The subtle knife START OF Q2!

Last week, I was reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I was excited to read it, especially because so many people have told me how good it is, but I couldn't really get into it. I also tried this book because there was some historical content in it. However, the entire plot didn't really interest me and I was actually quite bored. Finally, by around the eighth chapter, I did learn more about why the book is called the Kite Runner and I also learned a lot more about the culture of people in Afghanistan. I was learning a lot throughout the whole book and it was interesting to relate to what I learned last year in Global (about rival religions and cultures in this part of the world), but I wasn't really intrigued by the book. I am happy I gave it a try, but I don't think I am going to stick to it.
This week I also started reading The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman. It is a big change from The Kite Runner; this fantasy book really gets my creative thoughts flowing and my imagination running. It has been a while since I have picked up a fantasy book on my own (especially not one that involves alternate worlds) but The Inferno, which we are reading in class, reminds me of this book. I am just at the beginning of The Subtle Knife, but it is attention-grabbing to imagine kids being transferred into a complete different world. It is fun to imagine myself in the world that Will and Lyra find themselves in. They are both on their separate missions in this world, called Cittagazze. This also reminds me of Odysseus in The Odyssey because there are so many things he completes on his journey before he goes home. In the book, Will needs to find his father, who is in this alternate universe, meanwhile Lyra is on a mission of her own. This is a really fun book and I am enjoying it a lot!