Book 51: Feed
M.T. Anderson
2002
Candlewick Press
Rating:
2.5
Amazon.com Review
This brilliantly ironic satire is set in a future world where television and computers are connected directly into people's brains when they are babies. The result is a chillingly recognizable consumer society where empty-headed kids are driven by fashion and shopping and the avid pursuit of silly entertainment--even on trips to Mars and the moon--and by constant customized murmurs in their brains of encouragement to buy, buy, buy.
Anderson gives us this world through the voice of a boy who, like everyone around him, is almost completely inarticulate, whose vocabulary, in a dead-on parody of the worst teenspeak, depends heavily on three words: "like," "thing," and the second most common English obscenity. He's even made this vapid kid a bit sympathetic, as a product of his society who dimly knows something is missing in his head. The details are bitterly funny--the idiotic but wildly popular sitcom called "Oh? Wow! Thing!", the girls who have to retire to the ladies room a couple of times an evening because hairstyles have changed, the hideous lesions on everyone that are not only accepted, but turned into a fashion statement. And the ultimate awfulness is that when we finally meet the boy's parents, they are just as inarticulate and empty-headed as he is, and their solution to their son's problem is to buy him an expensive car.
Although there is a danger that at first teens may see the idea of brain-computers as cool, ultimately they will recognize this as a fascinating novel that says something important about their world. (Ages 14 and older) --Patty Campbell
What Do I Think?
Going into this book, I had high hopes. I thought 'Hey, this is an amazing concept. Google in the brain, that'd be awesome!' No, no it wouldn't. Having the entire internet in your brain makes you loose all humanly instincts and, well, boring. Just like this book Quite honestly, I absoltely loved the concept, but the novel itself was not very good at all. I did not connect with the characters the way I would have liked to and the plot-line was blan. Good concept, though.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Goal!
Well, that's it. Fifty books in the year 2010. I did it, with the help of some fantastic writers and librarians.
Thank you all. There will be more book this year; there's still a few more weeks left in 2010.
Until next year,
Spencer.
Thank you all. There will be more book this year; there's still a few more weeks left in 2010.
Until next year,
Spencer.
Book 50:Peak by Roland Smith
Book 50:Peak
Roland Smith
2007
Harcourt.
Rating:
3
Book Summary:
A fourteen-year-old boy attempts to be the youngest person to reach the top of Mount Everest.
What Do I Think?
I actually liked reading this book. It made me laugh, and it had surprises along the way that made me think. "The only thing you'll find on the summit of Mount Everest is a divine view. The things that really matter lie far below."
Roland Smith
2007
Harcourt.
Rating:
3
Book Summary:
A fourteen-year-old boy attempts to be the youngest person to reach the top of Mount Everest.
What Do I Think?
I actually liked reading this book. It made me laugh, and it had surprises along the way that made me think. "The only thing you'll find on the summit of Mount Everest is a divine view. The things that really matter lie far below."
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Book 49: Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan.
Book 49: Love is the Higher Law
David Levithan
2009
Random House, Inc. Alfred A Knopf
Rating:
3.75
The lives of three teens—Claire, Jasper, and Peter—are altered forever on September 11, 2001. Claire, a high school junior, has to get to her younger brother in his classroom. Jasper, a college sophomore from Brooklyn, wakes to his parents’ frantic calls from Korea, wondering if he’s okay. Peter, a classmate of Claire’s, has to make his way back to school as everything happens around him.
Here are three teens whose intertwining lives are reshaped by this catastrophic event. As each gets to know the other, their moments become wound around each other’s in a way that leads to new understandings, new friendships, and new levels of awareness for the world around them and the people close by.
David Levithan has written a novel of loss and grief, but also one of hope and redemption as his characters slowly learn to move forward in their lives, despite being changed forever.
What Do I Think?
The plot wasn't the best, but the emotions were top notch. I would read a few chapters, completely transfixed on the book, then all of a sudden, look up and be sucked back into everyday life. It's amazing how much everything can change in nine short years. How much people can forget, but still remember.
David Levithan
2009
Random House, Inc. Alfred A Knopf
Rating:
3.75
Product Description
First there is a Before, and then there is an After. . . .The lives of three teens—Claire, Jasper, and Peter—are altered forever on September 11, 2001. Claire, a high school junior, has to get to her younger brother in his classroom. Jasper, a college sophomore from Brooklyn, wakes to his parents’ frantic calls from Korea, wondering if he’s okay. Peter, a classmate of Claire’s, has to make his way back to school as everything happens around him.
Here are three teens whose intertwining lives are reshaped by this catastrophic event. As each gets to know the other, their moments become wound around each other’s in a way that leads to new understandings, new friendships, and new levels of awareness for the world around them and the people close by.
David Levithan has written a novel of loss and grief, but also one of hope and redemption as his characters slowly learn to move forward in their lives, despite being changed forever.
What Do I Think?
The plot wasn't the best, but the emotions were top notch. I would read a few chapters, completely transfixed on the book, then all of a sudden, look up and be sucked back into everyday life. It's amazing how much everything can change in nine short years. How much people can forget, but still remember.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Book 48: 13 Little Blue Envelopes.
Book 48: 13 Little Blue Envelopes.
Maureen Johnson
2005
Alloy Entertainment
Rating:
3
Book Summary
When seventeen-year-old Ginny receives a packet of mysterious envelopes from her favorite aunt, she leaves New Jersey to criss-cross Europe on a sort of scavenger hunt that transforms her life.
What Do I Think?
I think Johnson did a fantastic job making it so the story is clear and you always know what is going on. From the beginning, I was not confused about who Ginny was, what she had to do, or even who her aunt was. I applaud that.
Maureen Johnson
2005
Alloy Entertainment
Rating:
3
Book Summary
When seventeen-year-old Ginny receives a packet of mysterious envelopes from her favorite aunt, she leaves New Jersey to criss-cross Europe on a sort of scavenger hunt that transforms her life.
What Do I Think?
I think Johnson did a fantastic job making it so the story is clear and you always know what is going on. From the beginning, I was not confused about who Ginny was, what she had to do, or even who her aunt was. I applaud that.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Book 47: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Book 47: The Great Gatsby.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
1925
Charles Scribner's Sons
Rating:
3.5
Amazon.com Review
In 1922, F. Scott Fitzgerald announced his decision to write "something new--something extraordinary and beautiful and simple + intricately patterned." That extraordinary, beautiful, intricately patterned, and above all, simple novel became The Great Gatsby, arguably Fitzgerald's finest work and certainly the book for which he is best known. A portrait of the Jazz Age in all of its decadence and excess, Gatsby captured the spirit of the author's generation and earned itself a permanent place in American mythology. Self-made, self-invented millionaire Jay Gatsby embodies some of Fitzgerald's--and his country's--most abiding obsessions: money, ambition, greed, and the promise of new beginnings. "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter--tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther.... And one fine morning--" Gatsby's rise to glory and eventual fall from grace becomes a kind of cautionary tale about the American Dream.
It's also a love story, of sorts, the narrative of Gatsby's quixotic passion for Daisy Buchanan. The pair meet five years before the novel begins, when Daisy is a legendary young Louisville beauty and Gatsby an impoverished officer. They fall in love, but while Gatsby serves overseas, Daisy marries the brutal, bullying, but extremely rich Tom Buchanan. After the war, Gatsby devotes himself blindly to the pursuit of wealth by whatever means--and to the pursuit of Daisy, which amounts to the same thing. "Her voice is full of money," Gatsby says admiringly, in one of the novel's more famous descriptions. His millions made, Gatsby buys a mansion across Long Island Sound from Daisy's patrician East Egg address, throws lavish parties, and waits for her to appear. When she does, events unfold with all the tragic inevitability of a Greek drama, with detached, cynical neighbor Nick Carraway acting as chorus throughout. Spare, elegantly plotted, and written in crystalline prose, The Great Gatsby is as perfectly satisfying as the best kind of poem.
What Do I Think?
Surprisingly, I liked this novel. I tried to read it earlier on this year and ended up putting it down. I read Gatsby for English class. Iliked it more than I thought I would, and may reread it again in th future.
By the way: The eyes symbolize God.
Sidenote: I can't stand when teachers shove symbolism onto students. Especially when they have a different opinion as to what a certain object stands for.
F. Scott Fitzgerald
1925
Charles Scribner's Sons
Rating:
3.5
Amazon.com Review
In 1922, F. Scott Fitzgerald announced his decision to write "something new--something extraordinary and beautiful and simple + intricately patterned." That extraordinary, beautiful, intricately patterned, and above all, simple novel became The Great Gatsby, arguably Fitzgerald's finest work and certainly the book for which he is best known. A portrait of the Jazz Age in all of its decadence and excess, Gatsby captured the spirit of the author's generation and earned itself a permanent place in American mythology. Self-made, self-invented millionaire Jay Gatsby embodies some of Fitzgerald's--and his country's--most abiding obsessions: money, ambition, greed, and the promise of new beginnings. "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgiastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter--tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther.... And one fine morning--" Gatsby's rise to glory and eventual fall from grace becomes a kind of cautionary tale about the American Dream.
It's also a love story, of sorts, the narrative of Gatsby's quixotic passion for Daisy Buchanan. The pair meet five years before the novel begins, when Daisy is a legendary young Louisville beauty and Gatsby an impoverished officer. They fall in love, but while Gatsby serves overseas, Daisy marries the brutal, bullying, but extremely rich Tom Buchanan. After the war, Gatsby devotes himself blindly to the pursuit of wealth by whatever means--and to the pursuit of Daisy, which amounts to the same thing. "Her voice is full of money," Gatsby says admiringly, in one of the novel's more famous descriptions. His millions made, Gatsby buys a mansion across Long Island Sound from Daisy's patrician East Egg address, throws lavish parties, and waits for her to appear. When she does, events unfold with all the tragic inevitability of a Greek drama, with detached, cynical neighbor Nick Carraway acting as chorus throughout. Spare, elegantly plotted, and written in crystalline prose, The Great Gatsby is as perfectly satisfying as the best kind of poem.
What Do I Think?
Surprisingly, I liked this novel. I tried to read it earlier on this year and ended up putting it down. I read Gatsby for English class. Iliked it more than I thought I would, and may reread it again in th future.
By the way: The eyes symbolize God.
Sidenote: I can't stand when teachers shove symbolism onto students. Especially when they have a different opinion as to what a certain object stands for.
Book 46: Comeback by Vicki Grant
Book 46: Comeback
Vicki Grant
2010
Orca Books Publisher.
Rating:
2
From Booklist
Ria is angry enough when her mother separates from her dad, but after he disappears while piloting his own plane, she decides to start a completely new life. With her five-year-old brother in tow, she runs away from home. When the realities of being on her own sink in, though, she soon realizes her folly, but she refuses to return to a home and town where, she has discovered, her dad scammed his clients out of millions in savings. Part of the Orca Soundings imprint targeted at reluctant readers, Grant's novel folds drama and suspense into a story that carries echoes of our country's current financial woes. Although the novel's brief length doesn't allow for in-depth characterization or an intricate plot or setting, its premise will quickly grab readers, who will empathize with Ria's disillusionment and split-second, bad decision making. Grades 6-10. --Frances Bradburn
What Do I Think?
The novels length does not give enough time to actually care for the characters like decent novels do. When Ria's dad goes missing, I couldn't care less. The only person I cared about was her little brother, who suffered through ria's poor sense of judgement when she runs away.
Vicki Grant
2010
Orca Books Publisher.
Rating:
2
From Booklist
Ria is angry enough when her mother separates from her dad, but after he disappears while piloting his own plane, she decides to start a completely new life. With her five-year-old brother in tow, she runs away from home. When the realities of being on her own sink in, though, she soon realizes her folly, but she refuses to return to a home and town where, she has discovered, her dad scammed his clients out of millions in savings. Part of the Orca Soundings imprint targeted at reluctant readers, Grant's novel folds drama and suspense into a story that carries echoes of our country's current financial woes. Although the novel's brief length doesn't allow for in-depth characterization or an intricate plot or setting, its premise will quickly grab readers, who will empathize with Ria's disillusionment and split-second, bad decision making. Grades 6-10. --Frances Bradburn
What Do I Think?
The novels length does not give enough time to actually care for the characters like decent novels do. When Ria's dad goes missing, I couldn't care less. The only person I cared about was her little brother, who suffered through ria's poor sense of judgement when she runs away.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Book 45: How To Build A House.
Book 45: How To Build A House
Dana Reinhardt
2008
Rating:
2.5
From Booklist
“When you live in California and have relatives in New York, everything in between feels like a big inconvenience,” says 17-year-old Harper. But even the middle of the country sounds better to Harper than her own home, which feels empty since her stepmother and stepsiblings moved out. Harper is also eager to leave Gabriel, her “sort-of boyfriend” behind, so she signs up as a summer volunteer to build houses for tornado victims in Bailey, Tennessee. In chapters that alternate between recollections of her past year and her Tennessee summer, Harper slowly reveals the events in L.A. that led to heartbreak and then the healing work, friendships, and romance she finds in Bailey. Reinhardt adds great depth to the familiar story of a teen changed by a summer escape with strong characters and perceptive, subtle explorations of love, family, sex, and friendship—all narrated in Harper’s believable voice. Teens, especially young women on the verge of independence, will see themselves in Harper, her questions, and her resilient heart. Grades 8-12. --Gillian Engberg --This text refers to the Hardcover edition
What Do I Think?
Well, it only took me a few days to read this book, and to be completely honest, I kind of liked it. Not as much as most other books, but it wasn't bad, like I expected. Now, I didn't connect with Harper like I wished I had and she was pretty whinny sometimes. But throughtout the book, it was interesting to watch her grow and care about other people.
Dana Reinhardt
2008
Rating:
2.5
From Booklist
“When you live in California and have relatives in New York, everything in between feels like a big inconvenience,” says 17-year-old Harper. But even the middle of the country sounds better to Harper than her own home, which feels empty since her stepmother and stepsiblings moved out. Harper is also eager to leave Gabriel, her “sort-of boyfriend” behind, so she signs up as a summer volunteer to build houses for tornado victims in Bailey, Tennessee. In chapters that alternate between recollections of her past year and her Tennessee summer, Harper slowly reveals the events in L.A. that led to heartbreak and then the healing work, friendships, and romance she finds in Bailey. Reinhardt adds great depth to the familiar story of a teen changed by a summer escape with strong characters and perceptive, subtle explorations of love, family, sex, and friendship—all narrated in Harper’s believable voice. Teens, especially young women on the verge of independence, will see themselves in Harper, her questions, and her resilient heart. Grades 8-12. --Gillian Engberg --This text refers to the Hardcover edition
What Do I Think?
Well, it only took me a few days to read this book, and to be completely honest, I kind of liked it. Not as much as most other books, but it wasn't bad, like I expected. Now, I didn't connect with Harper like I wished I had and she was pretty whinny sometimes. But throughtout the book, it was interesting to watch her grow and care about other people.
Book 44: The Outsiders
Book 44: The Ousiders
S.E. Hinton
1967
Rating:
3
Amazon.com Review
According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser. This classic, written by S. E. Hinton when she was 16 years old, is as profound today as it was when it was first published in 1967.
What Do I Think?
I first read this book back in Eighth grade, and I didn't much like it then. To be completely honest, I still don't like it. I mean, yeah, it's all right, but the plot is really strange and it's almost as if Hinton said 'I want them to do this. No, I change my mind, now they're going to do this.' They start out in their town, Johnny and Ponyboy get beat up, on faithful night, and Johnny kills a Soc. They need to run away, so they do, and they go to a church a few towns away. They live there for a few chapters until Dally (Darry? Confusing character names are confusing.) comes to the town and they decide to leave with him. The church is on fire and there are kids inside. They get the kids out, but Johnny breaks his back. They go back into town in an ambulance. Then there is a big fight and all the Greasers win. Hurray. Johnny dies, then someone else kills himself, and they all watch. Darn.
I mean, it's good for a sixteen-year-old and is quite relateable, the plot is just a little wibbily-wobbily.
S.E. Hinton
1967
Rating:
3
Amazon.com Review
According to Ponyboy, there are two kinds of people in the world: greasers and socs. A soc (short for "social") has money, can get away with just about anything, and has an attitude longer than a limousine. A greaser, on the other hand, always lives on the outside and needs to watch his back. Ponyboy is a greaser, and he's always been proud of it, even willing to rumble against a gang of socs for the sake of his fellow greasers--until one terrible night when his friend Johnny kills a soc. The murder gets under Ponyboy's skin, causing his bifurcated world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same whether a soc or a greaser. This classic, written by S. E. Hinton when she was 16 years old, is as profound today as it was when it was first published in 1967.
What Do I Think?
I first read this book back in Eighth grade, and I didn't much like it then. To be completely honest, I still don't like it. I mean, yeah, it's all right, but the plot is really strange and it's almost as if Hinton said 'I want them to do this. No, I change my mind, now they're going to do this.' They start out in their town, Johnny and Ponyboy get beat up, on faithful night, and Johnny kills a Soc. They need to run away, so they do, and they go to a church a few towns away. They live there for a few chapters until Dally (Darry? Confusing character names are confusing.) comes to the town and they decide to leave with him. The church is on fire and there are kids inside. They get the kids out, but Johnny breaks his back. They go back into town in an ambulance. Then there is a big fight and all the Greasers win. Hurray. Johnny dies, then someone else kills himself, and they all watch. Darn.
I mean, it's good for a sixteen-year-old and is quite relateable, the plot is just a little wibbily-wobbily.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Book 43: Dawn
Book 43: Dawn
Kevin Brooks.
2009
Rating:
2.5
From BookistShortly after we meet 15-year-old Dawn, she states her agenda: And tomorrow I’m going to start killing God. It’s not often a young-adult protagonist is so openly hostile to religion, and it gives Brooks’ story enough edge to steer us through moments of floundering. Thankfully, Dawn’s ire at Christianity is given a satisfying origin: two years ago, her wayward father moved from drugs and alcohol to religious zealotry, and it was with that fervor that he committed an atrocity. Dawn has mostly blocked it out and now lives alone with her boozy mom and twin dachshunds, Jesus and Mary. Brooks uses a halting, repetitious, and sometimes poetic prose that shifts into self-interrogation when things get too intense: Q. And the gun? Did you keep the gun? A. Yes. It’s a simultaneously gruff and anxious approach that wonderfully depicts Dawn’s confusion when two bad girls begin to ply her with unsolicited vodka and cajole her with makeovers. Though rushed, the climax is undoubtedly dramatic and pulls together puzzle pieces many readers may not have even noticed. Grades 9-12. --Daniel Kraus
What Do I Think?
Almost the same as Mr. Daniel Kraus above. The exposition took over 200 pages and the climate took about 20 pages. There was never really a resolution or end to the story. The exposition was excellent, but incredibly long. After about page 175, I started wondering when the plot was coming in. Q: What about the plot? When do we get a plot? A: Never.
Kevin Brooks.
2009
Rating:
2.5
From BookistShortly after we meet 15-year-old Dawn, she states her agenda: And tomorrow I’m going to start killing God. It’s not often a young-adult protagonist is so openly hostile to religion, and it gives Brooks’ story enough edge to steer us through moments of floundering. Thankfully, Dawn’s ire at Christianity is given a satisfying origin: two years ago, her wayward father moved from drugs and alcohol to religious zealotry, and it was with that fervor that he committed an atrocity. Dawn has mostly blocked it out and now lives alone with her boozy mom and twin dachshunds, Jesus and Mary. Brooks uses a halting, repetitious, and sometimes poetic prose that shifts into self-interrogation when things get too intense: Q. And the gun? Did you keep the gun? A. Yes. It’s a simultaneously gruff and anxious approach that wonderfully depicts Dawn’s confusion when two bad girls begin to ply her with unsolicited vodka and cajole her with makeovers. Though rushed, the climax is undoubtedly dramatic and pulls together puzzle pieces many readers may not have even noticed. Grades 9-12. --Daniel Kraus
What Do I Think?
Almost the same as Mr. Daniel Kraus above. The exposition took over 200 pages and the climate took about 20 pages. There was never really a resolution or end to the story. The exposition was excellent, but incredibly long. After about page 175, I started wondering when the plot was coming in. Q: What about the plot? When do we get a plot? A: Never.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Book 42: Hamlet
Book 42: Hamlet
Shakespeare.
Believed to be written in the early 1600's
Rating:
4
Kind of a synopsis
Hamlet, young prince of Denmark, is still shaken by the recent death of his idolized father and by the marriage, scarcely a month later, of his widowed mother, Queen Gertrude, to his uncle, the present King Claudius, whom he despises. He tells of his despair in soliloquy:
"O that this too, too solid flesh would melt,
That and resolve itself into a dew!
Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd
His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! God!...
But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue!"
What Do I Think?
I read Hamlet for class, but have owned it for quite a long time. Thus far, Hamlet has been my favorite Shakespeare tragedy. Quite excellent, captivating.
Shakespeare.
Believed to be written in the early 1600's
Rating:
4
Kind of a synopsis
Hamlet, young prince of Denmark, is still shaken by the recent death of his idolized father and by the marriage, scarcely a month later, of his widowed mother, Queen Gertrude, to his uncle, the present King Claudius, whom he despises. He tells of his despair in soliloquy:
"O that this too, too solid flesh would melt,
That and resolve itself into a dew!
Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd
His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! God!...
But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue!"
What Do I Think?
I read Hamlet for class, but have owned it for quite a long time. Thus far, Hamlet has been my favorite Shakespeare tragedy. Quite excellent, captivating.
Book 41: Green Angel
Book 41: Green Angel
Alice Hoffman
Scholastic.
2003
Rating:
2
Synopsis
Left on her own when her family dies in a terrible disaster, fifteen-year-old Green is haunted by loss and by the past. Struggling to survive physically and emotionally in a place where nothing seems to grow and ashes are everywhere, Green retreats into the ruined realm of her garden. But in destroying her feelings, she also begins to destroy herself, erasing the girl she'd once been as she inks darkness into her skin. It is only through a series of mysterious encounters that Green can relearn the lessons of love and begin to heal enough to tell her story.
What Do I Think?
I read this book in about a day; It was very quick. There was no plot line, really. It was kind of like a bad fan-fiction, as in: "First I did this, then I did this. Then I did this." So on and so forth. Honestl, I wouldn't read this book again, and don't plan on reading Green Witch. Sorry, Alice Hoffman.
Alice Hoffman
Scholastic.
2003
Rating:
2
Synopsis
Left on her own when her family dies in a terrible disaster, fifteen-year-old Green is haunted by loss and by the past. Struggling to survive physically and emotionally in a place where nothing seems to grow and ashes are everywhere, Green retreats into the ruined realm of her garden. But in destroying her feelings, she also begins to destroy herself, erasing the girl she'd once been as she inks darkness into her skin. It is only through a series of mysterious encounters that Green can relearn the lessons of love and begin to heal enough to tell her story.
What Do I Think?
I read this book in about a day; It was very quick. There was no plot line, really. It was kind of like a bad fan-fiction, as in: "First I did this, then I did this. Then I did this." So on and so forth. Honestl, I wouldn't read this book again, and don't plan on reading Green Witch. Sorry, Alice Hoffman.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Book 40: So Yesterday.
Book 40: So Yesterday
Scott Westerfeld
Penguin Books.
2004
Rating:
2.5
From School Library Journal
Grade 7-10–New York City is the backdrop for this trendy, often surreal novel with a message about the down-and-dirty business of inventing and marketing pop-cultural fads. Hunter Braque, 17, is part of a focus group that views advertisements for shoes. A product gets the nod if it is "skate," but it is more important to point out what might be "uncool." When the teen brings Jen to the next meeting, she spots uncool right away and lets Hunter's boss, Mandy, know. The next day, the woman tells Hunter that the client appreciated Jen's original thinking, and that their help is needed for a "big deal." Jen and Hunter quickly find themselves caught up in a strange turn of events when Mandy disappears. Their search for her begins in an abandoned building in Chinatown and leads to a wild, drunken party at the Museum of Natural History where people are viewing advertisements for a new shampoo. This is a somewhat entertaining story, but awkward phrasing throughout defeats the "coolness," and the scenes involving Hunter's epidemiologist dad slow down the plot. Readers will better appreciate the satire and humor about the consumer world in M. T. Anderson's Feed (Candlewick, 2002), in which the characters are far more realistic.–Kelly Czarnecki, Bloomington Public Library, IL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
What Do I Think?
Way to have an exposition. I mean, it was all right, but we never get to really know the characters. There is a wall that should have been broken in the very beginning. I guess it can be explained with a single passage from the book:
"You've probably seen the show yourself if you've kept your eyes on the ground, but only in pieces. It's easy to recognize, on the client's products and a dozen knockoffs and bootlegs- that part of any show the rewires your brain,makes you think for a moment that you can fly. But you'll never hold the whole thing in your hand. It went up in smoke.
Still, you can't blame the client for following the first rule of consumerism: Never give us what we really want. Cut the dream into pieces and scatter them like ashes. Dole out the empty promises. Package our aspirations and sell them to us, cheaply made enough to fall apart."
We will never get the perfect novel we want, only the small scattered pieces of what could be.
Scott Westerfeld
Penguin Books.
2004
Rating:
2.5
From School Library Journal
Grade 7-10–New York City is the backdrop for this trendy, often surreal novel with a message about the down-and-dirty business of inventing and marketing pop-cultural fads. Hunter Braque, 17, is part of a focus group that views advertisements for shoes. A product gets the nod if it is "skate," but it is more important to point out what might be "uncool." When the teen brings Jen to the next meeting, she spots uncool right away and lets Hunter's boss, Mandy, know. The next day, the woman tells Hunter that the client appreciated Jen's original thinking, and that their help is needed for a "big deal." Jen and Hunter quickly find themselves caught up in a strange turn of events when Mandy disappears. Their search for her begins in an abandoned building in Chinatown and leads to a wild, drunken party at the Museum of Natural History where people are viewing advertisements for a new shampoo. This is a somewhat entertaining story, but awkward phrasing throughout defeats the "coolness," and the scenes involving Hunter's epidemiologist dad slow down the plot. Readers will better appreciate the satire and humor about the consumer world in M. T. Anderson's Feed (Candlewick, 2002), in which the characters are far more realistic.–Kelly Czarnecki, Bloomington Public Library, IL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
What Do I Think?
Way to have an exposition. I mean, it was all right, but we never get to really know the characters. There is a wall that should have been broken in the very beginning. I guess it can be explained with a single passage from the book:
"You've probably seen the show yourself if you've kept your eyes on the ground, but only in pieces. It's easy to recognize, on the client's products and a dozen knockoffs and bootlegs- that part of any show the rewires your brain,makes you think for a moment that you can fly. But you'll never hold the whole thing in your hand. It went up in smoke.
Still, you can't blame the client for following the first rule of consumerism: Never give us what we really want. Cut the dream into pieces and scatter them like ashes. Dole out the empty promises. Package our aspirations and sell them to us, cheaply made enough to fall apart."
We will never get the perfect novel we want, only the small scattered pieces of what could be.
Book 39: Catching Fire.
Book 39: Catching Fire
Suzanne Collins.
Scolastic
2009
Rating:
3.5
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Gr 7 Up--
Every year in Panem, the dystopic nation that exists where the U.S. used to be, the Capitol holds a televised tournament in which two teen "tributes" from each of the surrounding districts fight a gruesome battle to the death. In The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, the tributes from impoverished District Twelve, thwarted the Gamemakers, forcing them to let both teens survive. In this rabidly anticipated sequel, Katniss, again the narrator, returns home to find herself more the center of attention than ever. The sinister President Snow surprises her with a visit, and Katniss’s fear when Snow meets with her alone is both palpable and justified. Catching Fire is divided into three parts: Katniss and Peeta’s mandatory Victory Tour through the districts, preparations for the 75th Annual Hunger Games, and a truncated version of the Games themselves. Slower paced than its predecessor, this sequel explores the nation of Panem: its power structure, rumors of a secret district, and a spreading rebellion, ignited by Katniss and Peeta’s subversive victory. Katniss also deepens as a character. Though initially bewildered by the attention paid to her, she comes almost to embrace her status as the rebels’ symbolic leader. Though more of the story takes place outside the arena than within, this sequel has enough action to please Hunger Games fans and leaves enough questions tantalizingly unanswered for readers to be desperate for the next installment.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
What Do I Think?
Catching Fire -sequel to The Hunger Games- was, well, not as good as I suspected. The exposition seemed to go on forever, and the conflict didn't start soon enough. Sure, we knew of the uprising in the other districts and there were police more and more in District 12, but it never really goes deep into it. I would like to hear the story from Gale's point of view.
My heart sunk when the news of the Quell came out; it was obviously planned. Before that year, there wouldn't have been a female victor from District 12. (Opinions?) The Games were all kind of blur and didn't really make sence a lot of the time.
Eh. Not as good as the first. I don't know if I'll read Mockingjay.
Suzanne Collins.
Scolastic
2009
Rating:
3.5
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Gr 7 Up--
Every year in Panem, the dystopic nation that exists where the U.S. used to be, the Capitol holds a televised tournament in which two teen "tributes" from each of the surrounding districts fight a gruesome battle to the death. In The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, the tributes from impoverished District Twelve, thwarted the Gamemakers, forcing them to let both teens survive. In this rabidly anticipated sequel, Katniss, again the narrator, returns home to find herself more the center of attention than ever. The sinister President Snow surprises her with a visit, and Katniss’s fear when Snow meets with her alone is both palpable and justified. Catching Fire is divided into three parts: Katniss and Peeta’s mandatory Victory Tour through the districts, preparations for the 75th Annual Hunger Games, and a truncated version of the Games themselves. Slower paced than its predecessor, this sequel explores the nation of Panem: its power structure, rumors of a secret district, and a spreading rebellion, ignited by Katniss and Peeta’s subversive victory. Katniss also deepens as a character. Though initially bewildered by the attention paid to her, she comes almost to embrace her status as the rebels’ symbolic leader. Though more of the story takes place outside the arena than within, this sequel has enough action to please Hunger Games fans and leaves enough questions tantalizingly unanswered for readers to be desperate for the next installment.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
What Do I Think?
Catching Fire -sequel to The Hunger Games- was, well, not as good as I suspected. The exposition seemed to go on forever, and the conflict didn't start soon enough. Sure, we knew of the uprising in the other districts and there were police more and more in District 12, but it never really goes deep into it. I would like to hear the story from Gale's point of view.
My heart sunk when the news of the Quell came out; it was obviously planned. Before that year, there wouldn't have been a female victor from District 12. (Opinions?) The Games were all kind of blur and didn't really make sence a lot of the time.
Eh. Not as good as the first. I don't know if I'll read Mockingjay.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Book 38: Someone Like Summer.
Book 38: Someone Like Summer.
M.E. Kerr
HarperCollins Publihers.
2007
Rating:
2
Amazon.com Review
Tall, blonde, blue-eyed Annabel, 17, is in love with Esteban, a Latino immigrant, who turns out to be part of an undocumented group of workers in her town in the Hamptons. The love is intense. They can't keep their hands off each other; in fact, he is the one who stops them from going too far. Prejudice is rough from all sides, including the town's powerful benefactor, who targets the illegals, and Esteban's older sister, who calls Annabel "flour face" and thinks all white girls are loose. The main characters disturb all the stereotypes. Annabel's loving, gruff dad employs illegals because he can pay them less, and he treats them well even as he badmouths them--but no way will he allow Esteban to hook up with his daughter. As things build to a searing climax, Annabel realizes she has asked little about Esteban's dad, who was assassinated back "home" in Colombia. And Kerr crosses other romantic boundaries. Esteban is short--he stands on his toes to kiss.
Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
What Do I Think?
Anna B. and Esteban are two whinny, teens 'in love.' Honestly, I couldn't have cared less about any of the characters in the book. The only time I felt any kind of emotion due to this novel was when Davi-Larkin's dog- was run over. If that doesn't say enough, I don't know what will.
M.E. Kerr
HarperCollins Publihers.
2007
Rating:
2
Amazon.com Review
Tall, blonde, blue-eyed Annabel, 17, is in love with Esteban, a Latino immigrant, who turns out to be part of an undocumented group of workers in her town in the Hamptons. The love is intense. They can't keep their hands off each other; in fact, he is the one who stops them from going too far. Prejudice is rough from all sides, including the town's powerful benefactor, who targets the illegals, and Esteban's older sister, who calls Annabel "flour face" and thinks all white girls are loose. The main characters disturb all the stereotypes. Annabel's loving, gruff dad employs illegals because he can pay them less, and he treats them well even as he badmouths them--but no way will he allow Esteban to hook up with his daughter. As things build to a searing climax, Annabel realizes she has asked little about Esteban's dad, who was assassinated back "home" in Colombia. And Kerr crosses other romantic boundaries. Esteban is short--he stands on his toes to kiss.
Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
What Do I Think?
Anna B. and Esteban are two whinny, teens 'in love.' Honestly, I couldn't have cared less about any of the characters in the book. The only time I felt any kind of emotion due to this novel was when Davi-Larkin's dog- was run over. If that doesn't say enough, I don't know what will.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Book 37: The Hunger Games.
Book 37: The Hunger Games.
Suzzanne Collins.
Scholastic.
2008
Rating:
4.5
Suzzanne Collins.
Scholastic.
2008
Rating:
4.5
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. SignatureReviewed by Megan Whalen TurnerIf there really are only seven original plots in the world, it's odd that boy meets girl is always mentioned, and society goes bad and attacks the good guy never is. Yet we have Fahrenheit 451, The Giver, The House of the Scorpion—and now, following a long tradition of Brave New Worlds, The Hunger Games. Collins hasn't tied her future to a specific date, or weighted it down with too much finger wagging. Rather less 1984 and rather more Death Race 2000, hers is a gripping story set in a postapocalyptic world where a replacement for the United States demands a tribute from each of its territories: two children to be used as gladiators in a televised fight to the death.Katniss, from what was once Appalachia, offers to take the place of her sister in the Hunger Games, but after this ultimate sacrifice, she is entirely focused on survival at any cost. It is her teammate, Peeta, who recognizes the importance of holding on to one's humanity in such inhuman circumstances. It's a credit to Collins's skill at characterization that Katniss, like a new Theseus, is cold, calculating and still likable. She has the attributes to be a winner, where Peeta has the grace to be a good loser.It's no accident that these games are presented as pop culture. Every generation projects its fear: runaway science, communism, overpopulation, nuclear wars and, now, reality TV. The State of Panem—which needs to keep its tributaries subdued and its citizens complacent—may have created the Games, but mindless television is the real danger, the means by which society pacifies its citizens and punishes those who fail to conform. Will its connection to reality TV, ubiquitous today, date the book? It might, but for now, it makes this the right book at the right time. What happens if we choose entertainment over humanity? In Collins's world, we'll be obsessed with grooming, we'll talk funny, and all our sentences will end with the same rise as questions. When Katniss is sent to stylists to be made more telegenic before she competes, she stands naked in front of them, strangely unembarrassed. They're so unlike people that I'm no more self-conscious than if a trio of oddly colored birds were pecking around my feet, she thinks. In order not to hate these creatures who are sending her to her death, she imagines them as pets. It isn't just the contestants who risk the loss of their humanity. It is all who watch.Katniss struggles to win not only the Games but the inherent contest for audience approval. Because this is the first book in a series, not everything is resolved, and what is left unanswered is the central question. Has she sacrificed too much? We know what she has given up to survive, but not whether the price was too high. Readers will wait eagerly to learn more.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
What Do I Think?
This is honestly the best book I have read this year.
Every chapter had me gripping my chair and yelling. I was captivated until the very end.
Except, it isn't the end, since it's a trilogy.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Book 36: Left Behind: The Kids.
Book 36: Left Behind: The Kids.
By Jerry G. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye.
TtndaleHouse Publishers, Inc.
US 1998
Rating:
1
Amazon.com Review
"Someday, Jesus will return to take his followers to heaven.... We will disappear right in front of disbelieving people. Won't that be a great day for us and a horrifying one for them?" That was old Pastor Billings droning on again about the Rapture, and Judd was bored out of his skull. A sarcastic 16-year-old, way too cool for all this Jesus stuff, Judd had even lied about receiving Christ as his Lord and personal Savior. But poor hotheaded Judd is about to be very, very sorry.
The first book in the children's version of Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye's sleeper-hit Left Behind, The Vanishings introduces us to Judd ("The Runaway") and his three imperfect companions: Vicki ("The Rebel"), Lionel ("The Liar"), and Ryan ("The Skeptic"). These four teens, for one reason or another, all failed to submit to the power of the living Lord, despite their friends' and parents' best efforts. And when Pastor Billings's Rapture actually happens--sending Christian-piloted trains, planes, and automobiles crashing as millions of true believers literally vanish in the blink of an eye, leaving behind nothing but their skivvies and their W.W.J.D. necklaces--the four wayward teenagers get religion and fast. The saga continues when they receive a second chance in book two. (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes
What Do I Think?
This is without a doubt, one of the worst books I have ever read. It's very poorly written and the characters are not very ineteresting. I am glad to put this boook on the shelf and neveer pick it up again.
By Jerry G. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye.
TtndaleHouse Publishers, Inc.
US 1998
Rating:
1
Amazon.com Review
"Someday, Jesus will return to take his followers to heaven.... We will disappear right in front of disbelieving people. Won't that be a great day for us and a horrifying one for them?" That was old Pastor Billings droning on again about the Rapture, and Judd was bored out of his skull. A sarcastic 16-year-old, way too cool for all this Jesus stuff, Judd had even lied about receiving Christ as his Lord and personal Savior. But poor hotheaded Judd is about to be very, very sorry.
The first book in the children's version of Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye's sleeper-hit Left Behind, The Vanishings introduces us to Judd ("The Runaway") and his three imperfect companions: Vicki ("The Rebel"), Lionel ("The Liar"), and Ryan ("The Skeptic"). These four teens, for one reason or another, all failed to submit to the power of the living Lord, despite their friends' and parents' best efforts. And when Pastor Billings's Rapture actually happens--sending Christian-piloted trains, planes, and automobiles crashing as millions of true believers literally vanish in the blink of an eye, leaving behind nothing but their skivvies and their W.W.J.D. necklaces--the four wayward teenagers get religion and fast. The saga continues when they receive a second chance in book two. (Ages 9 to 12) --Paul Hughes
What Do I Think?
This is without a doubt, one of the worst books I have ever read. It's very poorly written and the characters are not very ineteresting. I am glad to put this boook on the shelf and neveer pick it up again.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Book 35: Dog
Book 35: Dog
By Daniel Pennac
Scholastic Corporation
US 2004
Rating:
3
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5–Dog, raised by Black Nose in a dump after surviving near drowning as a puppy, is soon adrift when Black Nose is killed by a falling refrigerator. He makes his way through the harsh realities of the dog pound, life on the street, travel on the Metro, and a stop with a kindly man and dog before landing with an erratic and manipulative child, Plum, and her indulgent parents. Plum initially cherishes her new companion but abandons him when her interests (and the plot) wander elsewhere. Dog runs away, but later rejoins the family, only to have Mr. Muscle and Mrs. Squeak, as he refers to Plum's parents, dispose of him. He rallies his companions to trash the apartment but save Plum's room, and ends up with her once again, but this time, supposedly, loved and cherished by the child and tolerated with some respect by Mr. Muscle. Italic passages conveying Dog's depressing thoughts and terrified dreams, plus rueful asides from the author, contribute to the overall weight of the story. While the narrative has some of the tone and misanthropy of Roald Dahl's Matilda (Viking, 1988), it more closely resembles Meindert DeJong's more kindly, better focused, and ultimately more satisfying Hurry Home, Candy (HarperCollins, 1953).–Susan Hepler, Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
What Do I Think?
I first read dog in fourth grade, and decided to pick it up again this year. Dog has helped me see the pint of view the way a dog would see it. It's not the best book, heck I wouldn't even say it's a "good" book. But it's all right. I think I'll keep this one.
By Daniel Pennac
Scholastic Corporation
US 2004
Rating:
3
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5–Dog, raised by Black Nose in a dump after surviving near drowning as a puppy, is soon adrift when Black Nose is killed by a falling refrigerator. He makes his way through the harsh realities of the dog pound, life on the street, travel on the Metro, and a stop with a kindly man and dog before landing with an erratic and manipulative child, Plum, and her indulgent parents. Plum initially cherishes her new companion but abandons him when her interests (and the plot) wander elsewhere. Dog runs away, but later rejoins the family, only to have Mr. Muscle and Mrs. Squeak, as he refers to Plum's parents, dispose of him. He rallies his companions to trash the apartment but save Plum's room, and ends up with her once again, but this time, supposedly, loved and cherished by the child and tolerated with some respect by Mr. Muscle. Italic passages conveying Dog's depressing thoughts and terrified dreams, plus rueful asides from the author, contribute to the overall weight of the story. While the narrative has some of the tone and misanthropy of Roald Dahl's Matilda (Viking, 1988), it more closely resembles Meindert DeJong's more kindly, better focused, and ultimately more satisfying Hurry Home, Candy (HarperCollins, 1953).–Susan Hepler, Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
What Do I Think?
I first read dog in fourth grade, and decided to pick it up again this year. Dog has helped me see the pint of view the way a dog would see it. It's not the best book, heck I wouldn't even say it's a "good" book. But it's all right. I think I'll keep this one.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Book 34: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Book 34: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
By J.K Rowling.
Scholastic Corporation
1999
Rating:
4
Amazon.com Review
For most children, summer vacation is something to look forward to. But not for our 13-year-old hero, who's forced to spend his summers with an aunt, uncle, and cousin who detest him. The third book in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series catapults into action when the young wizard "accidentally" causes the Dursleys' dreadful visitor Aunt Marge to inflate like a monstrous balloon and drift up to the ceiling. Fearing punishment from Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon (and from officials at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who strictly forbid students to cast spells in the nonmagic world of Muggles), Harry lunges out into the darkness with his heavy trunk and his owl Hedwig.
As it turns out, Harry isn't punished at all for his errant wizardry. Instead he is mysteriously rescued from his Muggle neighborhood and whisked off in a triple-decker, violently purple bus to spend the remaining weeks of summer in a friendly inn called the Leaky Cauldron. What Harry has to face as he begins his third year at Hogwarts explains why the officials let him off easily. It seems that Sirius Black--an escaped convict from the prison of Azkaban--is on the loose. Not only that, but he's after Harry Potter. But why? And why do the Dementors, the guards hired to protect him, chill Harry's very heart when others are unaffected? Once again, Rowling has created a mystery that will have children and adults cheering, not to mention standing in line for her next book. Fortunately, there are four more in the works. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson
What Do I think?
What she said. (Sorry, deep into book 35. Surprisingly, I am taking a Harry Potter break.)
By J.K Rowling.
Scholastic Corporation
1999
Rating:
4
Amazon.com Review
For most children, summer vacation is something to look forward to. But not for our 13-year-old hero, who's forced to spend his summers with an aunt, uncle, and cousin who detest him. The third book in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series catapults into action when the young wizard "accidentally" causes the Dursleys' dreadful visitor Aunt Marge to inflate like a monstrous balloon and drift up to the ceiling. Fearing punishment from Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon (and from officials at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who strictly forbid students to cast spells in the nonmagic world of Muggles), Harry lunges out into the darkness with his heavy trunk and his owl Hedwig.
As it turns out, Harry isn't punished at all for his errant wizardry. Instead he is mysteriously rescued from his Muggle neighborhood and whisked off in a triple-decker, violently purple bus to spend the remaining weeks of summer in a friendly inn called the Leaky Cauldron. What Harry has to face as he begins his third year at Hogwarts explains why the officials let him off easily. It seems that Sirius Black--an escaped convict from the prison of Azkaban--is on the loose. Not only that, but he's after Harry Potter. But why? And why do the Dementors, the guards hired to protect him, chill Harry's very heart when others are unaffected? Once again, Rowling has created a mystery that will have children and adults cheering, not to mention standing in line for her next book. Fortunately, there are four more in the works. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson
What Do I think?
What she said. (Sorry, deep into book 35. Surprisingly, I am taking a Harry Potter break.)
Book 33: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret's
Book 33: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret's
By J.K Rowling.
Scholastic Corporation
1998
Rating:
3.5
Amazon.com Review
It's hard to fall in love with an earnest, appealing young hero like Harry Potter and then to watch helplessly as he steps into terrible danger! And in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the much anticipated sequel to the award-winning Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, he is in terrible danger indeed. As if it's not bad enough that after a long summer with the horrid Dursleys he is thwarted in his attempts to hop the train to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to begin his second year. But when his only transportation option is a magical flying car, it is just his luck to crash into a valuable (but clearly vexed) Whomping Willow. Still, all this seems like a day in the park compared to what happens that fall within the haunted halls of Hogwarts.
Chilling, malevolent voices whisper from the walls only to Harry, and it seems certain that his classmate Draco Malfoy is out to get him. Soon it's not just Harry who is worried about survival, as dreadful things begin to happen at Hogwarts. The mysteriously gleaming, foot-high words on the wall proclaim, "The Chamber of Secrets Has Been Opened. Enemies of the Heir, Beware." But what exactly does it mean? Harry, Hermione, and Ron do everything that is wizardly possible--including risking their own lives--to solve this 50-year-old, seemingly deadly mystery. This deliciously suspenseful novel is every bit as gripping, imaginative, and creepy as the first; familiar student concerns--fierce rivalry, blush-inducing crushes, pedantic professors--seamlessly intertwine with the bizarre, horrific, fantastical, or just plain funny. Once again, Rowling writes with a combination of wit, whimsy, and a touch of the macabre that will leave readers young and old desperate for the next installment. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
What Do I Think?
Fantastic sequel. The entire novel had me sitting on the edge of my seat.
By J.K Rowling.
Scholastic Corporation
1998
Rating:
3.5
Amazon.com Review
It's hard to fall in love with an earnest, appealing young hero like Harry Potter and then to watch helplessly as he steps into terrible danger! And in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the much anticipated sequel to the award-winning Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, he is in terrible danger indeed. As if it's not bad enough that after a long summer with the horrid Dursleys he is thwarted in his attempts to hop the train to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to begin his second year. But when his only transportation option is a magical flying car, it is just his luck to crash into a valuable (but clearly vexed) Whomping Willow. Still, all this seems like a day in the park compared to what happens that fall within the haunted halls of Hogwarts.
Chilling, malevolent voices whisper from the walls only to Harry, and it seems certain that his classmate Draco Malfoy is out to get him. Soon it's not just Harry who is worried about survival, as dreadful things begin to happen at Hogwarts. The mysteriously gleaming, foot-high words on the wall proclaim, "The Chamber of Secrets Has Been Opened. Enemies of the Heir, Beware." But what exactly does it mean? Harry, Hermione, and Ron do everything that is wizardly possible--including risking their own lives--to solve this 50-year-old, seemingly deadly mystery. This deliciously suspenseful novel is every bit as gripping, imaginative, and creepy as the first; familiar student concerns--fierce rivalry, blush-inducing crushes, pedantic professors--seamlessly intertwine with the bizarre, horrific, fantastical, or just plain funny. Once again, Rowling writes with a combination of wit, whimsy, and a touch of the macabre that will leave readers young and old desperate for the next installment. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
What Do I Think?
Fantastic sequel. The entire novel had me sitting on the edge of my seat.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Book 32: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
Book 32: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
By J.K Rowling.
Scholastic Corporation
1998
Rating:
4
Amazon.com Review
Say you've spent the first 10 years of your life sleeping under the stairs of a family who loathes you. Then, in an absurd, magical twist of fate you find yourself surrounded by wizards, a caged snowy owl, a phoenix-feather wand, and jellybeans that come in every flavor, including strawberry, curry, grass, and sardine. Not only that, but you discover that you are a wizard yourself! This is exactly what happens to young Harry Potter in J.K. Rowling's enchanting, funny debut novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. In the nonmagic human world--the world of "Muggles"--Harry is a nobody, treated like dirt by the aunt and uncle who begrudgingly inherited him when his parents were killed by the evil Voldemort. But in the world of wizards, small, skinny Harry is famous as a survivor of the wizard who tried to kill him. He is left only with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, curiously refined sensibilities, and a host of mysterious powers to remind him that he's quite, yes, altogether different from his aunt, uncle, and spoiled, piglike cousin Dudley.
A mysterious letter, delivered by the friendly giant Hagrid, wrenches Harry from his dreary, Muggle-ridden existence: "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Of course, Uncle Vernon yells most unpleasantly, "I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" Soon enough, however, Harry finds himself at Hogwarts with his owl Hedwig... and that's where the real adventure--humorous, haunting, and suspenseful--begins. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, first published in England as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, continues to win major awards in England. So far it has won the National Book Award, the Smarties Prize, the Children's Book Award, and is short-listed for the Carnegie Medal, the U.K. version of the Newbery Medal. This magical, gripping, brilliant book--a future classic to be sure--will leave kids clamoring for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. (Ages 8 to 13) --Karin Snelson
What Do I Think?
Really? 8 to 13 years? That's crazy. Ithink know people of all ages have enjoyed this book and will enjoy this book for years and years to come.
Why has it taken me so long to read this?
(Again, sorry for the crappy review. I've been carring for a baby for the past two weeks, and I am butt tired.)
By J.K Rowling.
Scholastic Corporation
1998
Rating:
4
Amazon.com Review
Say you've spent the first 10 years of your life sleeping under the stairs of a family who loathes you. Then, in an absurd, magical twist of fate you find yourself surrounded by wizards, a caged snowy owl, a phoenix-feather wand, and jellybeans that come in every flavor, including strawberry, curry, grass, and sardine. Not only that, but you discover that you are a wizard yourself! This is exactly what happens to young Harry Potter in J.K. Rowling's enchanting, funny debut novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. In the nonmagic human world--the world of "Muggles"--Harry is a nobody, treated like dirt by the aunt and uncle who begrudgingly inherited him when his parents were killed by the evil Voldemort. But in the world of wizards, small, skinny Harry is famous as a survivor of the wizard who tried to kill him. He is left only with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, curiously refined sensibilities, and a host of mysterious powers to remind him that he's quite, yes, altogether different from his aunt, uncle, and spoiled, piglike cousin Dudley.
A mysterious letter, delivered by the friendly giant Hagrid, wrenches Harry from his dreary, Muggle-ridden existence: "We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Of course, Uncle Vernon yells most unpleasantly, "I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" Soon enough, however, Harry finds himself at Hogwarts with his owl Hedwig... and that's where the real adventure--humorous, haunting, and suspenseful--begins. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, first published in England as Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, continues to win major awards in England. So far it has won the National Book Award, the Smarties Prize, the Children's Book Award, and is short-listed for the Carnegie Medal, the U.K. version of the Newbery Medal. This magical, gripping, brilliant book--a future classic to be sure--will leave kids clamoring for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. (Ages 8 to 13) --Karin Snelson
What Do I Think?
Really? 8 to 13 years? That's crazy. I
Why has it taken me so long to read this?
(Again, sorry for the crappy review. I've been carring for a baby for the past two weeks, and I am butt tired.)
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Book 31: Maus II
Book 30: Maus II
By Art Spigelman.
Pantheon Books
1991
Rating:
4
From Library Journal
Spiegelman's Maus, A Survivor's Tale (Pantheon, 1987) was a breakthrough, a comic book that gained widespread mainstream attention. The primary story of that book and of this sequel is the experience of Spiegelman's father, Vladek, a Polish Jew who survived the concentration camps of Nazi Germany during World War II. This story is framed by Spiegelman's getting the story from Vladek, which is in turn framed by Spiegelman's working on the book after his father's death and suffering the attendant anxiety and guilt, the ambivalence over the success of the first volume, and the difficulties of his "funny-animal" metaphor. (In both books, he draws the char acters as anthropomorphic animals-- Jews are mice, Poles pigs, Germans cats, Americans dogs, and French frogs.) The interconnections and complex characterizations are engrossing, as are the vivid personal accounts of living in the camps. Maus and Maus . . . II are two of the most important works of comic art ever published. Highly recommended, espe cially for libraries with Holocaust collec tions. See also Harry Gordon's The Shadow of Death: The Holocaust in Lithuania , reviewed in this issue, p. 164; previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 7/91.
- Keith R.A. DeCandido, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
What Do I Think?
Aweome. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. It touched me in a way I never thought a Holocaust story could. Amazing.
By Art Spigelman.
Pantheon Books
1991
Rating:
4
From Library Journal
Spiegelman's Maus, A Survivor's Tale (Pantheon, 1987) was a breakthrough, a comic book that gained widespread mainstream attention. The primary story of that book and of this sequel is the experience of Spiegelman's father, Vladek, a Polish Jew who survived the concentration camps of Nazi Germany during World War II. This story is framed by Spiegelman's getting the story from Vladek, which is in turn framed by Spiegelman's working on the book after his father's death and suffering the attendant anxiety and guilt, the ambivalence over the success of the first volume, and the difficulties of his "funny-animal" metaphor. (In both books, he draws the char acters as anthropomorphic animals-- Jews are mice, Poles pigs, Germans cats, Americans dogs, and French frogs.) The interconnections and complex characterizations are engrossing, as are the vivid personal accounts of living in the camps. Maus and Maus . . . II are two of the most important works of comic art ever published. Highly recommended, espe cially for libraries with Holocaust collec tions. See also Harry Gordon's The Shadow of Death: The Holocaust in Lithuania , reviewed in this issue, p. 164; previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 7/91.
- Keith R.A. DeCandido, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
What Do I Think?
Aweome. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. It touched me in a way I never thought a Holocaust story could. Amazing.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Book 30: Maus
Book 30: Maus
By Art Spigelman.
Pantheon Books
1991
Rating:
4
Review. Thanks Amazon.com!
“A loving documentary and brutal fable, a mix of compassion and stoicism [that] sums up the experience of the Holocaust with as much power and as little pretension as any other work I can think of.”
–The New Republic
“A quiet triumph, moving and simple–impossible to describe accurately, and impossible to achieve in any medium but comics.”
–The Washington Post
“Spiegelman has turned the exuberant fantasy of comics inside out by giving us the most incredible fantasy in comics’ history: something that actually occurred…. The central relationship is not that of cat and mouse, but that of Art and Vladek. Maus is terrifying not for its brutality, but for its tenderness and guilt.”
–The New Yorker
“All too infrequently, a book comes along that’s as daring as it is acclaimed. Art Spiegelman’s Maus is just such a book.”
–Esquire
“An epic story told in tiny pictures.”
–The New York Times
“A remarkable work, awesome in its conception and execution… at one and the same time a novel, a documentary, a memoir, and a comic book. Brilliant, just brilliant.”
–Jules Feffer --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
What Do I Think?
Like many other books, I have read this and it's brother book many times. I've said it before and I'll say it again: This is my favorite graphic novel. Prove that there is a more interesting, captivating one out there.
Quite frankly, I could go on for hours about how much I appreciate this book. A good reviewist would do such, and I am not.
It's midnight, and I am sleepy. Goodnight.
By Art Spigelman.
Pantheon Books
1991
Rating:
4
Review. Thanks Amazon.com!
“A loving documentary and brutal fable, a mix of compassion and stoicism [that] sums up the experience of the Holocaust with as much power and as little pretension as any other work I can think of.”
–The New Republic
“A quiet triumph, moving and simple–impossible to describe accurately, and impossible to achieve in any medium but comics.”
–The Washington Post
“Spiegelman has turned the exuberant fantasy of comics inside out by giving us the most incredible fantasy in comics’ history: something that actually occurred…. The central relationship is not that of cat and mouse, but that of Art and Vladek. Maus is terrifying not for its brutality, but for its tenderness and guilt.”
–The New Yorker
“All too infrequently, a book comes along that’s as daring as it is acclaimed. Art Spiegelman’s Maus is just such a book.”
–Esquire
“An epic story told in tiny pictures.”
–The New York Times
“A remarkable work, awesome in its conception and execution… at one and the same time a novel, a documentary, a memoir, and a comic book. Brilliant, just brilliant.”
–Jules Feffer --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
What Do I Think?
Like many other books, I have read this and it's brother book many times. I've said it before and I'll say it again: This is my favorite graphic novel. Prove that there is a more interesting, captivating one out there.
Quite frankly, I could go on for hours about how much I appreciate this book. A good reviewist would do such, and I am not.
It's midnight, and I am sleepy. Goodnight.
Book 29: Mostly Harmless
Book 29: Mostly Harmless.
By Douglas Adams.
Pan Books.
1992
Rating:
3.5
Review by © 2001 by Thomas M. Wagner
After a gap of eight long years, Douglas Adams returned to the froody adventures of Ford Prefect and the perpetually bewildered Arthur Dent, for one final spin round space, time, and every probable and improbable universe out there. And this time, it's a tough one, folks. It has been said that Adams never wanted to write this book, that he was simply caving in to pressure from fans, and that in fact this book threw Adams into a black mood that lasted until his untimely death. If all those things are true, it's surprising that as much of this book is as funny as it is. In the end, though, the joke's on us. Adams gives his series a bleak if not altogether nihilistic ending that leaves you scratching your head and wondering what the point was. Okay, so we get to find out what the number 42 signifies, but you do come away from this story with the uncomfortable feeling that Adams has just flipped the bird at you, smiling all the while.
Earth, it would seem, occupies an area of space/time where the very fabric of the whole thing isn't exactly in the best shape it could be in. This, of course, is why the Vogons' plan to destroy Earth to make way for a hyperspace bypass appears not to have worked terribly well and, in fact, why Arthur finds himself travelling from one alternate Earth to another in a pitiful attempt simply to find a place he can call home. He eventually settles (well, his spaceship crashes rather spectacularly) in a bucolic community where he gains a social prominence he has never known before, as their Sandwich Maker. And this is the funniest part of the whole novel, the one sequence in which it seems as if Adams is recapturing the old magic. But when Trillian — the girl Zaphod stole from Arthur years back when Earth was a place he thought he understood — shows up, bringing a surprise in tow, Arthur's life is once again turned topsy turvy.
Ford Prefect, meanwhile, has discovered the Hitchhiker's Guide publishing offices have been bought out by an insidious corporation run by some insidious (and familiar) aliens, and he vows he'll hurt them any way he can. Which, it would seem, only means he starts overrunning his expense account. Here it's clear Adams is taking a swipe at himself and his own series, as he describes how the Guide has been corrupted by the forces of evil. Methinks he doth protest too much, really. I think a fellow with Adams' wit could have engaged in self-deprecating humor without lapsing into self-loathing.
Mostly Harmless is not irredeemably dreadful by any means, and at times sports Adams' most impressive writing and plotting in the entire series. Just when it seems as if absolutely nothing is going to make sense no matter how hard you try, the pieces of the puzzle begin to fit just so. Playing with the very concept of probability as if it were some perverse erector set he'd dug out of his attic, Adams' tale runs riot with ideas. But by the climax of the story, things have simply gotten chaotic, with Adams clearly in a hurry to finish the book and get it over with.
I heard a rumor (there are always rumors) that at the time of his death, Adams' frame of mind had improved markedly and he was considering a sixth book in the series to, in effect, apologize for this one and bring back the characters, crazy situations, and, most crucially, the humor that so many millions of fans had come to love. (And indeed, in 2002, a book entitled The Salmon of Doubt comprised of Adams' notes for that novel, as well as other personal papers, was released.) Had he gotten that chance, one can only imagine what extremes of imagination Adams would have been able to experiment with. The legacy that Adams left, however, is certainly nothing to disregard, and it shines through his work despite the shortcomings of books like this one. His wit may only have been mostly harmless, but it's the little elements that aren't so harmless that stick with you — that, and Adam's most important message: that no matter how senseless and out of control reality and life seem to be, for crying out loud...Don't Panic!
That is all.
By Douglas Adams.
Pan Books.
1992
Rating:
3.5
Review by © 2001 by Thomas M. Wagner
After a gap of eight long years, Douglas Adams returned to the froody adventures of Ford Prefect and the perpetually bewildered Arthur Dent, for one final spin round space, time, and every probable and improbable universe out there. And this time, it's a tough one, folks. It has been said that Adams never wanted to write this book, that he was simply caving in to pressure from fans, and that in fact this book threw Adams into a black mood that lasted until his untimely death. If all those things are true, it's surprising that as much of this book is as funny as it is. In the end, though, the joke's on us. Adams gives his series a bleak if not altogether nihilistic ending that leaves you scratching your head and wondering what the point was. Okay, so we get to find out what the number 42 signifies, but you do come away from this story with the uncomfortable feeling that Adams has just flipped the bird at you, smiling all the while.
Earth, it would seem, occupies an area of space/time where the very fabric of the whole thing isn't exactly in the best shape it could be in. This, of course, is why the Vogons' plan to destroy Earth to make way for a hyperspace bypass appears not to have worked terribly well and, in fact, why Arthur finds himself travelling from one alternate Earth to another in a pitiful attempt simply to find a place he can call home. He eventually settles (well, his spaceship crashes rather spectacularly) in a bucolic community where he gains a social prominence he has never known before, as their Sandwich Maker. And this is the funniest part of the whole novel, the one sequence in which it seems as if Adams is recapturing the old magic. But when Trillian — the girl Zaphod stole from Arthur years back when Earth was a place he thought he understood — shows up, bringing a surprise in tow, Arthur's life is once again turned topsy turvy.
Ford Prefect, meanwhile, has discovered the Hitchhiker's Guide publishing offices have been bought out by an insidious corporation run by some insidious (and familiar) aliens, and he vows he'll hurt them any way he can. Which, it would seem, only means he starts overrunning his expense account. Here it's clear Adams is taking a swipe at himself and his own series, as he describes how the Guide has been corrupted by the forces of evil. Methinks he doth protest too much, really. I think a fellow with Adams' wit could have engaged in self-deprecating humor without lapsing into self-loathing.
Mostly Harmless is not irredeemably dreadful by any means, and at times sports Adams' most impressive writing and plotting in the entire series. Just when it seems as if absolutely nothing is going to make sense no matter how hard you try, the pieces of the puzzle begin to fit just so. Playing with the very concept of probability as if it were some perverse erector set he'd dug out of his attic, Adams' tale runs riot with ideas. But by the climax of the story, things have simply gotten chaotic, with Adams clearly in a hurry to finish the book and get it over with.
I heard a rumor (there are always rumors) that at the time of his death, Adams' frame of mind had improved markedly and he was considering a sixth book in the series to, in effect, apologize for this one and bring back the characters, crazy situations, and, most crucially, the humor that so many millions of fans had come to love. (And indeed, in 2002, a book entitled The Salmon of Doubt comprised of Adams' notes for that novel, as well as other personal papers, was released.) Had he gotten that chance, one can only imagine what extremes of imagination Adams would have been able to experiment with. The legacy that Adams left, however, is certainly nothing to disregard, and it shines through his work despite the shortcomings of books like this one. His wit may only have been mostly harmless, but it's the little elements that aren't so harmless that stick with you — that, and Adam's most important message: that no matter how senseless and out of control reality and life seem to be, for crying out loud...Don't Panic!
That is all.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Book 28: So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish.
Book 28: So Long, And Thanks Dor All The Fish.
By Douglas Adams.
Pan Books.
1984
Rating:
3.5
Product Description
Back on Earth with nothing more to show for his long, strange trip through time and space than a ratty towel and a plastic shopping bag, Arthur Dent is ready to believe that the past eight years were all just a figment of his stressed-out imagination. But a gift-wrapped fishbowl with a cryptic inscription, the mysterious disappearance of Earth's dolphins, and the discovery of his battered copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy all conspire to give Arthur the sneaking suspicion that something otherworldly is indeed going on. . . .
God only knows what it all means. And fortunately, He left behind a Final Message of explanation. But since it's light-years away from Earth, on a star surrounded by souvenir booths, finding out what it is will mean hitching a ride to the far reaches of space aboard a UFO with a giant robot. But what else is new?
What Do I Think?
There isn't really much else to say from that, to be honest, other than Arthur gets laid in the air. I liked the first ones better, but I think I'm only confused because I'm reading it as one long book, instead of five shorter ones. Whatever, it's still amazing.
By Douglas Adams.
Pan Books.
1984
Rating:
3.5
Product Description
Back on Earth with nothing more to show for his long, strange trip through time and space than a ratty towel and a plastic shopping bag, Arthur Dent is ready to believe that the past eight years were all just a figment of his stressed-out imagination. But a gift-wrapped fishbowl with a cryptic inscription, the mysterious disappearance of Earth's dolphins, and the discovery of his battered copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy all conspire to give Arthur the sneaking suspicion that something otherworldly is indeed going on. . . .
God only knows what it all means. And fortunately, He left behind a Final Message of explanation. But since it's light-years away from Earth, on a star surrounded by souvenir booths, finding out what it is will mean hitching a ride to the far reaches of space aboard a UFO with a giant robot. But what else is new?
What Do I Think?
There isn't really much else to say from that, to be honest, other than Arthur gets laid in the air. I liked the first ones better, but I think I'm only confused because I'm reading it as one long book, instead of five shorter ones. Whatever, it's still amazing.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Book 27: Julius Caesar.
Book 27: Julius Caesar.
By William Shakespeare
-
1599-ish
Rating:
3.5
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-One of the marks of Shakespeare's greatness is the continued interest in adapting his enduring works. This recording of Julius Caesar is one in a series drawn from Leon Garfield's Shakespeare Stories. Liberally sprinkled with lines from the original play, the recording presents a condensation of all five acts in a little more than an hour. Beginning with a brief biography of the Bard, the recording then offers a thorough but not lengthy overview of the play. All this sets the stage for Simon Russell Beale's well paced narration. This Royal Shakespeare Company veteran moves so skillfully between story text and dialogue that at times it seems as though there are several actors reading. Classic lines such as "Et tu. Brute" and "Friends, Romans, Countrymen " are rendered with fresh vigor. At the conclusion of the play, an article on "Shakespeare Today" offers suggestions to help youngsters have fun with Shakespeare. Short selections of period music make a nice transition between sections of the recording. Though aimed at a middle school audience, both teens and adults will find this presentation a good way to learn about one of the earliest plays performed at the Globe Theatre.
Barbara Wysocki, Cora J. Belden Library, Rocky Hill, CT
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition
What Do I Think?
I've always been a fan of Shakespeare, and he never fails to impress me. We read this book for class, and most of them did not like it. It only bothers me that Bernard rushed through this book, giving no time to let it sink in. I actually really like this play. It shows how friends can stab your back (literally) and get a team of people against you. It shows the inner workings of man like nothing in today's literature could. If you think I differently, prove me wrong and send along a book.
By William Shakespeare
-
1599-ish
Rating:
3.5
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-One of the marks of Shakespeare's greatness is the continued interest in adapting his enduring works. This recording of Julius Caesar is one in a series drawn from Leon Garfield's Shakespeare Stories. Liberally sprinkled with lines from the original play, the recording presents a condensation of all five acts in a little more than an hour. Beginning with a brief biography of the Bard, the recording then offers a thorough but not lengthy overview of the play. All this sets the stage for Simon Russell Beale's well paced narration. This Royal Shakespeare Company veteran moves so skillfully between story text and dialogue that at times it seems as though there are several actors reading. Classic lines such as "Et tu. Brute" and "Friends, Romans, Countrymen " are rendered with fresh vigor. At the conclusion of the play, an article on "Shakespeare Today" offers suggestions to help youngsters have fun with Shakespeare. Short selections of period music make a nice transition between sections of the recording. Though aimed at a middle school audience, both teens and adults will find this presentation a good way to learn about one of the earliest plays performed at the Globe Theatre.
Barbara Wysocki, Cora J. Belden Library, Rocky Hill, CT
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition
What Do I Think?
I've always been a fan of Shakespeare, and he never fails to impress me. We read this book for class, and most of them did not like it. It only bothers me that Bernard rushed through this book, giving no time to let it sink in. I actually really like this play. It shows how friends can stab your back (literally) and get a team of people against you. It shows the inner workings of man like nothing in today's literature could. If you think I differently, prove me wrong and send along a book.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Book 26: Life, The Universe, and Everything.
Book 26: Life, The Universe, and Everything.
By Douglas Adams
Pan Books
1982
Rating:
4
Product Description:
"HYSTERICAL!"
--The Philadelphia Inquirer
The unhappy inhabitants of planet Krikkit are sick of looking at the night sky above their heads--so they plan to destroy it. The universe, that is. Now only five individuals stand between the white killer robots of Krikkit and their goal of total annihilation.
They are Arthur Dent, a mild-mannered space and time traveler, who tries to learn how to fly by throwing himself at the ground and missing; Ford Prefect, his best friend, who decides to go insane to see if he likes it; Slartibartfast, the indomitable vicepresident of the Campaign for Real Time, who travels in a ship powered by irrational behavior; Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed, three-armed ex-head honcho of the Universe; and Trillian, the sexy space cadet who is torn between a persistent Thunder God and a very depressed Beeblebrox.
How will it all end? Will it end? Only this stalwart crew knows as they try to avert "universal" Armageddon and save life as we know it--and don't know it!
"ADAMS IS ONE OF THOSE RARE TREASURES: an author who, one senses, has as much fun writing as one has reading."
--The Arizona Daily Star
What Do I Think?
Come on, how can you beat that ?
I enjoyed this book, alothough confusing at times. there isn't really much else to say, other than what's in the product description. So, there. 26 done, 24 to go.
By Douglas Adams
Pan Books
1982
Rating:
4
Product Description:
"HYSTERICAL!"
--The Philadelphia Inquirer
The unhappy inhabitants of planet Krikkit are sick of looking at the night sky above their heads--so they plan to destroy it. The universe, that is. Now only five individuals stand between the white killer robots of Krikkit and their goal of total annihilation.
They are Arthur Dent, a mild-mannered space and time traveler, who tries to learn how to fly by throwing himself at the ground and missing; Ford Prefect, his best friend, who decides to go insane to see if he likes it; Slartibartfast, the indomitable vicepresident of the Campaign for Real Time, who travels in a ship powered by irrational behavior; Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed, three-armed ex-head honcho of the Universe; and Trillian, the sexy space cadet who is torn between a persistent Thunder God and a very depressed Beeblebrox.
How will it all end? Will it end? Only this stalwart crew knows as they try to avert "universal" Armageddon and save life as we know it--and don't know it!
"ADAMS IS ONE OF THOSE RARE TREASURES: an author who, one senses, has as much fun writing as one has reading."
--The Arizona Daily Star
What Do I Think?
Come on, how can you beat that ?
I enjoyed this book, alothough confusing at times. there isn't really much else to say, other than what's in the product description. So, there. 26 done, 24 to go.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Book 25: The Restaraunt at the End of the Universe.
Book 25: The Restaraunt at the End of the Universe.
By Douglas Adams
Pan Books
1980
Rating:
4
From Library Journal
Warning! This second volume in the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series is definitely not a standalone book. Enjoying, or even understanding, the continuing adventures of Earthling Arthur Dent, his strange pal Ford Prefect, and the very, very odd Zaphod Beeblebrox requires previous study and preparation. Confusion and possible insanity awaits the poor soul who tries to figure out the second title without having read the first. Arthur and Ford, having survived the destruction of Earth by surreptitiously hitching a ride on a Vogon constructor ship, have been kicked off that ship by its commander. Now they find themselves aboard a stolen Improbability Drive ship commanded by Beeblebrox, ex-president of the Imperial Galactic Government and full-time thief. Narrated by Adams, this production is a treat for fans of the late author and others who enjoy British comedy. Be sure to buy all five parts of the "Hitchhiker" series or your patrons will storm your office. One caveat: this audiobook will need to be repackaged for library circulation.
Barbara Rhodes, Northeast Texas Lib. Syst., Garland
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
What Do I Think?
I did, in fact, really like this book. It was pretty good, but you wouldn't be able to understand what happens if you haven't read the first book. Seeing as it's a chronicle of sorts, that's a good thing. Although I am reading all of the books in one large book (which has been called a 'Bible' multiple times due to the size and gold-lined pages), so it is a little tough to remember where one books ends and one starts. It is very good.
I want to live in a house where if I say "I can't find my towel", everyone gasps. This was my first thought this morning.
By Douglas Adams
Pan Books
1980
Rating:
4
From Library Journal
Warning! This second volume in the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series is definitely not a standalone book. Enjoying, or even understanding, the continuing adventures of Earthling Arthur Dent, his strange pal Ford Prefect, and the very, very odd Zaphod Beeblebrox requires previous study and preparation. Confusion and possible insanity awaits the poor soul who tries to figure out the second title without having read the first. Arthur and Ford, having survived the destruction of Earth by surreptitiously hitching a ride on a Vogon constructor ship, have been kicked off that ship by its commander. Now they find themselves aboard a stolen Improbability Drive ship commanded by Beeblebrox, ex-president of the Imperial Galactic Government and full-time thief. Narrated by Adams, this production is a treat for fans of the late author and others who enjoy British comedy. Be sure to buy all five parts of the "Hitchhiker" series or your patrons will storm your office. One caveat: this audiobook will need to be repackaged for library circulation.
Barbara Rhodes, Northeast Texas Lib. Syst., Garland
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
What Do I Think?
I did, in fact, really like this book. It was pretty good, but you wouldn't be able to understand what happens if you haven't read the first book. Seeing as it's a chronicle of sorts, that's a good thing. Although I am reading all of the books in one large book (which has been called a 'Bible' multiple times due to the size and gold-lined pages), so it is a little tough to remember where one books ends and one starts. It is very good.
I want to live in a house where if I say "I can't find my towel", everyone gasps. This was my first thought this morning.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Book 24: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Book 24: Hithhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
By Douglas Adams
Pan Brooks
1979
Rating:
4.5
Review. Thanks Amazon.com!
Don't panic! Here are words of praise for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy!
"It's science fiction and it's extremely funny...inspired lunacy that leaves hardly a science fiction cliche alive."
Washington Post
"The feckless protagonist, Arthur Dent, is reminiscent of Vonnegut heroes, and his travels afford a wild satire of present institutions."
Chicago Tribune
"Very simply, the book is one of the funniest SF spoofs ever written, with hyperbolic ideas folding in on themselves."
School Library Journal
"As parody, it's marvelous: It contains just about every science fiction cliche you can think of. As humor, it's, well, hysterical."
From the Hardcover edition. -- Review
What Do I Think?
*Recent blogs will be terrible, just so you know.*
This has been my favorite book in along time. Not only was it very, very funny, it also made me think. It made me tink about how self-absorbed we are and how self-centered and egotystical we actually are on Earth. Maybe there is something else out there. Maybe we are just one giant experiment. Maybe it's all just to find the Question to the Ultimate Answer. Who knows? I bet someone does.
By Douglas Adams
Pan Brooks
1979
Rating:
4.5
Review. Thanks Amazon.com!
Don't panic! Here are words of praise for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy!
"It's science fiction and it's extremely funny...inspired lunacy that leaves hardly a science fiction cliche alive."
Washington Post
"The feckless protagonist, Arthur Dent, is reminiscent of Vonnegut heroes, and his travels afford a wild satire of present institutions."
Chicago Tribune
"Very simply, the book is one of the funniest SF spoofs ever written, with hyperbolic ideas folding in on themselves."
School Library Journal
"As parody, it's marvelous: It contains just about every science fiction cliche you can think of. As humor, it's, well, hysterical."
From the Hardcover edition. -- Review
What Do I Think?
*Recent blogs will be terrible, just so you know.*
This has been my favorite book in along time. Not only was it very, very funny, it also made me think. It made me tink about how self-absorbed we are and how self-centered and egotystical we actually are on Earth. Maybe there is something else out there. Maybe we are just one giant experiment. Maybe it's all just to find the Question to the Ultimate Answer. Who knows? I bet someone does.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Book 23: Looking For Alaska
Book 23: Looking For Alaska
By John Green
Dutton Books
2005
Rating:
3
From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up - Sixteen-year-old Miles Halter's adolescence has been one long nonevent - no challenge, no girls, no mischief, and no real friends. Seeking what Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps," he leaves Florida for a boarding school in Birmingham, AL. His roommate, Chip, is a dirt-poor genius scholarship student with a Napoleon complex who lives to one-up the school's rich preppies. Chip's best friend is Alaska Young, with whom Miles and every other male in her orbit falls instantly in love. She is literate, articulate, and beautiful, and she exhibits a reckless combination of adventurous and self-destructive behavior. She and Chip teach Miles to drink, smoke, and plot elaborate pranks. Alaska's story unfolds in all-night bull sessions, and the depth of her unhappiness becomes obvious. Green's dialogue is crisp, especially between Miles and Chip. His descriptions and Miles's inner monologues can be philosophically dense, but are well within the comprehension of sensitive teen readers. The chapters of the novel are headed by a number of days "before" and "after" what readers surmise is Alaska's suicide (I can't stand spoilers). These placeholders sustain the mood of possibility and foreboding, and the story moves methodically to its ambiguous climax. The language and sexual situations are aptly and realistically drawn, but sophisticated in nature. Miles's narration is alive with sweet, self-deprecating humor, and his obvious struggle to tell the story truthfully adds to his believability. Like Phineas in John Knowles's A Separate Peace(S & S, 1960), Green draws Alaska so lovingly, in self-loathing darkness as well as energetic light, that readers mourn her loss along with her friends. - Johanna Lewis, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
What Do I Think?
Come on. John Green? Obviously I enjoy this book a lot. This is the second time I read this book. It was honestly better the second time. Being a sixteen-year-old kid with absolutey no friends who has had these same events (or, similar to which) happen, quite recently, actually. The event actually happened while I was reading this, and yeah, I'm crying while typing this. Mhm. Pansy. Well, not really, once you read the book, you'll understand. Forgive me since these past couple of reviews have been suck? It's been a tough.... while.
By John Green
Dutton Books
2005
Rating:
3
From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up - Sixteen-year-old Miles Halter's adolescence has been one long nonevent - no challenge, no girls, no mischief, and no real friends. Seeking what Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps," he leaves Florida for a boarding school in Birmingham, AL. His roommate, Chip, is a dirt-poor genius scholarship student with a Napoleon complex who lives to one-up the school's rich preppies. Chip's best friend is Alaska Young, with whom Miles and every other male in her orbit falls instantly in love. She is literate, articulate, and beautiful, and she exhibits a reckless combination of adventurous and self-destructive behavior. She and Chip teach Miles to drink, smoke, and plot elaborate pranks. Alaska's story unfolds in all-night bull sessions, and the depth of her unhappiness becomes obvious. Green's dialogue is crisp, especially between Miles and Chip. His descriptions and Miles's inner monologues can be philosophically dense, but are well within the comprehension of sensitive teen readers. The chapters of the novel are headed by a number of days "before" and "after" what readers surmise is Alaska's suicide (I can't stand spoilers). These placeholders sustain the mood of possibility and foreboding, and the story moves methodically to its ambiguous climax. The language and sexual situations are aptly and realistically drawn, but sophisticated in nature. Miles's narration is alive with sweet, self-deprecating humor, and his obvious struggle to tell the story truthfully adds to his believability. Like Phineas in John Knowles's A Separate Peace(S & S, 1960), Green draws Alaska so lovingly, in self-loathing darkness as well as energetic light, that readers mourn her loss along with her friends. - Johanna Lewis, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
What Do I Think?
Come on. John Green? Obviously I enjoy this book a lot. This is the second time I read this book. It was honestly better the second time. Being a sixteen-year-old kid with absolutey no friends who has had these same events (or, similar to which) happen, quite recently, actually. The event actually happened while I was reading this, and yeah, I'm crying while typing this. Mhm. Pansy. Well, not really, once you read the book, you'll understand. Forgive me since these past couple of reviews have been suck? It's been a tough.... while.
Book 22: The Sandman: The Dream Hunters
Book 22: The Sandman: the Dream Hunters
By Neil Gailman and Yoshitaka Amano
Vertigo
1999
Rating:
3
From Library Journal
Gaiman's enormously successful Sandman monthly comic book (1989-96), which won eight Eisner awards in a row for comic book excellence, has been collected in a series of equally successful graphic novels. This book, representing Gaiman's first Sandman story in three years, retells Japanese folk tale "The Fox, the Monk, and the Mikado of All Night's Dreaming." The central characters are the Fox and the Monk, and the Sandman only plays a peripheral role. The book isn't really a graphic novel, as there are roughly 60 pages of typed prose and 60 pages of illustrations. It is an illustrated novel that remains true to both the Japanese tale and the motifs that made the Sandman series so popular. The illustrations are reminiscent of Japanese brush work and gently push the text along. Not the best first Sandman purchase for any library, this book is a necessary purchase if your patrons are Sandman readers, or if your world folk tales collection needs strengthening--Stephen Weiner, Maynard P.L., MA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
What Do I think?
This 'novella', graphic novel, or whatever you choose to call it made me think. It made me think about how dreams can capture real life, and how they can alter reality if you let them. Recomended for anyone with a days time and looking for a folk tale to make you think.
By Neil Gailman and Yoshitaka Amano
Vertigo
1999
Rating:
3
From Library Journal
Gaiman's enormously successful Sandman monthly comic book (1989-96), which won eight Eisner awards in a row for comic book excellence, has been collected in a series of equally successful graphic novels. This book, representing Gaiman's first Sandman story in three years, retells Japanese folk tale "The Fox, the Monk, and the Mikado of All Night's Dreaming." The central characters are the Fox and the Monk, and the Sandman only plays a peripheral role. The book isn't really a graphic novel, as there are roughly 60 pages of typed prose and 60 pages of illustrations. It is an illustrated novel that remains true to both the Japanese tale and the motifs that made the Sandman series so popular. The illustrations are reminiscent of Japanese brush work and gently push the text along. Not the best first Sandman purchase for any library, this book is a necessary purchase if your patrons are Sandman readers, or if your world folk tales collection needs strengthening--Stephen Weiner, Maynard P.L., MA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
What Do I think?
This 'novella', graphic novel, or whatever you choose to call it made me think. It made me think about how dreams can capture real life, and how they can alter reality if you let them. Recomended for anyone with a days time and looking for a folk tale to make you think.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Book 21: Night
Book 21: Night
By Elie Wiseal.
Mark Turkov
1960
Rating:
3
Amazon.com Review
In Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel's memoir Night, a scholarly, pious teenager is wracked with guilt at having survived the horror of the Holocaust and the genocidal campaign that consumed his family. His memories of the nightmare world of the death camps present him with an intolerable question: how can the God he once so fervently believed in have allowed these monstrous events to occur? There are no easy answers in this harrowing book, which probes life's essential riddles with the lucid anguish only great literature achieves. It marks the crucial first step in Wiesel's lifelong project to bear witness for those who died.
What do I think?
Just a pre-note: Yeah, it's a memoir so there should be some kind of different way to evaluate it, but there isn't. Not this time around. All right, it's about the Holocaust and what appen to Elie, so I can't really strike the story, but I can judge how it was written.
It could have been written better. This book does make you think, but it also makes you think how to textually good book. Gramically correct and not trailing off into other stories, I mean.
It wasn't staright forward 'this is what happened and this is how I'm going to tell it.' It kind of skipped from one thing to another a lot of the time, which was troublesome.
By Elie Wiseal.
Mark Turkov
1960
Rating:
3
Amazon.com Review
In Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel's memoir Night, a scholarly, pious teenager is wracked with guilt at having survived the horror of the Holocaust and the genocidal campaign that consumed his family. His memories of the nightmare world of the death camps present him with an intolerable question: how can the God he once so fervently believed in have allowed these monstrous events to occur? There are no easy answers in this harrowing book, which probes life's essential riddles with the lucid anguish only great literature achieves. It marks the crucial first step in Wiesel's lifelong project to bear witness for those who died.
What do I think?
Just a pre-note: Yeah, it's a memoir so there should be some kind of different way to evaluate it, but there isn't. Not this time around. All right, it's about the Holocaust and what appen to Elie, so I can't really strike the story, but I can judge how it was written.
It could have been written better. This book does make you think, but it also makes you think how to textually good book. Gramically correct and not trailing off into other stories, I mean.
It wasn't staright forward 'this is what happened and this is how I'm going to tell it.' It kind of skipped from one thing to another a lot of the time, which was troublesome.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Book 20: World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
Book 20: World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
By Max Brooks
Crown Publishers
2006
Rating:
4
From Booklist
"The Crisis" nearly wiped out humanity. Brooks (son of Mel Brooks and author of The Zombie Survival Guide, 2003) has taken it upon himself to document the "first hand" experiences and testimonies of those lucky to survive 10 years after the fictitious zombie war. Like a horror fan's version of Studs Terkel's The Good War (1984), the "historical account" format gives Brooks room to explore the zombie plague from numerous different views and characters. In a deadpan voice, Brooks exhaustively details zombie incidents from isolated attacks to full-scale military combat: "what if the enemy can't be shocked and awed? Not just won't, but biologically can't!" With the exception of a weak BAT-21 story in the second act, the "interviews" and personal accounts capture the universal fear of the collapse of society--a living nightmare in which anyone can become a mindless, insatiable predator at a moment's notice. Alas, Brad Pitt's production company has purchased the film rights to the book--while it does have a chronological element, it's more similar to a collection of short stories: it would make for an excellent 24-style TV series or an animated serial. Regardless, horror fans won't be disappointed: like George Romero's Dead trilogy, World War Z is another milestone in the zombie mythos. Carlos Orellana
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
What do I think?
I've been told to read this multiple times by so many different people. Skeptic of it's contents, I began to read. By the second chapter, I couldn't put it down (yeah, it actually took me weeks to read). It was actually a lot better than I thought it would be. Brooks is an excellent zombie writter.
By Max Brooks
Crown Publishers
2006
Rating:
4
From Booklist
"The Crisis" nearly wiped out humanity. Brooks (son of Mel Brooks and author of The Zombie Survival Guide, 2003) has taken it upon himself to document the "first hand" experiences and testimonies of those lucky to survive 10 years after the fictitious zombie war. Like a horror fan's version of Studs Terkel's The Good War (1984), the "historical account" format gives Brooks room to explore the zombie plague from numerous different views and characters. In a deadpan voice, Brooks exhaustively details zombie incidents from isolated attacks to full-scale military combat: "what if the enemy can't be shocked and awed? Not just won't, but biologically can't!" With the exception of a weak BAT-21 story in the second act, the "interviews" and personal accounts capture the universal fear of the collapse of society--a living nightmare in which anyone can become a mindless, insatiable predator at a moment's notice. Alas, Brad Pitt's production company has purchased the film rights to the book--while it does have a chronological element, it's more similar to a collection of short stories: it would make for an excellent 24-style TV series or an animated serial. Regardless, horror fans won't be disappointed: like George Romero's Dead trilogy, World War Z is another milestone in the zombie mythos. Carlos Orellana
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
What do I think?
I've been told to read this multiple times by so many different people. Skeptic of it's contents, I began to read. By the second chapter, I couldn't put it down (yeah, it actually took me weeks to read). It was actually a lot better than I thought it would be. Brooks is an excellent zombie writter.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Book 19: An Abundance of Katherine's
Book 19: An Abundance of Katherine's.
By John Green
Dutton
2006
Rating:
3.5
From Booklist
Green follows his Printz-winning Looking for Alaska (2005) with another sharp, intelligent story, this one full of mathematical problems, historical references, word puzzles, and footnotes. Colin Singleton believes he is a washed-up child prodigy. A graduating valedictorian with a talent for creating anagrams, he fears he'll never do anything to classify him as a genius. To make matters worse, he has just been dumped by his most recent girlfriend (all of them have been named Katherine), and he's inconsolable. What better time for a road trip! He and his buddy Hassan load up the gray Olds (Satan's Hearse) and leave Chicago. They make it as far as Gutshot, Tennessee, where they stop to tour the gravesite of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and meet a girl who isn't named Katherine. It's this girl, Lindsey, who helps Colin work on a mathematical theorem to predict the duration of romantic relationships. The laugh-out-loud humor ranges from delightfully sophomoric to subtly intellectual, and the boys' sarcastic repartee will help readers navigate the slower parts of the story, which involve local history interviews. The idea behind the book is that everyone's story counts, and what Colin's contributes to the world, no matter how small it may seem to him, will, indeed, matter. An appendix explaining the complex math is "fantastic," or as the anagrammatically inclined Green might have it, it's enough to make "cats faint." Cindy Dobrez
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
What I think.
This is my second time reading this book. It's better the second time around. I contected with Colin Singleton and was fixed on his story. I aplaude Green for writing yet another great book.
By John Green
Dutton
2006
Rating:
3.5
From Booklist
Green follows his Printz-winning Looking for Alaska (2005) with another sharp, intelligent story, this one full of mathematical problems, historical references, word puzzles, and footnotes. Colin Singleton believes he is a washed-up child prodigy. A graduating valedictorian with a talent for creating anagrams, he fears he'll never do anything to classify him as a genius. To make matters worse, he has just been dumped by his most recent girlfriend (all of them have been named Katherine), and he's inconsolable. What better time for a road trip! He and his buddy Hassan load up the gray Olds (Satan's Hearse) and leave Chicago. They make it as far as Gutshot, Tennessee, where they stop to tour the gravesite of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and meet a girl who isn't named Katherine. It's this girl, Lindsey, who helps Colin work on a mathematical theorem to predict the duration of romantic relationships. The laugh-out-loud humor ranges from delightfully sophomoric to subtly intellectual, and the boys' sarcastic repartee will help readers navigate the slower parts of the story, which involve local history interviews. The idea behind the book is that everyone's story counts, and what Colin's contributes to the world, no matter how small it may seem to him, will, indeed, matter. An appendix explaining the complex math is "fantastic," or as the anagrammatically inclined Green might have it, it's enough to make "cats faint." Cindy Dobrez
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
What I think.
This is my second time reading this book. It's better the second time around. I contected with Colin Singleton and was fixed on his story. I aplaude Green for writing yet another great book.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Book 18: Nightfather
Book 18: Nightfather
By Carl Friedman
Persea Books
1991
Rating:
2.5
From School Library Journal.
Through the first-person narration of the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, Friedman presents a book that will resonate for readers of all ages, backgrounds, and interests. Each short chapter shows the horrors of Nazi atrocities and the subsequent struggle to make sense of why they happened. That the consequences of the Holocaust continue to manifest themselves is a primary lesson to be learned here?the loss of childhood is a circular occurrence in this family. At the same time, the vignettes point out how little we can understand of the agony suffered in concentration camps. In one chapter, somewhat reminiscent of Anne Frank, the narrator's father tells his tale of survival to his children. His loss gradually becomes their loss, and all joy is dampened. Sadness and helplessness are constant. Although the book is grim and relentlessly intense, the analysis and thought that it offers will provide new insights into the Holocaust and its victims.
What do I think?
Honestly didn't like it. It didn't really have a plot line, but it did show some of the horrors of concentration camps.
Sorry for the lame reviews lately. I've been... preoccupied.
By Carl Friedman
Persea Books
1991
Rating:
2.5
From School Library Journal.
Through the first-person narration of the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, Friedman presents a book that will resonate for readers of all ages, backgrounds, and interests. Each short chapter shows the horrors of Nazi atrocities and the subsequent struggle to make sense of why they happened. That the consequences of the Holocaust continue to manifest themselves is a primary lesson to be learned here?the loss of childhood is a circular occurrence in this family. At the same time, the vignettes point out how little we can understand of the agony suffered in concentration camps. In one chapter, somewhat reminiscent of Anne Frank, the narrator's father tells his tale of survival to his children. His loss gradually becomes their loss, and all joy is dampened. Sadness and helplessness are constant. Although the book is grim and relentlessly intense, the analysis and thought that it offers will provide new insights into the Holocaust and its victims.
What do I think?
Honestly didn't like it. It didn't really have a plot line, but it did show some of the horrors of concentration camps.
Sorry for the lame reviews lately. I've been... preoccupied.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Book 17: Going Bvine
Book 17: Going Bovine
By Libba Bray
Delacorte Press, Random House, Inc.
2009.
Rating:
3.5
What does Libba Bray have to say?
What do I think?
I picked up this book in the beginning of the school year, read the book description, and set it down. The best decision I have made this year is to pick this book up. Yeah, it's a little long, but necessary. This book is deffinately on my Top 10 favorites list.
It is a little confusing, if you don't think while reading it. Pick it up, think, and get captivated.
By Libba Bray
Delacorte Press, Random House, Inc.
2009.
Rating:
3.5
What does Libba Bray have to say?
What do I think?
I picked up this book in the beginning of the school year, read the book description, and set it down. The best decision I have made this year is to pick this book up. Yeah, it's a little long, but necessary. This book is deffinately on my Top 10 favorites list.
It is a little confusing, if you don't think while reading it. Pick it up, think, and get captivated.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Book 16: The Wave.
Book 16: The Wave.
By Todd Strasser
Dell Laurel-Leaf, Random House, Inc.
1981.
Rating:
3
From the Publisher
The Wave is based on a true incident that occured in a high school history class in Palo Alto, California, in 1969.
The powerful forces of group pressure that pervaded many historic movements such as Nazism are recreated in the classroom when history teacher Burt Ross introduces a "new" system to his students. And before long "The Wave," with its rules of "strength through discipline, community, and action, " sweeps from the classroom through the entire school. And as most of the students join the movement, Laurie Saunders and David Collins recognize the frightening momentum of "The Wave" and realize they must stop it before it's too late.
What do I think?
I read thisbook first in eight grade and decided to read it again. I remebered it to be a huge, extravigent book that I was madly in love with. Then I read it again. Unfortunately, it wasn't as great this time around.
I feel like the ending went by too quickly and the beginning was too long. It should have been evened out more. Overall, it was pretty good, though.
By Todd Strasser
Dell Laurel-Leaf, Random House, Inc.
1981.
Rating:
3
From the Publisher
The Wave is based on a true incident that occured in a high school history class in Palo Alto, California, in 1969.
The powerful forces of group pressure that pervaded many historic movements such as Nazism are recreated in the classroom when history teacher Burt Ross introduces a "new" system to his students. And before long "The Wave," with its rules of "strength through discipline, community, and action, " sweeps from the classroom through the entire school. And as most of the students join the movement, Laurie Saunders and David Collins recognize the frightening momentum of "The Wave" and realize they must stop it before it's too late.
What do I think?
I read thisbook first in eight grade and decided to read it again. I remebered it to be a huge, extravigent book that I was madly in love with. Then I read it again. Unfortunately, it wasn't as great this time around.
I feel like the ending went by too quickly and the beginning was too long. It should have been evened out more. Overall, it was pretty good, though.
Book 15: Will Grayson, Will Grayson.
Book 15: Will Grayson, Will Grayson.
By John Green and David Levithan.
Dutton Books- A member of Penguin Books.
2010
Rating: 4.9
Because no book will ever be perfect, but this sure as heck is close.
What John Green has to say:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/mYTFJ1Z3DS3PS
Oh John Green, I adore you.
What do I have to say?
YES YES YES. THANK YOU GREEN AND LEVITHAN. Am I exagerating? No. I absolutely loved this book. Absolutely. Loved. it. Not just because it was John Green. That aside, I still loved it. This is a book that I am so happy I own. This is a book I am going to read to my first born. -Okay, that's a little much. Sorry. I really liked it. That's all I can say.
I personally conected with both Will Grayson's. In different ways. John's Will has a few rules to life: 1. Don't care too much. 2. Shut up. Levithan's Will is dark, gay, and in love with his online friend Isaac.
If I could tell more without giving too much away, trsut me, I would.
Seriously. Go to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, wherever you have to go to get this. Get it now.
I have a list of quotes from this book. Maybe I'll put them up later.
By John Green and David Levithan.
Dutton Books- A member of Penguin Books.
2010
Rating: 4.9
Because no book will ever be perfect, but this sure as heck is close.
What John Green has to say:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/mYTFJ1Z3DS3PS
Oh John Green, I adore you.
What do I have to say?
YES YES YES. THANK YOU GREEN AND LEVITHAN. Am I exagerating? No. I absolutely loved this book. Absolutely. Loved. it. Not just because it was John Green. That aside, I still loved it. This is a book that I am so happy I own. This is a book I am going to read to my first born. -Okay, that's a little much. Sorry. I really liked it. That's all I can say.
I personally conected with both Will Grayson's. In different ways. John's Will has a few rules to life: 1. Don't care too much. 2. Shut up. Levithan's Will is dark, gay, and in love with his online friend Isaac.
If I could tell more without giving too much away, trsut me, I would.
Seriously. Go to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, wherever you have to go to get this. Get it now.
I have a list of quotes from this book. Maybe I'll put them up later.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Book 14: Are You in the House Alone?
Book 14: Are You in the House Alone?
by Richard Peck.
Puffin Books
1976
Rating:
3
Product Description
A sixteen-year-old girl with a steady boyfriend suddenly begins receiving threatening phone calls while she is babysitting and anonymous notes in her high school locker.
Wow. Great description.
What do I think?
The beginning was interesting. The stalker was given away way to fast. The ending was uneventful and could be summed up in about two pages.
Overall, it was all right. I proabably wou;dn't read it again, but I read it for school anyway.
It wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. Unfortunately.
by Richard Peck.
Puffin Books
1976
Rating:
3
Product Description
A sixteen-year-old girl with a steady boyfriend suddenly begins receiving threatening phone calls while she is babysitting and anonymous notes in her high school locker.
Wow. Great description.
What do I think?
The beginning was interesting. The stalker was given away way to fast. The ending was uneventful and could be summed up in about two pages.
Overall, it was all right. I proabably wou;dn't read it again, but I read it for school anyway.
It wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. Unfortunately.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Book 13: Catalyst
Book 13: Catalyst.
(also) by Laurie Halse Anderson
Farrar Straus Giroux
1999
Rating:
3.5
Amazon.com
Chemistry honors student and cross-country runner Kate Malone is driven. Daughter of a father who is a reverend first and a parent second ("Rev. Dad [Version 4.7] is a faulty operating system, incompatible with my software.") and a dead mother she tries not to remember, Kate has one goal: To escape them both by gaining entrance to her own holy temple, MIT. Eschewing sleep, she runs endlessly every night waiting for the sacred college acceptance letter. Then two disasters occur: Sullen classmate Teri and her younger brother, Mikey, take over Kate's room when their own house burns down, and a too-thin letter comes from MIT, signifying denial. And so the experiment begins. Can crude Teri and sweet Mikey, combined with the rejection letter, form the catalyst that will shake Kate out of her selfish tunnel vision and force her to deal with the suppressed pain of her mom's death? "If I could run all the time, life would be fine. As long as I keep moving, I'm in control." But for Kate, it's time to stop running and face the feelings she's spent her whole life racing away from.
What do I think?
I think I tried pretty hard to find an overview of the book that didn't give too much away.
I actually really liked this book. Whenthe tragety strikes, I cried. On the inside, but cried, nonetheless.
If you plan on reading this book, read Speak first. The main character shows up once or twice in this novel. It takes place in the same high school, too, which I thought was kind of a daredevl move. Nice touch.
(also) by Laurie Halse Anderson
Farrar Straus Giroux
1999
Rating:
3.5
Amazon.com
Chemistry honors student and cross-country runner Kate Malone is driven. Daughter of a father who is a reverend first and a parent second ("Rev. Dad [Version 4.7] is a faulty operating system, incompatible with my software.") and a dead mother she tries not to remember, Kate has one goal: To escape them both by gaining entrance to her own holy temple, MIT. Eschewing sleep, she runs endlessly every night waiting for the sacred college acceptance letter. Then two disasters occur: Sullen classmate Teri and her younger brother, Mikey, take over Kate's room when their own house burns down, and a too-thin letter comes from MIT, signifying denial. And so the experiment begins. Can crude Teri and sweet Mikey, combined with the rejection letter, form the catalyst that will shake Kate out of her selfish tunnel vision and force her to deal with the suppressed pain of her mom's death? "If I could run all the time, life would be fine. As long as I keep moving, I'm in control." But for Kate, it's time to stop running and face the feelings she's spent her whole life racing away from.
What do I think?
I think I tried pretty hard to find an overview of the book that didn't give too much away.
I actually really liked this book. Whenthe tragety strikes, I cried. On the inside, but cried, nonetheless.
If you plan on reading this book, read Speak first. The main character shows up once or twice in this novel. It takes place in the same high school, too, which I thought was kind of a daredevl move. Nice touch.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Book 12: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.
Book 12: Speak
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Farrar Straus Giroux
1999
Rating:
4.
Amazon.com Review
Since the beginning of the school year, high school freshman Melinda has found that it's been getting harder and harder for her to speak out loud: "My throat is always sore, my lips raw.... Every time I try to talk to my parents or a teacher, I sputter or freeze.... It's like I have some kind of spastic laryngitis." What could have caused Melinda to suddenly fall mute? Could it be due to the fact that no one at school is speaking to her because she called the cops and got everyone busted at the seniors' big end-of-summer party? Or maybe it's because her parents' only form of communication is Post-It notes written on their way out the door to their nine-to-whenever jobs. While Melinda is bothered by these things, deep down she knows the real reason why she's been struck mute...
Laurie Halse Anderson's first novel is a stunning and sympathetic tribute to the teenage outcast. The triumphant ending, in which Melinda finds her voice, is cause for cheering (while many readers might also shed a tear or two). After reading Speak, it will be hard for any teen to look at the class scapegoat again without a measure of compassion and understanding for that person--who may be screaming beneath the silence. -Jennifer Hubert -This text refers to the Hardcover edition
What do I think?
I think there is a pattern here. Two good books in a row, wall of suck. Two good books, wall of suck.
I can't tell you how much I liked this book. Read it twice, actually. In three days, which is incredibly fast for me. DEFFINATELY recomended.
What a lame personal review. I guess I'm already too interested in my next book to write a good review. More later.
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Farrar Straus Giroux
1999
Rating:
4.
Amazon.com Review
Since the beginning of the school year, high school freshman Melinda has found that it's been getting harder and harder for her to speak out loud: "My throat is always sore, my lips raw.... Every time I try to talk to my parents or a teacher, I sputter or freeze.... It's like I have some kind of spastic laryngitis." What could have caused Melinda to suddenly fall mute? Could it be due to the fact that no one at school is speaking to her because she called the cops and got everyone busted at the seniors' big end-of-summer party? Or maybe it's because her parents' only form of communication is Post-It notes written on their way out the door to their nine-to-whenever jobs. While Melinda is bothered by these things, deep down she knows the real reason why she's been struck mute...
Laurie Halse Anderson's first novel is a stunning and sympathetic tribute to the teenage outcast. The triumphant ending, in which Melinda finds her voice, is cause for cheering (while many readers might also shed a tear or two). After reading Speak, it will be hard for any teen to look at the class scapegoat again without a measure of compassion and understanding for that person--who may be screaming beneath the silence. -Jennifer Hubert -This text refers to the Hardcover edition
What do I think?
I think there is a pattern here. Two good books in a row, wall of suck. Two good books, wall of suck.
I can't tell you how much I liked this book. Read it twice, actually. In three days, which is incredibly fast for me. DEFFINATELY recomended.
What a lame personal review. I guess I'm already too interested in my next book to write a good review. More later.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Book 11: Sister Wife
Book 11: Sister Wife
by Shelley Hrdlitschka
Orca Book Publishers.
2008
Rating:
4.
"Product Description"
In the isolated rural community of Unity, the people of The Movement live a simple life guided by a set of religious principles and laws that are unique to them. Polygamy is the norm, strict obedience is expected and it is customary for young girls to be assigned to much older husbands. Celeste was born and raised in Unity, yet she struggles to fit in. Perhaps it's because of Taviana, the girl who has come to live with them and entertains Celeste with forbidden stories, or Jon, the young man she has clandestine meetings with, or maybe it's the influence of Craig, the outsider she meets on the beach. Whatever it is, she struggles to accept her ordained life. At fifteen she is repulsed at the thought of being assigned to an older man and becoming a sister wife, and she knows for certain she is not cut out to raise children. She wants something more for herself, yet feels powerless to change her destiny because rebelling would bring shame upon her family. Celeste watches as Taviana leaves Unity, followed by Jon, and finally Craig, the boy who has taught her to think "outside the box." Although she is assigned to a caring man, his sixth wife, she is desperately unhappy. How will Celeste find her way out of Unity? Torn from the headlines and inspired by current events, Sister Wife is a compelling portrait of a community where the laws of the outside world are ignored and where individuality is punished.
What do I think?
For the first time since John Green's Looking For Alaska, I found a book that I really like. Of course, I'm not a huge fan of the 'switching character narrations between chapters' thing, and don't think I ever will be, but it worked for this one. I think that if this ook was narated by just Celeste, it wouldn't have been as good as it is.
Highly recomended.
by Shelley Hrdlitschka
Orca Book Publishers.
2008
Rating:
4.
"Product Description"
In the isolated rural community of Unity, the people of The Movement live a simple life guided by a set of religious principles and laws that are unique to them. Polygamy is the norm, strict obedience is expected and it is customary for young girls to be assigned to much older husbands. Celeste was born and raised in Unity, yet she struggles to fit in. Perhaps it's because of Taviana, the girl who has come to live with them and entertains Celeste with forbidden stories, or Jon, the young man she has clandestine meetings with, or maybe it's the influence of Craig, the outsider she meets on the beach. Whatever it is, she struggles to accept her ordained life. At fifteen she is repulsed at the thought of being assigned to an older man and becoming a sister wife, and she knows for certain she is not cut out to raise children. She wants something more for herself, yet feels powerless to change her destiny because rebelling would bring shame upon her family. Celeste watches as Taviana leaves Unity, followed by Jon, and finally Craig, the boy who has taught her to think "outside the box." Although she is assigned to a caring man, his sixth wife, she is desperately unhappy. How will Celeste find her way out of Unity? Torn from the headlines and inspired by current events, Sister Wife is a compelling portrait of a community where the laws of the outside world are ignored and where individuality is punished.
What do I think?
For the first time since John Green's Looking For Alaska, I found a book that I really like. Of course, I'm not a huge fan of the 'switching character narrations between chapters' thing, and don't think I ever will be, but it worked for this one. I think that if this ook was narated by just Celeste, it wouldn't have been as good as it is.
Highly recomended.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Book 10: The Bell Jar
Book 10: The Bell Jar
by Sylvia Plath.
Harper & Row, Publishers.
1963
Rating:
4.
Amazon.com review:
Plath was an excellent poet but is known to many for this largely autobiographical novel. The Bell Jar tells the story of a gifted young woman's mental breakdown beginning during a summer internship as a junior editor at a magazine in New York City in the early 1950s. The real Plath committed suicide in 1963 and left behind this scathingly sad, honest and perfectly-written book, which remains one of the best-told tales of a woman's descent into insanity.
What do I think of this book?
Surprisingly, I liked it. At first, I didn't at all. About half way through, I statred paying more attention and started to like it. The beginning was a bit confusing for me, but by the end, I conected with Ester and liked the book.
by Sylvia Plath.
Harper & Row, Publishers.
1963
Rating:
4.
Amazon.com review:
Plath was an excellent poet but is known to many for this largely autobiographical novel. The Bell Jar tells the story of a gifted young woman's mental breakdown beginning during a summer internship as a junior editor at a magazine in New York City in the early 1950s. The real Plath committed suicide in 1963 and left behind this scathingly sad, honest and perfectly-written book, which remains one of the best-told tales of a woman's descent into insanity.
What do I think of this book?
Surprisingly, I liked it. At first, I didn't at all. About half way through, I statred paying more attention and started to like it. The beginning was a bit confusing for me, but by the end, I conected with Ester and liked the book.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Book 9: The Old Man & The Sea.
Book 9: The Old Man And The Sea.
by Ernest Hemingway.
Charles Scibner's Sons
1952
Rating:
About a 3.
"Product Description" from Amazon.com.
The Old Man and the Sea is one of Hemingway's most enduring works. Told in language of great simplicity and power, it is the story of an old Cuban fisherman, down on his luck, and his supreme ordeal -- a relentless, agonizing battle with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream. Here Hemingway recasts, in strikingly contemporary style, the classic theme of courage in the face of defeat, of personal triumph won from loss. Written in 1952, this hugely successful novella confirmed his power and presence in the literary world and played a large part in his winning the 1954 Nobel Prize for Literature.
My opinion:
I did actually enjoy this book. It shows the struggles of a man and a large fish. It shows us how, no matter how weak we are, we can overcome any obsticles that come our way, be it a fish that is much larger than your boat, or a tough test, or just a rough time in our lives. We can make it through anything if we try and when we get back, there wil always be someone there waiting for you.
Note: I read this book for my English 2 class.
by Ernest Hemingway.
Charles Scibner's Sons
1952
Rating:
About a 3.
"Product Description" from Amazon.com.
The Old Man and the Sea is one of Hemingway's most enduring works. Told in language of great simplicity and power, it is the story of an old Cuban fisherman, down on his luck, and his supreme ordeal -- a relentless, agonizing battle with a giant marlin far out in the Gulf Stream. Here Hemingway recasts, in strikingly contemporary style, the classic theme of courage in the face of defeat, of personal triumph won from loss. Written in 1952, this hugely successful novella confirmed his power and presence in the literary world and played a large part in his winning the 1954 Nobel Prize for Literature.
My opinion:
I did actually enjoy this book. It shows the struggles of a man and a large fish. It shows us how, no matter how weak we are, we can overcome any obsticles that come our way, be it a fish that is much larger than your boat, or a tough test, or just a rough time in our lives. We can make it through anything if we try and when we get back, there wil always be someone there waiting for you.
Note: I read this book for my English 2 class.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Book 8: Saving Molly (Biography)
Book 8: Saving Molly.
by Dr. James Mahoney
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
1998
Rating:
Overall, about a 3.
The professionals:
This is the story of a brave little dog by the name of Molly--a bush dog, blind in one eye, and poor-sighted in the other." So begins Saving Molly, research veterinarian James Mahoney's introspective book about his pets and his work with lab-test animals. While on vacation in Jamaica, Mahoney stumbles upon a very sick puppy and nurses her back to health. He goes to great lengths to save Molly's life, driving for hours in search of scarce medical supplies, staying up all night to feed and medicate the forlorn creature. This experience prompts Mahoney to review his life as a pet owner, animal lover, and a man who decides which monkeys at the lab get assigned to experiments. For many years Mahoney worked with monkeys involved in AIDS and hepatitis research at New York University's Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates, also known as LEMSIP. In this book, he grapples with the difficult questions raised by his work: How can a person who loves animals subject them to the stress and pain of experimentation? After a lab animal has endured many experiments, doesn't humanity owe it a nice retirement? Which tests are justifiable, and which are not? Mahoney believes that although people do not have a right to test on animals, it is necessary, and since it is something that needs to be done, it should be done with compassion. Mahoney describes his efforts to improve living conditions for lab animals. Mostly, though, this book stays away from the lab and doesn't dwell on the details of the experiments. Instead, Mahoney focuses on happier things. He contemplates his relationships with several of the lab's chimpanzees, describing their distinct personalities. He recalls times when he saved lives and took needy animals into his own home. Mahoney clearly loves animals and derives great satisfaction from his work as a healer. This book is a thoughtful account of his struggle to make sense of his life and his work. --Jill Marquis
My opinion:
In the beginning, I really liked this book. Studying to be a vet myself, I found it fascinating how one man can make due with what he has to save this little puppy. By the end, I just wanted to get it over with. Dr. Mahoney has lived a fascinating life and I am glad that I could read about it, but when he kept trailing off about monkeys, it got a little tiring.
Excellent biography, besides that.
by Dr. James Mahoney
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
1998
Rating:
Overall, about a 3.
The professionals:
This is the story of a brave little dog by the name of Molly--a bush dog, blind in one eye, and poor-sighted in the other." So begins Saving Molly, research veterinarian James Mahoney's introspective book about his pets and his work with lab-test animals. While on vacation in Jamaica, Mahoney stumbles upon a very sick puppy and nurses her back to health. He goes to great lengths to save Molly's life, driving for hours in search of scarce medical supplies, staying up all night to feed and medicate the forlorn creature. This experience prompts Mahoney to review his life as a pet owner, animal lover, and a man who decides which monkeys at the lab get assigned to experiments. For many years Mahoney worked with monkeys involved in AIDS and hepatitis research at New York University's Laboratory for Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Primates, also known as LEMSIP. In this book, he grapples with the difficult questions raised by his work: How can a person who loves animals subject them to the stress and pain of experimentation? After a lab animal has endured many experiments, doesn't humanity owe it a nice retirement? Which tests are justifiable, and which are not? Mahoney believes that although people do not have a right to test on animals, it is necessary, and since it is something that needs to be done, it should be done with compassion. Mahoney describes his efforts to improve living conditions for lab animals. Mostly, though, this book stays away from the lab and doesn't dwell on the details of the experiments. Instead, Mahoney focuses on happier things. He contemplates his relationships with several of the lab's chimpanzees, describing their distinct personalities. He recalls times when he saved lives and took needy animals into his own home. Mahoney clearly loves animals and derives great satisfaction from his work as a healer. This book is a thoughtful account of his struggle to make sense of his life and his work. --Jill Marquis
My opinion:
In the beginning, I really liked this book. Studying to be a vet myself, I found it fascinating how one man can make due with what he has to save this little puppy. By the end, I just wanted to get it over with. Dr. Mahoney has lived a fascinating life and I am glad that I could read about it, but when he kept trailing off about monkeys, it got a little tiring.
Excellent biography, besides that.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Book 7: The Catcher In The Rye.
Book 7: The Catcher In The Rye
By J.D. Salinger
Little, Brown and Company
1951
Rating:
3 if you just read it. 3.5-4 if you look at the meaning.
The professionals:
Novel by J.D. Salinger, published in 1951. The influential and widely acclaimed story details the two days in the life of 16-year-old Holden Caulfield after he has been expelled from prep school. Confused and disillusioned, he searches for truth and rails against the "phoniness" of the adult world. He ends up exhausted and emotionally ill, in a psychiatrist's office. After he recovers from his breakdown, Holden relates his
experiences to the reader. -- The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature
My review and opinion:
I want to tell you that I like this book. I really do. *Note: I have about four chapters left until the end, which is about 50 pages all together. So no, I'm not done yet. If this book gets better in the next 50 pages, I'll let you know.* I think society hyped up this book on all of the psycology mumbo-jumbo. I really want to like this book. I just believe that society corups cretain things. Like this.
Finished it all of a minute ago, and I still didn't like it. I mean, I guess I enjoyed it a little, but not as much as everybody thought I would. There are a few hidden things that have been brought to my attention. The ducks in the pond are supposed to represent how Holden feels. He's not asking what happens to the ducks, he is asking what happens to himself. The red hunting cap becomes a security blanket of sorts. Sparknotes say a lot of this book. I think it was a little too.... I don't know.
I don't like the writting style, either. In fact, many people would agree that it is a terrible book just because of the way it is written.
Am I the only one who hates repedity? (Spealt wrog, I know. Is it actually a word?) The whole 'goddamn' thing and 'madman' got on my nerves.
I don't think it's all that bad, but not very good either.
By J.D. Salinger
Little, Brown and Company
1951
Rating:
3 if you just read it. 3.5-4 if you look at the meaning.
The professionals:
Novel by J.D. Salinger, published in 1951. The influential and widely acclaimed story details the two days in the life of 16-year-old Holden Caulfield after he has been expelled from prep school. Confused and disillusioned, he searches for truth and rails against the "phoniness" of the adult world. He ends up exhausted and emotionally ill, in a psychiatrist's office. After he recovers from his breakdown, Holden relates his
experiences to the reader. -- The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature
My review and opinion:
I want to tell you that I like this book. I really do. *Note: I have about four chapters left until the end, which is about 50 pages all together. So no, I'm not done yet. If this book gets better in the next 50 pages, I'll let you know.* I think society hyped up this book on all of the psycology mumbo-jumbo. I really want to like this book. I just believe that society corups cretain things. Like this.
Finished it all of a minute ago, and I still didn't like it. I mean, I guess I enjoyed it a little, but not as much as everybody thought I would. There are a few hidden things that have been brought to my attention. The ducks in the pond are supposed to represent how Holden feels. He's not asking what happens to the ducks, he is asking what happens to himself. The red hunting cap becomes a security blanket of sorts. Sparknotes say a lot of this book. I think it was a little too.... I don't know.
I don't like the writting style, either. In fact, many people would agree that it is a terrible book just because of the way it is written.
Am I the only one who hates repedity? (Spealt wrog, I know. Is it actually a word?) The whole 'goddamn' thing and 'madman' got on my nerves.
I don't think it's all that bad, but not very good either.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Book 6: The Realm of Possibility.
Book 6: The Realm of Possibility.
By David Levithan
Knopf Books for Young Readers.
2004
Rating:
3
Through a series of poems, Levithan (Boy Meets Boy) introduces readers to a group of friends and acquaintances, including a gay couple celebrating their one-year anniversary, a girl whose mother is dying and an outsider who fills his notebook with "ink explosions of thought." His characters represent a diverse range of sexuality, race and social standing, and most struggle with love relationships, from a boy who wants to help his anorexic girlfriend, to a girl with an unrequited crush on a straight friend. The author experiments with different voices and styles (one series unfolds in song lyrics); some of these poems work better than others. An energetic verse, "Gospel," from a black choir girl who feels bullies "[push her]/ to a kindness they would never/ understand" to help the aforementioned white outsider, reads as authentic and thought-provoking, while an alphabetical poem about a break-up, constrained by its form, grows tedious. Readers may have trouble tracking all of the characters and the various connections between them, but they will find clever lines and inspiring ideas in many of the poems here ("Most of the limits/ are of our own world's devising"). Ultimately, that is what makes this ambitious project a realm worth exploring. Ages 12-up.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
My Review:
This was a pretty confusing book. Overall, it didn't really have the plot line that I like, but it was pretty interesting.
It's short, only took me two days to read. (Slow reader.)
I actually took a piece of paper and make a character chart so i could remember who was who.
Interesting, but confusing.
3 stars.
By David Levithan
Knopf Books for Young Readers.
2004
Rating:
3
Through a series of poems, Levithan (Boy Meets Boy) introduces readers to a group of friends and acquaintances, including a gay couple celebrating their one-year anniversary, a girl whose mother is dying and an outsider who fills his notebook with "ink explosions of thought." His characters represent a diverse range of sexuality, race and social standing, and most struggle with love relationships, from a boy who wants to help his anorexic girlfriend, to a girl with an unrequited crush on a straight friend. The author experiments with different voices and styles (one series unfolds in song lyrics); some of these poems work better than others. An energetic verse, "Gospel," from a black choir girl who feels bullies "[push her]/ to a kindness they would never/ understand" to help the aforementioned white outsider, reads as authentic and thought-provoking, while an alphabetical poem about a break-up, constrained by its form, grows tedious. Readers may have trouble tracking all of the characters and the various connections between them, but they will find clever lines and inspiring ideas in many of the poems here ("Most of the limits/ are of our own world's devising"). Ultimately, that is what makes this ambitious project a realm worth exploring. Ages 12-up.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
My Review:
This was a pretty confusing book. Overall, it didn't really have the plot line that I like, but it was pretty interesting.
It's short, only took me two days to read. (Slow reader.)
I actually took a piece of paper and make a character chart so i could remember who was who.
Interesting, but confusing.
3 stars.
Book 5: I Was Amelia Earhart.
I strongly belive that
A) This is a weird place to start, seeing as I am on book 5 and haven't reviewed any of those ones (yet),
and B) I should review this book while it is still freah in my mind.
Book 5: I Was Amelia Earhart.
By Jane Mendelsohn.
A Borzoi Book.
Published by Alfred A Knopf, INC.
1996
Rating out of five:
3.5
What a great story. The writing style of the author is fresh and new. It's an odd book, but I liked it.
The book is in Three parts:
Part 1: This section is all about Ameila life before her famous trip around the world. It showed who Amelia was. At the end of Part 1, Amelia and Noonan -her navigator- are lost, and are running out of fuel.
Part 2: The two crash on a deserted island that they jokingly name "Heaven." This section shows their life together on the island and a major event that, without, Part 3 would not exsist.
Part 3: The climax. I would like you to read this book, and as a rule, I never give away the climax*.
Wow. I'm very glad I own this book. It will be on my shelves for years to come.
Not the best book, but I aprove.
* Unless it was an absolutely terrible book and I do not want anyone to suffer.
A) This is a weird place to start, seeing as I am on book 5 and haven't reviewed any of those ones (yet),
and B) I should review this book while it is still freah in my mind.
Book 5: I Was Amelia Earhart.
By Jane Mendelsohn.
A Borzoi Book.
Published by Alfred A Knopf, INC.
1996
Rating out of five:
3.5
What a great story. The writing style of the author is fresh and new. It's an odd book, but I liked it.
The book is in Three parts:
Part 1: This section is all about Ameila life before her famous trip around the world. It showed who Amelia was. At the end of Part 1, Amelia and Noonan -her navigator- are lost, and are running out of fuel.
Part 2: The two crash on a deserted island that they jokingly name "Heaven." This section shows their life together on the island and a major event that, without, Part 3 would not exsist.
Part 3: The climax. I would like you to read this book, and as a rule, I never give away the climax*.
Wow. I'm very glad I own this book. It will be on my shelves for years to come.
Not the best book, but I aprove.
* Unless it was an absolutely terrible book and I do not want anyone to suffer.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Book 4: Shark Girl.
Book 4: Shark Girl.
By Kelly Bingham
Published by Candlewick
2007
Rating: 2.5-3
Jane, 15, is smart, good-looking, and the best artist in her school. After a shark attack at a local beach results in the amputation of her right arm, nothing is the same. Bingham's free-verse novel neatly accommodates the teen's loss; her dreams, anger, and frustration are explored as she rebelliously tries to adjust to her new circumstances. The main narrative is interspersed with news clippings, internal dialogue, and letters of support from other amputees, and even though Jane resists being part of that community, there are connections. Her voice is authentic and believable as both a teenager and victim. This engaging read will entice enthusiastic and reluctant readers; the drama of the shark attack will hook them, and Jane's inner journey will hold them till the end.—Janet S. Thompson, Chicago Public Library.
Normally, I would review a book myself, but I couldn't quite explain this one without being harsh. Now, in general, I don't like books written in poetry lines. This one was no exception. The story line was weak. Eventually she starts feeling better about his disability, but it still bothers her in the end. This story shows the difficulities of being an amputee.
But I still didn't like it.
By Kelly Bingham
Published by Candlewick
2007
Rating: 2.5-3
Jane, 15, is smart, good-looking, and the best artist in her school. After a shark attack at a local beach results in the amputation of her right arm, nothing is the same. Bingham's free-verse novel neatly accommodates the teen's loss; her dreams, anger, and frustration are explored as she rebelliously tries to adjust to her new circumstances. The main narrative is interspersed with news clippings, internal dialogue, and letters of support from other amputees, and even though Jane resists being part of that community, there are connections. Her voice is authentic and believable as both a teenager and victim. This engaging read will entice enthusiastic and reluctant readers; the drama of the shark attack will hook them, and Jane's inner journey will hold them till the end.—Janet S. Thompson, Chicago Public Library.
Normally, I would review a book myself, but I couldn't quite explain this one without being harsh. Now, in general, I don't like books written in poetry lines. This one was no exception. The story line was weak. Eventually she starts feeling better about his disability, but it still bothers her in the end. This story shows the difficulities of being an amputee.
But I still didn't like it.
Book 3: No Kidding
.Book 3: No Kidding
By Bruce Brooks.
Published by Trophy Pr
1991
Rating: 3.5
Set in the middle of the 21st century, this powerful novel concerns Sam, 14, who feels the need to take charge of his family. Sam doesn't have the time to be a kid anymore. He has to work to pay for his mother to get out of rehab, and set his brother in a foster home.
I liked this book quite a bit, actually.
It was a little confusing at times, but overall it was a good read.
By Bruce Brooks.
Published by Trophy Pr
1991
Rating: 3.5
Set in the middle of the 21st century, this powerful novel concerns Sam, 14, who feels the need to take charge of his family. Sam doesn't have the time to be a kid anymore. He has to work to pay for his mother to get out of rehab, and set his brother in a foster home.
I liked this book quite a bit, actually.
It was a little confusing at times, but overall it was a good read.
Book 2: The Carbon Diaries 2015.
Book 2: The Carbon Diaries 2015
By Saci Lloyd.
Published Holiday House
2009
Rating: 3.5
Laura Brown lives in Great Britain with her family in 2015 when the country makes a decission to cut it's carbon emission by 60 percent. Every person gets a Crabon Card which shows how much carbon they are alowed to use each year. Global warming has taken a drastic turn. The weather goes from freezing weather to drought, to a massive flood. Her family constantly fights, and you can watch the progress they make as they go through the year. Her mother ends up moving out while her father goes absolutely crazy. Her sister leaves home more and more. In the climax, the entire comunity must ban together to survive.
I kind of enjoyed this book. It could have been better, but it was pretty good overall.
By Saci Lloyd.
Published Holiday House
2009
Rating: 3.5
Laura Brown lives in Great Britain with her family in 2015 when the country makes a decission to cut it's carbon emission by 60 percent. Every person gets a Crabon Card which shows how much carbon they are alowed to use each year. Global warming has taken a drastic turn. The weather goes from freezing weather to drought, to a massive flood. Her family constantly fights, and you can watch the progress they make as they go through the year. Her mother ends up moving out while her father goes absolutely crazy. Her sister leaves home more and more. In the climax, the entire comunity must ban together to survive.
I kind of enjoyed this book. It could have been better, but it was pretty good overall.
Book 1: Burger Wuss.
Welcome to the New Year.
Book 1: Buger Wuss.
By M.T. Anderson.
Published by Candlewick
2001
Rating out of five: 2.5
Anthony is a lonely, lonely boy. He looses his girlfriend to a guy who works for a fast food chain. This is the story of him trying to get her back.
Quick overview: I didn't like this book.
The writing style was weak, and so were to charactor buildings.
The plot was boring, and didn't keep my attention for too long.
First book of the year and it was a dud.
Book 1: Buger Wuss.
By M.T. Anderson.
Published by Candlewick
2001
Rating out of five: 2.5
Anthony is a lonely, lonely boy. He looses his girlfriend to a guy who works for a fast food chain. This is the story of him trying to get her back.
Quick overview: I didn't like this book.
The writing style was weak, and so were to charactor buildings.
The plot was boring, and didn't keep my attention for too long.
First book of the year and it was a dud.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
The beginning.
This is the beginning.
Actually, it's 19 days from the beginning, but who is counting?
Well, I am.
The challenge:
I am challenging myself to read as many books as possible by the end of the year.
I may be off to a slow start, but I can not wait to see the outcome.
Come. Join me in the first ever Book Odyssey.
-Spencer.
Actually, it's 19 days from the beginning, but who is counting?
Well, I am.
The challenge:
I am challenging myself to read as many books as possible by the end of the year.
I may be off to a slow start, but I can not wait to see the outcome.
Come. Join me in the first ever Book Odyssey.
-Spencer.
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