Call me by Your Name

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Twilight

Twilight 

To begin with, I read the book Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer. I've watched all the movies apart of the Twilight series, but I have never read any of the books. So, I thought it was about time to start reading them. The book is very similar to the movie; however, I feel the book is much more detailed in every event and emotion. It first starts out with the main character, Bella Swan, leaving her childhood home in Phoenix, Arizona. She is leaving her home to move in with her, who is the police chief in Forks, Washington. She had lived there before, but her father and mother separated while Bella was really young. When they got divorced her mother got full custody of Bella and moved to Phoenix. When Bella arrives her father is very awkward, due to the fact that he hasn't seen her in years. When they both arrive at their home Bella notices that the house never changed. The father kept everything the same way from when Bella and her mother left, even her bedroom. During the same day Bella's father gives her the iconic red ford pickup-truck. 

The next day, Bella starts school at her new school Forks High School. While there she meets Edward Cullen. She meets him in her biology class, and at first he appears to hate her. A few days later, they're paired up as lab partners in Biology class and get to know each other. After a winter storm, the snow freezes, leaving the roads icy. A van gets caught on black ice and starts spinning and nearly hits Bella, but Edward stops the van with his bare hands leaving everyone in shock. From there, Edward and Bella become inseparable and have an epic love story with a lot of twists and turns. This book I would highly recommend to people who love sappy, epic, or fantasy love story. 

Penpal

I read Penpal by Daniel Auerbach. The book is a collection of short stories, each one connected to the other but it can also be read by itself. The story involves the narrator who, during kindergarten, makes a pen pal as a class project. He ties a letter in an envelope to a balloon and lets it go. In the following weeks, his class mates begin to receive letters back, the narrator being the only exception. He finally receives a response back at the end of the year in the form of several blank envelopes, each having a Polaroid photo. When it finally develops, it is revealed to be several photos of the narrator taken from hidden positions. The rest of the story involves the narrator's strange upbringing with this stalker. He and his best friend Josh go through several more encounters with the penpal before the climax of the story.

The main character is never named, but you can still connect with them. Whether it be exploring the area around your house, or going to the movies with your crush, he is in many ways just a normal kid. But he also does not have a chance to live much of his life due to his penpal. Many aspects of his life are ruined, and he will never get them back. It is also more psychologically frightening knowing that there is someone out there who knows everything about you. He begins to become cynical and doubtful about everybody towards the end and you can tell that he is slowly losing his sanity.

Against Their Will

One of the books I read was called Against Their Will by Nigel Cawthorne. It was a true crime book with about 400 pages of horrific stories about victims and their abusers.

Within the novel, there were several different stories of kidnapping, torture, and sexual assault done to a all types of women. Each chapter of the book delves into the cases of women who were victims of these crimes. One chapter that stood out to me was about a young woman who was captured by her own father and trapped in a dungeon he spent years making in secret. He was a stern and harsh man, often seen as abusive around his town. After he captured his daughter, he told the people in his neighborhood that she ran away from home to join a religious cult. Knowing the behavior of her father, they were worried but thankful she was able to “get away” from him. With everyone, even his family, deceived by his lies, the father began to sexually abuse his own daughter. Trapped in a confined space against her will, she went through plenty of hardships. One of the most difficult hardships were the multiple pregnancies she had to go through because her father wished to build a family with her. All of the children she had were ridden with health issues straight out of the womb due to conception by incest. With unhealthy living conditions, permanent health issues, and constant abuse, the daughter had to withstand the torture from adolescence to adulthood.

Although this book’s subject was intriguing, I didn’t like how the book was written. Each chapter was a new story, and the book didn’t flow smoothly. It seemed that the details were a bit vague and lacked emotion in the words. The way it was written was more like a news article than a book to me. Though learning about the crimes that occurred was somewhat interesting, I would not recommend this book. 

Joanne Marie Navarrete

Set For Life by Scott Trench

        During the first quarter, I read Set For Life: Dominate Life, Money and The American Dream by Scott Trench, who is the CEO of BiggerPockets, a program that teaches users how to invest in real estate. Basically, the book was a step-by-step guide to building a fortune and retiring at an early age. The only real reason I read this was because I got the book from my uncle as a Christmas gift around two or three years ago and I felt bad that I didn't read it. I didn't really expect to enjoy the book since it's more of a guide, and I typically enjoy books more when there is a story with characters to get invested into.
        Each chapter of the book outlined a different step of the process to early retirement. In my opinion, Trench's advice goes a little bit overboard, since he basically encourages an extreme lifestyle of frugality. However, some of the advice is genuinely helpful, like when he talks about buying properties and the financial consequences.
        I ended up somewhat enjoying the book because I liked to imagine what my life would be like if I actually followed his advice. To be honest, early retirement would be nice, but being rich isn't my number one priority in life. I'd like to live a more simple and happy lifestyle. If money and early retirement is your goal, however, I'd strongly recommend this book, since it could possibly give you the information you need, but I'd also recommend to take his advice with a grain of salt, since it could be a bit extreme at times.

When It Happens by Susane Colasanti

When It Happens by Susane Colasanti, is a 336 page fiction novel that depicts senior year from the perspective of an overachieving and driven student named Sara, and her love interest Tobey. Tobey is the opposite of Sara and could careless about what happens after senior year, as long as he is playing his guitar somewhere. Sara and Tobey are both desperate to find love before graduation, but they want to find "the one." The story switches between Sara and Tobey's perspectives as they describe the pressures of senior year and the struggles of finding true love. I liked how this book gave you two sides to the story, but with both genders being represented. More often than not we just read romance novels from the female point of view and are left to ponder the male perspective. I found many insecurities and similarities between both teens as they struggled to convey their feelings to one another, despite their opposite personalities. One main similarity is that they both wanted to find someone genuine, instead of just a casual hookup or fling. The writing was very simplistic, but I felt it added to the teenage perspective and view the author was trying to execute. Throughout the novel I found myself saying "omg me too," "relatable," and "same" numerous times; especially when Sara would complain about how hard it was to find love. I did however find this book very predicable and cliche with no new twist to the average romance novel. It was a very a simple read that I feel any young adult looking for love or going through high school can relate to. Sometimes a cheesy romance novel is fun to read every now and then and can be enjoyable.
-Danielle Mecano

13 Reason Why

          This past semester I chose to read Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher and it was one of the few books that I enjoyed reading. The novel is a first person perspective of an average high school girl who increasingly gains popularity and attention throughout her years, most of it negative. Hannah Baker, the main character, shares her horrid experiences through a series of tapes that are heard by everyone who hurt her. She was a victim of bullying, sexual harassment, sexual abuse, depression, and other issues that teenagers face everyday, making this a very interesting novel for me to read and raise my awareness for my peers. Another main controversy throughout the plot is change in behavior when it is a group of attackers instead of one person alone, as shown most commonly among sports teams and other posses.
         Besides the ending of the book, the rest of the story was not easy to predict, because each tape was focused on different people and situations. Hannah’s tapes are meant to explain and give reasons behind her final solution to her suffering, giving her “thirteen reasons why”. Overall, I really enjoyed and appreciated the way in which Asher structured his novel with pause and play buttons to easily identify between a tape playing and live dialogue. If I could change this book in any way, I would not do anything except add more girl-to-girl conflicts in the place of some girl-to-boy conflicts, because I think that bullying and gossip amongst young women is more common than sexual harassment and objectification from young men. Aside from the minor changes, I would be thrilled to read a version of this book where the main character is a male and the author addresses the many issues that they can be confronted with in their teen years.

-Damian Marin

Kidnapping My Daughter Review

   One of the books I read in the first semester is Kidnapping My Daughter by Rachel Jensby. With such an unusual title, I couldn't ignore this type of book. This true-crime novel consists of 192 pages, and it was such an eye-opening book (which was surprising because what lesson could I possibly gain from reading the details of a mother essentially kidnapping her own kin . . . ?)

  The plot is given away from the title as it's about a mother 'kidnapping' her daughter in a sense. With more context, the mother is the author, Rachel, and she wants to save and protect her daughter, Cheyenne, from her abusive ex (who's the biological father of Cheyenne). The novel details the ugly abuse Rachel underwent through as Rachel was both emotionally and physically abused by her ex before, during, and after her pregnancy. Things took a dark turn once Cheyenne was born, thus a plan was formed by Rachel: she planned to flee from her ex and his family with her lover and Cheyenne's 'father', Ben.

   I can most definitely say this book kept me on my toes, and it gave insight into how much the Child Protection Services/Agencies and the court system lacked. People often think that the CPS is good because it's designed to help and protect kids. This book was quick into diminishing that assumption. I should point out that this book is not for those uncomfortable with details of abuse, mentions of abuse, violence, and rape. This novel isn't the type for one to pick up for good entertainment because this book is literally about the struggles and thoughts of an actual mother struggling to keep her and her own baby daughter safe.

   If anyone wants to know how screwed up some people can be and read about the consequences of severely flawed child protection agencies and court systems, this book may be for you (that is, if details of abuse and mentions of said-abused and rape doesn't make you uncomfortable).

- Ashley Salgado

Watchmen by Alan Moore

One of the books I read last semester was the graphic novel, Watchmen. It takes place in a universe where Nixon's Watergate was never exposed and over this backdrop, Moore flipped the superhero genre on it's head with this story. At one point in the past superheros were free to be vigilantes but a new government act forces superheros to either retire or work exclusively for the U.S government. The book is separated into different sections that focus on different themes and characters but also relate to the section behind it. This makes it harder to understand because you don't understand the overarching plot until the very last chapter where not only does it tie the plot together, it ties the themes of nostalgia, modernization of technology, lies and deceit, rules and order and patriotism in an ending that is only satisfying in the context of this grim world. Without spoiling too much, the heroes don't save the day like they would in other superhero comics. The writing was very poetic often using visuals and off handed dialogue to tell the story. I couldn't connect to the main characters seeing as how they were adults who for the most part where either stuck in the past or unfeeling and cold. However this does not subtract from the story because we are only supposed to understand their actions, not relate to them. The character of Rorschach views the world and the people in it very harshly but feels obligated to save them from themselves. A very interesting read that takes a few minutes to fully grasp each page.

Best Book Ever :)

This semester I read half of one book, and half of another. The first book I picked up back in the beginning of the semester was a Swedish novel by Fredrik Backman titled A Man Called Ove. I saw this book on Fletcher's shelf, and I was intrigued by the mysterious title and the adorable cat on the cover. I wanted to know: Who is Ove? Why did this author chose to write an entire book about him? What is his story? I began reading about this angry old man named Ove and his routine days living next to the chatty and boisterous neighbors who he refuses to socialize with. Ove is alone in his house with no other company put his cats, so when this family moves in next door, he is forced to interact with them. I can't tell you the nitty gritty because I put the book down. It was interesting, but it was not my speed. This book's plot was moving too slow for my liking, and I switched my interest to another book on Fletcher's shelf. 

My second book, I am currently still reading. I absolutely love it. So much that I am contemplating to buy it myself just so I can continue my reading, not just on SSR Mondays. My second book is titled Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar. The author Cheryl Strayed, is a former advice columnist. People from all over the world write her asking for advice about their love life, how to cope with their feelings, and how to handle family drama or escape messy relationships. With 353 pages, this self-help book holds over twenty letters-- all written by real individuals--containing deep, real life conflicts and inner struggles that people like you and me experience. Not going to lie, I’ve shed a few tears in the classroom, and it is because this book hits your emotions hard. This book is recommended for mature readers and touches on sensitive topics, but if you are someone who appreciates poetic writing, this is it. Cheryl Strayed has such a way with metaphors and she's especially talented at giving advice. She shares her personal traumas and relates to her readers within each story which has made me feel connected to her as a reader myself. The genre as well, being as you are only reading letters and responses, is interesting and fun to read. 

-- Alyssa Peurrung

In the last semester I’ve read “Ready Player One” By Ernest Cline with 385 pages, takes place in the year 2045 where our world is in ruins and the people travel to a virtual world called “The OASIS”. Created by James Halliday, then he dies and tells all the players of the game that there is an easter easter egg hidden somewhere in game and who ever finds will get a massive fortune and control of the entire OASIS. Wade Watts the main character of the story a kid from Oklahoma, becomes the hero and goes on an epic search for the grand prize. Personal I thought this was a great book because in the story it says that in the OASIS you can be anything you want to be. For example most of the player’s avatars in the game are characters from movies, cartoon characters, comic book characters, etc. Like someone’s avatar is chucky from the movie “Child’s Play”, or someone “Deadpool” or “Batman” from the comic book series. Basically you can be anything or anyone you want, and I honestly thought that was awesome that the author had put all these characters into the story and you would never see this in any book you have ever read. In 2018, the book had finally made a movie and I went to see it and I thought it did amazing. The film had a great cast, great story and I would recommend that you check it out because if you enjoy fantasy characters then this is the book for you.

Daniel Parra   

The Hate U Give

Jayden Vasquez

Ms. Fletcher & Mrs. Co-Edwards

Erw 12

22 January 2020

The Hate U Give  

In the novel, “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas, the development of the story line allows the readers to view the perspective of how white police brutality is against African Americans and how racism is in the Twenty first century. The main character in the novel is Starr Carter. Starr is a sixteen year old African American girl who attends a white preppy school, Williamson prep in the suburbs but lives in a poor neighborhood called Garden Heights. 

The novel starts off with Starr and her friend Kenya whom they also share an older half brother Seven attend Big D's wild party in Garden Heights where there are drugs, alcohol, and a lot of sex is going on at the party. Kenya goes off dancing away into the crowd with a drink in one hand with her other friends leaving Starr alone where she later on reunites with her childhood best friend Khalil. Starr and Khalil catch up a little bit at the party but then got interrupted by a fight which lead to a shooting. Starr and Khalil rush out of the party where they go into his car and just catch up more and finally driving away but got pulled over by a cop. Starr starts to freak out because of what's been happening with Police brutality against African American people and yells at Kahlil to put his hands on the dashboard of his car. Khalil starts getting cocky with the cop so he tells him to step out of the car. As Khalil is waiting outside of the car he reaches in for his brush but the cop thought it was a gun and shoots him which lead to his death. Starr gets upset by it and does a protest saying if it were a white person they wouldn't have gotten shot but since it was a person of color

The Andromeda Strain by Michael Chricton

One of the few books I read last semester was The Andromeda Strain by Michael Chrichton. A Science-Fiction novel of about 350 pages in length, the Andromeda strain tackles extraterrestrial terror in a realistic, science-based fashion. Rather than having fifty feet tall fighting machines like those present in H. G. Wells’ War of The Worlds, this novel’s alien enemies are a deadly form of microorganism. You’re thrown into the thick of it when the first chapter opens. A military satellite crash site in the barren parts of Arizona and a town nearby that seemed to have lost all life because of it. A military team is deployed to scout the town in search of answers as to what came down on the satellite and wiped out the town. In the process, the team finds two soul survivors of the microorganism, a sickly addicted Peter Jackson and an infant Jamie Ritter. The rest in the town were killed almost instantaneously by blood clotting, and if not, they had gone mad and committed bizarre suicides. Once the military gains containment of both the survivors and the microorganism that caused such carnage, they call in multiple expert doctors and scientists to dissect the situation and the origin of the microorganisms in a top-secret project known as Wildfire. What ensues is a thrilling story of revelation, deadly microbes with ever-changing evolution, and a dive into the threat of nuclear destruction. Main characters Stone, Burton, Leavitt, and Hall navigate through the horror of this organism in a classic by Chrichton that is always worth a reread. Although some may find its ending to leave you with stagnant thoughts, I find it to be realistic, grounded, and fitting. Ultimately tying the whole novel together through Chrichton's use of language that makes even the most confusing of scientific terms understandable to the average reader. 

I Heard You Paint Houses

Carter Rutkoski
Cole- Edwards; Fletcher
ERWC Blog
January 21, 2020

SSR Blog Post 

            During the first semester I read 2 books, but for this post I’d like to focus on the second book I read, ‘I Heard You Paint Houses’ by Charles Brandt. This book is a narrative nonfiction written about Frank Sheeran, a mafia hitman who recounts his life and the crimes he committed while working for the Buffalino crime family. The book was the basis for Martin Scorcese’s latest film, ‘The Irishman’, but whereas the film is a dramatization of Sheeran’s life, the book it is based on is the raw story, told as Frank told it. As a narrator, Frank Sheeran tells the reader his life as a man at the end of his life reflecting on his past. He tells of his time in the army during World War 2, his friendship with Russell Buffalino and Jimmy Hoffa, and the way his hitman life has affected him.
            Frank’s recounts of his life can almost be described as the ramblings of an elderly man, but the stories within his ramblings are what make the book as captivating as it is. Along with Frank Sherran’s raw ramblings, we have the occasional voice of Charles Brandt. Brandt is the voice of the outside looking in, popping in and out to comment and reflect on what Frank is telling. To me the most interesting aspect of the book is the dynamically static growth of Frank throughout his life. Upon becoming a mafia hitman, Frank’s life and character reaches a point which it never deviates from in any major way. He does things that would shake a normal man to their core, and yet he takes it all as just another day at the office.

              It’s this static growth which affects the world around him, and both grows and destroys his relationships and friendships with everyone he’s ever known. Now at the end of his life, realizing his mortality, Frank tells us everything. Yet despite this, he lives and dies just like the rest of us. Frank's story as he tells it is his attempt at reconciliation, and fixing whatever he may have broken throughout his life.

Every Day

This past semester, I had the pleasure of reading the book "Every Day" by David Levithan. The fact that this was the only the only book that I read outside of class should say enough. But in all honesty, I genuinely enjoyed this book for a plethora of reasons. One being a plot of a nature that I had never been introduced to. The idea of waking up in a new body every day, hence the title, is something I never though I'd find entertaining.

 The story itself tells the tale of an entity who goes by the name of "A", and the lives he "takes over" every day. The real plot doesn't take over, though, until A is awoken in the body of a high school student named Justin. While being in charge these people for the day, A has the ability to recall basic information, such as name, age, names of relatives and friends, etc.. He heads off to school and discovers that Justin has a girlfriend by the name of  Rhiannon. He can tell right off the bat that Justin doesn't truly appreciate her and that he doesn't even seem to care that much at all. He then decides to spend the day with her, which ends up with him falling for her. The problem, though, is that A has a chance at never seeing her again. The story continues on with A traveling throughout dozens of bodies, trying relentlessly to make things work with Rhiannon, after having told her about his "condition." There was a major bump in the road, though, one of the people that A controlled for a day woke up in the middle of the freeway where A had left him the night before and claimed to have been possessed by the Devil. This lead to all types of controversy, including a priest claiming to know how to solve the problem. In the end, A decides to send Rhiannon off with a boy he believes will be the perfect match for her. He promises to implant all of the memories they shared together into his head, so it'll be like he never left. After doing so, he leaves town, in fear that the churches and priests were becoming far too invested in him.

All in all, I enjoyed this book so much I'd even consider reading it again. Being introduced to a plot that I had never been familiar with definitely added to my liking of this book. This has been the only book that I haven't put down during an entire SSR session, I believe that says all that needs to be said.

- Elijah Shahid

"American Sniper" Autobiography Review

      American Sniper, an autobiography written by Chris Kyle about his life growing up and joining the Navy SEAL teams, written in collaboration with Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice. This 416 page novel reveals the trials and tribulations Chris Kyle went through from childhood all the way until his untimely death in 2013. The novel begins with his childhood in Texas, growing up wanting to learn to rodeo and be a cowboy, but was one day drawn into the military service due to his love of hunting from his childhood. Quickly admitted into the SEALS after joining the Navy, his work ethic and drive made him the deadliest sniper in U.S history. Chris Kyle goes into depth about the experiences he had on his tours during the wars. He also goes in depth about the hardships he had with his family during his time on tour, and how it affected his family and life.

I personally really like this book, drawing me into reading more and more each time I read. His experiences and thoughts during these seemingly harsh situations showed how many people do not know the whole picture. How he goes about writing his experiences on and off the battlefield shows how he changed as a person after leaving and coming back from each tour. Something especially interesting that was in the book was his wife, Taya Kyle's perspective on what she was thinking about when this all was occurring. This made me feel more connected to the story, adding another layer and more depth into what I was reading.

I would recommend reading this book even if you have never read autobiographies due to how special this novel feels with the different layers and perspectives you get on a not so everyday occasion.

-Anthony Loyola

The Hate U Give

 The Hate U Give is a book written by Angie Thomas and the key to it's success in my opinion is how relatable it comes across. This is the first book I read where I truly felt the author was in touch with the demographic they were writing for. Angie Thomas is 32 years old and it feels that way. She has a unique take on our youth and society where she isn't too young or too old. I'd say she is perfect to write this book.
  The book starts out with our main character Starr at a typical high school party. She's into things like her shoes, music, and ofcourse guys. She gets together with an old friend and later in the night they are pulled over by the police. Starr's friend ends up being unjustly shot by police and the story plays on as Starr deals with the decision to speak out as a witness or cower in fear.
  The plot seems very typical, but all the unique characters that Thomas has in the story make everything more interesting. Everyone in the book feel like real people who would totally make it in real life. Sometimes, I do admit, Starr can get boring and sort of bland but that's not very often.
  I have not finished the book yet, but I've seen the movie and man is it boring. I only really chose this book to read to see if the myth of "the books are better than the films" is really true. This book is a prime example of just that. I definitely recommend this book to read for anyone 13-19 because it really grips you into the story. The plot may not be new or very innovative, but it does a great job of telling its story. Its a rollercoaster worth the price of admission.

- Andrew Ferrer

Conor and the Crossworlds Book Review

Conor and the Crossworlds: Breaking the Barrier by Kevin Gerard is a fictional book that consists of  241 pages. Conor is a depressed ten year old boy who lost his favorite uncle and has no hope for the future. As his depression continues, he unknowingly calls forth the Crossworlds’ creators who summon Conor to their world where he meets a giant, flying cougar named Purugama. Purugama guides him through the world to show Conor the various futures that are possible to give him hope again. Conor is now optimistic about the future, so Purugama takes him home. On the way back, Purugama crosses paths with his rival, Drazian, and they fight for Conor’s life.

Overall, I like the book due to the fact that it is relatable. Sometimes in life, you may feel hopeless or depressed, but you have to be optimistic about the future and know that your life will turn around. Also it shows that real friends will do anything for you and will always try to make you feel good about yourself by cheering you up when you are sad. This is the kind of friend that Purugama becomes throughout the journey that Conor takes with him. If you enjoy fantasies with plenty of action and life lessons, then I recommend this book to you. Also, since the book is only 241 pages, it does not disappoint in being a quick read when you are bored or just need a break from analyzing novels like Hamlet in class.

-Jared Pacion

Mindset

            Mindset, by Carol Dweck, is a modern,  self-help book in which she proclaims the success of living up to one’s full potential by having the proper mindset. But what is the proper mindset?
             The novel starts off by differentiating the “growth” and “fixed” mindsets. Having a fixed mindset means viewing struggles as blockages and relying on natural ability or luck for success to occur. On the other hand, being in the growth mindset allows for someone to view their challenges as opportunities to learn from; the key element being that it is completely up to that person to change. Once someone enters the growth mindset,  they are able to accept their hardships and truly love the process of developing themselves. The power that Dweck gives the growth mindset extends beyond the mental limits. She prophesies about how through believing in your ability to grow and pursing your own interests, you can accomplish your goals. Furthermore, an emphasis on how constant parental judgment or praise actually shapes children to avoid challenge because of the possibility of  failure.
              After reading the novel, my motivation level lifted and I was encouraged. This book is beyond motivational; it makes learning to love struggle look easy. Each Monday afternoon, I felt empowered to make a change in my life and transition towards the growth mindset. Being a naturally “fixed” person, it takes 100% motivation for me to completely change my way of thinking, so even after absorbing the book, I couldn’t convert all the way. If I learned anything from this book, it’s that growth is possible, no matter what age or current capability. Transforming yourself starts with your mindset.

-Marley Jacobo

Ready Player One Review

     Last semester, I read the book, Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline. This science fiction novel consisted of a total of 385 pages. The story takes place in the future at around year 2045, with the world or environment in a disaster and life changing technology called the OASIS which everyone turns to find a way out. OASIS is a virtual reality universe, created by a man named James Halliday, where people immerse themselves into for basically their whole life. The plot is based around an "Easter egg hunt" put out by Halliday when he had passed away for all of his treasures and complete control of the OASIS. Wade Watts, also known as Parzival in the OASIS, and his group of friends he meets in the OASIS, fight to beat the Sixers, workers for the IOI, an Internet Service Provider, who are putting all their money into getting the OASIS, and basically controlling the world.
     I enjoyed this book a lot because it was really chaotic and had a fun storyline to follow. I was able to connect to the Parzival very well because of how much time and effort he had to put in to change his life around, as I also am very goal orientated. The plot had many turns and twists, but I was still able to follow it, which is why I liked it because I tend to get confused when I read. I really liked how Wade was able to really connect with his Internet friends because I see so many people today that make friends over games and the book connects it pretty well with how kids are now. The only thing I disliked was how it felt like they were forcing the ending of the plot, which I can't tell obviously. But, overall it was a really great read. I would definitely read it again.

Silver Linings Playbook

A book I read last semester was Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick which is a romance, drama, and comedy novel. This book has exactly 304 pages. The story is about a man named Pat who has just been released from a mental health rehabilitation center. Pat, the protagonist, is the narrator of the story and doesn’t remember anything that happened before he entered this rehabilitation center. Once being released from what he calls the “bad place”, Pat is trying to improve as a person due to the love he has for his wife, Nikki, and to be able to save their marriage. As Pat is practicing controlling his aggressive impulses and doing extensive workouts, he is waiting for the day he will see his wife again. However, Pat meets this woman named Tiffany who has also had a mental health illness and is trying to handle her personality. Pat and Tiffany begin to have a close friendship which helps both to develop as people and makes an impact on each other’s lives. I enjoyed reading this book because as the protagonist is discovering things from his past, so is the reader. Little by little, I was better understanding the life of the protagonist who had forgotten most of his past. Also, I liked the way the author used the structure of a letter almost at the end of the story which was the way two of the characters were communicating with each other. The suspense of not knowing what the protagonist had done before he was sent to a mental health facility was what kept me to keep reading the novel. However, what I sort of dislike of the novel is that the pace of the story was going sort of slow until almost at the end where it started to speed up. The reader is also able to sort of correctly guess how the novel was going to end. Nevertheless.the book was very engaging and I would recommend it to readers who enjoy ready stories with a suspenseful being but with a happy ending.

Watchmen Book Review

In the story Watchmen by Alan Moore it takes place in the 1900's in an alternate time in New York. Police are investigating the murder of a man known as the Comedian. It was seen that he was thrown out of his window. A member of the old group known as the Watchmen finds out about the death of Comedian and starts doing his own digging to find who did it. He then went to warn the other Watchmen about the whole investigation. This book is very interesting to me. It is nice that while reading their are nice visuals that go along with the whole story. In the second chapter their is a lot of reminiscing and them looking back and the Comedian. There is even a memory dug up about a terrible act he committed. I would highly recommend reading this book because it is very entertaining.

"Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli

Becky Albertalli released "Leah on the Offbeat" in 2018 as the sequel to "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda." In "Leah on the Offbeat," a 368 page fictional book written for a young adult audience, the main character, Leah, is an independent young woman who is trying to make her way through the final stretch of high school. The story takes place over the course of her senior year. Leah comes from a poorer background than the rest of her friends do, so throughout the book she struggles to come to terms with that even though she may not have much to offer monetarily, her personality and friendship do. In addition to this, she also goes through a series of personal challenges ranging from self-esteem and sexual orientation to trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life following graduation. Leah is a strong, relatable character, and Albertalli writes in a way that allows the reader to step into Leah's combat boots and take on her life as if it was their own. Although this novel was a really quick and easy read, I found myself getting so invested in it that I would read up to fifty or sixty pages in one period. I wanted to know what happened next and how Leah would deal with what life was throwing at her. I found myself laughing out loud during class while reading it, forgetting that I was actually in class since I was so lost in the book. One thing that really drew me in was the fact that it was taking place during her senior year and she was going through what we all are going through this year-- trying to figure out what we want to do and coming to terms with how we are all no longer going to be connected through this school. This book aided me in getting out of my reading rut. Sometimes you have to read a quick, easy to devour book to remind you how great books are. -Jasalyn Avila

Smiles To Go Book Review

Smiles To Go is a light coming of age novel with a sum of 248 pages written by Jerry Spinelli. The story is centered around a teenage chess champion named Will Tuppence, whose life goes through countless ups and downs that come with adolescence. Whether its friendships, budding love life, or an irritating younger sister, the narrative dramatizes issues related to the always changing nature of time and the overcoming of inner demons. These random events eventually light a new understanding and appreciation of life, relationships, and self.

The beauty of this story is in its simplistic nature. It may not be the most elaborate of reads, but the journey of the character is still captivating as it centers around everyday struggles that most audiences can relate to. Many readers can identify with being a teen and coming to terms with the world around them. Dealing with relationships in and outside of the home, testing and forging bonds, and coping with an onrush of powerful emotions are all common situations that everyone has experienced at one point or another.

The reader can't help but feel a profound sense of gratitude and peace after reading this novel. The storytelling compels readers to take a step back and to take everything in around them. Enjoyaing the simple things in life can lead to a greater appreciation for what has been given and what is to come.  -- Ben Verayo

SSR Blog Post!

Hi, folks!

I hope you enjoyed reading the books you've committed to for Independent Reading so far. Here's your first SSR check-in:

Step 1: Create a new POST in which you review one of the two books that you read for the first semester. If you read more than two books this semester, you can choose any of them to review. In 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: 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 meaningful sentences.

NO PLAGIARIZING!

DUE DATES
One original post: Thursday, January 23rd
Two comments: Tuesday, January 28th