The 5 People You Meet In Heaven Blog

Today in World Lit class, I presented a PowerPoint project on the book, "The Five People You Meet In Heaven". It was 10 slides and each slide could only be 15 seconds. At first I thought this would be hard to do, but when I presented in front of my class, it was over before I knew it. I was actually kind of disappointed when I realized it was over already. I felt like there was soo much more for me to say. The objective of the project was to persuade my classmates to read to book as well, and I very well may have done that. But there's so much more to this book than I was able to say to my class. 

I can honestly say that I am not a fan of reading, but this book was different. I saw my friend reading it one day and something just made me interested in the book. I asked her if I could read it when she was done and less than 3 days later, I had finished it. This book is so interesting and addictive. It makes you think. It makes you think about what will happen next, what has already happened, and most importantly, it'll make you think about your own life. I know I did. I think the main focus of the story is to encourage people to live every day to the fullest and understand that no matter what happens it life, it happens a for a reason. 

I would hate to spoil the book for anyone that wants to read it in the future! So I would encourage any reader to check out this book and I promise you won't be disappointed! 

Lord Of The Flies

The Lord of The Flies is a great novel for young readers. It stresses the importance of a civilized government system. In the beginning, a group of school boys crash on an uncharted island and they are just glad to be alive, without having to worry about rules from parents. The boys celebrate their freedom, but the festivities don't last long. The boys realize how difficult it is to live on their own and fend for themselves. This causes tension between the different groups of boys and often brings about trouble. It is important to rely on what we have and not take for granted how important out government system and rules are. 

Rumble Fish

After reading this throwback novel from my middle school years, it made me think about how different things are in certain areas of the country as compared to the way they were around 1975, which is when the novel took place. The book Rumble Fish is about a 14 year old boy and his friends who have grown up, learning about nothing more than gangs, drugs and alcohol. The main character, Rusty-James, tends to get himself into a lot of trouble, but he can usually back himself up since he is one of the toughest guys in the neighborhood. Rusty comes from a pretty beat up little town and he plans to be just like his older brother when he grows up. Unfortunately, things don't work out for Rusty the way we would have liked them to. As the story goes on, Rusty begins to find himself and realize who he really is, instead of trying so hard to be like his brother. 

I think the overall message of this story is to never give up on what makes you happy. Although Rusty-James didn't come from the greatest area, he learned a lot as he grew up and this helped him become more of a well rounded man. It is important to be yourself and make a name for yourself and let your legacy live on in those that follow your footsteps and I think this story is a great example of that. 

I Don't Read..

Blogging is fun. I have nothing against it. The only problem I have with it is coming up with solid content to blog about. I've been asked to only blog about literature related topics but I'm not a big fan of reading books, nor am I interested in any type of literature, unless there is more to it than I currently know. I'm not asking for this to be an easy assignment, but it doesn't make sense to grade different people on the same thing because everyone has their own interests. Blogging about Lit may be easy for someone who enjoys it, but it's not for everyone. It would make more sense to allow us to blog about things that are closer and more important in our individual lives. This would also turn out to be a great way to get to know each other better. I have nothing against reading, it's just not my cup of tea. It's like asking a fish and a monkey to climb a tree and grading them both equally. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses and it would be more logical that we would be able to work to our own strengths. I'm pretty good at poety, I can make a rhyme any time. I enjoy sports and other outdoor activities and games. Not everyone is into reading and/or has the patience to sit down and read a book and I believe it is unfair to be graded on that. Keep in mind, I have no problem with the act of blogging as an assignment, I just wish we had more freedom to choose what we blog about. Thank you. I hope you take this into consideration. 

Frankenstein

Since I was young, I've always enjoyed the story of Frankenstein. Although I didn't know it too well, I liked what I thought I knew! A big greenish monster that terrorizes cities and puts everyone in fear, yet it's all a misunderstanding. The monster is just looking for some companionship and love. This is something we can all relate to, which can even turn us into monsters of our own once in awhile! After reading the book by Mary Shelley over the summer, I got a better understanding of the full story and a learned a lot about this classic story. 

I recently went to the movies and saw a preview of the new movie, called "Frankenstein" of course. I immediately turned to my friend beside me and said "We have to see that!". Of course, Alex being Alex, she gave me a very firm "No." Well that's alright with me, she can stay home because I plan on seeing the new movie! It looks action packed and very thrilling with tons of interesting creatures. I am eager to see if this new version closely relates to the older, original films of Frankenstein, the book that we recently read for school or maybe it will be all new with twists of it's own! I suppose there is only one way to find out and that is to go see the movie! Hopefully there is some explanation as to why they continue to call the monster Frankenstein when clearly that is the doctor's name, not the monster's! Anyway, I am still excited to see how the new movie plays out and I can't wait to see it and compare to what I already know! 

Of Mice And Men

One of my favorite books that's I've ever read is "Of Mice And Men" by John Steinbeck. I remember reading it for the first time in 6th grade and at the time, I wasn't a big fan of it. I'm not quite sure that I completely understood everything that was going on, including Lenny's condition which has a significant impact on the story line. I'm not exactly sure what kept drawing me back, but I've read the book many times since then and it seems to be the only story I can enjoy. The elements of brotherhood and sadness are brought together in an inspiring story about the journey of two men, just looking for a way to earn money and get a place of their own with nothing more than hard work and the companionship of each other. Although the ending is very upsetting and unexpected, it really adds to the overall affect of the story and makes the reader feel the emotions of both main characters. I think that is one of the biggest reasons I enjoy this book so much. It is easy to feel for the characters and want to help in every situation. The more I read it, the more I notice in the finer details which helps to bring the story together. The story is a very easy read and I highly sugguest it to any level reader. These are among a few of the main reasons that I am such a big fan of this wonderful book!