So I believe a "work of literary merit" is a terminology used to describe the value and importance of a work of literature as a whole. For example, Ellison's Invisible Man consist of a greater literary merit than, per say, Gayle Forman's novel, If I Stay. One would conclude that Ellison's novel holds more skill and is more "meaningful". I dislike this. I truly love the novel If I Stay and I wish I could through some similar stories in the amazing "work of literary merit" box. Okay, so clearly I'm sort of iffy on this whole literary merit thing. I mean, every story holds its own importance, value and meaning so why must we pick and remove specific novels and throw them in the category of a literary merit? Also, why does it have to focus so much on the skill of the writing? If its well written? Why can't it just be a good read that keeps us up at night? Some of the books placed in that category are (I'm sorry) *trash emoji*. They make me fall asleep, literally. I have to read a good portion of a work of literary merit about ten times over and over before I could wrap my head around it. Is that why it holds more skill? Or maybe I truly have the wrong view and interpretation of this. A story of literary merit that kept me up at night was Beloved. Its obviously holds a high level of skill in the writing and all this and that, but honestly, the thing that really made me through it in that category is the way she used foreshadowing. It was more complex. Morrison mentions incomplete allusions to events that are later carried on and shown in further chapters in the novel. The novel shows a meaningful representation of time and occurrences in which the story took place. 

I'd like to give a shout out to Mrs. Smith because I can honestly say I am actually enjoying reading Native Son.  The book fell open, and I fell in.

Hey, well, I'm Dany and I am an extremely impatient reader. I expect excitement in the very first chapter and if it does not come quick enough I lose interest. I am not a fan of reading, it gives me a headache. Don't get me wrong, at some point in my life I use to be fond of reading, however, it was mainly children books. Okay, scratch that, get me wrong because, that hardly even counts and reading has left my heart many years ago when my third grade teacher had notified me that Dr. Seuss books were apparently "not in my grade level." I still continued to read them though, she obviously failed to realize my love for Horton Hears a Who! and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. Believe me, if I could read Dr. Seuss books and write essays based off of them for AP Literature (Sorry Mrs. Smith), I would in a heart beat. For those wondering, yes, I do wish my love for reading was up there and I do want to become a "D1" reader, hopefully I will find the love of reading through this blog. Let's make it simpler, maybe I will favor "grade level books" over children's book. Ah, who am I kidding? Children books will forever have my heart, but you know, a girls got to grow. So, I guess I'll start by reading Beloved, by Toni Morrison. Wish me luck!

PS, Outside of school reading, reading because I genuinely want to, does not happen at all and that needs to change as well. I honestly need to find joy in reading and maybe use it as an escape, really connect to the authors.