MP3 Independent Reading Post #2
(Title of book, author, number of total pages of book)
Part 1 (description of the process reading the book)
How far did you get in the book (what page number). Describe your experience reading this book (are you struggling reading it, do you enjoy it, how often do you read and when?) Would you read another book by the same author? Why or why not?
Part 2 (Intriguing passage)
Choose a passage that was powerful in the book (at least 4 lines). Copy the passage
(Use correct MLA in-text citations).
Then, in a well-formulated response, analyze the quote. What is the quote about? What ideas is the author trying to get at in this quote? Then, identify what is powerful about the way the quote is written (powerful words/phrases, figurative language-similes, metaphors, imagery-,syntax, tone, mood). Explain how these choices help the writer convey the powerful ideas you mentioned in the beginning of the paragraph.
Your response should be a minimum of two substantial paragraphs. Please be aware of grammar and editing issues; make sure you proofread before you submit. Compose in Word and then copy and paste into the blog to ensure that your response is properly edited.
Your response is due by 11:59 pm on February 13th. All posts received after this time will receive half credit. You may post early.
(Highest Duty, Chesley Sullenberger, 145)
ReplyDelete1. I am currently on page 145 of Chesley Sullenberger’s autobiography “Highest Duty.” I have so far very much enjoyed reading this book, not only because of its aviation content, but also that it is generally a very easy read. It is double-spaced and is written in an autobiographical narrative, making it very easy and fun to read. I read twenty or so pages every night before bed. If Sullenberger wrote another book, I would certainly consider reading it because I feel that he is a very informal and casual writer, making his narratives and thoughts on life very fun to read. He writes as if he is talking to you.
“I parked my car in the airport lot one Tuesday morning in September 2001, walked into the terminal, and that’s when I heard that another airplane had hit the South Tower and a third plane had hit the Pentagon. By 6:30A.M Pacific time, every airplane in the skies above the United States had been ordered to land, and the FAA had banned takeoffs of all civilian aircraft. It was clear I wouldn’t be getting to Pittsburg that day to fly my scheduled flight (My particular flight was one of some thirty-five thousand canceled that day nationwide). I spent a little time in the US Airways operations office in San Francisco, and there were to crews there. They were stranded, and no one knew when planes might fly again. “You’d better get hotel rooms right now,” I suggested, “before they’re all gone.” [Sullenburger, Highest Duty, Pg. 145-146].
In the above provided quotation from the book, Captain Sullenberger is recalling the immense sense of panic and confusion during and following the attacks on the morning of September 11, 2001. He talks about the 35,000 flights that we cancelled that day when the FAA [Federal Flight Administration] ordered a nation-wide ground stop for U.S Civilian aircraft, and how many flight crews were now stranded throughout the country. The author is trying to get at the big ideas of confusion and panic that surround a major event such as 9/11. The author is talking about how in this scary time things can become blurred and panic can envelope.
The author uses many different literary devices to help convey his personal sense of fright after knowing that the east coast had been hit by terrorist attacks. Multiple words with negative connotations can be found throughout the passage, such as “hit”, “banned”, “stranded”, and “gone”. Each of these words carry strong reminders to the attacks on 9/11. Sullenberger also uses imagery when he says, “one Tuesday morning in September 2001.” Although this quote itself is not describing an image, it does carry the connotation of the September 2001 attacks, because anyone who was alive during the period knows that 9/11 occurred on a Tuesday morning. Just by adding this simple phrase, the audience is already aware of what he is about to describe. Additionally, Sullenberger uses a serious tone throughout the quote. He says very plainly and openly, “that’s when I heard that another airplane had hit the South Tower” and “You’d better get hotel rooms right now, before they’re all gone.” He describes the events and his actions in a very serious tone, which provides the audience with the sense that something was diffidently wrong. All of these literary devices, word choice, imagery, and tone, help convey the feeling of confusion and panic that Captain Sullenburger- and the entire nation- felt, because they all carry very serious tones and images to the devastating attacks of September 11, 2001.
Camille Fortin
ReplyDelete“Divergent” by Veronica Roth, 487
“Divergent” is very intriguing, I can’t put it down! I have gotten to page 130. I look forward to weekends when I allow myself to free read. I have tried reading during the week, but I always feel as if I should be studying and that I am procrastinating. I have fallen in love with this book, on weekends I do not even stop to eat! I am so happy there is a sequel, because the story is so rich. Veronica Roth is an amazing writer.
“My knees give out and the floor is cool against my check. Something slams into my side and I scream for the first time, a high screech that belongs to someone else and not me, and it slams into my side again, and I can’t see anything at all, not even whatever is right in front of my face, the lights out. Someone shouts, “Enough!” and I think too much and nothing at all.” – (Veronica Roth, Divergent, pg111)
In one of Tris’s first fights, she is matched with Peter. He is strong, smart and mean. In this quote, Tris is seconds away from passing out, and peter is enjoying knocking her out. The author is illustrating the harsh initiation process Tris chose to go through to become a Dauntless. The reader gets a glimpse of her inner zeal to keep going, and keep pushing even when she knows she will be beaten. This is similar to her decision to join dauntless. She left what she knew, her home, and her family to join an unknown faction. In Dauntless she found that bravery has many different meanings to different people. Some think that brutality is the path, like peter. Others know that it takes bravery to be honest, kind and loving.
Veronica uses powerful words like “slams” and “screech” to illustrate the impact that this fight has on Tris. She is seeing the physical and brutal side of dauntless. She also uses phrases like “…too much and nothing at all…” to explain how much she wants to be in Dauntless. Tris will do anything to be part of Dauntless; this is represented by “nothing at all”. “Too much” represents the pain that she is experiencing to achieve this goal. She wants to be brave, and to be able to control her fear. Tris’s decision to join Dauntless has changed her life. Are the factions needed? Can she have aspects of multiple factions? The book dauntless explores broad concepts like these and smaller more personal issues that connect the reader to each character. “Dauntless” is an amazing story that I would recommend anyone to read!
(Heart's Desire, Laura Pedersen, pg 167)
ReplyDeleteRight now I am on pg. 167 on my book, Heart's Desire. So far I am really enjoying my book because it is really interesting so far because Hallie's sister told her she thinks she lost her virginity because her sister only remembers partying and drinking, but her sister fears that she might be pregnant because her mom and dad would kill her if they find out. I usually read when I feel like it and when I have free time which is when I finish all my homework and chores.I would read another book by the same author because the book I am currently reading is a book that is very intriguing and what makes me like this book is that it is very descriptive which makes the book easy to read because most books don't include so much detail which makes the book boring and confusing.
"Jane moves up to the phone. "Why do people waste so much time on love in the first place if it just ends up making everyone miserable?"
"Good one," Gwen cheers Jane on, as if it's a game show.
"I'm afraid that human relationships are the tragic necessity of life, and yet they can never be entirely satisfactory because at the end of the day we're still just individuals," comes the voice. "Don't ever count on someone else for all your happiness, dear, whether it to be a parent, friend, lover, or child." Hallie and her friends, Jane and Gwen, were talking about Benard and Gil's breakup, so they wanted to find out why people who love each other so much that they breakup, so they decided to ask Benard's mom, Olivia, because Hallie says she is a great poet. What the author is trying to get at this quote is that the only person who should make us happy is ourselves because relationships make us happy, but there not enough to fill the "voids of sadness" that we all have. What makes this quote powerful is that this quote could relate to most people because nothing really makes us happy, in example, some advertisers sell products that are suppose to make our lives better, but in reality the products don't make anything feel better, the only people who are happy when a person buys a product is the advertisers since they get money, but money can't buy happiness.
(Sweet-blood, Pete Hautman, 180)
ReplyDeleteI finished my book, which is 180 pages in three days because I was very intrigued. The book just pulled me in because I wanted to know if the character would meet actual vampires. When I figured out about half way or a third through the book there would not be real vampires because it was too late to introduce them I kept reading. I kept reading because I wanted to know what was going to happen to the main character. I would read another book by the same author if it had similar characters and subject matter I was interested in. I am very picky with the books I chose to read hence the subject matter would have to be something I was interested in.
“Insight number one: I could be dead. I am starring up at Rubber Bat, and I could be dead. My toes are throbbing, but I could be dead. My parents are watching TV . . . I could be dead. Instead I am Undead again. Does one cancel out the other, or am I double-Undead? Nobody said that insights have to be logical. I am alive, but I am Undead”- (Pete Hautman, Sweetblood, 167.) This passage is about the after math of the main character, Lucy, being dead for two minutes then being brought back. It talks about living life to your fullest and that all the interesting things that happen, happen for a reason because you could be dead. Certain events that happen to people, happen because they need to happen before you die. It talks about living life to the fullest because it talks about that several interesting things happen to Lucy and she will try to keep track of them. With the piece I just pointed out it can also be about not being passive because the things Lucy sees, she only gets to see one, and that she’ll try to remember all the interesting things. If she was passive she wouldn’t pay attention and try to remember these things. If she was passive she would just shrug these things off and not care. I think the bare bones of this that connect all of the things I just mentioned together is to just go and live your life while it lasts, because you could be dead. The things I just mentioned are the details and fragments that connect together to show when you boil those fragments and details down it’s about living life. The author uses words like “does not flash” to show the extreme of life disappearing and that Lucy could be dead. The author uses “dying” which is a heavy word to convey the gravity of the situation and the characters new thoughts, the importance of the ideas, and to set the tone and idea of the paragraph. “pay attention to everything” talks about how the character has to try and get the importance out of all the events in her life. The author also uses the word “remember” which has significance that the character can’t forget that she almost died and has to try and live life and remember how to live right.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete(“The Blue Girl”, Charles de Lint, 368)
ReplyDeleteSo far, I’ve read up to page 130 of “The Blue Girl”, by Charles de Lint, and I have enjoyed every bit of it! I honestly enjoy reading what all the characters are thinking, so the story isn’t one sided. The way the format is set up allows you to understand different perspectives of any given situation in the book. Just by reading only about the first quarter of “The Blue Girl”, I can already tell the author is a very creative and imaginative writer. Personally, I am fond of the way he incorporates fantasy with the real world. I absolutely love Charles de Lint’s writing, so far, and find myself losing track of time as I delve further into the book. I tell myself to read at least 20 pages but end up reading about 40! Once I’m finished with reading The Blue Girl, I am confident that I will pick up another book that Lint has written because I have grown very fond of his writing style.
“I know exactly the moment that I fell in love with Imogene Yeck. It was that Friday afternoon at the stairwell, the first time she ran into Brent Calder. Standing up to him didn’t help her any more than it had ever helped me with Woody and Trevor and Mac and all those guys who were always on my case. Brent still pushed her around. He was still in control. But she wasn’t intimidated. She looked him right in the eye, even when he was hurting her. I knew I could never be that brave. It was like she was daring him to do his worst, but whatever that was, it wouldn’t make her cry.”(Lint, “The Blue Girl”, Pg. 21).
In this passage, Adrian is describing what he thinks of Imogene. He sees her as a strong individual and this catches his eye. This quote from the book, “The Blue Girl”, is powerful because this is where the author begins to develop Adrian’s character; who he is and what his role is in the story. It also provides a great image and example of how Imogene stands up to the bullies in her school, as I mentioned in my previous blog post.
The next thing I’d like to explain in the plot presents a spoiler to anyone who is considering this book. In the phrase “…Standing up to him didn’t help her any more than it had ever helped me…” (Lint, 21) the author uses “had” as past tense verb to hint to the reader that the situation that Adrian is referring to happened in the past, and had stopped. Why? Because Adrian is currently dead, however as the reader I didn’t know this until I got further into the book. Now that Adrian is a ghost in the school, he is stalking Imogene. The Author uses the word “Love”, which is a very strong emotion, to describe the feeling that a ghost has for a living person. Love is a positive word. So is “daring” and “brave”. These are all the words that Adrian uses to describe Imogene and how he feels about her. Oh boy, here begins the supernatural love story. Furthermore, in this passage the author writes “It was like she was daring him to do his worst, but whatever that was, it wouldn’t make her cry” (Lint, 21) to describe the tough Imogene and how she was standing up for herself against the quarter back, Brent. The word “daring” has connotations of bravery, courage, and boldness, all characteristics that Imogene carries in order to portray herself as the “tough and rough” chick.
Gary Miller
ReplyDeleteMrs.Dima
"Zombie blondes"
Blog post 2
I've have currently read to page one-hundred ,chapter 5. So far I've been having a wonderful experience reading the book. The author creates a suspenseful tone to gives that intriguing urge to keep reading . I try to read every other day, such as thirty pages ; although I do think I am reading at good pace with homework from different periods in the way. As I continue to read I notice that more conflict is building on Hannah as she gets caught up with the school and the flesh eating cheerleaders. When her friend Lukas continues convince her about the cheerleaders and the whole conspiracy; she ignores it and began to have night terrors about them devouring her body. Will the conflict end to her passing to death? Or will she become one of their zombies?
" there aren't any rules to running away from problems, no checklist of things to cross off. No instructions. Eeny, meeny, pick a path and go."
I think the quote sends a message saying that issues that someone might have aren't hard to leave from. Because it doesn't matter what we do or where we go ;it is just that easy. Matters are in your own hands of where or how far we continue to carry the issue or conflict. In the end the author wants us to know that the path that we choose is our outcome all relying on the choice we made in the beginning. There is no
mandatory rule we have to follow , whatever conflict or problem we cooked up ;is what we run from and which way we go is are own option. The author uses words like "checklist" and "instructions" to give us a clear image of how people take thought of rules and how their are similar in ways. This gave the reader somewhat of an advice that problems are what you make of it. if you are trying to put your differences aside and actually leave the person or thing that is giving you the problem; there is no special way to get rid of it , it all pertains to are thoughts on how we should abolish our bad situations that we have.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteKaige Barnabei
ReplyDeleteMrs. Dima
Slam
Blog Post 2
So far I’m about 35 pages into my book, Slam. My experience reading this book has actually been quite enjoying. At first I didn’t feel it was going to be that interesting of a book, but it turned out I was wrong. One of the main reasons I like this book is because I can really relate to terms in the book, mostly the main character, Greg Harris. I like reading about his experiences on and off the court being a basketball players, and how he reacts to those experiences. As far as the difficulty of the book, I don’ feel it’s really challenging, but a good book, none the less. Judging off of this book I would definitely say I’m confident this author has more books just as good as this;
One quote that particularly stuck out to me was on page one when Greg was describing what basketball means to him. I think what the author really wanted to get at was how something everyone has a passion and how that passion effects them
“With me it’s not like playing a game, it’s like the only time I’m being for real. Bringing the ball down the court makes me feel like a bird that just learned to fly. I see my guys moving down in front of and everything feels and looks right. Patterns come up and a small buzz comes into my head that stars to build up and I know it won’t end until the ball swishes through the net.” (Myers 1)
One line that really stuck out to me was when he compared basketball to a bird just learning to fly. This stuck out to me because it made me realize how much of an adrenalin rush he feels when he plays the game. That’s the part where the author reveals his passion for what he does.
(Someone like You, Sarah Dessen)
ReplyDeleteI've finished "Someone like you" by Sarah Dessen. The first day I only read the first 3 chapters. I wasn't really into it since the point of the book was confusing to me. I finished the book the next day, the book got so interesting that I just couldn't put it down! I really enjoyed the book but I hate how the book ended, it surprised me it wasn't what I expected. In the book Halley went out with a boy named Macon and he kept pressuring her to have sex with him but she didn't feel ready. Halley felt if she didn't do this Macon would leave her. So Halley told Macon she would do it on New Year's Eve. When New Year's Eve came Halley changed her mind and on the way home Halley and Macon were arguing and they got into a car accident. Macon didn't get hurt but Halley did. Right there Macon told Halley he loved her, something Halley never heard him say since they started going out. When Halley recovered. She realized she should break up with Macon and they did. Macon still loved Halley but They never got Back together. Usually in love stories the two Love birds end up together However in this story they didn't and I was expecting them too get back together but they never did. I would read more of Sarah Dessen's books she is a really great Author, she's so romantic and sweet and her stories are always more than your average love story.
"“But that’s such a cliché,” I said. “I mean, Do you love me. Like that means anything. Like if he did say it, then I should sleep with him, and if he didn’t, I shouldn’t.”
“I didn’t say that,” she said simply. “All I’m saying is I would hope he did before you went ahead with this.”" (Dessen, Someone Like You, pg 306)
In the quote above from "Someone Like You" by Sarah Dessen, Halley and Scarlett, Halley's best friend, are talking about Halley deciding to sleep with Macon. Halley is telling Scarlett that Macon doesn't have to tell her he loves her in order for her to sleep with him. In previous moments Scarlett would ask Halley if she was sure that Macon loved her, because if he did he wouldn't be pressuring her into making this decision. The book revolves around this quote. Halley doesn't know if Macon truly loves her since he's not around all the time. Macon has another life that Halley doesn't know about, he's always with friends that Halley doesn't know and this makes Halley think he's Cheating on her since she hasn't slept with him yet. When Scarlett tells Halley to be sure that he loves her, Halley doesn't take her serious since Scarlett is pregnant from Michael, her Dead Boyfriend. Halley is only trying to find an excuse to think that sleeping with Macon is right, she doesn't want to lose him so she feels the need to do what Macon wants in order to have him by her side. Sarah Dessen chose the word "cliché" to show that Hallley thinks "I love you" is over used and unnecessary. what the book is trying to say is that sometimes a simple "I love you" can mean so much to one person. Halley tried to make herself believe that she didn't need to hear one to know he loved her. However, deep down inside that's all she waited for but never got to hear.
("The Shining" by Stephen King, 445)
ReplyDeleteI am currently on page 152 in my book "The Shining". It's a pleasure to read this book, King includes a lot of descriptive imagery in the chapters. I basically enjoy reading about the different characters, and it's real easy to follow the story line, when the setting switches to a new scenery. I've separated this book, so In can read 30 pages a week. The part I'm reading in my book is leading me up to the suspense of Kings thriller. As of now,nothing drastically spooky has taken place yet, but I am looking forward to the thriller. I would read another book by Stephen King. So far I like his writing style which is very fluent and straight to the point.
"Unhappy home life, a big imagination, the invisible friend who was so real to him that he nearly became real to you. Instead of ' growing out of' his childhood schizophrenia, he might well have grown into it" ( pg 149). This is Dr. Edmond's theory about Danny, and his nightmare visions. But he believes since Danny's parents aren't getting a divorce, Jack has stopped drinking and the Torrance's are currently living in a hotel together; that Danny will be okay. The tone of this quote is written exactly how an adult would speak. The phrase "Instead of growing out of his childhood schizophrenia, he might as well have grown into it". When reading this quote it sounds like a doctor speaking to his patents. Overall the phrase "He'll grow out of it" is a typical phrase usually said when a parent's child has picked up a bad habit or is going through a temporarily phase. This quote has struck my attention because I know that Danny has a special talent that allows him to see the future and read people's minds.While seeing the Dr. Edmond, Danny was able to tell him what his mom was thinking about, which was his Mom's little sister who was hit by a car and died. So when Dr. Edmond ask Mrs. Torrance about her deceased sister, and if Danny knew about it, her response was no, but she was recently thinking about her dead sister Aileen.
So even though sometimes Danny's visions aren't true I think his recent nightmares are going to happen an add to the suspense of this book.
(Perfect Chemistry, by Simone Elkeles)
ReplyDeleteI read up to page 137 so far and let me tell you, I really enjoy reading "Perfect Chemisty" by Simone Elkeles. I read it everytime I get a chance. Simone Elkeles gives me a great insight on the lives of two totally different people who grew up on opposite sides of town and how they aren't as different as people and themselves think they are. I would definitely read another one of Elkeles books because she really knows how to keep the readers intrigued and edger to turn to the next page. Also because she did a fantastic job at giving her characters problems that real teens deal with.
"When I told her to be real, I could see the fear in her eyes. I wonder what she's afraid of. Breaking down her "perfection" wall is going to be my goal. I know there's more to her than blond streaks and a killer bod. Secrets she'll take to the grave and secrets she's dying to share. Oh, man. She's like a mystery and all I can think about is unraveling the clues" ( page 133, chapter 22). This quote is about how Alex knows there is more to Brittney than the eyes can see. That she isn't as perfect as she appears and how he wants to find out who the real Brittney Ellis is.
What's powerful about this quote is how the author Simone Elekes put the word "perfection" in quotation marks. Putting the word in quotation marks is powerful because it tells us the readers that even though they're supposedly two totally different people Alex can see right through Brittney, he can see how Brittney isn't as perfect as she seems, yet he still wants to know who she really is, and what she is hiding.
The choice of using quotation marks really helped convey the powerful idea of how Alex really cares about Brittney and what he is willing to do to find out just how perfect she says to be no matter how different they are.
Mariana Padilla
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2 Honors
Mrs. Dima
13 February 2014
Angels on Sunset Boulevard, Melissa De La Cruz
I’m currently on page 101 on Angels on Sunset Boulevard. I would like to thank Sema so much for picking out this book for me it’s AWESOME! It’s a breeze to read and just reading every page closer to the end makes me feel upset that there isn’t a second part to my book. Everything I’ve read so far I can compare to my personal life, maybe in general every teenager’s life. Music, social status, social websites, parties, popularity, relationship problems, money, etc is what the book implies to2 important character’s lives in the book. I’m literally going to start collecting Melissa De La Cruz’s books because I believe that teens can relate to his or her life to Cruz’s story scenarios.
“The song played, and like clockwork the phone lines lit up like Christmas. But instead of answering Taj closed her eyes, counting softly, one, two, three, four, as the lines blinked off one by one. Johnny’s song played on her headphones. Taj mouthed the words, the lyrics seared in her brain: Is this me? Love and loyalty. What do I see? Even the IMs stopped popping. Like her, everyone was just listening . . .” (Pg. 54)
I choose to analyze this small passage out of the 101 pages I’ve read because by its self it sums up the impact Johnny Sliver’s song had on people. The idea I think the author is trying to get across in this passage is how music and lyrics can really affect people profoundly. This is shown when she wrote “lines blinked off one by one… Even the IMs stopped popping. Like her, everyone was just listening . . .” Whenever I listen to music I get sucked out of reality and into the voice and beat. I would literally stop whatever I’m doing and just listen because that’s how powerful the words of the artist are. I’m talking about artist like Elvis Presley, Bob Marley, and especially Aerosmith. Yes, I’m into the oldies but these songs have meaning and stories not like the music made today. I say this because artists like Katy Perry and Lil’ Wayne make music just to make music. Their songs I will admit are fun to hear but they will never touch inner feelings or thoughts a person can’t express. A simile I found in this passage was “The song played, and like clockwork the phone lines lit up like Christmas.” This showed how popular Johnny’s radio station was. When we think of Christmas we think of holiday spirit and bright Christmas lights. So it compares to the way people were into his music, if they kept blasting the station’s phones with requests for Johnny’s songs. Again this shows how music impacts people if they keep calling the radio station and when a powerful song plays everything just “mutes”.
(The Virgin Suicides, Jeffery Eugenides, 243)
ReplyDeleteI wouldn’t say that I’m a slow reader, but rather an absentminded one. If in the correct mind and physical space, I can knock a book out in no time. But between school, ECA, and my never ending extra-curricular activities, it’s hard to find time to eat and sleep. My reading sessions are usually very sporadic – in class when there’s a sub, on breaks between classes at ECA, right before bed if I haven’t passed out while doing homework, etc. Hopefully, during the February break which – thanks snow! – started two days early I’ll get a lot farther than page 76. Yikes.
The Virgin Suicides is incredibly intriguing. There’s limited dialogue, which usually is very irritating, but I respect Jeffery Eugenides attention to detail and the events in the book. The author’s style of writing is actually very refreshing and appropriate for the subject matter. The neighborhood boys are narrating the book as they reflect and reminisce on the memories of the Lisbon sisters, trying to figure out the mystery behind the five sisters’ sudden deaths. It would be insanely unrealistic if they remembered full conversations that went on when things like the four remaining sisters returning to school after Cecilia’s – the youngest and first to commit – death. With this, the author creates a sense of genuinely which makes the book more enjoyable to read.
In theory, I would be enticed to read other works of Jeffery Eugenides since I’m enjoying this one so much. However, the definition of theory is loosely a proposition based on a series of ideas intended to explain something. Since all of the factors, like what Jeffery’s other books are about, been tested, this theory has been proven wrong by me. I am two things 1) the pickiest eater and 2) the pickiest reader. To me, a book about a weird love triangle with an obsessive guy, a nerdy girl, and a loner or a book about a husband who lurks the bushes of his house even though his wife and him are no longer together and it’s just downright creepy does not interest me. I think I’ll stick to teenager girls who off themselves for unknown reasons and hook up with guys that are not good for them (way to go Lux) and groups of stalker-ish boys who watch their every move.
“Who knew what they were thinking or feeling? Lux still giggled stupidly, Bonnie fingered the rosary deep in the pocket of her corduroy skirt, Mary wore her suits that made her resemble the First Lady, Therese kept her protective goggles on in the halls – but they receded from us, from other girls, from their father, and we caught sight of them standing in the courtyard, under drizzle, taking bites from the same doughnut, looking up at the sky, letting themselves get slowly drenched (Eugenides 63).” In this quote, the boys are reacting to the differences the see in the girls after their sister’s death. On the outside, they seem to be unfazed, doing things not out of the realm of their normal routines. But they little things, the withdrawal, letting themselves get wet under the stream of rain instead of covering in shelter; those little things speak volumes to their actual state. These girls have been changed by their sister’s suicide and they themselves have yet to know how or what that means; but it still remains.
(Carnival of souls, Melissa Marr, 306)
ReplyDeleteI am on page 105 in my book “Carnival of Souls”. Right now I am currently struggling with this book just because it’s a little confusing to me. I understand it slowly but not fast enough the way I actually want to understand it. I try to read as often as I can, mostly every two days right now. The enjoyment of the story is really actually good because of the way it was set up, just enjoying it by the way the author had written the book. I believe I wouldn’t read another book by Melissa Marr only because it’s taking me a while to understand this story, I wouldn’t know if it was just this certain book I picked by her and I also don’t know if I don’t understand the way she writes stories. I like this book but wouldn’t think I would like the other books she has written.
Just another killer, he walked further from the seething press of bodies. As eager to get away from them as he had been to be among them earlier, but before he got very far, a ripple of excited words stopped him.
“Marchosias.”
“Marchosias is here.”
“To deliver punishment?”
“To deliver absolution!”
“Who cares? He’s here.”
This certain quote stands out to me the most at this point because of what’s starting to happen before Marchosias came over Aya was in the ring fighting the Belias. Those are the girls she says she was going to kill to win. Which she had won that competition everybody had thought those girls are going to make aya forfit and once that was over everybody saw someone walking around in a mask not a full mask not one covering his face a half one only seeing that one part of his face that’s not covered. All of a sudden he takes it off and they notice its Marchosias. She had gained his support for winning this battle, that’s what I like about this quote she stood by her word claiming she was going to win and everybody doubted her. That’s what made him become a fan, Marchosias really worshipped her and Kaleb was really annoyed about it and felt the burn he had given him. The mood was very exciting reading about everybody's reaction to what is going on.
Erica Snape
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2 honors
Ms Dima
13 February 2014
The Mortal Instruments : City of Lost Souls
By Cassandra Clare
I am currently finished with the book. I did not have a lot struggle with the book. It was a very fun and addicting read. I could not put it down and read it all through advisory and free time in classes. I can still relate. She is a typical teenage girl whose life is changed around due to this huge secret and must live and go through these hardships she has to deal with. She also has complications when she falls in love with jace, a teenage shadowhunter who is scared to show emotion because he was taught that love is weakness. The author Cassandra Clare is Amazing. I would love to read the rest of this series and find out what is happening in her life. Clary had alot of human characteristic s and emotions even though the story is about supernatural plots and characters in it. I can still relate.
In the story it says " she closed her eyes so he wouldin't see her tears - happy tears, for the first time in a long time now. Despite every thing, despite the fact that jace's hands remained carefully together in his lap, clary fely a sense of relief so overwhelming that it drowned out everything else - the worry about where sebastion was, the fear of an unknown future-everything receded into the background. " I decided to analyze this quote because this was the first time in the story when It showed how deeply clary loved jace. Even though there evil coming she believes that it is only her and jace. The phrase " the fear of an unknown future" in the story foreshadows that there is something worse coming but she is not think about it. This implies to the theme that there is no limit of what you do for the person you love.
Dariel Cardona
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2 Honors
Mrs. Dima
14 February 2014
(The Year of the Hangman, Gary Blackford 257)
Currently in my independent reading book I am on page 80. The book is very enjoyable and interesting; I usually read it two days a week for at least thirty minutes. I’m not struggling at all with the book it’s very simple to read and easy to understand. I would actually like to read another book by the author because so far the book I’m reading is really interesting so I would think that all the books written by Gary Blackford are all interesting.
“My father? What do you mean? The colonel turned away and seated himself again at the captain’s desk. Creighton started after him. What do you mean? He demanded. Lieutenant Hale stepped forward and blocked his way. Gently lad. Calm yourself. Ant to know what he means! Creighton leaned over the desk. Did you lie to us in some way about my fathers fate? He shouted. Did you (The Year of the Hangman, 63)” The quote is significant in the story because when Creighton’s father died they never really got into detail with it. Now Creighton comes to the realization that his father was in the colonies being an informant to British authorities and he now is aware that that’s how his father died. Now the people that captured him and sent him to the colonies want him to become an informant as well, but he doesn’t want to because he now knows that this was how his father died. Even if he doesn’t want to do he is still going to be forced to do it. As Creighton talked to the Lieutenant you could see that he was very upset to have to hear how his father died. He had to be held when he got up and yelled at the Lieutenant and this shows us readers that he was very upset.
Anthony Livingston
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2 honors
Mrs.dima
Killing mr.griffin by Lois Duncan
I am currently on page 50 in my book. This book isn't that long it has about 248 pages .The first 20 pages or so aren't the most interesting thing ever but as you read on you will see why this is a good book to read. I don't really like reading but when I read I make sure that it is a book that I will enjoy especially if I have to read about 30 pages a week. This book is perfect for kids or adults who like mystery or conflict. When you first start to read this book you will see how the characters change all because of a grade they got from their teacher. This whole book is how a group of kids are angry at a teacher and want to get revenge on him by kidnapping him and when all goes wrong they don't know what to do.
"It's only by facing things that you ever put them behind you."
In my opinion I think that this quote has a lot to do with the plot of the story. These kids in this book are put in a situation where the accidentally killed their teacher by kidnapping him to kinda scare him or teach him a lesson. The kids never wanted to kill him but ended up doing all because they couldn't accept the grade they got but instead of trying to resolve it they want to get revenge on a man who is doing nothing but his job. This let me know that you can't just push things under the rug you have to clean up what you did not hide it or try to avoid it. This is also saying to do something else you have to finish or accept what happened and you just have to move on. This quote can apply to me because I sometimes try to move on without fixing what I did before or I try to act like what's in the past doesn't exists when in reality it does. This quote may not paint the best picture in your mind because it's so short and straight to the point but I can assure you it will probably make you think about times you didn't want to face things and just wanted to move on. Similar to what Gary said in this post , this quote gave the reader a little bit of advice that could help them maybe get over there problems or give them some guidance.
(The Fault In Our Stars, John Green)
ReplyDeleteI finished "The Fault In Our Stars" by John Green. It was the most emotional and beautifully written book I believe I have ever read. John Green did a spectacular job of contemplating this idea of death and love, and executed reaching the readers emotions so well. I genuinely felt that I was Hazel, the girl whose perspective the book was from, and I believe that is a sign that the author did a stellar job of character development. I fell in love with all the characters, and even though they were going through things I hope I will never have to go through I still felt as if I could relate to them. I couldn’t put this book down. Whenever I had free time I would read it. It didn’t feel like a chore, but instead a pass time. I chose to read this book in the first place because I had previously read a book by John Green and really enjoyed it. I have already begun reading another book by him called "Paper Towns"
“And then the line was quite but not dead. I almost felt like he was there in my room with me, but in a way it was better, like I was not in my room and he was not in his, but instead we were together in some invisible and tenuous third space that could only be visited on the phone.” (John Green, The Fault In Our Stars, Pg. 98)
I had a great deal of difficulty picking out a quote because I have never read a book with so many amazing passages as "The Fault In Our Stars". I finally chose this one because of the way John green metaphorically explains love. This “third space” that he spoke of was a metaphor for the love that Hazel and Augustus shared. The “third place” could be a metaphor for the love that any one shares with their significant other. No matter how far away they were from one another they still felt like they were together. They had no need or want to speak, the presence of each other in the “third space” was more powerful than any words they could have spoken. I found John Green’s use of a lot of commas within the quote was an interesting literary decision. It was a very intellectual quote but one could still tell it was being spoken by a sixteen-year old girl because of the long run-on sentence. There could have been periods used instead of commas, but it made it flow better and made it more obvious of the intelligence and emotions of a teenage girl falling in love. This passage had nothing to do with cancer or dying, just the beautiful affection they felt for one another, and that is why I chose it.
Sam Smith
ReplyDeleteEnglish 2 Honors
Mrs. Dima
13 February 2014
Blog Post #2
I am currently on page 83 of the book "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar" Wao by Junot Diaz. So far I'm really enjoying the book, I am captivated by the lives of the characters to the point where have trouble putting the book down. Diaz is able to make the reader feel like they are witnessing everything happen through his beautiful writing. In this book Junot Diaz switches the main character every chapter, in the first chapter it is about Oscar Wao from the point of Diaz, the second chapter is about Oscars sister, about herself, and the third chapter (the one I am on now) is about Oscars mother but I cannot tell who is telling her story yet. These three chapters all have something in common, they're all about the persons childhood and how they got where they are now, it is very interesting to see what each character thinks of the other and it helps the reader understand more about the characters. At first I was confused when I began reading the second chapter, because I thought the whole book was going to be about the boy Oscar Wao. Then when I was reading there were pronouns like her and she and I had to go back and re read it from the beginning of the chapter. Another thing that can get confusing is that Junot Diaz sometimes writes words in spanish, with no english translation so I am forced to google translate the words in order to understand the story. I read any chance I get, when I'm at home with free time, sometimes in class when nothing is getting done. I think that when I finish this book, if there were any more books that I haven't read by Junot Diaz then I would definitely read that one and add it to my collection, I have even been thinking of rereading one of his other books (I liked it that much).
"Before there was an American Story, before Paterson spread before Oscar and Lola like a dream, or the trumpets from the Island of our eviction had even sounded, there was their mother, Hypatia Belicia Carbal:
a girl so tall your leg bones ached just looking at her
so dark it was as if the Creatrix had, in her making, blinked
who, like her yet-to-be-born daughter, would come to exhibit a particular Jersey malaise- the inextinguishable longing for elsewheres" (Diaz 77).
This passage comes from the third chapter, where we find a young Belicia, living with her mother "La Inca" in the Dominican Republic. It is the first official introduction to Belicia, the first time you know her name, the first time you find out what her life was like growing up. She is longing to get away, she hates being with her mother on the tiny island. Junot Diaz is able to create a clear parallel between Belicia and Lola, they both feel trapped, they want to get away, neither one gets along well with their mother, they both end up running away with men they think they love and as a result their mother sends them away. It is in a way funny, when Lola is sent away she is sent to the Dominican Republic and when Belicia is sent away she is sent to America. In the quote it says "inextinguishable", even when the two are able to finally get away, they are still not satisfied. The word "malaise" means an uneasiness/discomfort whose exact cause is difficult to pinpoint. This shows that no matter where Lola and Belicia are, they are still uncomfortable.
(Along for the Ride, Sarah Dessen, 395)
ReplyDeleteI’m reading Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen which is my second book for this blogging assignment. I chose this book because it was written by the same author that the last book I read was by. I love Sarah Dessen because a lot of her writing revolves around teen issues. All her main characters are teenagers that are having trouble with school, parents, relationships, or even themselves. I enjoy reading her books because they’re so powerful. As I read I feel all the emotions that the characters are feeling. The book is three hundred ninety five pages and currently I’m on page one hundred. I try to read Along for the Ride as much as I can because it is a great book. I like to read at night before bed, because it’s when I focus the best.
This book is about a girl who just graduated high school and now has the summer to herself. Her parents got divorced when she was younger and she is currently living with her mom and brother. However she decides for the summer to go stay with her dad, new stepmom, and new baby sister. So far she is just exploring the new town and her new family that her dad is now part of. She is a typical teenager, very confused. She ends up getting a job at her stepmoms store, and that’s where she meets these boys. I haven’t gotten that far yet but apparently she falls in love with a boy Eli. Although she just slept with his brother Jake. Like I said she’s very confused.
“My dad was still selfish and inconsiderate, and I was still not wanting to believe it, even when the proof was right in front of me. Maybe we were all destined to just keep doing the same stupid things, over and over again, never really learning a single thing. Beside me, Thisbe was now screaming, and I wanted to join in, sit back and open my mouth and let the years of frustration and sadness and everything else just spill forth into the world once and for all. But instead, I just sat there, silent, until I suddenly felt someone looking at me.” (Dessen, Along for the Ride, pg. 64).
I chose this quote because it was full of such strong emotion. The main character, Auden, is having a breakdown inside of her mind. She is confused and is angry but doesn’t know how to react. Her life hasn’t been easy these past seventeen years and it’s not fair she has to keep it all in her. She purposely went to stay with her dad to rekindle their relationship. However he has just been ignoring her and she is mad at herself for even trying. The most powerful part of this quote is when Dessen says “let the years of frustration and sadness and everything else just spill forth into the world once and for all.” I could see that Auden’s past is the reason she’s so tense and upset with the world. There is a very negative tone throughout this quote that really brings it to life. For an example the words “stupid”, “screaming”, “frustration”, “sadness”, show that there is nothing to look forward to at this point. I can’t quite say I can relate to this unfortunate character but I can relate to the ideas she has. As a teenager you’re so pressured to be a certain way to please everyone else, when you should be pleasing yourself. It’s not healthy to have all this anger built inside of yourself just because someone else’s mistakes impacted you. This quote sort of sent out a message saying it’s okay to explode and get that feeling of relief even if the other person isn’t as ready yet.
Anthony Livingston Livingston 1
ReplyDeleteWho killed Mr.Griffin by: Lois Duncan
English 2 honors
Mrs. Dima
Blog post 3
I am currently in the last 20-30 pages of my book and I must say this is a great read for all of those who like school Drama and mystery. This book is full of plot twists and turns. I would like to give my favorite part of the Book to me that fueled the story and made it what it really is, you fail. The incident , (I don't wan to give away the story) happened all because of that word "failure". The whole story is surrounded by the actions that the character is the book choose to do because in their case one thing leads to another with an unexpected ending or outcome. This had me thinking about how far kids will go to shirk their responsibilities and expect to come out successful without thinking that success is earned not give. Me myself sometimes has a problem with this. This quote that I might have used before is the theme of the story,
"It's only by facing things that you ever put them behind you".
This quote is the moral of the story and sums up what the kids needed to do instead of trying to prank someone for them doing right not just making people happy but preparing them for the real world.
http://www.thenerdyteacher.com/2013/12/smiling-as-my-students-fail-edchat.html?m=1
This ad / quote appeals to the story and me. The ad and the book are similar because the ad is almost the summary of the whole book. This ad is no way different because the whole book was filled with failure and instead of learning, Susan, mark , Jeff , Betsy , and , David all dig themselves deeper in the hole by trying to take shortcuts
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