final book review

This month I read We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach. This book was written in four different points of view, all in third person. This was kind of hard for me because I had to keep checking what person I was reading about. The two girl characters (Eliza and Anita) were also kind of similar so I never knew which girl was who. However, the two main character boys (Peter and Andy) are completely different. Peter is a popular, sporty jock guy. Andy is a "loser," druggie, not smart kind of kid. All of these different characters stories intertwine when they realize that there is a 2/3 chance of the entire world ending in 8 weeks. They all try to make the best of their lives just in case they actually do die. 

The best part of this book is the writing itself. Tommy Wallach is a very good writer, but not a very good story teller. I really did not enjoy the plot of this book. One of the main characters dies, and I feel like their death was completely unnecessary. After I got past that point in the book, I really did not feel like reading anymore. Someone told me this is a book for people that do not like fairy tale happy endings. I definitely believe them now. 

There also was a romance aspect to the book as well. I figured there would be because it is the end of the world and everyone is scrambling to find their "special someone" to spend it with. However I don't think those relationships were actually realistic. In real life, the popular jock would never leave his cheerleader girlfriend for the unpopular photography student who sleeps around. That is just not how it works. Peter would have stayed with his girlfriend and everyone knows that. 

Overall, this book was okay. It was not the "best philosophical book of 2015" or anything like that. The writing was not the "most beautiful writing" I have ever experienced. It was just... okay. 

Summer Book Reading

5 BOOKS I WANT TO READ THIS SUMMER:

I want to read this book because I have never read a poetry book before. I also heard a lot of things on Twitter about it.

I want to read this book because a friend of mine recommended it to me. I also want to read it because it has been sitting on my shelf for a few months and I haven't gotten around to reading it yet,

I want to read this book because I love the cover, I also was going to read it for a summer reading project last year but I chose Eleanor and Park instead.

I want to read this book because I heard it was a very good "summer read." It has also been sitting on my shelf for over a year.

I want to read this book because the cover matches I'll Give You the Sun and the covers look really awesome together on my shelf. I also read the plot summary and it seems like a very interesting book. 

blog #13 - review

For the past month I have been reading Don't Get Caught by Kurt Dinan. It didn't really take me a month though, it took me around a week. I really did enjoy this book, it was very very fast paced. It felt more like watching a funny movie rather than reading a book for school. One thing that made it very fast paced is the fact that there was always something going on in the plot. There were not really any mushy-gushy-lets-talk-about-life-and-stuff moments. There was never any breaks from the cool stuff that was happening in the book. The book was also very well written. It wasn't written like boring confusing literature, it was written like Max was talking directly to the reader. The humor was that of a teenage boy. It's kind of crazy how accurate it was considering a teenage boy was not writing the book.

Next, I hate cliffhangers. I really do. The fact that the book ended with "game on" infuriated me. However I also loved it at the same time. Now it's gonna be one of those books that I never forget because I will always wonder what happened. My last words will probably be "Son or daughter, find out what happened to Max Cobb and Ellie."  

blog #12 - covers

Most people say "don't judge a book by its cover" but we all do, including me. I prefer very simple covers, like very simple. The book could be completely white with a crayon on the cover and I would probably pick it up. Plain backgrounds with very few objects on them are my favorite covers because they look nice on my shelves and they don't give away any of the book. All of the details and cool stuff should be inside the book, not on the cover.

Covers I like

I have absolutely no idea what these books are about, however I want to read them. The covers are so simple and amazing.

I like a lot of book covers but I dislike even more. If there is a physical actual person on the book cover, no. The purpose of a book is to visualize the characters yourself. The book cover maker should not choose those visualizations for you. My number one pet peeve is when there is people making out on the cover. I don't want to see that in real life let alone carry around a book with it on the cover. 

These book covers are a no from me...

blog #11 - Intro Book

The book I chose is Don't Get Caught by Kurt Dinan. I chose this book because A) my teacher wrote it and B) it just came out around a week ago and lastly C) I liked the synopsis and it sounded like a funny book. My expectations for the book are pretty good. I have read some reviews and I heard that this book is very good. I haven't heard any bad things about this book yet. As for the cover, I like it. It's not too flashy because it's pretty simple. I don't quite understand why there are cows on it but I'm assuming I will figure that out once I finish the book. I like the bright red cover a lot, it's a lot different than a lot of the books I own. I only know a little bit about the book as of right now. I have read the first chapter and I know it's going to be about pranks (probably). I also know that it is going to be humorous because that's what a lot of people (including some of my other teachers) told me. I know that it is also described as a mix of The Breakfast Club and Oceans Eleven. I haven't seen either of those movies so I don't really know what that means but I'm guessing that it's good, both of those movies are classics. I am really looking forward to read this book. I feel like it is going to read pretty fast so I will probably finish it in a few days. When I got it at Joseph Beth the cashier told me that Don't Get Caught was "getting a lot of talk around here" so I think it will be a very enjoyable book. 

blog #10 - book review

This month, I read The Shining by Stephen King. To be honest, this book was okay. It was a little weird for me. There was many parts of the book where it would end mid sentence and like show the thoughts of the main character then continue the sentence. It was hard to understand at times because he would have a lot of thoughts then I would forget what I was reading. Another thing I didn't like about the book was the over usage of the F word. It was sprinkled in a lot of unnecessary places but it did definitely show his anger throughout the novel. 

One thing I did like about the book was the amount of detail. Before I even read the book, one of my teachers told me that the book has WAY more detail than the movie and she was define lay right. Stephen King is a great writer, and I really could picture what was going on in the book, better than the movie. I do think the movie was scarier than the book, mostly because of the very creepy music added. 

I think I will read more horror books in the future. I think I need a break for awhile and read some happy things, but eventually I may read some more Stephen King. Horror books can sometimes seem the same, but The Shining is definitely something that I've never read anything like it before. 

blog # 9 - top five

(These books are not in order of which I like them because that would not be fair.)

Book #1 - The Help

This book is great. It follows different plot lines of different black housemaids during the time of slavery. All of the maids are friends, as are their "masters" so to speak. A lot of drama happens in the book, though it is mostly literature. I like this book because it moves very fast. The writing style made me zoom through the book. I read this 500 page book in three days. I would recommend this book to really anyone who is looking for a good read, but they would have to like history because this book is historical fiction. 

Book # 2 - Eleanor and Park

This book is a lot like most young adult books, but that doesn't mean that it's not good. This is about a teenage girl (Eleanor) facing the hardships of life in her family, friends, and romantic ssides. I liked this book because it feels so real. The author didn't sugar coat anything. I would recommend this book to any teenage girl. I say this because there is a heavy romantic factor in the book. 

Book #3 - Safe Haven

This book is a Nicholas Sparks romance, but it is definitely a good one. It's an action packed romance. It's about a wife in an abusive relationship who escapes it by fleeing to a small town. I like this book because of the action in the book, and because Sparks is a good writer. I think that anyone who likes romance novels would enjoy this book.

Book #4 - Fangirl

This is another Rainbow Rowell book. Rainbow Rowell is one of my favorite authors so I read all her books. This book is about a college girl named Cath, trying to find new friends and get used to college life.. all while writing fan fiction for her favorite book series from when she was 12. I think anyone who enjoys contemporary's would like this book.

Book #5 - We Were Liars

I loved this book. The ending caught me completely off guard. It is about a girl who gets in a bad accident, and she forgets how it happens. Throughout the book she tries to figure it out. When the reader finally figures out what happens, they would never see it coming. Anyone who likes suspenseful thriller books would enjoy We Were Liars.

blog #8 - opinions and thoughts about the articles

Jonathan Franzen on YA, Genere, Women Writers

To start things off, I do not like Johnathan Franzen. He is a very sassy guy and he thinks he is very important. I do not like authors like that. This picture I found on Google makes him look like thins rich guys in NYC who stays in his apartment and writes for like 20 hours a day and runs on coffee. I just googled where he lives, and I was correct. He lives in the Upper East Side. Anyways, it is very clear that he hates Jennifer Weiner in this interview, he doesn't hide it. He says "she's an unfortunate person to have as a spokesperson." Well Johnathan, that's not cool. The things he is saying about her makes me want to lock them in a room together until they make up and be friends. It worked in Parks and Recreation so it should be able to work in real life. 

Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Weiner Speak Out On Franzen Feud

   

I think these two women authors are awesome. They're just speaking out (well. mostly Weiner is speaking) about the difficulties of being a female author. They are totally right. If a girl writes a book about feelings than it's "chick lit." If a male author does this than its "amazing insightful literature." How is that fair? 

Against YA: Read what you want. But you should feel embarrassed when you're reading was written for children.

Okay first, what a sucky title. It's contradicting. They start off with "read what you want" THEN say you should be embarrassed if you're reading books meant for younger audiences. That doesn't make much sense to me. Second, I firmly believe that you should read whatever you want. If you're 50 and you want to read middle grade, do it. If you're in the age group of 30-44 and you want to read YA, do it. I personally love YA. Even though most of them have the same plot, they are mostly happy endings which is why they're great.

blog #7 - typical horror novels

Most horror novels go a lot like this:

# 1 - Person sees thing that nobody else can see. Person is afraid of the Thing. Person has bad dreams. The dreams turn out to be real. In the end, the person turns out crazy. In the very end, someone is drugging the person.

#2 - Person is insane. They kill a lot of people.

#3 - There are zombies.



#4 - Something bad happened to person as a child. They are crazy now.

#5 - Torture. Lots of torture.

Those sum up probably 75% of the entire genre. But it's okay. Some authors can write those stories better than anyone ever could. Critics judge authors because of their "stereotypical" plot lines, but they don't read the book themselves. Some horror novels with these plots are extremely well written, and they deserve more credit for that.

Top Horror Novels
I googled "top horror novels" and the number one book is The Shining by Stephen King (which happens to be the book I am reading). I did not know that I was reading the best horror novel of all time. Sweet. Anyways, other books included in this list are: Dracula, Frankenstein, House of Leaves, Carrie (another Stephen King book), and Silence of the Lambs. These are considered to be classic horror novels. I am not surprised because I have defiantly heard of all these books a lot.

Top Authors
Stephen King. Stephen King pops out book every single year. That man can write. Many people don;t like Stephen King because they think he writes for the money, but he has made it clear in one of his speeches that he does not.



The second most popular horror writer is a man named Blake Crouch. I have never heard of this author but he must be pretty good if he is #2.

Honorable Mention: http://www.plot-generator.org.uk/create.php?type=14

I found this horror story plot generator and I have been messing with it for over an hour.

Articles Used
The Horror Genre
Horror: Classic Structure
5 Elements of a Good Horror Story

blog #6 - about the fifth wave....

Wow. I loved the book The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey. It was awesome. There was a lot of humor mixed with some romance but a lot more mystery and action. I was the perfect balance! The major plot was the main character, Cassie, trying to find her brother. That was her main goal, not falling in love with the mysterious guy in the woods who saved her life. About that... What the heck??? In the movie the "big reveal" about the creepy guy in the woods was totally obvious from the start. In the book it took me a little while to get it. I mean, the actor who plays him kind of even looks like an alien so that's how I knew. In the book, the characters were also WAY more developed (obviously). I could always tell what they were feeling. 

At one point in the movie, I thought Cassie was pissed at the guy in the woods (I do not know his name) but they were definitely not mad because they started making out. That was something I was not expecting, I may have sheildes my eyes because I act like I am 5 sometimes in moments like that. The movie was way over dramatic with the romance. I feel like it was to appeal to the female audiences, but it still sucked. 

The movie also had way too much action. There were some parts wher eI didn't even understand what was going on because there was so much gunshots and fire. I hate movies like that. That probably why I hated The Fifth Wave.

blog #5 - trailers ( The Fifth Wave )

(this is the trailer that i watched and will be referring to)



I do not have very high expectations for this movie. I absolutely loved the book, and I am afraid the movie will ruin it. The book was mostly "oh no aliens we have to shoot them before they shoot me." I feel like the movie will have a more "lets have a thought out action plan to kill this one alien soldier we should blow everything up" sort of perspective. I hate stuff like that, movies over dramatize everything. They just need to kill the guy, not shoot a randomly placed barrel of gas to blow up an entire town.



I am also very confident in the fact that the movie will have too much romance in it, to appeal to male and female audiences. The trailer had stuff blowing up and guns (for guys) and hot guys and making out (for girls). The romances in the book were subplots, they do not need to take up the entire movie. There were no "I love you's" so are the romances that important?



To be completely honest, the main character (Cassie) does not match the images in my head at all. I pictured Cassie to look like a killer, because she is in the book. She stops at nothing to find her brother. The girl who plays her (Chloe Grace Mortez) I personally dislike as an actress in general, because of the movie If I Stay. In all the trailer I have seen for the movie, Cassie always looks scared. In the book she never really shows fear. I mean, look at this picture. She is alone in the woods and still looks horrified.









She also looks scared in this picture.





And this picture (even though she is with a hot guy and a gun)





Look! She's scared again.





She isn't scared of owls though.

blog #4 - adaptations

1) I screamed.
2) I threw the book off my bed.
3) I buried myself in my pillow.
4) I took a 30 minute mental relaxation to comprehend what I had just read.

That was me while reading the turning point of Gone Girl. I loved that book. It is one of the few books that I read in one day. It was one of the few books that I read in one day. I was just written so well, it read very fast. For this book, I HATED the movie. It was just weird. They over exaggerated the sexual parts and it was very unnecessary.

As for books I hated but movies I loved, one word - Divergent. I have so much to say about this book and movies. About the books. I only liked the first one. I read Divergent in one day. It was such a fast paced book, reading was easy. I was yelled at multiple times in my classes to stop reading and pay attention, I love books that make me do that. I thought I found a new series that I could potentially fall in love with, but boy was I wrong. When I got Insurgent the next day, I started reading. I hated it. Nothing was happening. I still forced myself to read it though, because that's the type of reader I am. It ended up taking me a month to read it. After I finally finished Insurgent, I was so  relieved. It then took me three months to read 38 pages of Allegiant, and I still didn't finish it. It was so bad. However, I did love to movies for this series. They were so action packed and exciting. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, I watched them both in one day. I think the movies portray the story a lot better than the books.

A representation of my feelings in the Divergent movies.

blog entry #3 - writing a book review

Basic Information:
Title: See Me by Nicholas Sparks
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Release Date: October 13th, 2015
# Of Pages: 496
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Brief Intro: This book is a kind of cliche romance, but still full of suspense, action, and many emotions.  

Body:
This book takes place in Wilmington, North Carolina. Wilmington is a quiet small beach town on the North Carolina coast. See Me is written in a dual perspective. One is Maria, the other is Colin. Maria and Colin are also the main protagonists in the novel. The mood in the book is fairly tense at times, there is this third perspective that is very threatening to Maria, which the reader doesn't understand until the end of the book.

This book is a romance between Colin and Maria. Colin is an MMA fighter, with a very rough past that has landed him in jail many times. If he messes up on more time, he could face up to 20 years in jail. Maria is a shy family driven girl. One very bad heartbreak really messed up her love life. Colin and Maria met through Maria's sister, Serena, who Colin has classes with in college. They fall deeply in love with each other. Colin becomes very protective over her, especially after they figure out she has a stalker. The truth unfolds, and a lot of pressure is put on their relationship.

Analysis and Evaluation:
I believe the writing of this book was beautiful. Nicholas Sparks is a very beautiful writer in my opinion, and this book didn't change that. Some of the points in the book were kind of boring, and I was having trouble getting through them quickly. For like 175 pages of the book, Colin and Maria were only dating. No action or fighting or anything like that. Just pure dinner dates and romantic gestures. No thank you. Anyways, even though some of the book was slow, it was still very well written.

I think Sparks did achieve his purpose of this book, to entertain. I was entertained throughout this book, and if I wasn't I would have stopped reading.

To Wrap Things Up:
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone that likes Nicholas Sparks romance. I put him in a genre of his own because his books deserve as much. Sparks really knows how to tell a story without a cliche plot, and I love that about his novels.


                                         

Researching my author... Nicholas Sparks

Nicholas Sparks is rich. Very Rich. He has written 18+ bestselling romance novels, capturing the hearts of teens and women today. Some call him "The King of Hearts" because of his romantic knowledge. In general, he is not a very verbal talkative person. He does much better writing books. Fun Fact: Nicholas Sparks doesn't curse. Ever. Not in real life, or in his books. He says:

"Profanity can be an easy fix, a crutch used to express anger or frustration. Creating those emotions without bad language is much more effective. And challenging."

Sparks writes about 2000 words a day and a book a year since 1996. That's 20 years! All of his writing does pay off, his books fly off the shelves. The book sales, 97 million, don't lie. His fan base grows daily, based on the fact that all his books are about true love. A fan of Nicholas says:

"There's a comforting feeling you get when reading a Nicholas Sparks novel, something apart from the characters getting together and experiencing true love. It's that the world in which it happens, even if it's not like the 'real world,' makes sense. It's a simpler world and it's easy to understand - and something about that feels like a rescue. Now, I don;t need a man to rescue me. I’ve worked and been on my own two feet all my life. But that feeling, or notion, of rescue that I get from a Nicholas Sparks book—once in awhile, that’s just nice."

The Notebook is the book that really sparked Sparks’s career. His first two novels remain unpublished, yet The Notebook was a sensation. In a short period of time he was struck with a 1 million dollar deal for its movie rights and a book deal. That’s pretty good for a debut novel.

                               

His family life has had a very big effect of Sparks’s writing. HIs mother died in a horseback riding accident when she was 47, and his dad died in a car accident when he was 54. The grieving author turned to writing as a source of comfort, he wrote about a man who writes letters to his deceased wife and sends them out to sea in bottles. The book, later titled Message in a Bottle, was inspired by his parents' relationship.

Sources Used

http://www.biography.com/people/nicholas-sparks-562686#big-break

http://www.gq.com/story/nicholas-sparks-what-women-want

 

Why do I read?

I read because reading is awesome. I can feel like I am experiencing things that I will never experience in my life. I will never be a teenage boy going to a wizarding school, but Harry Potter sure does make me feel like I am. I absolutely love Harry Potter, it's what got me in to reading. I was only in third grade and I was obsessed. I remember the first time I read Harry Potter, I started reading them because I loved big books. Therefore, I skipped the first three. After almost finishing the fourth book, I went back and read the first ones due to the fact I had no idea what was going on.

I read because it makes me laugh. Books that make me laugh out loud are my favorite, they make me realize that I don't need Netflix or YouTube to laugh all the time. Reading gets me off my phone and computer, and my mom loves that. reading gives me a 100% valid excuse to stay in my room away from my family. Sometimes I really need to get away from them, so I read from when I wake up to when I go to bed (on weekends anyway). They say watching screens before bed is super bad for you, so now I just read for 2 hours instead.

Lastly, I read because I'm forced to. This sounds bad, but it isn't. When I am forced to read I actually have to do it... no excuses. Then that gets me back in to the "swing" of reading so to speak. Now a days it is very hard for me to want to read because I have 2 seasons of Parks And Recreation to watch on Netflix, and I will always choose that. When I am in reading mode I won't touch my computer or phone for days. I want that again, so I read to get back to that place. The place where I will read two books a week for months on end. Setting reading goals and records to break and feeling very accomplished when I achieve them. I miss that a lot, and I have to do to get that again is read!!