Finally

I can't believe that we are done blogging for the semester. I will continue to read but maybe not 150 pages a week. Sometimes that is a lot to read but I will definitely keep reading because I love to read. I do think that this class has changed me as a reader. In past years I never really read much because I either didn't like reading (I don't know why) or I didn't have the time. Now I make time for reading. When I had free time in the past, I would usually go watch t.v. but now I go lay down and read a good book. I like being able to go into a different world and being able to completely forget about my life for even just a half hour. In the beginning of this class I would only read Nicholas Sparks's books but now I have been reading Jodi Picoult books. I think I was getting sick of all the sad books Sparks writes so the librarian recommended some of Picoult's books. I really like both authors and I want to start reading Janet Evanovich's One for the Money series. I think there are 17 books out now and my mom said that they are really good. During the summer I will probably read 24/7. Since taking this class I can't seem to stop reading. In the beginning I only read because it was required but now I read because I want to. I really liked this class even though it was/is a lot of work. The vocab definitely will help me out on the SAT and the ACT. I will be taking those next semester so I am glad I had this first semester so I can learn all of the words.

Last Book Response

I found At First Sight at the Allen County Public Library! It's by Nicholas Sparks and I recently found out that this book is a sequel. Lucky for me, I have already read the first book, True Believer. My friend didn't know that is was a series and she read the second book first and is now reading the first book. She says that she still understands what is going on though. Oh well. I am only on page 23 so I don't know much about this book unless you count what I know about the first book. So far, in At First Sight Lexie and Jeremy are engaged and they are going to his parents house so Lexie can meet them. They have only known each other for about 6 weeks, I think, and Lexie is really worried that they will judge her. If I were his parents I would judge them. You just don't get engaged after knowing someone for 6 weeks. That's crazy. But....there's a secret. Lexie is pregnant. That changes everything then but they don't want to tell anybody quite yet. Wanna know why? Because they think people will judge them. On a different topic, I really like the cover of this book:

It's very peaceful and relaxing. If I was reading a book outside I would definitely read it on that swing because swings are fun. I love being outside and in nature so this cover really appeals to me.

This is the last reading response of the year. I am sad but happy at the same time. I am sad because I like getting my thoughts down on what I am reading. On the other hand, writing two of these each week equaling 600 words is a lot. Sometimes I am just too stressed out with other homework that I forget about this. Oh well, it's over now. I think that I will make another blog but make it so nobody else can read it. Then whenever I am stressed but don't want to talk about it, I can write it down here and feel much better. Adios!

Another Book Finished!

I finished Ella Enchanted! I got it from the Allen County Public Library and it's due tomorrow so I had to finish it today. I had 88 pages left and it only took me an hour and a half to read. That's really good, if you know me. I am the slowest reader ever! Ella is a really good book. It's a true fairytale! I love fairytales; their so cute. I have never read any of the princess, fairytale type books that are major movies now like Beauty and the Beast or Cinderella. Every girl wants to be like the girl in the movie because they always find their Prince Charming! Towards the end of Ella, Char commanded Ella to marry him but he didn't realize he was commanding her. He just said "Marry me, Ella." Since she is cursed she had to say yes but she recently talked to Lucinda and she said that she was truly sorry for giving her the curse. Because Lucinda said she was sorry, Ella could reverse the spell herself. She told Char that she would not marry him because if she did then her stepfamily would be related to the royal family and could destroy them if they wanted to. When she told him no, the spell was reversed so then she begged Char to ask her to marry her again. He did, of course, because he loved her and they married. Her stepfamily had nothing to do with them for as long as Ella wanted to, which was forever!  This was the cutest story ever! Every girls dream, for sure!
I hope that the public library has a Nicholas Sparks book that I haven't read yet because I am in need of a Nicholas Sparks book! There are only a few that I haven't read yet so I hope that they aren't checked out.

Currently

Books Read This Week:
Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult
Ella Enchanted by Gail Levine

Pages Read This Week: 191
Pages Read This Semester: 1882

Favorite Sentences of the Week:
1. "When he saw the treat, he smiled and trotted to me, both hands extended." (Ella Enchanted)
 - This sentence is about a horse named Apple. It reminds me of a horse I used to ride named Clifford. He had to be put down about two weeks ago because he was sick and wasn't recovering well. He was a good horse and he loved treats.

2. "I turned my head and managed to kiss a wing as he flew to perch on a high shelf." (Ella Enchanted)
 - A parrot ordered Ella to kiss him but he kept flying away. For almost five minutes she was running around trying to kiss this bird and she looked ridiculous!

3. the green of trees and bushes;

the blue of lake water;

the red of her jacket

and open collar; the brown

of her pinned-up hair,

and her horse, deep

in the yellow of sunflowers.

 - This is from a poem called "Girl Riding a Horse in a Field of Sunflowers" by David Allen Evans. I really like how it is really descriptive and you can picture in your mind all of the different colors. To me, it's like the perfect definition of summer.

New Book.

Since I finished Sing You Home, I thought that I might need another book to read, right? So now I am reading Ella Enchanted. I know what your thinking. Isn't that a little childish? Well, yes it is but I have a good reason for reading it. You see, I have English 5th period so we have to do an independent reading assignment. My teacher gave us a list of books that we could read and Ella was one of them. But then I found out that our book had to be 250 pages or longer. Ella is only 232 so I had to find another book to read for English. I already started reading this book and I want to know how it ends so I am going to finish reading it for this class. Yes, I have seen the movie but that was a really long time ago and I don't remember how it ends. I only have about one hundred pages left so I will finish it in no time but I figured I would finish it before I get another book.

Ella Enchanted is about a young girl who has to obey every command that she is given. A fairy, Lucinda, gave her this charm when she was born. Her mother thought that it would be a great thing right? Actually no, she had to obey every command. If someone told her to jump up and down for 20 minutes she would do it. Even if someone told her that she had to kill someone, she would have to do it. It's a horrible spell and throughout the book, Ella trys to find Lucinda to erase the spell. So far things haven't gone the way she would like it to. I hope she finds her and the spell is removed. That would make her life a lot easier!

Good book!

I think I spent all day Friday reading this book, but I didn't finish it. I finished it yesterday. Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult is a different kind of book. Basically the whole book is about a court case. In the beginning it leads up to it so the actual court case doesn't happen until the middle of the book.When Max and Zoe were married they tried and tried to have a baby. They couldn't produce one so they used medical treatment to help them out. When they got divorced they still had three frozen embryos. They said that they totally forgot about them when they were deciding who gets what but I don't know if I believe them or not. When Zoe got remarried to Vanessa, obviously they couldn't have a baby the normal way and then Zoe remembered about the embryos. Well, Max didn't want the embryos, for himself, but he certainly did not want the baby to grow up in a household that had two mothers and no father. He said that's not what the Bible says. The Bible says that homosexuality is a sin. So from that point on, the court case is happening and if you want to know who wins, I guess you will have to read it for yourself. The ending is really good. The book keeps you wanting to know more, I guess. During the court case, each side keeps coming up with really good points and you really don't have a clue as to who is going to win until the very last couple of pages. I think the title is important to. Zoe is a musical therapist so I think that's why it has the word sing in it. I think the "you home" part of it is that Zoe is going to sing or bring the embryos home. To which family? Nobody knows...

Sing You Home

For starters, the paragraph on the inside cover of this book is completely different from what the book is actually about. Okay, it has something to do with the book but it mentions nothing about the main "theme". First, in the beginning of the book, Zoe is married to Max. Right now....Zoe is married to Vanessa. This is not mentioned at all on the inside cover. It goes very much in depth into the lesbian lifestyle, something that I am not interested in at all. Maybe, just maybe, if I knew this book would be like this, I might not have picked it up to read. Although I cannot relate to this book, in a big way like I had hoped to, I keep feeling the need to read it more and more. I am on page 246 and a couple of hours ago I was in the 100's. I usually don't read this much but I can't seem to put the book down. I can connect to when Zoe is talking about her job, a music therapist. She is currently meeting with a suicidal teenage girl named Lucy. She keeps saying that music is a way that she can release what she is feeling inside and not feel guilty about it. I know that when I am stressed out I can listen to music and feel much better. That is the only way that I can connect with this book. Maybe I will finish this book this weekend, I don't know.

New Book!

I finished The Shack last week so I found a new book for this week. It's called Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult. Since we have been doing book talks every Monday, Mr. Hill has asked us to say how we became acquaintances with the book. Because this is a new book I think you should know how I found this book. I started reading books from this author last year when Mrs. Kovach told me to read them. I found this book because it was on display in the library and it has the word sing in it. I love to sing and listen to music so I decided that this book would be good for me to read next. It also has it's own soundtrack with it, inside the book! I haven't listened to it yet but I am going to before I finish it. Supposedly it goes along with the chapters and you are supposed to listen to the song before you read the chapter that it corresponds to. I haven't done that but I probably should. So here I am now. Here is a picture of the cover in case you were wondering what it looks like if you wanted to read it:

So far it's really good, just like any other book I have mentioned before in my blog. It's about this girl named Zoe. Right off the bat, I have a connection to it. One of my cats, at my dad's house, is named Zoe. She is really stubborn and ornery so I wonder if Zoe, in the book, will be the same. Anyway, Zoe is a music therapist for mostly burn victims in the hospital. You wouldn't think of a job as being a music therapist but that's what she does. She sings and plays different instruments for people, hoping that they forget about what is happening in their life and just enjoy something different. It works for the most part and she loves what she does. I used to play the piano but I stopped because I didn't like practicing and I had too much homework. Right now at school I am in the beginning concert choir. I was in it last year too and I plan to be in it next year. Music is my life. It calms me down when I am stressed out. I think I will really be able to connect with this book.

Close-Reading Bingo

Weakness 5. "Full quotations" can't sit all by themselves like a quote island.

• "And love was why Brooks walked backwards everyday, guarding our vulnerable rear as we moved."  Source: http://thinking-anonymous.blogspot.com/

Weakness 1. Avoid "he says" quote introductions.

• In the excerpt from The Mezzanine  by Nicholson Baker, he writes with an elevated refinement that is both dignified and straight-forward.                                                                                                Source: http://morgan-happygolucky.blogspot.com/

Weakness 9. Don't say "this" without putting a noun or a noun phrase after it.

• This gives the impression of a fancy an intimidating lobby.                                      Source: http://skullandglossbones3.blogspot.com/

Weakness 6. "Avoid the verbs "use" and "shows."

• In the exerpt from Cather in the Rye, J.D. Salinger, utilizes a use of simple, but complex vocabulary. Source: http://barrellxc2012.blogspot.com/

My Favorite Response:

• In the excerpt from "The Catcher and the Rye," Salinger's noisy, comical banter highlights his childish gullibility. Although he is a teenager, he makes no effort to compose in impressive vocabulary. He describes his childhood with the word "lousy" and a general introduction as "stuff that bores me." On the subject of his parents, he says "they're touchy as hell." Salinger has no boundaries as to what can be said; he lets Holden say what he wants about everything in life. Writing with such a low, familiar diction emphasizes how some teenagers truly feel about their home life and their story.                                                                                                                                             Source: http://laughapalooza22.blogspot.com/

Practice Diction Analysis

In the excerpt from The Mezzanine, Nicholson Baker’s elevated and figurative diction express a sense of uneasy resignation. Baker describes the escalators the narrator takes up to his office, as “free-standing” and “without struts or piers to bear any intermediate weight.” This suggests that the day to come might be a little overwhelming and bleak. Sunlight is shining onto the handrails “formed by intersections of the lobby’s towering volumes of marble and glass.” The description of the building and the escalators creates a mood of apprehension for the readers.

Style Mapping

If you are wondering why I am doing this today and not Wednesday, it's because I was absent on Wednesday and Thursday. I started it in class Friday but I didn't get to finish it because I took my vocab test that I missed on Thursday. Anyway...here's my paragraph.

From reading the first page of The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, I could tell that the language is very low compared to most other books because I believe the narrator is an African American lady from the sixties. There is a little bit of common vulgarity to it as the she tells us how she has raised many children. There are multiple grammatical errors that make the language seem dull, and clattering. When reading it aloud, it seems choppy and not put together well but the story makes sense none the less. The passage from Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy also contains familiar words, used in every day language. There is a lot of figurative language though, almost every other sentence. It takes you a second to understand what is happening because of that. It uses descriptive words to describe what the night looks like. It creates a picture in the readers mind while using blunt language. The last excerpt is from Neil Gaiman's Stardust. There are many colloquial words but how they are arranged with other colloquial words makes it seem like an elevated and rich writing style. It kind of seems musical, in a sense, but not harsh at all. It is written very well, allowing you to picture what is being described. By reading the first page of these three novels the language is different yet similar, depending on how you look at it (from what axis).

Currently

Books I Read this Week:The Shack by William P. Young

Pages this Week: 78
Pages this Semester: 1405

Favorite Style Mapping Sentences:
1. They are not assuming or overly colloquial - they are merely middle-of-the-road words that get the point across. - Becca's Blog
2. Even though she uses a high language it has at the same time a harmonious and sweet sound to it. - Underwater
3. Her words are not harsh, but they are not musical by any means. - BookLover17

I really don't know why I chose these sentences. When I was reading different people's paragraphs, these sentences just stuck out to me. I like how they go straight to the point and you don't have to wonder what that person is trying to say. They say if for you!

Almost the weekend.

I didn't go to school today either. I still have a fever which sucks! I plan on coming in to school tomorrow unless I wake up with a fever again, which is what happened today. I finished The Shack today! I only had 18 pages left. It was really good and it had a twist at the end. I would recommend it to anybody that wants a good read for their next book. I think for this week I only read about 60 pages but that's only because I was sick. I still got 2 posts in but they don't nearly add up to 600 words. opps! haha. Oh, well.

Untitled

This week I haven't read that much. I have a fever right now and I don't feel good at all. Earlier today it was 102.6 but it has gone down to 100.5. Obviously I didn't go to school today. Instead I slept all day up until about an hour ago. So I don't think I will read 150 pages this week. I think I only have like 40 pages read. I thought I would finish The Shack this week but now I'm not so sure. I will finish this book next week, hopefully.

Quarterly

I am really glad I am taking this class. Usually by the end of a quarter I would have read maybe one book. I get so consumed with homework and other activities that I don't read even though I like to. I am on my 4th book, I believe, and I found out that the more I read, the more relaxed I feel. I am not getting stressed out as much as last year or the year before. At the beginning of the year I told myself that I wanted to try to read all of Nicholas Sparks' books but I have only read one so far. The others are by Jodi Picoult and the book I am currently reading is by William P. Young. This is the first book I have read by him and I enjoy his writing style. I might read more books by him in the future. I tend to find myself reading right before I go to bed. I tell myself that I am going to read at least 30 pages but then I get tired and fall asleep after 10 pages. I think for next quarter I will try to read right after school so I can calm down from all the activity from school and go into my own little world. By doing that I think I will read more than 150 words a week. Right now, I am reading just enough, 150 pages. My goal for next quarter is to read more than 150 pages. I really enjoy reading and it keeps me from stressing out a lot, which is exactly what I don't need.

The Shack

This is a really good book! I don't want to put it down every time I pick it up but I know that I have to to do my homework. It sucks! This book makes you think, a lot. That's for sure. It makes you question things you would have never questioned before. I don't know if I am allowed to right about this because it is a religious book so I will try not to say anything to deep or try not to make anyone believe in God, even though that's the best thing you could do! Mack is now in the shack with three other "people," God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. He was brought there so he could grow in his relationship with God because he wasn't in his life after Missy died because he blamed God. They help him understand why Missy had to be murdered and that it wasn't God's punishment towards him. It actually helps me understand the Bible and God more, like why he created evil and things like that. In the book it says that God did not create evil, we humans, did. Which I kind of knew but never really understood until I read that part in the book. I mean, it is still confusing and I will never fully understand it but it sure helps. If you're looking for a book that helps you grow in your relationship with God, then read this! It's amazing!

New Book!

I finished my book the same night that I said I only had 17 pages left. It was really good. I would recommend it to almost anybody if they enjoy books written by Jodi Picoult. The book I'm reading now is called The Shack by William P. Young. Here is a picture of it if you were wondering:

My church recommended that we read it a couple of years ago and my mom bought it and read it. I was going to read it but I got caught up with homework and other things so I didn't really read that much. Over the weekend I asked my mom what book I wanted to read next. I wanted to read Heaven is for Real, but it was checked out at the library. My mom told me to read this since we had it and I was like okay, why not? It is a religious book so if you're not religious you probably don't want to read this book or maybe even this post. At the beginning the dad and his three children go camping right before school starts for the year. It was supposed to be a good start to the school year but it didn't turn out that way. The family became good friends with two other families there and two of his kids wanted to go canoeing with the other family's kids. The youngest didn't or couldn't rather because she was a little too young. She was only six at the time. The canoe tipped over so the dad went to go help him. While he was gone, the youngest, Missy, was kidnapped. The police and everybody was looking for her for a couple of days and they found her red bloody dress and a shack and they assumed she was murdered. Now, a few years later, the dad, Mack, got a letter in the mail telling him to go back to the shack. At first he was really scared and he thought that if was Missy's killer but  the letter was signed "Papa." Only his family and people who really know them call God, Papa. So now he thinks that God is telling him to go to the shack so he can "explain" himself for the death of Missy. I think I am going to enjoy this book because it shows you that when times are tough, God is always there for you even if you don't think he is. He loves you!

Favorite Sentences of the Quarter!

1. "It was the kind of cold that made your eyelashes freeze the minute you walked outside and the inside of your nostrils feel like shattered glass." (The Tenth Circle)
2. "He stopped walking and picked up a couple of small seashells that caught his eye." (Message in a Bottle)
3. "When I was seven I got it in my head to dig to China." (My Sister's Keeper)

The first sentence I like because it is very descriptive. The second sentence reminds me of my summer vacation and makes me want to go back right now! I think the last sentence is every child's dream; to dig to China!

Currently

Book I Read This Week:
The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult

Pages This Week: 167
Pages This Semester: 1157

Sentences Of The Week:

1. "But when it looped in a half circle and turned upside down it could mean only on thing: It was dumping luck off its back - anyone's for the taking, if you happened to see where it landed." (The Tenth Circle)
     - This sentence is about a bird. I guess I never thought about birds letting go of their luck. It's a different sentence.

2. "Sometimes want we wish for actually comes true. And sometimes that's the very worst thing that can happen." (The Tenth Circle)
     - People wish for things daily but what they don't realize is that if it comes true it could be your worst nightmare.

3. "Her face was going to fall off?" (The Tenth Circle)
     - Trixie was told that she might have frostbite and she thought that her face was going to fall off, haha.

Almost Finished!

In the book I'm reading, The Tenth Circle, I feel like Trixie is the average teenage girl in this world. To me, many girls are just like her, trying to find her place in this world. She is trying to figure out who she is and why she does certain things. She ran away and went to Alaska because her dad grew up there and he told her that when people want to disappear they go there. *Side note: She keeps saying how cold it is there and that makes me think of winter and how much I hate it. She even dyed her hair from red to black so  no one would notice her. There is a K300 sled dog race in Alaska and Trixie said that she was someone she wasn't. She had to ride on a snowmobile with a guy her age named Willie and at first she was scared because of what happened to her in her past. It was going to take them hours to get to where they needed to be and the snowstorm got really bad so they had to sleep outside in the middle of nowhere. This may sound silly but I am proud of Trixie because she slept outside with a total stranger. Yes, she had no choice but she carried herself better than I thought she would. In order for them to get warmer, Willie suggested that they take off their clothes. Trixie actually did it and I think that when she woke up she was pleased with herself and Willie for not taking advantage of her. I think that in that moment she learned that she can trust men more now. That is a huge step from where she was. Trixie and Willie got to know each other better and they have kissed. Trixie said that that one kiss was better than even knowing who Jason was. I think that she is truly happy now and she should be. She has had a rough life and she deserves to be happy. I only have 17 pages left, I think, and I can't wait to see how it turns out!

The Tenth Circle

This book is very depressing. I suggest that if you don't like depressing books, then don't read it, read House Rules. It's also by Jodi Picoult and it's a very good book, but not depressing. In this story, this girl gets raped and the boy who supposedly "raped her" is getting a lot of attention, as normal. He is a very good hockey player and he is the center of attention at everything. Recently he committed suicide. At first they thought he committed suicide but now they think it was a homicide, and they are blaming Trixie. Now, everyone is sad and depressed because of obvious reasons and Trixie ran away. For me reading about suicide is very hard because I don't know why anyone would want to do that to themselves. If they feel that poorly of themselves then they should seek counseling, or at least tell somebody. They don't think about the lasting effect it would have on their family. Now you know why I said it's depressing. A while ago my cousin committed suicide. I was very young so I don't remember it but now my uncle blames himself for everything. Whenever I hear about suicide I automatically think of him and it's lasting effect on my family. I wish I would had have the chance to meet him because he seems like a really great person. My uncle lives in North Carolina and I think I have seen him, face to face, maybe...3 times? He doesn't believe in God anymore because of what Daniel did and he keeps himself isolated from the rest of his family. I feel really bad for him and I wish there was something I could do for him. I hope this story starts to be happy again...I only have a little bit left to read so it better start getting happy again.

Currently

Books I read this week:
The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult

Pages this week: 203
Pages this semester: 990

Favorite sentences this week:

1. "It was the kind of cold that made your eyelashes freeze the minute you walked outside and the inside of your nostrils feel like shattered glass." (The Tenth Circle)
 - I like this sentence because it is very descriptive and I'm sure everyone can relate to it.

2. "In comics, heroes escaped and villains lost and not even death was permanent." (The Tenth Circle)
 - In comics everything goes by plan. In real life, nothing goes how you want it to go. Comic books seem so perfect.

3. "If someone told me to hop on one foot for a day and a half, I'd have to do it." (Ella Enchanted)
 - If you didn't know the story of Ella Enchanted then you would think this sentence is funny but actually it's pretty sad because she has to do every order that she is given.

The Tenth Circle

I just realized that on my last post I forgot to mention an important part of the book, what the title means. Daniel, Trixie's father, is a comic book artist. At the end of every chapter, which are really, really, long, there is a short, 2 to 3 page comic. They all go together so they make a story. When Daniel was younger, he lived in Eskimo village where he was the only white child. He was always being teased so to cope with the daily troubles, he fought back, but in a different way. He started stealing, drinking and doing drugs. He moved out of the village around the age of 18 because he wanted to be someone completely different. To control his anger though, he drew it in the form of comics. The comic in the book is somewhat related to the story. The characters in the comic have to go through ten circles, or ten levels, to get to the end. That is why it is called The Tenth Circle. When you read the last post you probably wondered why the book was called that. I always like to figure out why the book is called what it's called. I would think that most people read the book and don't even think about why it's called a certain name. I like the books where you don't know why a book is called that until the very end of the book. It creates suspense.

Tomorrow's Friday and I am so excited. This week has gone by so fast. I can't wait to get home and read for hours because this book is really good and I haven't had time to read that much this week. I read a lot last Sunday so I have read 150 pages but I would have read more if I was able to.

The Tenth Circle

Since I finished my book, I have found a new book. It is called The Tenth Circle by the same author, Jodi Picoult. Here's what the cover looks like, in case you were wondering:

I have already read 161 pages in two days. That's how good it is. I can't seem to put it down. It's about this teenage girl who gets raped by her ex boyfriend. Although I can't relate to it, I feel like I can, somehow. Her name is Trixie and she doesn't have a good relationship with her dad. That part I can relate to. My parents divorced when I was around 2 and ever since I have been living with my mom. My mom remarried when I was about 5 and my dad is getting married next summer. I love my step-dad; he is awesome. You would think that I would have a good relationship with my dad since I didn't know what was going on when I was 2 but for some reason I don't. I see him 2 to 3 times a week for about 2 to 3 hours because he is a paramedic. He works for 24 hours and gets 48 hours off. So I guess that I relate to the part about her not having a good relationship with her dad. On a different topic, I don't know how I feel about Trixie yet. Her boyfriend, Jason, broke up with her and then she did everything she could to win him back. That meant going to a party, getting drunk and doing other inappropriate things. So I don't really know if I believe her when she said that Jason raped her. Her side of the story and Jason's side of the story don't completely match up and I can't decide who I should believe. I think that's why I can't put the book down. I want to read more so I can decide who is telling the truth. Only one way to find out, read, read, read!

Sentences of the Month

Books I read this week:
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Pages I read this week: 163
Pages this semester: 787

Sentences of the Month:

1. "He stopped walking and picked up a couple of small seashells that caught his eye." (Message in a Bottle)
2. "Just before seven A.M. on Sunday, an octopus walks into the station." (My Sister's Keeper)
3. "Preston looks like he's made out of plastic." (My Sister's Keeper)

My favorite sentence of the month has to be the first one. It reminds me of my vacation to St. Augustine, Florida. It was the first time I had been there and I am going back next summer right after school gets out. Almost every morning my mom and I would go out in the early morning and look for seashells that we could take home with us. It was very peaceful there and this sentence is also peaceful.

Finished!

I finished my book! It's really, really, really, good. It's defiantly a chick flick, for sure. I had 30 some pages left and I read some in class today after we took are vocabulary test. I couldn't stop reading it so when  I had any, I mean any, free time in my other classes I got it out and read it. I actually finished it at school! The ending is really sad, like I have been saying, and I did all I could not to cry in school.  The ending has a twist to it that I didn't see coming. If there wasn't a twist it would have been good but because it did, it was really good! Oh, I finally found out why Campbell has a service dog. He is epileptic and the dog can tell when he is about to have a seizure. He actually did have a seizure when he was in court and the dog was barking and kept nudging him but he ignored him. Funny thing: the dog's name is Judge so when he was barking in court the actual judge kept telling Campbell to "control his animal." Campbell replied, "No, Judge!" (talking to the dog) and the actual judge thought he was talking to him. It was pretty funny. Well, I don't want to spoil the ending so if you want to know how it ends, read it yourself! Life's tough, I know! Haha.

My Sister's Keeper

So I have officially cried in My Sister's Keeper. It's really sad right now because they are in court for Anna and it's hard for her to hear what her mother is saying. Her mom is saying all of the procedures that she went through as a child and it's not supposed to be sad but it's hard for the reader to hear everything that she had to go through just to help her sister. If my sister were dying, I most likely would help her and go through as many procedures that were needed. But then again I don't know what I would do because I am not in that situation. I might do the complete opposite and do what Anna is doing. I hope I wouldn't though. I would feel so bad.

On a totally different topic, Campbell, Anna's lawyer, has a service dog with him all the time and everytime somebody new asks him what it's for he says something different. One time he said it was because he was blind, which he isn't. Another time he said it is because he is color blind and can't tell what the stoplight says. Question: If he can't read a stop sign, should he even be allowed to drive? Just a thought.  Another time, (this one made me laugh) he said it was because he has an irregular heart beat and the dog was CPR trained. Question #2: Can a dog really be CPR trained? That would be so cool, you don't even know. I'm starting to wonder myself what the dog is for. If he hasn't said why so far throughout the book, that must mean that he is really self-consious about whatever it is. That's sad that he feels that way. Sometimes I feel that way with my diabetes and all but I eventually realize that there is no cure, at the moment, and just accept what I have and move on. It's a lot easier that way. Then when people ask a question I tell them the truth instead of telling a little white lie and having them ask more questions. Well, I only have about 80 pages left in this book. Then it's on to the next!

Favorite Claims

Underwater:
The Ground Zero Memorial in New York, where the Twin Towers once stood, is a sincere and gorgeous memorial for all the ones who died on 9/11. The beautiful waterfall is a wonderful and memorable idea to fill the empty spot where the towers once stood. People visit this touching, unique and magnificent memorial from all over the world.

Live, Laugh, Read:
The joyful, eager horses run passionately to their peaceful destination which highlights the beauty of the cool, calm, and natural feel of this early fall morning.

Wolf Spot:
In the routine performed by Quest Crew to the song "Toxic" by Britney Spears on the show America's Best Dance Crew, their thundering swift movements, clever colorful facial expressions, and modern sharp wardrobe convey an animated cheerfulness and a friendly, comical lightheartedness.

The Written Word:
The centered spacing along with the powerful lighting in this photograph demonstrate the aggressively contrasting colors and intensely elegant shadows while highlighting the deep, attractive shape of the flower.

Kim's Corner:
In Bérenger's black and white photograph, his dramatic contrast and enticing depth of field draw the viewer into the picture with active negative space that elevates the shadows from the composition to illustrate an ominous and mysterious mood.

My favorite claim is by Live, Laugh, Read because I ride horses and I feel like it captures a horses personality when it can roam freely.

The most interesting claim is from Untitled:
http://addie-line.blogspot.com/

So You Think You Can Dance?

Genre: Hip Hop Dance Routine

Facial Expression: Painful, Emotional, Intense, Piercing, Continuous
Arm Movement: Dramatic, Driving, Alive, Big motions
Body Language: Expressive, Powerful, Drawn to each other
Sound: Loud, Fast, Lyrical, Modern, Pounding, Drumming

Infer:
Fragile
Chemistry
Explosive
Desperate
Indecisive
Uneasy

In this dance routine, the modern, pounding sound of the drums, the intense and piercing facial expressions and the alive, over the top arm movements creates a sense of fragile chemistry between two people that are desperate yet indecisive at the same time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emy9R7zxAlg&feature=related

Poet of the Month

My top three poems of the month:

1. "September Twelfth, 2001" - X.J. Kennedy
2. "Marcus Millsap: School Day Afternoon" - Dave Etter
3. "Driving Toward the Lac Qui Parle River" - Robert Bly

These three poems really spoke to me when I read them. The first poem is about the day after 9/11. Two people are thinking about what they saw the day before. It really makes me feel grateful for my life and that I haven't had to go through something tragic like that. I really like the second and third one because they have a lot of imagery. If I can picture what I am reading then I usually like it. The poem"School Day Afternoon" is about a child that is picturing what he or she is going to do when school is over for the day. I do that everyday because my day starts when I get home from school. Most of the poem is taking place outside and I love to be outside. If the weather is nice out, I will do my homework outside. The third poem also takes place outside.

Currently

Books I read this week:
My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult

Pages I have read this week: 154
Pages this semester: 624

Sentences this week:

1. "When I was seven I got it in my head to dig to China." (My Sister's Keeper)
       - I think every child has wanted to dig a hole to China. I know I did when I was younger.

2. "Just before seven A.M. on Sunday, an octopus walks into the station." (My Sister's Keeper)
         - This made me laugh when I read it. A lady's house burned down and all that she had left was an octopus costume from Halloween. It's actually sad if you think about it.

3. "Fire and Hope are connected, just so you know." (My Sister's Keeper)
       - In the book, the only thing that Brain has left is hope because one of his daughters is dying and the other is suing him.

Life As I See It

As you probably know by now, this book is about a family whose children are going downhill. One is dying from Leukemia, one is suing her parents, and the other gets into trouble constantly. When I started reading this book, I thought that it would be just another book that I picked up and started to read. Actually, instead of thinking about what is going on in the book, it makes me think more about what is going on in my life. Reading about this family has shown me that compared to their life, my life is great. There are people in the world, right now, that have nothing and are living on the streets and I don't think about it, really, ever, because you don't see that, much in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This book has shown me to really appreciate what God has given me and not to complain every time something doesn't go my way. There is one section in the book thta really spoke to me. Kate's mom asked her is she wanted to go to the mall and she said no. At this point in the story, Kate's hair has fallen out as a result from chemotherapy. Kate says to her mom, "Don't say it. Don't tell me that nobody's going to stare at me, because they will. Don't tell me it doesn't matter, because it does. And don't tell me I look fine because that's a lie.' Her eyes, lash-bare, fill with tears. 'I'm a freak, Mom. Look at me." I almost started crying when I read this. It's terrible! I feel so bad for her but if I were her, I probably would say the same thing. It's unfortunate that we have to worry about what others will think about us or say to us. Just because someone's different doesn't mean you have to stare and give that person a dirty look. People these days are so rude! Grow up and realize that the world doesn't revolve around you!

My Sister's Keeper

I'm still reading My Sister's Keeper and it's still really good. I have been wondering why it is called My Sister's Keeper. I haven't reached that part of the book yet, but I hope it comes soon. So far, Anna, Kate's sister, has hired a lawyer because she is suing her parents for medical emancipation. Basically, her parents had her so that she could save her sister. See Kate always needs new blood or plasma or currently a kidney so Anna was born to be a perfect donor match to Kate. So whenever Kate needs blood, Anna is the one to give it to her. She doesn't offer to give blood or whatever it is, she is forced to. Anna is 13 years old and she always thinks about how her life would be is she were born into a "normal" family. I feel bad for her because she is always in another surgery but at the same time, if she wasn't doing what she's doing then Kate would die. If I were Anna, I probably wouldn't like having surgeries all the time either but if I knew I was saving my sister I would be okay with it. Kate says that one year she was in the hospital every single holiday, even Memorial Day. It wasn't planned, it just happened. For Christmas, she had a tree in her room and on Easter there was an Easter egg hunt in the cafeteria. That would be terrible. I can't even imagine being in the hospital that many times a year. I would feel like I was in jail. You can't go anywhere and you can't hang out with your friends unless they come to you and even then you really can't do anything. This book is kind of depressing but at the same time it makes you think how good you have it.

My Sister's Keeper

I like how this book is set up. Every chapter a different character narrates it. One chapter it's Kate, the next it's Anna and so on. It's cool to see the different perspectives from all of the characters. I have only read a few other books like this and I like it a lot. Also some chapters are in the past. Mostly it's on Sara's chapters. It would say Sara then a date like 1990. So then you have to forget everything you just read in the present and go back to the past. It's really interesting. One of the "past" chapters was about the day Kate was diagnosed with Leukemia. It was hard reading that because nobody wants to be told that they have cancer. Yes, she was two at the time but it's still hard for her parents. I'm diabetic and the day I found out was hard for me. I was 14 years old at the time so I knew what was going on. That first week was terrible. So many hours spent in the hospital, so many numbers to remember, and the thought that I would have to be taking injections 4 times a day really scared me and my parents. Since I didn't know anything about diabetes, at first I thought I was going to die but then I realized that I would get an insulin pump and I could live a long, healthy life as long as I took care of myself. But knowing that your daughter has cancer and she could die from it would be awful! I hope no one in my family gets cancer, or anybody else for that matter, but everything we wish for doesn't always come true.

Currently

Books I read this week:
Message in a Bottle - Nicholas Sparks
My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult

Pages this week: 156
Pages this semester: 472

Favorite Sentences this week:

1. "Preston looks like he's made out of plastic." (My Sister's Keeper)
 - This explains my thoughts exactly on certain people in this school!

2. For every nineteen degrees hotter a fire burns, it doubles in size. (My Sister's Keeper)
 - I did not know this and thought it was interesting. At the same time it's kind of scary to think about so I thought I should let you all know. (:

3. Then he turned back to the rest of us girls and the expression on his face was like a man who has just realized he has swallowed a hand grenade because he thought it was a plum. (Little Bee)
 - First of all, who would have a hand grenade and a plum at the same time and second of all, who would swallow a hand grenade? This sentence made me laugh a little.

New book!

I finished Message in a Bottle last Friday night. The first thing I want to say is that it was so sad. I think I cried throughout the last 50 pages or so. It took a complete twist that I was not expecting. I could not put the book down so I think I read for about 2 hours that night. I would definitely recommend it to anybody that likes chick flicks. Now, the only thing left to do is watch the movie. Even though I haven't seen the movie, I can already say that the book is better. Books are always better than the movie, hands down! In movies, they always seem to leave out the really important stuff, for some reason, and I don't like it. It changes the book completely.

Now I'm reading My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. I know I said I would read another Nicholas Sparks book but the books I still need to read were checked out. So my second favorite author is Jodi Picoult. I have only read 2 of her books, House Rules and Nineteen Minutes and they were awesome! I have seen the movie to this book, that I am currently reading, and I also cried while watching it. When I checked this book out, the lady at the counter said, "Be careful of this book. It's a real tear-jerker!" I replied with, "Oh I know!" Some of you might say, "You've seen the movie, why read the book?" Well, like I said earlier, the books are always better and I watched the movie years ago. I'm not that far into it yet but already it's really good. So far, this 16 year old girl, Kate, was diagnosed with a rare form of Leukemia at the age of 2. Just by reading that, you can tell that it's a sad book. This young girl has spent the last 14 years of her life dealing with something that most teenagers don't know anything about. That's terrible as it is. Who knows how much longer she will have to keep going before she goes into remission. And that's just the beginning of the amazing book!

It's the weekend!

Today I visited Kim's Corner, Wolf Spot, Underwater, Peanut Butter without the jelly, Hog Smog Blog, A Scrap of Parchment, So many books, so little time, Lets Start, and Booklover17. I really enjoy looking/reading other peoples blogs. Some of them are really funny! I commented on Wolf Spot, Underwater, and Peanut butter without the jelly.

Currently

Books I read this week:
Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks

Pages this week: 158
Pages this semester: 322

Favorite sentences this week:

1. If your face is swollen from the severe beating of life, smile and pretend to be a fat man.
        - Little Bee

2.. "Sometimes, I swear you think I just fell of the turnip truck and bumbled through life without learning anything along the way."
       - Message in a Bottle

3. Excuse me for learning your language properly.
        - Little Bee

My favorite sentence of the week has to be the first one. When I read it I literally laughed out loud. It's kind of mean but it's funny at the same time. I have been thinking about it since I read it. The second one is also funny because you don't hear about turnip trucks anymore. At least I don't.

Almost Finished...

Right now, I'm at the climax in Message in a Bottle, and it's really really good. I only have 50 some pages left and it seems like I can't put the book down. So Garrett visited Theresa in Boston and he found his letters, that were written to his wife who passed away, hidden in her bedroom. He stormed out of her apartment and took the next flight back to his house. In a way, I kind of feel bad for him. He loved her and was going to ask her to marry him in a couple of days but when he found out about the letters, he forgot about all of that. She tried to explain to him that the letters had nothing to do with them falling in love but he didn't listen, obviously.  He was upset. Now, he thinks that their whole relationship was not real and that she "made" him fall in love with her so he would forget about his wife. I think that she should have showed him the letters a long time ago but if she did that then the book would have a completely different story line and maybe they wouldn't have fallen in love. I think that, eventually, he will forgive her and they will get married. I hope so, at least, because they seemed like the perfect couple, even though they are fictional. Like I said earlier, I am almost done with this book so I need to start finding a different book. I have already read True Believer but I just found out that it had a sequel: At First Sight! I guess that will be my next book, that is if they have it in stock at the library. After that book I only have three more books to read that Sparks' wrote. Yay! I think after that I will start to read Jodi Picoult's books. I've read two of hers and they were pretty good.

I want to go scuba diving..

Well, from where I left off in my last post, things have been going crazy in this book. At dinner, Theresa and Garrett got to know each other better and for the next couple of days, they were inseparable. Theresa's son, Kevin, was coming home from his vacation with his father so she had to go back home and take care of him because she can't just leave him home alone. He's 12! Then two weeks later Theresa and Kevin both went back to Wilmington to see Garrett and right now he is teaching them how to scuba dive. In the next couple of days, they will have their license to dive whenever they want. That would be so cool! In St. Augustine we wanted to go scuba diving but we couldn't find anything unless we wanted to drive for hours, which we didn't. We were on vacation, we didn't want to drive for hours to do one thing! I have always wanted to go scuba diving or snorkeling. My aunt travels a lot and she loves both. She always talks about it and I can't wait for the day to come when I can actually go diving. I would love to snorkel in a coral reef. Just being in the water, surrounded by hundreds of fish would be so relaxing and calming. Kind of like this book, for some reason. I find it to be an easy read and when I am having a bad day it's nice to know that I can sit down and read and I will feel a lot better. All of Nicholas Sparks' books are like that for me. Well, right now I am in the middle of a chapter so I am going to get back to reading.

Friday

For my personality test, I got INFJ. When I read through what that means, I strongly agree with what it says. It says that I have an "exceptionally strong desire to contribute to the welfare of others." I love to help those who need help. I volunteer for many different organizations and enjoy it very much. Some of the careers they recommended for me is early childhood education, law, counseling, librarian, psychotherapist. I actually want to be a vet but I do love little kids.

Currently

Books I read this week:

Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks


Pages this week: 164
Pages this semester:164


Sentences this week:


1. "Then go with the tuna or dolphin. They're both delicious."
             - Message in a Bottle


2. "He stopped walking and picked up a couple of small seashells that caught his eye."
             - Message in a Bottle


3. "One time he'd even been chased by a hammerhead shark and was forced to take cover in the wreck he'd been exploring."
           - Message in a Bottle

The first sentence is a little weird. It kind of made me laugh because you never see dolphin on menus in restaurants. I don't like seafood so I would never order dolphin. I like the second sentence because it reminded me of my vacation over sumer break to St. Augustine. My mom and I would go out almost every morning to pick up seashells. I like the last sentence because you wouldn't think that someone would get chased by a hammerhead.

A Walk Along the Beach

I am really starting to like this book, Message in a Bottle. I feel like all of Nicholas Sparks's book are similar yet different at the same time. Most, if not all, are about a love story but each one started a different way and is going to end in a different way. Sparks is very descriptive in his writing and it helps me visualize what I am reading. I love being able to visualize what I am reading. It makes me feel almost like I am a bystander in the novel, watching what is going on. In one scene there was an old man walking down a pier with a fishing pole in his hand and he had a parrot on his shoulder. That would be so cool to see in person! I would think that it would fly away but then again, this is a novel, not real life. In another scene Garret and Theresa were walking along the beach and Garret was picking up seashells. Later in the summer my family and I went to St. Augustine Beach and almost everyday my mom and I would go out early in the morning, when the tide hadn't come in yet, and we would find cool looking seashells. We have 2 jars of them sitting on our counter. By the way Sparks described it made me feel as if I was back in St. Augustine again. But I'm not, I'm in Fort Wayne. :(

In the book, Garret keeps asking "what if" questions. "What if she'd waited a couple more seconds before crossing the street? What if he'd gone with her that morning instead of going straight to the shop?" His wife died 3 or 4 years earlier and I feel bad for him. He is still mourning over her and he can't seem to think about anything else. That's when Theresa comes in his life and slowly they start talking. First they went out on Garret's sailboat for a few hours at night and Theresa "forgot" her jacket on the boat. So the next day she went to get it from him and they went out to lunch. After that is when they walked along the beach and saw the man with the parrot on his shoulder. Garret asked her if she would like to have dinner with him that night and that is where I stopped reading. So I will see how things work out over dinner.

Message in a Bottle

So I have been trying to read all of Nicholas Sparks's books and right now I am reading Message in a Bottle. Nicholas Sparks is by far my favorite author. I love to read chick-flicks and love stories. When I first started reading this book I thought that I had read it before. Apparently it is a movie too? I don't know. After the first couple of chapters I realized that I haven't read it. Maybe the beginning is like another book I have read. I don't remember what book though, probably one that I read a long time ago. Anyway, back to the book, the main character, Theresa, finds a message in a bottle, in the ocean, hence the title, Message in a Bottle. It's a long love note written by a man named Garret and addressed to a woman named Catherine. Theresa writes articles for the Boston Times and publishes this letter in the newspaper. A few days later, some lady calls her and says that she found a letter a while back from Garret too. There was also a third letter that Theresa found on the internet. So now she is almost in love with this Garret person and she doesn't even know who he is or what he looks like. The only information she knows is that he might live somewhere near Wilmington or Wrightsville Beach, which is in North Carolina. She is very indecisive and can't decide if she should go look for him or not. If I were her, I would not go looking for him because if someone just showed up at my house and said "Hey, I found your letter in the ocean and I think I might be in love with you," I would be creeped out. I don't know what I would do. So maybe this Garret person will say the same thing as I did, or maybe not. There is only one way to know..

Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.