Ways of Reading: Advanced Reading Skills for Students of English Literature by Martin Montgomery, et al

Rated: Two stars

Publisher: Routledge

Published: December 5th 2012

Edition: 4th (first published July 23rd 1992)

My two stars rating is especially unfortunate as I was eager to delve into what promised to be some good learning. Alas, it did seem I had my hopes up. Ways of Reading was on my required reading for a college course four years ago, I almost forgot about it until I repacked the bookshelf.

I’m working to improve my writing with my refocus on my blogs and I figured better reading made for better writing. I’m primarily a pleasure reader, and while general comprehension and critical reading skills have sharpened over time I wasn’t fully prepared for the likes of Shakespeare, The Odyssey and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

My initial flip-through revealed significant chunks of text but I was somewhat reassured by the clear arrangement of sections and units that outlined specific topics I’d been struggling with like metaphors and intended meanings. This was looking good.

Directions …

Hey folks, check out my new academic themed blog!

A Dragon In Progress

I’ve had this blog on standby for a few months. Part of that’s because time constraints, part is indecision and part confidence or should I say a lack thereof.

Time, I battle distractions on a daily basis. Now, if I find something of interest you can bet I’d dedicate a solid few hours of research. The problem lies in my organizational skills, the development of which is one of the reasons why I began this site in the first place. So, work in progress.

Indecision, where do I begin? How in depth should I go? Perhaps I can touch briefly on a subject and at a later date expound on it … yes, that may work with my current frame of mind. And plus I’m simply beside myself, it’s so exciting to actually begin this project!

What subjects will I cover? Will it be exclusively language, and archaeology/anthropology? No, I’ve decided…

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Baby steps

I cradled my hot bowl of fresh-off-the-stove mac and cheese, padding to my room.

“Stinks, mam’s calling you in the kitchen,” I said, grabbing my little brother’s butt. He squirmed out of reach with a squeal and dashed out of sight.

I plopped my own onto my bed, inhaling the aroma of cheesy goodness I contemplate the possibilities of tomorrow. Statistics and Bio paper 4. I’m not going to even bother to wonder about the odds that I’ll pass or not, not when I haven’t gone about writing them as yet. My study of the stats syllabus is incomplete but admittedly much easier than Pure Maths, I’ll do what I can. I swallowed a huge warm spoonful.

Artist unknown. Click to see source. Image, sadly removed for copyright avoidance purposes.

AL Biology is more familiar, friendlier turf not necessarily simple but I like the challenge. I hadn’t completed my reading in time, I can only blame myself. I stayed up till this morning dismantling the seemingly complicated processes of the Krebs Cycle and oxidative phosphorylation. It’s kind of funny how last year when I wrote the first half of same test I didn’t understand some things, this year again still but it was only recently these blocks and bits of concepts began to assemble and click into place. I had to keep knocking around these ideas and assumptions, these proven facts of life and it’s tangible components, otherwise I won’t learn anything at all. It’s a glorious feeling, enlightenment.

These courses demand more responsibility on my part rather than on my professor, in the beginning I was afraid, reluctant even. Then I though to myself, “here I am, this person who thinks she can be independent and self reliant, for how long am I going to wait on someone to give me what I want? It doesn’t work like that. Buck up!”

I’m coming to terms with taking my interests in my own hands, me shaping me from the raw materials up to whatever what I see myself becoming. I am soft, rich clay. I am the vase that will sculpt itself into functional work of art, even if to be admired by myself alone in some obscure corner.