Assignment 2 - Lia Jacobs - I Should Read More

When attempting to recall the books I've read over this past year, only four come to mind. With the exception of a few books, I've never found much pleasure in reading in my free time. However, I found this past year's school-assigned readings to be unexpectedly entertaining. The four books I read this year were The Joy Luck Club, The Great Gatsby, The Fault in Our Stars, and of course The Teenage Brain.

I brought The Fault in Our Stars with me on vacation to reread since I had forgotten nearly the entire plot. It wasn't very impactful, but simply a slightly cheesy, easy read to pass the time. The other three books I read were all assigned readings, but I found them all interesting to some extent. I enjoyed the message and story of The Great Gatsby, but if it weren't for us reading it in class, I don't think I would have finished it. Out of the four, The Joy Luck Club was probably my favorite. I particularly enjoyed the format of the novel, though it was difficult to follow at times. Even though I remember appreciating the book as a whole, I read it rather quickly so I might try to reread it soon. Lastly, the book that shocked me the most was The Teenage Brain. I started reading it mid-July, so I had already been warned by several classmates that it was somewhat painful to read. Despite starting with this frame of mind and my usual dislike of nonfiction, I thoroughly enjoyed the whole book. I found Jensen's argument to be exceedingly captivating and enjoyed learning the more scientific aspects of why teenagers do what they do. Overall, my two favorite reads over this past year were The Teenage Brain and The Joy Luck Club. I hope to find more books I enjoy reading over this next year since this assignment has drawn my attention to my general lack of reading.