Of Mice and Men by john Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is a classic novel. This was a great book. It takes place during the Great Depression in California. It tells the story of two men named George and Lennie. These two people are completely different people and have opposite personalities. George is a small person, while Lennie is a big man and acts childlike and naive. But through all the loneliness and seclusion, they became best friends. They are migrant workers who went to a nearby ranch to get a job. They just escaped from their previous job because Lennie was accused of rape for toughing a women's dress to feel the softness. During their journey, Lennie finds a dead mouse and starts playing with it. He likes playing with small things. And George scold him for playing with it. Laborers in the California fields, work really hard, living a difficult time. George and Lennie had a plan. Their goal was to own an acre of land and a shack in which they can own. But when they get jobs on a ranch in Salinas Valley, they feel achieving their goal is completely difficult and impossible. And George can not always protect Lennie from flirtatious women, nor the disobedience Lennie has for George.

I thought one important theme of the book was the impossibility of an American dream. Many characters in the book are dreaming for a different and better lifestyle. George and Lennie's dream is to own a farm, which would let them have protection from the outside world. And during their journey, they realize the impossibility of this actually happening. They begin to realize that Crooks is right that "freedom, contentment, and safety are not yet to be found in this world". Even in society today, sometimes people's dreams are hard to achieve. But hard work will most likely help accomplish it.

I liked reading this book a little bit. This was one of the first classics I read this year. So, it gave me a different perspective. Also since in took place during the Great Depression, it is historically accurate. This is a great read and I encourage anyone who likes classics to read Of Mice and Men.

Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult

Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult is an amazing book. It tells the story of a kidnapping case between a young girl and her father. The main character, Delia Hopkins, is the young girl in the trial. She had a great relationship with her father. Delia was raised by her widowed father in New Hampshire. She loved her job, which was searching for missing people and she was about to get married. This was a perfect life for her. Then unfortunately, this perfect life she was having, begins to crumble. Delia starts to get visions of people and places that she can not remember. Then she goes to ask her high school friend Fitz. Fitz is a journalist who discovers Andrew Hopkins's secret. The problem is that Andrew Hopkins, Delia's father, kidnapped Delia at the age of four. Suddenly, Delia life starts to shatter. Delia's name before was Bethany Mathews. Throughout these years, Delia faces many problems like she deals with some marriage issues with her fiance Eric and she learns that her father who was also known to be her best friend has been lying to her for many years. In trial she has to choose between her love for her father or her soon to be husband, Eric. Eric did have an impact in the trial because he represented Andrew by being his attorney. This trial did tear apart the relationship between Delia and Eric. The truth is revealed only when Andrew Hopkins tells it in trial. And sometimes the truth hurts.

This book is definitely a good read. One reason why I thought this was because of its writing structure. Jodi Picoult writes each chapter following the story of the trial. Each chapter is written with a different character's perspective. It changes from five different characters perspective. The different characters are the man in trial (Andrew, her father), his daughter (Delia), his daughter's fiance (Eric), his ex-wife, and his daughter's best friend. Also while the kidnapping case is being unraveled, the characters describe their memories of Delia. The story demonstrates how the trial affects everybody in different ways. This book is mysterious and suspenseful. The suspense made me so interested in reading the book. It is a very understandable and easy to understand the language. I strongly recommend it to anyone who loves a mystery and enjoys a thrill.

The link to read the book online:

http://books.google.com/books?id=1gokTenRmLIC&dq=vanishing+acts+summary&printsec=frontcover&source=bn&hl=en&ei=ug8OTPfUMMP-8Aaq7-mVCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CCEQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false

Genre Experiences

This year for English class, I have read and discovered many new genres that I have never read before. For the fourth quarter, the genre I have left to read is a classical book. In the first quarter, I read poetry (Crank by Ellen Hopkins). In the second quarter, I read memoirs (The Glass Castle and Running with Scissors) and in the third quarter I read fantasy (The Lovely Bones). From the genre experiences this year I definitely enjoyed reading poetry and memoirs. They are very enjoyable and show a different perspective. Most of the books I read are usually teen fiction books. So, by reading different genres, it gives me a different view of books. I liked reading poetry especially Crank because of the writing structure. For example, if it was talking about sadness the words would be shaped in a tear. And I like how the author uses rhymes and literary devices to tell the story. All the memoir books I read are so sad to read because of the childhood the author went through especially The Glass Castle. Lastly, The Lovely Bones was a fantastic book. This year, I also want to read a play because I have never read one other than the core books we read in class. Overall, the genre requirements have made open my mind to read other books not only teen fiction all the time.
For the third quarter, my all-time favorite book was Veil of Roses by Laura Fitzgerald. It is a fictionalized book. It was one of the best books that I have ever read. It was about an Iranian women named Tamalia. For her twenty-seventh birthday she got a plane ticket to go to America. Since, her sister and her husband lives in Tuscon, Arizona she lived with them. The only way for her to stay in America permanently before her visa experiences, is to get married. There she meets an American man named Ike. Since, its an arranged marriage, her sister plans out the suitors for her to marry. As time passes, none of the suitors are the right one. The only one to save her from going back to Iran is Ike. Eventually, they got married and she stayed in America. The reason I really liked this book, is because it had a lot of culture that I could relate to. I understood everything that was happening. Because of the culture and the language, it made me involved with the book. While reading, I could never stop and put down this book. Also, this book had a different twist than most books I read. Overall, it was a great book.

Character Connections between books

This year, I have read many books that are inter-related. They are either similar because they have the same genre, the same story line, or have the same character roles. I thought the characters in the books Crank by Ellen Hopkins and the book Things Change by Patrick Jones have similar character roles. In Crank, the main character was Kristina. Kristina eventually changes into this new person named Bree. She used to me a perfect girl who got the perfect grades, and who made her parents proud. But, when she got involved in the "crank" and a new group of people, her life changed and she could not control it. In Things Change, it talks about this girl named Johanna and how her life changes when she meets Paul. Before she met him, she got straight As, she respected her parents, and had a close relationship with her friend. But when got in a relationship with Paul, her main focus was to make him happy. And if she didn't she would get in trouble by him. In both books, people and certain things are what impacts the main character's life to change. People are the ones that influence Johanna and Kristina to act differently, which is outside there comfort zone. The main theme in both books is "change" and how character transform and develop from entirely different. In the beginning, they are innocent and towards the end, they are evil and dishonest. Also, both novels helps people to deal and understand life. They are fictionalized books. The main connection is that the outside world is a big target that can change one's mind.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold Entry #1

I just started reading The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold this week. It is a fantasy book. It is about a fourteen- year-old girl named Susie Salmon and she is in heaven. As she looks down at this new strange place, she tells the story of her past life and her death. After her death, she watches how her life goes without her. She sees her school friends spreading rumors of her disappearance, her family hoping that she will be found, and her killer covering up his tracks. In the beginning, Susie explains how her death started. The murderer was Mr. Harvey, a neighbor. He tricked her to come into his cornfield. Then he raped her and she died. It was not that clear of her death. But after death, her family found one of her elbows and some of her school papers. Later, as months pass without finding her, her parents marriage started falling apart, her sister started becoming a stronger person and her baby brother started understanding the meaning of "gone". Through her time in heaven, she discovers that it is just like her school. She starts to meet new friends and counselors. Whenever she wants something, it will be there. But, the thing Susie really wants is to go back to Earth with the people she loves. As time passes by, her father started a risky quest to find the murderer. This is mostly the plot of the story.

I really like reading the book. It is different from most stories because it has a different story plot and it has a different genre that I usually do not read. So, reading fantasy helps me experience a new reading style. It is very interesting how it is a mystery to find the murderer. I can't wait to read more and tell you more in the next blog.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls Entry #2

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls was an amazing book. It was one of the greatest memoirs that I have read so far. This story is very moving and emotional. It tells the story of how a family who is poor tries to raise their children. This book is written through the perspective of Jeannette, who is one of the children of Rex and Rose Mary Walls (parents). So, Jeannette has four siblings. One child actually died at birth. But, later on in the story they get another child. The story is basically about how the family runs away from place to place like nomads so that they don't have to pay their bills. So, the children don't go to school because their parents teach them everything. But one day, their money runs out, and they wander their way to West Virginia, a mining town. And Rex Walls, the father does everything he can to escape. So he starts drinking. Then he steals money from the grocery story and disappears for days. As their family escalates, Jeannette has to find a way to support her siblings and find a place a place to stay.

The story is interesting and definitely sad because it shows how their parents don't really show much love for their children. The way their parents just leave and don't come back shows the lack of care they have. I think the most fascinating part is how Jeannette tells her own story in a positive way and how she describes her parents with a positive attitude. This story is definitely moving and I recommend anyone who likes memoirs or nonfictional books to read this one. You will truly love this story!

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls Entry #1

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, is an amazing book so far. It is about the Walls family and how they live their life. This book is a memoir and is written from Jeannette's perspective. Jeannette is one of the four children of Rex and Rose Walls. So, the book starts out with a foreshadowing part. It shows Jeannette and her husband live in an apartment and how she is so embarrassed of her parents. For example, her parents started digging in the garbage looking for food and resources. It was really embarrassing for Jeannette. Then the book goes into a flashback of Jeannette as a child. So, when their family ran out of money they started wondering around, looking for where to live like nomads. They did this because they didn't want to pay the bills. The west from California to Virgina and different places. Then they landed in this dessert. Since, they are children they didn't go to school. Their parent taught them everything. Their dad was a generous. he taught them math, science and geology. Their mom provided food and everything. In the end, their dad promises to build them a Glass Castle to live in.

I personally like this book a lot. the writing structure is really good. I like how it went from a foreshadowing point to a flashback point. But, I feel like their parent s really don't care about their children because their was one part in the book when their was a sandstorm the desert and their parents didn't protect them. I hope to read more soon and to write more next time.