I am slowly getting back to hoarding books again. Books should always be a good thing but not when you buy one just to get a new one with zero regard to storyline or costs. In my case, I keep buying books on sale only to be disappointed later on. There's a reason that some books cost less. I also refuse to buy hyped books because it's not fair to well-written books that are not recommended on social media often enough.

I have also wanted to get a new Kindle. The one that was handed down to me was lost somewhere. Trust Shopee, an online shopping platform, to lure you into buying things that you don't actually really need but is a great platform for all the wants in the world. I decided to get the Kindle 2022 e-Reader 11th Edition because of its price tag. It was also sold by a reputable online store and I was also able to score some discount. The Kindle is so tiny! It is the size of a pocketbook! Good thing you can adjust the text size of the ebook. Book recommendation anyone? Comment below.

I am also trying to get back to writing book reviews. I also want to be able to write about books well like how it was taught in schools. To be honest, there was little chance to write book reviews in Highschool although the task was to read passages and write about them. But, not about books. Books are such a luxury! 

I want to learn, write, and be able to:

• the prose fiction analysis
• analyze how the author uses literary elements and techniques to develop a complex characterization
• the literary argument question
• select a work of fiction in which a character responds to a hierarchy in a significant way
• analyze the character’s response to the hierarchy and how that response contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole, and
• write a well-written response based on that analysis
• understanding of the literary elements and techniques associated with prose fiction
• to demonstrate choice, comprehension, and ability to develop and support a claim

Advanced Placement, or AP, courses are courses offered in US and Canadian high schools that allow them to study subjects at a college level and in turn, will enable them to earn college advance credits.

One of the AP subjects offered in high school is AP Literature and Composition. In this course, you read fiction, poetry, and dramatic plays. You will learn to evaluate and analyze and write essays on your analysis. By the end of the course, you will discover close reading, interpret the meaning of the text, learn the author's techniques and the effects, and then write an essay on your interpretation and analysis.

Here are common books that are frequently cited in AP Literature exams from 1970 to 2014, PDF link here. The source is not mine and was generated online from one of the US public schools offering the course. The books listed are not complete and some schools also recommend books that are not on the list. Student bloggers who have undergone the study of AP Literature have recommended reading as much literature as you can. Before the end of the school year, the students will be tested and the most common part of the test is the free open-ended question, a prompt, where you will write in paragraphs to present your ideas. 

In the Philippines, we don't have AP courses. In fact, throughout high school, the reading of foreign literature was never part of the curriculum. The only books we tackle are the books written by Filipino authors and there aren't that many Filipino classic writers. The only books we've ever read in high school are Noli Me Tangere, El Filibusterismo, and Florante at Laura. Books are still considered a luxury to be had in the Philippines. 

So, I've tried through the list presented by one US school and found out how many of the books there I have, started reading, heard about it, and want to read them.

Read books:

• Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
• Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
• Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift 

Books started but did not finish:

• The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
• Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte    

Books I'm tempted to get started:

• Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison 
• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevski
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy 
• The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
• Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
• A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen
• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens  

There are movie adaptations of some of the books that are on my list. But, never miss out on reading the original piece if you ever have the chance.

Watch these bloggers and I hope it will inspire you to read classic literature.
 

FOR THE YOUNG AND YOUNG AT HEART

A Boy Called Christmas film is adapted from a 2015 book by Matt Haig. It is about a determined young boy named Nikolas who meets his destiny in a magical land inhabited by elves on a quest to find his father – and bring home the gift of hope.

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022) is an adaptation of the timeless Charles Dickens Christmas story. On a cold Christmas Eve, selfish miser Ebenezer Scrooge has one night left to face his past – and change the future – before time runs out.

CLASSICS

It’s A Wonderful Life (1946) is an American Christmas fantasy film drama based on a short story and booklet “The Greatest Gift” and loosely based on the 1843 novel “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens.

When a guardian angel finds a dejected George Bailey poised to jump off a bridge, he shows George what life would’ve been like had he never been born.

Little Women (1994) is an American coming-of-age film based on the book of the same name by Louisa May Alcott. Raised by a strong-willed mother, sisters Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy share growing pains, family tragedies and personal aspiration in the 19^th-century America.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) is a book from Dr. Seuss children’s book of the same name and the first Dr. Seuss book to be adapted into film. The film tells the story about The Grinch who decides to rob Whoville of Christmas – but a dash of kindness from little Cindy Lou Who and her family may be enough to melt his heart.

The Polar Express (2004) is based on the 1985 children’s book of the same name. It is a story about a young boy who takes a magical train ride to the North Pole on Christmas Eve and discovers the enchanting wonder of friendship and the holiday spirit.

FOR THE TWEENS

The Princess Switch (2018) is the first installment of three films released for Netflix. It is a romantic comedy holiday film about a Chicago baker and a soon-to-be princess who discover that they do look like twins, and hatch a Christmastime plan to trade places.

A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish (2019) is an American teen comedy film and the fifth to be released under the A Cinderella Story film series. It is about a teen who aspires to be a singer-songwriter who, despite her vain stepmother and mean stepsisters, works as an elf at a Christmas tree lot and finds her holiday miracle.