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.
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Hello, Mrs. Smith! This summer I read The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls and I also read My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. These were both fabulous books, in my opinion. In the Glass Castle, I loved how the author described her experiences growing up, because I could imagine the scenery surrounding her. I learned to appreciate what you already have in this book. The book's content was terrific and inspiring. I really connected with Jeannette when she explained how her parents were basically gypsies and always moving. My grandma is exactly like that. In My Sister's Keeper, I loved the feel of a a family sticking together in a time of need. I learned that you should live life to the fullest, because before you know it, your life could end unexpectedly. The books content was very sad, but it gave me a new perspective on how illness affects everyone. This post was from Taylor Wallace in your 2nd period class.
ReplyDeleteThis summer I read 6 very different books. I read The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Anne Brashares, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, and My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. I would say that out of these books My Sister's Keeper was by far the most moving. It showed the phycological effects in a family when one of the childern has cancer (Leukemia to be more specific). I loved it because the narrator changed with every chapter so you saw lots of different views, yet it still suprised me at the end. The mood was very sad but I'm glad I read it. Ender's Game also had a sad mood throughout the book except maybe at the end. It delt also with some pycological elements on whether sacrificeing one person's happiness was worth it for a group's happieness or even survival. I enjoyed how it was not perdictable and how the protagonist grew whith the book in several ways. The Notebook, another book I read, was bad until the very end when it became well worth reading. It is a very romantic book and a good quick summer read but nothing that you could dicuss or learn alot from. I was moved to tears though. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants was a good classic chick flick about girls who stay together through whatever life hands them, which is alot. It was well worth reading and I hope to read the rest of the series. The Uglies was a kind of science fiction futuristic book with a hint of romance. Although it wasn't my favorite I did get alot out of the lessons about beuty and what society says about it. My last book was Inkheart. This book was fiction and had a very original plot. I loved the creativity of it and thought it was fun to read but I'm not hooked enough to read the rest of the series. I read some pretty good books this summer and learned a ton (without having to leave the comfort of my bed!).
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ReplyDeleteHi Mrs. Smith,
ReplyDeleteThis summer I read various book suggested on the reading list. Some of them I had already read and some I just read this summer. This ones I enjoyed the most were the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. I re-read them this summer and enjoyed them just as much. The first Maximum Ride was celled Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment. There are six main characters to the book; Angel, Fang, Gasman, Iggy, Nudge, and most importantly Max. Those six figures were created as two percent bird and ninety-eight percent human. Max is the leader of the "flock" while Fang is her right hand man. Throughout this series The Flock are hunted by "Erasers" a lupine-human type of genetic experiment. Erasers were created to capture or kill The Flock. While trying to evade the Erasers, Max and the Flock are on a mission: to seek and destroy the secret faculty that created them, and now wants them eliminated. The Flock learns the hard way; Trust no one. This hard lesson was pounded into their brains countless times by betrayals, secrets, and of course, the unknown. I enjoyed this James Patterson series because he has a different way of writing. It's extremely unique and different than other writers. He uses a lot of great similes and twists the speech around so that it brings a new creative perspective to the story. He writes in first person during these books, and easily paints a picture in your head. Sometimes it’s a battle scene, sometimes a mystery, or even a humorous time. Also he brings the characters to life. As if they are acting the scene out right in your living room! All of his characters have a very distinct personalities and traits. Max is very different from Fang as Fang is different from Iggy. He also chose to put the challenge of writing about Iggy, who is blind. I think one of the reasons Patterson was so descriptive was because of Iggy's blindness. Along with personality difference he had great ending of chapters and beginnings. He described the backgrounds so that it seemed like you didn't have to paint the picture, it was already there. Overall Patterson just made these book incredibly easy and pleasant to read.
This summer I read the books Stormbreaker and Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz. Stormbreaker is the first book in the Alex Rider series and Point Blank is the second. Alex Rider is a fourteen year old boy who lives in London, England and is recruited by MI6. One thing that I really enjoyed about this book is how it incorporates action, adventure, comedy, and also those everday teenager and growing up problems. One thing that these books helped me realize is just how important family is and how horrible life would be without it. Alex's parents disappeared when he was a very young child and at the beginning of the book Alex learns that his Uncle, who had custody of him, had been killed. Alex had no siblings or extended family so he was very much alone at this part of his life. One thing that was very important to me about this book was the moral "You don't know what you have until it's gone." Alex was always complaining about his dull and boring life. Then after he is in MI6 and in near death situations, he would have much rather been back to his old boring life.
ReplyDeleteThis summer I read The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd and also Two Girls of Gettysburg by Lisa Klein. Sue Monk Kidd really illustrates in The Secret Life of Bees how a teenage girl, during the 1960's, is trying to trace down her mothers past and finally put together the pieces of her broken relationship with her dad. I really liked how the author created two completely different characters and put them together to show their differences. The main message from this book is that it doesn't matter how different you are from another person, you can still love them and learn a lot from them, which is what I learned from reading this book. Throughout the book, the author would relate society to the living arrangements with African American sisters and a white girl. I liked this because it shows the courage of the African Americans during a period of racial discrimination. In the book, Two Girls of Gettysburg, the author depicts the trials two cousins on each side of the war go through during the civil war. I liked this book because it didn't portray a picture perfect family. The main girl's cousin, Rosanna, runs away back to her parents and gets married to a guy who was not liked by her parents. After Rosanna's husband died in the war, she was a lot stronger and had a more willing heart to serve her country by being a nurse. I learned that by being tested through hard times, it could only make you stronger and more knowledgeable. For the content part of the book, I liked how the author would refer back to each girl during the book. It showed the completely different lives they had from each other and, in the end, they reunite.
ReplyDeleteHi Mrs Smith!
ReplyDeleteThis summer I read multiple books. However the two that mainly stick out in my mind are THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES by Sue Monk Kidd and ABOMINATION by Colleen Coble. I read THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES because I had seen the movie first so I bought the book. I think the reason I liked the book so much was because Lily Owens (the main characture) and I have shared a lot of the same experiences. For the most part, I can say I have felt so so much like her at multiple times because I have experienced so much of what she has. I also loved how the author depicted the emotion, everything that the charactures went through, to me mentally, I felt it too. To me it was so, so real!
The reason I liked ABOMINATION so much is because these days it's so hard to find an exceptionally amazing mystery/suspense novel! And since I prefer Christian Fiction above most other types it was definetly worth it! I found it very suspenseful and I really enjoy that in the book. In the end of the book, everything laces together, and finally becomes connected and I just think that makes it at least 200 times better!
(And along with neelyd2013 I would like to also comment that I read MAXIMUM RIDE, and the series is one of my favorites! definetly worth reading!)
Hi Mrs. Smith,
ReplyDeleteThis summer was a great time for me. I read some really great books, including Deadline, by Chris Crutcher and Stormbreaker, By Anthony Horowitz. Deadline was about a senior in high school named Ben Wolfe who, in the past, has just done enough to get by and just cruising along in life. That comes to a lurching halt when he goes in for his regular physical and finds out he has one year to live. He decides to try to make the most of his senior year by going out for the football team, helping others, and really does a good job. The only problem is he hasn't told his parents. It's and exciting book that kept me turning the pages and I finished it within days of picking it up. Stormbreaker, was also a great book. Alex Rider, a teenage normal kid living in London, has his life turned upside down when his uncle, the only family he has left, is suddenly killed in a car crash. Or so he is told by the police. Knowing his uncle Ian Rider was an extremely careful man, he decides to go check out the junk yard, where he finds his uncles BMW. Along with 8 bullet holes in the front windshield. He later finds out that his uncle was a secret intelligence agency known as MI6. They ask him to walk in his fathers footsteps, and complete the mission that his uncle was killed on. He doesn't want to, but he isn't really left with any other options. He succeeds, and in the rest of the series goes on more and more missions and is challenged to his limits. Anthony horowitz writes in a way that just pulls you into the story and lets you feel what's going on. The imagery is also great, creating intense action scenes in your head. I am glad I read these books and really connected with the characters in a way that i haven't really in other books. 2 enthusiastic thumbs up!!:)s
Hey Ms. Smith!
ReplyDeleteThis summer I read multiple books, but two of my favorites were Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen and My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. These books were incredible! Sarah Dessen is my favorite author and Along for the Ride is her most recent book. The story was touching and down to Earth. It is based in a small beach town where a recent high school graduate is spending the summer with her dad and his new family the summer before college. During the summer she finds herself and many new friends. This book shows that it isn't too late to have your childhood and sometimes people aren't always as they seem. Even when someone seems perfect, on the inside there may be many struggles and imperfections. I really enjoyed this book because the story is so real and vivid I can see it happening. This book is something anyone can relate to, which is so important as far as content is concerned. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult is about a young girl fighting for medical independence because most of her life has been in the hospital keeping her sister alive. I loved how the perspectives in the book changed because I could see how choices affect everyone. I also enjoyed how detailed the story was. I learned that everything you know can change in the blink of an eye and expected outcomes don’t always end up that way. The content of the book emphasized what major illness can do to a family which is very important to me. Both of these books were fantastic.
Hola Ms. Smith!
ReplyDeleteThis summer I read a few books, two of which were The Giver by Lois Lowry and The Crystal Moon by Phillip Jones. Both were great reads and I thoroughly enjoyed reading them. The first book I read, The Giver, was story filled with deception, secrecy, tradition and the urge to break free from the ordinary. The book was tremendously well written, which allowed me to read for hours on end. The part of the book that I found most interest in, was the influence of memories in the community. The author, Lois Lowry really enforced the importance of free speech and thought by showing the reader what a world would be like without it. The second book I read, The Crystal Moon: World of Grayham, I stumbled upon while wandering through Costco. The author had set up a booth and was preaching of a tale of action, adventure and romance. The description immediately snagged my attention and I was introduced to the author. Everything he had promised about the book in our conversation was present in the most easy-to-relate to, and well written form. Both authors our now both some of my favorites, and I have begun to use some of their writing techniques in my own writing. These books and others were an entertaining summer activity and prepared me for the upcoming year of school.
Hey Ms. Smith,
ReplyDeleteOver the summer I read All In by Pete Hautman and The Dealer by Robert Muchamore. These were two of the most excellent books I have ever read. However, out of these books, The Dealer was by far the best. I think the author did a superb job of describing every single detail, such as, “…he was crouched in a corner between two wooden crates made of pine and spruce, sweat was pouring down his face like a waterfall with melted snow…” This is so important to me because it makes me feel like I am actually in the book. Muchamore also uses metaphors to add to the detail. I also liked the plot. In The Dealer, James, Kerry, Nicole, and Bruce are cherub agents who are sent on a mission to uncover the drug gang KMG (Keith Moore’s Group). In All In however, Denn Doyle gets in trouble with men in Las Vegas for stealing their money. This book didn't really catch my interest. In my opinion, the action/fighting books are more interesting.
This summer I read many books but my two favorite books were Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer and My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close is a book about a young boy, named Oscar, whose father died in the World Trade Center on 9/11. While looking around in his father's room, Oscar stumbles upon a key that his father left behind. Curious to know what that key leads to,he goes on a hunt through New York City to find where that key leads. In the end, instead of that key making him understand his father more, it's his mother he really gets to know more. I liked the randomness of the book as well as the letters from the Oscar's grandpa. It was a theme, hidden things. I learned more about what it feels like to only have one parent. I realted to Oscar beacuse when he set his mind on something, he always did it. My Sister's Keeper is about a girl who was conceived to provide medical donations to her sister, who has Leukemia. However, as the girl gets older, she gets tired of having to have medical procedures performed on her and decides to sue for medical emancipation. After the trial, the girl gains emancipation and dies in a car accident. I like that the author changed point of views so you could get the whole side of the story. This book taught me that even though I may think that my life is bad, at times, other people's my be much worse than mine and to count my blessings. This book was important to me because I think that everyone can make their own choices after a certain age.
ReplyDeleteI read quite a few books this summer, but the two that really made a difference were Geek Charming by Robin Palmer and Perfect by Natasha Friend. Geek Charming was about a popular girl with her popular boyfriend, who lets a geek make a documentary about her. In the book when she finally gives him a chance she realizes he is a nice kid and that she isn't very popular. I liked this book because it was very realistic. The reality is that if looks and clothes, didn't matter a lot of people that are considered "geeks" might not be that geeky, but because it does matter they are left out. I learned that you should not depend on looks because whats on the outside, is not the same as what is on the inside. The other book that I read is titled Perfect. It is about this girl named Isabelle who is a bit different and has bulimia. She is dying to fit in with everyone else, but when she goes group therapy she sees that the prettiest, most popular girl in school (Ashley) is there also. Throughout the book she finds out that even though Ashley may be better looking, she has many more problems then Isabelle ever will. I liked this book because it made me realize that no one is perfect. I learned that even thought it may look like some people have better lives, in reality they are just the same as any one else. The most important thing that I took out of both of these books is that looks on the outside do not reflect anything about the person they are on the inside.
ReplyDeleteOver the summer I read quite a few books, but the two I chose for the reading assignment were Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. These both are now on my list of all-time favorites. Both books immediately jumped into the action and then kept the action going throughout the whole book, which I really loved. In fact, in Angels and Demons, the whole story took place over the course of just a few hours. I couldn’t put it down! What I liked most about these books was that while they had fictional plots, fictional characters and fictional events, everything was backed up by historical truth. That being said, I learned a lot. In Angels and Demons, the main character, symbologist Robert Langdon, was summoned to the European Organization for Nuclear Research (or CERN) to observe a murder scene where the victim had been branded across the chest with the word Illuminati. The Illuminati were a real-life secret society consisting of scientists dating back hundreds of years ago. I learned so much about this society and the ideas behind it as well as religious versus science conflicts that led up to the fictional plot. And in The Da Vinci Code, Langdon goes to yet another murder scene staged as Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man. This was the start of a scavenger hunt for the Holy Grail and a race to save its history, which was explained very thoroughly and well. The knowledge I learned from Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code won’t be forgotten. The most important thing to me about the content of these books is the amount of research that was put into writing them. Most anyone can put together a fantasy world and give it a history but Brown and his research teams sought out to find the truth, and I think that’s very admirable. I could tell how much time and effort would be needed to write each of these books, and the fact that the end result was so fabulous makes it that much better. I heard these books were good but I never thought they would be THAT good!
ReplyDeleteHi, Ms. Smith!
ReplyDeleteOver the summer, I thoroughly enjoyed two novels. I first read The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. I liked this book so much be it described every little detail about Anne’s life in hiding from her perspective. It became a door into the life a Jew in hiding during the Holocaust. From this book, I learned that even in hiding, life never stops. There are still birthdays, still laughter, and still family connections that never can be lost even under the most horrible circumstances. The “Secret Annexe” was just as much a place of hope as it was a place to stay. Anne never let her outlook on life be changed by her situation. The book’s content mattered to me, because it was another part of history. If we didn’t have a written documentation of the trials and triumphs of a Jewish girl in hiding, would we know as much about the Holocaust? It also mattered because it showed the strength, and perseverance, things that we all need to learn. I read in addition The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. I enjoyed this book even more than The Diary of a Young Girl. I especially liked the way the emotions came through in the book. I found myself really connecting with Lily Owens, the main character, as she tries to sort through the story of her mother. I also really liked the symbol of the bees to represent how we should go though life. From The Secret Life of Bees, I learned so many things. I learned that though we should grieve over a loss, there has to be a time where you have to let the loss go. This really helped me get over the loss of my great-grandfather. The book illustrated how friends are there to help you get through tough times, and they can support and assist you. I found this quite meaningful in my own life. I furthermore learned that stories should not be taken for stories. We must question the source and the story, so the truth can shine through the lies that people share everyday. The book’s content matters to me because it shows that just because there is a boundary set by society, doesn’t mean you have to follow it. Racial boundaries set in 1960’s did not stop Lily from finding love and acceptance in a black woman’s home. She simply did what she thought was right, which was to find a loving home. Overall, I learned many things from these two novels that I will take with me the rest of my life.
This summer I read It’s Not about the Bike, by Lance Armstrong, and Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakauer. It’s Not about the Bike is Lance Armstrong’s autobiography. He talks about his entire life, from when he is born, through his cancer, and on to talk about winning Le Tour de France. I really like the book, because he has a very eventful life which is full of excitement. One of the main reasons I enjoyed the bike is that Lance reminds me a lot of myself, with the main difference being he is much faster. We share many of the same interests, for example we both swim or swam competitively, and he started triathlons and cycling at about the same age I did. Into Thin Air was also a great book. It is a firsthand account of a storm near the summit of Mt. Everest which claimed six lives. It is a very compelling read, full of amazing stories and heroism. Both books were worth reading, and I’m glad I did.
ReplyDeleteI read The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown, and The Firm by John Grisham. I liked both of the books very much. The DaVinci Code was interesting, suspenseful, and I got to learn a little about the Louvre. Before I read this book, I hadn't even heard of the Louvre, and now it's everywhere! The Firm was an interesting book about a lawyer that is hired by a small, but extremely successful firm. After working for the firm for a few weeks, he is confronted by an FBI agent. He learns all about what the firm really is.
ReplyDeleteThe books I read for my summer reading requirements were The Book Thief by Mark Zusak about a foster girl in Nazi Germany who's family harbors a Jew and Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen about a vet fresh out of an ivy league college who's parents deaths cause him to run off and join the circus, befriending the equestrian director (a paranoid schizophrenic who has "episodes" that get progressively more endangering towards the people around him) and falls head over heels for his wife putting him in a very difficult situation (told through flashbacks). Both books were very good and both told a very unique story that kept me engaged throughout the book. The book thief was written in a unique style that made it enjoyable to read and taught me a lot about what life was like for Germans during the 2nd world war because of its attention to detail. It touched upon many of the emotions of the war that I felt were very important to remember lest history repeat itself (which unfortunately has already happened to a slightly lesser degree). It also touched upon the great little things that can happen even when the world is falling apart, a sort of diamond in the ruff. Perhaps more important than anything however was the fact that it dealt so greatly with the issue of death and how easily it can tear apart a family or relationship. Water for elephants contained a very detailed description of life in a circus which I learned a lot from. The big issues it dealt with were the moral conflicts of dealing with difficult people and one's emotions which will be very important things to be able to handle later in life and some even now, and the pains of getting old, losing your mobility, independance, and even your mind, also tying in with the concept of death and also important for me later in life
ReplyDeleteHi Ms. Smith,
ReplyDeleteOver the summer I read two books…one, which I really liked, and one that I was not very fond of. The books I read were My Sister’s Keeper, by Jodi Picoult, and Anything But Typical, by Nora Raleigh Baskin. My Sister’s Keeper was about a girl, Anna, who was genetically engineered to be a donor for her older sister, Kate who was diagnosed with cancer. Anna decided that she was going to higher a lawyer to sue her parents for the right to her own body. I thought this book was very touching because it showed different stages in Anna’s life and how her family deals with the fact that they may have made a bad decision to have Anna just to save Kate’s life. I was very shocked by the ending of the book and who dies, but I think that this ending may have made the book even more interesting in the way that Jodi Picoult ended it. So My Sister’s Keeper is now one of my favorite books and most unique that I have ever read, and I would recommend it to anyone that is looking for something interesting to read. The other book that I read, Anything But Typical, was about a boy who has autism and feels like he doesn’t fit in. So he turns to a website where he could post his stories and other people can comment on his writing pieces. Most kids his age wouldn’t like getting to know him but he ends up getting to know a girl online who talks to him having no clue that he has autism and really becomes his first true friend, But when the opportunity arises for him to meet this online friend he really worries about what is going to happen with them when she finds out that he has autism and will she remain his friend after that. In the end he ends up meeting up with her and it is a good ending because he ends up discovering that she is blind so they both have differences that set them apart from everyone else but it helps to bring them closer together. I didn’t really like this book to much because it seemed to be a really slow read and hard to get through…but I thought the idea for the plot was pretty creative and I learned that you should never be nervous about showing the real you because there will probably end up being a good result in the end. So I am not sure if I would recommend this book to someone else cause it was just “okay” in my opinion.
Kylie
Hi Mrs. Smith!
ReplyDeleteI read quite a few books this summer, including My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult and Max from the Maximum Ride Series by James Patterson (along with Sydney and Neelyd2013). I really enjoyed both of these books, although they're definitely not similar. My Sister's Keeper was very interesting, and it made me realize that I am really lucky. I liked how each chapter was in the perspective of a different character. I think the ending was completely unexpected (or it was be me, anyway). I like how there was the odd twist of Kate actually asking Anna, in a way, to kill her. I really learned a lot from this book. I don't have a sister, so I don't know what the relationship between sisters is, but I learned that something so big as leukemia cannot keep them apart. I was surprised that Kate and Anna still had such a good relationship despite the fact that Anna was created to save Kate. I also learned that just one detail can change everything. The epilogue caught my attention, too- Kate's theory that someone had to die, and Anna just took her place. After reading this book, I realized that you can't just assume something is so, because everything is not what it seems. To me, the context of this book matters because it tells people so much about what it would be like to be in the shoes of someone with a relative who has leukemia. It makes me grateful for my family, and it also makes me realize that anyone- including me- could be in the same boat.
What I liked about Maximum Ride (MAX) was that it was so unusual. I like how everyone works together as a team, and even though it’s a book about kids who are part bird, there are some things that I can relate to. The main character, Max, is almost a typical teenage girl- she has feelings, she likes boys, pretty much the same as any girl I know. I also love books with characters that I feel like I really know and love. The way James Patterson writes really makes me feel like I myself am the main character. I learned from this book that you can’t always judge people based on how you think they are. For instance, at the end of the book, one of the doctors that’s helping Max is caught fraternizing with their enemy. This is one of my very favorite books (in fact, if it wasn’t for Harry Potter, there would be no competition). I absolutely adore all of the characters, and I only wish they were real. I was surprised when I first heard about these, because James Patterson is mostly an adult author. These books really mean a lot to me about teamwork, trust, and just being (or trying to be) a typical teenager. Based on the content, I would recommend these books to anyone who loves to read.
~Grace
This summer, I read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho as well as Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson. When begging to read the novel Catalyst, I enjoyed the theme of the novel being about a girl’s life in high school. Although, as I read on through the novel, I thought that the book should not have been written from the main character’s point of view (Kate) rather from the perspective of Teri, a girl whose life is heavily impacted by a house fire. Also, I felt that Teri’s living style was more interesting than Kate’s living without her father and in a poor family; when Kate’s story is of a regular teenage senior going through the stress of a deceased mother and the denial from her dream college. Besides the somewhat plain living style of Kate, the interesting, shocking events from Teri, mentioned in the novel, kept me reading onward to finish the book satisfied with what I read. I also read The Alchemist, which was one of my most favorite books I have ever read. One reason for why I enjoyed this novel so much was the story itself about a boy going onward to become a man and the hardships that tie into that journey. I believe that this idea of a journey to manhood strongly relates to my journey going through High school. Also, I appreciate the plentiful action and suspense throughout the book, keeping me interested in what I was reading. I would recommend this book to all of my younger friends going into high school because of the aspect of a boy becoming a man. I loved it!
ReplyDeleteHi Mrs. Smith! Over the summer I read Privilege and Beautiful Disaster by Kate Brian. I really enjoyed these books because they kept me at the edge of my seat and I never knew what was coming next. The words that she used were very descriptive and I felt like I was walking in the characters shoes. I learned that you need to own up to your actions and hold yourself responsible. In both books the main girls would make a mistake or do something wrong and would try to hide from the truth. I felt like this book took real life feelings and issues and put it to the extreme so the readers could get a better idea of the message the author was trying to portray.
ReplyDeleteHey, Mrs. Smith!
ReplyDeleteI read "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austin. I adored this book because of the character's dry humour and the relative quickness of the story. Jane hits on some very delicate but highly important topics. For example, the necessity of family relationships, the danger of "fallen" siblings, forgiveness and second chances. I think that despite the period and social differences we still can learn so much from her writings. It taught me to reevaluate how I looked at others and myself. Elizabeth niether knew the entire circumstances nor the background of Mr. Darcy's and Willoughby's character.
The second book I read was "The Host" by Stephanie Meyers. In my opinion I felt that this was a much better plot and of a higher writing quality than the Twilight Saga. Melanie and Wanda have more depth and feelings that we can relate to, as well as a more relative moral than undying love. "The Host" stresses the importance of family and loyalty. It also poses the question of what humanity really means. I learned to question the psychology behind actions and feelings along with the importance of thinking of others and myself before I make a life-changing experience.
The two books that I read over the summer were Night by Elie Wiesel and Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers. Both were astounding books and the first one that I want to tell you about is Night.
ReplyDeleteNight was an extraordinary and tragic book for many reasons; it kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting to find out what happened next during most of the book. All the events in this book were full of dismay and I liked how Elie kept his head up in the worst of times and got through the hardest situations. This book also shows how important family is and how they give you hope and help you get through hard times.
Fallen Angels was an awesome action packed book, my favorite type. I could not put this book down it was so addicting. When my mom told me to put it away and go to sleep I told her that it wasn't that easy. It was like telling a hardcore smoker to stop smoking and quit. Through out this book there were many sad events that happened but many exciting and intense ones to balance it out. I loved all the fighting and gore. It’s the type book that sends you to sleep creating your own battle scenes and action packed adventures. But this was a serious book too. It talked about how the marines had to face the brutalities of war and the hardships they faced, along with putting their life on the line. We should be thankful for our troops and the risks that they take.
Hey Ms. Smith over the summer I read the Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. it was a fascinating and intriguing novel that was beautifully written. With terrific imagery and details. I found it a fascinating read. One of my all time favorite books as well. The idea of the plot was just amazing it was intricate enough to be interesting but not to complex that it was hard to understand. One of the most brilliantly written pieces I’ve ever read. The second book I read was The Last Apprentice, which I did not like very much at all. It was like a corny medieval Ghost Busters. It was not complex enough and didn’t have an exciting story line.
ReplyDeleteUndercurrents
ReplyDeleteUndercurrents, by Martha Manning is a novel describing a middle aged woman's journey through depression. Her slow and treacherous decline into personal hell is captivating and heart wrenching. Through the woman's eyes you see the torture of emotional complications and the suffering of her and those around her. The vivid and authentic description of her depression makes Undercurrents a novel with depth and personal relevance. The humor and dialogue that Martha adds to her writing is comedic relief making the somewhat dark book easy to enjoy. I feel after reading Undercurrents I now have a deeper understanding of depression even though I have witnessed people in my life suffer from the same disease. I feel very fortunate to have been able to read it as one of my summer book choices.
Angels and Demons
In a captivating novel by Dan Brown, eligious feuds and violent crimes are just two of the many clues Robert Langdon must examine and puzzle together to find the answer to an ancient mystery come alive once again. Angels and Demons describes Langdon’s journey through Rome and the Vatican on a quest for a long feared cult, the Illuminati. The underground organization is taking revenge on their long time rival the Catholic Church by killing the choices for Pope. Dan Brown’s description and historical references made the book difficult to put down. His storylines never seem to lag. Action takes place through the very end of the book and I was always anxious to discover the next clue right along with Robert. Historical facts are connected in ways I have never thought of before. I continued learning about Europe and its history throughout the entire story. Angels and Demons enthralled me and I hope to read more of Brown’s work in the future.
Over the summer I red the books Eldest and Brisingr by Christopher Panoli.
ReplyDeleteI liked the books because they had a ton of action and excitement.
When reading the books, I learned more about the main character (Eragon)
past. In the first books, Eragon and Eldest, you don’t know who Eragon’s
parents were. But in the third book, Brisingr, you learn about everything.
What matters most to me about the books content is how realistically the author, Christopher Panoli, made the world that Eragon lives in so real. It really makes the books more enjoyable because you think the characters are real and it is almost as if your watching a live action movie in your head. It also just makes the books better if they are more realistic and make sense.
Hi Ms. Smith,
ReplyDeleteover the summer I read the books The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown and Soldiers Heart by Gary Paulson. My first book, The Da Vinci Code, was a book about Robert Langdon (a college professor) who is selected by Jacques Sauniere (The curator of the Louvre museum) when Jacques Sauniere is attacked by a monk named Silas late at night in the Grand Gallery. Jacques writes Robert Langdon's name along with a mysterious code for his granddaughter, Sophie, who works for the French police, and the two meet then, using clues that Da Vinci left, they uncover the truth about the Christian religion. One thing that I liked a lot about this book is how it made me think a lot about Christianity today and how it used to be. One thing that I learned from this book is how some things that people tell us are true may not always be true. This books content matters to me because I am a Christian and it made me think about my own religion.
In the second book that I read, Soldiers Heart, Charley Goddard lies about how old he is to join the U.S. army. After the first battle, the battle of Bull Run, Charley and his comrades discover that the battle isn’t as glorious as it seems to be and learns how many men actually die and suffer in war. After a few more battles, Charley lives in Minnesota and his mental health is gone. After contemplating suicide, Charley decides to stay alive instead and remember all his battles. One thing I liked about this book is how it describes everything in great context. One thing that I learned from this book is how war may appear very heroic and great but it is actually a very bad thing to experience and be a part of. This books content was relevant to me because I have a lot of family and friends that have been in the military and it showed me what they experienced.