The Alchemist; Week of 12-19-13

Pages Read: Prologue
Prompt: Summarize what you have just read. Select a quote from your reading that you liked. What made you pick it? How does it make you pause and think?

     The Alchemist, from what I have heard, is a very famous book by Paulo Coelho. This book is translated in 56 different languages. Before I started reading the book I read the Author's note and all of the comments that were given to the book from companies. I do not know what those comments are called. I usually skip all of that, but for this book I read it with great interest in it. I just started reading it today. I have only made it past the prologue. The prologue really grasped me into the book which is the first in forever.

     In the prologue it basically tells about the legend of Narcissus. He would always be looking at his own reflection in the river until one day he fell in. The spot where he fell, a flower bloomed. The lake is out of fresh water then it had salty drops in it. The Goddess of the forest appeared and asked why the lake was crying. The lake replied it is because of Narcissus. The Goddess thought the lake wept because  since he is gone so is his beauty so she assured him that there is no reason in wasting tears because of his beauty. The lake responded, "I weep for Narcissus, but I never noticed that Narcissus was beautiful. I weep because, each time he knelt beside my banks, I could see, in the depths of his eyes, my own beauty reflected." The ending of this prologue left me in a world of unknown.

     A quote I liked in this book was, "Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worst than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams." This is a quote that you would have to read slowly in order to understand the first sentence. I also loved his quote because it speaks the truth. Quotes like these must be kept in memory and at heart.

Looking For Alaska: Week of 12-9-13

Prompt: Is what your reading believable? Why or why not?
Pages Read: 1-105

     John Green sees many different kinds of teenagers. That is what makes this book spectacular! I would like to thank Isabelle Ryan for recommending this book to me. Second, I also want to thank Athziry for making a blog about this book which is was very motivatinal me to finally read it. This book could teach me a lesson to be aware of the future. There are many different people in the world and I have to be aware of who am I around. 

     This book takes place in a high school where a regular teenager, Miles, moves on campus and has some wild adventures with some new students he met. They are very unique teenagers not really what most people expect but soon will learn the different kinds of persona there is. Well, Miles joins a group of teenagers and soon is finds himself falling for Alaska. She is a gorgeous, humorous, quick-witted, character in the book who loves an adventure. Alaska takes him and the gang on a pre-prank thrill. I have currently on that part so I do not know what will happen next but I can tell it will be great!

     Looking for Alaska is a believable story because even though these pranks could be intense and sometimes impossible in a way it is possible. There has been some crazy things that people do all around the world. That is just of what people call "The Teen Phases." Which is another reason why it is believable. The school work the characters have to do seems believable too because it gives this book more of a realistic feeling to it. I usually enjoy fantasy books more than realistic fiction but this book has blown my mind. I suggest everyone to read it. 

The Giver - Week of 11/2/13

Prompt:  What surprises you in this story? Explain why. What you are reading is going to be made into a movie. Create the movie poster.

Pages Read: 1 - FINISHED

     What surprised me the most in the book was I think the ending. The ending had that intense feel to it that has made very curious. The ending confused many of my classmates and it confused me too but when I found out that the second book is called Son I was not that discombobulated anymore. I thought there was only one book.

     In the end of the book Jonas leaves to go to Elsewhere he takes Gabe along too because he was going to be Released. He slides down the snowy hill and is running out of food along with memories of the sun. By how the book ends it ends with an music or an echo. I found it confusing because the ending is like trying to convince the readers that Jonas died but it never specifically say that Jonas died. I am just very curious to know and hope that I will read Son one day.

     I have created the poster for the movie that is coming to theatres next year in 2014. The baby stands for Gabe and his eyes which were like Jonas'. The eye stands for "being able to see beyond." The bike is for the the people in the utopian community who rides bikes. Apple stands for the first color Jonas was noticing. Last is the houses which are all the same just how they want the community to be in the book. You can notice that all these pictures are black and white well that is because no one in the book is able to see colors except for Jonas and the Giver. I can't wait for the movie!

 

The Giver: Week of 11/25/13

Prompt: Write a quote from your reading that connects to your life. What did it mean to what you've been reading? What did it mean to your life?

Pages Read: 1-162

“The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.”

     This quote has so much special meaning. I forgot who said in the book. I wrote down this quote in my notebook but never put down which character said it. I feel really foolish for not putting who said this. If any of my classmates know please tell me in the comments.

     I admire this quote because it tells the truth. It does not only tell the truth for me but also to everyone. This quote made me realize that the pain of something mental can be cured when you talk to someone. It is like that relief you get when you talk things out with someone else. Sharing your feelings can help your mind with relaxation. This quote also teaches you a lesson with life and that lesson is that memories must be shared. 

     Jonas is the Receiver so he needs to hold a lot of memories that no one else knows. That might be a pain trying to keep something a secret. There may be many good memories that needs to be shared. Memories can also help to improve our future. Just by reading this quote you can tell that the character who might have said it has wisdom and expierence. Jonas must have gotten inspired and may have gotten more courage.

     What this meant to my life was that the only way I hold memories is by pictures. My family loves pictures because with just one scene captured in an important memory we remember how much adventure we had. The only thing is that there are no pictures of the sad memories because we remember the bad but not the good. I remember the nightmares but not my good dreams. We all must remember memories and share them incase we forget we kind of have back up. It is also important to share so that it reliefs your mind.

The Giver - Week of 11/18/13

Prompt: What was going through your mind as you read?
Pages Read: 1-34


     I first saw "The Giver" when I went to the book store Barnes & Noble. I thought it was really interesting, so I put it on my "to read" section in Good Reads. Then later on, other people in my school started telling me that it was boring and other bad things about the book. I got a little discouraged to read it. Thankfully I do get to read it!

     "The Giver" so far, is an amazing world you get sucked into! I actually feel like I live there. Which I am happy I don't because while I was reading this book I thought it was a place that was a too perfect utopia. Everything is too organized and you feel like you can not have some privacy or space. I would feel like I do not have any freedom at all. My job would get chosen for me, I would need to start doing stuff at a young age when I am still not fully responsible yet, and their rules are very strict.

    This book made me feel anger towards it but I still like it because I need to be patient and keep on reading. I thought Lois Lowry, the author, writes in a way that brings the book alive. Which is really spectacular! Her creative thoughts are very simple yet interesting. In the beginning, as I was reading, my curiosity grew more and more as to what will Jonas be. The narrator never told us the interest Jonas likes so I do not know what will his job be. Based of what I know about Jonas, I had to find out like that. By making predictions will at least get some of my questions answered.

     By the way Jonas' family thought how foreign their comfort toy looks it leaves me wondering what happened to the animals! Many things could have happened to them. Also I wonder how much has technology improved. All these questions popping in my head makes me ache for more answers. I guess what you could say what was going through my mind as I read was curiosity. This curiosity motivates me to continue reading which I will, and I must because it is an assignment for school.

Flipped - Week of 11/11/13

Slight Spoiler

Prompt: Write a summary of what you just read.

Pages Read: 1-30

    This is an amazing realistic fiction book! This is actually more than amazing. I love this book so much because of how well written it is. I know i'm still in the beginning of the book but I still get a lot of the story's plot. This book is about the life of two children growing up together and of their connections and interactions with each other. In the beginning of the book one of the main characters is Julianna and she has a crush on another main character, Bryce. A lot has happened in the story so I won't spoil it all I will just spoil one part. Which is also summarizing what I have just read.  In the book each chapter is told in both Juli's and Bryce's first person point of view. The part I will spoil is in Bryce's point of view.

      Juli loves to climb this sycamore tree that is by the school bus stop. She waits everday for the school bus on top of the tree. Bryce waits by the same bus stop as Juli along with other students. One day when they were both waiting, up on the tree as usual was Juli. Then these men came up to them and said that they need to move because they are join to cut down the tree. Everyone obeyed except Juli. Juli was protesting and asking them why do they want to take away this tree. The men replied that it was the orders of the owner. Juli yelled down to Bryce and the other kids to climb up on the tree. If everyone goes up they won't cut down the tree. Juli was mostly begging Bryce and he felt embarrassed so he just ignored her. It was until the school bus came that everyone left except Juli. Bryce does not know what happened after that. He was left curious and wondering.

    Juli wasn't at school the school whole day, Bryce also noticed she wasn't in the school bus on the way home either. When Bryce arrived home his grandfather talked to him for the first time! What I man by "the first time" is that his grandfather doesn't really have an actual conversation with him. It usually is just saying "hi" and "bye" just a few words. The downside was that the first time they have an actual conversation it's an argument... about Juli! She made the front news paper because of her refusing to get out off the tree. There was a whole story about her trying to convince other students to get on the tree. Bryce's grandpa knew Bryce was one of those students. His grandpa was upset for hating Juli and ignoring her. He thinks Juli is a special girl. Bryce is confused because his whole entire life she has been nothing else but an annoying, know-it-all girl. The conversation made him wondering which leaves me wondering too. Now all I can do as a reader, is read on.

This is how a Sycamore tree looks like

     

     

A Child Called 'It': Week of 11/4/13

Prompt: Who is the author? What do you know about the author? What do you imagine the author must be like?
Pages Read: 3 (1) - 38

     This book is about a boy around the age of six, named David, who once had once a flawless family but then it shattered into pieces because of his mom. His mom plays many menacing games with him. The games she played on him were being beaten or starved. His mom only beats David when his father isn't home. David is the only one out of 4 brothers in his family to get abused. He is forced to run to school and wear the same clothes for months which only humliates him at school.  

     The author Dave Pelzer, sets a scary melancholy feeling to his readers even though there are no fully expressed feelings in the main character because it was set in the point of view of the little boy. He does this by the actions of the character. Just by knowing the pain he is going through I can also feel David's pain. I think what probably makes this story sorrowful would be because the readers know that this is a true story. A Child Called 'It' is actually an autobiography, the child in the story who gets abused and gets turned into an "it" is the author Dave Pelzer.

     Just by knowing that the author wrote his childhood and shared it to the world makes me realize that he must be very courageous. This story is very intense, and personal because of the insane things he has done for survival. I know Dave has had a rough childhood and was a smart boy because of his schemes. Fear and hunger also motivated him to do these dangerous tasks. Later he would need to pay the price for his 'sin.' He would return home only to get beaten again. Since he was a smart kid, now as an adult he must be a really intelligent man. Just by Dave writing this book I can infer that he is brave, smart, and a wise man. I know wise and smart might be the same meaning but I mean wise as if he is wise about life because of his experience.

    I recommend this book to everyone in my class. If you are a very sensitive person then you might not want to read this. For the others I think this book will open your eyes, for what I have read this is an amazing book but full of sadness and sorrow. I know this will touch your heart and make you realize how much goodness of life you have. It will make you appreciate it. If you do read this book and read about his life of survival.

Dave as a child

The Infernal Devices: The Clockwork Prince: Week of 10/28/13

Spoiler Alert

Prompt: How have your feelings changed as you've been reading?

Pages Read: 154-  (END)

     This whole entire story gives me so many feelings that it is painful! There are parts where I get so elated and then it changes to delirious feelings towards specific character because the choices they make are so terrible. Throughout the book Tessa and Jem share a friendship connection. While Will is trying to figure out who put the spell of making hime fall in love with Tessa. He goes to the warlock, Magnus Bane, for help asking him to help him search for the demon who put the spell on him so he may get it removed. Until they finally summon up the demon who explicitly says there was never a spell put on him in the first place!

     Overjoyed he runs back to the institute to tell Tessa he loves her but all that happiness for nothing because Tessa tells will that she has been engaged to Will's best friend and parabatai, Jem. This made me really angry because when Will was on his way to Tessa thought to myself "Yes! Will and Tessa can finally be together!" My happiness shriveled up and drifted away. During the story Will and Tessa had a weird relationship Will would sometimes be mean to Tessa but then he had his moments when he was kind and generous. 

     It is not that I do not like Jem it's just that I prefer Will because I know that Tessa loves Will more and that Will loves Tessa. I don't know why Tessa agreed to marrying Jem. (Actually I do but don't want to give many spoilers.) Obviously as you can tell I am anxious to read more and find out if Tessa will actually marry Jem. I can't find out until the next book "The Clockwork Princess." My prediction is that the this last prequel book will be a even more twisted story with a giant roller coaster full of emotion. I just hope Will and Tessa will be together.

Will & Tessa

The Infernal Devices: The Clockwork Prince: Week of 10/21/13

Prompt: If you were a character in this book, who would you be? Why?

Pages read: 80 - 154

     This book is just truly amazing! There are so many characters with an interesting history. What I mean by that is that when they were a child they have been through so much. Their past life was terrible. Jem has his family dead, Will has a curse so he can not see his family, and Tessa has been kidnapped. The characters in this book seem to have so much persona.

     If I were a character in the book I think I would be Tessa. I can compare myself more to her than the other characters. Tessa is a girl who loves to read, she has a very calm nature, and remembers the most important moments of life. I have always thought books, in general, are very important. It is the only thing that takes us to a different world, that is why must treasure them. "One must always be careful of books and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us." Tessa tells this to Will in a part  where they are both in the library discussing about the treasury if books.
 
     Tessa and I do have some differences though. She is very brave and has the power to change into other people. When she was battling an automation she was actually fighting it. Tessa was not scared she was just surprised because it attacked her. I would have been frightened or probably faint! I do not think I would be able to fight it off. Although, I have never been in a situation like that so I don't exactly know how I would react... but my guess is that I will faint.

     Tessa goes through so many great adventures throughout the books. She is helping many investigations and battles. She is trying to investigate why Mortmain is trying to capture her and why did he say, "I created you?" Tessa has told Jem that when Mortmain told her that it made her feel like Mortmain can destroy her if he made her. Tessa is going on a roller coaster full of emotion. The adventure is so amazing that I would love to be Tessa! I just wish there is a way to bring this book alive...

   
   

The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Prince: Week of 10/14/13

Prompt: Describe the main characters.
Pages Read: 1-80

     These books are truly incredible! The action, the fun, and the romance is very well written in the book. The romance is not too exaggerating which is exactly my cup of tea. The fighting parts of the book are very well detailed that I can feel the intense feeling in other characters point of view. The Infernal Devices is the prequel series to The Mortal Instruments explaining the past of some of the characters and their parents or grandchildren.

     The main character would be Theresa (Tessa) Gray, a sixteen year-old girl who is confuse about what she is. She has the power to shape shift which means when she is holding a special item that belongs to someone she is able to change into that person. She is not a mundane, vampire, shadowhunter, werewolf, fearie, or a warlock. No one knows what she is. Tessa also loves to read and can memorize many quotes and poems from different books. She is an orphan because she does not know who her parents are and if she knew she would know what she is. Tessa is a very patient girl who has mixed feeling about two men who are in love with her. Right now she can't deal with all that 'love stuff' because what she truly wants to know is if she will ever find out who she really is.

     William (Will) Owen Herondale is a very handsome and sarcastic young 17 year-old who has trouble finding his true feeling for Tessa. He feels attracted to her and thinks it's love. He blames it on a demon who Will claims the demon has put the curse of falling in love on him and is on the hunt for finding the demon to remove it with the help of the warlock, Magnus Bane. He is always narcissistic and is always being sarcastic. Jem is his parabatai, a parabatai would be your partner for life who will always fight by your side until death tears you apart. Another example would be if Jem is about to gets shot with an arrow Will must step in front of it and he is willing to do that. Not only are they parabatai but they are also best friends who share a special bromance.

     The third main character of the book would be another 17 year-old named James (Jem) Carstairs. He is a chinese and british descendant. Jem was raised in the Shanghai institute with his parents until their murder. There is a very sad history about him and his family. Part of his past is that he was feed by a Greater Demon poison and now that is he older he has to take the poison or he won't live. He will eventually die but his life will be lived longer if he takes the poison. The demon poison is like a drug to Jem. He feels the need for it and can't control it. We all know that it is very sad but true. That will not stop him from living his life. He is still brave and strong, trying his hardest to win a battle when fighting a demon. Jem is a handsome, warm hearted, gentleman, who is also in love with Tessa! For some reason he refuses to tell Will. I think he should keep it a secret because if he tells Will then that might ruin their friendship.

     This love triangle is making me a little discombobulated but I just hope that the real problems of the story will get solved. For example the Clave wants to take the institute away from Charlotte. Charlotte is like the adoptive mother of Will, Jem, and Jessamine. Charlotte is trying her best to complete a quest given to her and if she passes it she will keep the institute. Will, Jem, and Tess are also helping Charlotte and I am crossing my fingers hoping they will keep the institute.

 

          Will                             Tessa                     Jem

The Mortal Instruments: City of Fallen Angels - Week of 10/7/13

Pages read: 346 - 424

Prompt: After reading I wonder...

     After reading this book it really left my mind hanging on a cliff. As you might say this book left me on a cliff hanger. When I was at the end of the book I predicted that something really bad was going to happen. I predicted this because the story was ending in a happy ending. I thought surely there needs to be more in order to continue the series. My prediction was wrong, I thought something bad will happen but no, instead something terrible and frightening happened. Jace, one of the main characters who is in love, now possesses the spirit of Sebastian, or as some people call him Jonathan. Sebastian is one of the main reasons there has been so many destructions and deaths of Shadowhunters

     After reading I wonder if Jace will still have control of his body. The ending of the book was really intense. "We are now, little brother, you and I, Sebastian said. We are one." This last line left me wandering lost in a different world trying to find my way back. Will Jace still have control of his body? Will Sebastian have control instead? Or will they both have control and have to fight for control? Many questions are knotted up in my head and can't be answered until the next book, City of Lost Souls.

     I am also wondering why would Sebastian come back to this world. What is he planing? He can't be planing to create powerful Shadowhunters with demon blood like him because his father, Valentine, tried that and failed terribly to do that. Instead, Valentine died because of the power he wanted to create. I can't predict anything else of why Sebastian is back. Unless he plans to get revenge... or maybe he plans on something even more horrifying than Valentine's plan. Whatever he is up to I'm sure it is demonic, just like him.

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

My Ending to "The Lady Or The Tiger?"

      When her lover turned and looked at her, and his eye met hers as she sat there paler and whiter than any one in the vast ocean of anxious faces about her, he saw, by that power of quick perception which is given to those of whose souls are one, that she knew behind which door crouched the tiger, and behind which stood the lady. Looking at her petrifying face made his chest tighten. He knew she cared about him and he knew he cared about her. Love is really strong, strong enough to make you do deranged things for one another. He hopes the signal she gives him is the door, which in this situation, has heaven behind it.

     Will he get the door that he wants? Or will he get the door his lover wants him to get? Of course, he has to remember, the princess is her father's daughter. Maybe he will get the door he has ordered her to give him, maybe she wants no other woman to have him but her, maybe he will actually be in peace instead of suffering with someone whom he does not love. This whole entire time he has been trying to be unfazed. His face looked determined but on the inside he felt banging drums in his chest. Boom. Boom. Boom. Trying his best to keep his breathing at a normal speed. Finally, the time has come to choose a life changing decision, to choose the lady or the tiger.

     His mind was spinning, his stomach had explosions and his sight was becoming a blur. He blinks hard to restrain himself. He recieves the signal from the princess and his hand is moving slowly and calmly to the door. Everyone in the audience was on mute. He felt the weight of eyes on him. Trying hard not to show fear, not of the tiger but of the lady. He looks at his lover to see her beautiful face one last time. The door screeches open and there sitting down patiently was the lady with a smile on her face. The audience roared a big cheer. He just stood there stunned, wondering why would the princess do this to him. All the pieces started coming together. Realization hit him, and he felt like a fool for not thinking this would happen. He has fallen in love with someone who is nothing like the king. The king doesn't want his daughter with someone with such a low class. The princess doesn't judge like the king, if she did she wouldn't have fallen in love with him. She rather have him safe, alive, and married with someone else instead of watching him die a suffering death and always knowing he is gone forever.

     As the priest starts coming out he looks at the princess and sees she has tears streaming down her face. For a moment they lock eyes. She smiles a sad smile so does he. They are both in pain together but his pain is so sharp and hurtful. Her pain is strong but peaceful at the same time. Though, they both know their love will never break and will still stand. Married or not they are in love no matter what happens nothing can break their connection which is called true love.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Fallen Angels: Week of 10/3/13

Spoiler Alert!!!

Pages read:  0 - 346
Prompt: List at least three problems the characters faced? Which is the most life changing? Explain 

The Mortal War is now over and everything seems to be going well. Clary is now training to become a Shadowhunter, half angel and half human. The Mortal War made peace with the Downworlders and Nephilim because the Shadowhunters needed help to fight the war against Valentine Morgenstern, Clary's Father, and Sebastian, Clary's brother. The war was about Valentine bringing more powerful demons into the world and killing all Shadowhunters to make new ones by awakening the angel, Raziel, and asking for his blood to be poured in the Mortal Cup along with demon blood so that humans may drink it and turn into more powerful Shadowhunters like Sebastian. Downworlders are vampires, werewolves, warlocks, or fearies. They all weren't respected as much by the Nephilim also known as Shadowhunters. 


Each character has been through so much but the character who I think has suffered the most is Simon. Ever since Simon was turned into a vampire his whole life was turned upside down. In the last book Simon told Clary to draw a rune on him. Runes are markings that Shadowhunters wear to give them more power when they are in a battle. Only Shadowhunters may wear them because if a human or any other living thing that isn't a Shadowhunter wear a rune they can die or suffer with a sickness or disease. Simon knew the risk of having a rune drawn on him but the rune was the Mark of Cain. The Mark of Cain protects him from any harm done to him. 

Lately he has been distracted because someone has been sending humans to try and kidnap him. That person doesn't know he bears the mark so every time another human is sent to sieze him he dies as a punishment for harming Simon. He has been doing an investigation with the help of Jace and Jordan and planned that the next time someone tries to captures him they attack back. All the investigating is keeping him busy from eating. He needs more blood. While at his band's concert backstage there is a 14 year old girl, Maureen, who has been having a crush on him for a long time and is the only fan of the band. Simon is feeling quezy but when he bumps into Maureen he starts to smell her blood and then in a split second he is drinking her blood! His first time drinking human blood will haunt him forever. 

Days later when he knew for sure he had killed Maureen she appears by a bridge. She was now a vampire. Maureen explained to Simon that before she went to the concert the people who kidnaped her gave her vampire blood in her system and if Simon were to bite her she would turn like a vampire. She started persuading him to go with her to meet the person who has been trying to get a hold of Simon. Eventually Simon gives in and follows her to an abandoned building where there they hop on the elevator and taken to a place where she claims is heaven...

My Favorite Book of All Time

My favorite book of all time would be Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief  written by Rick Riordan. This would be my favorite book of all time because it includes greek mythology. I have a great interest in greek myths because the stories are very alluring to me. This book does not tell you the stories or myths, it includes them in the adventures the book tells you.

I began discovering about greek mythology when I was in third grade. I found a lot of books about greek mythology and I read them all in my school library. I started studying about greek myths and I was researching more about it online on my own. It wasn't until my dad had to read the book, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, for one of his classes he was taking. He loved the book and so he thought I should read it. When I read it I had to cherish it and keep it as my own!

The book was about a twelve-year old boy named Perseus Jackson who discovers he is a demigod, half human and half god. When he discovers he is a demigod he finds out he is the son of one of the big three gods, Poseidon. He is taken to a camp for other demigods like him called Camp Half-Blood. There, demigods are protected by monsters and are trained to fight and become a warrior. At the camp Percy discovers more about himself and his father. He also learns that Zeus's lightening bolt is stolen so he sets out on a quest to retrieve it. With the help of his best friend, Grover, and another new friend he met at camp, Annabeth, they all go together to get back the bolt before there is a chaotic war between the gods.

This is the first book of the series. I love all the other books too! I treasure them and I will always love them. I recommend this book to anyone who likes adventures or greek myths like me. Reading This spectacular series I am proud to call myself a Demigod.