Your Class, Your Choice

I found that Reader's Choice really helped me get back into reading. I use to read all the time and enjoyed finding new books. After awhile however I lost some interest in it. especially in books that we were required to read for school. I often found myself turned off from many of the books we were required to read during school, mostly due to the deadlines and and questions that the we had to answer as we were reading, but also I found that I had no interest in the books we read in class (generally but not exclusively). Due to this, I was intrigued by the thought of a choice to choose the books that I had to read. Since I was given the choice, I found myself more interested in reading those books, finding novels that would tend to my interests specifically.

One of the reasons that I was never very interested in reading the books for school had a lot to do with the assignments that always came in it. Often times we had to answer questions that went along with each chapter or so. When I read I prefer to do just that, read. Not stop every other page to answer a question. I feel those types of assignments take away from the readings itself. I would find myself more focused on simply answering a question rather than understanding what I was reading. This is another reason I enjoyed the Reader's Choice class was because those types of assignments were not the types that we were given. Of course we were given plenty assignments in this class, not interupted what you were reading. They mostly enhanced what you had read.

This class was also a great way to get out of your reading comfort zone and discover new genre's and authors that you may not have thought that you would enjoy. This was mostly done by our class picks where the class had to agree on a novel that we would all read. Another way that this was done was by the individual book category Out of Your Comfort Zone, where you had to read a book that you wouldn't normally think to read. For this book I had chosen a memior written by Thomas Buergenthal, entitled A Lucky Child. It was about the authors life as a Holocaust surivor, discussing what he endured before, during, and after the war. Normally I would find myself reading young adult novels, but this book sparked and interest in me to search for other novels similar to this one.

For someone who loves to read or finds themselves in a reading rut, this class allows you to indulge in reading and pull you right back into it. Though I would not reccomend this class to anyone who has no interest in reading at all, I found it to be a great class for those who enjoy it.
                               

Ereaders and Paperbacks

Many people find themselves hesitant with the idea of purchasing an e-reader. They argue that there's nothing like holding an actual book in your hand and physically flipping the pages. I find that there are many upsides to having an e-reader over the hard copy. To start off there are the practical reasons why e-readers are preferable. After making the initial investment of the e-reader you'll find that you will save money Often times the books found on amazon.com for the kindle or barnesandnoble.com for the nook are cheaper than the hard copy, especially if the novel is only available in hardcover. Another obvious practical reason that the e-readers are better than the hard copy is that they are much easier to transport and travel with. With just one e-reader you could have a great number of novels whereas to have the same affect with hard copies would be very difficult. One of the best perks of using an e-reader is the ability to highlight quotes and take notes without the fear of ruining your copy of the book. As for the argument of wanting the feel of turning the pages, it is a tedious excuse to not upgrade. When you are reading a novel turning a page isn't what makes you love a book. It's the content of it. You get the same content either way when reading a book. E-readers are more practical and convenient way of reading.