November Reading Ladder

The Cask of Amontillado– Edgar Allan Poe (20 pages)

A short story where the protagonist seeks revenge on one of his acquaintances who has recently insulted him. The setting and imagery are very symbolic and create the tone of the piece, for example, the protagonist leads his victim through catacombs, foreshadowing the event about to occur.

Rating: 3/5

A House in the Sky- Amanda Lindhout (373 pages)

The haunting and entrancing memoir of a Canadian woman who aspired to travel the world, and ventured into Somalia. She was held captive in this remote land for fifteen months, forced to abandon her innocence and youth to adapt to survival mode.

Rating: 4/5


Total number of pages: 393

Pages per week: 98

Pages per day: 14

I am a little disappointed in my reading this month.  I know that as a student taking AP English and creative writing, that I must be reading at least 25 pages per day, and this month, I fell short by just over ten pages. Reading such a powerful memoir about a woman growing up in the same area I did really allowed me connect with both the story and the author, and at times I had to take a break from the writing because it was affecting me so much. I would definitely recommend A House in the Sky to any reader. The language is easy to comprehend and follow, and the theme of resilience is extremely empowering.

As for the short story, I did enjoy it, but not as much as Poe’s poetry. The style he uses and the actual plot is not one I would typically gravitate towards, so I would recommend it for readers who enjoy the darker side of literature. His poem, “A Dream Within A Dream”, is one of my all time favourites, because it focuses more on the illusion of life and the surreal aspect of living in a dream world.

I have also been re-reading and constantly reviewing Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, which is becoming one of my all time favourite novels. My goal for next month is to read at least two novels, and follow through with my previous goal of reading another few Tennessee Williams plays.