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!