Blog Reflection:

Over the course of this trimester, I have definitely seen my writing skills improve. Whether this is solely because of language arts class assignments or because of being “forced” to write 2 blog posts a week, I’m not sure. It’s probably a little bit of both. In the beginning of the year, when I learned that we would have a blog we had to add posts to every week, I was horrified. “This is pretty much having to write an essay twice every single week!” I thought to myself. So that was how I approached the daunting task. For my first blog, I sat in my room, opened my laptop, and flipped through the book for half an hour with not a letter typed on my screen. I was clueless on how to write a blog about “Theme”.  If given questions pertaining to it, or even having to analyze it would’ve been okay with me. But this was starting from scratch. I couldn’t fill an entire page with information about the theme of a book... There was just too many directions to go with it. So, if one were to read my first few posts, (s)he would definitely feel the rigidness and stiffness of the blog. The highlighting in my beginning blog shows the faults I had in it. In fact in the beginning blog mentioned above, I do not use the pronoun “I” at all. It was a robotic analysis of my reading novel. Not only that, my writing was not natural at all; it didn’t sound like a blog. It sounded like a report for school. In my beginning blog, the introduction was not attention grabbing at all- it was too straightforward. I was writing a summary for the City of Glass. This blog was so long and technical that I didn’t want to read through it myself after I wrote it. I literally went through the book and summarized each chapter of the book, which was tedious to write and to read. I hammered away at the computer keys for one and a half hours to make sure I didn’t leave out any important details in the book. My vocabulary was also very blunt and basic. The highlights in my newer blog illustrate how I was able to make my blog more fun to read and sound much more fluid and eloquent. I started it with a rhetorical question to reel in the reader and I just blogged like I was talking. I started typing and tried to make the blog more ‘realistic’ and natural sounding. Also, I wasn’t just blogging about the book I was reading, but about a magazine that a friend showed me that I found interesting. I tried connecting to the reader more in my introduction and offered more of my personal opinion. I also expanded my vocabulary and used more complex words, which bettered my writing.

 

One thing I struggled with through this experience was coming up with interesting things to blog about. A lot of times it’d be Sunday night and I would just start my second blog. I didn’t want the blog to be just a boring recap of what I read in my novel. Thus, I would spend some time exploring magazines or online articles to come up with something I could blog about. I learned half way through the trimester that reading other media sources could be just as beneficial as reading a book. My biggest strength in blogging, I would say, is that I was able to blog about a numerous number of topics. I wouldn’t just blog about a book I read for 2 weeks. I’d blog about other things I read that I found interesting. I’d try to make my blogs more applicable to everyday life. My biggest weakness would definitely be making some of my blogs too long, repetitive, and boring to read. I’d throw in too many unnecessary words and phrases. Unfortuneatly, I did not reach my reading goal. I set up to read 30 books by the end of the year, and so far I have read 10. I just got really busy with school and extracurricular that I couldn’t find time to read. Also, in 2 of the books I read, I lost interest in and returned to the library. I also didn’t update GoodReads much either. I used GoodReads mainly for book suggestions and to keep track of what books I want to read. This way I could have a list that I could bring to the library to find books I think are interesting. As a reader, I have definitely grown. I decided this year to read more challenging books, specifically classics. A lot of the sentence syntax and words in the older books are really confusing, but blogging kind of forced me to really think about what I was reading to make sure I understand what I read, so I can blog about it later. Overall, I feel like blogging was a beneficial experience for my reading and writing.

101 Objects that Made America...

     
      Who carries political magazines with them in school? Well apparently Kamala does.  She pulled out a huge stack of 'intellectually stimulating' magazines and dropped them on the table. I just sat there staring. Of all things, magazines? Well I flipped though a few of them and one seemed actually really interesting. It was from the Smithsonian and was titled "101 Objects That Made America". There were actually some pretty unique things in the magazine and, from what I read, it is a really good read.The United States of America is often hailed as one of the most powerful and influential countries in the world. The U.S. has definately made a myriad amount of long lasting contributions to the world. What are a few of these objects that really made history and defined the U.S. to be what it is today?

       1). Lewis and Clark's Compass: Meriwether Lewis paid only $5 for a typical 3 and a half inch, silver compass that would eventually lead his crew to documenting the rest of the country that we live in today. It's hard to imagine that this small little piece of simple equipment could be such a huge key in pretty much everything that we know now about our country. From the flora and the fauna to the rivers that stretch across a half dozen states, this little compass really did make a huge difference in how we see the country.

 

       2). Polio Vaccine: Jonas Salk did the world a huge favor by developing a mixure that was able to dramatically slow down, if not almost halt, the devastating spread of the polio disease. This sickness has damaged and taken so many innocent lives. It is a huge blessing to mankind that we had someone who was capable enough and bold enough to take on the challenge to conquer this disease. He had grown the virus in monkey kidneys and killed it with formaldehyde. He had injected already infected children, his wife, 3 sons, and himself with his vaccine. Fortuneatly, his vaccine, did not lead to unwanted side effects but was able to provide beneficial results that decimated this disease.
   


  3). As a bloody war that turned sons against fathers and brothers against brothers, the Civil War wrecked double havoc on the United States for it was a country fighting against itself. Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost in this war and it tore the country apart. Both the Union and Confederate sides had something to fight for and both believed that they were making the right decision by fighting this war. However, when all was said and done, the last 'official' battle of the Civil War resulted with Ulysses S. Grant demolishing Rober E. Lee's army. When the battle was over, both generals decided to call an end to Civil War by meeting at Wilmer McLean's living room (in Appomattox Court House, Virginia). Grant sat down in an everyday leatherback chair and made history that day. He and Lee were able to reach the compromse that stated Lee and his army would drop their arms and go peacefully back to the south.

The Fall of Five!!!!!!!!

      Ok. I have legit been waiting for this book for 2 months- to the day. Well I finally got it on my Nook and I just finished reading page 20 like 2 minutes ago and I just had to write about it. First off, it's AMAZING. I'm pretty sure anyone who has read the Lorien Legacy series would agree that the series in general is AMAZING because it is. The plot is so well thought out and unique. There is enough action in it to keep you on the edge of your chair and yet not too much so that everything you read is just blood and gore. It is at a perfect equilibrium. Anyways, about the book itself...

       Finally!!! There is Sam's perspective in the book!! He finally narrates part of the book!This totally made my day. Sam is this shy, mundane, totally normal human teenager who got thrust into this mythical world of aliens and Mogadorians. From the second I first read his name and the first description of him in I am Number Four, I knew he would be a special character for me. And indeed, as the pages flew by, he was. I just find that he is exactly what the phrase "the average Joe" entails. He's in high school, feels a little out of step at times, makes okay grades, doesn't talk much, and has this one obsession that pretty much dominates his life. However, in one moment, one sentence followed by one action changes everything. One second he is just a normal teen and the next he's traveling the world recruiting powerful aliens and battling creatures who are trying to destroy humanity. Kinda a big change in life style if you ask me...

      In the rest of the books, he definitely plays a big part in the plot, but he's sort of just the main character's best friend. He sometimes gets overshadowed in my opinion. He sacrificed so much of his life and doesn't get much of the spotlight when the time comes. I never got a glimpse into his view about the things happening in his life, but I always had this unexplained instinct that he feels small and inferior when compared to the people he interacts with. They have powers to wield a sword with inhuman accuracy, to turn invisible, and to move things with their minds. While he just has the knowledge of extra terrestrial life and the motivation of his missing father to push him forward through life. They're never scared to face death and to kill other creatures, and he shakes in fear at the presence of a dangerous situation. They are pretty much all on the same boat and can understand each other perfectly, and he still has troubles dealing with his feelings for a girl. All of these characteristics make Sam just that much more realistic and relatable. I'm sure at some point in life, we've all felt inadequate or lost or small, much like Sam probably does. We've all felt like we're not good enough by comparison to a certain other person.

      Well, continuing, so far this book is going great. Sam meets his father for the first time in a decade, he escapes from the prison he's been kept in for weeks, and finally might get reunited with his friends. Definitely going to go back to reading now :)

Book trailer:

Great Expectations.... Continued...

      So to start off with.... I haven't blogged about, or read for that matter, much of Great Expectations. The main reason being that my Nook died about a week ago and I, conveniently, lost the charger... I do have this book on my google account, so I have tried reading it on my laptop, but it just isn't as natural...

      Anyways, Miss Havisham has just given Pip's family some money in case of her decease... AKA a part of her will. This takes Pip's sister (Mrs. Joe) OVER the moon. Her normal stoic and mechanical nature has changed to the point where she actually laughs. This makes Pip's family happy for a while, but soon, Mr. Pumblechook has it set that Pip will be apprenticed to Mr. Joe (Pip's father figure). Previously stated in the book, Pip is completely and utterly ashamed of his upbringing and family. Once apprenticed, Pip would be tied to this kind of lifestyle for forever. What's worse is that he was getting by so well with Miss Havisham that he had this little seed of possiblility planted in his heart that Miss Havisham might agree to raise him and care for him. Then out of nowhere, she one day tells Pip that he must be apprenticed to his uncle. This crushes poor Pip's heart because it shows that Miss Havisham never meant to help him be successful and wealthy in life.

      So the rest of this part of the book literally just goes on and talks about his disappointment and shamefulness. What I've noticed about classics, or at least this one, is that it is VERY redundant. A chapter will literally emphasize the same idea or concept like 10 times....

      P.S... Had to return The Book Thief because there was a hold on it in the library.
      P.S.S... Anyone else ALWAYS thinks 'Thief' is spelled Theif'? For sure I do.... :P

Well this is a picture of Miss Havisham, and since it's almost Halloween, this is a great time to post this pic... You'll understand :)

Blogging....

       Well had a really busy weekend.... had to help out with my sister's birthday party. And for anyone who has younger siblings, you know how difficult it is to keep 10 first graders from burning the house down... or at least keeping them from making the floor of your living room into the collection pile for empty juice boxes, popsicle sticks, and miscellaneous food. Kids.... gotta love them.

       So, I did not get much reading done :( So I was in my pj's and all ready for bed... and then this horrible feeling sinks in. I HAVE TO POST MY SECOND BLOG!! So it's like 11 at night and now I'm racking my brain for something to talk about. Don't get me wrong... normally I can fill this page with ANYTHING but at this hour, that's really not an option.

      How about some random things I happened to read over the weekend? Cleaning the house can really turn up some pretty unique findings...

1). I found this old science book lying around the house (so old it literally had dust on every page) and I flipped it open and saw this really cool picture of the Stonehenge at sunset. So inevitably, my eyes glided over to the words corresponding to it. According to this page, science started with astronomy. Apparently when our ancestors looked towards the sky and saw the different glistening lights in the dark sky, 'science' was born. They saw the changing moon from night to night, the sun's systematic setting and rising, and the numerous wandering planets visible with a glimpse through a telescope.

2). Awkwardly picked up a copy of Little Women from the bookshelf- the book was so tiny that the cover was probably the size of my hand, so undoubtedly was it thick. It was a very strangely shaped book... Anyways I read the back cover and it said that this was about 4 sisters growing up in New England during the Civil War and how they share everything with each other. From happiness to gloom, love to hate, they're always there for each other. I found this strangely relatable. Besides living in a different society, I can totally understand how and why they'd share so much with each other..

      Well it was just one of those weekends... Too sleepy to add pictures... Sorry!!

Romeo and Juliet

      

       What's your first impression of this play? Personally, I kind of like it. A lot of the ancient language gets kind of confusing, but I get the general gist of it. The different activities we do in class really does help with the understanding... I think that it was quite ingenious of Shakespeare to combine romance and tragedy with such eloquency. The plot of the story is also very innovative. It had to be something special for it to be still talked about so vividly and frequently in the 21st century. I mean it is the basis of SO many modern day media, such as Gnomeo and Juliet.

       Whenever there's a huge problem in a book, I always try to trace it back to who's fault it is.... Maybe that's weird... I don't know.... For Romeo and Juliet, I feel like there are 2 main people who contribute to the tragedy of the play. First off, Benvolio decides that it would be such a good idea to go crash their enemy's party. Ok, I'll admit, he had good intentions in mind- he wanted to help Romeo get over Rosalind, but still... If he never suggested that Romeo go to the Capulet's party, Romeo and Juliet probably never would have met because they are such mortal enemies. It's not like they visit each other so often, or talk all the time.

      Also, Juliet's dad ignored Tybalt's advice to kick Romeo out of the party. Tybalt knew of Romeo's lineage, so he knew that Romeo was not welcome. Yet, Juliet's father decided that it would be fine for Romeo to stay. If Romeo's father had kicked Romeo out, Juliet and Romeo would have never spoken or kissed, and thus wouldn't have 'fallen in love'.

     I know that it probably was destiny that these two lovers met and that it was destiny that caused their lives to end so tragically So, one probably can't pinpoint all their misfortunes on people. However, I'm sure that there could've been a small action that would've, at least, postpone the catastrophe that took place.

NEW BOOK!!!!!

       Just started The Book Thief today. I chose this book mainly because I have read so many good reviews of this book on Blogger. I read that this book was narrated by Death. This stumped me for a second. Could this whole book literally be a personification of the idea of death? Does Death talk? Does it move? Does it have a mind of its own? The answer to all the above questions is yes.It starts off with Death telling the reader of his observations of the world. It says that all the different colors in the world that he gets to see is what keeps hims sane. In a way, this spirit kind of follows around this girl named Liesel- aka the book thief. He is with her during her bad times and her good. I am really not that far into the book, but I have learned that Liesel has a little brother who dies. She is also a foster child, and thus is moved around from place to place.

       Another reason I chose this book is because it takes place around WWII in Germany. I really like reading historical fiction because doing so brings me into another world and time period. It's written so realistically that I feel as if I was actually alive during the time period and experienced all the book talks about. I especially find this time period to be exceptionally interesting. It baffles me that there are actually people in this world who could act in such a soulless and harsh manner. How can they just persecute and kill of thousands of people just because they believed different things? I know they probably had their reasons of acting the way they did, but in my eyes its still inexcusable.

       After reading Night By Elie Wiesel last year for language arts, I gained a more deeper understanding of the pain and trouble that Jews had to suffer. I have a feeling that little Liesel will have to go through similar obstacles.

       The last reason I chose to read this book is because I saw it on the YALSA/Alex awards list as I was searching for a summer reading book. I read the summary and it looked really interesting so I put it on my 'Maybe' list, but never actually got to read it. I guess now is the time that this will all change...I look forward to reading the rest of this book.

     

What Did I Just Read?!?

 Just a heads up- this is a very analytically written post, so if analyzing stuff bores you then I suggest you don't continue reading this blog... But otherwise.... Read on!!

        So many times, I'd be reading a book and just suddenly zone out. I'd look at the last 5 pages I read and have absolutely NO idea what happened. In fact, I don't even remember ever setting eyes on those pages. This happens A LOT. Especially when I'm reading my history book. But with Great Expectations, I try really hard to stay focused on what I'm reading. Still there are passages that I reread like 5 times and still have no clue what it's saying. Here's an example.

        "I have reason to think that Joe's intellects were brightened by the encounter they had passed, through, and that on our way to Pumblechook's he invented a subtle and deep design. My reason is to be found in what took place in Mr. Pumblechook's parlor: where, on our presenting ourselves, my sister in conference with that detested seedsman.(127)"

       Anyways, I'm going to try to break this passage down in this blog and try to get the general gist of this paragraph. A little background info: 'the encounter' is when Pip's brother in law (Joe) goes to visit a rich, financially stable old women. Having very little money, this is a brand new experience for Pip's brother in law. Pumplechook is Pip's uncle.

       So pretty much I interpret this to mean that visiting someone living by different standards of himself was an enlightening experience for Pip's brother in law. He inevitable became more experienced and thus 'smarter'. by "a subtle and deep design", I believe the narrator means that along the journey, Joe took on a very scholarly appearance and attitude.Whether this was to impress his host or just to fit in with his surroundings is open to interpretation.

       Well, I had heard of the word 'parlor' before and imagined a petite little room decorated with fine china and little stone statues. The curtains would be tied back with sophisticated ribbons. There'd be a soft velvet couch planted in the middle and sunlight would radiate from the side windows. This was the beautiful picture I had invented. And then I looked it up in the dictionary and...... it was not all I set it out to be. Turns out, a parlor is, simply put, an antique looking living room...

       Continuing, the narrator wanted to know what will happen in Pumblechook's living room where, upon their entering, Pip sees his sister is engaging in conversation with the strongly disliked 'sower of seeds', who I take to be Mr. Pumblechook. Wow, the word 'seedsman' is really quite literal....

       Although a trivial passage, it has helped me improve my understanding of the syntax of the book.

Another book please!!

      
       Personally, I REALLY dislike starting a book and not finishing it. It makes me feel so unaccomplished and it feels like a waste of time. I don't really know why I'm blogging about this topic as to I haven't 'quit' a book lately. I guess this just sort of crossed my mind and after posting about books I LOVED, I guess this is kind of going the opposite way. So here is a list of books that I have read and did not really like.

1). The Red Badge of Courage- This book takes place during the Civil War in the midst of a battle. It is about a young man- Henry Fleming- who signed up to fight for the Union Army, he is very scared and ran from one of the first battle he fought in. As he is escaping through the woods, he cannot help but feel ashamed of how he acts. After a while of wandering, he encounters a column of soldiers and he is envious that all these men have wounds that symbolize their bravery (or as he calls them, they have red badges of courage). Here he meets a wounded man close to dying and leaves him to die in the woods because the injured soldier keeps asking where Henry got shot. Later, Henry gets hit by a gun on his head by accident. When he returns to camp ground, all his other companions treat him like royalty because they believe he got shot. In the end, Henry feels bad that he fled from battle, but he felt worse that he left a poor, defenseless man in the woods to die.
***This book didn't suit me because I didn't understand a lot of the military terms, so it was confusing. But, if you find stories about war interesting, then this would be a great book for you.


2). Nothing But the Truth- This book revolves around a ninth grader, named Philip Malloy, who wants to get transferred from a mean teacher's class to another. He does so by ignoring the school's policy of observing "The Star Spangled Banner", and hums along with it. This small action makes national media and becomes a hot topic of debate of whether Philip did anything wrong.
*** The plot of this book was very well thought out but it was written in play format. So it had only dialogue. So every page was like this- (Someone's name): "[Dialogue]".This made the book so not descriptive and was quite bland to read.


3). Johnny Tremain- Johnny Tremain is a gifted, but arrogant, silversmith apprentice who bullies his peers. He starts off in a wonderful status with a roof over his head, food on the table, and a family who cared for him. However, after a prank turns bad, Johnny's hand is burned and he no longer can work as a silversmith. He has proof that he is related to the wealthy Boston merchant Mr. Lyte. After a huge amount of unfortunate circumstances, he finds a job delivering newspapers and befriends Rab. Rab later dies in the Battle of Lexington, and Johnny vows to avenge his friends death. He finds a doctor who says that his hand can be fixed to the point where Johnny can fire a musket and that is what he decides to do.
   *** Just not enough action for my liking....

       Well, still reading Great Expectations, but I'm progressing at a much slower pace than I would like because at this point, it is more of the desire to finish the book than the excitement of the book that propels me to read it. Don't get me wrong, the book is really good, but it's just not as action packed as some of the other books I've blogged about in my blog. Anyways, if you guys have any suggestions for books I can read along side Great Expectations, I'd be really grateful!!

Book Wishlist!!

Personally, I am a very "series" oriented person when it comes to reading- meaning that I really like reading books that are part of a series. Thus, inevitably, it is a HUGE pet peeve of mine when I finish a book and the next book is scheduled to come out... 2 years later. By then I would've forgotten everything that happened in the series and I would have to reread the old books to jog my memory before I start the new one, and it just gets really annoying... Anyways... just a little background info that kind of explains the books I really want to read in the future:

1). Fall of Five (Lorien Legacies) By Pitticus Lore: I started reading this series last year and instantly fell in love with it. I read the first book and immediately bought the next 2 on my Nook. The plot seemed so distant and far- fetched, yet so close to home. The whole "creatures from another planet with super powers" kind of made the book sound very fictional. However the fact that John (main character) had to move a lot to hide his identity, lost his foster dad, and had to go through so much pain to save something he cared for deeply made this book seem like it could very much happen in reality.

2). City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments) By Cassandra Clare: The majority of my posts on my blog is about the prequels to this book. The ending of the book before this one ended on such a cliff hanger that I REALLY want to know what happened. Also, I feel like in this series, everytime a happy even occurs, it somehow always turns bad. The ending of the 5th book was rather happy and I have a feeling that something horrible is going to happen in the next book.

3). Allegiant (Divergent) By Veronica Roth: The first 2 books really grabbed my attention because ALL of the characters were so relatable- even the antagonists. Also, the fact that this book is set in such dystopian society really made me feel much more appreciative of the world we live in today. I couldn't help constantly thinking, "Is this what our world could turn into one day?".

Now time for some books that aren't part of a series:


4). The Book Thief By Markus Zusak: I have read so many good reviews (esp on Blogger.com) on this book. I also considered reading this book for my summer reading project so I have already read the short synopsis about the book. It sounded so interesting and is set during the Holocaust which is such a sad, yet captivating time period.

5). The Perks of Being a Wallflower By Stephen Chbosky: This was my language arts teacher's favorite book last year, so it has definitely been the top "want to read". Also the idea for the story sounds really well thought out and unique. (And also I have read really good reviews of this book on Blogger.com too...)

When a REALLY good series ends... :(

       Well, I reread Clockwork Princess- the last book of my all time favorite series- this weekend... Although I've read it multiple times before, and almost know the book by heart, I still felt this helpless feeling of drowning when I was done. It had such a beautiful and happy ending, so it definitely wasn't the plot that contributed to that feeling. It was the fact that there wouldn't be a book after that one that brought tears to my eyes. Can anyone relate?

 

       The first time after I finished the book, I frowned and thought to myself, "Well that was a very final ending... Everyone's life it perfect, what would the next book even be about?" I brushed that thought aside and eagerly went online and googled the sequel to it. I couldn't wait to find out when the next book came out. BAM! Just like that my hopes were shattered for I came upon this website:
http://cassandraclare.tumblr.com/post/19951137051/just-made-a-tumblr-to-ask-you-a-question-haha-is-the

       Pretty much it was a post about Cassandra Clare (the author) confirming that Clockwork Princess is indeed the last book of the Infernal Devices series. Quoting from the post:

(Question: )" I understand it will be the last book in TID, am I correct?"
 (Answer:) Yes. I have the Dark Artifices to write after that. I think the end of The Infernal Devices is a very final ending. I hope it is satisfying — I don’t think it’s what people are expecting but I hope it’s a satisfying surprise ....


       Anyways... after reading this, I sat at my desk for 10 minutes, stubbornly refusing to accept this fact. However, I soon realized that "all good things must come to an end," so I reluctantly came to terms with this new information.

    For me, when a good series ends and the characters who I had come to love disappear, I little part of me sort of vanishes. I know this sounds really trivial and exaggerated and you're probably thinking, "It's a series... you'll find another." You're probably right, maybe I'm just overly attached to the series. Maybe it's not normal...  Anyhow, I really do hope that I find another series that's good enough to compare with The Infernal Devices. *Fingers Crossed*

Clockwork Princess Book Trailer:

Predictions...

So far in the book Great Expectations, not a lot of major events have happened. But yet the book moves along because the author describes everything in so much vivid detail that it really draws the reader in.

Quick Summary:
       Pip (main character) meets a homeless convict. This man threatens/forces Pip to bring him food to him the next day. Pip does so and later the next day the King's military comes to have Pip's family fix a weapon. The soldiers (and Pip and his uncle) then travel to the commentary to look for the convict Pip had helped. Two convicts are found and both are captured. This marks the end of a significant event of Pip's life. The story skips ahead a year to when a rich lady named Miss Havisham asks Pip to visit her and play with her adopted daughter. Seeing this as a great opportunity for Pip to learn the way of upper classman and to experience what it's like to live high up in the social hierarchy, Pip's family, more than enthusiastically, agrees. at the Havisham's mansion, Pip meets a rude, condescending, yet extremely beautiful girl. This girl is Estella, Miss Havisham's daughter. Estella makes fun of Pip and his poor upbringings, which makes Pip feel really bad about himself.

Charles Dickens:

There are a lot of different ways that the story could go from this point on. I have watched the trailer for the movie, so I kind of have an idea of how this book will continue. But there are still facets of the plot that I have NO idea how it's going to unravel. I do have a few predictions, however.

First off, I think that Pip is going to turn into a very self- conscious and ashamed boy because of the horrid things that Estella said about his being poor. Pip could try very hard to learn to act like Estella and her family and eventually leave his real family because he feels he's "too good for them" I also think that he is going to fall in love with Estella despite how much she has and will hurt him and Estella will fall in love with Pip against her will. A lot of the story could also be focused on Pip trying to impress Estella and the obstacles he has to overcome to be with Estella.

There are also some very confusing parts of the text. For example, how did Pip's parents die- was it an accident or was someone set out to get them? The book starts with Pip in the cemetery and imagining what his parents looked like based on their tombstones, so inevitably, I kind of want to know what happened to them...

Also, I wonder if Estella and Pip will ever end up together, or if it just isn't meant to be with Pip coming from such a different background as Estella did. Will Estella do something so soulless that makes Pip resent her forever?

Pip and Estella from BBC adaptations of Great Expectations:

So far, this classic has DEFINATELY been a lot better than I expected, and although it is sometimes hard to follow the 'ancient' language, the general gist of what's happening can be clearly understood.

Google it!

If I asked you who sings the new hit song "Roar", you'd probably respond, "Katy Perry, of course." But if I asked you who founded the most popular search engine that you use everyday, you'd probably have NO idea. Well, at least that was the case for me.

Personally, I use Google at least ten times a day; whether that be to find a math equation to finish my math homework, or to watch a cat play ping pong... =) It's one of those things that you don't realize how much you use it until you really think about it. And yet, I had not the slightest clue about who might have created this powerful and utilitarian website.


Inside Google's Data Centers:

Turns out, a very quiet man (co)founded this website. Quiet, not by nature but because he has severe nerve damage in both vocal chord, Larry Page has big dreams for expanding Google. In the new Times Article 'Can Google Solve Death?" Harry McCracken and Lev Grossman talk about Page's philosophy and his future goals and plans for the ever successful company.

Page is "uncommonly ambitions and impatient". In a way, I feel that it is this drive that has made Google what it is today. With Page's unceasing motivation and good leadership, it is inevitable that Google is the leading search engine in the world. As Page says, "For me, it was always unsatisfying if you look at companies that get very big and they're just doing one thing. Ideally, if you have more people and more resources, you can get more things solved. We've kind of always had that philosophy."

The article also highlights what Google calls Moon Shots, or Google's more arduous endeavors. Google is planning on launching a new company that will solely focus on health and aging, called Calico. The goal is that with enough research and work, maybe one day Calico could solve the 'issue' of aging and possible slow down the mortality rates due to it. When I first read this my first reaction was, "What? Is that even possible?" But then again, we are talking about one of the richest and most powerful companies on this planet today, so I don't really put anything past them.


For more info on Calico, check out Page's personal post on Google+ at:
https://plus.google.com/+LarryPage/posts/Lh8SKC6sED1

Great Expectations

 

       I just started reading the book Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. I've been wanting to read a classic for a long time, but I never seemed to get past the first two chapters because they don't draw me in. However, this book was quite different. It had a very interesting start and although sometimes the old- fashioned wording is kind of confusing, so far I have been able to keep up. It starts off with the description of why Pip came to be called Pip. The descriptions of Pip's family- whom he had never seen- is also present in the beginning of the book. So far Pip, the main character, has talked to a homeless man who threatened to kill him if Pip doesn't bring him food the next day. Pip goes home to his sister- the woman who raises him- and is thinking about stealing some food from the dinner table to give to the homeless man. Told in first person, the story is able to include Pip's inner thoughts and intents for actions. During the night, Pip is only able to think about the man tearing out his heart and liver and barely gets a wink of sleep. Pip wakes up early in the morning and guiltily steals some food from the already low supply. He brings these goods to the homeless man who is sitting by the grave yard, asleep. Pip watches as the man stuffs food down his throat like he hasn't eaten for days- which might be the case. Pip thinks to himself and makes the connection that the man eats a lot like a dog does,  I found his descriptions of why he thought so quite humorous. Pip states that the man scarfs the food down hurriedly and messily, occasionally looks up to look for anything that might threaten his food, and crouches over in a protective manner over his meal, or as the book states:
"I had often watched a large dog of ours eating his food; and I now noticed a decided similarity between the dog's way of eating and the man's...He swallowed, or rather snapped up, every mouthful too soon and too fast; and he looked sideways here and there while he ate, as if he thought there was danger of somebody's coming to take the pie away."

       So far, this book has been a really good read and I look forward to finishing it, and watching the movie.

Book Recommendation

Your world has been shattered. Your boyfriend is now possessed by your murderous, coldblooded brother that you never knew you had. Everything you’ve known for 17 years is a lie. Now you are a part of an elite group of super-humans called ShadowHunters that could very possibly be eradicated by your brother. That is exactly what happened to a teenager named Clary in The City of Lost Souls. It was a really good read. Since the beginning of the school year, I’ve been continuing to read the Mortal Instruments series (City of Glass, City of Fallen Angels, and City of Lost Souls). All of these books were well-written, suspenseful, and descriptive. However, I read the corresponding series (The Infernal Devices) and the Moral Instruments did not live up to my expectations.  I already exclusively classified the Infernal Devices as one of my favorite series, so I figured that the Mortal Instruments series would be ‘mind blowingly’ good since they were making a movie for it. The main characters are really well developed and the reader is able to see these characters through different lenses. One can see them when they thrive in their best of times and crumble and adapt in their worst of times- this really allowed me to understand and relate to each of the characters.

 

 I feel like the series has experienced its up and downs. The first book I would say was the best. The second one was less exciting, but the third one redeemed the series with its unexpected twists in plot. The fourth book was my least favorite- it was very predictable and had minimum action until the last fifty pages. The characters pretty much went about their daily business and the author described this. Only near the end of the book did an antagonist show up and turned the character’s world upside down. The fifth book I really, really enjoyed reading. Although it did drag a little, I felt that there was enough action and was well written enough to keep me reading. From the middle of the book to near the end, the story was told through 2 different perspectives. One from the place that Clary, Sebastian, and Jace was in and the other from where Simon, Isabelle, Alec, and other ShadowHunters were staying. This kind of got confusing sometimes, but like with all changes, you'll get used to it.

Overall, I would give this book 4.5 stars because of the well-crafted writing, exciting plot line, unexpected turn arounds, and deeply relatable characters. However, I feel that the story was rather drawn out and a lot of irrelevant detailed was included. I would definately recommend this book to anyone who likes a little romance mixed in with a lot of action and surprises. Also, if you do like this book, I suggest that you read the Infernal Devices series or the Bane Chronicles.

 

Still Reading the City of Lost Souls....

       Got a bit of reading in this weekend and the book is getting really good. Jace, an arrogant yet charming teenager, is still bound/possessed by a mass murderer named Sebastian, so if one gets hurt the other does too. Clary, now however, decides to join Jace (her boyfriend) and Sebastian as they travel through dimensions of time to see if she can get some information about Sebastian's new plan to cause destruction. Magnus Bane, one of the Shadowhunter's good friends, has summoned the Prince of Demons- Azazel- to see if he has a weapon that can kill Sebastian but leave Jace unharmed. Azazel does have a plan, but the price is too high for the ShadowHunters-Isabelle, Alec, Jocelyn- to agree to.

        The book, at this point, starts switching between Clary's world and that of her other ShadowHunting friends. Clary is fighting demons with Jace and Sebastian and traveling the world with them too.  Simon, a vampire, is Clary's best friend and has the Mark of Cain. This means that anyone who tries to harm him will receive the damage sevenfold.  He is also trying to save Jace because he knows that if Jace dies, Clary would be devastated for the rest of her life. After much thought, Simon has devised a plan that the other ShadowHunters had shot down earlier. He was going to summon an angel. This seems impossible because the person who summons an angel always gets smoldered to ashes before any words can be exchanged. However, because of the Mark of Cain, Simon believes that he can summon an angel and not get harmed. Obviously the others object because there are still a lot of faults to this plan that could result in Simon being dead. In the end however, Simon is able to persuade them that he owes Jace and Clary this favor.

        Even though this book/series is very gripping and fun to read, I kind of feel that it might be dragging out a little too much. By the third book, the main antagonist had died, and there aren't many big problems. Thus, the fourth book, I feel, had no suspense or an interesting plot until the last 50 pages. I'm more than halfway done with the fifth book and so far, the characters are only talking and thinking about plausible plans, but no action has been taken yet. However, I still really enjoy the series and can't wait to get more reading done :)

Below is a little interview with the author- Cassandra Clare:

City of Lost Souls

Characters:

       This is the fifth book of the City of Bones series. The main character of the book is a seventeen year old girl named Clary. Another very important character is Jace- a skilled ShadowHunter. Clary and Jace have been in love since the first time they saw each other, but when they first admitted this to each other in the first book, they are told that they are siblings. Thus, they had to hide their feelings for each other and act as sisters and brothers do. Finally in the third book, it is revealed that Clary and Jace are actually not related. So now, they can officially date. All is well, but in the end of the fourth book, Jace, is possessed by the demon queen who is trying to revive Sebastian- a dead boy who is like her son. Jace and Sebastian are mortal enemies because Sebastian had hurt so many people in Jace's family. Clary and her other ShadowHunter friends are able to kill the queen, but in the end, Sebastian comes back to life because he was able to control Jace's mind to let him have some of Jace's blood. Now, these 2 enemies are bound to each other, which means that if one gets hurt, the other gets hurt, or if one dies, then the other dies as well. Sebastian, with mind control, is able to get Jace to act according to his every wish. This shows that through the course of 2 books, Jace had turned from a person who loved being his own person and voicing his opinion to someone who can only act as someone else tells him to.



       Clary, who was living the life of a normal teenage girl for 17 years, finally figures out the truth about her identity. And within days, her life had turned upside down. Her mother was in a deep sleep and couldn't be awoken, she had to face mythical creatures in battle, has to fight against her father so he doesn't kill the ShadowHunter population,and she has to choose between her best friend or the possible love of her life- Jace. In the fifth book, she starts off very worried about Jace because he had disappeared from where she had left him just 5 minutes ago. Also gone from the room is a mass murderer named Sebastian. So inevitably, Clary assumes that Sebastian probably hurt Jace.
       "Then you tell me why [Sebastian's] body isn't there, because it isn't,"[Clary] said, her voice finally breaking. "There's nothing up there but a lot of blood and broken glass. They're both gone, Simon. Jace is gone."
       As days go by, Clary's despair grows. Jace still cannot be found, and his best friend says that he has a bad feeling about what is happening to Jace. However, then she sees him and talks to him. It is then that she realizes that the Jace she's talking to is no longer the Jace she loves. Although she still wants to help Jace, she is a little scared of him and no longer trusts himi with her life as she did before. This shows how Clary changed from a carefree teenager to one who had to deal with the pressure of fighting demons, saving the ShadowHunter population, and losing the love of her life.


                                                                       ***

So now that I finished the book, I have a more detailed understanding  of how the characters have changed throughout the story. First off, Alec, who was initially very jealous of Magnus Bane- his boyfriend- has slowly learned to overcome this. At the beginning, he was considering to take away Magnus's immortality so that he couldn't love anyone besides him. Alec was very new to the concept of love and felt that it could only be true if one person was the only thing on the others mind. However, by the end of the book, Alec realizes that true love is when you will do whatever just to see the person you love be happy. He understands that you cannot expect love to work how you want it to. It's going to take the course it wants to take and you have to be the one to adapt to it.

       Clary, who from the beginning to late end of the book, could not imagine ever hurting Jace physically or mentally does the former with full intentions. "Glorious sank into [Jace's] chest, and she felt her bloddy hand slide on the hilt as the blage ground against the bones of his rib cage, driving through him until her fist thumped against his body and she froze. (490)."She transforms from a girl who cared almost solely for her boyfriend and his well being into one who is able to do something she hates for the well- being of her friends and family. This shows that she has learned to prioritize and is more mature and less selfish by doing only what she wants. She is now more capable of making decisions and considering later consequences.


To find out more about The City of Bones series or to find similar books, visit:
http://www.shadowhunters.com/index.php

City of Glass Summary

    Summary:

       The book City of Glass is the 3rd book of the series The Mortal Instruments. It took place in a world much like our own. However, the difference is that there are mythical creatures such as vampires, werewolves, and faeries. There are also these special people called Shadowhunters. These human beings have the ability to draw designs called runes onto their skin to get superhuman strengths. Jace, is the main male character, he is a Shadowhunter and is very good at hunting demons. He is very arrogant, but in a funny way. He is also very caring to people who he likes. Clary is the main female character. She is also a Shadowhunter, however, she doesn't have the training to fight bad creatures.  But, her ability to draw any rune that no one has ever seen to give others powers makes up for the above fact. Isabelle, Alec, and Max are Jace's siblings, and thus are also Shadowhunters. Clary and Jace are told that they are long lost sister and brother, but before they knew this fact, they had already developed feelings for each other.

       In this book, Clary's mom was drugged by her ex- husband (named Valentine), and the antagonist, with this magical potion that put her in an deep sleep. Clary who clearly loves her mother travels to Idris, which is the capital of the mythical world. There, a lot of Shadowhunters gather to discuss battle strategies to defeat Valentine, who is trying to collect 3 Mortal Instruments that, when used together, can summon the Raziel angel who will grant one wish to it's caller. Valentine is trying to destroy the Clave- the head of the Shadowhunters- and has already collected 2 of the Instruments (The Mortal Sword and the Mortal Cup), so it's very important that he does not get the Mortal Mirror, or he will demolish the Shadowhunters. Jace and siblings are staying at their close friends house in Idris. Here lives Aline and her cousin Sebastian. Clary decides to surprises Jace and shows up at where he's staying. But Jace takes this very badly because he wanted Clary to stay in New York, so he throws harsh words at Clary, who leaves heartbroken.

       As she leaves, Clary talks to Sebastian and finds him to be a piece of art and spends a day with him. They talk to Magnus Bane who says that he would be able to wake Clary's mother if the Gray Book could be found. He freezes Sebastian so that he doesn't hear the location of the sacred book. He tells Clary where the book is hidden. After this conversation, Clary and Sebastian spend the rest of the day together. Jace and Clary find the Gray Book and gives it to Magnus. During all of this time, Clary's best friend, Simon, is locked in Shadowhunter jail and the only other person he can talk to says his name is Samuel. In the late middle of the book, it is revealed that Sebastian is actually an imposter. His real name is Jonathan and he's working for Valentine as a spy. He had killed Jace's little brother Max and hurt Isabelle very badly. Sebastian flees to help Valentine again.

       After all is said and done, Clary's mom (Jocelyn) wakes up and secretly travels from New York to Idris to surprise Clary. Then, these two have a mother- daughter talk about their past. It turns out that Jocelyn's first born son was surreptitiously given demon blood by Valentine when he was still in her womb, thus making this son a monster. This little boy eventually grew into Jonathan (aka Sebastian).  Jocelyn said she couldn't love this boy, so when she became pregnant with Clary, she ran away. Before she left, though, Clary had been given angel blood, as did Stephen Herondale's son, who happened to be Jace. Delighted by the fact that the boy she loved wasn't related to her, Clary hurries to tell Jace only to discover that he had run to find Sebastian and revenge him for all the pain he'd put all the Shadowhunters through. Meanwhile, Clary and others are trying to find ways to beat Valentine when he would show up to fight them with hundreds of demons.

       When Jace finally finds Sebastian, they duel to the death. Sebastian has the upper hand with the demon blood and training from Valentine. But, as he is about to stab a sword through Jace's heart, a whip slashes his hand off. This whip belonged to Isabelle who traced down Jace to help him avenge their brother's death. Eventually, Jace and Isabelle kill Sebastian.

       In Idris, Valentine has collected all 3 Mortal Instruments and has sent his demon army off to finish the Shadowhunters. As he is in the process of summoning Raziel, Clary shows up and tries to stop him. Valentine hates Clary and is ready to kill her when Jace comes to her rescue. Valentine kills Jace and lets Clary live while he summons Raziel. Raziel hears of his horrible plan and kills Valentine in an instant. Meanwhile, the badly wounded Clary is given the one wish and she uses it to give life back to Jace. Soon afterwards, the demon army disperses without the control of Valentine. In the end Valentine is dead, the Clave regains its power, Jace and Clary can finally admit their love for each other, and Joselyn is awoken and engaged to her best friend, Luke.

The Glory Field Theme

    


  The Glory Field is a collection of 6 short stories that follows a family through its histories. One of the most prominent themes throughout the book is that one should always keep one's eyes on the goal and to work hard to reach it, even if it means facing ridicule, disappointment, and struggles along the way.
      From the very beginning of the book this theme has been demonstrated and then more clearly developed along the way.

      In the first short story, this theme was very hidden. The story was about a young African boy, named Muhammad, who was captured and put on a slave ship. He vowed to himself that he would not give his capturers the satisfaction of seeing him cry. So, although he was scared and missed his village, he stood proudly and walked his way into the ship. There, occasionally at night, he would cry when he remembered his parents, but never in front of his capturers. This shows that although it was difficult for him to stay strong, Muhammad mustered strong determination and fought his way to reach his goal.

      By the time the sixth story comes around, the same theme is much more obvious and easy to uncover. The story involves a teenager named Malcolm. He is trying to get himself and his cousin, Shep, to a family reunion in another state. However, from the beginning there were problems. First his cousin is very stubborn on not going to the reunion. Then Shep 'lost' his plane fare money. Malcolm, thus, has to split his plane fare with Shep and can only afford to ride a very poor bus. Shep feels sick on the bus and throws up. People sitting around them points and talk behind their backs right about these two boys right in front of their faces. Next, when they stop at a diner for some food, the bus leaves them behind . Finally they have to catch a ride in the trunk of a beat- up truck that stinks. It's so stuffy and horrible that the 2 boys almost suffocate to death. But in the end they arrive at their reunion on time, and get to spend time with their family. In the book it says, "These shackles didn't just rob us of being black, son, they robbed us of being human." This quote summarizes the theme, I believe. This is because all the actions and events that occured to the character is because of the injustice, bias, and racial prejudice that they had to learn to overcome.

      Both of these stories are examples of people who have a very clear sense of what they want to achieve and work very hard to get there. They battle through obstacles and come out stronger when all's said and done.

 

 

 

The article below is a review of the book The Glory Field. It describes the structure of the book and a little about the general plot line of the book. Click for more information about The Glory Field.