Write a 1-2 page paper discussing your favorite book as a child or adolescent, and then your favorite book now. Spend one paragraph describing both books, and then go into detail about why this book was your favorite and what impact it had on your life. Post portions of this on your blog (can count for the blog assignment that week).
When I was younger my dad promised my siblings and me that whenever we finished a chapter book he would give us a crisp, new 2$ bill. This worked for 5 of the 7 of us. There are 2 members of my family who just would rather die before sitting down to read for hours. The 5 of us though, sometimes get too invested, and you wouldn’t be able to find us for days at a time because we were finishing up a series. I still have a fat stack of 2$ bills from all the reading I did with that incentive. I went through phases of Harry Potter and of fantastical books, but one that I felt I connected with, and could be her someday, was Nancy Drew. Those books seem beyond our time but my mom had bought the entire collection at Costco and I got hooked.
Nancy had cute, old fashioned dresses, quick wit and humor, and was bright. Truly the dress section always perked me up. I loved hearing what she was going to be wearing for a day of sleuthing! I was amazed at her independence and knowledge. I also loved that she drove a blue convertible which was obviously the peak of coolness to me. So yes, the mystery intrigued me and would keep me sitting to finish the book before I would go play, but I think the fact that when a pretty, smart, confident girl like Nancy solves the mysteries, I was obsessed.
The last book that had me so emotionally invested that I threw the book with full force, stared it down with tear filled eyes, and then realized I wasn’t actually having to go back into the games with Katniss, has left the biggest impact. The Hunger Games sounds disturbing when you are describing the plot to your mother, but for some reason has been accepted and embraced in my own mind that child sacrifice is just the way of life… when I am in district 13. What I absolutely loved about this book is how quickly the author started with the intense stuff! (Especially the 1st one.) I know it’s cliché’ to even name this book, let alone the fact that I laughed, cried, and was physically exhausted or felt famished during the games. Not normal. Is it?
Hunger Games was introduced to my by my oldest brother and he would check up on my progress so we could discuss it. It spread through all 5 of us who love to read and became the most exciting dinner conversation. I continued to build it up in my mind because this was now a family activity, even until the disappointing 3rd book. It has been long enough now, that I can say it was no good, but at the time I stood by Suzanne Collins. I can say my heart rate will not raise just talking about it. But I can’t say that it wasn’t the most intense and thrilling book I have read in the last few years.
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