Blog Post #2: What Is A Book?

          A book is a container that holds the most unimaginable treasures. What a book holds can vary from person to person. For some, they read to put their minds at ease and to not think. For others, they read to think of everything that has been or will ever be. What a book can offer two individuals can be extremely different, but it does the same thing. It holds something inside that you cannot see, or touch, smell, taste or hear. In the literal sense, a book is made of paper and a spine, usually has a cover, words, and tells a story that the author thought of. It’s just an object if you look at it that way. 

          For some of the more literary types of people, a book can be a portal that takes you to a whole other world or a black hole that sucks your mind in.

I don’t really care if other people prefer books over kindles, or kindles over computers, or computers over books. It does not matter to me how they wish to read their stories and escape their mind. That’s all them. For example, some argue that if it’s not a hard copy, it’s not a book. That’s like saying a watercolor painting is not art, but an acrylic painting is. Joe Meno says that “the message, the content [is] more vital than the medium”. I agree with this wholeheartedly. Personally, I’d prefer a hard copy of a book rather than a digital version for many reasons, but if all I had was a kindle, I would still be perfectly fine. One of the reasons I prefer hard copies is that it is just easier on the eyes – no artificial light straining your eyeballs.

          I think it’s a bit ridiculous that this is even a debate. You can’t tell someone how they should feel, no one has the right to do that. It’s great and all that everyone has their own opinion, but that’s all it is: an opinion. My final verdict: a book (whether it be tangible or digital) is a container that holds what you need to be happy.

Blog Post #1: Why I Read

          I read for a lot of different reasons. Sometimes I read only for the sake of reading, to practice and get better at it so that I can read faster in hopes that it will help with school. I read when I can't sleep, and it usually puts my mind at ease. I read to see what else is out there and to experience new things. I like to read books that are somewhat relatable and realistic. I tend to stay away from fantasy and other-worldly books because I feel that the stories in those books, I could never experience for myself. My two favorite books that I've read are A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard and Go Ask Alice by Anonymous. I think I like Go Ask Alice a lot better than A Stolen Life, but Jaycee Dugard’s life story is still very noteworthy. I read A Stolen Life because my mom said I should. I had seen Jaycee Dugard’s story on Nancy Grace a couple times when she was still missing, and I remember seeing on the news when she had been found. When she came out with her own book my mom was ecstatic, so she read it and so did I. I started reading Go Ask Alice because my friend and I were bored and wanted to read a book together. We looked through the library here at school for a while. I found Go Ask Alice and I saw that it was written by “Anonymous” and that really intrigued me. So, both me and my friend read it and loved it. I also read to see what others have experienced.