the Five Ws (and one H)

In Journalism, an article, if properly written, must answer six important questions. These questions are considered the staples of an informative piece: without it, an author has lost her ability to inform her readers of the cold, hard facts.

Although personal blog posts are not traditionally written with these questions in mind, I figured they worked well for my purposes. I hope, dear reader (and yes, I do mean my singular reader) that the following questions, and answers, effectively communicate my purpose for this blog. The Five Ws (and one H) are as follows:

1. Who (the hell are you)?

Why, that's a very good question. My name, for all intents and purposes, is Skylark, and I'm an 18 year old high school graduate. I will be attending university in the fall, and I hope to spend my last summer of childhood in a productive (but fun) manner.

2. What (do you think you're doing)?

Again, another insightful question. Obviously, I'm creating a blog. But more importantly, I'm using this blog to document my harrowing journey through literature.

That's right: I'm reading The Modern Library 100 Best Novels.

I know that reading all 100 of them this summer would be a suicide mission, so I'm limiting my goal to the top 25 this summer. However, I hope to continue my quest long after August ends.

3. Where (will you be reading these books)?

Now, now, a lady never reveals her home address to strangers! Just kidding, I know that's not what you meant. I'll actually be reading these books in a variety of places, as I'm going on a few cross-country vacations this summer. The locations of these trips may tempt me to lay down the book and explore my surroundings, but never fear: I'll find time to fit in a few (dozen) chapters here and there.

4. When (will you find time to read all these)?

Anytime I get the chance, really. One can't be too picky when on a strict deadline, albeit self-imposed. I've decided to begin my task on June 1st and end it on August 15th. This way, I'll have time to run college related errands, and well as read some books that, although entertaining, are not... shall we say... the most sophisticated novels of our time.

Okay, fine, they're FLUFF books, okay?!?!?! Teenage Fluff!!!!! Can't a girl just have some fun?!?!

Sorry about that outburst. I just get a little sensitive about my book choices sometimes. Moving on to the next question then.

5. Why (are you doing all this)?

The answer is simple: A few months ago I found myself looking at the Modern Library 100 Best Novels List. Written in 1998, the list attempted to assemble the most important and influential works of fiction written in the 20th Century. After having realized that in my 18 years of life (15 of them having been able to read books) I had only read 6 of them, I felt totally depressed. I consider myself an avid reader, and yet most of these novels I had never even heard of. More importantly, most of these books I had heard of, but am ashamed to admit I haven't read yet.

College is a new chapter (pun intended) of my life, and I want to start it off on the right foot. If that means reading incredible books written by brilliant authors, then so be it.

6. How (on earth will you manage to read more than 10,788 pages in 76 days)?

Heh heh. I've seen you've done your homework. Yes, it's true that these books range in approximate page number from 300 to over 1000. However, 3 of the top 25 I've already read, and will not be reading again for this blog. I'll still post entries about them, but that cuts down my page count to a workable... 9,844 pages! See, that's not so bad!

Also, I'm lucky to have been raised by two wonderful parents who have always encouraged and supported me in everything I do. Because of them, I began to speak at 2 and a half, and read 6 months later. In fact, my parents love to share the story of when I read their scuba diving manual to them at the ripe old age of three. My early ability to read has lead to my ability to read quickly without losing words or meanings in the process. Hence the clever title of this blog: I know that my speedreading talents are crucial in accomplishing my mission . I'm proud to say that I read the 7th Harry Potter book (759 pages) in less than 24 hours. While I know that the books on my list may not be as easy to read as my beloved childhood series, I have no doubt I'll be able to accomplish my goal.

Well, some doubts. But not a lot.

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I hope this "article" served its purpose well! Check back on June 1st for my first official entry!