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I don't consider myself an accomplished essayist, I can write them just fine, but they aren't anything spectacular. I'd love it if they were, but I never have anything particularly interesting to say about the works we write about. And if the writer isn't excited about what they're writing about, chances are that the reader isn't either. I think the purpose of literary analysis is to have a fuller understanding of the work (novel, play, etc). To put your own spin on the work--what you got out of it, something that maybe another person didn't.
Challenges for me include having a unique point of view that I'm comfortable with writing an entire essay on. Some of my ideas I don't trust, or want to put effort into making it make sense to others. Which, yes, is terribly lazy of me. I put a lot of thought into my Romeo and Juliet essay, but I have doubts that I'll recieve all 100%. My last essays have been in the B range, but I'm fixing my essay tomorrow in accordance to why the last ones lost points.

Summer Reading

I've enjoyed reading books on my own since learning to read in elementary school. My taste in books has changed progressively since then, of course, and lately I've struggled with finding decent books I'm interested in. Reading for classes and homework have kept me pretty occupied too, but this summer my schedule will be free and my reading shall (hopefully) pick up.
For my reading list, I'm thinking of trying Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte, as I read Wuthering Heights by her sister Emily this year. That seems a little ambitious though, so we'll see.
Another book I've been thinking about reading for really a long time now is Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. I've liked several of her books and this one seems like it's got an interesting concept. It's non-fiction, but has great reviews (from my mother at least). Barbara Kingsolver and her family decided to live off food grown within a 100 mile radius of their home for a year, and this book is all about that, as well as interspersed with how the the agriculture industry has changed our eating habits.
As summer gets nearer, I'm going to add more books to my list, but for now, this is all I've got.

culture shock-o valencia

O Valencia, by the Decemberists is a fantastic song, and tells the story of forbidden love and an unnecessary death as a result.

"You belong to the gang
And you say you can't break away
But I'm here with my hands on my heart

Our families can't agree
I'm your brother's sworn enemy
But I'll shout out my love to the stars

So wait for the stone on your window, your window
Wait by the car and we'll go, we'll go

When first we laid eyes
I swore to no compromise
'Til I felt my caress on your skin

Well, how soon we were betrayed
Your sister gave us away
And your father came all unhinged

So wait for the stone on your window, your window
Wait by the car and we'll go, we'll go

Oh Valencia
With your blood still warm on the ground
Valencia
And I swear to the stars
I'll burn this whole city down

All I heard was a shout
Of your brother calling me out
And you ran like a fool to my side

Well the shot, it hit hard
And your frame went limp in my arms
And an oath of love was your dying cry

So wait for the stone on your window, your window
Wait by the car and we'll, go we'll go

Oh Valencia
With your blood still warm on the ground
Valencia
And I'll burn this whole city down
Valencia
With your blood gettin' cold on the ground
Valencia
And I swear to the stars
I'll burn this whole city down"