FINAL BLOG POST

This is my attitude towards reading.

To be totally honest, I love reading. I read all the time. I like it because it's relaxing, and I like to branch out and discover other authors writing styles, to see who I like and don't like. To make time for reading, I always get my homework done at school or right when I get home. The biggest obstacle I have when making time for it is that I would rather read than study for a test the next day. My best reading experience was reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. That book was so crazy and I still think about the ending sometimes. The worst experience I had was reading Reality Boy by AS King. I hated that book, I didn't see the point in it. Therefore, it took me forever to read it and I was in a reading slump for like 3 weeks. The last time I was "lost" in a book was this February when I was reading Room. We had to drive to Kentucky that day and I read it the entire way there and back, and finished it. That book was amazing. I like choosing my own books because only I know what I like to read. As for my future goals, I want to read more classics. I read two this year and I really enjoyed them.

This is an accurate representation of me blogging.

I think the best part of blogging is being able to track my reading progress throughout the year. The worst part about blogging is remembering to blog, and trying to figure out what to talk about. I think there is value to posting your thoughts online because my teachers and my classmates can see what I'm reading and if they want to read it, they can too. I think that if we did the circle thing where we all talked about what we were reading that could help others find books.

This picture describes my freshman year.

I think I've grown a lot as a student. In middle school, you didn't really have to try very hard for your grades. Now that I'm in high school, you really have to work hard. As a person, I think I've been a lot less shy than I was at the beginning of the year. Being at a new school and trying to make new friends was kind of hard, but I eventually got around to it. I think the most positive experience I have had this year is going to a new church, and entering a youth group. Some goals that I have for my sophomore years is to keep my 4.0, and meet more people. 

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender & Reality Boy

I'm reading three different books at the moment but I chose to write about The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender because it's very different from the others. It is kind of like a historical-fiction (during WW2) fantasy. Ava Lavender is writing this book about her family tree. She starts with her great great grandma, then she eventually gets down to herself and her experiences. Ava is different from other kids because she was born with wings. Nobody knows how or why, she just was. They can't be removed because they are basically vital organs to her. She was also born with a twin brother, Henry, who was born "normal."

So far I like this book, the writing is amazing. Beautiful even. This book is making up for a recent book that I read, Reality Boy by AS King. Reality Boy is about boy who was the star of a reality show when he younger, and now he has mental issues and anger issues because of it. The book had a good message, but some of the parts were unnecessary. One second Gerald would be in class and then he would be eating ice cream with Snow White. This book was just too complicated for me, but I will try more of AS Kings writing.

Something to remember for Thanksgiving by Mary Schmich

1.) The writer wants the reader to feel that "poverty is a state of mind." She (or her dad) states this very clearly at the end of the column. She also wants us to think that no matter how much or how little we have, we are not poor. we always have money, or anything, to give to someone else.

2.) When reading her column, Schmich wants us to remember the times in our lives where we've given something (like money) away to someone else, even if we've had little ourselves. She says "no matter how little you think you have, there's always enough to give some away." She thinks that it is important to understand that it just doesn't happen to her.

3.) The purpose of this column is to explain that, well, poverty is like a state of mind, and giving is receiving. We always have something to give, even if you don't think you have a lot. She relates to this in her column, she says "There's a temptation to feel that what we get, or what we give, is never quite enough." I'm sure everybody feels this, but she is saying that we don't have to.

4.) In her column, she talks about how much she wants a Nutty Buddy. She describes it as "I wanted a Nutty Buddy like I've never wanted a Nutty Buddy before, like I'd never wanted anything. I deserved a Nutty Buddy. I would demand a Nutty Buddy." Now, she probably is literally referring to a Nutty Buddy, but I think she could also be talking about money. Sometimes they deserve money like she thought she deserved a Nutty Buddy, and sometimes you get it and sometimes you don't.

5.)In society, this refers to people during Christmas time, I think. People that think they are poor, feel like they have top get gifts and presents for everyone when they really don't. This really is an eye-opener to society because everybody is closed minded when it comes to money.

Spring Break Blog

For this blog, I will talk about the three books I read during spring break...

First Book ~ The Good Girl by Mary Kubica (361 pages)

This book is another thriller/crime book that I read fairly quickly. It is about a girl named Mia, and her kidnapper Colin living in an old cabin in Minnesota.  Colin was supposed to give her to his boss Dalmar, but he doesn't because he thinks they are going to kill her. He takes her to his family cabin and they hide there because Colin fears that Dalmar is going to find them. This book is written in three POVs. Mia's mom, Eve, before and after her return home. The detective assigned to Mia's case, Gabe, before and after her return home. And Colin, her kidnapper during their "hideout" in the cabin. This book has many plot twists that I really didn't see coming. I loved this book!!

Second Book ~ My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick (394 pages)

This book is a contemporary teenage romance book that was really good. It had also had a strong family aspect to it too. It is about a girl named Sam, who had a very strict mother who is running for the state senator throughout the book. She falls for her neighbor Jase Garrett, to whom her mother despises. Her mother always told Sam to stay away from the Garretts, because they were a large, loud, happy family that might of left a few messes in their yard here or there, but Sam's mother hated them for it. Everything is going well for Jase and Sam but it all takes a sharp turn when her mother makes a huge mistake that might cost her the election. I don't want to spoil anything so read this book! The authors writing style was hilarious and I was laughing half the time!

Third Book ~ Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (433 pages)

This book is about two twins, Cath and Wren (like Catherine haha) that go away to the same college. Cath wanted to room with Wren, but Wren kinda wanted to be by herself and make new friends. This left Cath in the dust, so she pretty much stays in her room and writes Simon Snow (this books version of Harry Potter) fanfiction. Her roommate reaches out to her and they start to become friends, so Cath is grateful for that. There is some romance in this book but at the beginning you really don't know who it is going to be with. This is the first Rainbow Rowell book that I have read and I plan to read many more!

1188 pages total. I read too much. Also I started The Duff I am really enjoying it!

Perfect Chemistry

I read Perfect Chemistry in one day. I loved it. It was one of those "romancy" books that all guys hate and most teenage girls love. It was about a rich popular girl named Brittany, who falls in love with a sweet-hearted gang member named Alex. They both put up a facade pretending to be what everyone else wants them to be, but they finally give it up to be with each other.It pretty much is a forbidden love story king of thing like  Romeo and Juliet but I really liked it.

Look at these horrible cover for the whole series. They're gross!!!!!!!!! But the story itself was really good. 

American Sniper

Right now I am halfway through reading American Sniper by Chris Kyle with Jim DeFelice and Scott McEwen. I started the book because my parents saw the movie, and they really liked it. My Stepdad loves to watch "war stuff" so when he explained the plot, I really wanted the book. I saw it at Walmart and I bought it, and sat in Subway while my mom was grocery shopping.
It follows the journey of Chris Kyle becoming a SEAL, and all the events that occurred while he was a SEAL. This book has a lot of humor in it too, Kyle is a very good writer, and he can make very serious situations seem very light-hearted.

I would recommend this book to anyone really. I don't think it is just for guys, because I really am enjoying it. If you absolutely do not like reading anything about the military, then you would not like this book. but if you do, then this book is for you.  

Dover Beach

Mrs. Phelps returned home quickly after the incident at Mr. Montag's house that evening.
"Pete. Pete? I've got something not very nice to tell you. Not very nice." she said as soon as she got in the door. She then remembered that Pete was still in the war, so she went to the kitchen to start preparing supper. Her brother planned to visit to talk about political stuff with her, but that usually resulted in multiple episodes of her family.
Mrs. Phelps paced the floor trying to remember what she had to do. "Start dinner. Got to start dinner. Boil potatoes, mash potatoes. Boil potatoes, mash potatoes. Mash. Mash. Mash. Time to start dinner" she repeated.
"Michelle? I'm here?" her brother Max walked in the door.
"Hi Max. It's wonderful to see you, I missed you."
"So are we watching your family today." He missed yesterdays episode.
"Yes Max. We'll catch up tonight, but I have got to tell you something not very nice. I tried to tell Pete but he is at war. The Army said so. Quick war. He'll be back next week."
"Yes I know, you told me yesterday. What were you going to say?" her brother never has real conversations with her, so this is new to him.
"Mr. Montag had a book today. He read from it. I still remember the title, Dover Beach. Dover Beach was the title of the poem. What should I do?"
Mrs. Phelps never asked anything of her brother, but this poem really stuck to her. Most things go through one ear and out the other, therefore Mrs. Phelps started to cry after Mr. Montag read the poem. It touched her heart, even though she didn't know what it meant.
"Well, do you remember it?" her brother has never heard her say anything like this.
"Yes, I do. Only a little bit."
"Say it." Max is confused, she never remembers anything. He has to remind her that Pete is her husband sometimes.
"Ah, love let us be true
To one another! for the world which seems
To lie before us like a land of dreams." Mrs. Phelps started to cry again. "Isn't that pretty? It sounds really nice. It feels like the writer wrote it just for me. Me and Pete. Just for us."
"Michelle, you need to forget that. That is going to rot your brain and you will never be able to read again." Max said. He wouldn't let his sister have that garbage stuck up there.
"Forget what? Hey Max. What are you doing here? I'm supposed to go Mildred and Mr. Montag's soon. We are gonna watch the family. Why I am I crying. Gotta go fix my makeup. I'm leaving for Mildred and Mr. Montag's soon, to watch my family."

The Age of Miracles

I am in the process of writing my Dover Beach post as I write this, but I want to take a break from it and spit out all my "feelings" about an AMAZING book that I just finished a few minutes ago because I can't hold them in for very much longer. So technically, I will have two blog posts in one day #overachiever #not really Anyways, I already made a blog post about this book but it does not live up to the real "awesomeness" that the book contains. The Age of  Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker is one of my new favorites (besides anything written by John Green). This book is not my favorite "book of all books." but it is a "book of all books." It is a mystery-contemporary-science fiction-humor-fiction-young adult(kind of)-romance(kind of)-adventure-society book. If you read it, you will know what I mean. The ending of the book was absolutely beautiful, and I really think this author should be well known. Her writing style is amazing, and while I was reading this book... I forgot I was reading the POV of a 10 year oldThis book is also basically about a zombie apocalypse, too. Except there is no zombies. And I wouldn't classify the slowing as an apocalypse. Whatever. If yoou want to know a little bit more about the book I am talking about, its the blog post before this.

The Age of Miracles

Now I am reading The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker.  I saw this at Half-Priced Books and I picked it up because of the cover. Little did I know that is was about the world (theoretically) coming to an end!!!!!!!! It is in the POV of an eleven-year-old, but this is not a book for eleven-year-old's. This book is her take on the wolds "slowing." The slowing means that days keep getting longer and longer... longer than 24 hours. Where I am at in the book, the days are 48 hours. 24 hours of sunlight, 24 hours of darkness. The government is making the citizen live their lives on regular "clock-time" which feels like a lie to most. The tension is rising, and Julia finds out a secret that basically changes her life.

So far, I like this book. I like the authors writing style, too. Sometimes I forget that I am reading in the eyes of such a young girl. This book is also kind of a quick read. I just started it the other day and I'm almost done with it.

Gone Girl

Right now I am reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. I finished Paper Towns by John Green, and Room by Emma Donoguhe. But at this point in time, I am reading Gone Girl. So far I love this book, it is a psychological thriller, and it is very mysterious.  I also love how this book is written too. The authors writing style is very unique. One chapter is in Nick's POV (the husband of the missing woman). The another chapter is a diary entry from Amy (the missing wife of Nick). I think this woman author is very good at writing in a males prospective, too.

 

Paper Towns

Honestly, I am a book reading machine. I have read like no other these last couple of weeks and I love it.  Right now, I am in the middle of the book Paper Towns by John Green and I really like it.  I like all of the John Green's books that I have read so far, so it's no surprise that I like this one. So far, I have read about a boy named Quentin, and his neighbor Margo, on their little adventure to get revenge on some of their little enemies. That part of the book is my favorite so far. The next day, Margo, whom "Q" loves, disappears and Quentin has to find her. Margo leaves him clues, so he follows them.

I think that if you liked The Fault in our Stars, then you would like this. Well, if you like any "teenage love interest" books, then you would like this. It seems very realistic, like something that actually could happen. It is not the type of book where two teenagers that meet in Paris fall in love and become rich, it is much more real than that. I love this book so far, and I think you would too.