Reading Review Week

The reading that I have enjoyed the most so far was Narayan's version of The Ramayana. I liked that this version was more to-the-point than Buck's version. Even though it was nice that Buck's version had more detail, Narayan's version was easier to keep up with. 

The note-taking strategies that I used was to take the notes as I read. I sat with my computer open, and a word document up and recorded my thoughts and the page numbers as I went. I also read the entire reading of the day in one sitting and kept my phone away from me to keep distractions away. I always read at night to make sure I didn't have to rush through it because of any prior engagements.

I have been using my Reading Diary in connection to my Storytelling. As I read, I considered good parts of the weekly reading to turn into my Storytelling post. When I was done with the reading for the week, I considered the best part to use, and looked through my notes so that I could get the page numbers and reread that part before writing my story.

When I look back at my previous Reading Diaries, I am able to recall the readings that we did. I feel like I did a good job in recording my thoughts and parts of the story and providing the page numbers to those places in case I need to go back and read it again.

Although I am doing the Storybook Project, I am not currently doing any reading outside of what we're reading because I haven't found the need yet. However, I am considering doing more reading because I still need one more idea for a story. I am hoping to be able to find that idea while we are reading The Mahabharata instead of having to look elsewhere. The Ramayana was in itself a good source for me. 

I do like to read for pleasure, though it is mostly done during breaks. I do like fantasy and magical stories, however I would rather read works that are a bit less poetic than what we have been reading so far.

The only advice I have is more of something that I would prefer. I wish we would have had a review week between reading the two different versions of The Ramayana. It was kind of exhausting to have to finish one version, and then immediately launch into the next. 

The advice I would give to students taking this class in the future, is to actually give yourself about two hours to read for class. Sit down without anything that could be a distraction to you and take the time to read and understand the work. Then, after you have read, read the reading notes provided by Laura. It really helps you check your understanding, and helps understand what you didn't catch as you read. 

Image Information: Hanuman Finds Sita; Web Source: Wikimedia Commons.

This was my favorite picture that I used from my readings. It really shows the budding relationship between Sita and Hanuman, and how she comes to trust him as one of Rama's most beloved companions.