To Kill A Mockingbird- Halfway

The book is living up to what I expected.

(Quick sidebar and commentary:

Isn't it the worst when you expect great things from a book and walk away disappointed. You want to enjoy it and yet you can't make yourself. I kind of admire those can make themselves. I feel like they are also the people who are happy in every situation of life as well.)

Back to the book. The story is focused around the Finch family living a small town during the 1930s. Atticus Finch is raising his 2 children (Jem and Scout) motherless, trying to teach them to view every person as an equal. Jem, Scout, and their friend Dill are mesmerized by the seemingly haunted Radley house across the way where a man named Boo Radley is said to be yet is never seen. Also, Mr. Finch is a lawyer who is to defend Tom Robinson, a black man, who everyone feels will lose. Currently many plots are occurring but I can feel that they will come together. I just need to know how.

Character wise, I love Scout. She is the younger sister who tries to be a lady and usually fails, but is obviously very bright. Often time Harper Lee writes of small occurrences that seem unneeded to the plot development such as Scouts relationship with Dill. However, like a play everything in the story is there for a reason. Part of what makes a good book great is when the characters feel incredibly real. Without the little aspects included in the story, everything might feel different.

To Kill A Mockingbird- Opening

"This could be the start of something new"-High School Musical
A new book that is.
Onto number three.

A classic is a classic for a reason. I am so happy I can begin a novel that is so universally loved, To Kill a Mockingbird. There are so many references made to this book in all aspects of life I'm just excited to be a part of them. For example, one of my favorite TV shows made a reference to Scout:

I can't find the video. Watch the series and then we can talk.


 What I expect from this book is a story that will make me think. Something that is a reflection on time and the people living in the era. Something that explains why so many chose this novel as their favorite of all time.

Given research and reflection on the times, I expect to see racism and the people evolving out of it. I hope I can gain a very thorough understanding of the period in time history class has always harped on, but in the format of a story telling of true lives (well not true, but realistic).

Tuesdays with Morrie- FINISHED

That book was amazing. I said that in my last post but I would like to reiterate it here.  Where to even begin. It was one of those books that gave you life lessons...mostly because that was the premise of the story. But for this final reflection I would like to discuss the author's craft.

The author, Mitch Albom knew he was going to write this book when Morrie was still alive. He knew it was something he could pursue, even though he was just a sports journalist then. His style of writing was so interesting. He constantly used moments to reflect on how he had been a bad person, yet I never disliked him. Just through the way of his writing he proved even further how important it is to recognize what has happened in your life that you are not proud of. It is the only way to do something different.

Mitch Albom was quite similar to the man who wrote "Cancer's Oddest Effect" Dan Barry. It may have just been the fact that both men reflected on the fact that life is precious and sometimes it takes death to clear it up. But I also feel as though their usage of sarcasm, even how they admired their wives for their ability to see things clearer than them were strikingly similar.

From this I hope to develop my writing a little differently. I want to approach it in a similar way as Alborn and Brown just to try it out. I think it is amazing when just reading a book makes me want to change not just my writing but sometimes even me. 

I highly recommend this book. 

Tuesdays With Morrie- Midway/Sorry I kind of finished it but I'll post two seperate post ideas

So I started my book Tuesdays With Morrie during IE one day and then was finished by the time I got home. It was really good. I'm lucky I got this book right after my last one...I was starting to give up on books. Just kidding.
Anyway for the purpose of this post I'm going to write as though 'm halfway through.

The novel is basically about a man named Morrie who is diagnosed with ALS and basically has a year to prepare himself for death. The author, Mitch, is reflecting on his relationship with his old teacher Morrie, who in his last year was able to give Morrie all his secrets to life on subjects such as death, family, ect. 

This book is full of highlightable, fold the page to go back to kind of quotes. Below are some of my favorite:

Page 64: "The culture doesn't encourage you to think about such things until your about to die. We're so wrapped up in egotistical things, career, family, having enough money, meeting the mortgage, getting a new car, fixing the radiator when it breaks- we're involved in trillions of little acts just to keep going.So we don't get into the habit of standing back and looking at our lives and saying, Is this all? Is this all I want? Is something missing?" 

Pg 83: "Most of us walk around as if we're sleepwalking. We really don't experience the world fully, because we're half asleep, ding thing we automatically think we have to do."

pg 103: "Learn to detatch. " He opened his eyes. He exhaled. "You know what Buddhists say? Don't cling to things because everything is impermanent."

That's all for now! Continue to my final one of this book to see more!

tuesdays with Morrie- Introduction

Well I'm moving on. Away from a book I say I will but probably won't finish.

I'm taking a new person's recommendation: Delany Doran. 

I trust this girl so I'm hoping for good things. The novel Tuesday's with Morrie is one I feel as though I will enjoy. I'm sort of expecting it to be like sitting down and receiving wisdom from my grandfather. Except through paper. And also...not from my grandfather.

So far all I saw was a picture of Morrie dancing on the inside cover and already I know I'll like this book. I see that guy dancing and I already thought "Yeah, that's what I want to be like when I'm old." 

I see tears ahead as I know the sad fate for Morrie is death. I'm interested to see what it is like reading a book already knowing what is going to happen to the characters. Will it be like if I read Divergent already know that 

***SPOILER ALERT DO NOT READ IF YOU PLAN TO LOOK INTO THE DIVERGENT SERIES. CLOSE YOUR EYES AND SCROLL***

Tris dies? 

A Prayer for Owen Meany- Midway

-       Introduce the concept of the story.

-       Provide a reaction/reflection based on what has surprised, delighted, and/or disappointed you.

-       Embed a few quotes with analysis

-       Make predictions based on your inferences and analysis

-       Incorporate ideas from the recent reading workshop lessons

This novel is a struggle. I am in struggle city and I am the mayor. The book is about everything and nothing at the same time. The basics are listed below:

The relationship between childhood friends

A relationship with religion

Maturing

Familial Conflict

In a more specific way of describing it:

The narrator is reflecting on his younger life and his best friend Owen Meany. They grew up together and the narrator views Owen as holy, and as a godly figure. The struggles their relationship went through more trouble than most kid friendships. For example, Owen is partially responsible for the accidental tragedy of the narrator's mother. 

Because the plot does not seem to be developed, I have no idea where the book is going. The novel is frustrating because I can recognize symbolism and yet I have no idea what it means. It is quite annoying.

I have chosen to take a break from the book. I'll come back to it (I hope) but for now I am going to move on to another novel which will hopefully be more enjoyable. 

A Prayer for Owen Meany- Introduction

This book was written by John Irving, a very well known author though not for this text necessarily. The genre is realistic fiction and is centered around the relationship between to young boys as well as their relationship with religion. This book was recommended to me by another English teacher, Mrs. Smith, who told me it was an amazing read. I expect a very good read as Mrs. Smith said she "cried at the end, not necessarily because it was sad but because she was so attached to the characters." From the beginnings of the novel, the historical context seems to be pretty present day though the narrator speaks frequently of the past. I hope it's a good read!!