What are you reading? What's grabbing you about your text thus far? What's puzzling you? Are there compelling characters? Initial Impressions and thoughts please...

[Andrew]

I have been reading Moby Dick. It is one of those texts that an English teacher is "supposed" to have read, but which I never encountered in high school or college. I thought that the text was going to be dry and overly philosophical, but I have been pleasantly surprised at how comical the narration can be. There is a scene where Ishmael meets Queequeg for the first time in a tavern; they have to share a cot for their first night together, and it is laugh-out- loud funny. Melville's descriptive writing and use of imagery is masterful. He spends 6 pages just describing the allure water has on people.

[Kathryn]

I am reading Paper Towns by John Green and the characters are really relatable and with one character being mysterious it makes the book more interesting and less dry. The overall plot line is really creative with Q going to search for his childhood friend with clues that the friend gave him as he is graduating high school. The book is descriptive enough so that it doesn't bore the reader. I know that most of John Greens books are about a boy and a girl who are friends at first but then they realize that they love each other but Paper Towns follows a different version of that so it is not the same story in every one of his books.

[Jen]

I've been reading Nothing Left to Lose by Kirsty Moseley, towards the beginning of the book it actually surprised me how scary and depressing the plot line was. Right from the first chapter the story catches your attention, starting off with background information on the characters that is extremely sad, then it starts to add in comedy into the mix. So far it's an amazing book with good details and interesting plot.

[Julia]

I'm reading The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater. Its supposed to be a more contemplative novel than what I normally read but Steifvater is a very reputable author, so I chose to read it for the IRP. So far, there are 2 main characters. Blue Sargent is the daughter of a local psychic, while Gansey, Adam, Noah and Ronan are a group of privileged boys that go to a wealthy private school called Aglionby. The characters are extremely interesting to read about and they have rich back stories as well as idiosyncrasies the make them fascinating to me. The plot seems a little cliché for now, (Blue is told that the boy she is fated to fall in love with will die that year) but I'm interested to see where it goes.

[Devin]

I'm Reading "Personal" by Lee Child. It's an action packed Jack Reacher novel and also includes an interesting mystery that Reacher is solving throughout th story. I love these Jack Reacher books considering Reacher is like a modern "Sherlock Homes." He is actually referred to as "Sherlock Homeless" throughout the book I am currently reading, considering he does not really have a home by choice in the series. Every book is so compelling due to how in each book Child always fines a different plot line, all of which take the reader on a journey.

[Abby]

I have been reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. I find it very facinating because it is shown through the eyes of a teenage autistic boy. I find it very difernent and puzzling that they have all the chapter numbers are prime numbers and the book is his point of view of creating a book. The main character and most compelling in my oppinion is Christopher who has autism and his journey and reaction when he finds his neighbors poodle has been murdered. My initial impressions about the book are that it is very interesting and has a different point of view which is differet but engaging to read

[Derik]

I'm reading Ishmael, which features an interesting take on the lifestyles of modern societies. It is an interesting story-within-a-story, although a few things are left unexplained.

[Jocelyn]

I am reading Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. So far, I am really enjoying it. Each chapter, the point of view switches from one Will Grayson to the other. Both characters are both very different, but both are intriguing. One comes from a family with caring parents, and the other comes from a family where his mother can barely support herself and him. They coincidentaly meet eachother, and that's where I am at in the book now. I am enjoying it because I have found a lot of cleverly written lines, and a lot of quotes filled with a lot of meaning. For example, one of the Will Grayson's says, "The things you hope for the most are the things that destroy you in the end." There are a lot of lines like this one throughout the book, lines you can spend time thinkning about, and that is one of the reasons why I am enjoying it so much.

[Minki]

I'm reading the "gulliver's travels" by Jonation Swift, the part that i am reading at the moment is when the narrater ends up trying the gain the trust of the leader of this mini island. I like the fact that the story is made up by imagery and every single little detail is matter in fact comparing the sizes or portions of the 2 diffrent groups of people.

[Claudia]

I am reading Gone Girl. I personally like the style that Gillian Flynn writes because it is like the characters are talking to you, and sharing their life's with you like you are a close friend. She is a very descriptive writer which allows this book to be a type where you can visually imagine what is going on in your head. I like how she is organizing the chapters so far. It goes from Nick Dunne's thoughts and expierences to a diary entry from Amy Dunne (and it keeps alternating). I am intrigued with the characters so far because they have a certain mystery to them. Nick and his wife seem to be having a more distant marriage after 5 years, and I wonder if that relates somehow to Amy's disappearance.

[Markus]

I have been reading Legend by Marie Lu, this book is full of suspense and every moment is exciting and action packed. Marie Lu never has a dull moment in her writing and she always leaves the reader wanting more. The story is told by the points of two different people kids who are never supposed to meet and it creates drama and suspense throughout the story.

[Jack]

I am reading ruffians by Tim Green. It starts out as what seems to be a typical sports book where it gives dramatic details of sports games but once you get further in, in reveals the part of sports off the field. This part is extremely interesting because you don't normally get insight into what it is like off the field and in particular with this book it shows all the tests the players must go through to be entered in a draft. I find this part of the story more interesting than the actual sports part because it is so rare that it is revealed in a book like this.

[Michelle]

I have been reading the secret garden. I read this book 5 years ago in an edited version for children because I thought the title of the book is interesting. Since I read it such a long time ago, at first I did not remember the storyline at all. but as Im reading along I started recalling the general storyline. The book is about the lonely girl who had never loved anyone, nor was loved by anyone. She meets new people in the house that's at middle of the moor and starts learning about love and feelings.

[Michael]

I am reading "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay", by Suzanne Collins. So far my book has been kind of slow but it is starting to pick up and get alittle more interesting. Katniss is a very compelling character, she is very confused about what is happeneing in her life right now or at this point in the book. This look seems like it will pick up and im looking forward to that.

[Eric]

I am reading Orr by Bobby Orr.in this text he states many times that he doesn't really care about his accomplishments, but just that he got to the NHL. I thought that he would be raving about everything he did but I am inferring fro m this book so that he is not cocky at all.It follows his entire life beginning at a young age and following his entire hockey career.

[Maya]

I have been reading lock and key it's about girl who used to live with her mom but then she moved with her sister because her mom is alcoholic. I like the book because it talks about how her I've change and how she's having a hard time in her new school.

[Avery]

I have been reading Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. And so far, the book is totally hilarious. The book consists of a random mix of funny instances in his life, like problems he dealt with as a child because of his lisp. The author 's voice is really key to making this book funny- he's very relatable

[John]

I am reading a fascinating Biography about a soccer coach named Pep Guardiola and it talks mostly about how he went about his job and how he controlled the media. I am really enjoying the many primary sources involved in this book and the first account stories told about this individual. I am looking forward to finishing it up.