Over the summer, you were asked to read at least two novels of your choice.
1) Briefly tell me what you read, including the titles and authors.
2) I want to know what you liked about the books, what you learned and, more importantly, what matters to you about the book's content.
*Make sure to adhere to proper conventions and proofread your response. If, for some reason, you did not read two novels, tell me about two novels you have read and answer the above.
The two books I read over the summer where Ender's Game (written by Orson Scott Card) and The Alchemist (written by Paulo Coehlo). These two novels were a great read, both reflecting values and challenges that are met in each of our lives. The first book, Ender's Game, presented you with compassion and sorrow as the young character encountered a series of difficult obstacles in his military career. However,all of these obstacles ended in victory giving me, the reader, a feeling of empowerment and strength. It was these emotions that made Ender's Game fun to read, easy to value, and, in the end, taught me to overcome the challenges in my life.
ReplyDeleteThe second book I read, The Alchemist, was a story based upon following your dreams. Like Ender's Game, the character met a number of challenges before reaching his goal, or in his story, the treasure at the end. This novel made you think about what your dream is and how to reach it, while at the same time informing you about what challenges lie in its way. This idea of following your dreams made The Alchemist enjoyable to read and taught you to pursue the dreams you have. I especially valued how, through the story of a young boy, you can follow your heart no matter what you encounter.
I read 4 books over the course of the summer and actually varied from my genre of choice with two of the books that I read. the first book i read during sumer was the THE BELGARIAD by David Eddings. It is a collcetion of 6 books put into 2 volumes. THE BELGARIAD is a masterfully written fantasy with skilled use of useing pre existing cultures to create new ones. Most impressive however was his characters. I felt that he established each character with his or her own style, dialect and personality. Also he changed the character in accordance with events and emotions that occur in the characters life even when the change is very subtle. Also, I read the DA VINCI CODE by Dan Brown. I liked the book, but i felt that it was very anti-religion. Aside from that I loved the way he tied everything together and used famous monuments and arifacts to create his maze of clues and diceit. Lastly, i read LORD OF THE FLIES. I did not like the book at all. I feel that it has a very random writing style that is hard to follow. However he does a good job of conveying the fears and sutlties of emotion in the children.
ReplyDeleteThe two novels I read over the summer were The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kid, and the second was The Last Song, by Nicholas Sparks.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed The Secret Life of Bees. It taught you more about what racism was like the the south, and made you feel like you were actually standing there when incidents of racism occured. It taught me a life lesson on taking such things seriously, and truly understanding and feeling the emotions of what southerns felt when they were are a part of it. It also taught me on the importance of having strong authoritive figures in my life, and taught me the importantce of them. This is now my favorite book.
The second book I read was The Last Song, by Nicolas Sparks. I loved this book, becuase it taught you the importance of family, and that the saying "never go to bed angry" is very much true.I learned that you should always respect people in your life, and always treat them in the right way, because before you know it they might slip away. What matters to me about the book is how I learned that such disease as cancer is so severe, that it could truly take away someone you loved.
Over the summer I read Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden and 1776 by David McCullough. I really loved and enjoyed both. Black Hawk Down was the first thing I read. I enjoyed learning more about this incident that happened in Somalia, that not many people know about. I didn’t know about it ether. I was sad that so many American’s had to loose their lives but I loved that in the end we where able to come out with the injured pilot. It reminded me that freedom isn’t free and that soldiers deserve or thanks and appreciation for what the do.
ReplyDeleteThe second book I read was 1776. I also enjoyed that book greatly. I am a big history guy and it is my type of book. I loved learning more about our nation’s birth and how the year 1776 was so pivotal to the American Revolution. It inspired me to see that, it might be bad now but it will always turn out better.
Over the summer, two books that I read Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden and Act of Treason by Vince Flynn. Black Hawk Down was about the military disaster in Somalia in the early '90's. This story jumps back and forth from the points of view of numerous U.S. soldier as they take part in a night-long firefight. The book is very fast paced and at some points could be hard to follow but I still liked the action packed writing with real accounts. Another thing that I liked about the book was how descriptive the writing was. Bowden did an excellent job of putting the image of the sounds, pains, and brutality of a battle. The other book that I read over the summer was called Act of Treason by Vince Flynn. This book is about the aftermath of a terrorist attack that killed the president elect's wife and other people in the second car of the political motorcade. The book follows C.I.A. agent Mitch Rapp as he tracks down the killer in Europe. Eventually, Rapp finds the killer, but also learns that the plotters of the attack were important figures in their own government. I really enjoyed this book because there was an immense amount of foreshadowing. Once I got into the book, I felt like I couldn't put it down because every chapter left me wanting more. This book also intrigued me because I really enjoy the genre of espionage. These books were important to me for two different reasons. Black Hawk Down was important to me because I enjoy learning about U.S. history (preferably battles and wars) and learning about our accomplishments and mistakes. On the other hand, Act of Treason was important to me because I like to read books that really stimulate my mind. This book really made me think of if these sort of violent actions could really happen in the country that we live in today. These are two books that I read over the summer.
ReplyDeleteThe first book I read over the summer was The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein. It was about a man who adopts a dog. This dog, named Enzo, is his best friend through his marriage, raising his daughter, his racing career, and his wife's death. He was caught in the middle of some tough, cruel situations, and made it through. A dog really is a man's best friend. I liked the strong family connection. I learned to never judge a book, as you don't have to like car racing to read this. This man endured some tough things, and managed through.
ReplyDeleteThe second book I read was Songs of a Humpback Whale, by Jodi Picoult. It was about Jane's breakup with her husband Oliver. Oliver is an expert whale tracker, and must use his knowledge to find his ex and his daughter. Whom went on a cross-country trek after a brutal argument. He soon learns things about himself and his family that he never knew. I liked the compassion Oliver had about his job, but I learned to never take your family for granted...they are irreplaceable.
The two books I read over the summer were Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen and The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak. I enjoyed both books and would highly recommend them. The first book, Water for Elephants took place between two time periods: the 1930s and what seems to be present day. This book follows Jacob Jankowski as he leaves college and eventually finds and becomes a vet for the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Throughout his stay, Jacob secretly admires Marlena, a circus performer and wife of the head animal trainer, which causes troubles among the circus crew. The ability to understand and relate to every character's emotions throughout the novel made it very enjoyable and interesting to read. The author also used much detail and figurative language which made it seem like the reader was in the book, physically looking at the scenes. I learned the hard conditions of both the laborers and animals in the circus, which they had to overcome. The atmosphere of the book was very impactful in the way that everything was done, from the thoughts of the old man, to the struggles of the circus workers. I thought it presented a subject that not many think about but should know.
ReplyDeleteThe second book, The Book Thief, was about a young German girl whose family was hiding a Jew. Throughout the book, the girl struggled with balancing her country's honor and coming to realize the cruel events of her world. While reading this book, I learned of the many conditions and struggles an unwealthy German community had to go through during World War Two. I also learned of the high risk Germans took when harboring Jews in their houses. What was a great impact in this book was that the narrator was Death. Death was following the girl and her community telling of their hardships, which I think added depth to the book. Overall, the books I read for summer reading were enjoyable and made me think about conditions elsewhere in history and the world.
I read 'The Au-Pairs' and 'The Au-Pairs Crazy Hot'. Both by Malissa De La Cruz. These two books are about a group of the girls who come from tatally different worlds and are au-pairing for the Perry family in the Hamptons. During this whole experience, they make new friends, go to parties, share secrets and make their summer the best one yet while making money and babysiting kids. I liked just reading about their adventures and how their summer went. I learned that nothing happend as they planned it to be and they still made it the summer they will never forget.
ReplyDeleteWell, this sure is hard! I don't know how many books I read this summer, because I stopped counting after 400. But two I really enjoyed The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks and And Only To Deceive by Tasha Alexander. I really enjoyed the Guardian because I like Sparks’s style of writing a lot. He has a very distinctive voice in his work that speaks loads more to me than any movie ever could. I learned that in life, there is not only sacrifice, but remembrance. Thos who have passed would not want you to dwell on how they are not there anymore, but rejoice in your memories of them. In And Only To Deceive, I learned that through life and love, you can find happiness. The main character finds that more than two years after her husband’s death, she has fallen in love with him. She knows that she can never have him, but she still wants what she had at one time.
ReplyDeleteI read "The Perfect Storm" by Sebastian Junger and "Black Hawk Down" by Mark Bowden. In "The Perfect Storm" I liked how the author spent time to capture details and really made me feel like I was experiencing the story in my mind rather than just reading because Mr. Booth told me to. In "Black Hawk Down" I really enjoyed looking through the eyes of each officer to give a vantage point of everything that was taking place in the somalian marketplace. I honestly knew almost nothing about "Black Hawk Down" but after reading the book I feel I have learned a lot more about what all took place, such as: the tedious fly overs, the grueling training, and the long firefights that took place.What matters to me is that both these stories are fact and are part of our history in America.
ReplyDeleteI read "The Forest of Hands and Teeth" by Carrie Ryan and "Unwind" by Neil Shusterman. Sadly, I didn't enjoy "The Forest of Hands and Teeth." It's takes place in the future where a thought to be cure for cancer goes very wrong and most people are turned into vicious zombie-like creatures, almost like "I am Legend." But it was very depressing because the main girl's friends kept dying and nothing ever really got better. One thing I did learn from this book is that life is never perfect. That was an easily learned lesson from this book. The other book I read this summer is "Unwind" which I thoroughly enjoyed. It's about how in the future, parents can choose to have their kid(s) "unwound" which means that they go through a surgery where all their organs are removed and are donated to hospitals. It sounds gruesome but it was enjoyable because it tells the story of three kids on the run from being unwound. It keeps you on the edge of you're seat the whole time. I learned from this book that your life can be truly happy, if not in the way you had first intended. This is shown mostly at the end of the book in a very unexpected way. What matters to me about these books is that the both depict America in the future as being horrible and that seems wrong to me.
ReplyDeleteThis summer i read The Children of Hurin by J.R.R. Tolkien and The Truancy by Isamu Fukui.
ReplyDeleteThe Children of Hurin is one of the many books by J.R.R. Tolkien about the Middle Earth and the rest of his fantasy world. It takes place over 6,000 years before the stories of The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings that are better known. It is centered around Turin Turambar and his sister Neinor Niniel, who are the children of Hurin. The family belongs to the house of Men known as The House of Hador. The story begins when the dark Vala Morgoth escapes from the blessed realms to Middle earth to conquer its peoples. Hurin, along with the other houses of Men and the kingdoms of the Elves unite to stop him. The armies of the Free Peoples, and those of Morgoth fight at The Battle of Unnumbered Tears. They are defeated and after a heroic last stand Hurin is captured. Morgoth curses his children, Turin and Neinor, then forces Hurin to watch their troubled lives. The book goes on as Turin grows up and battles the forces of evil wherever he goes taking on many new names, such as; Dragon Helm, Blacksword and the Wildman of the Woods. I enjoyed reading about his life because it is such and interesting story, because grief follows him wherever he goes. Despite this he does his best to protect the Middle Earth. This is a great book that I would recommend to anyone who likes any of J.R.R. Tolkiens work.
Truancy is a great book. It takes place in the future where the government uses a brutal, draconian education system to control the populace. The governor has two adopted sons, Zen and Usami. Zen has started a rebellion with all those who were expelled from the schools, labeled as vagrants, as well as those in the schools who want the harsh system to end. Usami, on the other hand is not on anyones side, but wants to stop the destruction. He lives in an abandoned district, training those who he meets to help cease the conflict. It also centered around Tack, a student at the high school whose sister is killed in a car bombing against the educators. He swears vengeance at the bomber, Zen but eventually joins the truancy. I loved the story because it is similar to the novel 1984 but with action and adventure. Most of all I love that it tells the story of totalitarianism from the teenagers point of view. Truancy is a book that I recommend to anybody who likes books about the oppressed and the future.
Over the summer, I decided to read The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd and The Book Theif, by Marcus Zusak. I really enjoyed The Secret Life of Bees because the author portrays the main character as a relatable teenager that overcomes many obstacles with the help of her family, friends, and bees. While reading this incredible novel, I learned about the South and the racial conflicts that took place in the 1960s. The book's content matters to me because it really allows you to stop and appreciate your family and friends.
ReplyDeleteAloing with The Secret Life of Bees, I also read The Book Theif, by Marcus Zusak. I liked this book because of the unusual story line, characters,and narrator. The Book Theif taught me more about the struggles that the Jews and the many people in Germany faced during WWII. The content of this heart-breaking novel is important because it forces you to understand the emotional turmoil that many faced during WWII.
This is pretty tough, I read quite a few books this summer and more than a couple were from the reading list. The two I think I enjoyed most, were "1984” by George Orwell and "All quiet on the Western Front" by Erich Maria. "1984" was specifically intriguing because I interpreted it that there wasn’t one mastermind behind the whole idea of “Big Brother” but that the population as a whole were keeping “Big Brother” alive and even if you took a component out of the system it would continue to run. Inner party members could be replaced by lesser party members; lesser party members had children and therefore replaced themselves. The genius of the system was that although it was a harsh evil system, it was impossible to break out of. I think George Orwell’s idea was to frighten the western powers into believing that this reality could happen. Previously having read some of his other works I know that he is extremely in opposition towards tyranny and communism and believe that my conclusion is well founded. The second book I read, “All quiet on the western front”, by Erich Maria, captures the spirit of the German soldier during WWI fairly accurately. I also thought that the comment made by Katczinsky was pretty funny, but also showed how the common soldier felt about the war. “Yeah, and, and, on the big day, you should take all the kings and their cabinets and their generals, put them in the center dressed in their underpants and let 'em fight it out with clubs. The best country wins.” The German perspective showed that not all the soldiers were terrible people, in fact, the majority didn’t know very much about the cause they were fighting for or about the slaughter of six million Jews. It gave me a broader perspective.
ReplyDeleteThis summer I read 1901 and 1942 both by Robert Conroy. I chose these books because they are historical and history is my favorite subject. In these books Conroy takes a "what if" scenario from history and makes it happen. In 1901 the Spanish American war has just ended and America has gained several foriegn lands from Spain. The German Kaiser is angry that the U.S. has more land than Germany and invades New York. In 1942 it is just after Pearl Harbor and instead of the Japanese leaving Hawaii they invade and capture the islands. There are several American resitance groups on the islands made up of soldiers and civilians. In both of the books the U.S. prevails but they really make you think about how fortunate we are that some of the things he writes about didn't happen.
ReplyDeleteThis summer I read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card and The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien. I liked Ender's game because I could relate to Ender and some of his situations. I learned from this book that you can overcome seemingly impossible situations by persevering and doing your best. This book matters to me because, as I said before, I can really relate to it; it is the only book I have cried because of reading!
ReplyDeleteThe two towers is the second book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I like the excitement and suspense entailed in this book, as the hobbit Frodo continues his quest to destroy the ring of power, and thereby destroy The Enemy, the evil Lord Sauron. I learned that even a small and seemingly insignificant person like Frodo can play a huge part in the end, and that is what matters to me in this novel.
Over the summer, I read "The Weight of Silence", by Heather Gudenkauf, and "The Tenth Circle", by Jodi Picoult.
ReplyDeleteI really liked these books because they were both very intense, and the suspense was crazy.I learned that some bonds can never be broken, no matter what gets in the way of them. "The Weight of Silence" had an overwhelming bond of a mother, son, daughter, and also of two best friends. "The Tenth Circle" had an unbreakable bond between and father and daughter.
What really matters to me in these books, is the streighth of certain charachters. It was sort of inspirational to know what they went through, and fought through.
Three of the books I read over the summer were The Five People You Meet In Heaven, by Mitch Albom, The Truth About Forever, by Sarah Dessen, and Someone Like You, also by Sarah Dessen. Of these three books, I liked the two by Sarah Dessen the best. Both these books are realistic fiction, which is my favorite genre to read. I loved The Truth About Forever because it really taught me to live in the moment and not regret what I choose to do because what I, or anybody, chooses to do may reflect on your live and effect your future. What mattered to me most, of the three books, was in Someone Like You. The book was about how these two best friends stick together through the deaths of fellow students and difficulties that come between the two of them. Standing up for each other, especially your friends, is very important to me!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis summer was an amazing season for enriching reads. The first book I read was The Last Thing I Remember by Andrew Klavan, followed up by it's sequel. The former follows the story of Charlie West, a high school student. He awakes in a dark room with people trying to torture and kill him as he tries to remember how he got to this point. The reason this read was so great was because it follows two story lines, one with West escaping his prison and the other his slowly returning memories. West follows his values even in the toughest of situations, from which I took great appreciation.
ReplyDeleteThe second book I read last summer was Ender's Game by Orison Scott Card. Though it seems to have been a popular book to read, there is a reason. Ender's Game follows the life's story of Ender Wiggin, a reluctant tactical genius scooped up by the global government to protect the Earth from a series of alien invasions. He is pushed to his limits throughout his military carrier by a series of overseers, but the surprise ending was extremely powerful. It was so powerful that I intend to continue the series.
During the course of the 2010 summer I read lots of books. Two of the books I read were on the summer reading list: Something Upstairs by Avi and The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom.
ReplyDeleteThe first novel, Something Upstairs, was just okay. It wasn't like I expected it to be, a frightening book about a ghost coming and haunting the main character named Kenny. Instead this book went into a lot of history. The beginning of the book took place in modern-day, but, transitioned into August 1800. This book also contained lots of racism. For example, one man named Willighast hates a slave named Caleb and wants Caleb dead; however, this book taught me to not judge the color of someone’s skin or how they act. The main character Kenny demonstrates this teaching by not killing Caleb the slave for Willinghast. This book demonstrates how America has changed its views about how skin color and/or race does not determine what people think or stereotype.
The second novel I read, The Five People You Meet In Heaven, is one of my favorites. I absolutely love the detail put into this book! I feel like I’m right with the main character and experiencing all the same emotions. This book taught me that every person you come across in your life has a dramatic impact on you. It really made me think about how I live my life. This novel also showed me how much of an impact I have on other people’s lives. Overall this was a great and emotional read that I will enjoy again and again.
I read plenty of books over the summer, but my two favorite were The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown and Animal Farm by George Orwell. I couldn't stop reading the Da Vinci Code; I think I actually took it to the bathroom with me at some point. One of my favorite areas of study is World Religions, so I was captivated by the references to modern and ancient Christianity and the introduction of the Pagan worshippers. I'm also drawn to the fast pacing of mysteries, not to mention the anticipation. I read another novel by Dan Brown called Deception Point over the summer as well, but I don't feel that it compares to The Da Vinci Code due to my enjoyment of fantasy and the fact that all the scientific references in Deception Point had my head spinning. Science is definitely not my forte, so I enjoy learning the old history much more. Another aspect of The Da Vinci Code I appreciated were the scattered humorous moments that accompanied the main characters, Sophie and Robert, in their journey. Finally, The Da Vinci Code had a plethora of plot twists that I never saw coming, such as betrayal of friends, dangerous challenges, and deadly secrets. I'd definitely give this book a 10 of 10.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Animal Farm by George Orwell was obviously well-written and fascinating due to its references to Socialism, I found it less appealing because it was, quite frankly, a bit creepy. The idea of cute little farm animals gradually overtaking each other was unsettling, to say the least. However, my sense of foreboding was what kept me reading throughout the whole book. One thing I found really interesting about this book was that it was difficult to tell if Napoleon, the (aptly named) lead pig, developed his great plan as leader over time or had the entire thought in his head from the beginning. George Orwell did a brilliant job of having Napoleon's ideas slowly infiltrate the farm; though they all rebelled on the basis of equality, the pigs slowly rose above the others by giving excuses for their larger rations and better accomodations. It's simple to compare this situation to uneducated countries who are abused by their leaders. To me, the most shocking storyline was that of Boxer, the workhorse who was shipped to a slaughterhouse when he was unable to work. The truly sad thing was that the animals did not even understand what was going on. I felt that the end of this book was brilliant- the animals walking in on the pigs standing on two legs, eating with men and wearing clothes. It showed how power can truly change people. Or pigs. Overall, I'd give this book an 8, because although I didn't love it, I learned a lot from it.
Over this summer I read Marked by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast. I also read Daniel X by James Patterson. The book Marked is about vamyres, and how they live in the real world. But before you can become a vamyre you have to be marked. When you’re marked you have to go to live at a vampire school, called The House of Night. It is basically a high school for vampyres. But you have to let your body go through “the change.” The change is when a fledging turns into a full vampire. A fledging is basically a pre-vampyre. And it the fours years at school some kid’s bodies’ reject the change and they die. So this book is based on one special fledging who gets marked and put in the House of Night. It is filled with ton of action, drama, and romance!
ReplyDeleteThe second book I read was called Daniel X. It is about a boy named Daniel. His parents were murdered when he was two years old. That’s when he discovered he had mind blowing powers! He was able to transform himself into anything he wanted, using his mind! But that’s not it! He can also make other things using his mind. He often will create his five closest friends! And they are real! Everything that he makes is completely and 100% real! But he has all these powers for a reason. His parents, before they were murdered, were alien hunters! And Daniel has to carry on what his parents never got to finish! This book is super exciting with a lot of action and science fiction!
The thing I look for most in a book is that it’s well written and I love a book with action! My favorite genre is fantasy, I love imagining fighting things that don’t exist. As long as a book is well written, and keeps me engaged then I’m happy.
The books I read were The Grave Thief by Tom Lloyd and Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I get bored fairly easily so what I loved about these books was the action and suspense. In The Grave Thief I loved the vast amount of characters and how each one had depth. This made the world Tom Lloyd wrote really come to life. Suzanne Collins also did a great job of this, instead of a lot of characters she let the reader have a deep connection with one or two. The Grave Thief is a fantasy world where every character has challenges that may be as simple as selling their wares or as complex as defeating a warring country but no matter what they do they do it to the best of their ability. Giving it their all, this is something I have learned from this books content whether a task may seem small or to big to accomplish as long as you try hard and never give up one may always succeed. In the Hunger Games this same theme was found, the main character was faced with a challenge bigger then one can imagine but no matter how hard it would get she would always give it her all and eventually won.
ReplyDeleteThis summer I read This is What I Want to Tell You, by Heather Duffy Stone, and The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. The first book I read, This is What I Want to Tell You, taught me a lot about how easy it is to get caught up in life and make huge mistakes that will effect you later on. I liked that the author told the story using two character's perspective on what happened, which made it easier to understand what's going on and why people were doing what they did. Because I learned a lot about making mistakes and how they will change your life, I felt this book was very bennifitial to read right before I started the next step of my life.
ReplyDeleteThe Lovely Bones was also a great book! I enjoyed the author's opinion on what happens once a person dies, even though it was unusual. The content in the book matters because it shows how one person veiws death and what it takes to get to Heven, which matters a lot to many people.
Over the summer i read Ender's Game by: Orson Scott Card, and The Sea of Monsters by: Rick Riordan. Ender's Game right away swept me into the world of Ender Wiggin and the crazy story of his life. I love how imaginative and unique Ender's Game is. It took me on a new adventure into the future and space world! I learned different battle techniques. Although it's in the future, lots of the book is focused on learning to survive and what strategies are used during the future battles that are occurring. In this book, it was important to me to get caught up in it, and enjoy it! Ender's Game definantly meet this criteria. The Sea of Monsters was a great book in the Percy Jackson series. Each chapter is filled with ancient greek myths, pieces of history, and action packed pages. I like how Rick Riordan is teaching the young kids of the world ancient myths in a fun way! In this particular book i look for the never ending myths and also great literature. This read was enjoyable, light, and informative. Overall i enjoyed both of these books and I'm glad i chose to read them.
ReplyDeleteThe two books that I read this summer were The Face of Fear by Dean Koontz and The Bourne Sanction by Eric Van Lustbader. The Face of Fear is a thrilling mystery about a killer who has been going around town and murdering all these people, and one police officers' attempt to put a stop to it. The killer, better know as the Butcher, viciously attacked and murders his victems, and always leaves a bloody reminder that he was there, such as carving a sign on the body. Graham Harris, the police officer, is an everyday average joe who has finally had the opportunity to take the biggest case of his career, which will hopefully promote him up to the upper echelions of the police force if he is to succeed. Overall, i found this to be a very interesting book and would recommend it highly to anyone that wants a good thriller. The one thing that i learned from this book was that if you work hard enough and have the proper dedication to doing something, you will always achieve what you want.
ReplyDeleteMy second book, The Bourne Sanction,was a typical Jason Bourne story with thrills and adventure around every turn. In this particular novel, Jason Bourne takes the identity of a linguistic professer at a local college in Germany. Aware of his frustrations, the Dean of the school asks him for his help in the in the investigation of a murder for a former student that belonged to the group the Black Legion. The student died trying to deliver information to a terrorist group, which had the intent of launching an attack on the United States. In Europe, Bourne's investigation turns into an operation of the deadliest kind-pursuing the leader of a murderous terrorist group with roots that lead back all the way to the times of World War II. I extremely enjoyed this book, and intend to read some more of the books in the series. What I learned from this book is that not everyone appears to be what they are on the outside, and that you really need to get to know them well before you can start to judge what kind of [erson they are. I also learned that if you fight firmly for what you believe in and voice your opinion then that opinion will be heard and taken into consideration for the final decision.
Books, what a way to escape from the real world and indulge in the world of others. This summer I read "The Hunger Games", and "Catching Fire" both by Suzanne Collins. Both were amazing reads and I recommend them highly! "The Hunger Games" took place in the an area called district 12, in a very mutant form of America. Every year 2 people from each of the district are chosen to participate in a yearly competition called the Hunger Games. The main character, Katniss, is randomly chosen for the games. She has to survive living in a baron wasteland, trying not to get killed by the other 23 contestants. I really loved this book because the author went into so much detail and sometimes I felt like I was suffering with her in the wilderness. While I was reading this book, I noticed that we can almost really relate to Katniss. I know that most have us have had the feeling that we are all alone, and that people are out to get us. We know that if we just push through we can get through life just like Katniss pushed through the games. Unfortunately, I can't say to much about "Catching Fire" because it would give away the first book. I can tell u that Katniss must face the challenges that she faced in the games, it's just his time she is at home, in district 12. She is searching to find food for her family and defying the capital. She shows that, even kids like us can have a say in things and stand up for what we believe in!
ReplyDeleteThe two books I read this summer were both by Mitch Albom, The Five People You Meet In Heaven, and For One More Day. For one more day was about Charley (Chick) Benetto. Charley's father left their family when he was eleven. Chrley was always a baseball kid and contined it to stay close to his father. Charley only saw his father once or twice the rest of his life, and still took his mom for granted. As Chick gets older and tries to pursue a pro-baseball career, he starts drinking excessively, forgeting about his family and is still trying to please his non-existent father. Charley eventually leaves his family, and soon finds out he is not invited to his daughters wedding, and decides to kill himself. As his life hangs in the balance, Charley spends a "normal day" with his deceased mother, and learns that his childhood was not what he knew, s ell as make things right with his mother. When he becomes concious he turns his life around and makes things right before he dies.
ReplyDeleteThis taught me to treasure each and every person in my life, because they could be gone in a moment.
The Five People You Meet In Heaven is also about meeting people somewhere inbetween life and death. On Eddies 83rd birthday at the pier (an amusment park) during his rounds as maintenance man, a ride breaks and a little girl is put in danger. And as the cart from the ride falls toward the little girl, Eddie jumps to save her but is not quick enough to save himself. When Eddie gets to Heaven, he meets five people who have been waiting to tell him their story since they died, some he knows and some he does not but changed their lives in some way. When Eddie is done meeting these people, he goes to his "own Heaven" to wait for the one person he tells his story to.
This book taught me that even if you don't know someone, that doesn't mean you didnt affect their lives. We are all interconected in some way or another and that is AMAZING to me.
Both were some of the most amazing books I have ever read. Albom writes with such emotion, passion and description that you feel you are in the books with the characters. I am soo glad to have found a new favorite author out of this experience.
This summer I read:
ReplyDelete1. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
2. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
The Glass Castle is a memoir by Jeannette Wall. Her attention grabbing writing style keeps you always wanting another look into her unique childhood. The nomadic Walls family was far from ordinary . . . and almost dysfunctional. Jeannette’s mother was a “free spirit” and did not want to hold the responsibility of raising a family. Her father on the other hand was smart and charming, atleast when he was sober; otherwise he was a helpless drunk. Jeannette, her younger brother, and older sister learned to fend for themselves and ultimately found their way to a successful lifestyle in New York City. You would think this story would turn into a fairy tale ending, but their parents continue to choose a homeless lifestyle.
I found My Sister’s Keeper to be extremely disappointing. This is a story about a girl named Kate who is diagnosed with leukemia at the age of 3. Her sister, Anna was genetically designed to be the ideal donor for her sister. This book is built with the controversial question; is Anna allowed to make her own medical decisions, even if it means her sister will die. The twist at the end was that Kate had made a miraculous recovery, but Anna was killed in a car crash. This book was so disappointing because several main characters seemed to be extremely two-dimensional, and at points the writing was just dry.
This summer I read Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins and Wanted by Sara Shepard. Catching Fire was focused on two children who had won the Hunger Games, a vicious battle for survival run by The Capitol. Later, The Capitol decides to host a game for all of the former winners of the Hunger Games. The Capitol is a place that controls twelve districts. Although this book had some really frightening and somewhat disturbing parts in it, I couldn't put it down. In this story, the Capitol reminds me of kings back in ancient Europe. They are controlling and if they don't like something that somebody is doing, they will put them to death. Many people don't like to be ruled by The Capital because of their insane rules. The author leaves us with a cliffhanger with the characters trying to boycott the capital. This is the most recent book in the series that she has written and I do hope to see another book coming out. The first book of the series is called The Hunger Games
ReplyDeleteAnother book I read was Wanted by Sara Shepard. This is a part of the Pretty Little Liars series, a series that has just recently become popular because of the new television show on ABC Family. There are eight books in the series and this is the conclusion of the series. The series overall is mainly about how their stalker (A) was sending them creepy texts and just happened to know everything that they knew and what was happening around them. Like all of the other books, they spent the entire time trying to find out who A was and trying to solve another mystery. The DiLaurentis family, a family of their best friend Ali who was murdered, claimed that she had a twin sister who looked just like Ali named Courtney. They are trying to figure out whether she is really Courtney or not. She reveals that to them later in the books. This book taught the lesson that what you know will hurt you eventually and that you never can truly know what people are like all the time. This book was a horror mystery and it was very exciting to me, because the other eight books had left me with plenty of answered questions. I enjoyed this book overall and the ending was great.
The first of two books I read this summer was 1942 by Robert Conroy. It's a hypothetical novel that depicts what happens if Hawaii was invaded by Japan in WWII. The second book was Silent Sea by Clive Cussler this book is about a treasure hunt for a sunken Chinese Junk. Some things I like in a book are action, adventure, and suspense. these make reading more fun for me because they speed up the pace of the plot.
ReplyDeleteThe two books I read this summer were Little Brother by Cory Doctorow and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. Little Brother is about San Francisco being bombed, specifically the Bay Bridge, and how Marcus and his friends are captured as suspected terrorists. I know we read this book later in the year, so I wont give away any good parts. Little Brother was my favorite of the two books.
ReplyDeleteThe Hobbit is set in medieval times when there are wizards, dwarves, goblins, and most importantly hobbits. Bilbo and his company of dwarves and Gandolf the Grey, a wizard, set off for Lonely Mountain. Lonely Mountain used to be the dwarve's capital city where there stored there most precious treasures. That is until Smaug the dragon flew on Lonely Mountain and took it, including mountains of treasure. It is Bilbo's job to steal that treasure. Of course, he is successful despite some obstacles along the way. Both of these books had the same theme, believing in yourself, whether it's standing in front of a dragon while being 4 feet tall or trying to over through Homeland Security with just an xBox, a few CD's, and a few hundred of your closest friends dressed as vampires. No matter how impossible the task may seem, you just need to believe in yourself.
I read the Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul I and II by various authors. I also read Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the Chicken Soup for the Soul books because they cover many topics that every teenager happens upon in their high school career, including topics based upon family and friends, tough stuff, etc. I already knew that the road of life is a bumpy one, but the Chicken Soup for the Soul books helped me to realize that everyday issues that pop up in my life, like trouble with family and friends, etc. are normal in every teenager's life and helped me learn how to deal with these problems. The book's content is important to me because it is really relevant to my life. It stresses the importance of accepting or fixing a problem, learning from it, and moving on.
I also read Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. I liked the complexity and the Gothic style of the book. The book's content matters to me because it is a lesson for all of contemporary humanity. With new technologies evolving that decide the qualities of human life, we must keep in mind the overall theme of Frankenstein. The creator has a large responsibility over the created. Only the future will tell if the lesson I learned from this book will prove useful.
Over the summer I read 3 books. The first book I read was A Long Way Gone by Ismael Beah. This book was disturbing and depressing yet it made me think of all the things we take for granted and how many people out there need our help. The style of writing was almost like a diary, which I enjoyed. The author of the book wrote this about his actual life. The horrific events that went on at times were hard to believe but knowing that the man writing it had experienced it all made it even scarier.
ReplyDeleteI also read the book, The Pact by Jodi Picoult. Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors. She has such a great sense of what the readers want to hear and a way of painting the story out for you like an intricate picture. The book dealt with kids not much older than us, there was suicide, relationships and normal teenage problems throughout the entire book. I LOVED this book. I always love a great romance although this book had that and an amazing storyline with a thrilling aspect to it.
The third book I read was A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer. This book was absolutely horrifying and disturbing. It made me feel helpless and extremely sad that this type of thing goes on. The abuse that the boy had to go through was terrible and Dave Pelzer portrayed that experience beautifully. I liked all three books this summer and I think all of the authors did a great job at pulling me in.
This summer I read 39 books but I don’t think anyone wants to hear about them all so I’ll just tell u about the series I read and another book.
ReplyDelete1) The House of Night Series By P.C. and Kristen Cast
This series I have read many times so I guarantee this is worth reading but I’ll give you a little background information first.
Zoey, a normal high school teenager is turned into a vampire just as she thought life couldn’t get any worse. Plus it turns out she can’t even be a normal vamp at her new school. Zoey has special powers, a filled in tattoo her, instructor is the schools headmistress and is already enemies with the school student leader. Looks like she just got a whole new mess of issues, read this series to see what happens next.
2) Raven By Allison Van Dieren
Nicole, a break-dancer in New York City, is completely in love with her best friend/ break-dance team leader, Zin. She knows everything about him, or at least she thinks so. When she decides to go ahead and ask the question everyone’s been wondering she gets more unanswered questions. Nicole isn’t the kind of person who leaves questions unanswered but when she starts getting the answers is when she almost gets killed. Will she go further in her quest? Are the consequences worth it? Does her love for Zin overpower her fear? The answer: Yes.
This summer I read Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom and Perfect by Sara Shepard. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Tuesdays with Morrie, as it is a story about a college professor, Morrie Schwartz, and his relationship with his former student, Mitch Albom. During the time the story is told, Morrie learns he is dying from ALS and decides to share with Mitch his insights about life. Interestingly, I started reading this novel while being hospitalized for a life threatening GI bleed. My mom even read some chapters to me during a medical test that required I remain perfectly still for a long period. Although the concept of one man's struggle to live may seem depressing, it was oddly inspiring during a time when my own health was seriously threatened. While my medical condition was frightening and left me feeling exhausted much of the time, I knew I wasn't going to lose my life. Still, there were times when I felt discouraged and even depressed. During his end of life struggle, Morrie demonstrates unbelievable energy, appreciation and even understanding. My favorite line from the novel really captures his optimism, "Mitch, I don't allow myself any more self-pity than that. A little each morning, a few tears, and that's all...It's horrible to watch my body slowly wilt away to nothing. But it's also wonderful because of all the time I get to say good-bye." (pg. 37) This gave me such perspective about life's struggles and the important role gratitude had in sustaining Morrie through his grief.
ReplyDeleteI also read Perfect the third book in a wonderful series by Sara Shepard. Generally I don't tend to enjoy girly novels like this, however Shepard did a wonderful shop of mixing girliness with suspense. Throughout the series so far, there has been an ongoing mystery about a murder that took place. I am so impressed that Shepard has been able to maintain the same suspense about the mystery in the third book as she did in the first book. Sometimes it is a bit tricky to keep all the characters and their situations straight in my mind because of the style of the book. Each chapter is dedicated to a different character and therefore they alternate making it somewhat confusing. All the books in this series are wonderfully written. I would highly recommend them.
This summer, I read The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown, and The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho. Both books are intriguing because they each challenged truths and traditions of the human belief system. The Da Vinci Code, for example, questioned the long held ideas of the Christian religion. I learned a large amount of information about different beliefs in the world, as well as how some religious institutions are very corrupt. The most enjoyable parts of this novel were the ongoing puzzles and symbols that constantly appeared throughout. These spurts of pure genius from the author captivated me and lured me into the story line, until I finally felt like I was part of the insane journey the characters had to experience. In The Alchemist, the author challenged traditional expectations of society, such as getting a responsible job with steady pay and living a secure, routine life. The main character’s risk of giving up his life of routine as a sheep herder, in search of his “Personal Treasure,” inspired me, and was without a doubt, one of the best parts of the book. I had a large admiration for the main character because of his bravery to follow his heart and leave everything behind in pursuit of his treasure. The character’s many adventures throughout his search made the book very enjoyable to read, not to mention, it helped me realize that I should let no obstacles get in my way of reaching what I really want to do in life.
ReplyDeleteThe first book I read this summer was called The Lightning Thief. This was a book written by Rick Riordan. This book was very interesting. It had very vivid detail. The action scenes were described so well. The book introduced me into Greek mythology. It kept me interested throughout the entire book. I learned from this book that nothing is impossible if you've got the right motive. The thing that mattered to me most was that it was one of the first mythology books i have ever read. I'm the kind of guy that reads sports and war books only. This book was a very new experience for me.
ReplyDeleteThe second book I read this summer was called Band of Brothers. It was written by Steven E. Ambrose. This was a book about the 101st Airborne. This division was drawn together in the summer of 1942. They all joined for the monthly bonus of $50 and to be better than the next guy. At the beginning of the story they begin training in Georgia in 1942. As the story progresses, they endeavor many hard challenges. They parachute into France on D-Day, knocked down four 105mm cannons, parachute into Holland during the Arnhem campaign, get surrounded in the Battle of the Bulge, and finally end up at the end of the story, captured Hitler's outpost at Berchtesgaden. This story taught me the hardships of being a military man. The thing that matters to me most about the book's content, was the idea that being in the military is not so glorious.
Over the course of the summer I read several books but my two favorites were, Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood, and The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan. Charlie St. Cloud is about a guy named Charlie who can see his dead brother's spirit, so they play catch every day at sunset. Then a girl comes into Charlie's life and he has to let his brother move on so he can save the girl's life. I like this book because it can be somewhat realalistic to actual life. For instance when a family member dies, most people don't want to let go, like Charlie, but in the end we have to move on. I learned from this book that if we find distractions, it's easier to move on from a loss. The story of what Charlie went through to keep his promise to his dead brother Sam is really what caught my attention. He was so devoted to this one thing that he gave up a scholarship to Stanford, and became the cemetary's caretaker. The Last Olympian is the fifth and final book of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. This book is my favorite of the series because it leaves you on a major cliff hanger at the end. In the book, an enormous battle between the Gods and the Titans occurs, and Percy Jackson decides who will win. He must go through many challenges being the son of Poseidon. While reading this book I actually learned what the Greek god's powers were, for instance, Zeus is the Lord of the Sky, Poseidon rules all salt water areas, and Hades is Lord of the Underworld. The best part about this book is that I wish it was real. That's why I fell in love with the series. How cool would it be if the Greek gods were real!
ReplyDeleteOver the summer I read two fantastic books in a series, they were called Eragon and Eldest by Christopher Paolini. Eragon is a poor farm boy that discovers an odd stone while hunting in the mystical woods. He tries to trade it to the butcher for food but the butcher won’t accept the payment. Instead he decides to keep the stone and see if anyone else will take it as a payment. Later, when the stone hatches into a dragon it changes his life forever. He has to fight many fights that involve both good and evil sides. He gains much wisdom through many lessons taught to him by his elders. These books were interesting to me because they are adventure and they are all cliff hangers at the end of chapters. You can never predict the next move and can hardly put the book down. Through this book I learned that you shouldn’t judge a person by their gender, race or anything else. The fantasy aspect of these books intrigued me. Reading about non-existent, concept animals and beliefs always gives an interesting twist the story where anything is possible. The most important aspect of a book to me is the genre. I prefer action, fantasy, and science fiction. I like these two books by Christopher Paolini because they tend to have interesting plots. They almost always have an element of surprise that makes any book more fun to read.
ReplyDeleteI read several books, but my two favorites were Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
ReplyDeleteUnaccustomed Earth is a book of short stories. All of the stories are about Bengali families and how they adapt differently to American culture.
They all have a sense of importance, making you feel as though each event is important in and of itself - not just in how it leads to the end of the story. Lahiri crafts a story (for in the end all the characters seem to experience the same general story in different ways) in which the bonds of family are explored and tested and yet ultimately remain true.
I think that I would have to say that my favorite story was the second part because you get to see that story from so many different points of view that by the end, I could no longer judge their decisions, only feel their emotions strongly enough to understand why they did what they did.
I think the most amazing thing about reading Unaccustomed Earth was seeing how the characters defined themselves by their culture, and their family, but ultimately defined who they were in the process –someone who was not entirely part of either their culture or their family but someone who was unique.
This book is one of my 3rd favorite book partly because of the insight it offers into Bengali culture but largely because it helped me overcome the immense sense of loss I felt after leaving middle school. It has helped me to redefine who I am, and to understand that I do not have to hold onto who I used to be to remember that person.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close centers on people recovering from hardships. The central story tells about the life of a teenage boy named Oskar as he struggles to find meaning within his life after 9/11, in which his father was killed. Intermixed with this story are letters from his grandmother to Oskar and letters from his grandfather to Oskar’s father that tell the story of their loves and their losses.
I found the marriage of Oksar's grandparents particularly interesting, almost as if they loved each other through loving Anna. This does not succeed because they are both attempting to reach into the past for something they can no longer have, rather than trying to live in the present. I believe that this is why Oskar was initially so disappointed when he found out what his father’s key was really to, because his search for the lock was a way for him to reach into the past, a goal that cannot be achieved.
The fact that all of the people Oskar talks to have also suffered losses through those they love shows to Oskar that sorrow is something that is natural and that we all experience in some way. Seeing how they have coped with their sorrows shows him other ways to cope, rather than continuing to strive for the impossible.
Oskar and his grandfather both finally find their way into the present through digging up Oksar’s father’s grave, as if this action is a way for both of them to accept the reality of his death. This allows them first accept the reality of their loss, and then be able to draw strength from what was without lamenting that it no longer is, and only then will what they lost became real as it will ever be.
They are able to cope through seeing how others cope. Which, I believe is one of the points Foer was trying to make: that we are all connected so deeply and the reason that our love for one another and our inward sorrows are all alike is because of this connection. Through telling the story of the loves and the losses and the ways to overcome pain that his characters experience, Foer tells the story of the collective love, loss, and resilience of the human race.
This book is my 2nd favorite book because of how ubiquitous the themes of loss and recovery are within the novel and the use of symbolic pictures and annotations included as part of the text because it helped me see into the characters and truly grasp the significance of certain things.
I read multiple books over the summer. The first book I read was "Unwind" by Neil Shusterman. Unwind was about future America where a parent can choose to have their kid "unwound". "Unwinding" iss a process where bodies are taken apart and harvested until another person needs them (like being a non-voluntary donor). This book tells the story of three teens on a journey to save themselves from being unwound. This book sounds really gross at first but it turns out to be intense and excellent! I learned that you can change your future. It doesn't matter what path someone else sends you on, eventually it's your choice to change your direction. Even though this message was exaggerated in this book, it still means a lot. Shusterman does a really great job portraying the feelings of the characters by giving every character a part by telling their story in their shoes. It was a page-turning book with amazing details.
ReplyDeleteThe second book I read was "Twilight" by Stephanie Meyers. Twilight is about a girl named Bella who is in love with Edward, the vampire and is friends with Jacob, the wolf (who likes Bella). This is a small twist on a romance novel filled with action, myths and secrets! I loved this book! It was a good romance story with two good guys. I loved how I was able to take sides and disagree/agree with multiple people. I really think Meyers portrayed the characters very well and did a great job leaving you the option to take sides and still enjoy the romance! I learned that it is important with who you surround yourself with. The friends you choose can make all the difference in the world! The vivid details and descriptions were my favorite part of the book!
This summer I read Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier and The Help by Kathryn Stockett.
ReplyDeleteGirl With a Pearl Earring is a fictional story based on Vermeer's famous painting. It tells the tale of Griet, a 16-year old Dutch girl who became a maid working in the house of Johannas Vermeer, and how this painting of a girl with a pearl earring came to be. I loved the story itself, the characters, the events, the bonds that certain figures created. I also enjoyed the detail with which the author described Vermeer's studio: the light shining in from the window and resting on the simple objects on the table, the shadows of the materials, the canvas; a painting in progress. I felt as if I were in the room, as if I were posing still for hours on end while being painted. The story is fictional, but I think that the portrayal of an artist living and working in 17th Century Delft is authentic. I learned of the society and culture of the time period and location of the novel. I also discovered that paint was made by grinding a selection of materials together. What matters to me about the book's content is that it is centered on a young girl, and how her thoughts and experiences turned her into a woman. In addition, the novel is about a painter. I am an artist. I appreciated how one of my favorite things, a novel, included another one of my favorites: visual art. I loved reading about the author's views as to what went on during the painting of this piece. Girl With a Pearl Earring was fabulous.
The Help is a completely different yet also fabulous novel. It takes place in Jackson, Mississippi, in the Sixties. It is the story of three different women: Skeeter, a 23-year old college graduate returned home, Aibileen, a smart black maid, and Minny, Aibileen's sassy best friend. The three come together for a secret and risky project. I loved the characters in the novel. A few chapters are told by Aibileen, then a few by Minny, and then a few by Skeeter... and so on. I grew to know and root for the characters, with both their individual issues and those that connect them. I learned even more about the times of the Sixties, and the life of a black maid. It brought many thoughts to mind, especially of freedom, and everything we take for granted. In reality, the Sixties weren't extremely long ago, and it is interesting to realize how much has changed. What matters to me about the book's content is mainly the setting and the characters' nonstop pursuit of their dreams. I have always been fascinated with the Sixties and what went on. Although I am not particularly interested in history, I enjoy learning about civil rights, the movements, and segregation. With the characters, I admire how the women joined together and worked towards what they believed in. What's more, I love to write. One of the characters, Skeeter, is a determined author whom I feel I can relate to. I'm sure you've read The Help, Mrs. Moritz, but if you haven't, I recommend it.
Over the summer I read about 10 books but the two that I chose to talk about are The last Song by Nicholas Sparks and Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison.
ReplyDeleteThe Last Song is a story about love and families coming back together. Throughout the book, the main character, Ronnie, overcomes many obstacles and hardships that a person would experience in real life. Nicholas Sparks is one of my favorite authors and the Last Song stood out for me as one of his best books. I really liked The Last Song because it had a great plot with an even better ending. The ending was sad and happy at the same time, which was the reason I liked it so much. Another reason I enjoyed it was because it had relatable characters. When reading it I felt like I was in the story experiencing the emotions of each character. It is important to me when reading a book, that it has a moral. In The Last Song, the moral was to love your family and the people close to you because you never know what tomorrow will bring.
Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging is a book about a teenage girl living in Britain. Throughout the story she encounters many embarrassing and funny moments during school, with her friends, or in front of her crush. I didn’t like this book very much because I wasn’t sure what the moral was and the plot wasn’t very good. The book mostly consisted of journal entries written by the main character, Georgia, and I felt like the entries didn’t fit together well to form a story with obstacles and a climax. The one aspect I did like about this book was the humor. Sometimes I found myself laughing when Georgia described her morbidly obese cat named Angus or her insane little sister. Overall, I did not think this was a very good book because I like my stories to have more meaning and a definite moral.
This summer I read more books than my norm,which I will not state due to the possibility of teachers finding out how much I actually read. I read "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card a long time ago but I never got to reading the rest of the series. This summer I read many of the following books in this series. My two favorites were "Ender in Exile" and "Enders Shadow." The first is the full story of what happened at the end of "Ender's Game." Ender is an extremely talented young (about 8 when he saved the world) man who is looked upon by humanity as a villain.He is never aloud to come back to earth and becomes the governor of a colony on a new planet. This book tells of his shuttle flight his relationship with his sister and others on the flight and him finding the larva of the last Bugger (the alien species he destroyed.)In this book you see his true goodness. He only works for what he believes is right. Although some may not appreciate what i am about to say I will say it anyway. He truly is a Christ figure. He was born with a talent to understand problems hold incredible amounts of responsibility and he never, never loses. Christ had an incredible amount of responsibility as he wept in the groove and carried his cross to his death. In many ways Ender does the exact same thing. This related a lot into my life, although I am no Christ or Ender I feel as if i can relate to Ender in certain talents and he also gives me somebody to try to be like. This could be in part, why I loved this book.
ReplyDeleteThe other book, "Ender's Shadow," is the same story as ender's game but from his friend's point of view. Bean is a genetically altered small boy who is smarter than Ender but is not a leader. Bean has so much talent that in the end, perhaps Bean truly won the battle. This book shows the success, disappointment, and jealousy Bean has with Ender. At first he tries to be like Ender because Ender was loved and a brilliant leader. Bean couldn't be Ender though. In the end he became Ender's second hand man. This was an amazing seeing a boy living on the streets with no love for anybody, become a man who loves his friend Ender and finds his own place in history. I could also relate strongly to Bean. Bean was in the shadow of Ender. I also feel a times like my brothers and sister overshadow me, but now I know I am not them and I have talents they do not have. Mother Teresa, talking to a woman who wanted to make a difference in the world, said something to the extent of, "What I do you can not do, but what you do, I can not do." I love this quote because I may not be the same as my brothers or as talented in some ways but I know they can't do what I do. Both of these books made a movie in my head, the writing was amazing, and had depth beyond the adventure of the surface. I loved this about them. These were great books!
The two books I read were The Davinci Code by Dan Brown and Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. I really enjoyed both of these books. I loved how the Da Vinci Code used real places, facts, hidden symbols, and more. It really made the book feel so much more real, like it could be happening as you read it. The action, suspense, mystery, and realism made this book the bes for me. Fallen Angels presented a different style of reading. It is a book that basically tells what life was like for a soldier in the Vietnam War. It contained many real scenarios, places, and details. It was cool to understand what it was like, especially since my grandpa fought in the Vietnam War. I found it really easy to picture this story
ReplyDeleteOver the summer I read two incredible books, The girls by Lori Lansens, and My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult. Both of these books were very intense and heart throbbing. The story The Girls is about two twin sisters Rose and Ruby. However, Rose and Ruby are not your average twins. They are conjoined twins. Rose and Ruby grew up in a small town in which they encountered the name “the girls.” Although they both dislike the name, it catches on quickly. Everyone in their small town refers to them as the girls. Ruby and Rose are now thirty-nine and have become the oldest conjoined twins in history. When Rose begins to publish a story about Ruby’s and her lives, Ruby must join in and they both begin an amazing story about their life together. From their first words, to their first day of school, to their first crushes, the girls create a friendship that is truly heart wrenching. Throughout the book, Rose and Ruby tell about their difficulties and pleasures of being a conjoined twin. I really enjoyed the book The Girls because it was a true story that truly made me value the life I was given. I learned that you should value every moment of life because somewhere there is someone with a life a lot less fortunate than yours. What mattered most to me about to me about this particular story’s content was that it had a story line about sisters, my sister and I are very close so this story really touched me. The other book I read this summer, My Sisters Keeper, was a very miserable book. I loved the story line and the details the author gave, but in general, the book was way too emotional for me. The story line begins when Anna Fitzgerald is born for a purpose, to save her sister Kate who is dying from leukemia. Anna is constantly having things drawn from her. But she never minds since she is helping her sister. When Anna suddenly surprises her family by refusing to give her liver, which means Kate will die, no one understands why. Except Anna and Kate. Jodi Picoult writes a moving story about how two sisters can become so close over one sisters’ disease. I enjoyed this story because it was heartfelt and meant a lot to me. I learned that sometimes people come off selfish but in reality, they are doing something for someone else. So you shouldn’t judge before you know the whole story. What mattered most to me about this books content was that it truly was a good story, it had so much detail and information that you can’t help but getting into it, Although books were terribly sad, I would recommend The Girls and My Sisters Keeper any day.
ReplyDeleteI read two great novels this summer! The first one is A Walk to Remember, by Nicholas Sparks. It's a love story about a popular and well liked guy, Landon, who would never normally fall for a girl like Jamie, a religious, quiet, and strange girl. But after spending some time with her (not completely intentionally) that is all about to change. I really liked this book because it played with all your emotions. At one part of the book, you feel happy, at another, you feel angry, and so on. Also, it had a very powerful lesson in it. Even if you get the first impression that someone is "weird" or "different" give them a chance, because they could be a really amazing person.
ReplyDeleteThe second book I read was Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand. I absolutely loved this book. It is the inspiring story of an odd shaped little horse who became an American racing legend with the help of his wealthy owner, gifted trainer, and adoring jockey. I really liked this story because it was very detailed and at times, suspenseful! Every race that was run in the book took up at least two pages as the author would take you through the race stride-by-stride. I usually had to re-read those parts to understand it all! There are many things I learned from this book. One is that persistence and trust are vital when you are hoping to succeed at something. I also learned all about horse racing! I learned what furlongs are and all about the racetrack rules. The content of this book matters to me a lot, because my life is basically all about horses, so I love learning about the legendary horses of our country.
Over the summer, I had the joy of reading two fabulous novels by various authors. The first book was Peter and the Sword of Mercy by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry. The main reason that I chose to read this book, is because I loved this series in fifth grade and I hadn't known about the new book coming out until I saw my younger brother reading it. Instantly, I found a copy. Reading this book was very enjoyable for me because it brought back childhood memories. This book is not the only one in the series. I had read all of the others before, and this is the concluding book to the series. What I liked about this book was how the authors carried over and transitioned the story from book to book very well. Every book leads off right where the other one stopped, which makes a friendly enviornment for readers who get confused easily (me).
ReplyDeleteThe second book I read over the summer was the fabulous Book Thief, by Markus Zuzak. If I were to see this book in a library I would probobly never have read it. The reason I did read this book was because my mom forced me too, which I am gratefull of. This book was one of a kind. Never in my life have I read anything with such depth or detail. This book is especially exciting because it is narrated by something you would not expect... death. Now at first, I had to ajust having an actual death narrate the book I was reading, but after a while, I started to get more and more in tune with the books plot. This book was nothing short of spectacular and I loved reading it to get a little more historical knowledge about the Holocaust too. Overall, I read some truly amazing books over this summer that definitly made me not bore myself to death.
The two books that I read were "Holy's Heart" by Beverly Lewis and "Gossip Girls" by Cecily von Ziegesar. My favorite was Holy's heart which is actually 3 books in one! It was about a girl named Holly and she was born on Valentine’s Day so her mom calls her "Holly Heart". Her father left them when she was about 6 or 7 so when she finds out that her mom is dating again she is furious! She also is fighting with her best friend about some boy they both like. Holly is tested in many ways. But she realizes in the end what really and truly matters! What I liked about this book is that it really showed how Holly could keep her balance with her mom. Her dad who lives in California, and her social life! What really matters to me is spending time with your family but also staying close with your friends!
ReplyDeleteThe second book I read was "Gossip Girls". To be honest I didn’t like this book at all! I’m not going to say it was the worst book I have ever read I’m just saying that its one of the worst! It is about this girl Blair and long story short there was a lot of underage drinking and lots more inappropriate things. She lives in New York City with her parents but they aren't involved in her life that much. She goes to a boarding school in New York where she was the most popular girl but when her old best friend comes back home, Blair is not happy to see her! I didn’t really learn anything about this book and there weren’t really a lot of parts that I liked!
When the Arapahoe school reading list first arrived, I immediately though I was required to read two of the books that it was listed. So since I had no idea what was a good read I decided to asked my mother who is an avid reader she suggested "Tuesdays With Morrie", By: Mitch Albom & "The Alchemist", by:Paulo Coelho ("The
ReplyDeleteAlchemist" was also recommended to me by a family friend). Since I knew my mother was one who only read books with meaning I took a step off of my usual path of realistic fiction and took her advice in reading them. I read "The Alchemist" first and found that it was book about one man's journey to finding the "Alchemist" a person all knowing about life. Through out his journey and encounters with the Alchemist he discovered many important things about life, that the language of the world is love (to give and receive this), that sometime you have to sojourn in a different place to find yourself, destiny must be fulfilled and that knowledge is over rated when it is all from books, and that observing/ learning in real life experiences is much more valuable. After the heavy metaphorical literature I started "Tuesdays With Morrie", this book was truly endearing about a student's professor, a class about the meaning of life, and a life long friendship that changes the students life. I learned that there will be a few people in life that you respect, trust, and listen to and everything they teach you will never fade from your memory. This professor gave this student a chance to get first hand information from an elder on his life story all the wise knowledge he had acquired through out his life, most of the book is told from the students meeting with his now fatally ill professor in his final months, they meet on Tuesday mornings and discus life and death and everything in between. A quote that really resonated with me from the book is, "So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning." I loved these books and would read them over and over again because every time they would leave me with new meaning.
Over the summer, I read several interesting books that I would highly recommend to any teenager insterested in a book that you can't seem to put down! The first book I read was "13 Reasons Why" by Jay Asher. One of the other books I read was "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult. "13 Reasons Why" is a book that I aboultely ADORE. It is about a girl who commits suicide and leaves cassette tapes explaining why she took her life and has a system of getting the tapes passed around to the people who need to hear them, even after she is dead. This book really hit home for me because I just recently lost my cousin to a suicide-realated death. Although it is a very very sad, depressing topic to discuss, this book really helped me understand that unfortunatley, death happens. Sometimes in a very unpleasant way. The thing that I love about the content of this book is that it is very addicting because each chapter ends leaving you wanting more! I stayed up 3 nights in a row reading until 1 in the morning because I COULD NOT get enough of this book! It is very suspenseful and has a great ending that ties every end up. Like I previously mentioned, I could really relate to this book because of the recent loss of my cousin. I think this book also helped me in the healing process.
ReplyDeleteThe other book I read, "My Sister's Keeper" was an extraordinary book filled with emotions. The reasn I loved this book so much is because of the way it is written. The point of view switches back and forth from character to character with each chapter. This really helped me, as the reader, to understand each character's feelings and emotions as the book progressed.What I learned from this book is the important bond of family, communication and love. In this book, the family is struggling immensely with their daughter, Kate who has lukemia. They put Kate and her needs befor the rest of the family, especially the mom, which results in a huge disaster. Not only within the family, but legally. Their other daughter tries to become medically emancipated from her parents because they don't listen to her and respect her wishes regarding her own body. This really made me realize how important communication is because without it, your family can be ripped apart, like this one. What mattered to me about the book's content is how emotional it was. I found myself in tears numerous ammounts of times. I think that says a lot about how the book was written and how the messages were delivered to the reader. I love both of these books and they have become two of my favorites. I would suggest them to ANYONE!
Over the summer, I read a novel that gave me great insight on friendship and what not to take for granted. A Separate Peace by John Knowles is a well written, literally rich story of two boys developing their relationship around the conflicts of World War II while living at a boarding school in New England. I liked this book because of how wise the lessons are, while it taught me how life was in the conditions of wealthy boys training for the army and building relationships. Knowles' writing is simply brilliant, while being just as modest. I value the lessons I learned from it and the knowledge I gained about friendship.
ReplyDelete