Books I've Been Reading

Since Christmas, I've been reading a lot of new books. Some of my favorites were We Need to Talk About Kevin, Everyday, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. My resolution for 2016 was to read more, and so far it's coming along quite nicely.
We Need to Talk About Kevin is a book written by Lionel Shriver in which the main character writes a series of letters to her estranged husband. I enjoyed it particularly because of the author's writing style and her ability to make you empathize with the characters. It was a morbid book, with the majority of it focusing on a extremely dark subject but it was intriguing all the same. I would recommend this book to people who don't mind reading about disturbing events and the consequences that follow.
                                                      

Everyday is a book that I started this summer but quickly bored me. However, this month I decided to give it another shot and I enjoyed it much more this time around. The main character was very entertaining to read about because of his versatility. Each chapter he was someone different which I thought might be off putting but it was instead a refreshing variation. And despite becoming a new person each chapter, the plot remained consistent and interesting. I would recommend this book to people who are okay with a somewhat slowly progressing plot and with little action.

                                                      

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a book that I have wanted to read since I watched the movie when it came out. I guessed that the book would be better than the movie, as is usually the case, and I was not proved wrong. The book was a hundred times better and I got to see the characters in much more depth than on the screen. Similar to We Need to Talk About Kevin, I appreciated the letter format and how I got to see the other characters in the novel through the main character's perspective. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to pretty much anyone, with the exception of people who would prefer to avoid more mature topics.

                                                     
I have already read these three books and am in the middle of my fourth, and seeing how its only January 25th, I believe my resolution is right on track.

How to develop a good plot

This blog is mainly focused on reading, and my passion for it, but it also focuses on writing. If you like to read, chances are you also like to write. To help with your writing, I composed a step by step list to show how to develop a good plot for a story.

1) Know who your characters are:
A problem I have when writing is delving into a story with half-formed characters. It saves a lot of time and hassle if you plan your characters out fully before beginning to write; otherwise, you'll have to make them up as you go along, which never works too well.


2) Find your setting:
Another important detail is where your story is going to be taking place. It's okay if your setting changes throughout the story -it should- but it would be wise to lay out your first setting very carefully. Where a character lives can speak volumes about their personality so the setting is very important. Also, make sure to develop the setting with vivid details so a reader can picture it more clearly in their mind.


3) Outline everything:
I personally despise planning out every detail, but it can really help when trying to develop a plot. You can always change or add things but when you first begin writing, it can really save a lot of time later. You can also leave some things up in the air if you're not sure which way you want your story to go, but be sure that you have a clear picture of the story from the exposition to the climax to the resolution.

My love of reading

Many avid readers cite one specific book as being different from the rest and the source of their passion. I’ve always loved reading but I didn’t find the one book that really sparked my interest until I was ten years old. Up until that point the majority of books I’d read had been uninteresting and dull or part of a class project. I really did like to read but I was beginning to think that all books were monotonous and I was quickly losing an interest.

That year for Christmas the only things I wanted were books but I had nothing specific in mind. I wasn’t expecting my relatives to buy me any wonderful books so I was very pleasantly surprised when I began reading the book my aunt had got me. It was called Alanna: The First Adventure and as soon as I opened the book I was entranced.

It had everything I could possibly dream up: magic, adventure, knights, and more. I was thrilled that I’d finally found a book that incorporated all my interests. My delight multiplied when I discovered the book was part of a series, and I soon bought the remaining three. After finishing the series I was sad for brief period because I thought I’d finished the one good book out there. Soon afterwards, I realized how foolish I was being and decided to give reading another chance. I branched out and instead of sticking to strictly fantasy –my preferred genre– I read science fiction, mystery, and even non-fiction. It took me a couple of mind-numbingly boring books but I finally discovered that although all books aren’t going to be my favorite, I can’t judge so harshly. Now, I read varying genres and I have numerous favorite books.

To this day, the author is one of my favorites and her books will also be close to my heart. Her books inspired me to read more and the more I did, the more books I found that were just as captivating. I realized that it was foolish of me to be so quick to judge all books by just a few boring ones I’d read in class. Today, I give all books a chance, despite my desire to judge them by their covers.