Jessie and Alex talk

ALEX: what is your book about Jessie?

JESSIE: I’m reading the notebook by Nicholas Sparks.

ALEX: OK

JESSIE: It’s about two lovers Allie and Noah who love each other and it’s a book about their lives together and the obstacles they face. Sometimes it has be laughing, other times it’s very sad.

ALEX: Well that is cute!

JESSIE: Alex, what is your book about?

ALEX: My book is Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks and it is about a rebellious teenager who runs away from home and lives in an abandoned video store with bikers.

JESSIE: Have you ever ran away from home?

ALEX: I don’t think so….

JESSIE: Well that’s always good to hear, I like reading the Notebook because I like reading romantic comedies.

JESSIE: What are your favorite aspects of your book?

ALEX: It is cool because I can relate to the kid and I once ran away on Sydney, my sisters, horse. (BTW I am not joking)

JESSIE: WOW that must have been a life changing experience.

ALEX: duhh

JESSIE: I am a more mushy gooshy type of reader and my book highlights that and sometimes saddens me when Allie and Noah split up and run away from each other like the kid in your book.

ALEX: yeah that sounds about right. We are both reading in the English language

JESSIE: um………ok…..and, sometime throughout the book Allie and Noah split up, like Chappie runs away from his family. 

JESSIE: What has surprised you about your book? For me, it surprised me that a couple that loved eachother so much and would do anything for one another split up. What about you?

ALEX: How much trouble a 14 year old kid can get into.

JESSIE: Nice talking with you chap. (get it like the main character in you book! LOL!)

ALEX: C YA LATA ALIGATA

Book Talk with Gen, Kaila and Spencer

Gen: I am reading the Hunger Games, has anyone read it? It is about post apocalipse and the world is over. The people are separated and there are 12 districts run by the Capitol. 2 tributes are randomly chosen and they are between the ages of 12-18. They have to compete in the game called the hunger games where they fight to the death and whoever wins gets glory. Spencer, what is your book about?
Spencer: My book is about a boy who is in High School whose father works for the mob, he is going out with a girl whose father works for the FBI. The girls father is trying to put the boys father into jail. Its basically about how he gets involved in his fathers business even though he doesn't want to and his girlfriend finds out and breaks up with him. They end up patching up the relationship and getting along. Kaila, What is your book about?
Kaila: My book is about the conflicts in the Middle East. There is a new York times reporter who is in the middle east reporting on the events that are happening. The reporter follows demonstrations and protests. It's mostly factual and hopefully not too biast. Gen, why do you like reading your book?
Gen: I like reading this book because it is very not predictable. You don't know what is going to happen, and when you think that something is going to happen the opposite happens. That is what i really like about it. Spencer what do you like about our book?
Spencer: I like how it has a lot of action and it's a funny book. It is very suspenseful, what about you Kaila?
Kaila: Well I like that my book is very informative with a personal prospective on the situation. With a person in the situation its different for a person who is reporting form a different place on a situation far away.
Gen: Is your book in the middle east?
Kaila: Mine is, she author comes into the war and is there during it.
Gen: Thats interesting, mine is kind of the same, all of the kids in my book are fighting for their district, and in your cause it would be country, and in your book it talks about a war. Its similar with the war.
Kaila: Spencer do you have anything to say?
Spencer: My book is different there is not much fighting between people or groups of people. It's more about ripping people off. Does anything in your book surprise you Gen? Because in my book there are lots of changes.
Gen: I guess that in all of the war and fighting and killing, the two main characters still find romance in the whole thing!!!
Kaila: Nothing really surprises me in my book, I already know whats going to happen because I have some prior knowledge on the conflicts.

Carly and Paige's Dialogue

PAIGE: Hey Carly my book is called Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

CARLY: Hey Paige my book is called Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

PAIGE: My book Pretties is about a girl name Tally who is struggling to get into the “pretty” group of her school. She goes through lots of struggles and challenges while they are accepting her in.

CARLY: My book is about a guy named Jacob who loses everything during the depression. He jumps onto a long train and it turns out to be a circus train. He gets a job in the circus and the book is about what happens to him while he is with the circus.

PAIGE: I like my book because it’s really capturing real life and what its like to be accepted by people. I also like the display and language of the book because I can get an easy picture in my head of what’s happening. I like the drama in it.

CARLY: I like how my book is historical fiction and it gets into a topic that I’ve never read before like circuses. It shows a different type of love story, in the beginning it doesn’t seem as happy but it ends out being happy. It shows how difficult life can be and how you need to do what you can to stay alive. It also talks about how life is like during the depression.

PAIGE: My reading experience has not been too well with this book. Since I have additional stress on me I have a hard time finding time to read it. I am finding that I’m reading this book very slowly.

CARLY: We have the same reading experience. Although the topic is very interesting the pace of the book is very slow and its not hooking my attention.

PAIGE: Looks like we have no reading differences! What surprised me about this book was that it turned out to be more of a story. I thought this book would be more factual and not quite based on a story line. I also thought that I would like it a little more then I do.

CARLY: I did not expect my book to be this slow especially compared to the movie which is very fast paced. I also did not expect it to be so descriptive in the writing. I also was surprised for some topics to go into so much detail.

PAIGE: Your book sounds interesting! I really liked the movie so maybe I will try reading it one day

CARLY: I also liked the movie, I hope both of our books go a little faster and more exciting for us! 

Sarah and Ellie's Book Talk

Sarah: Ellie and I are really excited to be talking about the books that we are reading today. The two books that we are reading are both written by the same author!! It is awesome that we were partners today! So Ellie what is your book about?

Ellie: A girl who has committed suicide and left behind 13 tapes for 13 people who were reasons why she did it. Sarah what is yours about?

Sarah: My book is actually along the same lines. It is about a girl named Samantha who has the perfect life but dies on February 12th, but gets 7 chances to live her last day over again.

Ellie: Wow so similar! What are your favorite aspects of this book?

Sarah: I haven't gotten that far into it yet, only about 50 pages but it seems like a very interesting plot. What about you?

Ellie: I like how it's real, and talks about real issues and problems.

Sarah: Some differences about our books are that in my book Samantha gets a chance to relive her last day, while the main character in your book is already dead.

Ellie: It is similar though because the author wrote books on the same topic. Our books are both about death and what could have gone differently.

Sarah: Anything surprising about reading your book? Anything make you say WOW?

Ellie: Nothing really yet but I'm sure there will be some soon. What about you?

Sarah: It surprised me that Samantha gets 7 chances to relive her last day.

The book that I am reading, “how an economy grows, and why it crashes” by Peter D Schiff, was a book given to me from me uncle, in mid October. However because of schoolwork and other priorities, the book went unread. But because of this project, I now have a way to read it and get work done at the same time. I first started the book over Thanksgiving break, on the Saturday before school, and was immediately immersed in the philosophy of economics. Although the book is written in a form of a story, It is still filled to the brim with detail, and forced me to read slowly and carefully. The books main plot, following the economy of a small island community, is very interesting, and is one of the main factors that will keep me reading until the end. Although some of the story might feel unoriginal and taken, the way it is used to show the way an economy works is quite unique, and I doubt there is any book like it in the world. This book, however, is not for the faint hearted. If you are not interested in economies and how they work you will most likely not enjoy the book, as keeping track of everything is a very hard task. On the other hand if you do enjoy economics like myself, the ability to see or own economies in a new light is the reward. I look forward to continuing to read this book.

The Notebook

Who are you as a reader?

• What is your reading identity? (For example, are you a voracious reader? a reluctant reader? a former reader? a reading addict or a reading novice?) Write a brief description of how you would describe yourself as a reader. Give an example to support the reading identity you describe for yourself.
  • I am a former reader. Although I read books, I don't read them that often and I am not a big fan of reading. However, once in a blue moon when I come across a good book I am really into it and can't put it down. I am into biographies, and normally I like to read sadder biographies with tragic events that happened to people, I'm not sure why. I guess it makes the novel seem more realistic and allows me to re-live the characters life more, than if the whole time they are living a happy life.
• Write a paragraph in which you discuss the current book you are reading. Give the author and title. If possible, find an image of your book, like the cover or any other relevant image, and put it in your blog entry (be sure to site your source from the web.) You should answer any 3 of the following questions:
• I am currently reading, The Notebook, by Nicholas Sparks. I am enjoying the book, and I like comparing to the movie, since I have seen it a bunch of times. So far I have gotten to the part when Noah and Allie are at the fair. Noah is hanging from a ferris wheel trying to impress Allie. He tells her he will let go on the ferris wheel if he doesn't go on a date with him. I love comparing this book to the movie, since I am such a big fan of the movie. When i first opened up the book I could replay the scenes in the movie along with the text I was reading. I am excited to continue reading this book and see how it relates to the movie. Also to see if I can picture the scenes as well in my head compared to the movie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Notebook

An elephant's faithful 100%!

When I first began to read I used to be really reluctant to do it. Preferred watching TV to reading. As I slowly got into liking books I became a reading addict. I would read anything that I could get my hands on. This reading addiction lasted until my 8^th grade year. When I got into high school I started to not read so many books for pleasure because I had no time to and when I did have time, I was too tired to make my brain

The first time I saw the book Water for Elephants it was when the English department at my school was giving away free books in 9^th grade and I thought to myself hey why not get a free book? When Water for Elephants caught my eye. It looked interesting so I decided to take it home with me. I wanted to start reading it, but my mom wanted to read it first. When she finished reading it she said it truly was an inspiring book and said that I should read it. I said to myself that I would, but school distracted from reading and I completely forgot the book. After a year had passed, my mom and I one night decided to watch a movie on the TV. We searched and searched until we came across the movie for Water for Elephants. We decided to watch that and I instantly fell in love with the movie. After that I decided to read the book no matter what. One of the best things of reading this book is the fact that it is something I have never read before. I have always loved the circus and to read about it has made me really like learning more about the history of Circuses. Water for Elephants is mostly a love story with a lot of subplot and shows how love is not always a smooth ride.

Dreams and Shadows: The Future of the Middle East

I read mostly for just school. I wish I could read more but I just don't feel like I have enough time. I have a few books on my nightstand to encourage me to try to read more, but by time I am getting into bed its too late to read. I am reading Dreams and Shadows by Robin Wright. I chose this book because recently I want to know more about the conflicts in the Middle East and about what has been happening. When I first started reading I noticed that it was not very confusing to read and that it nicely described each event leading up to certain major events. I feel like I am really going to be able to read this book without too many confusions. The only small thing that I am worried that the author may be bias in some ways and i was hoping for a un-bias book. I feel like I may be reading this book in little pieces when i have some time. I think that I will just have it out and pick it up when i see it, read a few pages and put it back down to work on something else. So far I think that I am really going to like the book and hopefully it stays that way.

Th1rteens R3asons Why

I am an easily distracted avid reader. I read a lot, and I love it because of all the different stories and people and situations I learn about. However, often times I will begin reading a book and then stop for a few weeks, and forget about it. Also, I tend to read one book and then start on another. Once last summer, I was even reading five books at once: Wicked, Alice in Wonderland, The Secret Circle, and The Color of Water.

Currently, I am reading Th1rteen R3asons Why by Jay Asher. I originally chose Takeoffs and Landings by Margaret Peterson Haddix, but switched because I finished it in two days. I picked this novel because my friend described this book to me a while ago, and it sounded very interesting. When I visited her house this past Friday, I borrowed it.

I have been reading this novel in short periods, when I have a free moment during the day. The mystery compels me to read more because I would like to find out all of the thirteen reasons why Hannah Baker committed suicide. This book seems delightfully dramatic.

This book reminds me of a book I read before, The Next Thing on my List because they are both about the list of a girl who died. This book is about a girl who made tapes describing the thirteen reasons why she killed herself, and the former novel I read was about a girl who died in a car accident, and another woman who found her bucket list and set out to finish it. In both stories there is a person who goes on the journey of a girl, and along the way learns about who she was.

Beƒore I ƒall

I would describe my reading identity as a reading addict, when I have the time to read. If I am in a book and I love it, I will read very fast until I complete the book. An example of this is on vacation I usually read at least 3 books just for pleasure. However, during the school year when I am pressed with work I tend to become a reluctant reader because of all of the other priorities going on in my life. The independent book that I am currently reading is called Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. I choose this book because the title intrigued me, so I read the description of the book. It seemed very interesting and left me with a lot of suspense. This made me want to read the book and find out what happened and all of the answers. My first encounter with this book was that it was written in a juvenile way. The plot seemed interesting but the first 47 pages contained a very typical “middle school,” storyline. It talked about a “popular girl,” with the perfect boyfriend, friends and family. As I get further into this book, I am looking forward to seeing if the book becomes more interesting and more to my liking. by the plot becoming more mature and having more twists and turns in it. I am also looking forward to seeing what else happens in the story.

Pretties

My reading identity is categorized in 3 ways. I can be a reluctant reader when I know I need to read the book. For example in school when I know that I need to read a book for a class, I automatically tell myself that I will not like the book. I am also a former reader, I used to love reading when I was in 7^th and 8^th grade but it is harder now, because I don’t have as much time. I can be a voracious reader when I really like the book and it is of my choice when I am not forced to read it, and I have time to read it. I am reading the book Pretties by Scott Westerfeld. So far this book is about a girl struggling to make it in the “pretty” group. I chose this book because when I read the back of it I could tell it would be relating to high school drama. As I get further into the book, I’m really looking forward to seeing what the main character, Tally, goes through and what the outcome of her struggles will be like. The best part of reading this book is I can sometimes imagine scenes that are going on and the people that they describe in my head. I like this because it really gets me into the book and makes me picture it in my head, it makes it more exciting.

The Best of Me

I'm a bit of a mix of voracious, reluctant, and a former reader. Now that I'm in high school I almost never have time read the books I like and rarely like the mandated books for school. Before I came to high school I used to read all the time, mainly because I had the time to, but now its very hard for me to actually sit down and read a book of my choice. Right now I'm reading, The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks. I chose this book because I really like romantic books, but not just any romantic book, stories of how two completely different people fell in love with each other. It's very girly and expected of teenage girls, but just something about these types of books are so entertaining, especially when the characters have to solve a problem in their lives so they can stay together. When reading books like these, I like to act as if I'm in the story and I'm watching it all as its happening. I also like to judge the characters a lot while I'm reading. This book reminds me of another of Nicholas Spark's book, The Last Song. I guess its because Nicholas Sparks writes a lot of "people of the opposite tracks" kind of romantic stories. In The Last Song the characters come from completely different families and they have different views of different subjects. From reading the summary of this book, I feel like its going to be the same, except that the characters are high school sweet hearts rather than a summer romance like in The Last Song. Overall this book appears to be interesting, and the further I get into the story the more I'll probably be drawn in.

Son of the Mob

          I am a reluctant reader, I haven’t really ever read for pleasure apart from reading magazines or the newspaper. I usually only read for school assignments. The book I am reading is called Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman. It is an action and comedy book, which are my two favorite genres. I chose this book because I felt it was the most applicable to my type of reading. When I first started to read this book I was drawn into it because there was immediate suspense, which enticed me to read more and more. My reading pattern for this book is that I would read about four chapters in on sitting each day. As I read further into the book I am hoping to reveal more about the main problem in the story. Son of the Mob does not remind me of any books I have read in the past. The part most challenging about this book is the fact that some of the language is a little bit simple which makes the book become a little boring at times. The best part of reading Son of the Mob is the curiosity I have that drives me to keep reading.

Photo from: http://gordonkorman.com/sonmob.htm

Rule of the Bone

I would describe myself as a reluctant reader. I never read for pleasure and only read when I need to for school. I’ve never read a book for fun before. I don’t enjoy reading I think it is boring. The title of the book I am reading now is Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks. The book starts off with the main character, Chappie, who is kicked out of his home by his parents because he stole their coins and pawned them. I chose this book because Ms. Darling said it would be a good match for me. I’m looking forward to seeing how Chappie starts his life as a young teenager alone without any of his parents to support him. So far I think the book is an ok read. Personally it takes me a while to read.

http://notsofreebookchoice.tripod.com/book.jpg

"The Last Hero"

I am a reluctant reader and only read when I have to or there is some sort of reward thrown in. One example of my reluctant reading is in fourth grade my elementary school had an event called the Read-A-Thon. Basically it was an event that lasted a couple of weeks and you had to read nine books that were 200 plus pages big. The first 10 people to read their nine books got to have a pizza party. Of course I took this as an opportunity to scores some free pizza, and read the nine books in about two weeks.

Right now I am reading “The Last Hero, A Life of Hank Aaron” by Howard Bryant. I chose this book because I like to read Biographies and sport books. Fortunately this book combined put both genres together. So far the book as started off slow. The first chapter has really only talked about slavery in the south around the time that Hank Aaron was born. Although the book is slow so far, I am looking forward to seeing his baseball career from where it starts to when it ends.