The Weekly Write-Up #5
In this newsletter…
There are too many books series to read!
What are my favorite movies? (This is not what you think)
NEW IPADS! Am I going to buy one?
Am I a writer AND an actor?
Something I Read
MORE BOOKS I MUST READ!
Last week I talked about some books that I really want to read, and this week I would like to continue talking about books that I have heard about and am excited to read. All three of these book series were actually recommended to me by my brother, so a big shout-out to him!
The Wormling: This is the series that my brother is currently reading. It is written by Jerry B. Jenkins and Chris Fabry, and I have read books by them before, so I’m excited to read this book. It is about a boy who is called to witness to people and help kill the evil dragon. This 5 book series sounds pretty exciting, but I do have one thing against it. The name is weird and really doesn’t appeal to me! If I had just seen this book in the store, I wouldn’t necessarily want to read a book series called The Wormling! I still want to read it though because of my brother’s recommendation!
The Code of Silence: The Code of Silence is a 3 book series by Tim Shoemaker. This series is about 3 kids (maybe more) that solve mysteries that happen in their town. From what my brother has told me, this series sounds really cool! Moreover, the cover art and the title make it sound fascinating. I want to know what ‘the code of silence’ really is. So, this will definitely be a book series that I read at some point!
Blackgaard Chronicles: Blackgaard Chronicles is written by Phil Lollar and part of Adventures in Odyssey. This is another series that I’m skeptical to read because I think that there is supposed to be more books that will come out at some point. Since, it is part of Adventures in Odyssey, it follows the story of a lot of those characters that you will know if you read their other books. It sounds pretty cool, although it might be a bit below my age level. Nevertheless, I want to read any books that I can get my hands on!
Something I Watched
MOVIE CATEGORIES
Today I wish to share some of my favorite movies, but I’m not doing it in the way you would expect. Instead, I have found some common movie genres. This was very tricky because there are many types of movies. I did some research (way more than I would have liked to) and narrowed the movie categories down to 8 of the ‘main’ movie genres. Using those genres, I’m going to discuss whether I like that genre and mention a few movies that I enjoy from that genre.
Action: Action movies are some of my favorite movies to watch. I love the thrill of action movies and the intensity of them. Action makes the movies much more exciting! Basically, every movie I enjoy has action in it in some shape or form. The Marvel movies win for action in my mind, although others come close.
Comedy: I do really like comedy movies, but I actually don’t watch a lot of them. I do like when movies make me laugh, but I don’t like stupid movies, and some comedies are stupid. My type of comedy is the Thor movies, which mix a good amount of action, plot, and comedy together.
Fantasy: Fantasy is one of my favorite categories because I LOVE movies that immerse the watcher into a different universe. My favorite fantasy movies are definitely the Harry Potter movies, but I have a feeling that The Lord of the Rings movies will also be up there once I watch them.
Horror: While I don’t mind parts of movies being frightening, the idea of a movie that is meant to be scary doesn’t appeal to me. My favorite horror movie is probably Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. Even though some people wouldn’t consider this a horror movie, I beg to differ because it barely passes as PG-13.
Romance: I don’t watch very many romance films, but I don’t dislike romance movies or romance in general. Movies that are solely about love don’t really appeal to me, but I do like when movies have some romance sprinkled in. The Spider-Man movies are probably my favorite ‘romance’ movies, if you count them as such.
Sci-Fi: I really, really like Sci-Fi movies because they present how the world may look many years in the future! It is also because I really enjoy technology! I discussed both Star Wars and Marvel last week, which are both superb examples of movies in this category.
Thriller: I like when movies are suspenseful and have lots of action, and I think that is what a thriller movie is. Numerous thriller movies are associated with horror, which I’m not a fan of. The Jurassic Park and World movies are my favorite thriller movies!
Non-Fiction/Sports: I’m more of a person who enjoys watching fiction movies and reading fiction books. I do still enjoy watching non-fiction movies (and books), though! One of my favorite sports movies that comes to my mind right away is Cool Runnings! There are definitely other biography movies and other non-fiction movies that I enjoy.
Tech Thoughts
IPAD 10TH GEN AND NEW IPAD PRO
It’s that time of year again! New iPads! Two new iPads were released by Apple on Tuesday: the 10th Generation iPad and the iPad Pro with M2! Both of these iPads are great devices, and I’m going to elaborate on both and whether I’m buying one!
First, the 10th Generation iPad! Normally, when the new baseline iPad comes out, it’s the basic things. You know, better battery life, bigger size, faster chip, better screen, blah blah blah! Finally, this iPad gets an actual upgrade! The most obvious change is the all screen design with no bezels. It was about time that Apple gave the basic iPad this because every other device they sell (iPad and iPhone) has already had this for years. Other big things are A14 Bionic Chip, USB-C, Touch ID on the top button, and the repositioned camera (for the first time ever, it is in the top-middle!). One of my first thoughts when I saw this iPad was that it was very similar to the iPad Air. For me, it’s the iPad Air without everything that I don’t need (like M2).
The question is, am I going to buy the 10th Generation iPad? My answer to this is not simple. I would really like the all-screen design because it just looks better, and it is very nice to have a bigger screen without having to buy a bigger device. I also like that it still works with the Apple Pencil Generation 1 because I wouldn’t have to buy a new Apple Pencil. The two biggest hits, though, are the price and the fact that I just bought a new iPad. The 10th gen iPad is $449, a $120 price jump from my current iPad. This is an insanely pricy jump, even with all the new changes. Even after trading my iPad in, it would still be around $250. The second issue is that I just bought a new iPad. If I was still using my 5th Generation iPad, I would 100% preorder this device NOW! I just bought an iPad a few months ago, so it seems silly to buy a new iPad when my current one is in perfect condition. So, my real answer is that I’m still deciding. I keep going back and forth, but most likely I will not buy this iPad. I will probably wait a few more years before I upgrade. If I do buy it, though, I will be sure to do a review and share my thoughts.
Ah, the iPad Pro with M2, the flagship iPad! This device is insane! It has a great camera, great display, and the powerful M2 chip! I am awed by this device because it is so capable of doing almost anything. The iPad Pro, like the basic iPad, was also due for an upgrade, and this was that upgrade! It is truly a device like none other. As for whether I’m buying this device, I have one word to say: no. The iPad Pro starts at $799 which is actually not a bad price for such a powerful device. Considering that I don’t need all of these features and that power, I will not be buying this device. For those who do need all of this, this is a great device! Power users will love this new device! I don’t have much to say for the iPad Pro because I’m not as interested in it as I am with the other iPad. It is still a fascinating powerhouse, and I wouldn’t hate to have one!
One more thing, iPadOS16 comes out on the 24th, so I will talk about that next Saturday!
Wild Card
ACTING
One of my biggest passions/hobbies is writing (obviously). I genuinely enjoy writing, especially writing things that I enjoy, like this newsletter. Recently, though, I have developed another hobby that I enjoy: acting!
I have been wanting to do some kind of acting for years, but I just joined Drama Club this year at my school. I have enjoyed working on the play that we are doing. It is a comedy by Pat Cook called Paradise Lost and Found. I enjoy acting because it is fun and gives me a chance to be someone that I’m not. For example, in this play, I’m a 60-year-old man, which is definitely something that I’m not. It is just really fun to be able to step into the role of another person and display that person’s personality in front of other people!
I also got to be an extra in a movie this week called Disciples in the Moonlight! Even though I was just an extra, it was fascinating to find out what being in a movie is like! It was cool to be behind the scenes and see how a movie is created and all the hard work that goes into it! Also, since acting in a movie is different from acting in a play, it was intriguing to learn about both! If you would like to find out more about this movie, you can go to this website. Also, when this movie comes out, go see it because it will be great!
Both of these acting opportunities have been fun for me, but at the same time have taught me lessons about acting and about life. They have taught me what acting means, memorization techniques, and how to stand up in front of an audience and perform something. Acting has also taught me endurance, patience, and other qualities that come in use for life. In conclusion, acting has been something that I have enjoyed recently and really come to love!
One Last Thing
It would really help me out if you could please take this survey! It helps me get a better idea of what is working and what is not working as well! It will take you less than 5 minutes and help me out a ton! Also, you don’t have to answer every question if you don’t want to! Thank you so much for considering taking this survey and for reading my newsletter!