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.