Reading Post 4/2212

I've decided to take a break from the book Columbine so I can start on a new book. Columbine was a very interesting book, but I feel like it is pretty lengthy and some parts of the book jump around.

I've started a new book called Modelland by Tyra Banks. The title sounds silly- yes. I want to give the book a chance because although Tyra Banks doesn't have the popularity as Ellen DeGeneres or Oprah, she is known for being a fashion icon and has a reputation for being an It model. Being a big "girly girl," I've seen Tyra Banks "America's Next Top Model" television show season after season. The media sets out a "perfect" figure for what a girl should look like, and the American public doesn't feel the same way as the media does (because there is no perfect figure.)

The opening passage of Modelland, there is a description of a forgettable girl, with blemishes covering her face, and her face is asymmetrical. She's the girl whose hair has multiple personality disorder and can't decide what style it wants be. She's the girl whose body is a contradiction of itself; her head is humongous with a forehead that goes on and on. Her name is Tookie De La Creme. You've probably met her, but you don't remember, because well nobody ever does.

So far, Banks writing has a very low reading level, but the diction of the words and the tone felt by readers attracts the attention and makes people want to read on. Many people can relate to her book because a lot of teenagers, especially high schoolers, feel like there is something wrong with our bodies and we feel like we are forgettable. It's a book that readers can relate to because one of the themes in the book could be labeled as insecurities or low self esteem. The way the book is written and the universal themes used makes the book an addicting read.

Notes 2 & 3

Note #2

In Cassavete’s The Notebook, pauses of apparent unease and nervousness ripple through Noah and Allie’s last conversation. A twinge of fear and discomfort wrinkle on Noah’s face when he thinks he may be losing his love, Allie. Allie’s half distant mind still remembers her true love, asking “do you think our love can take us away together?” The coming-to of Allie’s memories makes Noah stick around, longing for his love to come back to full awareness. The twinkle in Allie’s eye show apprehension, and Noah addresses her concerns with a soft, gentle kiss. Noah’s kiss acts a symbol of promises and faithfulness to the one he loves. His last words are half cheesy and half hopeful, when he tells his love “I’ll be seeing ya.” Although the lovers are aware of their old age, their ever lasting admiration for one another portrays the feeling of comfort as they prepare to take on a new life.  

Note #3 

  

They Don't Understand

© Emily J. Taylor

I'm confused about life
it seems like no one understands me
especially my parents
they try to run my life
but they don't understand
my life's my own to run
they can't run it
it seems we live in two different worlds
at two different times
they should know no matter how much
they try to control my life
I'll always rebel
I don't care about the punishment
because they can't take away my
freedom, hope, dreams, memories 
and people I love ever.
I wish they would understand
they never had to go through
the problems us teens are going through now
they would never understand
back then there weren't so many problems us
teens face now
they just simply don't understand
us teens

The informal, straightforward diction used in Emily J. Taylor’s poem They Don’t Understand depicts the average teenager’s struggle for independence. The matter-of-factness, to-the-point articulation the writer uses sends off a common feeing of aloneness in a way that “no one understands me/Especially my parents.” The writer argues “no matter how much/They try to control my life/I’ll always rebel” explaining “I don’t care about the punishment/ Because they can’t take away my/ freedom, hope, dreams, memories/ and people I ever love.” The drive to be an individual is shown throughout the poem, especially when the speaker explains “the problems us teens are going through now/they would ever understand/back then there weren’t so many problems us/ teens face now.” The ever-revolving cycle of growing up with feelings of seclusion and stubbornness create a mood that any teenager can relate to. 

Anthology: Film Ideas

My anthology theme is growing up; however I want to make my anthology a little different than what I had originally anticipated on. I was going to have each source about the common theme of growing up or aging, but I have decided that the book will be "growing up" itself. In the beginning of the anthology book, there will be some source that will be about birth or infancy, and the book will end with a source mainly revolved around death and the experience of living.

To end my anthology book, I want to use a clip from "The Notebook." At the end of the movie, Noah and Allie lie down together in a hospital bed, traveling onto their next adventures in their new life.


(0:00 - 1:03)

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Suzanne Collin's second book to her Hunger Games trilogy is Catching Fire. After the the first book, there were some problems that had to be addressed in the second book. Katniss and Peeta have been pronounced victors in their Games, and it's their times to tour all the districts of Panem. After some rumors of uprising in the districts,  the Capitol is taking extra measures to keep the continent in a civil state.
     I believe that most people can agree that Collin's Hunger Games trilogy is written in a way where almost everybody is able to understand the context of the books. She doesn't use complex diction and is straightforward with her explanations, which makes her trilogy enjoyable to read and easy to understand. One of the reasons why I really enjoy reading her trilogy is because of her unique imagination. I know that there was a book released about a decade ago that had the same idea of a group of kids having to fight to their death (the book is called Battle Royale), and some critics have a problem with the similarity of the books. However,  there are hundreds of similar ideas taken from books, movies, music, etc., so the similarity of Battle Royale to The Hunger Games isn't a big problem to me. I highly recommend the series to anyone who hasn't read The Hunger Game.

Exercise #3

1) Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
2) Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler
3) The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Requirements:
1) Use of quotations makes the review strong; it shows that a lot of thought has gone into the review. (The Fault in Our Stars uses this well.)
2) Don't use suggestions, as in "I think that...." or "This book would be better if...."  I don't like suggestions, I like assertiveness in reviews.
3) Talk about the author's use of words and diction in his/her writing. Be sure not to make the whole review a summary of the book.

Columbine

It seems that at some point in our lives, we've heard the story of Columbine. Or, the school shooting that happened in 1999. The school shooting that ended 15 lives and injured 8 people. The book Columbine revisits these tragic time and takes a depth into the lives of the gunmen. The author describes the boys as one of those 'boys next door' ordeal. At least one of the boys do. The media stereotypes the boys as emo and that have no friends. The book Columbine goes into the lives of the gumen to fiigure out what drive them to insanity.

Note 1

Mr. Button's eyes followed her pointing finger, and this is what he

saw. Wrapped in a voluminous white blanket, and partly crammed into
one of the cribs, there sat an old man apparently about seventy years
of age. His sparse hair was almost white, and from his chin dripped a
long smoke-colored beard, which waved absurdly back and forth, fanned
by the breeze coming in at the window. He looked up at Mr. Button with
dim, faded eyes in which lurked a puzzled question.

In this passage from F. Scott Fitzgerald's peculiar novel The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Mr. Button is meeting his newborn for the first time, but is frightened with shocking skepticism about the child. The case with the child is unheard of because the description of a newborn exceeds into the characteristics of a 70 year old man, practically forcing Mr. Button to reject and push away this "infant." F. Scott Fitzgerald's heightened and ridiculous diction of the old man ignores the disheartened sentimentality of the newborn child, leaving the child drowning with incredulous questioning and judgmental rejection. "Wrapped in a voluminous white blanket," writes Fitzgerald, "...there sat an old man apparently about seventy years of age," as if age is a factor of defining a human rather than personality. The narrator describes the newborn's appearance as "sparse hair  almost white" along with innocent "faded eyes." Age, in fact, seems to be the most important feature of a person in this passage: "...and from his chin dripped along smoke-colored beard, which waved absurdly back and forth, fanned by the breeze coming in at the window."Fitzgerald's dispassionate description suggests the sorrowful, uneasy feeling of age in this world, a dramatic, impartial element that is found in everyday life.

Exercise 2

Best, most authoritative credible response:
Reading, Reflecting, and More Reading


Common Mistakes that are easy to fix:

(4) She informs the reader that she lives “in the cruddiest part of a crudded-out town in a cruddy state.”

(3) The diction in "Cruddy" is abrupt. It has a type of simple-slang. Lynda uses lyrical words and is poetic.

(2) "Who can't even CONCENTRATE TO WRITE this because her little sister will NOT shut up," announces the narrator illustrating the harsh reality to her life.

Exercise 1

In this excerpt from Annie Proulx's "The Mud Below," Proulx illustrates the adrenaline rushing, uneasy nostalgic life that Diamond Felts has become a part of. He "kept his butt cocked to one side, his feet up on the shut rails so that the bull couldn't grind his leg, brad him up, so that if it  thrashed he could get over the to in hurry." Diamond Felts "slapped his face forcefully, bringing the adrenaline roses up on his cheeks, glanced down at his pullers and said, "I guess." Proulx gives the character traits that are quite different than how most people would act in these situations, making the character a restrained meekness and calm. Diamond Felts "took the end, made his warp, brought the rope around the back of his hand and over the palm a second time, wove it between his third and fourth fingers, pounded the rosined glove fingers down over it and into his palm." The way the words are written make the relaxed, laid back character seem as if he doesn't care about the outcome of the rodeo, and he only wants to go back to Wyoming, where his home is.

Reading Goals

1. Read 200 pages a week.
2. Read at least 5 short stories to my little sister a week.
3. Take 30 minutes out of my day to read.
4. Listen to an audio book.

The Virgin Suicides

The story of the Lisbon sisters was a tragedy from the beginning. Living in a household where parents checked what the daughters were wearing every time they were outside, a dad who was a teacher at the girls' school, and a psychotic mother (to say the least), the Lisbon sisters seemed almost perfectly set up for disaster. The author writes the book in a way that he doesn't exactly focus on the daughters suicides, but rather talks about their lives. He is the author who writes a paragraph to describe the color pink, as if making the object part of the list of characters. He writes in extreme detail, so that at the end of the book reader's feel like they have witnessed everything first hand. For a person like me, some parts of the book dragged on, but then there were other times where I couldn't put the book down. There was no way story of the Lisbon sister's would turn out okay, but the story behind the girls will never die.

Anthology

I'm planning to focus my anthology work this semester around the general theme of growing up. The concept is so simple, yet it's something people have contrasting feelings about. We, as humans, want to grow up quickly when we're children, but want to grow young when we are older.

I have a few ideas that I want to include in my anthology, but there are still ideas undiscovered. I want to include something about the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button because of the interesting twist in the story. I also want to mention the song called 100 Years by Five For Fighting. The song tells the typical life of an aging adult, and how life passes by so quickly. I think that these ideas will help my anthology express the idea of growing old.

Submission #4: Blog Assignment

 Argumentative:
Vivor Soñar Leer: The radical range of color schemes, discombobulating object scale, unusual item combination, and drastic angling of geometric shapes combine to form a divine harmony in the middle of a flustering discord.   From drastic reds and harsh blacks to soft pinks and peaceful blues, the colors of the rooms create a dramatic range of mood from breathtaking to calming. 

Book About a Book: Ryan's artwork, distinct in style and whimsical in ideas, instills a childlike gayness and a twirling bliss in the eyes of all who see it.

 Personal/ Evaluation:
"And by me playing that sport it allowed me to gather numerous of friendships that are partially still intact in high school."

"The artist parent presents most of his drawings on regular brown paper bag and each day he creates one, each day he captures the bag with the camera and reveals his animated masterpieces. "

Pod Cast: Middle School

Middle School.... we all hated those most awkward, most embarrassing three years of our lives. We all started maturing (in ways we weren't exactly comfortable with). We started to notice the shy boy in the back of the classroom because his voice would crack every five words he said, leaving him completely mortified. Ladies, well this was the time for us to start on our very strict schedule about keeping up with personal hygiene. (Guys, us girls didn't mind the upkeep of personal hygiene, either.) And just when we thought entering a school full of a thousand students with unfamiliar faces was bad enough, we realized we had to worry about middle school dances. 

The audio clip starts out with Ira Glass interviews 14 year old Annie, asking why she to thought This American Life should do a segment over Middle School. When Ira Glass asks her why she signs the letter as "anonymous," she says it's so that she won't get made fun of at school in case anyone hears her on the radio. She later explains that middle school is an awkward time for everyone, and how it's not her favorite time in her life. Later on in the clip, Glass interviews a boy named Ethan, who is a shy boy who had no idea what to expect during the dance. He wanted a slow dance, but later talks about how he doesn't know how to dance and is afraid he won't do it "correctly." He just wanted to fit in with the other kids at the dance; he just wanted to be normal. Autumn, a seventh grader, talks about how she is too nice to tell the FIVE boys who asked her to the dance that she only wants to go to the dance to have fun with her girl friends. Lastly, my favorite part of the segment, a boy explains how he just recently started dating this girl. Unlike what we all would assume, the girl was one to ask him out, asking, "Chris, will you go out with me?" Just for your personal information, they've been dating for approximately twenty minutes. 

Junior High was really a silly time period for every adolescent, and we all assumed none of our peers were going through what we were going through... man, were we wrong. Like mentioned in the podcast, every little "event" that happened at school might as well have made the top news on AOL.com, because that's how fast and how exaggerated every bit of information turned into. The gossip-filled "maturing" three years of this time period will probably be one every person can look back to, and be thankful that s/he doesn't have to go through this alien stage again.

Short List: 2.20.12

It is said that every picture is worth a thousand words, although if this is true, perhaps this picture is worth around.... 50 thousand words? Believe it or not, this is not a photograph.. necessarily. Jim Kazanijan is a unique photographer, who uses his photos and compiles them together to create a "composite," (each of his composites contain around 50 images) or at least this is what he likes to call them. His impressive work of mixing photographs into collages make his portfolio worth taking a look at.



Many people around the world look at Hawaii and picture it to be the perfect vacation spot. In fact, we seem to forget that at one time, the little islands that make up Hawaii was once an isolated community with it's own unique culture. The Smithsonian Magazine wrote an article on Six Sacred Sites of Hawaii, explaining the once popular sacred rituals that gave the community a spiritual connection with one another.



Do you remember growing up? Playing outside with the neighborhood friends from when the sun rose to when the sun set? Or, playing on the Sega gaming console and occasionally watching The Rugrats and the Wild Thornberries? Wall to Watch has a clip on toys from the 80's, although since we recognize most of them, if not all, I think it's okay to relate to. The clip reminds us how much the world has developed with technology.

Podcast: Middle School

The Hunger Games: Finished

   Well... I can finally say it. I've finished The Hunger Games! I can say, by far, it is one of the best books I've come across. The book has a perfect blend of adventure, thrill, and romance; yes, romance. What's a good book without romance (or at least that's the question I like to ask)?
     Now, down to the "nitty-gritty"... I love the way the author writes. She writes in a way that holds onto the readers attention and throws unexpected events during the story, yet she is predictable in a certain way without being full out obvious. After talking to a couple friends about the book, some of them expressed their disappointment in the ending. I won't spoil the ending for those who haven't read the book, (and for those who did, what did you think about the ending?) but it definitely wasn't what I had assumed. The only problem that I have with the book is that the ending is at least somewhat predictable, because there is a sequel to the book. For most books, I would rather there be only one book rather than a series, because eventually it feels like the series drags on and on ( like the Twilight Series); however, I have hope for this series.

The House of the Broken Sun

With the building looking like it is being turned to dust and the sky never-ending, full of stars and openness, "The House of the Broken Sun" photo offers a beauty of lost hope and a questionable future.

The sulking tragedy of something once so great, stands here looking like an apathetic and numb house being carried away with the winds. Trailing up the picture, the repetitive lines on ribbed exterior walls of the house create a disorienting gravity. Following the corner that leads to the sky, looks almost like an extraterrestrial atmosphere; it expresses uncertainty and a level of discomfort. Leading towards the bruised yellow sun ties the photograph together, which is what the eye first witnesses when looking at the photo. Despite the disheartened mood set off from the photo, the never ending circular motion of eyes trailing around the photograph is what makes this picture pleasently sentimental and sincere.

Short List #2

We've all seen pictures like the one above, looking as if the water and clouds were airbrushed to give that smooth, soft texture. Believe it or not, this picture does not use air brush to give the ocean a very bold effect. Using long exposure photography creates a unique photo that has motion in the shot. With photography used in this unique way, it can create remarkable photos.



If you knew that your house was going to burn to the ground what would you save? Would it be more of  items that were practicle, rather than sentiment? Would the items reflect on what made you who you are today, or would it be your priorities? The Burning House is a site that allows users to upload photos of what they would take with them if their house burned to the ground.

Dear kindergarteners texting on an iPhone,

When I was your age, I had to use cups strung together by a string and pretend it was a landline.

Sincerely, where did your imagination go?

Dear Blank, Please Blank is a website that says it all. When we're mad, or happy, or scared, or confused, we often find our self talking to the person, the object, or even the emotion that is making us feel a certain way. This website is full of "Dear So and so", and then writes a sentence or so that explains what the problem is, and is signed by the mood that is coming off from the letter. It's a great site to look at when you have nothing to do.

Annotated Interpretive Response: Found Magazine

We all lose things, whether it's a twenty dollar bill, a photograph, or even the secret love note hiding in your back pocket, sometimes objects get misplaced and before you know it, you never see that cherished object again. What if you were browsing the internet, and you came across a site that displayed thousands of lost notes, letters, and pictures, and suddenly you see a picture of an old, crumbled up note that looks familiar to you, with your handwriting. Found Magazine is a site where anyone can upload a picture of misplaced objects they've found.

The love notes, torn, obscure photographs, and lost homework found rolling in the streets like a tumbleweed in the barren desert all suggest emotions that come from broken hearts to lost memories to hopeful beginnings. A letter to an officer, after receiving a ticket, explains in a note why his car isn't registered and how the owner doesn't have the money to pay the ticket because he needs to register his car first. Another letter, written by an aggravated, sad young child writes to his dad telling him how much he loves his father, but he's tired of daddy's nearly abusive ways. The broken grammar and slanted handwriting of these found objects express the reality of complicated lives people live.

Why is it is so interesting for human beings to dig deep into other's personal lives and snoop around? Maybe humans were made that way: to be nosy whenever there's a chance to be. This website is set up so that it grabs the immediate attention of any person quietly surfing the Internet, wondering whether that little boy is in a peaceful state of mind after writing his father a very stern note. And before people know it, they look up this website after a couple days, in hopes of finding out how that poor little boy is doing these days....

The Hunger Games

I'll be the first to admit, it takes a lot to keep me interested in a book. I tried reading the book "Diary" and another book about the genocide in Rwanda during the 1990s. Unfortunately, neither one of them was able to hold my attention. Falling into the domino effect, I couldn't help myself but pick up the book "The Hunger Games".
     The book opens up with Katniss, a teenager living in district 12 of Panem. She later explains the Hunger Games, which is an annual competition played by citizens of Panem. There is a set of rules to these games however. Any adolescent that is aged 12 through 18 has their name thrown into a random draw; there are two participants per district, where there are 12 districts in Panem. The players must then fight for their death (literally) in a series of competitions. There can only be one winner.
     Katniss is drawn into the annual games, only by choice. As preparations for the games begin, she is showered with luxuries, such as food and clothing. She and her male tribute, who are from the same district, have a special connection that is ineffable and undeniable. The only problem is, however, there can only be one winner.
     When people say The Hunger Games is a phenomenal book, they are using an understatement. The author, Suzanne Collins, writes in a way that attracts and grabs onto the reader's attention, refusing to let go. The tone she creates makes the reader feel terrible for what the players have to endure, to the point where you want to give Katniss a hug and tell her she's going to be okay. And although I have an idea to the how the book will end, I'm at a point where I don't want to continue reading because I'm not ready to know the fate of the players, but putting the book down is impossible.

Reader Short List

Elementary love letters , we've all joked about them. In fact, a lot of us have probably either written one, or have been handed that wrinkled, folded piece of paper with the anticipated (or dreadful) boxes with the sentence "Check yes or no." And although I'm sure all of us wish this ended like a happy ever after, the first part of the note makes me think there might not be such a good possibility for that fairy tale.


We all have bad days, right? Those ones were we just feel like crawling into bed and hibernating for the next 3 weeks.... or for the next 3 months or so. The Reasons to Live Project is designed to let people submit their own story, whether it's about how they are struggling or how they plan on changing the world, and hopefully make an impact on someone. It's a great uplifting tumblr, but it also shows that even when you think you've had it rough, you're not the only one who's going through struggles.


Pictures are worth a thousand words. Pictures can tell the perfect story that we all wish we could take credit for. The website is pretty self explanatory. It's just an escape to browse popular internet images, which range from pictures of shoes to summer to nature (and everything in between.) It's a very entertaining website to look at when you have nothing to do. (Just a heads up... because this is a photo website, there are possibilities of racy pictures. On the side of the site, there are 'tags' to define your search, which I recommend.)

Stand-Out Blogging

Looking through everyone's blogs, these are the ones that stood out to me:

I think the catchiest Dead Poet Society analysis was http://rrr-nans.blogspot.com/:
The way this person described the mood of the room and the looks of the boys hit it right on the spot, as if it was the the walls itself was describing the atmosphere because well, walls aren't biased and if they could talk, they'd tell it exactly how it is.
The uniformed boys share the same blank, indifferent stares as they announce their cult-like response.  The feeling of unease in the almost insincere hall creates a desire for more than the hypnotic routine.

The most interesting blog to me is http://rushingrivers123.blogspot.com
First, I love the title and description of the blog page. In all honesty, when I first read the title (A Puppy's Point of View), I rolled my eyes and moved onto the next link. After getting through most links, I decided I should give the blog a chance, and I'm glad I did. I'm looking forward to see how this blog evolves.
The title of this blog is not literal; but more of a metaphor. I would compare myself to a puppy because I have never blogged in my life. It may take some screaming and yelling, but in the end of it all, I will be able to say I am a trained blogger.

Most Interesting Blog

Diary by Chuck Palahniuk

Your name is Peter Wilmot. And all you need to know is that you turned out to be one sorry sack of shit.
Her name is Misty Kleinman. In case she's not around when you read this, she was your wife. In case you're not just playing dumb - your poor wife, she was born Misty Marie Kleinman.

Well, within the first few pages within an introduction like this, I wasn't sure how this story would unravel. I mean, how could I not? As a person talking in third person, but calling you Peter and her Misty, what are you to do? Who are they, and why does the book sound so gloomy?

Misty is a 41 year old woman, who is living with her mother in law and her daughter, Tabbie. Her life is more like one you see in movies, where she doesn't make much of a living and drinks extensively to drown out reality. Her husband has attempted suicide, and is now in a coma in the hospital. To get out of the depression she has fallen into because of this attempted suicide, she begins to paint again which is the reason why she met Peter in the first place.

None of this makes sense, am I right? You're just as confused as I am. Overall so far in the book, it's not an easy book to read. Because the book is a diary, sometimes I find myself re-reading the same paragraph over and over again because topics can change so quickly. Also, the vocabulary is quite large and often times hard to comprehend (I mean, in the first few pages, Misty talked about nearly all the facial muscles that humans have... in their scientific name). So far, the book is more like solving a puzzle, rather than reading a book. Nothing seems to make sense right now, but hopefully things will start to make sense, before it ends up back on Mr. Hill's shelves...

Dead Poets Society

In the opening sequence of Peter Wier’s 1989 film Dead Poe’s Society, the soldier-like students and the frightened incoming schoolboys emphasizes the uneasy submission and apologetic morose feeling as though it whispers off the walls.  The parents' enthusiasm of sending their boy off to school is obvious and almost makes them blind to the nervous look on all the boy’s faces, and the repetition of the boy’s clothing and actions foreshadow the lack of care to the boys later in the movie. The bland colors of the church walls are fading away, making the building almost lifeless; the only bold colors that are shown are the ones on the flags saying things like honor and obedience, like the flags are warning the boys of the misery and frightening environment they think they're about to enter. Little do the boys know, their adventures have just begun.... 

Edward Hoppers "Nighthawk"

Elements:

• Style 
• Old-fashioned
• Shady
• Sophisticated
• Theme
• Chic
• Modest
• Relaxed
• Setting
• Lonely
• Quiet
• Empty 
• Color
• Shady
• Dark
• Low lighted

Analytical Argument:

     In Edward Hopper's Nighthawk, Hopper illustrates a quiet, low key restaurant which expresses a setting perfectly fit for encouraging soothingness and light-hearted intimacy. The setting is represented by an intense, shadowy atmosphere that revolves around the calm, chatty couple. With the relaxed faces of the couple, a romantic relaxation is felt when looking at the picture. Hopper's Nighthawk offers a pleasant, yet bold look at life during the peaceful times of the 1940s. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

"And in that moment, I swear we were infinite."

The Perks of Being a Wallflower. If you want a 'feel good' book to read, this is not one to consider. The book discusses suicide, drugs, sex, abortion, battery, child abuse and mental illness and stuffed in between these problems are narratives of mix tapes, dating, late night parties, smoking cigarettes, skipping class, dysfunctional families, and how difficult it is to find your place in the world, and realizing that once you find it, it doesn't matter where you stand. As overwhelming as this sounds, the author Stephen Chbosky writes in a way that is perfect for people to read.  

     Charlie, an emotional, shy teenage boy, is an incoming freshman at his school. He writes these anonymous letters that starts off with "Dear Friend," and ending with "Love Always, Charlie" (which he mentions to us in his first letter that is an alias, and every name he mentions is used with an alias to keep himself hidden.) His stories are told only through these letters, and he unravels his undying love for one of his best friends, his encounters of the "drugged up world", and typical high school parties. On top of being an average highschooler, he finds that his emotions come running to him out of nowhere whenever they feel like. Not to act like one of those dads who tells his son to 'man up' and 'crying is for sissys', throughout the book I did notice that I was asking myself, "Really Charlie, you're going to cry over that?" With this trait, he became a character that was a lot different than the normal teenage boy character that is found in most books. Charlie is fascinated with music and reading, and there are several references to popular reads, like Hamlet and To Kill A Mockingbird. He also talks about his favorite song, Asleep by The Smiths, and whenever he talks about something he truly enjoys (like the song), he doesn't just say the reason is because the song is good. (I put the song in the left sidebar; it is a youtube video, check it out!) Charlie looks at everthing with a positive view as he tries to make the best of life.

     Throughout reading, I developed my own concerns for Charlie and I couldn't help but love him. Although at times he acted like an emotional teenage girl, he was as innocent as a freshman in high school could be. His realizations are fascinating, really. He sincerely only wishes the best for everyone and he looks at life with a different perspective than most people do. My favorite quote from the book is this: "So I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them." I believe that everything happens for a reason, and this is Charlie's acceptance to the way life is, and I think that this is a good way for someone like me to take a good lesson on life. 

Autobiographical Reader

I can remember as far back to grade school, being excited to read The Magic Treehouse book series, and wanting to finish them as quickly as possible, only to get on to the next book in the collection. I was so proud of myself when I finished my first book in one whole day. I couldn't have been more excited to tell my Aunt Susie, a grade school teacher, about the books I read. During the holidays, my favorite part visiting my family was to be able to discuss the books with her; she was so smart and she knew of every book I talked about. We talked for what seemed like forever and by the time she left for home,  I was sitting on the couch, snuggled up in a blanket with my nose in a book. My favorite part of reading was (and still is) the way that the words on the page painted a picture in my mind, and I was in my own, perfect world. 

     I'm guilty. I haven't read much in the last couple high school years. And as much as I can blame it on how busy I am with my work and school, that really shouldn't be a reasonable excuse. I love to read, but I'm just not motivated enough to spend time in the library looking through the shelves for the one book that stands out at that moment. Now, this doesn't mean that I don't like to  read. I enjoy it a lot, actually. Going on road trips especially gives me quality time to read. If I find a book I enjoy, I'll read hours on end, which is what usually happens when I find interesting books. 

     Like mentioned earlier, my favorite part about reading is that as soon as you open the book, you're entered in a different world. Whether it's a world full of underwater sea creatures, or fire breathing dragons, or even on the 7th grade recess playground, you can make this world however you like. And, you can paint everyone's physical appearance and hear the sound of the character's voices, and no one can tell you that you're wrong. This is your own perfect world.