Author: H. J. Ortiz

✍🏽 Writing/Editing 👨🏽‍🎓 English Grad Student 📖 Book Lover 📚 Book & Writing Posts 👨🏽‍💻 Current Project:The Exiled, my hopefully first published novel
Posted in Book Review Blog

Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children Book Review

Posted on by H. J. Ortiz

Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children

by Ransom Riggs

To purchase this novel or to find more information, you can visit Amazon.

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $10.99

Hardcover: $18.99

Kindle: $10.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: $11.95 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Before Reading Facts:

Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs was published in 2014 by Quirk Books.

Page Count: 416 pages (paperback) 400 (hardcover) 434 (Kindle)

Audiobook length: 11 hrs 39 mins

Chapters: 13

Languages: English (also available in the follow translations: Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Turkish, and Chinese)

Summary of Book:

“September 3, 1940. Ten Peculiar Children Flee an army of deadly monsters. And only one person can help them–but she’s trapped in the body of a bird. The extraordinary journey that began in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children continues as Jacob Portman and his newfound friends journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. There, they hope to find a cure for their beloved headmistress, Miss Peregrine. But in this war-torn city, hideous surprises lurk around every corner. And before Jacob can deliver the peculiar children to safety, he must make an important decision about his love for Emma Bloom. Like its predecessor, this second novel in the Peculiar Children series blends thrilling fantasy with vintage photography to create a one-of-a-kind reading experience.” -Quirk

Author Biography:

“Ransom Riggs grew up in Florida but now makes his home in the land of peculiar children–Los Angeles. He was raised on a steady diet of ghost stories and British comedy, which probably explains the novels he writes. You an find him on Twitter @ransomriggs” -Quirk

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

After reading Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and absolutely loving it, I decided I had to find out what Riggs had in store for his reader in the second novel in the series. The first novel was such a different read for me, so I had very high expectation for the second novel. Just as the first one, Hollow City: The Second Novel of Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children delivered! The second novel dove deeper into Riggs’ peculiar world and his amazing creations. Like the first novel, it was full of eerie, fascinating pictures that brought the narrative to life.

This story picks up where the first novel left off. Only in this story, the Peculiars have to rush to get Miss Peregrine help. Apparently stuck in her bird form, the Peculiar children must find a way to somehow help her, and along their journey, they run into many challenges that threaten their lives! Throughout this journey, the reader is able to understand more about the world Riggs has created, and I found it fascinating to discover all of the new elements Riggs includes in the second novel that we were not exposed to in the first.

This novel was one that I did not want to put down for anything. I ended up finishing this read in three days while juggling grad school and work and “adulting” in general. I was fairly upset with the ending, not because I hated it, but because it made me want to pick up the third book right away and keep going. I currently do not have the third book, so I am going to have to get that right away! I strongly recommend having the third book ready when you finish the second. If not, you’re going to be left saying the very thing I said when the book ended. I turned the page expecting the narrative to continue, but it didn’t! The second book ended, and I found myself saying, “That’s it!” Don’t let this happen to you. Buy the third book and keep going, because based on where the second one left off, the third is going to be so good!

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Kirby Heyborne 

Heyborne’s narration at 1.50 speed is the slowest I will go with this novel. His narration at 1.0 speed and 1.25 speed is too slow and seems slowed down and as if it were in slow motion. However, his narration portrays the character effectively and helps the listener follow along and be drawn into the story. His narration provides emotion that I allows the frustration, anger, and urgency of the characters to come alive.  For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 2.0 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book, I found 2.5 to be the best speeds. 3.0 was fast but understandable enough to follow along while reading. If you are looking to get through it quickly 3.0 is the speed I recommend while reading along. 3.5 speed was too fast, and I could not understand part of what was being said. 

Other works by this Author:

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children Series

  • Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children 
  • Hollow City
  • Library of Souls
  • A Map of Days
Posted in Book Review Blog

The Midnight Star Book Review

Posted on by H. J. Ortiz

The Midnight Star

by Marie Lu

To purchase this novel or to find more information, you can visit Amazon.

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $10.99

Hardcover: $18.99

Kindle: $10.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: $24.50 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Before Reading Facts:

The Midnight Star by Marie Lu was published in 2016 by SPEAK.

Page Count: 368 pages (paperback) 336 (hardcover) 330 (Kindle)

Audiobook length: 09 hrs 07 mins

Chapters: N/A (Not separated by numbered chapters) 

Languages: English (also available in the follow translations: Spanish, French, and German)

Summary of Book:

“Adelina Amouteru has turned her back on those who have betrayed her.

Her reign has been a triumphant one. But with each new conquest, her cruelty only grows, threatening to destroy all she has gained.

When a new danger appears, Adelina is forced to put not only herself but every Elite at risk.

Now Adelina and her Roses must join the Daggers on a perilous quest in order to persevere her empire–though this uneasy alliance may prove to be the real danger.” -SPEAK

Author Biography:

“Marie Lu is the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling series The Young Elites, as well as the blockbuster bestselling Legend series. Warcross is her newest book. She graduated from the University of Southern California and jumped into the video game industry as an artist. Now a full-time writer, she spends her spare time reading, drawing, playing games, and getting stuck in traffic. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband, one Chihuahua mix, and two Pembroke Welsh corgis -SPEAK

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

When I picked up The Midnight Star, I was hesitant. The Rose Society already had me questioning Adelina, so to some extend I was already confused about what I really wanted. I didn’t know if I was going to like or dislike Adelina in this final installment in The Young Elites series. I had to take some time to think after reading The Rose Society before picking up The Midnight Star. This series had me questioning so much.

Once I started reading this novel, my fears came to life. Lu created a narrator that I did not like whatsoever, and I think this is a very tricky thing to do. The way she creates this narrative, one will either support or be against Adelina. I grew myself disliking her as the story progressed. However, my disliking her did not make me want to stop reading any less. This is why this series confuses me. I don’t know how Lu does it, but she somehow created a series that had me questioning my alliance to the narrator so much! Yet, I still want to keep reading more. Perhaps it is my wanting to know if my alliance to change that kept me so invested in this series.

However, I will admit that I did not change my alliance. I disliked Adelina throughout. Now I can see how others would have liked/disliked her at times but in the end be satisfied with her. But to me, I don’t know. I guess she didn’t meet up to the standards Professor Snape set. I mean he’s the only character I know that I dislike the whole series until the end. Adelina’s actions in the end did not (in my opinion) reach enough of a redeeming quality to have me change mt mind in the end. I HIGHLY recommend your reading this final novel in the series to make your own judgement. To me, the ending was satisfying enough, but my dislike for Adelina reigned through the whole series.

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Carla Corvo and Lannon Killea

Corvo and Killea do an amazing job in bringing this third novel to life. I really enjoy when the same narrators tell the same series. I form such a connection from the original narrator that it kind of throws me off when different narrators are used in the same series. Corvo and Killea do excellent narrating the entire series. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 2.0 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book, I found  3.0 speed to be the best speeds. 3.5 speed was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator’s reading speed. 

Other works by this Author:

Novels

Batman: Nightwalker

Legend Series

  • Legend
  • Prodigy
  • Champion

The Young Elites Series

  • The Young Elites 
  • The Rose Society
  • The Midnight Star

Warcross Duology

  • Warcross
  • Wildcard
Posted in Book Review Blog

The Prey Book Review

Posted on by H. J. Ortiz

The Prey

by Tom Isbell

To purchase this novel or to find more information, you can visit Amazon.

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $9.99

Hardcover: $17.99

Kindle: $9.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: $27.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Before Reading Facts:

The Prey by Tom Isbell was published in 2015 by HarperTeen.

Page Count: 432 pages (paperback) 416 (hardcover) 417 (Kindle)

Audiobook length: 09 hrs 20 mins

Chapters: 53

Languages: English 

Summary of Book:

“With the country in ruins, the new government declared it the Republic of the True America, imposed martial law, and separated all survivors into settlement camps. Now, twenty years later, three sixteen-year-olds uncover the dark truth: All this time they’ve been labeled Less Thans. Feared by society, they’re being raised to be hunted for sport. Their only hope for survival is to escape with their friends . . . or risk certain death. Together they search for the fabled new territory in a heart-pounding flight to freedom, with sadistic hunters and the government’s soldiers hot on their trial. Led by the unlikely Book and fearless Hope, these orphaned teens seek a better life, finding the best in themselves to fight the worst in their enemies” HarperTeen

Author Biography:

“Tom Isbell is an actor-author-professor: A graduate of the Yale School of Drama, he has acted in theater, film, and TV, working opposite Robert De Niro, Ed Harris, Sarah Jessica Parker, and others. Currently a theater professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth, he has had three of his plays produced by the Theater for Young Audiences at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, including Teddy Roosevelt and the Treasure of Ursa Major, which was adapted into a book with then-First Lady Laura Bush penning the foreword. Tom and his wife, Pat, live in Duluth, Minnesota. You can visit him online at www.tomisbell.com. ” -HarperTeen

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

The Prey is an exciting novel! I loved the action and adventure throughout the entire story. I could not get enough. I was legitimately invested in this story and wanted to know the fate of the characters. The characters drew me in from the start. I could not put the book down because I just wanted these characters to get justice and the happiness they deserved. This is an excellent read for younger readers!

Though this story is for a young audience, there is so much to enjoy that I did not mind reading it. Usually stories for younger audiences poor me due to the lack of relation to its characters or the story line not being action-packed and adventurous enough. However, this story defies all of that. The Prey gives all the action and adventure one would expect in a YA novel with a slightly more censored taste. Nonetheless, the reader is too invested in the story to really care who the intended audience was.

The first thing that drew me into wanting to check his series out was the adventurous looking book cover. When I read this book, I was looking for a story similar to what I am writing. This story is for a younger audience than what I am currently writing, but nevertheless, The Prey did not disappoint. I not only loved the cover but also the story and the characters. I could not help myself, so I had to buy the next book and see what the fate of these characters was.

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Christian Barillas and Ariana Delawari

Barillas and Delawari doe an excellent job narrating this story. Their narration draw listeners in and make the listening experience very enjoyable at a 1.0 speed. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 1.5 speed, so one does not miss anything. This speed is also my favorite speed to listen to this story. It is not too fast nor to slow. For those who are listening while reading the book and want to listen at a faster pace, I found 2.0 and 2.5 speed to be the best speeds. 3.0 was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator’s reading speed. 

Other works by this Author:

The Prey Series

  • The Prey
  • The Capture
  • The Release
Posted in Digital Journal Blog

Social Media: Best Finds of the Week

Posted on by H. J. Ortiz

Media 1:

Where did you view or hear the media?

  • I came across this first media while scrolling through my Facebook feed.

What is the genre and source of the media? (e.g. meme created by @gofindfun; advertisement in my feed)

  • The genre is a video advertisement created by Wix.

How did you encounter this media? (e.g. shared by @markywells; checking my news feed)

  • I came across this advertisement while checking out my Facebook feed.

What was the purpose of the media?

  • The purpose of the media was to simultaneously advertise Wix’s increased loading speed and the new Marvel movie.

What was your initial reaction to the media? (laughed; clicked the link)

  • I stopped and watched the video advertisement to see what it was about since I will be doing a presentation on how to use Wix this coming week.

Was your engagement with the media passive (scrolled past/didn’t view) or active (clicked the link/read or listened)? What motivated this type of engagement?

  • My engagement with the media was active. I clicked on the video and watched it in its entirety. I then went over to the website to see if it could elaborate on this increased “turbo speed” they are announcing. Funny thing happened: it had a part that said “see how fast,” and it wanted you to put in your website so it could show you just how fast viewers would see it, and it took forever to load the demonstration. Basically, I saw no different.

If your engagement was active, provide the rhetorical situation for the media (1 per week)

  • Purpose: The purpose of this media was to advertise Wix’s new “turbo speed” while also advertising the new Marvel movie, Captain Marvel.
  • Audience: The intended audience was anyone who is using or plans on using Wix for their website. Also, the advertisement is meant for those who are interested in Marvel movies.
  • Genre: The medium used was Facebook, and the genre used was a video.
  • Context: This was being shared and discussed on Facebook as anywhere else Wix is advertising.
  • Exigence: This media focused on Wix’s presumed “turbo speed” and used the new Marvel movie release to catch people’s attention.
  • Subject: The subject of this media was increased loading speed for Wix websites and the release of Captain Marvel.

Media 2:

Where did you view or hear the media?

  • I came across this second media while scrolling through Instagram.

What is the genre and source of the media? (e.g. meme created by @gofindfun; advertisement in my feed)

  • The original genre was a meme shared by bestvines Instagram page.

How did you encounter this media? (e.g. shared by @markywells; checking my news feed)

  • I came across this meme on Instagram. It was shared on the bestvines Instagram page.

What was the purpose of the media?

  • The purpose of the media was to entertain and make people laugh.

What was your initial reaction to the media? (laughed; clicked the link)

  • My initial reaction was to laugh. I stopped and took a closer look at the picture and showed it to two peers I was studying with.

Was your engagement with the media passive (scrolled past/didn’t view) or active (clicked the link/read or listened)? What motivated this type of engagement?

  • My engagement with the media was active. I stopped and observed the picture more closely, liked it, and showed in to the two friends I was with when I viewed it.

Media 3:

Where did you view or hear the media?

  • I came across this second media while scrolling through Instagram.

What is the genre and source of the media? (e.g. meme created by @gofindfun; advertisement in my feed)

  • The original genre was a pictured created by Christine Manzari, a bookstagramer I follow on Instagram.

How did you encounter this media? (e.g. shared by @markywells; checking my news feed)

  • I came across this picture while scrolling through the Instagram I created to share and interact with other writers, book lovers, bookstagramers, etc.

What was the purpose of the media?

  • The purpose of the media was to showcase a book the bookstagramer has on her To-Be-Read (TBR) list and to also get others in the bookstagram community to interact with her post.

What was your initial reaction to the media? (laughed; clicked the link)

  • My initial reaction was to like the picture. This is one of the bookstagramers that I interact with the most, so I pay more attention to what she shares.

Was your engagement with the media passive (scrolled past/didn’t view) or active (clicked the link/read or listened)? What motivated this type of engagement?

  • My engagement with the media was active. I stopped and observed the picture more closely, liked it, and even commented. The book she shared was one that I purchased that same day. My comment on her post was, “I just ordered that one because the author is going to be a signing even near me March 30th!!! I cannot wait!!”

Media 4:

Where did you view or hear the media?

  • I came across this second media while scrolling through Instagram.

What is the genre and source of the media? (e.g. meme created by @gofindfun; advertisement in my feed)

  • The original genre was a meme shared by so.mexican Instagram page.

How did you encounter this media? (e.g. shared by @markywells; checking my news feed)

  • I came across this meme on Instagram. It was shared on the so.mexican Instagram page.

What was the purpose of the media?

  • The purpose of the media was to entertain and make people laugh.

What was your initial reaction to the media? (laughed; clicked the link)

  • My initial reaction was to laugh. I stopped and took a closer look at the picture, and like the cat meme above, I showed it to two peers I was studying with.

Was your engagement with the media passive (scrolled past/didn’t view) or active (clicked the link/read or listened)? What motivated this type of engagement?

  • My engagement with the media was active. I stopped and observed the picture more closely, liked it, and showed in to the two friends I was with when I viewed it. Both of them laughed at the meme and one said that she had previously seen it.

Media 5:

Where did you view or hear the media?

  • My fifth media is a video that I came across in my Facebook feed.

What is the genre and source of the media? (e.g. meme created by @gofindfun; advertisement in my feed)

  • The genre for this media is a text image. The original source of the image was created and/or shared on the Troublemaker Mom Facebook page.

How did you encounter this media? (e.g. shared by @markywells; checking my news feed)

  • This media was shared by Laurie’s author page on Facebook.

What was the purpose of the media?

  • The purpose of the media was to show the “weirdness” of the English language.

What was your initial reaction to the media? (laughed; clicked the link)

  • My initial reaction was, “Wait. What?” I had to stop and take a good look at the image.

Was your engagement with the media passive (scrolled past/didn’t view) or active (clicked the link/read or listened)? What motivated this type of engagement?

  • My engagement with the media was active. I stopped and expanded the picture so I could take a closer look. After reading it carefully, I showed it to the two peers I was studying with since they too are English graduate students.
Posted in Book Review Blog

Tabula Rasa (The Amber group Book 1) Book Review

Posted on by H. J. Ortiz

Tabula Rasa (The Amber group Book 1)

by Filip Forsberg

To purchase this novel or to find more information, you can visit Amazon.

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $14.00

Hardcover: N/A

Kindle: $2.99 (Available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: N/A

Before Reading Facts:

Tabula Rasa by Filip Forsberg was published in 2018 by Filip Forsberg.

Page Count: 424 pages (paperback) 426 (Kindle)

Audiobook length: N/A

Chapters: N/A (Book is not divided into numbered chapters)

Languages: English and Swedish

Summary of Book:

“In a dystopian future, earth is under strain due to natural disasters and accelerating pollution of the environment. On the coast of Madagascar, a ruthless corporate leader creates his own vision of the future in the shape of Tabula Rasa, a mega complex inhabited by over a million people. Jonathan Jarl, a rookie agent for the Amber group, is on his first assignment and is assigned to retrieve the famous Nebra Sky disc that has been stolen. During the mission, he is faced with some of Tabula Rasas darkest secrets. Meanwhile, in orbit around the moon, a discovery is made that has potential implications for the entire human race but Tabula Rasa is doing everything in its powers to keep the discovery secret. In a lab within Tabula Rasa, an idealistic scientist decides to share the discovery with the world. She takes a fateful decision that puts her life on the line. Jonathan is thrown into a breakneck race for time and Tabula Rasa is the first thrilling installment about Jonathan Jarl and the Amber group.” -Amazon

Author Biography:

“Filip Forsberg is the author of the science-fiction thriller series about Jonathan Jarl and Amber Group.” –Author Website

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

I won a Kindle copy of Tabular Rasa in a Goodreads giveaway. I was excited to read something new that was not already on my TBR list. I wanted to explore what else was out there and allowed the Goodreads gods to select my new discovery. That lead me to Filip Forsberg’s Tabula Rasa (The Amber group Book 1). I was very interested in reading this book as its cover was very interesting, and it made me wonder what kind of journey this book would take me on.

Now, I know I gave this book a low rating, but I do not intend it to be hurtful or negative. On the contrary, I want to encourage the author to keep it up! I really wanted to enjoy this book, and I am not entirely sure, but I think he translated this book from Swedish to English himself. Like I said, I am not sure. If he did, I am amazed! Some of us cannot even write a book in our native language, much less translate it to a different one. If that is that case, I commend the author for his work. Writing a book is hard enough; I cannot imaging how hard it must be to translate it. Again, I am not fully sure on how factual the translation comment is, but I did visit the author’s website on Goodreads, and it is in a language unfamiliar to me. It appears to be Swedish according to the Google translate I did on the website.

With that being said, I did find a good number of grammar-related mistakes. I would like to remain optimistic and say that this is due to English possibly not being the author’s first language. The mistakes did add up, but they did not keep me from reading more. The phrasing was also a bit confusing at times, so I found myself having to re-read. Taht made me stop more than the simpler grammar mistakes. Most of the grammar mistakes I found were missing commas, so they could easily be overlooked. Nonetheless, continual grammar mistakes cause me to shift from reading mode to editing mode, and I found myself editing the manuscript instead of simply sitting down an enjoy reading it.

The story progresses in an interesting way. There is promise in the story and its characters; they just need to be flushed out more. I found myself confused at some point. Perhaps, that is a result of not having read similar stories as this one. I also found that there is a lot of “telling” throughout and would have loved if the author allowed the reader to “show” more of the world he created. I got through about sixteen percent of the book before having asked, “where is this going?” I wanted more of the plot to move quicker. It seemed that, at times, characters would linger in a scene too long. I also found myself asking which characters I should care about. I wanted to connect with someone in the story but did not find that connection. The lack of connection to the character inevitably led me to giving up on the story and adding this title to my DNF list.

I do hope that in a future time, I find the time to give this story another go and perhaps even get through the whole thing. However, at the moment, other TBR books were calling to me and eventually drew me away from this title. I with the author luck in his future projects and would advise him to find someone who will provide a thorough and excellent proofreading and editing of his future projects.

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: N/A

No Audible Available.

Other works by this Author:

Novels:

  • Seek allt som behvs (Swedish Edition)

Amber group Series

  • Tabula Rasa
  • Genesis
Posted in Book Review Blog

Seafire Book Review

Posted on by H. J. Ortiz

Seafire

by Natalie C. Parker

To purchase this novel or to find more information, you can visit Amazon.

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $10.99

Hardcover: $18.99

Kindle: $10.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: $26.95 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Before Reading Facts:

Seafire by Natalie C. Parker was published in 2018 by Razorbill.

Page Count: 400 pages (paperback) 384 (hardcover) 384 (Kindle)

Audiobook length: 10 hrs 30 mins

Chapters: 43

Languages: English 

Summary of Book:

“The first in a heart-stopping trilogy that recalls the undeniable feminine power of Wonder Woman and the powder-keg action of Mad Max: Fury Road, Seafire follows the captain of an all-female ship intent on taking down a vicious warlord’s powerful fleet.

After her family is killed by corrupt warlord Aric Athair and his bloodthirsty army of Bullets, Caledonia Styx is left to chart her own course on the dangerous and deadly seas. She captains her ship, the Mors Navis, with a crew of girls and women just like her, who have lost their families and homes because of Aric and his men. The crew has one mission: stay alive, and take down Aric’s armed and armored fleet.

But when Caledonia’s best friend and second-in-command barely survives an attack thanks to help from a Bullet looking to defect, Caledonia finds herself questioning whether to let him join their crew. Is this boy the key to taking down Aric Athair once and for all . . . or will he threaten everything the women of the Mors Navis have worked for?” -Razorbill

Author Biography:

“Natalie C. Parker is the author of the Beware the Wild duology and the Seafire trilogy and the editor of The Sides of a Heart. She earned her BA in English literature from the University of Southern Mississippi and her MA in gender studies from the University of Cincinnati. She grew up in a Navy family, finding home in coastal cities from Virginia to Japan. Now she lives surprisingly far from any ocean on the Kansas prairie, where she runs Madcap Retreats with her wife. You can find Natalie on Instagram @ncparker.” -Razorbill

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

I was hesitant about reading this novel when I first picked it up. The dust cover caught my attention, but I was not sure if the story would hold my attention. I’m not one for sea stories, pirate stories, or anything in that regard. Perhaps, that is because I had to recently study Moby Dick, and I was not a huge fan. However, the synopsis of the novel did provide an interesting description of the story and so I decided to give this novel a try.

I was not immediately draw in as a result of all the sailing and ship-related descriptions. Again, I’m not one for boats and sea stories. But I decided to continue, because there was something in the characters that held my attention. Their story was more important to me than my not liking ships/sea stories. I wanted to know their history and what Parker had in store for these characters.

I found myself drawn in by the action taking place in the novel. Parker does a magnificent job navigating this tale full of discovery, fighting, and the hunt for vengeance. I quickly found myself rooting for Captain Caledonia and her crew. I was drawn in and felt the tension, excitement, and fear the characters endured throughout. In the end, I was satisfied with the ending to this first part of the trilogy and cannot wait to see what is in store for the Mors Navis, for Caledonia, and for the crew.

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Rebecca Soler

Soler does really good job narrating. Her narration at a 1.0 speed, is perfect for captivating the tale. It does not seem too slow or boring as I have experienced with some Audible narrations in the past. I listened at a 1.75 speed the whole time while I was multitasking. That speed was the fastest I would go. 2.0 speed was too fast to listen to while multitasking. However, for those who are listening while reading the book, I found 2.0 and 2.5 speed to be the best speeds. 3.0 was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator’s reading speed. 

Other works by this Author:

Beware the Wild duology:

  • Beware the Wild
  • Behold the Bones

Seafire Series

  • Seafire
Posted in Book Review Blog

A Very Large Expanse of Sea Book Review

Posted on by H. J. Ortiz

A Very Large Expanse of Sea

by Tahereh Mafi

To purchase this novel or to find more information, you can visit Amazon.

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $11.96

Hardcover: $18.99

Kindle: $18.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: $22.95 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Before Reading Facts:

A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi was published in 2018 by HarperCollins.

Page Count: 320 pages (paperback) 320 (hardcover) 307 (Kindle)

Audiobook length: 06 hrs 43 mins

Chapters: 38

Languages: English 

Summary of Book:

“It’s 2002, a year after 9/11, and Shirin has just started at yet another school. It’s an extremely turbulent time for the world, but also for someone like Shirin, a sixteen-year-old Muslim girl who’s tired of being stereotyped.

Shirin is never surprised by how horrible people can be. But she’s tired of the rude stares, the degrading comments–even the physical violence–she endures as a result of her race, her religion, and the hijab she wears every day. She decided long ago not to trust anyone anymore, and she doesn’t expect, or even try, to fit in anywhere or let anyone close enough to hurt her. Instead, she drowns her frustrations in music and spends her afternoons breakdancing with her brother.

But then she meets Ocean James. He’s the first person in forever who really seems to want to get to know Shirin. It terrifies her–they seem t come from two irreconcilable worlds–and Shirin has had her guard up for so long that she’s not sure she’ll ever be able to let it down.

Tahereh Mafi, bestselling author of the Shatter Me series, returns with a gorgeous and heartrending new novel inspired by her own experiences with first love, breakdancing, and the devastating impact of prejudice” -HarperCollins

Author Biography:

“Tahereh Mafi is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Shatter Me series, Furthermore, and Whichwood. She can usually be found overcaffinated and stuck in a book” -HarperCollins

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

A Very Large Expanse of Sea was a novel I picked up after reading the Shatter Me series. After reading the amazing series, I decided to read more of Tahereh Mafi’s work, and this novel did not disappoint. It is such a powerful story, one that opens up to the public to reveal the story of a struggling teen during turbulent times. The struggles this novel portrays captivates its readers and brings awareness to the prejudices a young, innocent girl received as a result of her culture and religion.

The story portrays the struggles Shirin ensures and how prejudice takes a hold of her life for so long that she closes herself off to the world. The story takes the reader on a journey of discovery and is full of emotion, anger, sadness, and raw insight into the life of a young Muslim girl who struggles to find herself in a world that sees her in such a negative manner. Shirin manages to find passion and a love for breakdancing and music and as a result discovers who she is as a result.

A Very Large Expanse of Sea is a beautifully written story. I enjoyed it and found it to be extremely enlightening. After reading so much science fiction and fantasy, it was so different to pick up a novel that places me back into the ‘real world’ and make me aware of the events that inspired so many authors. This novel is Tahereh Mafi’s testimony of hard times and how she managed to find love and happiness in music and breakdancing.

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Priya Ayyar

Ayyar’s narration captivate the emotions in such a way that bring the story to life for listeners. The narration allows readers to keep listening and latches on to the frustration Shirin displays and her battle against prejudice. I extremely enjoyed listening to the story at a 1.50 speed. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 1.75 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book, I found  2.5 speed and 3.0 speed to be the best speeds. 3.5 was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator’s reading speed.  

Other works by this Author:

Novels

Furthermore

Whichwood

Shatter Me Series

  • Shatter Me
  • Unravel Me
  • Ignite Me
  • Restore Me

Novellas

  • Destroy Me
  • Fracture Me

Novella Collection

  • Unite Me
Posted in Digital Journal Blog

Social Media: Best Finds of the Week

Posted on by H. J. Ortiz

Media 1:

 

To read the consumer report click here.

Where did you view or hear the media?

  • I came across this first media while scrolling through my Facebook feed.

What is the genre and source of the media? (e.g. meme created by @gofindfun; advertisement in my feed)

  • The genre is an image of the Consumer Report for the best vehicles for 2019 published on USA Today.

How did you encounter this media? (e.g. shared by @markywells; checking my news feed)

  • This image was shared by Dylan on Facebook.

What was the purpose of the media?

  • The purpose of the media was to showcase the best vehicles of 2019 per category.

What was your initial reaction to the media? (laughed; clicked the link)

  • I first stopped and took a closer look at the image. I had to click on the image to enlarge it to read fully read it.

Was your engagement with the media passive (scrolled past/didn’t view) or active (clicked the link/read or listened)? What motivated this type of engagement?

  • My engagement with the media was active. I clicked on the image to read more about it. I then wanted to ensure this image was not created to sway anyone’s opinion, so I followed it to its original source to validate its authenticity. I wanted to do so because the person who shared it works for Toyota. I wanted to double check that this was not something Toyota was doing to get more people to purchase their vehicles.

If your engagement was active, provide the rhetorical situation for the media (1 per week)

  • Purpose: The purpose of this media was to provide consumer with the report of the best vehicles of 2019 per category.
  • Audience: The intended audience was anyone who plans on purchasing a 2019 vehicle and anyone interest in what the best 2019 vehicles are.
  • Genre: The medium used was Facebook, and the genre used was an image.
  • Context: This was being shared and discussed on Facebook as well as the original source, USA Today.
  • Exigence: This media focused on providing consumers with a report of not only which are the best vehicles of 2019 but also where each vehicle manufacturer stands.
  • Subject: The subject of this media was the promotion the best vehicles and makes for this year.

Media 2:

Where did you view or hear the media?

  • I came across this second media while scrolling through video recommendations.

What is the genre and source of the media? (e.g. meme created by @gofindfun; advertisement in my feed)

  • The original genre was a video shared by FOX 26 Houston Facebook page.

How did you encounter this media? (e.g. shared by @markywells; checking my news feed)

  • I originally clicked on a video shared on Facebook and then proceeded to watch whatever videos were recommended. I eventually came across this one while having watched or scrolling past other recommendation.

What was the purpose of the media?

  • The purpose of the media was to entertain.

What was your initial reaction to the media? (laughed; clicked the link)

  • My initial reaction after having arrived at the video was to read the description. After having done so, I proceeded to actually watch the full video.

Was your engagement with the media passive (scrolled past/didn’t view) or active (clicked the link/read or listened)? What motivated this type of engagement?

  • My engagement with the media was active. I find it interesting that I seemed to have come across this video while passively skipping video recommendations that disinterested me. I only became active with those that drew my attention based on the description given. I did not originally shared this video, but did so after going back and watching it a second time for this journal entry.

Media 3:

Where did you view or hear the media?

  • I came across this third media while scrolling through my Facebook feed.

What is the genre and source of the media? (e.g. meme created by @gofindfun; advertisement in my feed)

  • The genre was a video on Facebook. The compilation derived from the Femaleclub Facebook page.

How did you encounter this media? (e.g. shared by @markywells; checking my news feed)

  • I came across this video after first clicking on a different video shared on Facebook. I had watched several video recommendations that followed the first, shared video until I arrived at this one.

What was the purpose of the media?

  • The purpose of the media was to entertain and make people laugh.

What was your initial reaction to the media? (laughed; clicked the link)

  • I stayed on the video after reading the description displayed for this first clip in the compilation. Normally, when I am watching video recommendation after clicking on a video shared by someone, I read the description and decide if I want to actually watch it or not. For this one, I actually stayed.

Was your engagement with the media passive (scrolled past/didn’t view) or active (clicked the link/read or listened)? What motivated this type of engagement?

  • My engagement with the media was active. I first read the description and then stayed for entire video. Once I finished watching it, I shared it. This video was humorous, and that is one of the only reasons I ever watch videos on Facebook: because their purpose is to entertain and make the viewer laugh.

Media 4:

Where did you view or hear the media?

  • I came across this next media while scrolling through my Facebook feed.

What is the genre and source of the media? (e.g. meme created by @gofindfun; advertisement in my feed)

  • The genre was a video created by Ring.

How did you encounter this media? (e.g. shared by @markywells; checking my news feed)

  • This video was shared by Rheagan on Facebook.

What was the purpose of the media?

  • The purpose of this media was to show a funny interaction captured by one family’s home security system.

What was your initial reaction to the media? (laughed; clicked the link)

  • When I came across this media, I clicked on the video. I wanted to see what it was about, and the description of the video caught my attention enough to make me want to watch.

Was your engagement with the media passive (scrolled past/didn’t view) or active (clicked the link/read or listened)? What motivated this type of engagement?

  • My engagement with the media was active. I stopped, read the description, and watched the full video. I then shared the video on Facebook. I first stopped and watched the video because I was actively looking for funny videos to watch on Facebook, and this looked like it was a good fit.

Media 5:

Where did you view or hear the media?

  • My fifth media is a video that I came across in my Facebook feed.

What is the genre and source of the media? (e.g. meme created by @gofindfun; advertisement in my feed)

  • The genre for this media is a video. The original source of the video was created by Beauty Studio.

How did you encounter this media? (e.g. shared by @markywells; checking my news feed)

  • This media was shared by Haley on Facebook.

What was the purpose of the media?

  • The purpose of the media was to entertain and show an amazing work of chocolate created by Amaury Guichon. 

What was your initial reaction to the media? (laughed; clicked the link)

  • I immediately clicked on it. I love watching culinary art videos.

Was your engagement with the media passive (scrolled past/didn’t view) or active (clicked the link/read or listened)? What motivated this type of engagement?

  • My engagement with the media was active. I first clicked on the video and watched the whole thing. I then privately shared this video with myself so that I could reference it for this week’s digital journal and shared it with friends once I was done including it in my post. This video looked intriguing, and I love watching videos where people make amazing works of arts.
Posted in Book Review Blog

Where’d You Go, Bernadette Book Review

Posted on by H. J. Ortiz

Where’d You Go, Bernadette

by Maria Semple

To purchase this novel or to find more information, you can visit Amazon.

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $16.99

Hardcover: $31.99

Kindle: $7.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: $11.96 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Before Reading Facts:

Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple was published in 2012 by Back Bay Books.

Page Count: 352 pages (paperback) 487 (hardcover) 335 (Kindle)

Audiobook length: 09 hours 35 minutes

Chapters: N/A (Book is not divided into numbered chapters)

Languages: English (also available in the following translation: Spanish) 

Summary of Book:

“When fifteen-year-old Bee claims a family trip to Antarctica as a reward for perfect grades, her fiercely intelligent but agoraphobic mother, Bernadette, throws herself into preparations for the trip. Worn down by years of trying to live the Seattle life she never wanted, Bernadette is on the brink of a meltdown. As disaster follows disaster, she disappears, leaving her family to pick up the pieces. Which is exactly what Bee does, weaving together emails, invoices, and school memos to reveal the secret past that Bernadette has been hiding for decades. Where’d You Go, Bernadette is an ingeniously entertaining novel about a family coming to terms with who they are, and the power of a daughter’s love for their imperfect mother.” -Back Bay Books

Author Biography:

“Maria Semple is the author of the novels This One Is Mine; Where’d You Go, Bernadette, which has been translated into eighteen languages; and Today Will Be Different. She lives in Seattle.” -Back Bay Books

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

I read this book for the Livre D’Amour book club. I was fairly open to reading something different, and this book seemed like it would be that something. I read the book summary before diving in and was interested in the story. I didn’t know much about the novel or what others were saying before reading because I did not want what others thought to sway my reading experience. After getting through about half of the novel, I could kind of guess that this is one of those books where people either loved or hated. I, myself, was on the fence. I kept myself judgement-free for as long as possible.

Once I started reading this novel, I realized the setup was new to me. The way Semple portrayed this story was very interesting. The story relies a lot on email conversations and interactions between multiple characters. This was not a novel I could listen to while doing something else as I have a tendency to do. I had to maintain my attention on the story or else I would get lost. However, I did not have trouble with the story’s layout. I actually really enjoyed it. I enjoyed Semple’s interesting story-telling and was really happy I got to see a different way of writing a novel.

I guess one negative thing I have to say about this novel is the whole “where’d you go” part of the title. Even in the book summary, the whole “Bernadette disappeared” originally caught my attention, and I wanted to know about her disappearance and if the main character figures out what happened to her. However, I was fairy disappointed that this novel was not much of a mystery as I had originally thought. Bernadette was present for about sixty-five percent of the novel that I just had to question when she would indeed disappear. By the time she did, I had already lost interest and simply read the story to contribute to the book club. This is not a bad story. I think the fact that I thought this was going to be more of a mystery gave me false expectations, and since it did not go as I thought, I quickly lost interest in what was going on.

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Kathleen Wilhoite

Wilhoite does an amazing job capturing the sarcasm and sassyness of the characters. Her narration made the story interesting. I have not read many novels written in the way this one was written in, but the way Wilhoite applies a different voice for each character allowed me to follow this story with ease. I did have to read at more than a 1.25 speed. 1.0 speed was too slow for me. At 1.25 speed, Wilhoite’s narration is about the speed I read, and is about normal conversational speech speed. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 1.75 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book, I found 2.0 and 2.5 speed to be the best speeds. 3.0 and 3.5 speed was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator’s reading speed. 

Other works by this Author:

Novels

  • This One Is Mine
  • Today Will Be Different
Posted in Book Review Blog

The Rose Society Book Review

Posted on by H. J. Ortiz

The Rose Society

by Marie Lu

To purchase this novel or to find more information, you can visit Amazon.

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $10.99

Hardcover: $18.99

Kindle: $10.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: $24.50 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Before Reading Facts:

The Rose Society by Marie Lu was published in 2015 by SPEAK.

Page Count: 395 pages (paperback) 416 (hardcover) 412 (Kindle)

Audiobook length: 11 hrs 07 mins

Chapters: N/A (Not separated by numbered chapters) 

Languages: English (also available in the follow translations: Spanish, French, and German)

Summary of Book:

“Now Adelina Amouteru is turning down the bitter path of revenge. Knowing and feared as the White Wolf, she searches for other Young Elites to build up her own army. Her goal: strike down the Inquisition Axis who nearly killed her.

But make no mistake–Adelina is no heroine. Her powers are growing beyond her control and she trusts no one.

Adelina struggles to cling to the good within her.

But now can she be good when her very existence depends on darkness?” -SPEAK

Author Biography:

“Marie Lu is the author of the#1 New York Times bestselling series the Young Elites, the blockbuster bestselling Legend series, and Warcross. She graduated from the University of Southern California and jumped into the video game industry as an artist. Now a full-time writer, she spends her spare time reading, drawing, playing games, and getting stuck in traffic. She lives in Los Angeles, California, with her husband, one Chihuahua mix, and two Pembroke Welsh corgis” -SPEAK

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

I was very excited to read this novel. After reading The Young Elites, I could not wait to jump into the second book in the series. I could not wait to see what was in store fore Adelina at the end of the first novel. I could tell something big was going to happen to Adelina in The Rose Society. The ending of The Young Elites signaled the beginning of Adelina’s revenge and journey to discover her power to become the powerful leader lurking inside.

Lu once more takes the reader into Adelina’s dark mind as she forms new alliances to take on the forces against her. There is an interesting twist in the story that I will not discuss to avoid any spoilers, but all I can say is that it took by surprise. I was not expecting that to happen in the novel.

I’ve stressed my fascination with Marie Lu’s writing before. This novel did not disappoint. However, I did find myself having conflicting emotions. I did not know how to feel in the end toward the fate of Adelina at the end of the novel and am fairly worried to see what happens in the third novel, The Midnight Star.

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Carla Corvo and Lannon Killea

Corvo and Killea do an amazing job in the second part of The Rose Society series. I enjoyed their first collaboration for The Young Elites and was excited to find out that the same narrators would be narrating this one as well. As with the first novel, I was completely satisfied with their narration of the second book in the series. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 1.75 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book, I found  2.5 speed to be the best speeds. 3.0 was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator’s reading speed. 

Other works by this Author:

Novels

Batman: Nightwalker

Legend Series

  • Legend
  • Prodigy
  • Champion

The Young Elites Series

  • The Young Elites 
  • The Rose Society
  • The Midnight Star

Warcross Duology

  • Warcross
  • Wildcard
Posted in Book Review Blog

Frost Like Night Book Review

Posted on by H. J. Ortiz

Frost Like Night

by Sara Raasch

To purchase this novel or to find more information, you can visit Amazon.

Amazon Prices:

Paperback: $9.99

Hardcover: $17.99

Kindle: $9.99 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Audible: $27.95 (Not available on Kindle Unlimited)

Before Reading Facts:

Frost Like Night by Sara Raasch was published in 2016 by Balzer + Bray.

Page Count: 512 pages (paperback) 496 (hardcover) 491 (Kindle)

Audiobook length: 12 hrs 23 mins

Chapters: 39

Languages: English (also available in the follow translation: German)

Summary of Book:

“Meira will do anything to save her world from the threat of Angra’s Decay. So when the leader of a mysterious order from Paisly offers to teach her how to master her magic, Meira jumps at the chance. But the true solution to stopping the Decay lies in a labyrinth deep beneath the Season Kingdoms. To defeat Angra, Meira will have to enter the labyrinth, destroy the magic she’s learning to control–and make the biggest sacrifice of all.

Mather will do anything to save his queen. But with a plan of attack that leaves no kingdom unscathed and betrayal within his team’s ranks, winning the war–and protecting Meira–slips farther and farther out of reach.

Ceridwen will do anything to save her people. Angra had her brother killed, stole her kingdom, and made her a prisoner. But when she’s freed by an unexpected ally, Ceridwen must take action to save her true love and her kingdom, even if it costs her what little she has left.

As Angra unleashes the Decay on the world, Meira, Mather, and Ceridwen must bring the kingdoms of Primoria together . . . or lose everything” -Balzer + Bray

Author Biography:

“Sara Raasch has known she was destined for bookish things since the age of five, when her friends had a lemonade stand and she tagged along to sell her hand-drawn picture books too. Not much has changed since then: her friends still cock concerned eyebrows when she attempts to draw things, and her enthusiasm for the written word still drives her to extreme measures. She is also the New York Times bestselling author of Snow Like Ashes and Ice Like Fire. You can visit her online at http://www.sararaasch.tumblr.com and on Twitter at @seesarawrite” -Balzer + Bray

Book Review:

Overall Book Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Frost Like Night did not fail in finalizing the fate of the Winterians. This novel brought the Snow Like Ashes series to an end in a satisfying way. I let out a long sight of relief at the finale. There was a heart-breaking moment in the novel that moved me to near-tears, but I had to hold myself together.

I was nervous throughout the entire time. Like many times I read, I could not help but wonder, “who will the author kill off?” That constant anxiety kept me reading more. I will not reveal any details about whether Raasch did so or not. I will let you figure that out on your own. Just note, that like the previous two novels, the author does an amazing job!

In all, this entire series was amazing, and I cannot wait to read more of Raasch future works. I know she has another novel out, The Rebel Waves, so I will have to check that one out as well. I extremely enjoyed Raasch writing and the way she captivated my attention with her Snow Like Ashes series.

Audible Review:

Narration Rating: ★★★★★ / ★★★★★

Narration by Kate Rudd, Nick Podehl, and Eileen Stevens

Rudd and Podehl returns to narrate the final part of this series and does an excellent job. They are joined by a third narrator, Eileen Stevens, and this change in narration from the first and second novels  gives the listening experience a fresh flavor each time. I extremely enjoyed listening to the entire series. For those of us who like to multitask and listen on the go, I recommend listening at a 1.5 speed, so one does not miss anything. For those who are listening while reading the book, I found 2.0 and 2.5 speed to be the best speeds. 3.0 was too fast for me, and I was missing a lot of what the narrator was saying and had to eventually slow down the narrator’s reading speed.

Other works by this Author:

Novels:

  • These Rebel Waves

Snow Like Ashes Series

  • Snow Like Ashes
  • Ice Like Fire
  • Frost Like Night
Posted in Digital Journal Blog

Social Media: Best Finds of the Week

Posted on by H. J. Ortiz

Media 1:

IMG_3181

Where did you view or hear the media?

  • I came across this first media while scrolling through my Instagram feed.

What is the genre and source of the media? (e.g. meme created by @gofindfun; advertisement in my feed)

How did you encounter this media? (e.g. shared by @markywells; checking my news feed)

  • I am not quite sure what I was looking at prior to seeing this advertisement. I believe I was looking at the different prices to upgrade my WordPress for this domain. After checking out the different prices and decided to wait on upgrading, I hopped on Instagram and came across this advertisement.

What was the purpose of the media?

  • The purpose of the media was to catch the attention of people who are looking to set up a new blog and would like some guidance as to how to do so.

What was your initial reaction to the media? (laughed; clicked the link)

  • I first stopped and took a closer look at the advertisement before following the link. What caught my attention was the “turn your passion into profit” part of the advertisement and wanted to see if they would elaborate on that idea.

Was your engagement with the media passive (scrolled past/didn’t view) or active (clicked the link/read or listened)? What motivated this type of engagement?

  • My engagement with the media was active. I followed the link and tried to learn more about what this company had to offer. When I was on the website, the first thing that caught my attention was their “enrollment is currently closed” because I was curious to know if this website was one constantly used by anyone who was a new blogger since the enrollment was full. I was also curious to know how limited the space was. After getting into more of the information though, the company began to sound more and more sketchy to me.
  • First off,  I found it hilarious that they said the course would be $997, “less than $1,000.” Wow! They’re really doing you a solid there. But beyond their killer price, I found it quite interesting that it said they only opened for enrollment once a year for five days. What business opens for just five days in a year? Well, if this is indeed a credible blogging course, then it must indeed be for the elite few who just so happen to run into this advertisement between March 4-8.

If your engagement was active, provide the rhetorical situation for the media (1 per week)

  • Purpose: The purpose of this media was to lure in people interested in making a living off of being full-time bloggers into paying for this blogging course.
  • Audience: The intended audience was either new bloggers or those who are interesting in starting up a blog. This does not seem like something an already established blogger would need.
  • Genre: The medium used was Instagram, and the genre used was an advertisement.
  • Context: This was being promoted and discussed by anyone who comes across it in their Instagram feed. I wish I would have taken the time to scroll through some of the comments to see what others were saying, but unfortunately I did not.
  • Exigence: This media focused on helping new bloggers get the best out of their passion. It appeared as a way to help people get the best out of their blog. Whether the media is credible or not required further investigating/researching.
  • Subject: The subject of this media was the promotion of ways to improve and monetizing a blog.

Media 2:

IMG_3182
To read the article follow the link here.

Where did you view or hear the media?

  • I came across this second media while scrolling through my Facebook feed.

What is the genre and source of the media? (e.g. meme created by @gofindfun; advertisement in my feed)

  • The original genre was an article written by Dave Copeland for Work and Money. On Facebook it was shared as a link to the original source.

How did you encounter this media? (e.g. shared by @markywells; checking my news feed)

  • This link was shared on Facebook by Carlos.

What was the purpose of the media?

  • The purpose of the media was to raise awareness about potentially poor career path choices.

What was your initial reaction to the media? (laughed; clicked the link)

  • I honestly just wanted to make sure anything that I liked or aspired to be was not on that list, so I clicked the link and scrolled through the professions that are listed.

Was your engagement with the media passive (scrolled past/didn’t view) or active (clicked the link/read or listened)? What motivated this type of engagement?

  • My engagement with the media was somewhat active. I did click on the link, but once I was at the source, I was somewhat more passive. I scrolled past careers I was not interested in, not really caring why those professions were “dying,” but I did stop at professions I found interesting and read what rationale Copeland had for the downfall in those professions.

Media 3:

IMG_3183

Where did you view or hear the media?

  • I came across this third media while scrolling through my Facebook feed.

What is the genre and source of the media? (e.g. meme created by @gofindfun; advertisement in my feed)

  • The genre was an advertisement for a Udemy writing course.

How did you encounter this media? (e.g. shared by @markywells; checking my news feed)

  • This was another writing course media advertisement that started to show up on my Facebook feed ever since I looked into the Masterclass course by Neil Gaiman for my first digital journal entry.

What was the purpose of the media?

  • The purpose of the media was to draw in anyone who wanted to become a better writer into following the link and spending time looking through the different courses they had to offer.

What was your initial reaction to the media? (laughed; clicked the link)

  • Like with Neil Gaiman’s Masterclass course, I stopped and followed the link for this course as well. Since I do want to look into taking more creative writing workshops and conferences post-graduate school, I wanted to see what all was out there.

Was your engagement with the media passive (scrolled past/didn’t view) or active (clicked the link/read or listened)? What motivated this type of engagement?

  • My engagement with the media was somewhat active. I knew I was not going to sign up for anything at the moment given that I am still in graduate school, but I spent some time looking at the different courses they offer. I actually almost purchased one of courses just to see what it was about since there is apparently a sale where all courses are just $10.99, but I did not find one that I had to have.

Media 4:

IMG_3186

Where did you view or hear the media?

  • I came across this next media while scrolling through my Facebook feed.

What is the genre and source of the media? (e.g. meme created by @gofindfun; advertisement in my feed)

  • The genre was a Facebook post that linked to a news story.

How did you encounter this media? (e.g. shared by @markywells; checking my news feed)

  • I was not quite sure how I came about this media, which is why I wanted to share it. Apparently, someone that I am friends with on Facebook got mentioned in a comment for this news report, and for some reason, Facebook decided I should be aware. I do not generally pay much attention to my feed on Facebook and of who gets tagged or mentioned where, but I found it strange that I needed to know where someone that I do not even engage with on Facebook was mentioned.

What was the purpose of the media?

  • The purpose of this media was to report on the president’s recent actions regarding the border between the U.S. and Mexico.

What was your initial reaction to the media? (laughed; clicked the link)

  • When I came across this media, I stopped scrolling and read the information posted before following the link. Now, I did follow the link, but I honestly did not pay much attention reading the full story.

Was your engagement with the media passive (scrolled past/didn’t view) or active (clicked the link/read or listened)? What motivated this type of engagement?

  • My engagement with the media was somewhat active. My engagement was active enough to stop and read what the post was about and to even follow the link. But I will admit that my engagement was not enough to actually read the full story and to do my own research regarding the topic covered in the story. I did not have the time to do so or else I would have.

Media 5:

Where did you view or hear the media?

  • My fifth media is a video that I came across in my Facebook feed.

What is the genre and source of the media? (e.g. meme created by @gofindfun; advertisement in my feed)

How did you encounter this media? (e.g. shared by @markywells; checking my news feed)

  • This media was shared by Katherine on Facebook.

What was the purpose of the media?

  • The purpose of the media was to entertain and show some of the backstage moments of The Office.

What was your initial reaction to the media? (laughed; clicked the link)

  • I immediately clicked on it. I love blooper videos and could not pass this one up.

Was your engagement with the media passive (scrolled past/didn’t view) or active (clicked the link/read or listened)? What motivated this type of engagement?

  • My engagement with the media was active. I first clicked on the video and watched the whole thing. I then scrolled through some of the comments to see what others had to say about the video.