Blog 28, IRB POST, 3-26-12

As far as my independent reading book goes, I have stopped reading "The Cider House Rules" by John Irving because no matter how much I read of it I could not get into it.  I found that I was dreading the time when I would actually have to sit down and read the book.  I realized that's not what I wanted to have to do with my IRB book, I wanted to read something I was passionate about and would look forward to reading.  This is why I have dropped that book (with permission) and began reading another book that I simply can not put down and will still be finished by the time the third marking period is over so that I do not run behind with my independent reading.  

The new book I have picked out is called Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.  This book is the second book in a trilogy called The Hunger Games.  I read the first book in a series that was actually called The Hunger Games, and I fell in love with it.  I bought it only because I heard several people telling me about it being a good book and when I began reading it I could not believe a book could be so addicting.   I finished the first book within a week, and had not picked up the second until I realize I wanted to read a different book for my independent reading novel.  Catching Fire, the book I am reading now is just under 400 pages long and I have already gotten to page 252 in just a few days time.  I am more then elated that I am now able to look forward to reading... to the point where I am sneaking it under the desk in class (not in AP English of course!) or constantly waiting to have a few minutes to sneak a few pages in.

Now, for those who are unfamiliar to what the series is about... The basic summary is that there is a world, most likely in the future, that consists of a country named Panem that holds 12 districts (as if they are states).  The districts are controlled by an overwhelming power called The Capital, where the President lives with all the richest and most glamorous people in the world.  The ruling is harsh, unjustifiable, and gruesome.  There was an uprising a few years before the book's setting, where there were 13 districts, the 13th district led an uprising that got the entire district obliterated.  As a result, each year there is an event called "The Hunger Games" where a male and female tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 will be chosen at random from each district to take part in an event where they fight to the death leaving only one lone victor to riches and prosperity. The Capital uses this to maintain power and to make sure another uprising never happens again. The captivating plot and world of fiction and fantasy lead me away and is the reason I am so enthralled with this book.

However, the book "The Cider House Rules", I read over 100 pages of the massive book and still was not interested.  This is resulting from a few aspects. First of all, the type of writing was unfamiliar, somewhat wordy and with a dialect I could not altogether connect to.  The characters were boring, the story was not that interesting and I realized that after 100 pages of reading it was still not brimming with excitement or a captivating plot.  If the book was shorter, maybe I would have finished it.  But there was no way I was going to finish a book over 500 pages by the end of the marking period that I had absolutely no interest in.

Going through this process has made me realize a few things: One, that not finishing a book is alright... and if it's not interesting DON'T read it and two, I noticed I am a reader that looks for a captivating plot that pulls me into the world of fiction and steals me away from reality for hours on end.

NEW BOOK TITLE: Catching Fire

AUTHOR: Suzanna Collins