Ok, I just remembered something quite embarrassing. Remember how I mentioned a month ago that the next book I would write about was The Three Musketeers? Well, you're going to have to wait a bit...
I lost it.
:'(
:''''''(
In an airport.
I honestly think I may have been pick-pocketed. I only moved once in half an hour and the book disappeared. Come to think of it, that guy sleeping behind the bench I sat on was veeery suspicious. Oh, well, at least the library people were nice about. They only thanked me for letting them know like three or four times.
Anyway...
Now that this post successfully resembles a rather odd e.e. cummings poem, I should get to the point.
The Three Musketeers was good as far as I read it. I recommend it. It's just really long.
Send me poems.
Rating? Very good.
Read again? No. I will finish it though.
You read? Yes.
Age level? Young Adult just because of the length and reading level required to enjoy it. Teens who love to read should go ahead and try it.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
This book is one long commentary on society. I just know it.
As sci-fi's go, this was pretty realistic. As stories go, it was also about as terrifying as Fahrenheit 451. The two main characters are Amy (who is supposed to be cryogenicly frozen until she lands and the distant planet that is supposed to be the new Earth but is for some reason woken up early) and Elder (who is supposed to be in charge of the ship until it gets to 'Centauri Earth'). There are a lot of secrets, all of which I guessed before I was supposed to. The author hinted way too strongly at the known mystery and basically destroyed any hint of suspense. There is a limit to how many times people can ask 'Are you sure he's dead?' before I decide he is alive. That limit is 0.
While I'm being annoyed, there is a line between being realistic and being disgusting and Revis slipped over it. She didn't go nearly as far as other authors I've seen, but she definitely passed it. I get that she was trying to make a point with it but there are somethings I don't really need to hear. And overall, I'm not quite sure what she was trying to tell me. Am I supposed to always tell the truth? Be true to my feelings? Stop reading books about how the future will be without emotions?
A personal moral problem I had with this book; the portrayal of suicide as an escape. The character literally abandoned everyone who needed him but no one seems to mind. I'm not getting into this; you all probably know what I mean.
One last criticism: the cover art. While it does get across the mood of a good chunk of the book, when my roommate asked, "Does what is happening on the cover happen in the book?" I did say no. Then I said 'Well,..." And proceeded to ruin the book for her. But yeah, this is the cover...
Good things: Wow. I haven't had one of these in a looong time but here goes.
Lack of belief in the readers' reasoning abilities aside, I did want to know what would happen in the end. I did care about the characters enough to yell at the book when one of them died. I did finish the whole thing in one afternoon and there was a paragraph that made sense but still surprised me.The whole idea that the normal people thought they were crazy and vice versa was interesting and the story did move along very well. My highest praise would have to go to the ending. Revis does not leave the book in an unrealistic, fairy tale blast of happiness. She gives it a realistic ending--whether you look at romance, human nature, science, etc.--but she leaves you with the feeling that the main characters have succeeded and they will make it.
Rating? Good.
Read again? Yes.
You read? Probably.
Age level? mature teen to young adult.
As sci-fi's go, this was pretty realistic. As stories go, it was also about as terrifying as Fahrenheit 451. The two main characters are Amy (who is supposed to be cryogenicly frozen until she lands and the distant planet that is supposed to be the new Earth but is for some reason woken up early) and Elder (who is supposed to be in charge of the ship until it gets to 'Centauri Earth'). There are a lot of secrets, all of which I guessed before I was supposed to. The author hinted way too strongly at the known mystery and basically destroyed any hint of suspense. There is a limit to how many times people can ask 'Are you sure he's dead?' before I decide he is alive. That limit is 0.
While I'm being annoyed, there is a line between being realistic and being disgusting and Revis slipped over it. She didn't go nearly as far as other authors I've seen, but she definitely passed it. I get that she was trying to make a point with it but there are somethings I don't really need to hear. And overall, I'm not quite sure what she was trying to tell me. Am I supposed to always tell the truth? Be true to my feelings? Stop reading books about how the future will be without emotions?
A personal moral problem I had with this book; the portrayal of suicide as an escape. The character literally abandoned everyone who needed him but no one seems to mind. I'm not getting into this; you all probably know what I mean.
One last criticism: the cover art. While it does get across the mood of a good chunk of the book, when my roommate asked, "Does what is happening on the cover happen in the book?" I did say no. Then I said 'Well,..." And proceeded to ruin the book for her. But yeah, this is the cover...
Good things: Wow. I haven't had one of these in a looong time but here goes.
Lack of belief in the readers' reasoning abilities aside, I did want to know what would happen in the end. I did care about the characters enough to yell at the book when one of them died. I did finish the whole thing in one afternoon and there was a paragraph that made sense but still surprised me.The whole idea that the normal people thought they were crazy and vice versa was interesting and the story did move along very well. My highest praise would have to go to the ending. Revis does not leave the book in an unrealistic, fairy tale blast of happiness. She gives it a realistic ending--whether you look at romance, human nature, science, etc.--but she leaves you with the feeling that the main characters have succeeded and they will make it.
Rating? Good.
Read again? Yes.
You read? Probably.
Age level? mature teen to young adult.
Friday, March 18, 2011
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Hey look!
Now you can follow my blog through email!!
Do it and get somewhat weekly updates on what books to read and which to avoid!
Send me more poems so I don't have to hunt everyone down!
Have a nice day.
Now you can follow my blog through email!!
Do it and get somewhat weekly updates on what books to read and which to avoid!
Send me more poems so I don't have to hunt everyone down!
Have a nice day.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Roses for Mama by Janette Oke
I love Janette Oke. I don't know why I stopped reading her books. It couldn't have anything to do with going to college and forgetting libraries exist. Anyway...
I read this book back in high school. I saw it sitting on the church shelf at the church in Texas on my TCW and was annoyed because I couldn't remember what happened at the end. So I read the end. That didn't make any sense so I went back and read the whole book while laying outside during my lunch break. (I now have a pretty decent sunburn on the back of my legs.)
This book is about Angela and her brother Thomas as they struggle to raise their three younger siblings after the deaths of their mother and father. It's not as sad as it could have been, but there is still quite a bit for the reader to relate to emotionally.
Criticism: This isn't so much criticism as a comment. Oke's books are never that hard to predict. I think I've read one out of over twenty where I didn't recognize the person the main character was going to marry as soon as they entered the plot. This is only a comment because I'm pretty sure that it is not the point of her books to be unpredictable. It's just that they are always just the tiniest bit contrived and not so unrealistic. On the other hand, I like her books because when I'm reading them I don't care about those things.
Rating? Good.
Read again? Just did.
You read? Yeah. Or any others of Oke's books. Just watch the doctrine, k?
I read this book back in high school. I saw it sitting on the church shelf at the church in Texas on my TCW and was annoyed because I couldn't remember what happened at the end. So I read the end. That didn't make any sense so I went back and read the whole book while laying outside during my lunch break. (I now have a pretty decent sunburn on the back of my legs.)
This book is about Angela and her brother Thomas as they struggle to raise their three younger siblings after the deaths of their mother and father. It's not as sad as it could have been, but there is still quite a bit for the reader to relate to emotionally.
Criticism: This isn't so much criticism as a comment. Oke's books are never that hard to predict. I think I've read one out of over twenty where I didn't recognize the person the main character was going to marry as soon as they entered the plot. This is only a comment because I'm pretty sure that it is not the point of her books to be unpredictable. It's just that they are always just the tiniest bit contrived and not so unrealistic. On the other hand, I like her books because when I'm reading them I don't care about those things.
Rating? Good.
Read again? Just did.
You read? Yeah. Or any others of Oke's books. Just watch the doctrine, k?
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
MW read this book and said it was cute. I am telling my readers to make up for my lack of posts lately. Also it's by the author in the previous post and I want to remember to read it.
Have a nice day :)
And send me more of your fav poems. I would appreciate having more than one.
Have a nice day :)
And send me more of your fav poems. I would appreciate having more than one.
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
I read this book out loud to my EFE first and second graders two weeks ago. I spent the next week in Texas and this week trying to get everything else figured out. Better late than never?
This is a book about a little girl trying to understand things. Her father is distant and her mother left her when she was young. Winn-Dixie is the dog she finds and the reason for everything that happens in the book. It was a sweet story. I think it's a good book for anyone to read.
No criticisms. I read it too long ago for that. Besides this book is a classic. Whatever I had to say and forgot has already been said many times over, I'm sure.
Rating? Good.
Read again? Maybe to my own class someday.
You read? If your looking for something short and something to relate to.
Age? preteen
This is a book about a little girl trying to understand things. Her father is distant and her mother left her when she was young. Winn-Dixie is the dog she finds and the reason for everything that happens in the book. It was a sweet story. I think it's a good book for anyone to read.
No criticisms. I read it too long ago for that. Besides this book is a classic. Whatever I had to say and forgot has already been said many times over, I'm sure.
Rating? Good.
Read again? Maybe to my own class someday.
You read? If your looking for something short and something to relate to.
Age? preteen
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Stolen by Vivian Vande Velde
I read this because if was by VVV. It was not very original; I think she stole an idea from Brat Farrar but I have no proof. It was short and had basically no point but I wanted to know what would happen to I guess it was ok.
If you want to read a book, read one of her others.
Rating: Ok
Read again? no.
You read? Meh.
Age level? Teen.
If you want to read a book, read one of her others.
Rating: Ok
Read again? no.
You read? Meh.
Age level? Teen.
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