Note 1

"Water"
By: Brad Paisley

Inflatable pool full of dad's hot air
I was three years old splashin' everywhere
And so began my love affair with water

On a river bank with all my friends
A big old rope tied to a limb
And you're a big old wuss if you don't jump in the water

And when that summer sun starts to beatin' down
And you don't know what to do
Grab your swimming trunks, ice up that old Igloo
And drive until the map turns blue


Brad Paisley's song, "Water," is perfectly suited for a summer theme song; it combines common lifetime memories involving water to portray the friendship between people and water throughout a lifetime. The "love affair with water," begins at a young age for most people, whether it's playing in the bathtub or learning how to swim in an "inflatable pool." In most cases, children have fond summer memories of anything having to do with water, and these occurrences shape their innocent little lives. The down-to-earth words, sung with a country twang, have deeper meaning than what first meets the eye. Humans are connected to water in a universally broad way, because water is not only used in forms of entertainment, but it is also used to keep people hydrated and alive. For humans, water is a necessity, but it is also a companion through life and its experiences. The lighthearted lyrics display a cheerfully nostalgic tone, bringing back the overly ecstatic joy of a child playing in the sprinklers. Everyone in the world has some kind of "love affair" with water, some are positive, others are not, but it cannot be denied that water is an ever-present companion in the lives' of human beings.

Exercise #2

Best response:  Reading, Reflecting, and More Reading

(7) "I WILL KILL YOU IF YOU TOUCH THIS," the way that the narrator speaks in the passage conveys a wretched and ill-humored tone that suggests hostility.

(3) The diction in "Cruddy" is abrupt and sounds more like a slang term. It does not have a very high diction or good connotation, because it is thought of as a common word. 

 (1) "Who can't even CONCENTRATE TO WRITE this because her little sister will NOT shut up," announces the narrator illustrating the harsh reality to her life.

Reading Log

For this past week's reading, I managed to reread part of the Hunger Games before I saw the midnight premiere of the movie last Thursday night, but I felt rushed as I was reading it. I didn't feel like I got to enjoy the book as much as I could have, so I will continue to reread it, even though I have passed the deadline goal I set for myself. I think it is better to deeply enjoy the book and take in everything you are reading than to speed read, missing the details and pure enjoyment that comes from reading intently. I also have a new goal of rereading the entire Hunger Games Trilogy, because I feel like when I originally read them, I was so excited to find out what happened next, that I was reading too fast. I'm also reading 1984 right now, which I really enjoy. I have noticed that I tend to lean towards any book that involves government plots and corruption. It's kind of like a realistic science-fiction genre. I have reached the climax of 1984, so I can't wait to continue reading. I'm doing a good job of attaining my goal of reading everyday, and I'm going to continue working at it this coming week!

Exercise #3

Book Reviews Read:

• The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
• Dead to You
• Cinder

Elements of a Book Review:

• short description of the story and its events, setting up the plot for the reader
• gives reasons why it is a good (or bad) book to read
• states qualities in the writing that make the book unique
• gives your own opinion of the book

Anthology Ideas

Oceans/Water/Beach

Friendship/Best Friends

Reading Log

This week, I was really excited about my reading. I think I made some progress towards a few of my reading goals. First, I opened up The Hunger Games again and began rereading it. Hopefully I can finish it for the second time before the movie premieres. I really want to remember every detail from the first book, so I can enjoy the movie even more. I also did a good job of reading every day. This past week, I have been enthusiastic about my reading, even wanting to read way ahead in the book 1984, assigned for my English Literature class. I am two-thirds of the way done with 1984 already!

Quarter 4 Reading Goals

1. Re-read the Hunger Games before the movie premiere
2. Finish reading Pride and Prejudice and its "sequels"
3. Read a classic literary fiction book
4. Try reading a humorous book
5. Finish reading the Left Behind series by the end of the year
6. Read EVERY DAY!

Three Are Dead...I Am Number Four

There is something in the way the author of "I Am Number Four" presents himself that immediately draws me into his books. I have been reading this book for awhile, and now I have reached the climax of the story. The intensity is picking up, the secret might be out, and something big is definitely going to happen in the near future. I think back to when I opened the front cover of "I Am Number Four." I was greeted on the very first page with a statement like this: "The events in this book are real. Names and places have been changed to protect the Lorien six who remain in hiding. Take this as your first warning. Other civilizations do exist. Some of them seek to destroy you." Upon initially reading these strange comments from the author, I shrugged it off as him just getting into the characters and story. As I continued reading though, I was interested in the author more. His biography in the back of the book doesn't show a picture of his face, and it describes him as the planet Lorien's ruling elder. Intrigued, I went to his website, where the persona of Pittacus Lore was continued. I'm not saying that I'm gullible enough to believe that the events in this science-fiction story are true, but it is very interesting that the author would go to such great lengths to keep up his "character." Maybe he really does believe in this alien stuff, or maybe he is just a good actor and storyteller. Either way, he has definitely gotten me interested, and his persona as the leader of Lorien makes the books even more interesting. I can't wait to keep reading and start with sequel soon!