Summer Reading Project: Entry 4

Looking for Alaska

I chose this book because I recognized the author, John Green. I have read The Fault in our Stars and Looking for Alaska by him now and I have heard many, many great things about other novels of his like, The Abundance of Katherine's. I figured if he had more than just one spectacular novel then this book must be pretty good as well, so I gave it a shot. I'm very glad I decided to read it, reading his books are actually kind of life changing because there happens to be a life lesson involved. For instance, the life lesson from, both really, The Fault in our Stars and Looking for Alaska was don't take life for granted with the little time you have because anything can change in a blink of an eye. To me that is something anyone would gladly appreciate to hear because it really is true. That is why I personally love reading his books, I'm also not a big fan of reading but his I am willing to read because there just so interesting. I would recommend this book for those who are either having troubles in their lives and need a little bit of reassurance and those who are into romance and suspense actually, because all his books lead you to thinking what could possibly happen. Looking for Alaska is more on the suspenseful side because the romance doesn't really get impacted as much in this novel as it does with just the friendships.

Summer Reading Project: Entry 3

Looking for Alaska

In the book the first paragraph give a good hook to the novel, "The week before I left my family and Florida and the rest of my minor life to go to boarding school in Alabama, my mother insisted on throwing me a going-away party. To say that I had low expectations would be to underestimate the matter dramatically. Although I was more or less forced to invite all my "school friends, " i. e. , the ragtag bunch of drama people and English geeks I sat with by social necessity in the cavernous cafeteria of my public school, I knew they wouldn't come. Still, my mother persevered, awash in the delusion that I had kept my popularity secret from her all these years. She cooked a small mountain of artichoke dip. She festooned our living room in green and yellow streamers, the colors of my new school. She bought two dozen champagne poppers and placed them around the edge of our coffee table." I think it really describes how the characters personality is; very unsocial. As you go on to read the book you get to see how he changes and grows relationships with people that he becomes close with. This also shows how he isn't that close to his parents because they didn't know his social life very well. It's cool reading how things change with his life and how stuff happens to affect his new life. Therefore I believe this is a good book to read.

Summer Reading Project: Entry 2

Looking for Alaska

In my novel, Miles Calavry says he's trying to "seek for the Great Perhaps," I have yet to figure out what he means by that. I believe he means he is looking for something greater than his life has already given him. So I would say that's what his desire is, seeking for a better life. As for Alaska, I think she wants to be known by every type of person there is possible, but she also wants to be laid back with no worries. She has a personality I don't really know how to describe, she likes to let everything just roll with the flow and get out of things easily. She's also very inquisitive, she is trying to figure out the quote about the labyrinth, she's determined to figure it out. Chip id kind of similar to Alaska, he likes to be seen, getting in trouble is something he's use to and he is okay with it. I believe he wants to become the rebel in the school, he'll do whatever it takes to become the most outgoing person around campus. Takumi, I haven't understood yet, I'm not exactly sure what his purpose is, he doesn't like to get in trouble and smoke like his friends do. I don't know if he's wanting to change and become more rebel like or just have friends that will accept him.  The theme I have discovered through out this book is, "one must stay strong for finding the right friends, even if it takes time." My book is structured by the counting down of days, I'm not sure what it's counting down to yet but I bet it's something big.

Summer Reading Project: Entry 1

Looking for Alaska

For my summer reading project I decided to read, Looking for Alaska by John Green, which takes place at Culver Creek Boarding School in Alabama but the main character, Miles Cavalry was originally from Florida. Where Miles was from he went to a public school, but now he has to make a whole new adjustment to a private school. As he moves in to his new school he becomes friends with Chip Martin, his roommate, along with Chips friends, Alaska, Takumi and Lara. The conflict arising is Miles trying to survive at his new school or as he was saying "Seeking for the Great Perhaps." So far, he has done a better job here than he did at his old school. As he has become close with Alaska, they start to help each other out. Their on a search for a girlfriend for Miles, also known as Pudge. Alaska tries to set Pudge up with Lara, but in the end I believe the struggle will be Pudge trying to win over Alaska. As a reader, I feel a connection between them, But will Pudge end up staying friends with all of them or will the groupings change? Will Miles become a big shot in the school like his father did?

Looking for Alaska

I've heard this book is pretty decent. I decided to research it a little more and see what I think of it.


I found out it's about this boy named Miles, that's really shy and has no friends. He wants to transfer schools, where he basically lives at. He meets a guy named Colonel and a girl named Alaska. Throughout, the book they become really good friends. Miles gets in trouble with his friends and starts missing out on family things. Alaska gets in a really bad accident and everything changes.


This sounds like a book I would like to read. Many of my friends have said it's very good.

Connections

I believe relating to the book elixir is very hard. Not many people have a life where their being followed around. I sure can say I'm not being followed. But I think some of us can say we've had the feeling that someone may be watching us. Clea Raymond has been followed her whole life because of her dad. Some people out there can say this is their life story because out in our world today there are some sick people who are willing to get in trouble to hurt others that did nothing to them. Therefore, I believe this is a text verses society relationship. 

About the Author

Hilary Duff is the Author of Elixir, this video was from when she had resently gotten married. They were married for three years and then decided to split up. Hilary has been in many TV shows, like Lizzie Mcquire, or Movies, for example Cheaper by the Dozen. She was born on September 28, 1887 in Houston, Texas. She started her acting career while traveling with her sister for Ballet. As she says in the video above she never really grew up thinking she'd publish a book, but at the right time in the moment she felt it was right. Hilary has been very successful in her life.

Conflict has Arrived

Have you ever felt like someone was watching you? Or you can't sleep at night because you feel like someones in your room?

Clea has recently been going through pictures with her dads old employee, named Ben. She's very caught up in taking pictures. As she flips through all of them she notices a shadow in every single photograph. Not just any random shadow, but the same shadow everytime, of a person. Talk about feeling watched. Clea goes to bed with the lights on because she feels this shadow always around her now. She has been searching and searching on why this thing is in her photos.

Eventually, Ben comes out to show Clea her dads private office. Nobody was ever to go in there without permission. Ben took her down stairs and oppened the door. They walked in and Ben knew everything about that place. There was a secret compartment that had all of his photos in. Ben opened it and let Clea know that this shadow wasn't just following her... It had also been following her dad before he disappeared.

Now I'm where Clea wants to find this person, so she goes to Rio where her dad was last heard of to see if she could trace anything down about this so called "shadow".

Why kids should attend preschool

After Krista interviewing Ashlyn Bankes, a 5-year-old that's gone to preschool for two years now, studies show that she is advanced in her education.

"Did your child benefit from preschool? Would he have done just as well at a caregiver's house? Would your daughter have made the transition to kindergarten as easily without it? Would your grandson have read as quickly had he not gone? Could your niece have developed the same social skills at home?"

This quote from the article is all rhetorical questions.  Doing this to her articale let's reader think more without giving them a direct anwser. Many people want an anwser but really the anwsers to these questions vary to each person.  I believe this is a great way to engage a reader, it makes someone really interested in what is being said.

Krista likes to put a lot of statistics in her articles. Statistics are numbers of evidence that allow the readers put things into perspective. Krista likes to get the readers very engaged by the way she writes, for example questions. Giving the reader questions makes them focus closely on what is being said.

Some questions I'd like to ask Krista:

1.) Do you think it's really the school letting this 5 year old be advanced or could it just be a gift she has?

2.) Do you think if all kids went to preschool they'd be at the same place as Ashlyn?

3.) How do you get your ideas for writing pieces?

Theme

The theme for elixir I would have to say is, Live your life with no regrets and be curious and explore.

In this book, Clea is willing to do anything to find out everything that happened to her dad whe he disappeared. People take some thing way to far, but when it come to family many do whatever they can for them. Thats exactly what Clea is doing. She's willing to take time out of her life to figure out what exactly happened to her father. Though she is willing to keep a life she manges very well. She has a heathy relationship and is very proud of it. Those around her are helping her and being positive for her. I believe this is a life lesson, to cherish those in your life and making adventures with them.

Clea Raymond- She is very open but only within her photographs. That's her life style and those pictures are how she defines herself. She is like open land because she is very free and selfless but at the same time her world gives her many opsticals. Like in this symbol that one obstical is the river, how do you get from one side to another? She questions her self in her life every day. For example, in every snap shot of her photographs there is a little shadow of a man, she feels everyday like someone is watching her. How do you over come this obstical? She has to let go and trust others and open up. This is why I believe open land is a great symbol for Clea Raymond.

 

Rayna- She is Clea's bestfriend. She is very opposite of Clea, She likes for everyone to know about her life. She doesn't care for critisism or hatred. Rayna is pretty much like the expression "an open door". She is okay with letting everyone hear the lastest news about herself. Does she have some insecurities or secrets of course thats the door standing in the way of life. Sometimes she just has to open it and let everyone in.

Continue of Elixir...

Clea is a photographer or trying to become a professional one. While, on her trip in Paris she took many many pictures including pictures of the fire that her "sister" was involved with.

After returning home from Paris, Clea goes through all her pictures she'd taken. Clea sits down and takes in every moment she had captured,  "Again and again I went through the process, giving myself a little more time on each picture with every round, pulling aside the ones my eyes couldn't stop drifting to, the ones that struck me in a place of pure instinct and emotion."  Her eye could not get away from the one she had taken at the fire. For a long period of time she describes what she sees and how she felt in that moment.

This book has very many emotions or moods. Clea is very relatable and understanding. I would suggest reading this.

Elixir ~ Hilary Duff

"But when things get tough and you forget, this necklace can remind you."

Elixir is a fictional novel written by a famous celebrity, Hilary Duff. There are two main characters so far, Clea Ramond, a renowned surgeon and politicians daughter, and Rayna, Clea's best friend. They are in Paris, France spending time together when they meet these two boys at a club. Rayna was all for having them there, Clea on the other hand wanted nothing to do with the boys. Clea felt very independent and wanted to be alone to think. As she told Pierre, her so called "date", that she wanted to be left alone. He knew something was wrong that is when he said the quote at the top. She didn't think much of it, she believed he was just being nice. Rayna on the other hand left with her "date" and she said to Clea, " I'll be fine you'll never lose me."

After a few hours of Rayna being gone, Clea was watching the news. A story of a burning house came on and Clea was hoping and praying it wasn't where Rayna was. Clea rushed to find where she had written the address down, and sure enough it was the exact same. She was so flustered when getting into the cab. Pierre happen to call her just as she was on her way. He was so good to her and tried to calm her down. Clea felt safe talking to him, that's when she realized that something might be special about them.

The second Clea arrived she sprinted out there yelling for Rayna. Turns out Rayna wasn't even home when it started. After finding each other, Clea and Rayna realized how special there relationship is. The word "You'll never lose me," came out of Rayna's mouth again.

This is where i have ended so far. I can already tell this is a book about lessons or ways of life. Elixir means the capability of prolonging life. I can't wait to finish this novel and figure out everything it can teach me. Also, what it can allow me to be thankful for.

Reflection Over All

The conflict

This post shows how I can prove that I can write about different elements.  I choose my conflict post because my story, Now you See Her,  is a suspenseful story and it relys on what she caused. A conflict is a prolonged armed struggle. Which means it's a drawn out problem. I believe this is the most important element is this book. Without a conflict the story would be very boring, there wouldn't be anything to back up a plot. Everything in life has a conflict, even if it's in your own life or in a novel. It's what makes the story come to life. For example, in, Now you See Her, I stated there was murder. If the murder wasn't stated nobody would care on why she moved away and changed her identity.

Over the past three month I have been blogging about a book I have read. I've had many people comment and stay in tune with what I had to say. Some struggles I had throughout this whole expeirence was staying caught up to when I had to post because sometimes I hadn't met my reading goal so I had nothing to write about. I was willing to get caught up though in one day, I finished my book and I had made about five different post just about my over all book. I believe that actually helped the readers understand what was happening the whole time. A strength I had is writing. I believe that I'm very presuesive and can get others drawn in easily. I liked this assignment but at the same time I didn't. It aloud me to become a better writer but it was very time consuming. I think it was only time consuming because im not a big reader so it took me a while to finish my book. That is what im going to work on next trimester, become a more efficient reader. Start reading earlier and more pages a night. But overall I believe I grew as a reader and a writer.  

 

Theme of Now you See Her

Theme

One should not allow others to take blame of something one has caused because one self will feel that guilt until they have done something to make up for it.

This theme relates to Now you See Her because Nina Bloom had lived with her self creating a crime since she was a little girl. She planned on just living a normal life, having a family and presuing her dreams. Until she finds out that someone else had taking blame for what she had done. When the police department had been looking at evidence they had some suspecion of Nina. Once she found out about them questioning her she left and changed everything about her as well as her child. After many years had past, her guilt had grew too big. Nina and her daughter move back to flordia and she took blame for what she had really caused. This theme creats an ideal prespective of the novel Now you see Her.

Spoiler Alert

I finished the book, Now you See Her.

After changing her identity and running away from or horrendous murder she caused in her childhood. She has had to live with this guilt for many years now. She let a man take the blame for everything she has caused. She wanted a family and got it and she was willing to do anything to protect her children. Even if that mean't change everything about her just to let others take blame. After her realizing what she has done she starts to question herself. Many people were already suspecious of her and the things she has done. Finally she comes to her seases, she decides to move back to Flordia and confess her crime. She let her childred go and finally took blame for what she had done.

How I have read Now you See her?

Now you see Her is a long, long book. Its about 362 pages long. I have mangaged my time by reading about 10 pages a night. The chapters are long as well, so you just have to bare with it and stay close to all the action going on.  I usually don't get home until really late, therefore i gave myself a small goal for one night. It has taken me longer then normal readers but I am willing to do that to finish this novel.

Taking notes is a big thing as well. I take small post-its and either put on where something was important or write a little summary of what happened in that chapter.

Also, finding a book you actually get attracted to is always good because you'll be willing to stay up and read it. Therefore, if your reading Now you See Her read it slowly and you'll understand what's going on.

Books I would like to read

Nicholas Sparks

I would love to read some of Nicholas Sparks novels. I have read:

• A Walk to Remember
• Dear John
• Save Haven

But because he is such a good writer I want to read more of his like:

• The Lucky One
• The Notebook
• The Best of Me
• The Longest Ride

I'm a sucker for a good romantic novel with some action. Nicholas Spark is one of the best writter's. Many of his books are hard to put down. I'm not a big reader but most books i read from nicholas sparks I finish. I would recommend a novel by Nicholas Sparks, you won't be dissappointed.

Conflict

Conflict of Now you See her:

Nina Bloom is the main character in Now you See her. The conlifct starts in this book around the 3rd chapter. The conflict is that Nina Bloom commits a crime, a murder. But this murder was when she was younger and for year she kept it a secret. Over the time the police blamed an older man. After that many people are starting to question Nina. She figures those around her would find out and she needed to leave. This is when she changes her identity and leaves the city.

This makes the book very suspensful, which is what a lot of readers look for. The conflict I just explained was the main one, through out this book though there are many little ones she stummbles upon.

Now You See Her

This novel is a mystery book.

It has so much action. That is why I am not writing about it because i don't want to give anything away. I will say it is one of the best books I have read. There are many twist and suspensful parts.

I suggest reading it to find out the twist and actions in it.