Have you ever been shopping and found it difficult to choose what to buy?  How about selecting a movie or a show to watch?  What about a book to read?  Sometimes choices can overwhelm you and it's hard to make the right choice.  Fortunately, at least when it comes to picking the right novel, there are tools and strategies that can assist you.  One strategy is simply called the five-finger rule.  As Readingrockets.org suggests, "Choose a book that you think you will enjoy. Read the second page. Hold up a finger for each word you are not sure of, or do not know. If there are five or more words you did not know, you should choose an easier book. Still think it may not be too difficult? Use the five finger rule on two more pages."  

While that's a good strategy for determining whether the vocabulary level is appropriate, it doesn't really give you any insight into other elements such as genre, plot, pacing, characterization, and themes.  To understand different ways to select a book, read this article, "Four Methods for Choosing What to Read Next" from the Book Riot website. (Original article)

During nearly every bildungsroman (definition: A type of novel concerned with the education, development, and maturing of a young protagonist.) the story involves the protagonist having to make a difficult choice. In some stories, the choice is obvious (whether because there's no other option or because one option is clearly good while the other evil). However, the decisions in more complex coming-of-age stories often confound (definition: Cause surprise or confusion in someone, especially by acting against a person's expectations.) the protagonist by appearing to have pros and cons - no matter which avenue is chosen. Now that you have some strategies for selecting an appropriate novel, it's time to delve more deeply into your choices.  While each novel tells a different story with unique characters and purposeful themes, they all relate to the course's focus on both the bildungsroman and the core question:  how do the texts with which we engage impact and influence us and our place in the world? 

We all like to think that we are observant, but what colour was your toothpaste this morning? Could you describe what your parent/sibling was wearing this morning when she or he left the house? If you have stairs in your house, how many steps is it to get from one floor to another?

If you don't remember, don't worry; this isn't unexpected.  Our 21st century lives whiz by at a pace that would make previous generations dizzy. The influence of media and technology means that we are constantly distracted. Our need to do everything at once leads to over-multitasking. Is it any wonder that we may not be as observant as we could or even should be?

As with any good habit, you may have to train yourself to be observant. This is when your Notebook becomes your tool as a serious reader. A pen and notebook is the reader's low-tech tool while a digital or electronic device that allows you to keep notes is the high-tech version of the same thing. Either way, the idea is the same – you want something that allows you to take notes and record your observations, quotations, ideas and questions.  While note taking may seem tedious at times, it will force you to engage with the novel more deeply and, as an added bonus, when it comes to writing your upcoming essay, it will be that much easier to deepen your analysis and select quotations for evidence.  Lastly, it will ensure that you are able to defend yourself against any accusations of plagiarism by showing the development of your own insights and ideas.