Okay. This book reminded me a lot of the book "I Heard That Song Before," by Mary Higgins Clark. I don't know who has ever read this book but I know that Shazena and Jodiann have read it. The way the authors lay the hints down so subtly, and in my opinion, the styles of writing are similar. I'm not normally into the whole "mystery" genre because I feel that most of them are stereotypical, but this book was actually pretty good. I mean, I don't think it was mind blowing or anything, but it was okay.
The book was about this girl who was strangled to death, and the prime suspect is this guy named Billy, whose father is the Police Chief. Twenty years later, Billy's sister reopens the case, a similar new case opens up. AGAIN, BILLY IS SUSPECT. But is it Billy?!? No one knows, so read the book and find out!
The book was a pretty quick read. It was one of those books that you just read to figure out "who is the suspect? Who committed the crime? will they get caught?" kind of thing. So yeahh....I recommend this book, if you like mystery/crime books!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Picking a Book (#8)
This week I asked Ms. Faughey if I could read the book "Darkness Peering" by Alice Blanchard/Blanchet (I dont remember which last name it is, but I'll post the right last name in the next post), and she approved the book! YAYY<3
Okay. Well...This book was supposed to be one for book club, but like no one is reading it yet, so I decided to read it for independent reading, because right now, book club is reading "19 Minutes" by Jodi Picoult (who is the AWESOME author who wrote 'My Sister's Keeper' which I HIGHLY recommend!) Well, back to "Darkness Peering," I'm not actually sure what its about, but I know its supposed to be a scary horror crime book. Yeahh.....and it sounds good when you read up about it on amazon.com
The book has 316 pages, and I should take 3 weeks to finish it, but I'll try to finish it sooner =]
Okay. Well...This book was supposed to be one for book club, but like no one is reading it yet, so I decided to read it for independent reading, because right now, book club is reading "19 Minutes" by Jodi Picoult (who is the AWESOME author who wrote 'My Sister's Keeper' which I HIGHLY recommend!) Well, back to "Darkness Peering," I'm not actually sure what its about, but I know its supposed to be a scary horror crime book. Yeahh.....and it sounds good when you read up about it on amazon.com
The book has 316 pages, and I should take 3 weeks to finish it, but I'll try to finish it sooner =]
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Picking a Book (#7)
This week I'm going to read "The Bell Jar" by Slyvia Plath. This is Slyvia Plath's only novel, which was orignially published under the pseudonym "Victoria Lucas." I've heard many people talking about this book, and I've decided to read it this vacation. I have no clue what this book is about, and I'm just going to read it based on recommendations. I don't know if this related to the book or Sylvia Plath's life, but I heard someone mentioning something about how someone wanted to commit suicide, so she put her head in an oven, while the gas was on, and umm.....she died. It sounds pretty creepy. Oh and I think the book is semi-autobiographical, so either way, I think I'll be amused with the book.
This book has 264 pages, and I should finish it in 2 weeks, but it's vacation so I'll finish sooner. =]
This book has 264 pages, and I should finish it in 2 weeks, but it's vacation so I'll finish sooner. =]
Friday, April 18, 2008
Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
WOW. JUST WOW.
This book was amazing. It was such a sweet&sad story about this guy named Morrie who's dying, and kind of "passes on" his knowledge of life to Mitch. In a way, Morrie has all the answers that Mitch wants, even though Morrie doesn't have a "concrete" answer. I don't know if that made sense, but what made this book so good, was that fact that it was real. I had to remind myself throughout the book, that Morrie was actually a real person, and that his sufferings were real too.
The vast amount of knowledge and life lessons he shares is just...well, so inspirational. I don't know any other way to describe it because it's so powerful, and the thing is it's ALL REAL. It's not fiction. Someone with the name Morris Schwartz actually went through all of this. This person is REAL. I just couldn't grasp that fact. I don't know why. Maybe it's because all of the words that came out of Morrie's mouth were so simple and true about the way we should live our lives, but people in today's society don't live their lives the "right way." Today people's lives are centered around money, improving their status, getting that bigger house, and that promotion that comes with a bigger paycheck. But Morrie says simply that "So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half asleep, even when they are 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" (Albom, 43). I think everyone kind of knows this already, but it's not until you actually sit down and think to yourself, 'what do I really want?' 'what's my purpose in this world?' or 'Is this all I really want?' until it REALLY hits you, with what you REALLY want to do with your life. Sometimes this realization might not even hit you until it's too late-- when you're on your death bed, thinking of your life, and of all the regrets you have. Isn't that just sad?
After reading this book, I just don't want to be like those people that work day and night, trying to gain materialistic things in this world. I don't want to live my life just working for my next paycheck. In the book, Morrie says "Money is not a substitite for tenderness, and power is not a substitute for tenderness," and that "You can't substitute material things for love or for gentleness or for tenderness, or for a sense of comradship" (Albom, 125). He says that " "The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in." When asled what gives him satisfaction, he says "Offering others what you have to give" (Albom, 126). Isn't this just a simple answer to how we should live our lives? So simple, but people think that there is a much more complicated answer. Most people don't TRULY think this way until they think it's too late. But you want to know something else Morrie said? He said it's never too late for anything.
So yeah. This book really touched my heart (I know that sounded soo corny, but it's true!), and it really reminded me of the book "5 People You Meet In Heaven" (but the same author). In both books, it shows how the meaning/purpose of a life is found through death. I don't know if that made sense, but in "Tuesdays With Morrie," you can see how his persepective on life, while dying, is different from many other people's, and in "5 People You Meet In Heaven," you see how the life of this one guy affected so many other people, but only after he dies.
Oh and I have one more thing to say...Well not really what I have to say, but something that Morrie said. He said that "Dying is one thing to be sad about, [but] living unhappily is another thing." And I liked this quote alot, because it's like saying, as long as you lived life to it's fullest, you should be able to live a happy life, and although death will be 'sad,' it won't be unbearable. But if you keep striving for things that don't really matter in the long run, your life will be miserable, and death will be even worse. I'm not sure if that's what Morrie said when he said that, but that's what it meant to me.
So yeahh...that's all I have to say for now.
This book was amazing. It was such a sweet&sad story about this guy named Morrie who's dying, and kind of "passes on" his knowledge of life to Mitch. In a way, Morrie has all the answers that Mitch wants, even though Morrie doesn't have a "concrete" answer. I don't know if that made sense, but what made this book so good, was that fact that it was real. I had to remind myself throughout the book, that Morrie was actually a real person, and that his sufferings were real too.
The vast amount of knowledge and life lessons he shares is just...well, so inspirational. I don't know any other way to describe it because it's so powerful, and the thing is it's ALL REAL. It's not fiction. Someone with the name Morris Schwartz actually went through all of this. This person is REAL. I just couldn't grasp that fact. I don't know why. Maybe it's because all of the words that came out of Morrie's mouth were so simple and true about the way we should live our lives, but people in today's society don't live their lives the "right way." Today people's lives are centered around money, improving their status, getting that bigger house, and that promotion that comes with a bigger paycheck. But Morrie says simply that "So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half asleep, even when they are 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" (Albom, 43). I think everyone kind of knows this already, but it's not until you actually sit down and think to yourself, 'what do I really want?' 'what's my purpose in this world?' or 'Is this all I really want?' until it REALLY hits you, with what you REALLY want to do with your life. Sometimes this realization might not even hit you until it's too late-- when you're on your death bed, thinking of your life, and of all the regrets you have. Isn't that just sad?
After reading this book, I just don't want to be like those people that work day and night, trying to gain materialistic things in this world. I don't want to live my life just working for my next paycheck. In the book, Morrie says "Money is not a substitite for tenderness, and power is not a substitute for tenderness," and that "You can't substitute material things for love or for gentleness or for tenderness, or for a sense of comradship" (Albom, 125). He says that " "The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in." When asled what gives him satisfaction, he says "Offering others what you have to give" (Albom, 126). Isn't this just a simple answer to how we should live our lives? So simple, but people think that there is a much more complicated answer. Most people don't TRULY think this way until they think it's too late. But you want to know something else Morrie said? He said it's never too late for anything.
So yeah. This book really touched my heart (I know that sounded soo corny, but it's true!), and it really reminded me of the book "5 People You Meet In Heaven" (but the same author). In both books, it shows how the meaning/purpose of a life is found through death. I don't know if that made sense, but in "Tuesdays With Morrie," you can see how his persepective on life, while dying, is different from many other people's, and in "5 People You Meet In Heaven," you see how the life of this one guy affected so many other people, but only after he dies.
Oh and I have one more thing to say...Well not really what I have to say, but something that Morrie said. He said that "Dying is one thing to be sad about, [but] living unhappily is another thing." And I liked this quote alot, because it's like saying, as long as you lived life to it's fullest, you should be able to live a happy life, and although death will be 'sad,' it won't be unbearable. But if you keep striving for things that don't really matter in the long run, your life will be miserable, and death will be even worse. I'm not sure if that's what Morrie said when he said that, but that's what it meant to me.
So yeahh...that's all I have to say for now.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Picking a Book (#6)
This week I'm going to read "Tuesdays With Morrie" by Mitch Albom. The genre of this book is nonfiction. It was published in 1997. I wanted to read this book because I read a different book by the same author, "5 People You Meet In Heaven." That book was great, and always kept me reading to figure out what's going to happen next. If "Tuesdays With Morrie" is just as good, then I think that picking this book would be an excellent choice =D
Okay. I asked some people what this story was about without revealing too much, and they said that this book is about the relationship between Morrie Schwartz and Mitch Albom. Morrie Schwartz is dying from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis AKA Lou Gehrig's Disease), which is the same illness/disease that our school is fundraising for. In the book, Mitch Albom is supposed to be learning life lessons for uhhh....life? So yeahh...
About the Author
Mitch Albom was born on May 23, 1958. He was born in Trenton, New Jersey. He is a novelist (obviously!) and has been a newspaper sports columist, a radio host, and a TV commentator. His first book was called "Bo: Life, Laughs, and the Lessons of a College Football Legend," and it became a New York Times Bestseller. His second book was "Tuesdays With Morrie," which also became a NYT Bestseller. Afterwards, he wrote two more books, "5 People You Meet In Heaven" in 2003, and "For One More Day" in 2006. Both of these books managed to land a spot on the NYT's Bestseller list.
One really interesting fact about Mitch Albom is that he's part of a rock band called, THE ROCK-BOTTOM REMAINDERS, which is a band composed of published writers! Some of the author's names surprised me though. Some of the band members are Amy Tan, Stephen King, James McBride, and Matt Groening!
The Book
This book has 224 pages. It should take me 2 weeks to finish, if I read 100 pages a week, but I think I could finish it by Friday.
Okay. I asked some people what this story was about without revealing too much, and they said that this book is about the relationship between Morrie Schwartz and Mitch Albom. Morrie Schwartz is dying from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis AKA Lou Gehrig's Disease), which is the same illness/disease that our school is fundraising for. In the book, Mitch Albom is supposed to be learning life lessons for uhhh....life? So yeahh...
About the Author
Mitch Albom was born on May 23, 1958. He was born in Trenton, New Jersey. He is a novelist (obviously!) and has been a newspaper sports columist, a radio host, and a TV commentator. His first book was called "Bo: Life, Laughs, and the Lessons of a College Football Legend," and it became a New York Times Bestseller. His second book was "Tuesdays With Morrie," which also became a NYT Bestseller. Afterwards, he wrote two more books, "5 People You Meet In Heaven" in 2003, and "For One More Day" in 2006. Both of these books managed to land a spot on the NYT's Bestseller list.
One really interesting fact about Mitch Albom is that he's part of a rock band called, THE ROCK-BOTTOM REMAINDERS, which is a band composed of published writers! Some of the author's names surprised me though. Some of the band members are Amy Tan, Stephen King, James McBride, and Matt Groening!
The Book
This book has 224 pages. It should take me 2 weeks to finish, if I read 100 pages a week, but I think I could finish it by Friday.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
"Candy" by Kevin Brooks - Songs That Relate
Okay. I forgot to mention in my last post, that while I was reading this book 2 songs kept popping into my head: "She Will Be Loved" by Maroon 5, and "This Love" by Maroon 5. I'm pretty sure that everyone has heard these songs before, but I'll just post the videos here, just in case.
(Oh and btw, the videos are a bit slow, but I tried to get the clearest versions, I could find, because Youtube's version was kind of blurry, but whatever a video is a video.)
Maroon 5 - She Will Be Loved
Uploaded by Maroon-5
Here are the lyrics:
Beauty queen of only eighteen
She had some trouble with herself
He was always there to help her
She always belonged to someone else
I drove for miles and miles
And wound up at your door
I've had you so many times but somehow
I want more
I don't mind spending everyday
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
And she will be loved
She will be loved
Tap on my window knock on my door
I want to make you feel beautiful
I know I tend to get insecure
It doesn't matter anymore
It's not always rainbows and butterflies
It's compromise that moves us along
My heart is full and my door's always open
You can come anytime you want
I don't mind spending everyday
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
And she will be loved
She will be loved
I know where you hide
Alone in your car
Know all of the things that make you who you are
I know that goodbye means nothing at all
Comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls
Well..yeah. In the first stanza, it says "Beauty queen of only eighteen, She had some trouble with herself, He was always there to help her, She always belonged to someone else." Everything in this stanza directly relates to the book! (except for the fact that I'm prety sure she was 16/17 years old, not 18) But yeah...Candy is a heroin addict, so that's her "trouble," and whenever she needs help getting the heroin, Iggy is always "there to help her," because he was her pimp, so she belonged to him. In the next stanza, it talks about someone who "wound up" at her doorstep, but wanted more. This is exactly what Joe did, he walked around aimlessly trying to find out where she lived, and when he finally found it, he wanted more of Candy. In the 3rd stanza, it says he'll "look for the girl with the broken smile," and guess what? They talk about smiles constantly in this book! Iggy is always saying "You want a smile?" in a threatening way to Joe, and Joe always notices the different smiles that Candy has, especially her fake ones, or the "broken" ones, but even with this, he still loves her, hence "she will be loved." And umm...later in the song when it says "It's not always rainbows and butterflies," that's the way it is with Candy. When she decides to quit heroin, it was easier said than done, and things weren't always "picture perfect." In the last few lines, it talks about how, he'll be there to "catch her when she falls," and it's true. When Candy is withdrawing, he doesn't abandon her. Instead, he's right behind her, and when she goes crazy, he's always there to "catch her when she falls" This song REALLY matched up with the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the second song:
Okay. Well first off, I'd like to say that the music video for "This Love" is the censored version, that has the flowers blowing everywhere when the people are....uh, doing stuff. The real music video, without the flowers, doesn't show much anyways, but I'm just posting this version just in case. But yeah. I'm not gonna bother posting all the lyrics like before, because this blog post is getting too long already, but the song as a whole reminds me of Joe and Candy's relationship in the book. The love Joe has for Candy is putting "a toll on him," but through it all, he still puts up with it, and loves Candy. One part in the song says "I'll fix these broken things, Repair your broken wings, And make sure everything's alright," which is kind of what Joe is trying to do when he tries to get her to withdraw. The first stanza explains a lot of Joe's/Candy's relationship at the end, because no matter what Candy will always be in Joe's heart. awww. how sweet! XD
So yeahh. that's my post for today!
(Oh and btw, the videos are a bit slow, but I tried to get the clearest versions, I could find, because Youtube's version was kind of blurry, but whatever a video is a video.)
Maroon 5 - She Will Be Loved
Uploaded by Maroon-5
Here are the lyrics:
Beauty queen of only eighteen
She had some trouble with herself
He was always there to help her
She always belonged to someone else
I drove for miles and miles
And wound up at your door
I've had you so many times but somehow
I want more
I don't mind spending everyday
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
And she will be loved
She will be loved
Tap on my window knock on my door
I want to make you feel beautiful
I know I tend to get insecure
It doesn't matter anymore
It's not always rainbows and butterflies
It's compromise that moves us along
My heart is full and my door's always open
You can come anytime you want
I don't mind spending everyday
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
And she will be loved
She will be loved
I know where you hide
Alone in your car
Know all of the things that make you who you are
I know that goodbye means nothing at all
Comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls
Well..yeah. In the first stanza, it says "Beauty queen of only eighteen, She had some trouble with herself, He was always there to help her, She always belonged to someone else." Everything in this stanza directly relates to the book! (except for the fact that I'm prety sure she was 16/17 years old, not 18) But yeah...Candy is a heroin addict, so that's her "trouble," and whenever she needs help getting the heroin, Iggy is always "there to help her," because he was her pimp, so she belonged to him. In the next stanza, it talks about someone who "wound up" at her doorstep, but wanted more. This is exactly what Joe did, he walked around aimlessly trying to find out where she lived, and when he finally found it, he wanted more of Candy. In the 3rd stanza, it says he'll "look for the girl with the broken smile," and guess what? They talk about smiles constantly in this book! Iggy is always saying "You want a smile?" in a threatening way to Joe, and Joe always notices the different smiles that Candy has, especially her fake ones, or the "broken" ones, but even with this, he still loves her, hence "she will be loved." And umm...later in the song when it says "It's not always rainbows and butterflies," that's the way it is with Candy. When she decides to quit heroin, it was easier said than done, and things weren't always "picture perfect." In the last few lines, it talks about how, he'll be there to "catch her when she falls," and it's true. When Candy is withdrawing, he doesn't abandon her. Instead, he's right behind her, and when she goes crazy, he's always there to "catch her when she falls" This song REALLY matched up with the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the second song:
Okay. Well first off, I'd like to say that the music video for "This Love" is the censored version, that has the flowers blowing everywhere when the people are....uh, doing stuff. The real music video, without the flowers, doesn't show much anyways, but I'm just posting this version just in case. But yeah. I'm not gonna bother posting all the lyrics like before, because this blog post is getting too long already, but the song as a whole reminds me of Joe and Candy's relationship in the book. The love Joe has for Candy is putting "a toll on him," but through it all, he still puts up with it, and loves Candy. One part in the song says "I'll fix these broken things, Repair your broken wings, And make sure everything's alright," which is kind of what Joe is trying to do when he tries to get her to withdraw. The first stanza explains a lot of Joe's/Candy's relationship at the end, because no matter what Candy will always be in Joe's heart. awww. how sweet! XD
So yeahh. that's my post for today!
"Candy" by Kevin Brooks
YAYY. I finished the book!! This book was great. It kept me on my toes the whole time. I just kept reading just to know what happened next. I mean, there are some parts where you can tell what’s going to happen, but even then, you want to know how it all turns out. I don’t know how to describe it, but I like the book. Now umm….I guess I should start to explain the book. I’ll try not to put any spoilers in or anything.
Basically, there are about 6 characters in the book: Joe Back, Candy (Candice), Iggy (Ignatius), Gina Beck, Mike, and Joes’s dad. Joe Beck is a regular 16-year old kid from London, who loves music, and is even in a band called “The Katies.” When going to see his doctor one day, he met this girl named Candy, who grabbed his attention as soon as he saw her. She was beautiful, and he became infatuated with her after a few moments in her presence, but she soon left him by himself at the train station. About a couple minutes., he saw her at McDonald’s so they ate together. While they eat, this big guy comes over, and starts yelling at Candy about money. He scares Joe away, and Joe is scared for Candy. When emptying out his pockets, he finds a paper that Candy slipped into his pocket with her cell phone number on it. He calls her back later, and they spend the day at the London Zoo. He kind of figures out that she is a prostitute, and that bug guy (Iggy) was her pimp. He also becomes aware with the fact that she is addicted to heroin. Then some stuff happens (I’m not saying what, because that would ruin the book), but this is where the real tension comes in, and Candy tries to stop using heroin. There are some funny parts in the book, where she goes crazy just to get some heroin (because she's going through withdrawal symptoms, so it's not really her fault) like when she knees Joe in the groins, just so she can go back to Iggy, even though he'd probably beat her to dealth, just to get some heroin.
In my opinion, Candy is not the most “well-rounded character,” because she doesn’t really change throughout the book, but Joe does. Joe is changed by his encounters with Candy. The other couple in the book, Mike and Gina, seems much more developed than Joe’s and Candy's, but I guess the author did that on purpose because Mike and Gina are getting married, and have known each other far longer than Joe and Candy have known each other.
But yeahh, the book was great, and so was the ending (to a certain extent). There is only is when I finished reading the book, I was literally begging for more, because the ending was just...I don’t know, maybe a bit abrupt. I wish Kevin Brooks elaborates a bit more as to what happened to the main characters, because I am really interested to know.
Basically, there are about 6 characters in the book: Joe Back, Candy (Candice), Iggy (Ignatius), Gina Beck, Mike, and Joes’s dad. Joe Beck is a regular 16-year old kid from London, who loves music, and is even in a band called “The Katies.” When going to see his doctor one day, he met this girl named Candy, who grabbed his attention as soon as he saw her. She was beautiful, and he became infatuated with her after a few moments in her presence, but she soon left him by himself at the train station. About a couple minutes., he saw her at McDonald’s so they ate together. While they eat, this big guy comes over, and starts yelling at Candy about money. He scares Joe away, and Joe is scared for Candy. When emptying out his pockets, he finds a paper that Candy slipped into his pocket with her cell phone number on it. He calls her back later, and they spend the day at the London Zoo. He kind of figures out that she is a prostitute, and that bug guy (Iggy) was her pimp. He also becomes aware with the fact that she is addicted to heroin. Then some stuff happens (I’m not saying what, because that would ruin the book), but this is where the real tension comes in, and Candy tries to stop using heroin. There are some funny parts in the book, where she goes crazy just to get some heroin (because she's going through withdrawal symptoms, so it's not really her fault) like when she knees Joe in the groins, just so she can go back to Iggy, even though he'd probably beat her to dealth, just to get some heroin.
In my opinion, Candy is not the most “well-rounded character,” because she doesn’t really change throughout the book, but Joe does. Joe is changed by his encounters with Candy. The other couple in the book, Mike and Gina, seems much more developed than Joe’s and Candy's, but I guess the author did that on purpose because Mike and Gina are getting married, and have known each other far longer than Joe and Candy have known each other.
But yeahh, the book was great, and so was the ending (to a certain extent). There is only is when I finished reading the book, I was literally begging for more, because the ending was just...I don’t know, maybe a bit abrupt. I wish Kevin Brooks elaborates a bit more as to what happened to the main characters, because I am really interested to know.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Picking a Book (#5)
This week I'm going to read "Candy" by Kevin Brooks. It was published in 2005. "Candy" is Kevin Brooks Fourth Novel. I went on amazon.com, and looked up the customer reviews, and everyone seemed to like it (except for one person who gave it only 1 star, but I think they only did that to stand out from the other reviews that were praising the book. i dont know, but whatever.) So yeah, I heard that this book had something to do with drugs, and previously reading "Go Ask Alice," which was another book about drugs, I can't wait to read it! So uhh, yeahh. Okay, moving on...
About the Author
Well, I never heard of the book "Candy" before seeing it on Ms.Faughey's book list thingy that she gave us, but I did know who "Kevin Brooks" was. I think that most people know him as "the guy who wrote the book 'Lucas.'" Do you guys remember what guy I'm taking about now? Ehh, hopefully you do. But, back to the author. Kevin Brooks was born on March 30, 1959. He grew up in Exeter, Devon, England, but now lives in Manningtree, Essex, England. He has published about 10 books, and one book is due out this year, called "Black Rabbit Summer."
One interesting fact aout Kevin Brooks, is that when he was asked "what is your most precious memory?" he said "[My most precious memory was] Sitting on a wall when I was ten years old, wondering where your thoughts go when you die. (I decided that they float up into space and become fuel for the sun)." I don't know about you guys, but I find that kind of interesting, and now he's got me wondering where your thought go when you die.
The Book
This book has 368 pages, but if I really get into it, I think I'll be done by Sunday =D
About the Author
Well, I never heard of the book "Candy" before seeing it on Ms.Faughey's book list thingy that she gave us, but I did know who "Kevin Brooks" was. I think that most people know him as "the guy who wrote the book 'Lucas.'" Do you guys remember what guy I'm taking about now? Ehh, hopefully you do. But, back to the author. Kevin Brooks was born on March 30, 1959. He grew up in Exeter, Devon, England, but now lives in Manningtree, Essex, England. He has published about 10 books, and one book is due out this year, called "Black Rabbit Summer."
One interesting fact aout Kevin Brooks, is that when he was asked "what is your most precious memory?" he said "[My most precious memory was] Sitting on a wall when I was ten years old, wondering where your thoughts go when you die. (I decided that they float up into space and become fuel for the sun)." I don't know about you guys, but I find that kind of interesting, and now he's got me wondering where your thought go when you die.
The Book
This book has 368 pages, but if I really get into it, I think I'll be done by Sunday =D
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy (Character Profile)
Name: Fitzwilliam Darcy
Age: 28 years old
Loves: Elizabeth Bennett
Sibling(s): Georgiana Darcy
Friendship With: Mr. Bingley
Enemy: George Wickham
Appearance: Fine, Tall, Handsome
Income: £10,000 a year
Personality (from other characters' POV): Haughty, Proud, Arrogant, Disagreeable
Personality (from the Housekeeper and from Elizabeth's POV at the end): Honest, Kind, Loyal, Generous, Compassionate, Affable to the Poor, Good-Tempered, Good-Natured
Some Really Good Stuff He Did: He saved his sister from eloping with Mr.Wickham; He saved the Bennett family from disgrace by paying off Mr.Wickham to marry Lydia; He reunited Mr.Bingley with Jane, and they got married; and many many more...
QUOTE THAT I THINK DESCRIBES HIM:
"When I said that he [Mr.Darcy] improved on acquaintance, I did not mean that either his mind or manner were in a state of improvment, but that, from knowing him better, his dispositon was better understood."
--Quote said by Elizabeth Bennett to Mr.Wickham (Austen, 260)
This quote really opens my eyes because Elizabeth is absolutely correct. Mr. Darcy has hardly changed. Some still think he is arrogant, and proud, but that is because they don't know him. Elizabeth has had the opportunity to get to know him better, and by doing so, she sees why he acts the way he does. She sees the reasons behind the things he did, and she feels as though she judged him wrongly because she did not know all the facts before judging him so wrongly. She sees his true nature, and see what the outsiders don't, which is why her opinion of him changes.
Why I Chose Mr.Darcy to Do A Character Profile On:
Okay. There are many reasons why I chose this character to do a profile on, but the main reason is because he's just so complex. His character seems to change drastically throughout the book, but now that I think about it, the only thing REALLY changing is the way Elizabeth percieves him. (Of course, he changes somewhat throughout the book, but after finishing the book, I feel as though he must've had some good in his heart since the beginning of the book.)
Age: 28 years old
Loves: Elizabeth Bennett
Sibling(s): Georgiana Darcy
Friendship With: Mr. Bingley
Enemy: George Wickham
Appearance: Fine, Tall, Handsome
Income: £10,000 a year
Personality (from other characters' POV): Haughty, Proud, Arrogant, Disagreeable
Personality (from the Housekeeper and from Elizabeth's POV at the end): Honest, Kind, Loyal, Generous, Compassionate, Affable to the Poor, Good-Tempered, Good-Natured
Some Really Good Stuff He Did: He saved his sister from eloping with Mr.Wickham; He saved the Bennett family from disgrace by paying off Mr.Wickham to marry Lydia; He reunited Mr.Bingley with Jane, and they got married; and many many more...
QUOTE THAT I THINK DESCRIBES HIM:
"When I said that he [Mr.Darcy] improved on acquaintance, I did not mean that either his mind or manner were in a state of improvment, but that, from knowing him better, his dispositon was better understood."
--Quote said by Elizabeth Bennett to Mr.Wickham (Austen, 260)
This quote really opens my eyes because Elizabeth is absolutely correct. Mr. Darcy has hardly changed. Some still think he is arrogant, and proud, but that is because they don't know him. Elizabeth has had the opportunity to get to know him better, and by doing so, she sees why he acts the way he does. She sees the reasons behind the things he did, and she feels as though she judged him wrongly because she did not know all the facts before judging him so wrongly. She sees his true nature, and see what the outsiders don't, which is why her opinion of him changes.
Why I Chose Mr.Darcy to Do A Character Profile On:
Okay. There are many reasons why I chose this character to do a profile on, but the main reason is because he's just so complex. His character seems to change drastically throughout the book, but now that I think about it, the only thing REALLY changing is the way Elizabeth percieves him. (Of course, he changes somewhat throughout the book, but after finishing the book, I feel as though he must've had some good in his heart since the beginning of the book.)
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (The End)
Wow. This book was just unbelievably good. ANYONE, and I mean anyone, that has the opportunity to read this book should! It's soo good. I feel as though I could read this book over and over again. It's just that good.
This book had so many ups and downs-- so many twists to the story! There are so many plot lines and characters, but somehow they are all related. This book was a bit challenging because of the language used, but I managed to read through it. For me, it made me laugh a lot, because the reactions of others were quite surprising to me, and I think I mentioned before, but the dialogue is just too amazing to be true.
Jane Austen shows the readers a world in which a girl's purpose it to marry, and to get higher in society. Throughout the book, you can see how Jane Austen "pokes holes" at this world by showing the snobbery of Miss Bingley and Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who are able to raise themselves up, by putting others down.
In this type of society, I think that Elizabeth is very misplaced, because she doesn't really care about what others think. Of course, she cares about her dignity and honor and whatever, but she stands up for herself when needed, no matter how high of a position they have, or how much money they have. For example, when Mr.Dary proposes to Elizabeth for the first time, he talks of why she is so wrong for him, and how he loves her against his better judgement. She is outraged at this, and many other circumstances, and she does not pause to speak her mind. She rejects him, although he is high in power, and makes 10,000 pounds a year(which is ALOT).
Another example, which is one of my favorite parts of the book, is when Lady Catherine De Bourgh comes to Elizabeth's house and demands to know whether or not, Elizabeth is engaged to Mr.Darcy, and if she isn't, she must promise never to marry him. (Lady Catherine wants Mr.Darcy to marry her daughter) Lady Catherine is an extremely powerful lady (and is Mr.Darcy's aunt). Despite her high ranking in society, when Lady Catherine insults/degrades Elizabeth, Elizabeth sticks up for herself, and promptly excuses herself from talking to her, while still keeping her dignity intact. This scene really opens up my eyes to Elizabeth's character.
This book was really good, and I just love the ending, because everything just falls into place, and it's kind of like one of the books where romance/love conquers all, and the characters get their own happily-ever-after ending, but with a little twist.
This book had so many ups and downs-- so many twists to the story! There are so many plot lines and characters, but somehow they are all related. This book was a bit challenging because of the language used, but I managed to read through it. For me, it made me laugh a lot, because the reactions of others were quite surprising to me, and I think I mentioned before, but the dialogue is just too amazing to be true.
Jane Austen shows the readers a world in which a girl's purpose it to marry, and to get higher in society. Throughout the book, you can see how Jane Austen "pokes holes" at this world by showing the snobbery of Miss Bingley and Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who are able to raise themselves up, by putting others down.
In this type of society, I think that Elizabeth is very misplaced, because she doesn't really care about what others think. Of course, she cares about her dignity and honor and whatever, but she stands up for herself when needed, no matter how high of a position they have, or how much money they have. For example, when Mr.Dary proposes to Elizabeth for the first time, he talks of why she is so wrong for him, and how he loves her against his better judgement. She is outraged at this, and many other circumstances, and she does not pause to speak her mind. She rejects him, although he is high in power, and makes 10,000 pounds a year(which is ALOT).
Another example, which is one of my favorite parts of the book, is when Lady Catherine De Bourgh comes to Elizabeth's house and demands to know whether or not, Elizabeth is engaged to Mr.Darcy, and if she isn't, she must promise never to marry him. (Lady Catherine wants Mr.Darcy to marry her daughter) Lady Catherine is an extremely powerful lady (and is Mr.Darcy's aunt). Despite her high ranking in society, when Lady Catherine insults/degrades Elizabeth, Elizabeth sticks up for herself, and promptly excuses herself from talking to her, while still keeping her dignity intact. This scene really opens up my eyes to Elizabeth's character.
This book was really good, and I just love the ending, because everything just falls into place, and it's kind of like one of the books where romance/love conquers all, and the characters get their own happily-ever-after ending, but with a little twist.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Guess what? I'm really shocked at the fact that I'm not done the book, and yet really excited that the book isn't done yet. I'd just like to say that if anybody has ever THOUGHT about reading this book, they should. I was captivated by the first few pages. It is just amazing! The dialogue just blows me away. Honestly, it does. During independent reading in english class, every couple of minutes, I'd just suddenly burst out in laughter. [just ask shazena or fahmida, i'm pretty sure I interrupted their reading by laughing so much] I'm sure I mentioned it before but it's just so darn witty. Especially the dialogue btwn Elizabeth and Darcy. Here's the first line:
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in posession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife"
Isn't that just amazing? This line just drew me in. Okay. well. I think I should start DESCRIBING the book now. So, in the beginning of the book, Elizabeth meets Darcy, and they both dislike each other. Darcy doesn't like her because of his pride, holding him back from mixing with other social classes. He even says that Elizabeth "isn't pretty enough to tempt [him]." Elizabeth doesn't like him because of her prejudice against him.
BUT guess what happens? About 20 pages into the book, Darcy changes his opinion of her, stating that she has "pretty eyes," so basically he fancys her. But everything backfires later, when this guy named "Mr.Wickham" enters the scene, and tells Elizabeth about how mean Mr. Darcy is, and how Darcy was jealous of him because Mr.Darcy's father liked Mr.Wickham better than him. Because of this jealously, Darcy supposedly denied Mr.Wickham's inheritance money from his father's will.
On a side note, Elizabeth's sister and Mr. Darcy's friend like each other and hopefully they'll get married <3
OHH. and I forgot. theres another character called "Mr.Collins" and he is basically their cousin, but he wants to marry Elizabeth. So yeah. As you can see, the plot thickens, and the love triangles get bigger. so yeahhh. thats pretty much all i'm gonna say, so that i dont ruin anything else.
oh and I'm supposed to post some questions I have about the book, right? Well....at the moment, I'm trying to figure out whether or not Mr. Wickham was lying to Elizabeth, or whether Mr. Darcy was that mean to take away the money Mr. Wickham was supposed to get from Mr. Darcy's father's will? And umm...I'm wondering what's going to happen to Mr. Collins. I am 100% sure that Elizabeth will reject him, but who will Mr. Collins marry? He might marry one of her other sisters or somehthing. I have absolutely no clue, and I can't wait to find out!
p.s. don't you think 'Elizabeth' is just the coolest name ever =D
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in posession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife"
Isn't that just amazing? This line just drew me in. Okay. well. I think I should start DESCRIBING the book now. So, in the beginning of the book, Elizabeth meets Darcy, and they both dislike each other. Darcy doesn't like her because of his pride, holding him back from mixing with other social classes. He even says that Elizabeth "isn't pretty enough to tempt [him]." Elizabeth doesn't like him because of her prejudice against him.
BUT guess what happens? About 20 pages into the book, Darcy changes his opinion of her, stating that she has "pretty eyes," so basically he fancys her. But everything backfires later, when this guy named "Mr.Wickham" enters the scene, and tells Elizabeth about how mean Mr. Darcy is, and how Darcy was jealous of him because Mr.Darcy's father liked Mr.Wickham better than him. Because of this jealously, Darcy supposedly denied Mr.Wickham's inheritance money from his father's will.
On a side note, Elizabeth's sister and Mr. Darcy's friend like each other and hopefully they'll get married <3
OHH. and I forgot. theres another character called "Mr.Collins" and he is basically their cousin, but he wants to marry Elizabeth. So yeah. As you can see, the plot thickens, and the love triangles get bigger. so yeahhh. thats pretty much all i'm gonna say, so that i dont ruin anything else.
oh and I'm supposed to post some questions I have about the book, right? Well....at the moment, I'm trying to figure out whether or not Mr. Wickham was lying to Elizabeth, or whether Mr. Darcy was that mean to take away the money Mr. Wickham was supposed to get from Mr. Darcy's father's will? And umm...I'm wondering what's going to happen to Mr. Collins. I am 100% sure that Elizabeth will reject him, but who will Mr. Collins marry? He might marry one of her other sisters or somehthing. I have absolutely no clue, and I can't wait to find out!
p.s. don't you think 'Elizabeth' is just the coolest name ever =D
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Symbolism - Pride and Prejudice
Okkieee. Well I haven't read much for "Pride and Prejudice." I only read about 40-50ish pages. Ehh. So the assignment was to talk about the symbols in our book, or make one up that would fit into the book, right? Well...this was kind of hard for me because I've only just begun the book, and most of what I've read is mainly dialogue, and any descriptions involve how people look/act.
So yeah, while I was briefly scanning the pages of what I already read, I stumbled upon a passage in the beginning where Elizabeth was walking 3 miles through the country to Netherfield Estate where Mr. Darcy, MsHurst, Ms. Bingly, and some other characters of high-class were staying. Elizabeth was traveling to the Netherfield Estate because her sister, who was sick, was staying there and Elizabeth came to make sure she didn't get sicker. As I read this passage, I thought that when Elizabeth started walking through the mud to Netherfield, it was somewhat symbolic. By walking through the mud, she was tarnishing her reputation as a women by showing up to the Estate covered in mud. She knew that her disheveled appearance would cause an uproar among the guests at Netherfield, but she still persevered, so that she could take care of her sister.
What I'm trying to say is that I think the walk that Elizabeth made showed how much she loved her sister, and how she could care less of what people thought if it meant helping take care of her sister. As she walked through the mud, it was as if, all the social prejudices were being thrown onto her (if that makes sense), but even as the prejudice piled on, she still persevered. Elizabeth is the type of person that once she puts her mind to something, she'll go through with what she said she'd do, no matter what others say (like how Miss Bingly and MsHurst were gossiping about her appearance behind her back)
So yeah, while I was briefly scanning the pages of what I already read, I stumbled upon a passage in the beginning where Elizabeth was walking 3 miles through the country to Netherfield Estate where Mr. Darcy, MsHurst, Ms. Bingly, and some other characters of high-class were staying. Elizabeth was traveling to the Netherfield Estate because her sister, who was sick, was staying there and Elizabeth came to make sure she didn't get sicker. As I read this passage, I thought that when Elizabeth started walking through the mud to Netherfield, it was somewhat symbolic. By walking through the mud, she was tarnishing her reputation as a women by showing up to the Estate covered in mud. She knew that her disheveled appearance would cause an uproar among the guests at Netherfield, but she still persevered, so that she could take care of her sister.
What I'm trying to say is that I think the walk that Elizabeth made showed how much she loved her sister, and how she could care less of what people thought if it meant helping take care of her sister. As she walked through the mud, it was as if, all the social prejudices were being thrown onto her (if that makes sense), but even as the prejudice piled on, she still persevered. Elizabeth is the type of person that once she puts her mind to something, she'll go through with what she said she'd do, no matter what others say (like how Miss Bingly and MsHurst were gossiping about her appearance behind her back)
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Picking a Book (#4)
This week I'm reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. It was published in 1813. This book is a romantic comedy, and is one of Jane Austen's most famous books. I've heard so many good reviews on this book, and I can't wait to read it. From this book, I'm pretty sure that it's about how pride and prejudice affect Mr. Darcy's and Elizabeth's judgments of each other. I am looking forward to reading this book, because I've heard that Austen uses a lot of irony, and that the dialogue is extremely witty.
About the Author
Okay. Well most people know about Jane Austen, right? She was born on December 16, 1775, and in her lifetime she has become one of the most well-known authors of all time. Many of her works talk about moral issues, especially on the dependence women had on marriage, so that their reputation and money would be maintained.
One interesting fact about Jane Austen is that in 1795 (when Jane Austen was in her 20's), she began flirting with a man named Tom Lefroy, but his family disapproved of her, because her family weren't of the same economic status, and he wanted to marry a richer woman. awww, poor Jane.
About the Author
Okay. Well most people know about Jane Austen, right? She was born on December 16, 1775, and in her lifetime she has become one of the most well-known authors of all time. Many of her works talk about moral issues, especially on the dependence women had on marriage, so that their reputation and money would be maintained.
One interesting fact about Jane Austen is that in 1795 (when Jane Austen was in her 20's), she began flirting with a man named Tom Lefroy, but his family disapproved of her, because her family weren't of the same economic status, and he wanted to marry a richer woman. awww, poor Jane.
Friday, March 21, 2008
"Echo" by Francesca Lia Block
So, I finished the book "Echo," and well, it wasn't really what I expected. Yes, there were vampires, fairies, and angels, and other mystical creatures in the book, but it's not the way you "normally" picture them. The book takes place mainly in Los Angeles, and at the end, New York. In these cities, there are hidden creatures. She believes her mom is an angel because of her beauty and selflessness. At the beginning, she meets a boy with broken angel wings. Later, she meets a couple that seem too perfect, but later finds out the husband is some sort of vampire. Even though, what I'm writing may sound interesting, these elements weren't a main theme in the book.
I didn't really like this book, because it's not normally the type of book I read. I don't know how to explain it but it was like a "dark fairytale" for lack of a better description. The whole book has a sort of sad feeling to it, but throughout the book, you get to meet all these people that have hidden lives.
The REAL story behind the book is about how Echo (the main character) feels overshadowed by her angelic mother. She thinks that she pales in comparison, but she has this one talent. It's kind of wierd though. If she stripteases or dances for a guy, she can tell what their past was like, how they feel, and other stuff like that. Even with this "power," she feels as if she just blends into the background, but she meets this guy named Storm, who she falls in love with, but he tells her to wait because "it's not the right time." The story goes through many narratives that talk about her life, her boyfriends, and other stuff, but the book isn't always told from Echo's perspective. I don't want to give away too much for fear of spoiling the book, but the main point of the book was to show how you must first learn to love yourself, before you can offer your love to anyone else.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay. I was surfing the web, and I found some pictures that related to the book:
These pictures relate to the book because at the beginning of the story, Echo goes to the ocean, and she almost drowns, but a boy named Storm comes and rescues her. She begins to fall in love with the boy, but when she touches his back, she feels the wings of an broken angel. She starts to wonder if Storm was real or just a figment of her imagination.
I didn't really like this book, because it's not normally the type of book I read. I don't know how to explain it but it was like a "dark fairytale" for lack of a better description. The whole book has a sort of sad feeling to it, but throughout the book, you get to meet all these people that have hidden lives.
The REAL story behind the book is about how Echo (the main character) feels overshadowed by her angelic mother. She thinks that she pales in comparison, but she has this one talent. It's kind of wierd though. If she stripteases or dances for a guy, she can tell what their past was like, how they feel, and other stuff like that. Even with this "power," she feels as if she just blends into the background, but she meets this guy named Storm, who she falls in love with, but he tells her to wait because "it's not the right time." The story goes through many narratives that talk about her life, her boyfriends, and other stuff, but the book isn't always told from Echo's perspective. I don't want to give away too much for fear of spoiling the book, but the main point of the book was to show how you must first learn to love yourself, before you can offer your love to anyone else.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay. I was surfing the web, and I found some pictures that related to the book:
These pictures relate to the book because at the beginning of the story, Echo goes to the ocean, and she almost drowns, but a boy named Storm comes and rescues her. She begins to fall in love with the boy, but when she touches his back, she feels the wings of an broken angel. She starts to wonder if Storm was real or just a figment of her imagination.
Picking a Book (#3)
Okay. Well, I wasn't even planning on reading "Echo" by Francesca Lia Block, but I needed a book to read for Independent Reading, and this is the book I found. I looked up the book on amazon.com, and it sounds okay. It talks about fairies, mystical creature, vampires and stuff. Almost all the comments about the book from the readers looked good too. So, I guess the book can't be that bad. The site says that this book is about a girl who seems to blend in to the background, mainly because of her beautiful mom gets more attention than she does (woah. i just think that's weird). I can already tell that this book with be somewhat about an insecure girl, maybe trying to find out who she is. I don't know though, it's just a guess.
The Author:
Francesca Lia Block was born on January 3, 1962 in Los Angeles, California. She writes many young adult books, but her most famous has been the "Weetzie Bat" series. She is known for her "fairy tale" books, and a major influence in her writing is Greek Mythology. Francesca Block has won the 2005 Margaret A. Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Library Association. She is so popular that her work has been translated into 7 different languages, and people all over the world are reading her book. *One interesting fact is that she has two dogs: a springer spaniel named Vincent Van Go Go Boots and a beagle mix named Thumper. Another intesting fact is that she is creating a a original show for MTV, and she is writing the screenplay for "Weetzie Bat."
*According to wikipedia
Reading the Book
This book has 215 pages, so if I read 100 pages a week, it'll take me about 2 weeks to read this book, but I'll try to finish this book by friday, so I can get a new book next week =]
isn't that just a pretty book cover?
[edit: I feel so stupid. I created this blog post on wednesday, but clicked "save now" instead of "publish post," so no one could see it. ehhh. oh well, I'm posting it now]
Friday, March 14, 2008
Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
White Rabbit
By: G. Slick
One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small,
And the ones that mother gives you
Don't do anything at all.
Go ask Alice
When she's ten feet tall.
And if you go chasing rabbits
And you know you're going to fall,
Tell 'em a hookah smoking caterpillar
Has given you the call.
Call Alice
When she was just small.
When the men on the chessboard
Get up and tell you where to go
And you've just had some kind of mushroom
And your mind is moving low.
Go ask Alice
I think she'll know.
When logic and proportion
Have fallen sloppy dead,
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen's "off with her head!"
Remember what the dormouse said:
"Feed your head. Feed your head. Feed your head"
I wasn't planning on doing this as a blog entry, but imagine my surprise when I was researching my independent reading book and I found out that Beatrice Sparks/the editors created the title of Go Ask Alice by using the lyrics from the song "White Rabbit" by Grace Slick. This song was actually influenced by the book Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. I didn't know about this before, until now, that Alice in Wonderland refered to drugs at some points in the story. For example, when she took pills to get bigger/smaller. I had no clue that Alice in Wonderland made references to drugs, but now that I think about it, it all makes sense.
When I listened to the song, and read the lyrics, the connection between the story and the song was clear. In the song, they talk about how the drugs affected Alice, and how her movement had slowed down, and her "logic and proportion" have died. This relates to the book because, even though the "author" isn't called Alice, many people refer to the author as Alice, and both "Alices" are doing drugs, and they can't control it.
I finished Go Ask Alice. But there's only one more thing I'd like to say: People have been recommending this book to me since 7th grade, but I've never had the chance to read it, so when I saw this book on the Independent Book List, I immediately decided that this was the year that I was going to read it. I picked up the book, and as soon as I started, I don't know why, but I felt bored. The book didn't seem authentic. It felt fake, even though Beatrice Sparks says its true with some fictional events in it. I don't know what's wrong with me. Maybe it's the fact that I can't ever picture myself or any of my friends taking drugs, so I can't picture anybody else doing drugs, even though I know that many other people do. Yes, the book's plot was interesting, and the character really made me feel really sorry for her. I loved AND hated the ending (<- i don't know if that made sense, but whatever) I think that the reason for this is because as time when on, my "idea" of how great the book was just started getting bigger and bigger. I think that I overestimated the book, because I pictured the book to be "mind-blowing," but it just wasn't like that for me. ehhh. . .
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Picking a Book (#2)
Okkie dokkiee.
The next book that I'm going to read is Go Ask Alice by Anonymous. I chose to read this book next because I've been wanting to read it ever since 7th grade. In 7th grade, so many of my fellow students read it, and kept pestering me to read it, but for some reason I could never get my hands on it. I either just forgot to go to library and get it, or when I did go to the library, I just forgot to get the book. Ehh. So yeah. . .I basically wanted to get this book because of recommendations from friends. I actually don't know much about this book. All I know is that it's about a girl who has a great life, but because of someone/something she gets into drugs, and she can't stop her addiction. From this book, I hope to learn more about the dangers of drugs, and how even one try [of drugs], you can get addicted. I also hope to learn about this girl's life, and see if she ever tries to get off drugs, which she probably will try to do, but I think that she won't be able to fully recover.
The Author: Anonymous
This book is supposedly a nonfiction book, in the voice of a 15 year old American girl. According to wikipedia, the book never mentioned the author's name, but people refer to the author as "Alice" just for convienence. Many believe that this diary is "largely or wholly the work of its purported editor, Beatrice Sparks." Sparks has stated that Go Ask Alice was based on the diary of one of her patients, but that she added some fictional incidents.
One interesting fact is that even though Beatrice Sparks has admitted to adding fictional events to Go Ask Alice, some think that she may have made up more scenes that she has admitted to, because Sparks has wrote another "diary book" called Jay's Journal and even though she has claimed that is was based on the diary of one of her patients, the family members of that patient disown that book.
Reading the Book
This book has 192 pages, so if I read 100 pages a week, it'll take me about 2 weeks to read this book. But I know that I'll probably be done this book by Friday (at the latest) because this book sounds really interesting, and I can't wait to read it. =]
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Friction by E.R. Frank
I just finished reading the book "Friction" by E.R. Frank. Before reading this book, I had said that I wanted to learn more about how dangerous gossip could be and whether or not there may be hidden reasons behind why people spread these rumors/lies. Without trying to spoil the ending, let's just say that I learned about all of this.
This book is told from the point of view of Alexandra Crocker, but everyone calls her Alex. Alex is in 8th grade, and attends a private school. Her best friend is TIm, and they do everything together. Her teacher, Simon, has been her teacher since 6th grade. All of a sudden, a new girl named Stacy comes to their school, and shakes things up with all of the rumors she spread. At first no one believes these rumors, and just ignores her, but soon the rumors seem to have some truth to them. These rumors create a strain in the friendship between Tim, Alex, and Simon, and things grow tense. No one is sure what to believe.
I recommend this book to anyone willing to read it. This book was a great read, and the rising tensions with the rumors soon made me question the true intentions of what the characters did. I must admit that even though the overall idea of the book was a good one, I thought that at the beginning of the book the characters seemed more like 6th graders than 8th graders, and I found some parts of the beginning a bit childish. But I think that the author probably did this on purpose so that we could see/understand how sheltered these private school kids were.
***SPOILER ALERT***
[DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AT THE END OF THE BOOK]
This book is told from the point of view of Alexandra Crocker, but everyone calls her Alex. Alex is in 8th grade, and attends a private school. Her best friend is TIm, and they do everything together. Her teacher, Simon, has been her teacher since 6th grade. All of a sudden, a new girl named Stacy comes to their school, and shakes things up with all of the rumors she spread. At first no one believes these rumors, and just ignores her, but soon the rumors seem to have some truth to them. These rumors create a strain in the friendship between Tim, Alex, and Simon, and things grow tense. No one is sure what to believe.
I recommend this book to anyone willing to read it. This book was a great read, and the rising tensions with the rumors soon made me question the true intentions of what the characters did. I must admit that even though the overall idea of the book was a good one, I thought that at the beginning of the book the characters seemed more like 6th graders than 8th graders, and I found some parts of the beginning a bit childish. But I think that the author probably did this on purpose so that we could see/understand how sheltered these private school kids were.
***SPOILER ALERT***
[DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AT THE END OF THE BOOK]
Okay. This book brought up the all important issue of sexual abuse, and how close relationships with teachers should really be. In this book, the new girl Stacy, started to spread rumors about how Simon, the teacher, liked Alex. Of course, Alex rebuked these ideas, but soon she began to wonder whether or not Stacy was right. Stacy continued to gossip, as more and more "evidence" that Simon liked Alex built up. After a while, she changed her story, and started saying how Alex started to like Simon. Alex began to question herself, telling herself that all the accusations weren't true. Tim started to get mad/jealous/worried about Alex, and her relationship btwn her and Simon. He bought the lies that Stacy fed him. In the end, we learn that Stacy was really lying, but that there was still some bit of truth behind what she said. Stacy was being abused by her own father. We don't know much about her father until the end, because in the beginning she told Alex that he was dead. I think she probably did that because maybe she wanted her father dead for all the terrible things that he did to her. This all reminded me of one of the quotes in the book that said 'Behind every lie there is still some bit of truth' (<-- that's a bit paraphrased, but still has the same meaning) So even though Stacy wasn't being abused by Simon, she WAS being abused.
At the end when I found out about Stacy's dad abusing her, I really felt bad for her, and for Alex too. Although Stacy lied about Simon abusing her, Alex believed that Stacy had a "reason" to say those things, but Alex on the other hand wasn't being abused, and yet her judgement was still being clouded. Alex must've felt really bad for going along with Stacy by incriminating Simon. Simon did not do those things that Stacy said he did, but because he made poor choices, I think Alex's mind wasn't the only one to blame. Alex, like any 8th grader with hormones, has to get confused about stuff like this some time, but in the book I guess she experienced these emotions on a more extreme level since they dealt with her teacher.
I think that this book really went into the point-of-view of Alex, and showed how her feelings changed on Simon. At times I felt that I was Alex, and kept thinking to myself about what to believe, and who was telling the truth. So yeah... this book was good.
Wow. That was long.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Picking a Book (#1)
Well, I really wanted to read "Stuck In Neutral" by Terry Trueman, but unfortunately my library didn't have it, so I chose to read "Friction" by E.R. Frank instead. I had never heard of the book "Friction" before, so I didn't know what to expect when looking up this book title on amazon.com. According to the readers on amazon.com, this book is about how "the new girl" named Stacy, causes a stir by spreading rumors. I read the editorial and customer book reviews, and they both praised the book. Based on what I know, from this book I think I'll be able to understand more clearly on the dangers of gossip/rumors, how they really hurt, and how sometimes there might be a hidden reason why these rumors are being spread.
The Author: E.R. Frank
E.R. Frank lives in Montclair, New Jersey. Her first book was called "Life Is Funny," and it won the Teen People Book Club NEXT Award for YA Fiction. That book was also chosen for the top-ten ALA 2001 Quick Pick for Reluctantly Young Adult Readers.
One interesting fact about this author is that in addition to being writer, she is also a clinical social worker and psychotherapist for adults and adolescents, specializing in trauma. (She has worked in prisons, day treatment centers, alternatives to incarceration programs, a middle school and in a mental health clinic.) Another interesting fact is that Rosie O'Donnell bought the film rights to her second novel "America" in 2002.
Reading the Book
This book has 208 pages, so it won't take me that long to read. It'll take me about 2 weeks to read this book, if I read 100 pages a week, but I'm sure that I'll be able to finish this book before that.
The Author: E.R. Frank
E.R. Frank lives in Montclair, New Jersey. Her first book was called "Life Is Funny," and it won the Teen People Book Club NEXT Award for YA Fiction. That book was also chosen for the top-ten ALA 2001 Quick Pick for Reluctantly Young Adult Readers.
One interesting fact about this author is that in addition to being writer, she is also a clinical social worker and psychotherapist for adults and adolescents, specializing in trauma. (She has worked in prisons, day treatment centers, alternatives to incarceration programs, a middle school and in a mental health clinic.) Another interesting fact is that Rosie O'Donnell bought the film rights to her second novel "America" in 2002.
Reading the Book
This book has 208 pages, so it won't take me that long to read. It'll take me about 2 weeks to read this book, if I read 100 pages a week, but I'm sure that I'll be able to finish this book before that.
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