible for Avery, because she has a mystery to solve.

My next IRJE is from “The Kalahari Typing School for Men,” the fourth book in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith. The series follows Mma Ramotswe, a detective running the No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency in Botswana, and her fiancé Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, who runs a garage. Mma Ramotswe was hired by a man named Mr. Molefelo to find the people he had once stolen a radio from in for him order to make amends, and in the following paragraph she reflects on it:

“The more she thought about Mr. Molefelo, the more she admired what he had done in coming to see her. Most do not bother with the really old wrongs; many forget them entirely, whether deliberately – if you can make a deliberate effort to forget – or by allowing the past to fade of its own accord. Mma Ramotswe wondered whether people have a duty to keep memories alive, and had decided that they have. Certainly the old beliefs were that those who had gone before should be remembered (p. 107-108).”

In this paragraph, we can see Mma Ramotswe as she reflects on what happened that day, and the philosophies which she holds. The things that I like the most about this series are the slices of life in every page and that Mma Ramotswe often “muses” to herself about things in life. While these things aren’t rather important for the story, they add a element of realism. They also characterize her – for example, showing that she holds a strong belief in the old ways of her ancestors. They demonstrate Mma Ramotswe’s wisdom, allowing the reader see how she thinks and contrast the way that she thinks about things to the way we usually do in Canada and the US. Many times, the more modern and “advanced” isn’t always better.

Right now I am reading “Be Useful: Seven Tools For Life” by Arnold Schwarzenegger. This book is a raw, honest, guide book with honest advice from, arguably, the most successful man in the world, for leading a strong, successful life.

It’s not to tell you what to build, it’s to show you how to build and why it matters.

I love this quote from his book because it shows that you are not going to have everything in life handed to you, so you must take the pieces that are given to you and use them to build stronger.

I just finished reading the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. If I am being honest I could not stop reading it. This book is about Katniss Everdeen a girl that volunteers so that her little sister would not be a  participant in the hunger games.  A game you fight till death. While she was in the games, Katniss made a friend, Rue. Rue remembered Katniss about her sister, Prim. When Rue’s got killed she was unmotivated, and uncaring about her own life.

I’ve lost the will to do the simplest tasks, to do anything but lie here, staring unblinkingly through the canopy of leaves. For several hours I remain emotionless. As usual, it’s the thought of Prim’s anxious face as she watches me on the screens back home that breaks me from my lethargy. (p. 248)

After reading the whole book this is definitely one of my favorite parts. Just from the thought of her sister, Katniss starts to motivate and fight for her life again. My both sister Ines and Melissa, are that for me. My sisters are my best friends, and honestly one of my biggest joys in my life. Thinking just about them makes every situation better, and if I had to think of something for motivation they will always be one of my first choices.

The book that I’m reading Do not say we have nothing by Madeleine Thien is about a girl called Jiang Li-ling or Marie; her English name. In the book she lives in Vancouver with her mother who moved from Hong-Kong. Her father had died when she was only ten and all Li-ling has is her mother. Li-ling and her mother’s relationship is complicated as they used to be close, but the death of Li-Ling’s father made her mother more distant and professional. Soon when Li-ling is older her mother tells her that her cousin Ai-Ming is going to be living with them. Once Ai-Ming arrives Li-Ling is distant but soon grows fond of Ai-Ming’s company and the two develop a bond.

” Ai-Ming told me that I would always be family to her, I would always be her little sister, Ma-li, Marie, Girl. With my many names, I felt like a tree with crowns of branches.” (pp. 53)

This quote in page 53 is greatly significant to me because It captures just how many names Li-Ling has. It was strange for me to hear at first, most people only had one name. In here she has many, as a daughter of a immigrant parent with a Chinese name. Ai-Ming called her Ma-li because she couldn’t pronounce Marie, and her mother called her “girl”. This was especially confusing for me because I have never once heard someone be called ‘Girl’ or ‘Boy’ before in real life. I’m not exactly sure for the reason, however I can draw the conclusion that her mother only called her girl in the presence of other people (Ai-Ming) and called her Marie or Li-Ling when they were alone.

I’m currently reading a book called Book Lovers by Emily Henry. Overall it was quite fun but I’ve noticed that when there is a quotation the author loves to make it as funny as possible. This is one of my favourite quotations from the book.

Currently I am reading the novel entitled « Emma » by Jane Austen. This novel is set in the early 19th century and tells the story of an adolescent girl named Emma Woodhouse who constantly tries to set up her friends and sees herself as a matchmaker. Although she is not very good at it and has some misplaced confidence in herself her attempts at setting up her friends almost always go wrong. For example in this quotation Emma has just become a bit more self aware after she had said something rude to Miss Bates at their picnic and being scolded by Mr. knightly.

“She was vexed beyond what could have been expressed—almost beyond what she could conceal. Never had she felt so agitated, so mortified, grieved, at any circumstance in her life. She was most forcibly struck. The truth of his representation there was no denying. She felt it at her heart. How could she have been so brutal, so cruel to Miss Bates! How could she have exposed herself to such ill opinion in any one she valued! And how suffer him to leave her without saying one word of gratitude, of concurrence, of common kindness!”

This quotation shows two main parts of this story. Firstly Emma’s growth as she’s realizing how rude she was and is to many people. Secondly, this story shows the way in which wealthier people acted in the early 19th century. Often times people would think the lower class people are all foulmouthed. However, the upper class had much more detrimental comments. This quotation is a great example as the insult Emma has said took Miss Bates a moment to even realize she was being insulted.

The book I am reading is called Drive your Plough Over the Bones of the Dead, and this is a pivotal moment in the book as it finally reveals the murderer of four people.

I have Mercury in retrograde, so I’m better at expressing myself in writing than speech. I could have been a pretty good writer. But at the same time I have trouble explaining my feelings and the motives for my behaviour. I had to tell them, but at the same time I couldn’t tell them. How was I to put it all in words? Out of sheer loyalty I had to explain to them what I had done before they found out from others. But Dizzy spoke first.

“We know it’s you,” he said. “That’s why we came today. To make a decision.”

When I read this I felt a feeling of satisfaction, yet curiosity. Why did Janina murder all of these people? Is she crazy? Later on in the book she explained that both her dogs were hunted and killed by those four men, which explained her motive. The author kept the entire book suspenseful, as it was written in such a way that you didn’t know who the killer was until it was finally revealed.

𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚊 𝚏𝚎𝚠 𝚙𝚎𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚘𝚋𝚒𝚘𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚑𝚢 𝚋𝚢 𝙳𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚍 𝙶𝚘𝚐𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚜, 𝙲𝚊𝚗’𝚝 𝙷𝚞𝚛𝚝 𝙼𝚎. 𝙳𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚍 𝙶𝚘𝚐𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚄.𝚂. 𝙽𝚊𝚟𝚢 𝚂𝚎𝚊𝚕 𝚠𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚛𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚍𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚙𝚞𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚋𝚘𝚍𝚢. 𝙷𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚒𝚘𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚑𝚢 𝚍𝚎𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚝𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚊𝚛𝚐𝚞𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚠𝚘 𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚜𝚔𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚜, 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚢 & 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚌𝚒𝚙𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎. 𝚃𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚕, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚞𝚙𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚓𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝙳𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚍 𝙶𝚘𝚐𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚜 𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚜𝚒𝚖𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚎𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚕𝚢 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚘 𝚗𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚐𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚞𝚖𝚊 & 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚓𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚌𝚎-𝚏𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚕 𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚜 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎, 𝚍𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚞𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚖𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚙𝚘𝚗 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏-𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚜. 𝙶𝚘𝚐𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚜 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚍𝚞𝚌𝚎𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚍𝚢𝚜𝚏𝚞𝚗𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚌𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚑𝚢𝚜𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚊𝚋𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚜 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛. 𝙶𝚘𝚐𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚜’ 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝚘𝚗 𝚊 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍’𝚜 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚕 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚢 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚢𝚎𝚝 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚡𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚍𝚞𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚢 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝.

“𝙸𝚝’𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎, 𝚗𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚛 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚍𝚘, 𝚠𝚎’𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚘𝚛𝚗 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚕 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝’𝚜 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚞𝚗𝚎𝚍. 𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚡, 𝚜𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗, 𝚘𝚛 𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚘𝚕𝚍, 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕𝚜 𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕𝚜 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚘𝚏𝚏. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚋𝚘𝚛𝚗 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚊 𝚌𝚢𝚌𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚙𝚊𝚒𝚗, 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚒𝚝 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗’𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚢, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚝𝚑 𝚗𝚊𝚐𝚜 𝚊𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚊 𝚜𝚙𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚓𝚊𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚙 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍. 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚒𝚐𝚗𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚝, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚋𝚋𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 𝚋𝚕𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚋𝚕𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚢.” (𝚙𝚐.𝟸𝟸)

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚚𝚞𝚘𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚍𝚞𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚋𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚟𝚘𝚔𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚛𝚊𝚠 𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚘 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚑𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚐. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚛𝚗 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚏𝚞𝚗𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚕 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚘𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚜 𝚍𝚎𝚋𝚊𝚝𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚗𝚞𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚜𝚌𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚒𝚌 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚐𝚞𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚗 𝚎𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎. 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚌𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚘𝚌𝚞𝚜 𝚘𝚗 𝙶𝚘𝚐𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚜’ 𝚊𝚋𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚜𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚊 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚡 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚜 𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚛𝚒𝚙𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚞𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚜 𝚍𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚝. 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚎𝚡𝚊𝚌𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝙸 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏 𝚙𝚘𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚖 𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚛 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎, 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚕𝚢 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚊𝚋𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚎𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚝 𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚝𝚢𝚕𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎. 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚊𝚗 𝚎𝚡𝚎𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝚙𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚎𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚝𝚢𝚕𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚊𝚜𝚌𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚋𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚜. 𝙰𝚕𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚝, 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚝𝚢𝚕𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚢 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚋𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚏𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚢𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚄.𝚂. 𝙽𝚊𝚟𝚢 𝚂𝚎𝚊𝚕 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚍 “𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚎”, 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚞𝚙 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚑𝚒𝚖 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚊 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔.

This quote reflects Holden’s struggle with saying the truth. His admission of being a “terrific liar” highlights his desire for genuineness and his coping mechanism to navigate a society he finds phony.

“I’m the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It’s awful. If I’m on my way to the store to buy a magazine, even, and somebody asks me where I’m going, I’m liable to say I’m going to the opera. It’s terrible.”

Holden’s tendency to lie serves him as a sort of defense mechanism, he uses it many times throughout the book and is very good at doing so.

Currently, I am reading “Holding Up the Universe”. This book is about two teenagers, Libby Strout and Jack Masselin, and their complicated lives. This book is for everyone who doubts their place in the world.

Libby once said:

“I think what an amazing world this would be if we all danced everywhere we went.”

“Holding Up the Universe” is more about how there will always be a person who will judge you, but it does not have to stop you from doing things that you like.

<                    In the book ‘Hamilton’ by Ron Chernow, Alexander Hamilton is combatting the tyrannical oppression of the British rule. He recently wrote “Farmer’s Refuted” which consisted of multiple essays that criticized Samuel Seabury and how he claimed that their society was perfect. Hamilton, never taking a days rest, continued to fight for change by writing even more essays written under different pseudonyms.

———— “‘At times, he repeated his anti- “Farmer” essays almost verbatim, saying of the British ministry, “They have advanced too far to retreat without equal infamy and danger; their honor, their credit, their existence as ministers, perhaps life itself, depend upon their success in the present undertaking'” ———————————————————–

<                 Part of the reason that this section stood out to me was because they chose to use the word ‘verbatim’ which we just studied in our English class. Hamilton is quoting himself as many prolific writers did in that time. The rest of the quotation depicts Hamilton as the relentless revolutionary he always was. He exhibits so much optimism that showing resistance towards their oppressors will elevate and better their country. I am enjoying reading this book and even though its tough because their are many words I am unfamiliar with and so I have to re-read the sentences, I am grateful of it because I am learning a plethora of new vocabulary.

For my independent reading journal I have continued reading The Odyssey by Homer. Needless to say, progress has been a slow but enjoyable experience. At one point in the story, Menelaus tells Telemachus (very lengthily) how Aegisthus described the bloodshed that occurred at a feast meant to ambush someone. As a result, neither side had any surviving men. While reading this moment, I found one sentence from Menelaus that stuck out to me:

” ‘So spake he, and my spirit within me was broken, and I wept as I sat upon the sand, nor was I minded any more to live and see the light of the sun.’ ” (p. 60)

This sentence gives me a very vivid image of what Menelaus would have looked like in that moment. Although the writing only hints at his surroundings, my imagination fills in the rest. The way this moment is described makes me understand the crushing sorrow he must be feeling. The sentence is short and simple, but it is able to contain so much meaning that people can relate to. I’m lucky enough to have never had someone close to me killed, but I can imagine the grief felt by someone who experienced that.

For the lasts weeks I have been reading a book that is called every summer after, and in it I´ve could found many deep quotes that I still remembered and one of those is:

The way I felt about you was always so clear to me—even when we were young I knew you and I were meant for each other. Two halves of a whole. I loved you so much that the word ‘love’ didn’t seem big enough for how I felt. I did want you.

I just chose this quote because I felt it super deep because it is about two persons that are in love of each other, but they can’t be together and he is expressing to the girl the whole emotions that he have, so is an super painful story.

The book Foxglove by Adalyn Grace (Second book in the Belladonna series) follows the character Signa Farrow through the incredible journey of discovering her otherworldly abilities as the reincarnated embodiment of Life. In the first book it was assumed that Signa was a reaper just the same as her lover, Death. Death’s brother, Fate had previously loved Life for thousands of years in her past life and in the second book has shown his devotion to bringing back her memory of the love they once shared. Fate had just told her of his belief that she was his love reincarnated and has just started to attempt bringing back her memories.

“They say that all is fair in love and war. I have built my trench and brought my rifles, and I have no intention of retreating. I will pursue you until you remember who you are. If that means I need to court you, Signa Farrow, I will. Flowers, promenades, even poetry if that’s what you want. Whatever it is you enjoy, I will learn, and eventually you’ll remember the life we once had.”

This sentiment was memorable because of the determination and intensity that Fate spoke it with. The incomprehensible magnitude of the desire Fate holds for Life to remember the world changing love that they shared struck me with how rare that would be in the real world. I long to see someone who would tear down worlds for the one they love but alas, that is the life of a romance reader. I love the idea of a love so great you would defy Fate or even Death to be with the person you share it with.

This quote is from the book that I am currently reading and its called “Twisted Games”. It tells the story of a bodyguard that is in love with a princess that he is in charge of keeping safe but he fells in love with her. Even tough they can’t be together, they keep their love in secret.

“We always end up where we’re meant to be.”

(p. 176, Huang, A. Twisted Games. 2023)

I choose this quote because I am a big fan of the true love and I think this one is one of the best stories that I’ve ever read. It is a mix of feelings and the curiosity of not knowing what will happen next. I also liked this quote because it practically talks about how almost at the end of the story, they stay together because they are perfect for each other; they are meant to be. And such as in fairytales, true love always wins.

I recently finished the historical fiction ‘Ashes in the Snow’, written by Oriana Ramunno. This 1943-based novel relays a murder mystery set in an Auschwitz Nazi concentration camp. The criminologist protagonist, Hugo Fischer, not only encounters a complex murder but discovers the truth of the harsh realities of the camp. Hugo himself faces a secret case of multiple sclerosis. As the book progresses he becomes increasingly desperate to keep secret his own debilitating condition, lest he become a target for the Reich. Unlike most WWI novels, ‘Ashes in the Snow’ incorporates a mystery thriller genre. As Hugo investigates the murder, the novel reveals the atrocities inflicted upon the prisoners, and is forced to decide what is most important to him. The following quote was voiced by Hugo when contemplating the mystery of the murder, as well as the unnerving instincts of the camp.

“A dead body is like the snow: sometimes, everything on the surface looks present and correct, perfect and clean. But it’s underneath that the murkiest things are concealed.” (pg. 54).

This quote was quite memorable because it expressed a message related to the murder mystery, and the history of Nazi Germany, but could also be connected to everyday thoughts. The truth, often concepts that are concealed, is a debatable subject. The truth is often more than initially appears but that may be argued as purposeful. The pursuit of truth often becomes obsessive yet can be better left unspoken. This quote demonstrates how something so inhospitable can easily be obscured by simple misconceptions. It teaches the reader how assumptions led to miscommunication, making us believe our story is the truth when in reality it’s falsehood. Don’t get me wrong, it is always important to learn the truth, but when concerned with your emotional morals, in some circumstances some things are better left unsaid. Similarly, in ‘Ashes in the Snow’, Hugo discovers that the Nazi concentration camps are committing inhumane experiments, but for his sake, he regrets learning the truth. As documented in the quote, the pristine white snow conceals the horror, but it pervades, nonetheless.

I have just started the Sci-Fi novel The Chrysalids by John Wyndham. It was bought and recommended to me by my father. He was in grade 10 when he read it and still stands that it is the best book he has ever read. Coming from a boy who was not academically inclined as he was, this means a lot. So, I have also decided to read it.

David, the protagonist, is sliding along a sandhill when he sees some rustling in the bushes beside him. He looks closer and sees a small girl with her head peaking out from the branches. As soon as she asses the situation  with the sliding and all, she asks him if it’s fun what he is doing. He says yes and so she tries it. The fearful look in her eyes immediately turn to wistful. A few moments later David finds her laying at the bottom of the hill with her foot stuck and tears in her eyes. He thinks to himself,

For almost the first time in my life I found myself in charge of a situation which needed a decision. I made it.

The first thing I thought of when I read this is how I feel when I babysit. For all my life I have been the one being taken care of and without responsibility. If ever something was to go wrong someone older, stronger and more mature would deal with it. Now, while babysitting I am taking care of children and the responsibility falls on me. It is a scary feeling when you realize this. It is like an automatic “grown-up” moment. In the end, I relate to how David feels and while I read the book I will take into consideration that he has a mature mind.

A short time ago, I read the book On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King. This biography allowed me to delve into the perspective of King, understanding his journey and perspective. Throughout the book, he separates his thoughts into neatly organized categories. First, he highlights events in his life that influenced his writing throughout the “C.V.” He then goes on to discuss why writing is so important and then the section, “On Writing,” where he provides his advice to aspiring writers. I began reading this book for my personal project, as writing is the focus, and it greatly supported me. Not only that, the quotes from the book inspired me. The following quote was one of the most resonating to me:

It is, rather, a kind of curriculum vitae – my attempt to show how one writer was formed. Not how one writer was made; I don’t believe writers can be made, either by circumstances or by self-will (although I did believe those things once). The equipment comes with the original package.

This phrase provides an insight into how Stephen King thinks, allowing the reader to contemplate and reflect upon the meaning behind his proclamations. With such few words, he encapsulates his whole belief in writing and his journey. He shares how writers cannot be made, only formed. This stuck with me, as it was a new idea that had never been introduced to me. Soon after he writes this phrase, he goes on to speak of what influenced his journey. He includes inspiration, luck, and a little talent. This also surprised me, as his unabashedness and transparency were unfamiliar to me. Overall, this book served the purpose that I was looking for and provided more than I could have hoped for; it fueled my desire to write.