Why this book and Recommendations

I believe i chose this book for two reasons: i didn't intently read about all the other books on the list (i just felt like picking one that looked interesting so i could go ahead and start reading it for my summer work) and i just thought the title of the book was a pretty good title that was also interesting and eye catching (Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe).  But then i didn't find out until after i got the book that the font was rather large and it had quite a bit of space between each line of text, so it was really easy and fast to read.  I don't believe i made many personal connections to this book, but it was mainly about friendship and trying to figure out who you really are (also sexuality is a major component of this book, as you will find out if you read to the end of the book.

I would probably recommend this book to people who like reading books that are about people trying to find themselves, their role in life, and friendships/relationships between people.

So, i personally thought this was actually a pretty good book, even if it was easy to read and i was finished with kit pretty quickly.

Getting reader's attention

The passage i chose from my summer reading book to get the attention of reader's is:

"Look,' he said.  he pointed at a bird in the middle of the street that was trying to fly.  I could tell that one of his wings was broken.
'He's going to die,' I whispered.
'We can save it."
Dante walked into the middle of the street and tried to pick up the bird.  I watched as he picked up the frightened bird.  That's the last thing i remember before the car swerved around the corner.  Dante!  Dante!  I knew the screams were coming from inside me.  Dante!
I remember thinking that it was all a dream.  All of it.  It was just another bad dream.  I kept thinking that the world was ending.  I thought about the sparrows falling from the sky.
Dante!" (page 107)

So the scene is pretty straightforward.  Dante and Ari see a bird in the street, after it had recently hailed, and the bird can't fly.  So Dante goes to help it, when the car swerves around the corner.  And so because of the car and the hail, you can assume something exciting or sad will happen next(that's for you to find out though).  Although at the end when Ari thinks about the sparrows falling from the sky, he is talking about a bad dream he had earlier in the book, as an event earlier in the book involved another sparrow.  So, the rest of the scene is not difficult to figure out, as i said before.  I hope you find this book interesting to read.

Summer Reading Assignment: Entry 2

I have continued to read Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.  The two main characters aren't very complicated or complex.  However, Dante is more complicated than Aristotle.  Aristotle just wants friends, probably a girlfriend at first, and he wants his family to be ok and complete again.  Dante is also looking for a relationship and more friends/some friends.  However, his family is ok and fine.  Also, he is the one actually looking to try to answer some of the questions of the universe.  I personally do not think that he will end up getting answers for those questions, but you guys can form your own opinions of the book.  The book is structured where events just keep the book going, and the book contains nothing like real flashbacks.  The events just occur as the book goes along, but there are things that Aristotle remembers about his past.

With what i have read so far, there appears to be only 1 real theme in the book so far.  This theme is: Your actions can have bad consequences.  This is true because of Aristotle's brother, who you will find out about when you read the book, as i will not spoil anything for you guys.

Summer Reading Assignment: Entry #1

The book that i have chosen for my summer English assignment is titled Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz.  It is about two boys, Aristotle and Dante, who are friends and try to understand the world around them.  They are best friends, however they have no (or very little) other friends.  They are both about 15 years old, so still in high school.  The whole book, as i've mentioned, is about them trying to answer questions that are commonly asked and philosophical in nature.  For example, before the book actually starts, there is a paragraph with these kinds of questions,  These questions are:  "Why do we read poetry?  Why do we feel shame?  What is that thing in the pit of your stomach called desire?"  There are other questions, but i don't need to put them down.  So, the major conflict in this novel is that the 2 must stay friends in a world that gives them bullies and other people who look down upon these two, one reason being that Aristotle is rather violent and has no friends other than Dante and his parents (though Aristotle does have his mother and father).

I predict that they will stay friends throughout the book, and they may very well answer some, if not all, of the questions that the universe brings.  Has anyone else read this book?  If you have, tell me what you think/thought about it.  I think it is a great book with a really good plot.  However, one complaint i have so far is that it is really easy to read, as the font is rather large and most of the chapters aren't very long.  But other than that, the book is really good.  I don't believe i have many connections to make between this book and other things like movies, music shows, or other books, other than all the things about 2 friends who go through a lot of things that test their friendship.  So, that is the only real connection i can make with this book.

I hope that any of you who are already interested in this book find it fun and interesting to read.

Why this book part 2

I chose to read Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss for many reasons.  One reason is that i really enjoy reading fantasy novels as a whole genre.  Also, i enjoy the aspect of magic that is always present in fantasy novels.  Thirdly, i like how fantasy novels incorporate mythical creatures/monsters, even ones that you may know and heard of before.  Lastly, i like seeing the many different kinds of characters you see in fantasy novels, like how there are people that are totally amazed, and then there are people who are really interested but don't look like it on the outside.

So, i really like this book for its mythical creatures, magic aspect, and different kinds of characters that the author can incorporate into his/her novel.

Setting of a New Book Part 2

So as i've said, i recently finished Murder on the Orient Express.  Now i have begun reading The Name Of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.  As i've also mentioned in a previous post, it's mainly about the adventures of a young boy/teenager named Kvothe, and mostly of his adventures in the University.  The time changes as the story of young Kvothe is told(story spans across many days and nights, also months and years), but the actual time and place is an inn run by Kvothe called the Waystone Inn over a couple of days and through the nights with little breaks in-between.  The breaks are for the guy writing down the story and if either of them want food or a drink.  This is a fantasy book, so i would expect fighting with not only swords and spears but also with magic.  So, i would seem to also expect great detail from the author/characters.
This book would also have imagery, and very good imagery at that.  One example that i found was, "He drew the sword without a flourish.  It shone a dull grey-white in the room's autumn light.  It had the appearance of a new sword.  It was not notched or rusted.  There were no bright scratches skittering along its dull grey side....It was slender and graceful.  it was deadly as a sharp stone beneath swift water."  This quote, with some other parts containing imagery, is a very good paragraph with great imagery technique.  The words/descriptions used help me to visualize the sword, its color and general shape.  I do believe this book will be very good and entertaining to read.

Letter to the Author ( not really possible in this case)

Dear Agatha Christie:

I really enjoyed your book Murder on the Orient Express.  I just finished it and i was very amazed at how you crafted this story and its plot.  My favorite character is by far Hercule Poirot.  He is very intelligent and has never lost a case.  I like how at the end of one chapter, when Poirot and his 2 friends were done talking together and Poirot had gone to his room, the scarlet kimono ( a clue mentioned in the story) was laying on top of his luggage!  And he took it as an act of defiance from the criminal!  I thought it was very funny.
So, i really just liked all of the book.  Your character Poirot really amazes me sometimes, but i've been able to start to expect his genius in your other books where he is the main character.

Sincerely,
Andrew Flurer

Building Suspense

Agatha Christie builds suspense very well in her mystery novels, especially in the book Murder on the Orient Express.  Many mystery novelists, probably including Christie herself, build suspense by starting with normal, everyday events, while also introducing the characters and the detective.  Then, they go on building the suspense by introducing the crime the plot is centered around.  In the book i'm reading, it would be a murder, as most mystery novels involve murders.  Then, while the detective is trying to solve the case, the author then adds suspense by putting in details that throw off the detective.  But then the detective obviousely gets back on track.  Lastly, the author finishes the suspense by having the detective finally declare who the criminal is and to why they are guilty.  I particularly like how hercule Poirot declares who the criminal is.  It is often very elaborate, but he is actually never wrong in the end.  Therefore, i do believe that Agatha Christie successfully builds suspense in Murder on the Orient Express by incorporating these said techniques into her writing.

Next Reading Novel

So, i am just about finished with the mystery novel Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie.  I believe it has been a great book to read for homework and in my freetime.  What i plan to read next is a book i've already started to read called Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.  I would like to read this book next because i really like fantasy books, and i really like how fantasy boks use characters and magical beings that only exist in fiction and human imagination.  I also like how the main characters usually defeat the antagonist in some really cool way, like a very long and epic fight. 

this book, name of the Wind, is about 661 pages and ninety-two chapters long.  Its about the adventure/story of a long forgotten but really famous warrior.  I say story because this warrior tells his story to another guy who writes it all down, but its also an adventure because chapter go from his story telling to the actual present.  The present being them in an inn run by the famous warrior.  The warrior's name, by the way, is Kvothe.  I would also say a lot of his story and the book is about how he tried to make it at this really good school called the University. I believe i will really enjoy reading the rest of this book, and i'm sure it will be worth it for the length of the book.

Krista Ramsey Introduction Activity

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/columnists/krista-ramsey/2014/02/08/krista-our-kids-tell-the-story-of-why-preschool-is-a-must/5328181/

The column i have chosen is about how people are discussing the true importance of children going to preschool.  Many say the only thing that really matters is that the children are at least able to hit the numbers.

The best line in this article is when Ramsey writes, "And numbers do matter. It's just that children matter more."  The impact of this line is to emphasize that while kids meeting the expectations in academics is very good, the real thing we should be focusing on is the kids themselves.  It seems that she doesn't really use any special forms of diction or syntax in this line.

Ramsey's writing style seems to be journalistic or terse.  This is because she mostly lists facts. but does include the opinions of other people who have a say in the topic.  This is true because in the column, Ramsey writes, "Her vocabulary is just one of the things that's exploded since she started preschool two years ago.  Now she ranks advanced or very advanced on every measure of kindergarten readiness. She can connect letters to sounds. She's doing beginning addition. And she knows how to handle a disappointment, separate easily from her mom or dad every morning, confront a friend who's being mean.  Yet policymakers and think-tankers will focus on just one point in the above paragraph: that Ashlyn Bankes hit the numbers. That's the only way they say they can justify the need for universal preschool or the willingness to find a way to pay for it."  This shows her style because she lists the facts about Ashlyn's education, but also mentions the opinions of the policymakers and the think-tankers.

How many degrees do you have?  Where did you go to get them?  When did you decide you would be a writer/columnist?

Why This Book?

I believe i chose this book for multiple reasons.  One reason is because that i seem to really enjoy reading mystery books.  I love the fact that there is a central detective, sometimes with a partner, that uses their wits and the evidence at hand to solve a crime, usually either a murder or a robbery.  I really like how they gather evidence through almost any means necessary.  I also like how the plot builds up until the moment when the detective names the criminal and gives the evidence as to why they are guilty.  Another reason is that i have read other mystery books by Agatha Christie.  My favorite character is the famous Hercule Poirot.  He is a belgian detective who has never lost a crime and has never disappointed a client.  He is probably Christie's most famous character.

The Life of Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie's birth name was Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller.  She was born on September 15, 1890 in the English town of Troquay.  She died on January 12, 1976 in Wallingford.  She was nicknamed The Queen of Crime.  She married twice, first to Archibald Christie and then to Max E.L Mallowan.  She had 1 child with her first husband.  She was made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1971 for her contributions to literature.  What is weird is that in 1926, she mysteriously disappeared for several days for no known reason, and that still remains unexplained today. Her play, The Mousetrap, was made the longest production of any kind in British Theatre history on April 12, 1958.  But it had actually opened in London on November 25, 1952.

She has wrote many novels during her life, and people have sold over 2 billion copies worldwide.  This makes her sales only surpassed by the Bible and Shakespeare's works.  She is definitely one of the best selling authors of all time.  Her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, was also her first novel to showcase her eccentric Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.  Her last published novel, Sleeping Murder, featured the famous sleuth known as Miss Jane Marple.  And since she has sold over 2 billion copies of her books, they have all been translated into over a hundred languages.  Lastly, her novel known as And Then There Were None remains as her number 1 best selling novel.

Setting for a New Book

I have started to read an Agatha Christie book for my novel.  She is a very well known and best selling mystery novelist who has made many books.  She has also made books with different detectives, but she still has Scotland Yard help them in most of her books.  The novel i am reading is titled Murder on the Orient Express, and it is also published as Murder in the Calais Coach.  The main detective in this book is the famous Hercule Poirot, who is her best known character and is featured in most of her mystery novels.  The book takes place on the Stamboul-Calais Coach, which poirot must take in order to get back to London due to his detective business.  On the train there are a number of interesting people who are also present, including a Princess Dragomiroff from Russia.  But most interesting of all is Poirot's curiosity about a passenger called M. Ratchett.

Poirot is curious towards this Ratchett because he has an air of malevolence about him, even though Poirot only saw him for the first time.  However, Poirot actually talks to him.  But what iix really interesting is what he says.  M. Ratchett thinks someone aboard the train is going to kill him.  But Poirot refuses to help him, why i still do not exactly know.

I think that this Ratchett character is in danger, seeing as it is a mystery novel, so something bad has to happen.  Do you think this Ratchett will be murdered, or do you think Poirot will stop the murderer before it is too late?  I personally think he will be murdered, but i also believe that Poirot will undoubtedly catch the murderer before the train stops its voyage.

The best blog that i posted that represents good analysis of a developing theme is the post from Novermber 26, a Tuesday.  This blog meets the standards of the rubric because it includes a good supporting quote from the story, the quote supporting the fact that something is wrong with the clock trees and it could spell disaster for Fillory and the castle.  Also, the quote is used to thouroughly describe what is wrong with the clock tree, as the trees are not usually 100 feet tall for example or 15 yards around.  The blog then ends with a question for the readers: "Do you think this is an omen of what is to come later, or do you think it is just there for show?"  This lets the reader interact more thouroughly with their comments, instead of just having them say what their opinion of the book is.  Lastly, the post gives the reader a very good idea of what happens in the book, although some details may have been left out.

A goal i have reading wise for next trimester is that i will read more books and read books from different genres instead of only reading from one or two genres.  Then, a goal i have for writing next trimester is to write things like papers or projects with better grammar and words that are on a higher level of thinking.  So, some things i could improve on in reading are reading more books and trying to read at least a little bit every night.  Also, i could try to improve on digesting the information that i read so i could understand it more.  Lastly, some things i could improve on in my writing is actually studying grammar and words more so i can build on my writing abilities.

http://andrewfreadingblog.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2014-01-13T05:24:00-08:00&max-results=7

A lot has happened in the book since the last post i did.  First of all, they actually got back to Fillory.  How they did it is very weird though.  They were still in the boy's room, but they had gotten drunk off of tonic and other alcoholic drinks.  And as they were sitting around a board game, Quentin was sitting against the back of the boy's bed, also drunk.  And as his vision began to blur, he started to hear seagulls.  He told Josh to stop, but Josh wasn't making any noises.  So as Quentin's vision returned to normal, he saw that he and his friends were on the boy's bed, but they were in the middle of the ocean.  They were back in Fillory, and Quentin was happy.

So, they were all sitting there.  Then, Quentin saw a ship swiftly approaching them.  It was the small ship that he had repaired earlier in the book.  But it was now piloted by Eliot, the high king of Fillory.  Quentin and Juliet were only king and queen, not high king or queen.  So as Eliot took them aboard, he began to explain what had happened since Quentin and Juliet had dissappeared.  First of all, the time in Fillory had passed a year and a day, even thought Quentin and Juliet were only gone for 3 earth days.  This is because Fillory and Earth run on different time streams, so time runs differently in both worlds.  But, then Eliot gets to the important part.  They aren't going back to the castle.  they are searching for the seven magical keys of Fillory.  Eliot was given this quest by the special animals of Fillory, the seeing hare being one of a few.  They had said it was important for Eliot to gather all the keys, as they thought that Fillory was breaking apart.  So now, Quentin has to help Eliot gather all the keys, or else Fillory, and possibly them, will be destroyed.

After the last post, the story has moved on a little bit.  After Quentin and his friends go upstairs, they do end up finding the clock.  But they don't think it will work.  So Quentin tries to go through the clock, but nothing happens.  Suddenly, a voice behind them says "You're doing it wrong, you know."  When they turn their heads, they discover that a little boy had said that.  After talking to him, they realize that their actual chances of getting back to Fillory are very slim.  This is because the boy says that he has tried multiple things to get to Fillory, not just the clock.  He also says the clock needs to get going, but he has tried that too, and it didn't work.  He also reveals that his parents had bought the house from the children of Fiona Chatwin.  And that the boy and his parents are distantly related to Plover.

So Quentin ends up playing with the boy, who just talks about random things.  They also play some board games and sing some songs.  The boy also took them on a tour of the grounds, which made them very bored.  But when they had finished with the Find Fillory game, they all sat in the boys room.  They needed to think about what they would do next, as they now knew that their chances of returning were getting slimmer and slimmer.

The Magician King is still a very great book. The plot is amazing, and the story moves at a pretty fast pace with surprises in every chapter. So after Quentin got out of the water, he and his friends went back to Josh's house to think. When they thought about what the dragon had said, Quentin realized that the dragon meant that the original entrance to Fillory was still open. This entrance was when the first Chatwin child entered the grandfather clock in Plover's house. So, realizing this, Josh made a portal to Cornwall, which was where Plover's house was. After they went through the portal, they looked at a map to find Plover's house.

Quentin and his friends had found Plover's house. But it wasn't just a house. It was more like a mansion. The house was huge, and they never knew that Plover had that much money. So now they have to get into the house.  The only problem is that the owners of the house, who are actually related to Plover, are throwing a party.  But, having the ability to use magic, Quentin and his friends easily sneak into the party and aren't noticed by anyone.  Then after a while, they go upstairs to find the grandfather clock that the dragon had hinted towards.

The Magician King is still a really good book for a narrative.  From the last post, they said that they would have to talk to the dragon, and that Quentin would do the talking.  Needless to say, Quentin wasn't excited about this.  But he knew he would have to if he wanted to get back to Fillory, which he did.  So, they have to stand on a bridge with a steak and jump in at midnight if they want to talk to the dragon.  Then at midnight, Quentin jumps into the canal, and Poppy also follows in the hopes that she will also talk to the dragon.  At first, nothing happens when they get into the water.  But after about a minute, the dragon drags Quentin under water.

At first, Quentin can't breathe.  But then the dragon casts a spell that lets him breathe under water.  Naturally, the canal bottom is filthy and littered with trash.  But the dragon that lives there also collects new, old, important, and famous artifacts, magic or not.  As they talk however, Quentin learns from the dragon that they can't use the button to get back to Fillory, as each entrance can only be used once.  But as they finish, the dragon tells Quentin that the first doorway is still open.  But before Quentin can ask what this means, the spell ends and Quentin must swim to the surface of the canal.

I am still reading the Magician King for my novel.  Quite a bit has happened in the book since my last post.  For one thing, Julia and Quentin caught up with Josh about everything that has happened sionce they parted ways in the previous book.  Then, Josh explains how he got the money to get the mansion that he now lives in.  Sadly, Quentin is not pleased by what he hears.  Josh had gotten the money from selling a magic button that could take them to Fillory.  He also had sold it to a guy, who works for a dragon that lives in the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy.  Which happens to be where they are right now.

So, Quentin is not happy that they have to get the button back from the dragon, as nobody has really ever talked or seen a dragon.  Josh had called in a friend to help them, and her name is Poppy.  She apparently knows a lot about dragons, and practically everything thats been written in a book.  So, with her help, they determine that they will have to talk to the dragon.

I am still reading the Magician King as my personal reading book.  I have read a couple new chapters in the book, and things have gotten very interesting.  First, Quentin and Julia did arrive on Earth when Quentin turned the magic key in the air.  Then, while they went their seperate ways, Quentin began to wonder how he and Julia would get back to Fillory.  However, later in the story, they meet up again, and Julia takes Quentin to a house that secretly teaches people magic, and they then use a series of portals to go to Richmond, Virginia because Julia needs to talk to somebody.  So then they take another portal that takes them to Venice, Italy.

When they arrive in Venice, they go to a mansion that Julia's friend have given the address of.  So when they get there, they have to use magic to prove themeselves, so when Quentin breaks a window with magic, they are allowed to enter the mansion.  When they enter, they have to wait for a little bit before they can meet the master of the house.  But when they meet the owner of the mansion, they get a big surprise.  The owner happens to be their old friend from Brakebills, Josh.  So now, they have to involve Josh in their journey back to Fillory, as Quentin and Julia believe Josh could greatly help them get back to Fillory.