The Jane Austen Book Club

Recently in my Readers Choice class, we watched The Jane Austen Book Club. I wasn't really a fan of the movie, but I didn't hate it either.  It did a good job showing how a book can change a couples lives, from good to bad.  It also did a good job how they find unexpected wisdom and guidance from reading the books.  It did not like how I knew nothing about the books they were talking about, and I would of like it if they would of explained it more.  I would recommend it to a person that is part of a book club or a person that reads a lot. This is because they should have connections they could make to similar experiences.

I feel as though when life imitates art is something we don't thing or hear about a lot.  I feel sometimes when reading a book I come across a something I would like to do in the future, and get motivation from reading about it to make it happen.  I felt this when reading The death of Ayrton Senna.  This is because I have always had a passion for cars, and racing.  Reading about Senna's career I felt motivated to get into racing cars, or go-Karts, where he started, in the future.

Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone

Daniel James Brown is a author I haven't heard about until I read one of his books, Boys in the Boat.  To start off I am yet to read a story focus sports, they just haven't appealed to me.  Having friends that go to another school and compete in there rowing programs, I thought it might go well, knowing people that know the sport.

I was very surprised on how good the book was.  I really liked it, the book told the story of nine Americans starting there freshman rowing season to there gold in the 1936 Berlin Olympic games.  I like the journey it told of the team and how hard they worked up there way to the top of there game. I really enjoyed reading this book, it had some good cliff hangers, on how they were going to do in a race or what was next for the team.  

If not for the assignment,  I would not have got a love for the genre.  I am glad I had to force my self in the beginning to start reading it, now that I am finished with the book.

Author Visit

Its not every day you get to meet the author of a book you read, a few weeks ago I got that opportunity.  In my English, class we read Orphan Train, Telling  telling the story of a orphan Train rider.  The Author Christina Baker Kline, then came to our school to give a talk about the book.  The Kline talked to us about the amount of time she spent doing research on the book. She she attended Orphan Train reunions, and interviewed the last of the Orphan Train riders.  The book ended up having some connections I didn't ever realize that would be in the book.  These mostly came from Jane Eyre and The Wizard of Oz.


It was very interesting for me to be able to hear an author talk about her book. This is because she talked about the work she did prior to writing the book, and how she did her homework to make sure the end product is very good.  Also, it was great to have the opportunity to communicate with an author, and relate to it.  You were also able to ask them questions that can not be answered  through reading the book.


Her presentation had some influence over my interpretation of the book. I felt with the knowledge I gained through her presentation I was able to relate to the book, and figure out why some things happened the way the happened.  I thought it was very interesting how some passengers on the trains thought that they were the only train ever going to the mid west with orphans, and never really talked about cause of embarrassment.  This changed how I felt about a few point in the book.    

Overall, I enjoyed listening to the author about her presentation on the book, Orphan Train.

Science Fiction

My favorite genre is Science Fiction.  Science fiction is a literary genre of fiction that contains a heavy plot focus on futuristic science and ideas. The science found in science fiction books is always based on studied theory and the prospect of futuristic science. What I like about it is the futuristic part of it. The fact that what I am reading about might be possible in the future, I find very cool.  I also like the highly scientific and theory based part of it.  It is also very broad, so you never know what the range in plot is going to be. This is because Science Fiction is a very broad genre with many sub genres.

  
The book The Martian, by Andy Weir, is my favorite Science Fiction books. It is referred to as one of the best science fiction books in a while, by The Wall Street Journal. The book seems like it is almost completely scientifically accurate. Weir seem to have done a lot of calculations and research to make sure all made sense.  The way the author told the story, was very well done. Being that the chapters are not too long and there are cliff hangers from chapter to chapter at time made it a page turner.

The Book Ender's Game by, Orson Scott Card is one of my favorite Science Fiction Books. It is set in Earth's future, the book starts out with two conflicts with two different alien species.  The main character, Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, is bred to be a genius, is drafted to Battle School where he trains to lead the century-long fight against the alien Buggers.

Orphan Train Reaction

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline was an interesting book.  The book starts out from the perceptive of a foster care teen, Molly, she needs to get service hours at Vivian house to keep out of Juvy.  The book goes back and forth from being told by Vivian's early childhood and Molly.  At times especially in Molly's perspective it can become very boring; I fell asleep reading it.  In Vivian perceptive, I felt that it can become a page turner, and interesting at times.  The chapters are short, which makes it easy to just say one more chapter.

The Art of Racing in the Rain

I decided to read The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.  This book was recommended to me by one of my friends. He said I would like, it because I like dogs and cars.  He said that it was a fast and enjoyable read. With those comments about the book, I decided to give it a try.

When I first started reading this book, I thought that it was going to be boring, but I was wrong.  It was a great read, with funny and sad parts.  The point of view from the book is told from a perspective of a dog, named Enzo, which I liked a lot.  The book just had a few boring parts, but they were quick.  Besides that it was a great book, I would give it a 4/5.

Yes, I would highly recommend this book to a friend.  The type of person that would enjoy this novel the most would be a dog lover.  This novel was a great read for me, and would be worth the read to someone else.

Boys and Reading

Boys will be boys, as the saying goes.  The books they read in school gives them there respect for books.  If they read the books for school and like them they are more likely to read books out of school.  They would have some respect for books and want to read more.  If the don't gain the respect for books, they fail to develop entry points for books, and run the risk of missing out on a lifetime of ideas and personal growth.

Some also don't have the motivation. They would now rather be outside playing a game, or inside playing a video game, because they are more enjoyable for them instead of reading a book.  If they want to read they they would find time.  Reading is also no fun for them, teachers need to make reading fun, in order for them to want to read more.

Family Life

Family Life by Akhil Sharma was a novel I didn't expect.  Reading about the author, I learned that he spent over a decade working on this book.  I found this interesting, and thought it would be a good book. The book tells the story of the narrator having his older brother have a accident and get hurt.  He was happy at first cause of this, because his parents would spend more time focusing on him.
This book I felt can get boring at time and could of had a better plot.  Even though this book did not fulfill my expectations, it was a decent book.  

The Books of My Life

1. Favorite Childhood Book: Green Eggs and Ham By Dr. Seuss,

 

When I was younger, one of my favorite books to read was  Green Eggs and Ham.  It was a book I always enjoyed, along with some of Dr. Seuss other books.  Having Sam I am, and Daniel go back and forth about were he wants the green eggs and ham, as the main point of the book is one to be remembered.  I always remember it as a classic book, that I enjoyed.  

2. Book that Inspired Me: The Death of Ayrton Senna  By Richard Williams

When my dad told me about this book I didn't think much about it at first, but then I realized the main point of it.  The book, The Death of Ayrton Senna is about a legendary Formula One's driver rise to the top.  Senna worked hard every chance he had, to practice to get better at his sport.  It taught me to work hard at something I want to seceded in, and do well in. It was a book I will not forget about, and will always work hard on my goals.

3. Favorite Book that went to Screen: The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins 

My favorite book that went to screen is The Hunger Games.  It is a good series of books that Collins has made.  In the book, it follows the a 16 year old girl, from District 12, who volunteer for the 74th Hunger Games in place of her sister.  Also from District 12 is a guy, who developed a secret love for the girl prior to the games beginning. The book and the movie do have some differences that change the plot a little bit.  I feel the way the movie was done, was very professional.  The way how acted it out was very well, with the actresses that were chosen.   

4. Favorite Book Read for School: A Walk In The Woods By Bill Bryson 

For summer reading I had to read A Walk In the Woods.  I really liked this book, for what it was about.  It was about Bill Brysons walk on the Appalachian Trail.  The way how he describes a personal experience that I can relate to, I liked it, and found it interesting.  Through his journey, he had some nature talks he wrote about, that were so boring and I had to put the book down.  I was fine with reading it for school, and would recommended it to a hiker.

5. Top Book on my Must Read List: Code By Charles Petzold 

This is probably not a book you would expect someone to read but, I heard good things about it.  Being an App developer, I have started to wonder about the origins of coding and this book describes it.  It talks about the hidden language of computer hardware and software and were they started out.  I am looking forward to reading this book over the summer.

Hello, my name is Steven.  I enjoy reading some types of books that are pertaining to an adventure and sports. A Walk in the Woods is one of my favorite books because of his style of writing and what is was about.  I like the adventure Bill Bryson took on the Appalachian Trail, it was very interesting.  I like going on adventures and see were it brings me.  I am not a fan of books about the futrue and history.  They just seem out of realism and boring to me.