Sunday, January 23, 2011

Book of the Week and Book Review of All Quiet on the Western Front

Hi Everyone.

So I promise to get more on schedule soon. However I did not forget that I need to review my book from last week.

First of all my book for this week is Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller copyright 1949. I am also reading two books for two diffrent book clubs, Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein and Marcelo in the Real World by Francis X. Stork.

Now for my Review of All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque.



Grade: A+

This book could be the best book I read for this project. I know it is only Book 3 and there is still 49 to go but it is that good. The book is about a group of freinds who are convinced by their teacher to inlist in the german army during World War I. It is a moving book from the first scene. I feel like to understand the book describing this scene is neccesary. In this scene the cook makes food for 150 people and around him come 80 people. He says they must wait for all the men in the company to come. When they reply they are it the rest are injured or pushing up daisies. He rufuses to pass out all the food and says they will only get one ration each. This angers the soliders who are all hungry. The commander finally convinces the cook to give out all the food. The line that I truly love in this scene is "You have not drawn food for eighty men. You have drawn food for the Second Company. Good. Let's have at it. We are the Second Company" When Katczinsky (Kat) says this I feel like the entire book into motion. This is a story about war but it is not the fighting that makes it so powerfull. It is scenes like the one described above and the scenes in the hospital or when Paul, the narrator, goes on leave that make this book fantastic. The characters of this book especially Paul, Kat, Kropp, and Tjaden are so moving its no wonder this is
the best war novel of all time.

The tittle for this book is another point I would like to make. As a aspiring writer I know that tittles are crutial. A good title that is both attractive and relavente to the story. For instance the title for the last Harry Potter book is both of these. On the other hand titles that are not very relevante not good such as Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian. These book luckely falls into the first category and while the question as to why it is called that is not answered till the end of the book it truly strikes a marvelous cord.

In summary this book is a combination of fantastic writing, marvelous and realistic characters, and a fantastic story makes this probally the best book I have read in a while. I will not say it is going to be the best book of this project but its most likely in the top ten.

I will have more for you as the week goes on. Til then Keep Reading.





Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Update on Multiple things

Hello.

I have been extremly buzy and have not had time to make posts so I am doing a quick post now.

1. My book for this week is All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
2. I did finish Weather of the Future by Hedi Cullen. I will give a more in depth review latter but for now I will tell you the score which is a C+. The reason being for this that it was disconected in places and felt almost incomplete. More will be explained latter.
3. While I did finish last weeks book it was by the skin of my teeth and I am learing just how hard this project is.

Till next time Keep reading.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Book of the week 1/8-1/14: Weather of the Future

Hello.

My next book is a non fiction book called The Weather of the Future.



Book Title: The Weather of the Future
Author: Hedi Cullen
Length: 301 pgs including Apendixes, a 5 page Introduction, 9 pgs of notes, 3 Acknowledgement pgs
Original Copyright: 2010
Edition being read: Harper 1st Edition

Also on Monday I will be posting about the Youth Media Awards that are being anounced. Til then keep reading just like I will be.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Book Review of Life of Pi.

Hello.

Two days ago I finished Life of Pi by Yann Martel. As promised I will now review it.
(Note: this is a general format for my book reviews.)
Book Review for: Life of Pi
Author: Yann Martel
Grade: A-



Reason for reading:
When I first got the idea of this book my Friend asked me if  I had read Life of Pi yet. I had heard of the book and personally owned a copy of it. I told him I owned it but had not read it and he told me I absolutely had to read it. I said I would read it first and so I did.

Rational for Grade:
This book was great. It had good characters, good plot, good setting, I liked every thing about it. So why not a A or A+? I didn't love the entire book. I liked it and I loved a good part of it but it was not a book that I will want to read again and again. Now don't be upset over a A- thinking its a bad score, its not. Here is a chart I found that shows how I view the letter grading system.
94-100/A+/A/4.0

90-93/A-/3.7

87-89/B+/3.3

84-86/B/3.0

80-83/B-/2.7

77-79/C+/2.3

74-76/C/2.0

70-73/C-/1.7

67-69/D+/1.3

64-66/D/1.0

60-63/D-/0.7

below 60/F/0

I would personally separate A+ and A-
A+  would be 98-100
A  would then be 94-97

Discussion of the Book:
This book was a great one as I have said. It is not my favorite book  of all time but it is very good. The book is told in three parts. The first tells of Pi's life before he and his family board the boat towards Canada. However it does something more important it introduces the main theme of religion and gives some background into zoology. Both are very important. The next part shows us the main story of Pi stuck on a boat with a tiger. This is the main story of the book. It is a well written story that truly hooks you. Even though you know that Pi survives do to it being him who is telling the story you are on the edge of your seat. This is part is a great story of survival and its use of religion and zoology make it even better. The third part is the only part not told through Pi's eyes. It gives an alternate story of Pi's time on the life boat. I will not spoil this but will only say it makes you rethink most of the book.

I hope that a few people will be motivated by this review to read this book and if you have already read it I hope it sheds some more light on it for you.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Reading Log Day # 2

Hello.

This is something I am going to do every day or so and will be a few sentences about how I am enjoying the book so far. My friend who suggested this book said it was boring in the beginning. I opened the book and enjoyed it from the Author's notes. I have finished the first section of the book and I am now in the what I am assuming to be the exciting part of the book. While the first section was a little dry it had some great philosophical points that truly made it come to life.I will talk more about all of this in my review so I will just leave it their for now.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year!!! My Full Reading List and Info on Book #1

Happy New Year.

So here it finally is my full list of 52 books! Now I have separated the books into four main categories:
Fiction, Non Fiction, Classics and Random. Each category contains 13 books. Without further ado here is the list.
(Note: Title names will be typed in the list only) (Note 2: There is no order to the books)

Fiction
1. Life of Pi
2.Kite Runner
3. Levithan
4. The Corrections
5. The Printz award/honor book (Title is TBA)
6. Increidbly Loud and Extremly Close
7. Girl With the Pearl Earring
8. Sarum
9. Q and A
10. Card Turrner
11. Misery
12. The Stand
13.Finnikin of the Rock

Classics
14. All Quiet on the Western Front
15. War and Peace
16. Tale Of Two Cities
17. Illiad
18. Leaves of Grass
19. Brave New World
20. 1984
21. Tempest
22. Walden
23. Time Machine
24. The Prophet
25. Hamlet
26. Stranger in a Strangeland Uncut

Non Fiction
27. The World is Flat
28. Weather of the Future
29. John Adams
30. Film History Book (Title TBA)
31. Art History Book (Title TBA)
32. Music History Book (Title TBA)
33. Night
34. Haven
35. Defiance
36. A Brief History of Time
37. The Origin of Species
38. Bringing the Psalms to Life
39. On Writing

Random
40. Frankenstein
41. Great Gatsby
42. Moby Dick
43. Miles Between
44. Gone With The Wind
45. Merchant of Venice
46. Hugo Cabret
47. City of Bones
48. Devil in the White City
49. Catch 22
50. Color Purple
51. Great Expectations
52. Death of a Salesman

Now for a few notes. Each book I will begin on Saturday no earlier but maybe latter. I will post either on Saturday or Sunday a info statement much like the one you will see in a minute. After I finish it I will post a review usually a day or so after. Each book will be read by the Friday after I begin the book so a review will be posted by Sunday at the latest. Now here is my first book Life of Pi

Book #: 1                            Edition being read: Harcourt Paperback
Tittle: Life Of Pi                 Original Copyright:2001
Author: Yann Martel         Length: 401 pgs with a 7pg Author's Note