Summer Reading Ladder by Lucas Goldsmith
In order from first read to latest:
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley – 280 pages
Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, by William Shakespeare – 289 pages
The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald – 180 pages
The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger – 214 pages
The Crucible, by Arthur Miller – 176 pages
Total Number of Pages = 1139
Number of Weeks = 12 weeks
1139/12 = 95
Number of pages per week = 95
95/7 = around 14 pages per day.
I have yet to get my reading to a sufficient level. Whether it just be lack of time or interest I am not where I want to be. I will have to set time aside to read 25 pages per day, as it shouldn’t take that much time to accomplish.
My Top 3
The Great Gatsby: As one of my favorite books of all time, this is a no-brainer for me. The abundant ideas conveyed in this novel, and the plethora of vocabulary utilized by Fitzgerald all help to create a masterpiece. The novel, though short, tells a much bigger story than it would seem, with the character of Jay Gatsby and his quest for unkindled love, success, and companionship.
Frankenstein: To begin, I honestly grew bored of this novel within the first few chapters. I already knew the story, and it played out exactly as I had imagined it would. Only until reflecting onto the novel did I begin to realize the true meanings behind events and characters, and overall, began to appreciate the book. You have to really look to find the themes and tones of the story, but when you do find them, the novel seems to blend beautifully together into a horrific, science fiction, romantic novel that I now have a special spot for in my heart.
The Crucible: I have always had a secret love for plays, and this one is no different. I really did appreciate how Arthur Miller delivered the plot from beginning to end, setting up the entire story, then introducing the main character in the established world. I enjoy how the play challenges ideas of conformity at a level of government and religion, in a time period where the two were so intertwined that chaos ensued. Overall, the ability to really picture each scene in my head helped to turn words into an actual play in my head, creating a larger appreciation for The Crucible.
My plan for the semester is to incorporate candy books into my reading schedule, as to add variety to the more challenging books I shall read, and give me gaps to ease my mind off of a difficult read. For one of the challenging books I aim to read, hopefully, The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri takes the cake for the most difficult. Next would be The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn by Greg Matthews, as I dislike the writing style of the book very much. For my candy books, I plan to read a collection of Sherlock Holmes stories, and also some of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s other stories included in my copy of the Great Gatsby. These include: Absolution, Love in the Night, At Your Age, and seven more. To satisfy my craving for some Shakespeare, I plan to reread William Shakespeare’s Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope by Ian Doescher, adding to my ironically healthy consumption of candy books.
Unknown. “A Farewell to Arms Cover.” Photo. bookcoverarchive Unknown. Sept. 26, 2016. <http://bookcoverarchive.com/book/a_farewell_to_arms/>
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2015-2016
When it comes to books, I am super picky. People say to not judge a book by its cover, but I always do. I try to break this habit and read the first few chapters of the book, just to see if I do like it. Usually I never do like it, because the plot is too bland or cliche, and there’s not enough to captivate me. However, there is the occasional time I find something that pops out, and I enjoy it. This is a page dedicated to keeping track to the books that I take the time to read.
–The Thief Lord, by Cornelia Funke. 338 pages.
–Nick of Time, by Ted Bell. 464 pages.
–The Curious Case of the Dog in the Nighttime, by Mark Haddon. 226 pages.
–The Green Mile, by Stephen King. 536 pages.
–William Shakespeare’s Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope by Ian Doescher. 174 pages
–The Martian by Andy Weir. 387 pages.
Unknown. “The Thief Lord.” Photo. wikipedia. Dec. 12, 2015. Jan 15, 2016. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thief_Lord>