The book I read was entitled "A Maiden's Heart" by Julie Beard. The book is a historical romance novel. In the book, the main character Sir Hugh Greyhurst is a recently retired knight-errant. He injured his leg in a match and after one of his pals passes on he decides to quit the life of being an errant and search for a wife. Many of his fellow knight-errants disagreed and mocked him of his decision. He ignored them and found a wife who is a daughter of a dying Baron. Lady Margrete is the lonesome lady who is not longing for a marriage but is willing to marry Sir Hugh due to her father's wishes. However she has restrictions for the marriage which leaves Sir Hugh in distraught. But those restrictions aren't the only conflicts Sir Hugh is facing.
I liked this book because of the way it is written. The terminology used and structure of the whole text is very romantic, maybe too romantic though. Though there are a few words here and there that confused me due to the fact that they were used back in the medieval times. I enjoyed a few character developments such as Lady Margrete's. She went from uptight and prissy, to calm and collected and risky at the end of the book. But if I were you I wouldn't read this book because there are many explicit parts in this book (that I didn't even think would be in there) that may not be appropriate for viewers like you, thank you.
Friday, November 16, 2018
Children of Blood and Bone
My first quarter SSR book was Children of Blood and Bone by Toni Adeyemi. It is a fantasy novel with a total of 525 pages. The book alternates between the point of view of four different characters: Zelie, Amari, Inan, and Tzain. Even though the book is told from their point of view, Zelie is the main character.
Children of Blood and Bone is about magic in the made up country of Orisha is west Africa. From the beginning of time there was the sky mother who had all magic and decided to share it with her children, the humans. However, they started to abuse their power so it was taken away from them. The king of Orisha had bad experiences with magic, so when the magic was taken away from them he went out and killed all of diviners. The diviners are Orishians with fully realized magical power. This left all of the magi, people who have the potential for magic, without parents and with many scars. The reason the magi have no power is because they haven’t been around any magical items, so when one is recovered rumors start going around about the return of magic. The book is about the journey of Zelie, Amari, and Tzain who are trying to return magic to Orisha while Inan is trying to kill all magi and stop the return of magic.
I loved this book because it was mystical and had many unexpected turns and kept me on my toes the whole time I was reading the book. It was an interesting read and it also explored many social issues that are extremely close to my heart. I love the representation that is in the book. It reminds of Avatar the Last Airbender and Harry Potter which are two of my favorite things in the world. Plus their black. So it makes it like my favorite book ever.
The ending made me mad and I actually threw the book. I need more book.
Children of Blood and Bone is about magic in the made up country of Orisha is west Africa. From the beginning of time there was the sky mother who had all magic and decided to share it with her children, the humans. However, they started to abuse their power so it was taken away from them. The king of Orisha had bad experiences with magic, so when the magic was taken away from them he went out and killed all of diviners. The diviners are Orishians with fully realized magical power. This left all of the magi, people who have the potential for magic, without parents and with many scars. The reason the magi have no power is because they haven’t been around any magical items, so when one is recovered rumors start going around about the return of magic. The book is about the journey of Zelie, Amari, and Tzain who are trying to return magic to Orisha while Inan is trying to kill all magi and stop the return of magic.
I loved this book because it was mystical and had many unexpected turns and kept me on my toes the whole time I was reading the book. It was an interesting read and it also explored many social issues that are extremely close to my heart. I love the representation that is in the book. It reminds of Avatar the Last Airbender and Harry Potter which are two of my favorite things in the world. Plus their black. So it makes it like my favorite book ever.
The ending made me mad and I actually threw the book. I need more book.
SSR 1st Quarter
The book I read during the first quarter was "The Necromancer; The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel", which is written by Micheal Scott. This is the fourth book out of the series. The book's genre is fantasy mostly dealing with lots of magic and mythical creatures. The book contains 416 pages and the words aren't too small and the lines are pretty spaced out.
The main characters are twins, Josh and Sophie Newman, and they are both mages but they have different aptitudes. They both are stuck in between a decision on who to follow and they both need to decide quickly because the twins have powers that change the world drastically. However before they could change anything they must learn stronger magic to fight against the Dark elders. This is also a problem because they must learn the magic from someone and what if they trust the wrong people and the power is used in the wrong hands?
I didn't really like this book because it was much more slower and more boring than the previous books that were in the series. Although there were some very big plot twists it didn't keep my attention for long periods of time. One thing I did like was the fantasy and magic, fantasy is one of my favorite genres and that is the only reason I tried to read the fourth book but it was a disappointment. If I were to change something it would be to have more action and just end the series and drag it on.
The main characters are twins, Josh and Sophie Newman, and they are both mages but they have different aptitudes. They both are stuck in between a decision on who to follow and they both need to decide quickly because the twins have powers that change the world drastically. However before they could change anything they must learn stronger magic to fight against the Dark elders. This is also a problem because they must learn the magic from someone and what if they trust the wrong people and the power is used in the wrong hands?
I didn't really like this book because it was much more slower and more boring than the previous books that were in the series. Although there were some very big plot twists it didn't keep my attention for long periods of time. One thing I did like was the fantasy and magic, fantasy is one of my favorite genres and that is the only reason I tried to read the fourth book but it was a disappointment. If I were to change something it would be to have more action and just end the series and drag it on.
Thursday, November 15, 2018
My first quarter SSR book is a book called The Gunslinger by Stephen King. It is described as a fantasy novel as well as a horror/suspense novel and is 300 pages long. The main plot of the book, without getting way too into it and spoiling some things, is that the main character known as "The Gunslinger" is out searching for "The Man in Black". This is one of the steps he must take towards getting to a place in the novel called The Dark Tower.
For the characters, I have a bit to say about the main character. The main character to me seemed like a typical, gritty cowboy type and fit a lot of the stereotypes that came with it. I'm not necessarily saying that is a bad thing though, he does a good job filling that role. I feel like he definitely has room to grow as a character. Once the man in black was finally found, I felt like his character was a little underwhelming and had room to grow as well.
In my opinion, the writing of the book at times was really cryptic. At times it was difficult to read and I found myself sometimes reading the same page over and over to get bits and pieces and sometimes it felt like a chore to read. It actually took me a while to realize that the book was set in an alternate universe. I feel that this could add to the experience for some people, but for me it kinda took away from the experience. I was satisfied by the book and I do recommend it, but it is a tough read.
For the characters, I have a bit to say about the main character. The main character to me seemed like a typical, gritty cowboy type and fit a lot of the stereotypes that came with it. I'm not necessarily saying that is a bad thing though, he does a good job filling that role. I feel like he definitely has room to grow as a character. Once the man in black was finally found, I felt like his character was a little underwhelming and had room to grow as well.
In my opinion, the writing of the book at times was really cryptic. At times it was difficult to read and I found myself sometimes reading the same page over and over to get bits and pieces and sometimes it felt like a chore to read. It actually took me a while to realize that the book was set in an alternate universe. I feel that this could add to the experience for some people, but for me it kinda took away from the experience. I was satisfied by the book and I do recommend it, but it is a tough read.
1st Quarter SSR Blog
Split by Swati Avashthi Page count: 288
In Swati Avashthi’s Split, 16 year old Jace Witherspoon has what seems to be everything a high
school boy could ask for. However at home things are a bit different with his abusive father who harms his mother physically and emotionally. It is not until he decided to punch back and flee his troubled household. Jace runs away to stay with his brother who did the same years prior.
It is with his brother Christian that Jace trys put together their shared past of abusive and suffering. Christian reveals how he managed to escape the clutches of their father. It is in this process that the two learn how to live together in a small apartment that it is only meant for one. In Jace’s new life he meets new people and makes new relationships. Fighting against the odds Jace strives to make a new life for himself.
This book has a ton of personality and with every character it feels as if you know them personally. Avashthi does a good job in ensuring that all emotions by the characters is clearly portrayed to the reader. Overall a great read for anyone looking for something scandalous and thrilling.
1st Qtr. SSR
Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is one of those books that you can never forget and something that you end up recommending to every bookworm you meet. The whole book is a haunting journey across time through preoccupied Afghanistan to modern America to post-war Afghanistan, all through the eyes of a Amir, the protagonist of the story. The coming-of-age book makes you feel like you have experienced everything he has seen from the fireworks and lights of his hometown Kabul to the bloodshed and injustices he witnessed right in-front of him. You develop a deep connection with the challenges he faces and the uprisings he makes. The way Hosseini paints the settings throughout the book makes you feel like you stand in the markets of Kabul and smell the dry yet alive air, and suddenly in the ash of their ruins. He accurately describes the wars, massacres, and positions Amir faces that you have to put the book down and process what just happened.
The plot of it all is haunting, yet memorable; Captivating, yet overwhelming; Emotional, yet painful. If you have a short attention span, then this is the book for you, because each sentence is always pulling your eyes towards the next one. I highly recommend this book for it's memorable, yet exceptionally painful plot, the well developed characters, and lessons of guilt, injustice, love, and redemption.
The plot of it all is haunting, yet memorable; Captivating, yet overwhelming; Emotional, yet painful. If you have a short attention span, then this is the book for you, because each sentence is always pulling your eyes towards the next one. I highly recommend this book for it's memorable, yet exceptionally painful plot, the well developed characters, and lessons of guilt, injustice, love, and redemption.
First Quarter SSR Book
The book I decided to read was Brave New World by Aldous Huxley which is a 259-page book and the reason I decided to read this book was that I had bought it the previous year in order to read it for English but I didn't and therefore I read it for my first quarter book. The book takes place in the future in a utopian society where people are forced to take soma pills which are made to suppress every feeling other than happiness. The main character in the book is Bernard Marx and he is not at all like the others as he is more aware of what's going on since he doesn't like taking the soma pills. Although his ideology is different than the others in the book, they are more normal to the readers like us and that's why I felt some sort of connection to Bernard. Most characters are static but Bernard is a dynamic character because, at the beginning of the book, it is evident that Bernard does not like his home but later, he views his home with different eyes after meeting someone in a much different society than the one he lives in. Also, when the book starts off, Bernard does not feel comfortable with the way they are living in this civilized society where they take pills called “soma” to suppress every feeling other than happiness. Towards the end of the book, he begins to change and starts behaving like the rest almost without questioning or rejecting anything anymore along with taking soma pills voluntarily. I sort of regret not reading this book last year as it was a very interesting one since it takes place in a very different setting than the 1930’s when this book was written and the present times.
Javier Esparza
SSR #1:Eragon
The SSR book I read first quarter was Eragon by Christopher Paolini, it is a young adult fiction, Fantasy, Utopian and dystopian fiction, and bildungsroman novel. This book has a total page count of 544 and published on August 26, 2003. It´s about a boy named Eragon who lives in a remote village with his uncle Garrow and his cousin Roran. He´s enjoys hunting in a ominous forest named the spine; one day in the spine, Eragon was hunting a deer when he found a blue stone smoother and hollower than any he had seen before. He ended up taking it back to his farm and kept it hidden until one day a baby dragon hatched from it. Two of the kings servants come down to carvahall to look for something and they end up killing Eragon´s uncle. Eragon manages to escape carvahall along with the town storyteller, Brom, who forced himself to come with Eragon and his dragon. Eragon´s journey begins then: his mission to kill the raz´zac.
Eragon is fifteen years old when the novel takes off, he is a shy boy who is only good at help farming and huntig with bow and arrow. As the novel goes on and his dragon grows with him, he becomes more and more confident and older compared to his old self. He travels with the storyteller who teaches him magic and sword-fighting on the journey. As the story progresses and the characters develop I felt as though I grew some sort of connection with the characters, and in my mind of watching them grow, it was my favorite part. This is by far the best novel I have read in all of high school and am glad to say that this is only book one of a four book series.
Eragon is fifteen years old when the novel takes off, he is a shy boy who is only good at help farming and huntig with bow and arrow. As the novel goes on and his dragon grows with him, he becomes more and more confident and older compared to his old self. He travels with the storyteller who teaches him magic and sword-fighting on the journey. As the story progresses and the characters develop I felt as though I grew some sort of connection with the characters, and in my mind of watching them grow, it was my favorite part. This is by far the best novel I have read in all of high school and am glad to say that this is only book one of a four book series.
Year One Nora Roberts
In the first book, Year One, of the trilogy by Nora Roberts that is 357 pages, we experience a world gone dark and led into chaos. As we discover early in the book half of the world’s population has been killed. It is never made clear exactly by what, all we know is that it is some sort of magical force. Therefore, as New York City has begun to become to dangerous with enforcement officers caputuring normal people such as Ralph the hacker and magical people such as Lana and her boyfriend Max alike, we begin to see as they attempt to journey west to save themselves.
I loved the magical element of the book. I was a huge fan of the Percy Jackson series and all of Rick Riodian’s books, so it was awesome to see a serious like this that sorta related to my favorite series. Not to mention the post-apocalyptic world the survivors must overcome in order to reach their goal in the west and hopefully salvation. The book was so entertaining from start to finish and I look forward to reading the next two installments. Roberts definitely did a great job with this novel which I highly recommend.
I loved the magical element of the book. I was a huge fan of the Percy Jackson series and all of Rick Riodian’s books, so it was awesome to see a serious like this that sorta related to my favorite series. Not to mention the post-apocalyptic world the survivors must overcome in order to reach their goal in the west and hopefully salvation. The book was so entertaining from start to finish and I look forward to reading the next two installments. Roberts definitely did a great job with this novel which I highly recommend.
First Quarter SSR
Now Playing: Stoner & Spaz II, by Ron Koertge, is the sequel to a book that I never read, but afterwards wish I would have. This book further developed the characters that were in the first book, so it was as if I walked into a movie half way through. Anyway, the main character is a teenage boy named Ben Bancroft who has cerebral palsy and is obsessed with film making. His "girlfriend" is named Colleen Minou who is a girl that all the guys are in love with and she often hops from guy to guy, all the while coming back to Ben. She actively drinks and does drugs and gets into trouble doing things she shouldn't be doing, with people she shouldn't be with. However, at the end of the day, she always comes back to Ben. Ben lives with his grandma who of course disapproves of Colleen, so is overjoyed when Ben meets a new girl named Amy (a.k.a. AJ), who is an upper class, clean cut girl who also has an interest in film. Throughout the book, Ben makes films about the life around him, all while trying to figure out if these two girls see him as "the boy with cerebral palsy" or if they're actually see past that, as well as trying to decide if he should continue giving Colleen more and more chances, or if he should move past her and go off with AJ instead.
I've never read a romance book or anything similar, but I found this book in the library and chose it the day of the first SSR because I didn't have any idea what I wanted to read. If i had known what this book was going to be about in the first place I probably wouldn't have read it, but now that I've finished the book, I'm glad that I did. The author occasionally uses humor, which kept the book interesting and was very good at developing the characters personalities and portraying how they felt without directly saying it. The entire plot was also very easy to relate to as all of the characters are in high school. It touches on things like how drugs affect people's behaviors, the impulsiveness of a teenager, and other issues that draw out emotion. As I got more into the book, it never got boring and overall I enjoyed it a lot. I would recommend this book to pretty much anybody especially those in high school, because even if you haven't read this type of book before like me, it's very easy to relate to and does a great job of capturing the reader.
Kaleb Stephenson
I've never read a romance book or anything similar, but I found this book in the library and chose it the day of the first SSR because I didn't have any idea what I wanted to read. If i had known what this book was going to be about in the first place I probably wouldn't have read it, but now that I've finished the book, I'm glad that I did. The author occasionally uses humor, which kept the book interesting and was very good at developing the characters personalities and portraying how they felt without directly saying it. The entire plot was also very easy to relate to as all of the characters are in high school. It touches on things like how drugs affect people's behaviors, the impulsiveness of a teenager, and other issues that draw out emotion. As I got more into the book, it never got boring and overall I enjoyed it a lot. I would recommend this book to pretty much anybody especially those in high school, because even if you haven't read this type of book before like me, it's very easy to relate to and does a great job of capturing the reader.
Kaleb Stephenson
A Song of Ice and Fire: A Game of Thrones
The book that I read during the first quarter was “A Song of Ice and Fire: A Game of Thrones” by George R.R Martin. This book was one of the most well written and entertaining books I have ever read, the reason being is sheer amount of detail that Martin gets into. He leaves nothing out of the book such as the fight seems go into every gory detail, and yes this book is very graphic so it is not for the faint of heart. Other than that if you are ok with some grotesque writing it is a very great book. Another great thing about this book is that it has many main characters so if you don’t grab to one there is many more to attach to as every chapter switches between them, my personal favorites are Jon snow and Tyrion Lannister, Jon and Tyrion are both outcast of society ok the book but yet still hold themselves with pride and I think that is what I like most about them. The plot of the book is also full of twist and turns but is still the smoothest roller coaster you have ever ridden. If you’re into a fantasy books I would highly recommend checking the series of books out they are truly wonderful reads.
The book I read during the first quarter was called Ready Player One, written by Ernest Cline. The book is about a gaming system that had taken over rapidly known as the Oasis. The game developed from being a virtual reality game to one that may also be used for education. The main character is a boy by the name of Wade Owen Watts. He grew up in the poor side of the town in a trailer park. Although financially he struggled, he was extremely well with technology so he would fix broken computers and keep them. He created his own avatar and began his adventures within the game. Once the educational program began he soon transferred to the online school rather than an actual public school. Wade prefers the online world much more than the actual one. The maker of the Oasis passed away leaving the people of the game with one last gift, to win his life earnings. He created a video especially for the purpose of his death stating that the first person to recover all of the hidden keys within the game will receive everything he worked for. This sends Wade, along with many other players with determination and tenacity to finish the game for the ultimate prize.
I found this book to be interesting and compelling. Despite the book being interesting, I also believe the book can be slow at times. At times the author goes into unnecessary details that draw away from the main story-line. Overall I believe it was a good novel and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in technology or video games.
I found this book to be interesting and compelling. Despite the book being interesting, I also believe the book can be slow at times. At times the author goes into unnecessary details that draw away from the main story-line. Overall I believe it was a good novel and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in technology or video games.
The Bad Place by Dean Koontz
The Bad Place by Dean Koontz would best be described as an episode of Black Mirror, due to its eerie science fiction plot and storyline. This 448-page book follows the steps of Frank Pollard, an unusual man, and Bobby and Julie Dakota, two private detectives of a squad known to investigate requests made by clients. The book begins with Frank finding himself in an unusual place with no recollection of past events except for one phrase that constantly circled within his mind. He had noticed that blue light had been following him, surprisingly destroying everything in his path. Trying to find the source of these attacks, Frank contacts the Dakotas. When given a fake I.D. by Frank, they discover that he's linked to a murder. Yet, even more unusual; after being medically tested, they have been led to the conclusion of Frank having teleportation powers. These powers, the blue light, and the random destruction have all been linked to one person: Frank's brother, Candy. Everything that Frank touches, Candy follows. Candy's goal is to get revenge on his brother for one event, and that is the murder of their mother.
The way Koontz had written the story was interesting and somewhat new to me. The chapters at the beginning of the book separate the lives of Frank and the Dakotas, with each chapter alternating between both of the groups. This allowed me to visualize what the situation was between both of the characters. When they finally met up, it felt like a great collaboration from two different characters, similar to the feeling of your two favorite television characters meeting in the same world. This interaction basically ties the whole book together. Koontz's words were very descriptive, and the whole story overall was very entertaining. So much so that I had to play sci-fi music in the background to set the mood.
The way Koontz had written the story was interesting and somewhat new to me. The chapters at the beginning of the book separate the lives of Frank and the Dakotas, with each chapter alternating between both of the groups. This allowed me to visualize what the situation was between both of the characters. When they finally met up, it felt like a great collaboration from two different characters, similar to the feeling of your two favorite television characters meeting in the same world. This interaction basically ties the whole book together. Koontz's words were very descriptive, and the whole story overall was very entertaining. So much so that I had to play sci-fi music in the background to set the mood.
1984 George Orwell.
In George Orwell's 328 page book 1984, is based on a dystopian fiction. Orwell based his book of leaders from the 1940's like Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin in where they had a totalitarianism and full political authority over their country. Influencing how the world being distributed by Oceania, Eurasia, Eastasia and Disputed, it symbolizes the ideology of the time.
The main character, Winston Smith, believes that there is a brotherhood that goes against the government of Oceania also known as Big Brother. Looking for the brotherhood, Winston had a challenging time. With everyone being watched carefully by the government, it was hard that the Ministry Of Love won't take action against anyone who can threaten the country. At his work he met Julia, a woman who he deeply hated until they talked to each other. After spending multiple days together, Winston goes through traumatic experiences that solidifies his views of the government and what he read in Goldstein's Book.
I really like and recommend reading this book. It gives an input in what the world really could've transformed into. It's a bit scary yet really interesting that our government could transform and take control over so many parts of the world.
The main character, Winston Smith, believes that there is a brotherhood that goes against the government of Oceania also known as Big Brother. Looking for the brotherhood, Winston had a challenging time. With everyone being watched carefully by the government, it was hard that the Ministry Of Love won't take action against anyone who can threaten the country. At his work he met Julia, a woman who he deeply hated until they talked to each other. After spending multiple days together, Winston goes through traumatic experiences that solidifies his views of the government and what he read in Goldstein's Book.
I really like and recommend reading this book. It gives an input in what the world really could've transformed into. It's a bit scary yet really interesting that our government could transform and take control over so many parts of the world.
Quarter 1 SSR Book
One of the books I read during the first quarter was Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn. This book falls under the genres of both mystery and thriller. It is not that long of a book, only 254 pages and is a very interesting read. The book is about a young reporter by the name of Camille Preaker, who returns to her hometown of Wind Gap, Missouri to cover the murder of two young girls. Camille is reluctant to return home, since she has a harsh relationship with her mother and knows that her inner conflicts will get the best of her. Throughout the book, Camille begins to notice how strange her family is, from her half-sister controlling almost anyone; to realizing how sick her mother really is. Everything begins to seem like one big nightmare that can only be controlled with alcohol in order to cope with reality.
Overall, this book was eerie. Eerie to the point where some parts were a bit disturbing to read about, but so captivating at the same time. Flynn really did an amazing job in incorporating the right amount of thrill in the right spots, while leaving enough for the major parts of the book. In my opinion the only character I would change is Camille's half-sister. I found her half-sister to be an annoying spoiled brat that needed to be slapped. I felt like this for the majority of the book, but soon realized that she is a crucial character. I was not able to relate to Camille in a personal level, however I still tried to picture myself in tough situations like the ones she had to face. Despite her constant frustration, she was still determined to gather as much information as to why these two girls were killed. If you like a good murder mystery, then this is the book for you. Or if you enjoy being weirded out by anything, then this is perfect for you as well.
SSR review: Mark of Athena
In my book, Heroes of Olympus: Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan, the characters are Greek demigods sent out on a quest to save the world from destruction that lurks near. They must be brave for new dangers are ahead of them in this emotional and treacherous journey. A team of two halves that come from opposite worlds must unite and set aside their differences to overcome this new evil. Each character has a chapter that focuses on that specific individual so it allows a lot of character development to occur and unfold for the reader to see. They are all dynamic and have a wide range of emotions so they're not portrayed as one-note, monotone characters. The book itself is 586 pages with font that is small so reading it takes a while. Even though it's a long book, the plot really keeps the reader engaged into the story which makes the reader feel like the story is unfolding before their eyes. The writing isn't very complex but provides a lot of detail to what's going on during the story and that helps the reader have an image of what's going on and what some things are supposed to look like. If there were something I would change about the story, it would be to some of the filler scenes. By doing so, it gets rid of any fluff and unnecessary moments in the story that, instead of enhancing the story, only make it drag. Overall, I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Greek mythology and likes a good action novel.
SSR #1: Dealing with Dragons
In the charming fictional novel, Dealing with Dragons, the main protagonist, Cimorene, is a princess in the kingdom of Linderwall. Unlike most princesses, Cimorene refuses to be proper. She is bored with most princess activities and prefers subjects along the lines of fencing, cooking, Latin, and magic. Cimorene finds ways to tolerate her life until she discovers her parents arranged marriage for her. Upon this news and the realization she cant stop it, she runs away to become a dragon's princess. With her thrilling life change, she gets a little more adventure than she bargains for.
I found this book to be enjoyable but it struggled to grab my attention right away. The book had a slow beginning I feel was due to it being aimed at small children. Despite it's tedious start, it eventually grabbed my attention with the promise of dragons and adventure. I would recommend this book to young children and anyone with the heart of a child who loves fantasy books.
I found this book to be enjoyable but it struggled to grab my attention right away. The book had a slow beginning I feel was due to it being aimed at small children. Despite it's tedious start, it eventually grabbed my attention with the promise of dragons and adventure. I would recommend this book to young children and anyone with the heart of a child who loves fantasy books.
SSR #1
Paper Towns by John Green which a young adult book one of the main character has a curious mind. The 305 page book follows students on journey to find their friend. Paper Towns is a book about a teenager trying to be her own person.They two main characters reunite for a night to get revenge after losing touch for a couple of years. After the two main characters Margo and Quentin embark on a crazy adventure she goes missing the next day. They decided to go a week journey in order to find her and bring her back home. Margo is an adventurous and curious person who likes do question society. On the other hand there is Quentin who is scared and likes to stay in his comfort zone.
The book Quentin and Margo have been friends since they were little kids. John Green wrote the book in a poetic style for part of the book. Margo has this idea that everything and everyone is fake and this get the other characters in the book to question society. The two main characters complement each other quite well and have this relationship which is important for the story line. In the book Quentin has had a crush on Margo since he was a little kid. The major plot points where not predictable. When reading this book I never got bored of it. If I could change the book it would problem be the ending because the ending was not the way I wanted or hoped it would be.
The book Quentin and Margo have been friends since they were little kids. John Green wrote the book in a poetic style for part of the book. Margo has this idea that everything and everyone is fake and this get the other characters in the book to question society. The two main characters complement each other quite well and have this relationship which is important for the story line. In the book Quentin has had a crush on Margo since he was a little kid. The major plot points where not predictable. When reading this book I never got bored of it. If I could change the book it would problem be the ending because the ending was not the way I wanted or hoped it would be.
First Quarter SSR Log
Defriended by Ruth Baron
The book I decided to read (at least most of it) was Defriended by Ruth Baron. Barons' book is a horror book based upon the main character Jason and on his online crush Lacey. The thing that caught Jason's attention about Lacey was her profile picture. From then on he requested to follow her on Facebook and they start chatting away for hours a day. Lacey seems to be the perfect one in Jason's eye, she likes indie music, knows how to play the guitar, and loves quoting cheesy 80s films. Everything seems to be going fine until Jason wants to meet up with Lacey. However she refuses every single time, so he gets tired of that and does his own investigations or "cyber stalking" on her and finds out that something is terribly wrong with Lacey. She was found dead after a house party gone wrong over a year ago. Jason was left with an unsettling feeling in his stomach and dumbfound as to who would pull such a disturbing prank on him. That was until Lacey changed her status to deceased.
I chose to read this book because it was Halloween season and I wanted to get in the spirit, this book for sure did the trick and was a treat to read. Through out the chapters the author is always making the reader wonder and wiggle in seat. It is full of intense moments and makes the reader feel as if they are experiencing it for themselves. Teens who have had an online crush i'm not so sure about the whole being dead and receiving a message from that person can relate to it in some way or another. Although, the end of the book wasn't reached due to being scared out of my socks it was a really good book overall and from what I've heard of.
Quarter 1 SSR: Interview With the Vampire
For my quarter one SSR book, I chose Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice. This novel falls under the fantasy-drama fiction category, and has up to 340 pages.
This novel is about Louis, who was born in 1791, and became a vampire at twenty-five. Throughout the book, Louis is being interviewed which technically takes place when the book was published, the mid-70s. Louis begins his story with some faint memories of his young childish years on his family plantation de Pointe du Lac, Louisiana. He hits a depression once turning twenty-five after the death of his brother, that's when the vampire Lestat bombarded him in the street, transforming him into a vampire. Louis expressed to the interviewer that becoming a killing machine from Lestat is far more worse than death. Lestat was a mischievous vampire who caught prostitutes, and those who deeply disobeyed him. He would always kill for fun, but Louis never stood by it. Within about five years of being a vampire, Louis sees a distressed little girl hovering over her dying mother. Louis was on a rat-diet since he refused to kill humans, but rats aren't enough for a vampire; as starving as he was he bit the little girl to death. However, Lestat notices she wasn't fully dead and accidentally bites again, turning the five year old girl, Claudia into a full vampire. Lestat and Louis were considered her fathers, but as time went on, Claudia becomes a woman trapped in a five year old body.
The entire interview speaks of Louis and Claudia's journey from that point on. Anne Rice crafted a great beginning to her vampire chronicles with this novel. Her writing is poetic when it comes to Louis's parts of speech. There weren't many major plot points that become predictable since this story has more to it than the 1994 film featuring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. This is the first time I am saying this, but this book is better than the movie. Personally I saw the movie many times then I stumbled upon the novel at a Barns and Noble. Visually it benefits me, watching the film before reading because it is easier to point out the films flaws compared to the book.
If I were to change something in this novel, it would be Claudia's age, or erase the love she had for Louis. At least Louis wasn't some pedophile who agreed to the relationship in which Claudia begged for, then again she was of age. As a reader, it just sounds wrong, Louis treated Claudia like his daughter but he needed an intimate partner who is an equal in height or age (the age when she became a vampire). Either way Claudia was a plot twist, if Claudia was eighteen or twenty this could've been too relevant to twilight. Louis was a nice character though and it is depressing to hear how much he wanted someone but had to let Claudia go.
This novel is about Louis, who was born in 1791, and became a vampire at twenty-five. Throughout the book, Louis is being interviewed which technically takes place when the book was published, the mid-70s. Louis begins his story with some faint memories of his young childish years on his family plantation de Pointe du Lac, Louisiana. He hits a depression once turning twenty-five after the death of his brother, that's when the vampire Lestat bombarded him in the street, transforming him into a vampire. Louis expressed to the interviewer that becoming a killing machine from Lestat is far more worse than death. Lestat was a mischievous vampire who caught prostitutes, and those who deeply disobeyed him. He would always kill for fun, but Louis never stood by it. Within about five years of being a vampire, Louis sees a distressed little girl hovering over her dying mother. Louis was on a rat-diet since he refused to kill humans, but rats aren't enough for a vampire; as starving as he was he bit the little girl to death. However, Lestat notices she wasn't fully dead and accidentally bites again, turning the five year old girl, Claudia into a full vampire. Lestat and Louis were considered her fathers, but as time went on, Claudia becomes a woman trapped in a five year old body.
The entire interview speaks of Louis and Claudia's journey from that point on. Anne Rice crafted a great beginning to her vampire chronicles with this novel. Her writing is poetic when it comes to Louis's parts of speech. There weren't many major plot points that become predictable since this story has more to it than the 1994 film featuring Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. This is the first time I am saying this, but this book is better than the movie. Personally I saw the movie many times then I stumbled upon the novel at a Barns and Noble. Visually it benefits me, watching the film before reading because it is easier to point out the films flaws compared to the book.
If I were to change something in this novel, it would be Claudia's age, or erase the love she had for Louis. At least Louis wasn't some pedophile who agreed to the relationship in which Claudia begged for, then again she was of age. As a reader, it just sounds wrong, Louis treated Claudia like his daughter but he needed an intimate partner who is an equal in height or age (the age when she became a vampire). Either way Claudia was a plot twist, if Claudia was eighteen or twenty this could've been too relevant to twilight. Louis was a nice character though and it is depressing to hear how much he wanted someone but had to let Claudia go.
The book I read for the first semester was The sky is Everywhere by by Jandy Nelson. The genre of this book is young adult fiction and the main character is a teen girl named Lennie. After her older sister dies she begins to grieve and find support through two boys. One of the boys being her sisters boyfriend and the other being a new kid that joined the band she's in at school. The main issue in this book was for Lennie to figure herself out and decide if she needs boys in her life. She finds herself drawn to the new kid Joey because he's mysterious and musical just as she is. She also starts to have feelings for her sisters boyfriend because they both can relate to each other's feelings and grief they both feel after losing Bailey, Lennie's sister. Lennie goes through a long hard process of finding herself and what she needs. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys twisted teen novels. This book can be enjoyable for teen girls especially because we can relate to the things Lennie feel in the story in a way. Overall this novel was fun to read as I tried to figure out what she would decide and how she would grow in the end.
SSR #1 All the Bright Places
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
All the Bright Places is a Romantic, Adventure, Tragic, Young Adult 388 page novel written by Jennifer Niven. In this novel there are two main characters Theodore Finch and Violet Markey. Theodore Finch is often called "Theodore Freak" at Barlett High School. While Violet Markey is the girl who went through a tragic incident and is now known because of it. Theodore has depression and has to visit the school counselor often. Violet and Finch met accidentally both considering suicide on school ledge. From meeting on the school ledge to now having to do a project together, that requires them to visit different locations in their town.They began to go on adventures, learn more about each other, and create new memories. Throughout the adventures they begin to catch feelings and become close to one another. Theodore who always goes by "Finch" creates a nickname for Violet "Ultraviolet". Finch and Violet both go through a lot in dealing with their personal lives. They both have issues that they deal with on their own, and the issues they deal with each other just like any couple. The two of them both care about each other deeply and are always able to understand one another. Finch's depression begins to affect him a lot and changes their relationship.
This book will kept you on the edge of your sit, its a true page turner. I personally enjoyed this book very much. It was one of those books where you didn't want to put it down and you didn't want to finish it either since it was so good. The book ends in such a shocking yet predictable manner. It was predictable but at the same time you're hoping it doesn't end that way. The story of Violet Markey and Theodore Finch is a crazy one and to hear more about it pick up All the Bright Places.
This book will kept you on the edge of your sit, its a true page turner. I personally enjoyed this book very much. It was one of those books where you didn't want to put it down and you didn't want to finish it either since it was so good. The book ends in such a shocking yet predictable manner. It was predictable but at the same time you're hoping it doesn't end that way. The story of Violet Markey and Theodore Finch is a crazy one and to hear more about it pick up All the Bright Places.
Fear Trump In the White House
I chose Bob Woodward's Fear Trump in the White House as my first quarter novel. The book falls under the biography genre, comprised of hundreds of hours of personal interviews with white house staffers, firsthand source and files and documents. It started off by giving us a clue as to how Donald Trump won the presidency in the first place. Woodward credited Steve Bannon, who was the Executive chairman of the Trump campaign, for Trump's rise to the office because he saw something in the American people that many candidates simply ignore, the discontent of the establishment. Those who are left behind in an economy that has shifted its reliance on blue-collar workers to favor tech driven white workers. The shift had put many workers such as coal miner, steelworker, and factories assemblies and they were tired of politicians, from both parties, making empty promise to get their votes. Bannon saw this and he made it point to show Trump as an outsider businessman that will disrupt the establishment to fight for the common man. This strategy work and it what likely got Trump the White House. A victory short lived as trouble started to arise when Trump gets into the White House. It is clear that from the very beginning that Trump is and will always be a businessman. He is a profit-driven man and lacks consideration on policymaking with other countries. This was evident when dealt with the Chinese trade. Trump saw that imbalance that economic flow between the two countries and was determined to change that imposing tariffs even if many of his advisors were against it. Well, it backfired as he ended up hurting the people that he said he would help. Denial to the defeated he refused to acknowledge the failure of his policies and would fire those who went against him. It got to the point where many of his inner staff had to hide documents from him in fear that he would make a bad decision. As the title suggested, this book really shows you that it might be a good thing that the many of us don't pay attention to the news coming out of the White House, because it can invoke the fear out of anybody. To be entirely honest I picked this book because I didn't want to go to the library to search for a book I would've wanted to read this was my last choice. However, that being said I was surprised that how much I liked the book because it shows that Trump's White House is unlike any other. What could make this book even better, if Woodward would get Trump's take on all of this.
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
My first quarter book, And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, is a murder mystery novel about a group of people who are murdered one by one. It starts with 10 characters on an island, thinking they were meeting a friend, when suddenly one of them is murdered. Throughout the course of the book, people are killed one by one, leaving the others terrified wondering who was doing it and who was next. As the book goes on, the characters are revealed to have worse pasts than it previously seemed, and as more people are killed, nobody can be trusted. Through its 270 pages, And Then There Were None has twists that are all connected in an intricate way.
I was a fan of this book, and it really lived up to my expectations. It was interesting the whole time, and I was always excited to read it. However, it does not have any main characters because any of them could be killed at any time, so it is in third person the whole time, jumping from person to person. Also, this book was a bit confusing, since all ten characters are introduced within the first character. To help with this, I had a list of their names and who they are on a bookmark, so I would not be as confused. Another issue with this book is that it is a bit dense since it was published in 1939. It rambles on a little bit when it doesn't need to, and sometimes mentions things that were normal in 1939, but less so today. To me, the plot was somewhat predictable, since I noticed a pattern with the murders, but I was shocked for the most part by the ending. This book is great plot-wise, but if I could change it I would rewrite it in a more modern way. I recommend this book to anyone who loves suspense and mystery, and is willing to put the effort into an old-timey style.
I was a fan of this book, and it really lived up to my expectations. It was interesting the whole time, and I was always excited to read it. However, it does not have any main characters because any of them could be killed at any time, so it is in third person the whole time, jumping from person to person. Also, this book was a bit confusing, since all ten characters are introduced within the first character. To help with this, I had a list of their names and who they are on a bookmark, so I would not be as confused. Another issue with this book is that it is a bit dense since it was published in 1939. It rambles on a little bit when it doesn't need to, and sometimes mentions things that were normal in 1939, but less so today. To me, the plot was somewhat predictable, since I noticed a pattern with the murders, but I was shocked for the most part by the ending. This book is great plot-wise, but if I could change it I would rewrite it in a more modern way. I recommend this book to anyone who loves suspense and mystery, and is willing to put the effort into an old-timey style.
Quarter 1 SSR (Blue Velvet)
My SSR book wasn't actually a book, it was a the script for Blue Velvet by David Lynch.
It is the story of a boy Jeffery, who has to leave college to see his sick father. In the midst of
walking back home from the hospital, he finds an ear in the middle of a grass field.
He then takes it to the town investigator, Detective Williams. When informed not to further
investigate the situation, Williams’s daughter Sandy tells Jeffrey some things she overheard
her father talking about on the phone regarding the case. The name of a woman keeps
coming up, Dorothy Vallens, a local nightclub singer. The duo decide to take on their curiosity,
they plan to watch her performance at her nightclub, then sneak into Vallens apartment to
find out more information. First, Jeffery poses as a exterminator during the day to
get into the apartment to leave a window open for the night he sneaks in. Luckily he finds a key,
and snatches it as she is distracted from a knock at the door.
After the performance, Sandy and Jeffery leave and head over to wait outside her apartment.
Uneasy, Sandy tries to convince Jeffery to think about what he is going to do, hoping he will
forget the whole thing. Jeffery tells her not to worry and leaves the vehicle. The signal for
when Dorothy arrives are three honks, so Jeffery will know when she's on her way up.
Filled with drinks from the nightclub, Jeffery uses the restroom. Dorothy arrives,
Sandy gives the signal, but Jeffery is unable to hear the muffled honks over the flushing of the
toilet. As he steps out the restroom he hears rattling at the door, he panics! He runs for the closet,
the knob turns, his hand reaches the handle, the door opens, the closet shuts.
The rest of the story is a nail biting mystery that takes us to new worlds. This is actually one of
my favorite films and what drew my to reading the script was wanting to know how such a
strange mystery was written. Also, I love seeing how screenplays are interpreted on
screen, it’s like translating Shakespearean language into Modern English. Lynch’s style of
writing is not my favorite. It's’ not terrible but it is standard. Compared to other writers like
Quentin Tarantino and the Coen Brothers, he is less novel like and more instructive.
The story is still well told, but style of writing was not the best. Nevertheless, the film stands
strong and I highly recommend it.
It is the story of a boy Jeffery, who has to leave college to see his sick father. In the midst of
walking back home from the hospital, he finds an ear in the middle of a grass field.
He then takes it to the town investigator, Detective Williams. When informed not to further
investigate the situation, Williams’s daughter Sandy tells Jeffrey some things she overheard
her father talking about on the phone regarding the case. The name of a woman keeps
coming up, Dorothy Vallens, a local nightclub singer. The duo decide to take on their curiosity,
they plan to watch her performance at her nightclub, then sneak into Vallens apartment to
find out more information. First, Jeffery poses as a exterminator during the day to
get into the apartment to leave a window open for the night he sneaks in. Luckily he finds a key,
and snatches it as she is distracted from a knock at the door.
After the performance, Sandy and Jeffery leave and head over to wait outside her apartment.
Uneasy, Sandy tries to convince Jeffery to think about what he is going to do, hoping he will
forget the whole thing. Jeffery tells her not to worry and leaves the vehicle. The signal for
when Dorothy arrives are three honks, so Jeffery will know when she's on her way up.
Filled with drinks from the nightclub, Jeffery uses the restroom. Dorothy arrives,
Sandy gives the signal, but Jeffery is unable to hear the muffled honks over the flushing of the
toilet. As he steps out the restroom he hears rattling at the door, he panics! He runs for the closet,
the knob turns, his hand reaches the handle, the door opens, the closet shuts.
The rest of the story is a nail biting mystery that takes us to new worlds. This is actually one of
my favorite films and what drew my to reading the script was wanting to know how such a
strange mystery was written. Also, I love seeing how screenplays are interpreted on
screen, it’s like translating Shakespearean language into Modern English. Lynch’s style of
writing is not my favorite. It's’ not terrible but it is standard. Compared to other writers like
Quentin Tarantino and the Coen Brothers, he is less novel like and more instructive.
The story is still well told, but style of writing was not the best. Nevertheless, the film stands
strong and I highly recommend it.
SSR 1st quarter
During the first quarter I had read An Abundance of Katherines a coming of age story by John Green. The story is based around this kid Colin as the main character and his constant attraction to girls named Katherine. In total Colin has dated 19 Katherines and is still having girl problems. Colin, a highly intelligent prodigy, has a breakdown thinking he needs to have an "ah-ha" moment that will help him realize all of his girl troubles and find a solution. In order to do so Colin's best friend Hassan decides that taking a trip will help him have this moment. The boys each tell their parents different stories as to why they will be taking the trip as Colin's parents understand that he needs this trip to reach his potential, Hassan's parents are told the he will get a job while on this trip. So the boys set forth. They reach a town Gunshot and meet a girl named Lindsey, a paramedic in training, after Colin had fallen and hurt his head who introduce the boys to her mother and help them find work. Both boys then start falling for girls. Surprisingly Colin fell for a girl not named Kathrine, but Lindsey, and Hassan dates a girl named Katrina. However, Lindsey is dating a guy named Colin. Later on in the story though, Lindsey ends up finding out that her Colin ,also referred to as TOC, has been cheating on her with Katarina. Towards the very end Lindsey ends up falling for one of the boys towards the end of the trip, but you will have to read in order to find out and all the juicy details.
Personally, I truly did enjoy the book, and its story line. John Green books are very popular among the teenage age group because they are very exciting, enjoyable, and relatable. This book, of course, fell into all three categories. The story line captured you from the beginning because of it being out of Colin's perspective there was common teenage language used as well as jokes. Not only that, but all teens go through dating problems at least once and how Colin expressed himself was hilarious and relatable.
Personally, I truly did enjoy the book, and its story line. John Green books are very popular among the teenage age group because they are very exciting, enjoyable, and relatable. This book, of course, fell into all three categories. The story line captured you from the beginning because of it being out of Colin's perspective there was common teenage language used as well as jokes. Not only that, but all teens go through dating problems at least once and how Colin expressed himself was hilarious and relatable.
Frist Quarter SSR book
The book I read this first quarter is Am I Right or Am I Right written by Barry Johnsberg. In this 249 paged humor fiction book, it follows the life of a 16-year-old Australian girl named Calma Harrison. Calma is the speaker of the novel and acknowledges the reader very often. I really liked the aspect of the speaker being in tune with the reader and even calling herself an unreliable speaker many times. We follow Calma through a few interesting months in her life where she feels as if she is juggling a lot in her life. She has to face her dad coming home, a new boyfriend, a new job, and very surprising information about her friend along with little inconveniences (that she blew out of proportion) getting in the way. She is a very impulsive and dramatic character. I really enjoyed the novel. It was very simple and easy-toned, but it also incorporated poetry that was written by Calma. However, the book was very hectic with a lot going on in Calma's life. Although she blatantly said that she was not a reliable speaker, I did not expect how all of her very crazy stories would actually all come together and make sense at the end. All in all, Am I Right or Am I Right was a very fun and entertaining book to read as a teenager. It is somewhat relatable to what actually goes on in a teen girl's life, but also engaging with the aspect of exaggeration. For a non-book reader like me, I really enjoyed it and wanted to keep reading more.
SSR#1
Someone like summer
It is the beginning of summer in the resort town of Seaview. Annabel and her new boyfriend have a crazy summer. Just recently moving over to seaview .This is the summer of war in Iraq, and of Hurricane Katrina. But in Seaview there are other concerns which seem much more important.
Annabel is a young girl finding herself in a big world. She is curious and in in love with a boy she meet. Although the boy works for her dad so it makes things kinda awkward. He dad doesn't really like the thought of them two messing around so her keeps them from talking. The boy still works for him but that's all he has a job so he better get it done. Annabel's brother is so down for them and is excited about the fact that she has found someone she loves and wants to be. Annabel and her boyfriend discuss the future and of course the normal teenage mind doesn't always think the same. They have different plans for the future which upset them. They learn to just ride the waves and see where the waves take them. At the end it all pays off. They learn evey emotional life lessons and grow from the relationship. The book kept me wanting more because it left me curious. I highly recommend it you'll love it if you like romantic books.
It is the beginning of summer in the resort town of Seaview. Annabel and her new boyfriend have a crazy summer. Just recently moving over to seaview .This is the summer of war in Iraq, and of Hurricane Katrina. But in Seaview there are other concerns which seem much more important.
Annabel is a young girl finding herself in a big world. She is curious and in in love with a boy she meet. Although the boy works for her dad so it makes things kinda awkward. He dad doesn't really like the thought of them two messing around so her keeps them from talking. The boy still works for him but that's all he has a job so he better get it done. Annabel's brother is so down for them and is excited about the fact that she has found someone she loves and wants to be. Annabel and her boyfriend discuss the future and of course the normal teenage mind doesn't always think the same. They have different plans for the future which upset them. They learn to just ride the waves and see where the waves take them. At the end it all pays off. They learn evey emotional life lessons and grow from the relationship. The book kept me wanting more because it left me curious. I highly recommend it you'll love it if you like romantic books.
SSR #1: Eleanor and Park
For the first quarter, I read Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell, which has 333 pages overall. The main characters include Eleanor, a red-headed and overweight teenage girl, and Park, a scrawny Asian-American teenage boy. Both characters are different than the rest of the kids at school. They happened to meet on Eleanor's first day of school, in the new town, on the bus. Noticing that all the seats were full, Park offered for Eleanor to sit next to him. As the year went on, this became a routine. After a couple of weeks, they began talking to each other and eventually began dating. This first part of the book was as expected, but toward the end of the book, there's some trouble between the couple.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Some parts of the book were expected, but there were also many things that happened that I did not think would be done. This is a romance book so I expected it to be all about how the couple fell in love and lived happily ever after, but the author throws a slight twist to the overall plot, leaving me intrigued. My least favorite part of the book would have to be the ending because it ends so mysteriously. I would like the know what the postcard at the end of the book says, so I am hoping that there is a sequel to the book. All in all, I recommend this book to those who enjoy romantic novels.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Some parts of the book were expected, but there were also many things that happened that I did not think would be done. This is a romance book so I expected it to be all about how the couple fell in love and lived happily ever after, but the author throws a slight twist to the overall plot, leaving me intrigued. My least favorite part of the book would have to be the ending because it ends so mysteriously. I would like the know what the postcard at the end of the book says, so I am hoping that there is a sequel to the book. All in all, I recommend this book to those who enjoy romantic novels.
SSR 1
The SSR book I read first quarter was The Hunger Games Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. This is the second book in the The Hunger Games trilogy. Catching Fire is a science fiction young adult novel. This novel continues the story if Katniss Everdeen and the post-apocalyptic nation panem. Katniss and Peeta return to district 12 after winning The Hunger Games. Katniss is unsure of where her and Peeta stand due to his feelings for her. Katniss does not feel the same way towards him. Katniss has put herself in a difficult position because some people believe she rebelled against the capital, which is causing uprisings. Katniss now trying to stay low and away from the capitals radar gets an unexpected visit from President Snow. He sternly suggests her to prove to him and the rest of the people she did not rebel but that she acted out because of her love for Peeta. Time passes and Katniss and Peeta are going to revisit the district's of the fallen tributes. This is painful for Katniss because of her relationship with a certain tribute. After traveling through the districts and finally reaching the capital President Snow feels Katniss has just stirred up more trouble. He makes a very bold decision in making tributes who have won the games only be chosen for the next games. Katniss and Peeta now extremely worried. Their first games were child's play, now they will be dealing with experienced winners. Later in the book when the games finally take off we notice shady and interesting things happening between the tributes. Alliances start to be made and a lot of foreshadowing on situations with the main characters.
First Semester SSR Blog
In my book, The Diary of an Oxygen Thief by an anonymous author, the main character Holden Caulfield goes from woman to woman and shot glass to shot glass everyday. Caulfield struggles from keeping a serious relationship and that is due to the fact that he has a very unique and strange kink. He gets himself going by mentally hurting the girls he goes out with. Right when a girl starts to fall for him and picture creating a family with him is when he swoops in a starts to talk her down and insult her. Suddenly, just like every other love story, a girl comes along and the behavior of Caulfield starts to change... or not. The main character is real with himself. Caulfield is a successful man and makes a large amount of money but he has problems, just like all of us. He goes to AA but should also be going to a therapist for his kink.
Personally, when I first started reading the book I was dumbfounded. I had to get use to the type of language the author uses in the novel. At one point I felt like I was violating someone's actual diary. It is very uncomfortable to read, but it is that kind of book that you can't let go until you finish. I know it sounds weird but it was a good book. One of a kind. If you are looking for a book similar to 50 shades of gray but with a little more alcohol and unstable minds this is the book for you. The reason why I picked this book was because it was the smallest book we had at my library at home. I am kind of glad I picked it though. The book is also fairly short with only 160 pages. I recommend.
Personally, when I first started reading the book I was dumbfounded. I had to get use to the type of language the author uses in the novel. At one point I felt like I was violating someone's actual diary. It is very uncomfortable to read, but it is that kind of book that you can't let go until you finish. I know it sounds weird but it was a good book. One of a kind. If you are looking for a book similar to 50 shades of gray but with a little more alcohol and unstable minds this is the book for you. The reason why I picked this book was because it was the smallest book we had at my library at home. I am kind of glad I picked it though. The book is also fairly short with only 160 pages. I recommend.
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
SSR #1: Safe Haven
The SSR book I read was entitled, Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks, is a literary realism and romance novel. This novel has a total page count of 432 pages and was published on September 2nd, 2010. The protagonist's name is Katie Fieldman, a young woman who moves down to Southport, Carolina to start a new life by herself. She begins to build a life of her own alone and with barely any money to start with. Overtime, she's able to gain money from her waitress job down at Ivan's Fish Restaurant and is able to buy a small cottage on her own. She then meets Alex, the owner of the local grocery store in their small town, who is a single father of two kids. From then on they begin to fall in love,with large amounts of plot twists and drama from both of their pasts.
From the beginning, you're able to tell that Katie has a large amount of secrets and internal struggles. I really admired how the author was able to develop Katie as the story progresses and how her life in Southport changes her emotionally. Nicholas Sparks is very good with building suspenseful moments and creating shocking plot twists. Throughout the story there were numerous moments, where I believed I had guessed the ending and what originally happened to Katie, but Sparks continuously proved me wrong. The entire time I read this novel, it truly did not feel like a struggle to read at all. I was continuously intrigued and it kept me guessing the entire time, at one point I sat down the entire day to finish reading because it was so captivating. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and would recommend not only this novel, but Nicholas Sparks other novels too.
Krystal Jamjampour
From the beginning, you're able to tell that Katie has a large amount of secrets and internal struggles. I really admired how the author was able to develop Katie as the story progresses and how her life in Southport changes her emotionally. Nicholas Sparks is very good with building suspenseful moments and creating shocking plot twists. Throughout the story there were numerous moments, where I believed I had guessed the ending and what originally happened to Katie, but Sparks continuously proved me wrong. The entire time I read this novel, it truly did not feel like a struggle to read at all. I was continuously intrigued and it kept me guessing the entire time, at one point I sat down the entire day to finish reading because it was so captivating. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and would recommend not only this novel, but Nicholas Sparks other novels too.
Krystal Jamjampour
SSR Blog #1 Foul Trouble
In the first quarter I read Foul Trouble by John Feinstein . This a sports book, and also a little bit of African American culture. Lastly this book was 392 pages, but the font was pretty big so it is not as long as you think. This novel is about the politics in recruiting excellent basketball players during their senior year of high school. The main character is Terrell Jamerson who is among the top basketball players in the country, if not the top. Danny Wilcox is his teammate, and the son of the coach, and the three of them have to navigate increasing pressure and schemes to find the right college and future for each of them. Terrell was not a very exciting character. He was mellow and very relaxed while being predictable as well. On the other hand his best friend Danny was a very interesting character who was always ready for a fight, and was able to make the sly est remarks. The ending threw you in for a loop that you were not expecting so plot was always interesting because you never knew what school Terrell decided to go to, and if he was going to accept all the illegal money that was coming his way. If I was to change the novel at all i would probably make his best friend Danny get some more credit as a player because he was a really good player.
SSR Blog: "If I Stay"
The book If I Stay written by Gayle Forman takes place in a small town just outside of Portland, Oregon. The main character, Mia Hall, is in a tragic car accident with the rest of her family. Her mother and father died on impact, and her brother died due to complications. She is the only one left. About a quarter of the way through the book she realizes that she is the one controlling the stability of her condition, so if she becomes flustered or overwhelmed her machines start making loud sounds. Every chapter is marked by time stamps, but every chapter flips between her memories and her reality. The entire book is her internal conflict of whether she is going to die or stay and live.
In my opinion, for the time that it was written, it was different from anything else I had read in a long time. Every other love story was of forbidden love, but this one wasn't. Mia becomes so conflicted with herself whether she should stay or not. As she filters through her choices and the pros and cons, her grandparents are talking to her. The words that hit me the most were from her grandpa. He said "It's okay if you want to go. I understand." That gave me a sense of relief. The way this book was written made me feel like I was connected with her. There were parts where I was worried for her, or when she described the hospital room I could picture it. What I love about the structure of it all was that it was like she was talking to me. It felt very familiar, almost comforting. The best part about this book was that is wasn't centered around the love story, it was focused around her and her life experiences.(or lack there of)
There were many parts where I knew what was happening because I had already seen the movie. However, a few scenes played out differently, but it was good. I liked the book a lot better than the movie because I feel there was so much more depth and development in each character than there was in the movie. Overall, I would read this book again and definitely recommend it to people wo want to read a different type of romance story.
In my opinion, for the time that it was written, it was different from anything else I had read in a long time. Every other love story was of forbidden love, but this one wasn't. Mia becomes so conflicted with herself whether she should stay or not. As she filters through her choices and the pros and cons, her grandparents are talking to her. The words that hit me the most were from her grandpa. He said "It's okay if you want to go. I understand." That gave me a sense of relief. The way this book was written made me feel like I was connected with her. There were parts where I was worried for her, or when she described the hospital room I could picture it. What I love about the structure of it all was that it was like she was talking to me. It felt very familiar, almost comforting. The best part about this book was that is wasn't centered around the love story, it was focused around her and her life experiences.(or lack there of)
There were many parts where I knew what was happening because I had already seen the movie. However, a few scenes played out differently, but it was good. I liked the book a lot better than the movie because I feel there was so much more depth and development in each character than there was in the movie. Overall, I would read this book again and definitely recommend it to people wo want to read a different type of romance story.
SSR #1 Blog: Batman The Dark Knight Returns
My first quarter read is a superhero novel, Batman The Dark Knight Returns, by Frank Miller which is 224 pages long. What is very interesting about this is that my whole first quarter read is that it wasn't a novel, but it was the whole The Dark Knight Returns comic book series. It was separated into 3 comic books and put together into a whole novel which sounds pretty awesome after enjoying such a amazing story.
First of all, the main character as you may have already assumed is the iconic vigilante of Gotham City: Batman/Bruce Wayne. The only difference now is that he's 55 years old and has retired from being the Dark Knight of Gotham City for 10 years. A cause of his retirement is because of loss. His last apprentice, Jason Todd, was killed by one of his major villains, the Joker. As a reader one could see his emotions fighting him through the whole first comic book text read. Another emotion fighting through him in the whole series is how his parents died and how feels terribly awful that he couldn't do anything in the moment. That is when those emotions play together and get him to burst out into the Batman suit once again and fights his old foes with the addition to the new army of mutants. Supporting and important characters were Alfred, Carrie Kelley as the new Robin, and Commissioner Gordon.
I like how this played out and to be honest I'm quite surprised, without spoiling anything, that there is never a clear villain. Many hero movies and books have a clear villain and it seems like a formula. Talking of the book or movie seems as if they're all the same and it does help the story get better. In this, ever foe he beats plays out as paying an old debt for something he feels that hurts it's conscience. Because of that, Bruce Wayne eliminates it. That is what I like about this comic book series. Even though Batman might seem like a unrelatable character to us because of he's rich, his gadgets, and the Batmobile, his mind and personal self is the same. He's human and is a loser. Not in the literal way, but I mean that we've all lost something that meant to us a lot such as a friend or family member and our mind can't let it go so easy. It is until we eliminate that feeling or thought when we accept the reality of the situation. Overall, it is the most intriguing Batman story I've read and kept me wanting more from it's interesting ending.
First of all, the main character as you may have already assumed is the iconic vigilante of Gotham City: Batman/Bruce Wayne. The only difference now is that he's 55 years old and has retired from being the Dark Knight of Gotham City for 10 years. A cause of his retirement is because of loss. His last apprentice, Jason Todd, was killed by one of his major villains, the Joker. As a reader one could see his emotions fighting him through the whole first comic book text read. Another emotion fighting through him in the whole series is how his parents died and how feels terribly awful that he couldn't do anything in the moment. That is when those emotions play together and get him to burst out into the Batman suit once again and fights his old foes with the addition to the new army of mutants. Supporting and important characters were Alfred, Carrie Kelley as the new Robin, and Commissioner Gordon.
I like how this played out and to be honest I'm quite surprised, without spoiling anything, that there is never a clear villain. Many hero movies and books have a clear villain and it seems like a formula. Talking of the book or movie seems as if they're all the same and it does help the story get better. In this, ever foe he beats plays out as paying an old debt for something he feels that hurts it's conscience. Because of that, Bruce Wayne eliminates it. That is what I like about this comic book series. Even though Batman might seem like a unrelatable character to us because of he's rich, his gadgets, and the Batmobile, his mind and personal self is the same. He's human and is a loser. Not in the literal way, but I mean that we've all lost something that meant to us a lot such as a friend or family member and our mind can't let it go so easy. It is until we eliminate that feeling or thought when we accept the reality of the situation. Overall, it is the most intriguing Batman story I've read and kept me wanting more from it's interesting ending.
SSR #1
The book I read for the first quarter is fictional and is called Impossible by Nancy Werlin which is 371 pages long. The main character is named Lucy Scarborough she is faced with a very difficult lifestyle throughout the book. She deals with an insane birth mother and overprotective foster parents which is the least of her problems. Throughout her life she always wondered why she couldn’t have a normal life with a normal mom. Later in the book Lucy attends prom where she gets raped by who she thinks is the love of her life, Gray Spencer. As she tells her foster parents what had happened to her Lucy explains that she feels like someone came over Gray’s body and raped her. She then finds out she is pregnant and that is when Lucy’s foster parents finally explained to Lucy that her real mom is crazy because the girls in her family are cursed. The curse gets the Scarborough girls pregnant and they have to complete three difficult tasks in order to not become crazy after their baby is born. The ticking timer is then set for Lucy to finish the tasks before her baby is born.
Something I loved about the book is the fact that it didn’t even feel like I was reading. I am not one to pick you a book and read on my free time but with this book it was different. Nancy Werlin’s intriguing literacy made it easy to paint a picture in my head of what was happening in the book. Most of the chapters ended on a cliffhanger so most of the major plots were predictable but it was still a good read because I was able to comprehend the book well.
Something I loved about the book is the fact that it didn’t even feel like I was reading. I am not one to pick you a book and read on my free time but with this book it was different. Nancy Werlin’s intriguing literacy made it easy to paint a picture in my head of what was happening in the book. Most of the chapters ended on a cliffhanger so most of the major plots were predictable but it was still a good read because I was able to comprehend the book well.
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
Quarter 1 SSR Blog
In my book, " Anything you want" by Geoff Herbach the main characters are very scared, clueless, grow up to fast, and close minded. They are all these emotions because they think they are older than they are and accidentally get pregnant. At first, they didn't know at all that she was pregnant. At first they didn't except the truth because they were shocked. I did feel everything they were feeling because the author expressed everyone's emotions very well. The characters have a lot of emotions throughout the story. It is good that the characters had a lot emotions because if they didn't it would be boring because there wouldn't be any connection with the story.
The major plots were not predictable. I like stories where nothing is predictable throughout the story because it makes the story more interesting and intriguing. The authors writing is very straight forward. This story is a very serious book because it talks about teen pregnancy. There is some parts where he puts humor in it to lighten the mood of the readers. He wanted to relay a message that being pregnant as a teenager is very difficult mentally and physically draining. Geoff is a very good author because he keeps his readers into the story. Once i started reading the book I could not stop.
The main characters did not work well together well at first, but when they both excepted the fact that they did this to themselves and it is coming fast. If I were to change anything about this book, it would be how the parents weren't really in the picture at all. I think just because kids mess up does not mean the parents need to abandon their kids.
The major plots were not predictable. I like stories where nothing is predictable throughout the story because it makes the story more interesting and intriguing. The authors writing is very straight forward. This story is a very serious book because it talks about teen pregnancy. There is some parts where he puts humor in it to lighten the mood of the readers. He wanted to relay a message that being pregnant as a teenager is very difficult mentally and physically draining. Geoff is a very good author because he keeps his readers into the story. Once i started reading the book I could not stop.
The main characters did not work well together well at first, but when they both excepted the fact that they did this to themselves and it is coming fast. If I were to change anything about this book, it would be how the parents weren't really in the picture at all. I think just because kids mess up does not mean the parents need to abandon their kids.
[KC]: Op-Ed Mentor Text Activity (for absent students)
Hi! If you missed class Tuesday, here's what we did. You'll want to complete this before you come in on Wednesday since we'll be starting to write our own op-eds that day. Take a look at these two slides and complete this activity in your notebook. This is meant to help you understand the structure and style of an op-ed before you write your own.
The link to the NYT Room for Debate "How to Stop the Spread of Fake News"
Also, here's the prompt for what you're writing. This shouldn't be new to you. We've discussed these questions for three weeks now.
Friday, November 9, 2018
[KC]: Quarter 1 SSR Book Review
Hi kids,
Here's your quarter 1 SSR assignment:
Step 1: Create a new POST in which you review the book that you read for the first quarter. If you read more than one book this quarter, you can choose any of them to review. n your review, be sure to clearly state the title, author, genre, and total page number of the book. Then, summarize a bit of the plot (but don't give away the major spoilers!) to give us some context. Next, discuss what you liked or didn't like about this book.
- Feel free to use these questions to help guide you, but don't feel tied to simply answering them:
- Feel free to use these questions to help guide you, but don't feel tied to simply answering them:
- How was the main character? Did you feel connected? Were the major plot points predictable? How was the writing? Poetic? Simplistic? Were the characters dynamic or static? Did that hurt or help the story? If you were to change anything about the book, what would it be?
Step 2: Once other classmates have posted their reviews, COMMENT on two other reviews. (Be sure to read the comments on your review as well and engage in conversations as necessary.)
As always, your post should be around 250 words and your comments should be at least a few sentences.
Post DUE: Thursday 11/15 by 11:22pm
Comments DUE: Friday 11/16 by 11:13pm
Friday, October 26, 2018
How will your relationship with your current friends be like in the future?
The myth when going into college is that you will probably never talk or hang out with your current high school friends. However in experiences that I have seen, it all depends on your situation. For example, if you go to a city college or stay home while going to university, you will most likely keep in contact with your high school friends. This is primarily because besides going to class you do not really get the opportunity to meet other people, and develop a strong bond. On the other side, if you live on campus and dorm, it submerges you into the college life and experience. Through that you get to meet many new friends so you start to drift from your old friends, since you barely see them, unless you live on campus. These are only what I have seen occur in previous years with some of my older friends.
According to an article by Jenna Adrian-Diaz it all depends on how strong the bond between your friends are. You need to make sure that they are true friends and not just acquaintances. There needs to be a way for you to communicate with your friend once you go off to college because without communication the bond will weaken. This is where distance comes into place because if your friend goes out of state, you will not be able to see them until the holidays. You need to make sure your friendship can survive the distance when hoping to keep a friendship in the future. Lastly you need to be honest. If you feel that you are no longer feeling the chemistry you used to have as friends say it. Otherwise it will lead to toxic relationship with a person you used to care about. All in all it is still very possible to keep the friends that you still have in high school as long as your willing to fight for it. 
Thursday, October 25, 2018
How much more do college graduates make than high school graduates?
Some students have this thought about whether or not they will even earn more money with a college degree than with only a simple high school diploma. While some people with only a high school diploma do earn more than people with a college degree, these are really rare like for example Steve Jobs. However, according to Cornerstone University, in 2015 having an education up to the associate's degree level meant that you would be paid about the same as a High School graduate. However, it was only after the bachelor's degree that there was a big increase between the weekly earnings. Another thing that is beneficial to earning a degree is that the unemployment rate is much lower than people with only a high school diploma. Having a college degree means that you will be making more money than the average high school graduate and there are also far fewer chances that you'll be unemployed. Also, according to smartasset, the average salary of a high school graduate is $678 weekly earning and $35,256 per year. A person who has an associates degree makes on average $798 and $41,496 yearly which means that they will be making on average about $6,000 more than a high school graduate. The biggest difference comes when a person has a bachelors degree as they are making an average of $59,124 a year which is about $25,000 more than a high school graduate. If the person obtains a masters degree, they will be making about $69,732 a year which is a good $35,000 more than an average high school graduate. So the best way to make more money is by going to college and earning your degrees.
Javier Esparza
https://www.cornerstone.edu/blogs/lifelong-learning-matters/post/do-college-grads-really-earn-more-than-high-school-grads
https://smartasset.com/retirement/the-average-salary-by-education-level
A Double-Edged Sword
Since I was a little kid about the age of 7 I always looked up to firefighters and also wanted to be one. I wanted to be a firefighter because they would always help people and serve the community and they are basically superheros. Then later on I realized all the hard work they had to put in and how courageous and dedicated they are to there work every single day. I realized that I wasn't as courageous or dedicated as a firefighter should be but, I figured another way to help others in the community. It was to be a pharmacist. A pharmacist doesn't need to run through fires to save someone and have to put there life on the line everyday. They could help the community through medicine and would still be a significant help to the community.
Becoming a pharmacist is quite hard. This is a risky job where the wrong medication and dosage can kill someone and schooling is difficult. Although the pay is great for being a pharmacist it is a double edged sword. On one end it is a well paying job and on the other you might not even pass the exam for the Pharm.D.
One of my biggest fear was failing or not being able to complete pharmacy school. So my question for after high school is "What will I do if I fail or am unable to become a pharmacist?" I found answers for this question. The answer to how to deal with failure was that everyone would fail at something in there life all you have to do is get past this wall and life would go on. It may sound difficult at first because it is so costly and you put so much time into it but life will go on. Another answer I found was that you could find other fields in other pharmaceutical fields and there is never a specific right or wrong path you can take. The only path you can take is the one for yourself.
What Could I Expect my Freshman Year of College to be like?
What Could I Expect my Freshman Year of College to be like?
Many people don’t realize that their freshman year of college is going to drastically change their lives but it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. First thing you may notice is how different the environment is in college classrooms compared to high school. Or even trying to find your class the first day is a challenge. My advice to you is to look up a map of the school campus to have a visual of where your classes are going to be at in order to show up on time. Another tip is to get to school about 15 minutes before your class actually starts so you have extra time to fall back on. Something you will expect once you’re in college is definitely more reading and writing with more homework and shorter deadlines. Once you’re outside of the classroom that’s a whole other story. You must make sure your homework, due dates, and test dates are written down somewhere you can remember them. It’s easy for you to forget and you more than likely will get a bad score for not studying on that important test that could easily make or break your grade. The last most important aspect of college you will need to learn quick as a freshman is your time management and spending. Time management is important because you don’t want to procrastinate till the last minute to turn in an assignment kind of like what I’m doing right now. As for spending you should never get carried away with the financial aid money or student loans that are given to you. In other words don’t go spending financial aid money on everything else but your necessities for school such as books and other supplies. https://www.greatvaluecolleges.net/faq/what-can-i-expect-my-freshman-year-of-college-to-be-like/
Many people don’t realize that their freshman year of college is going to drastically change their lives but it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. First thing you may notice is how different the environment is in college classrooms compared to high school. Or even trying to find your class the first day is a challenge. My advice to you is to look up a map of the school campus to have a visual of where your classes are going to be at in order to show up on time. Another tip is to get to school about 15 minutes before your class actually starts so you have extra time to fall back on. Something you will expect once you’re in college is definitely more reading and writing with more homework and shorter deadlines. Once you’re outside of the classroom that’s a whole other story. You must make sure your homework, due dates, and test dates are written down somewhere you can remember them. It’s easy for you to forget and you more than likely will get a bad score for not studying on that important test that could easily make or break your grade. The last most important aspect of college you will need to learn quick as a freshman is your time management and spending. Time management is important because you don’t want to procrastinate till the last minute to turn in an assignment kind of like what I’m doing right now. As for spending you should never get carried away with the financial aid money or student loans that are given to you. In other words don’t go spending financial aid money on everything else but your necessities for school such as books and other supplies. https://www.greatvaluecolleges.net/faq/what-can-i-expect-my-freshman-year-of-college-to-be-like/
How to Save Money in College
College is expensive and for the most part that's unavoidable. One of the biggest questions I think everybody would love an answer to is how to save the most money possible. I think some of the simpler answers are applying for FAFSA, looking for scholarships, and doing anything you can in order to lower tuition as much as possible. However, even if one is able to completely eliminate tuition costs, there is still a struggle to pay for everything else. Living costs and materials for class can get rather pricey, and add up quickly. So what I want to know is how can I save money on day to day expenses throughout college?
According to www.collegeavestudentloans.com there are many simple ways to save money every day without being a "starving student" in school. They say instead of buying new textbooks, its better to borrow one from a classmate, use the university library, or if necessary buy used textbooks from amazon. You're also sometimes able to rent textbooks from Chegg or Barnes and Noble's. They also advice to look for deals when buying laptops, rather than paying full price. Dell, Apple, and Adobe usually offer reduced prices to college students and many campus stores offer discounts on laptops for incoming students. Many stores also offer deals for students, so if you show your college id, you may be able to get food or clothes for cheaper. As far as food goes, College Avenue Student Loans advises not to go out often, and to buy foods in bulk. People spend significantly more money when going out for meals, and buying foods in bulk costs less than buying smaller portions. Another tip was if you're paying for your own phone and/or cable bills, to try to limit the use of data and cable by using WiFi and sites such as Hulu or Netflix for significantly cheaper each month. Overall, there are many ways to save money every day by being careful not to spend more than necessary on the things that you need.
Kaleb Stephenson
https://www.collegeavestudentloans.com/blog/creative-ways-to-save-money-in-college/
Kaleb Stephenson
https://www.collegeavestudentloans.com/blog/creative-ways-to-save-money-in-college/
Who will be there ?
The truth is many of us will never see eachother ever again. After graduation many of us will part ways for years and possibly a lifetime. Experiencing life in our own way chasing what we desire. The people we have now that we can fall back onto for emotional support may vanish and that’s honestly scary. I’ll admit that I’m not the strongest when it comes to self support and I often rely on my close friends for the boost I need to keep striving. The question is what if we part ways and who will be there for me? According to my good friend Karina Delgado who is currently enrolled at Sadleback college. When we leave behind people who have been part of our lives for years some people will experience a temporary unstable state of mind. She explained that she has encountered many people who seem to have everything under control, but in actuality do not. People like to mask what is truly going on within themselves. It is almost as if we are afraid that we are alone. However no matter the case we find ourselves in there “will always be someone willing to be there for you”. Personally I find this to be very comforting in many ways and I hope you all do aswell.
Sources: Karina Delgado Saddle Back College
What Do I Do If I'm Not Happy with the Career Path I Have Chosen?
As our freshman year of college creeps closer, I can't help but think if I am making the right choices for my future. What if at age 30, I do not have the same interests as I did when I was 17 and 18? Will I still be able to find something that I am truly passionate about doing everyday?
Well, according to www.themuse.com/advice, we should not be afraid of choosing the wrong career path. It is okay to change your major, if the end result involves a career that you are passionate about. But, in order for us to find our profession, we must experience different things so that we are able to identify what we would and would not like to do.
The best thing that is recommended, is to deeply research any career that you are interested in. Often times, we are not well aware of the responsibilities that these career paths take. If we are well informed, it can prevent us from choosing a profession that is not best fit for us. Ruling out these options, will only make those that we truly care about, stand out.
All in all, "it will not be easy to identify what will satisfy you without first pinpointing the qualities you know will be incompatible with yours," but in the end, as long as we find something we truly care to do for the rest of our lives, all the previous decisions will be worth it.
Esmeralda Orozco
Well, according to www.themuse.com/advice, we should not be afraid of choosing the wrong career path. It is okay to change your major, if the end result involves a career that you are passionate about. But, in order for us to find our profession, we must experience different things so that we are able to identify what we would and would not like to do.
The best thing that is recommended, is to deeply research any career that you are interested in. Often times, we are not well aware of the responsibilities that these career paths take. If we are well informed, it can prevent us from choosing a profession that is not best fit for us. Ruling out these options, will only make those that we truly care about, stand out.
All in all, "it will not be easy to identify what will satisfy you without first pinpointing the qualities you know will be incompatible with yours," but in the end, as long as we find something we truly care to do for the rest of our lives, all the previous decisions will be worth it.
Esmeralda Orozco
Where Will The People I Go To College Be From?
Where will the people who I go to college with be from?
With the thought of going away for college a constant presence in my mind, I wonder what kind of people I will meet. Since I will be going to school a few hours away from home, but still in the state, I wonder where my peers will be from. According to an article from University of California, over 70% of UC students are California residents. Though this seems like the schools are almost all locals, there are still thousands from foreign countries, with the leader being China with twenty two thousand. Also, a University of California, San Diego statistic states that 36% of freshmen were from Los Angeles in 2016, with only 7% from out of state locations. I am from Los Angeles's surrounding areas, so over a third of the students will be from the same area as me. There is a surprising amount, however, who are from foreign countries at UC San Diego, which reaches up to 22% in 2016. What this means to me is that though I will meet people from across the state, the country, and the world, I will also meet a good number of people who live near me, and can relate to me.
First Time Freshmen by Home Location
Fall Enrollment at a Glance
First Time Freshmen by Home Location
Fall Enrollment at a Glance
Jonathan Torres
Question: How hard is it to adapt to life after high school?
Life after high school is a new concept that we will all have to endure sooner rather than later. Learning how to adapt to this "new life" begins now by learning how to become more self dependent. This helps create a better sense of responsibility along with strength and character. According to ldsjobs.org, they advise you to figure out your financial stability before deciding to take the next step and move out. The next step would then be to find a place to reside. The article also states clearly to aim realistically on a place to live. It is okay to live in an apartment, you're not going to live in a nice house right away. Taking time to learn day by day is crucial as well. Everyone learns something new about life everyday, it isn't something that can be learned quickly. Developing a plan on what to do after high school is also essential to being able to adapt to life after high school. Developing a plan such as determining what school you wish to attend as well as what you wish to major in. This will help you organize your life easier because you would have a path to follow rather than just to play things out day by day.
https://www.ldsjobs.org/ers/ct/articles/preparing-for-life-after-high-school?lang=eng
Question: How hard is it to adapt to life after high school?
Life after high school is a new concept that we will all have to endure sooner rather than later. Learning how to adapt to this "new life" begins now by learning how to become more self dependent. This helps create a better sense of responsibility along with strength and character. According to ldsjobs.org, they advise you to figure out your financial stability before deciding to take the next step and move out. The next step would then be to find a place to reside. The article also states clearly to aim realistically on a place to live. It is okay to live in an apartment, you're not going to live in a nice house right away. Taking time to learn day by day is crucial as well. Everyone learns something new about life everyday, it isn't something that can be learned quickly. Developing a plan on what to do after high school is also essential to being able to adapt to life after high school. Developing a plan such as determining what school you wish to attend as well as what you wish to major in. This will help you organize your life easier because you would have a path to follow rather than just to play things out day by day.
https://www.ldsjobs.org/ers/ct/articles/preparing-for-life-after-high-school?lang=eng
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