Final Entry

In my personal choice reading i ended up switching my book to A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks. I would definitely recommend this book to a friend. It was such a good book and even got me to the point where i couldn't put it down. There is so much going on in the book, and it's a really good story. It allows you to get really into it by following the characters and their love story. I would also recommend it to a friend that saw the movie already, because it is very different from the movie. Although the movie is very good, the book has a different storyline which keeps you wanting to read. I think the most similar book I have read in school would be Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. It is similar in a way because it is a love story of two people that cannot be together. The difference is, Romeo and Juliet cannot be together because of their parents while Jaime and Landon, the two lovers in A Walk to Remember, cannot be together because of Jaime having cancer. My reading experience did change as i was reading the book. When i started the book i got a little bored and i was expecting it to be exactly like the movie. Once i got a little into it and i realized that the story line was different then the movie i got into it more. By the middle of the book, i could not put the book down because i liked it so much. I think if i was given a choice i would want to read another love story or a Nicholas Sparks book. They really interest me and i got deep into it, and i think that he is a really interesting intriguing writer. 

Final Post

I would recommend A True Hero; A Life of Hank Aaron to my friends because all of my friends are interested in the history of sports and its players, and this book hits the history of both. This book is most similar to Fences because Cory Maxson gives up his sports dream although being looked at by many college recruits. Although Hank Aaron does not give up his dream to play baseball but he is pushed down many a time because of his skin color, considering he lived during the time of slavery. The beginning consisted many slave stories which were really dark and gloomy. But towards the end when he is becoming a professional baseball player the book is very happy, and merry. I would really like to read another sports bibliography because I am very interested in the sports, and the teams, and players involved in it.

Final Entry

A book last year that is most similar to my personal reading would be Pride and Prejudice. The only reason why I would consider them similar would be the fact that they are both romantic and deal with the romantic theme of "opposites attract". The book's romantic quality is so vivid and leaves you wanting for more that I would, with no doubt, recommend this book to a friend. Well only if they are interested in reading romantic novels. As most teenage girls, I love reading romantic novels with rebellious characters and a doubtful relationship, because most times in our romantic lives this theme does show up. Since the beginning of reading this book and till the end I've had the same experience with it. I felt like I could relate to some of the themes and feelings which kept me interested the entire time of what would happen next. If I could read another personal choice reading book, I would read another novel written by Nicholas Sparks.

Number 13, Ellie's Final Entry

I might recommend my personal choice book Thirteen Reasons Why to a friend, because it was entertaining and very thought provoking. However, it was also quite tragic, so many of my friends would not like it. Also, it did not have a fast-paced and gripping plotline because the story had already happened, and the main character was simply listening to it and giving his side commentary. Romeo and Juliet from last year’s English class was similar to my personal choice book because it was a tragic love story. While in Romeo and Juliet the two lovers committed suicide because they could not live without each other, in Thirteen Reasons Why Clay had to figure out how to continue his life after hearing the story of Hannah Baker, the girl he loved who had killed herself. My experience reading Thirteen Reasons Why did not change while I was reading it, since the whole book had the same structure. I would hear a name, and then the story of how that person contributed to the girl’s suicide, with the main character interjecting his thoughts. If given a choice, I would like to read the first Maximum Ride book, The Angel Experiment next because several of my friends recommended it.

Final Entry

I would recommend this book, Rule of the Bone to anyone…even if they do not enjoy reading I would suggest giving this book a try. I really don’t like to read and I think turning one page is dreadful but this book’s plot is really good and was a page turner. The book talks in the way a lot of teenagers talk which makes the book easier to relate to and an easier read. This book relates to a book I read last year in English, Fences. The plots of the books do not relate, but the language and how the people talk is very similar and the two books follow the problems of the main characters. I thought in the beginning that this book would be just the average book but as I got more into it I really enjoyed it. If I had to read another book I would want a book similar to the language and plot of this one.

Final Post

The Hunger Games is now acutlly one of my favorite books. I really enjoyed it, and I would recommend it to anyone who may seek a little adventure. There are elements to this novel that fit everyone’s personality. There is violence (in the Hunger Games 24 adolescents are forced to fight to the death,) corruption and politics (President Snow and the Capital’s have generated highly unfair rules and regulations that the people must follow,) survival skills (Katniss and the other tributes are alone and must fend for themselves to get food, water, and shelter,) and a touch of romance (Katniss and Peeta pretend to be lovers, but in fact they really do care for each other.) This book reminds me of Beowulf quite a bit. Beowulf is pushed to his limits in battle and war however what makes Beowulf a hero is he volunteers to help instead of needing to be asked. He traveled to the Danes to offer his assistance against Grendel and his mother, and as king he volunteered to battle the dragon that was terrorizing his own homeland. The main character Katniss is the same way. Katniss’ little sister Prim was actually chosen to be the tribute of District 12, but Katniss immediately stepped up and volunteered to take her younger sister’s place even though she knew most likely she would never return. For the most part my experience reading The Hunger Games was nothing but pleasurable. In the beginning though, the novel definitely has more of sad and depressing tone and mood but by the end it has switched to exciting and thrilling. The next novel I read would probably be another adventure book like the Hunger Games, maybe even the sequel. I really enjoy the cliffhangers and surprises that they bring.

Final Entry =)

In the beginning of the book, the whole plot line was a little dull and the pace was very slow and the action almost non-existent. I had to put the book down a couple of times and restart reading from the beginning because I just couldn’t get into the book. But as I slowly started to get into the heart of the story my liking of the book grew and before I knew it I was done with the book. I was skeptical at first at how the book would turn out, but I am very glad that I read it because it turned out to be a great love story. I love romantic stories and while the writing style was a little too graphic, the ending made me want there to be a sequel. I would definitely recommend it to a friend because it's a different type of love story. The characters of the book are easy to relate to and easy to like and hate. The bad guy is easy to distinguish and the book shows how love can triumph all. For anyone who is a romantic person Water for Elephants is the book to read. Water for Elephants and Catcher in the Rye are very similar when it comes to style of writing. They are both graphic in their language and describe everything that is going on so it creates a very clear and distinct picture in your head. At first that type of writing made me a little uncomfortable and I thought it detracted from the heart of the story. But then I realized that type of language made the story what it was. The next book that I want to read is the Woman in Black because my mom read the book and she said that while it was very creepy, it was written well. I usually don't read ghost and horror stories, but I want to read the book to expand my reading experience.

Final Blog Entry

I have finished reading my personal choice book Son of the Mob. After finishing it I think I would recommend the book to my friends. It has, in my mind, many positive aspects. It is a light read, but at the same time it is enjoyable to read because it delivers the same expectations as a more complex action novel. It is also enjoyable to read because the action keeps the reader wanting to progress through the book. The book I believe is most similar to Son of the Mob is a freshman read called Ethan Frome. These two books are similar in two aspects; first they both have action and are light reads. Also, they both have main characters who are not satisfied with the lives they are currently living and they rebel against their superiors or “oppressors” who are keeping them in their current situation. Ethan and Vince both in some way end up failing and have to stick with their lifestyles. My experience from beginning to end when reading my book did not change. Throughout the whole book I was intrigued and somewhat excited. I enjoyed reading it the whole way through. If given a choice of what to read next I would read the book’s sequel. This is because I would like to see how the main character (Vince) progressed and what ends up happening to him later in life.

Final Entry

I would recommend this book to all of my friends because, to me, it gives a new insight to topics that most people are not very strong on. I don't think that most teenagers would be interested in reading this book because it's more educational then fun. As I read this book I started by reading a few pages at a time, but as I got more into it I began to set blocks of time aside to read and truly enjoy the book. This author, Robert T. Kiyosaki, writes other books about Finances and Money. Another one of his books called Unfair Advantage and I would really like to read it. Money has played a role in many of the books that we have read in the past year, one specifically woud be Pride and Prejudice. In that book people married to get money and when people work they work "paycheck" to paycheck.