Tess of the d'Urbervilles

I just finished reading Tess of the d'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy.  This book was about a young girl and her life over a span of about six years.  The book chronicles everything that happens to her both good and bad.  I don't want to disclose too much about the plot of the book so I will keep this post short.
Tess is a really great book.  I had a hard time getting into the book but by the end, I loved it.  I would reccommend this book to everyone who is at least seventeen or older.  This is due to some of the events in the book.  It is a book for mature audiences only.  That said, I would love to hear what you think about it.  Let me know if you have read it, and if you haven't enjoy the book!

Crime and Punishment

Crime and Punisment by Fydor Dostoyevsky is a novel about a murderer and his life after he commits this horrible crime.  It is a very long novel but is really good.  Just a disclamer, DO NOT read this book if you have a weak stomach.  It has a lot of gruesome details throughout the book.  If you can overlook these parts, the novel is really good.  It is very well written but is a little hard to read because it was translated from Russian. 
The book has some really great themes, such as conscience, guilt, and the extraordinary man theory.  I don't want to say too much about the book because I don't want to ruin it for anyone.  So even though this is a very long book.  The post will be short.
I would reccommend this book to everyone.  Well everyone who is at least a senior in High School.  Anyone younger than that probably wouldn't understand the book.  Again if you don't had violence or gore very well I suggest not reading this book.  It goes into great detail about the murder, that scene was hard for even me to read. If you do choose to read this book, which I hope you do, don't read it at night.  Because you have to focus to read it, reading it before going to bed can cause you to have some pretty interesting dreams.
I know this book comes with a lot of disclamers, but it really is a great book.  I loved it once I finished it.  It was hard to get through but after you have read the whole book and you understand it, you feel so accomplished.  If anyone decides to read this book, feel free to post any questions you have about it here.  I will try to answer any questions in a timely manner.  Enjoy the book!

Cry, the Beloved Country

I recently finished Cry, the Beloved Country for school.  This was one of the best books I have ever read.  The book is set in South Africa and is about the journey of two old men.  I can't tell you what they are searching for because that would ruin the book for some of you.  Alan Paton was an acitvist for change, not an author.  He wrote the book to bring about a change in society, one for both the whites and the natives.  One of the main themes in the novel is fear.  One of the quotes from the books that I really like is about fear.  It talks about the "fear of bondage, and the bondage of fear".  I love this quote and love that even though this book was written in 1948, it still applies to our society today.  Fear is an epidemic people are afraid to change, afraid to care, afraid to love one another.  Some are in the bondage of fear, while others live in the fear of bondage.  What I love about this book is that Paton doesn't  just leave it at that, he offers a way to overcome our fear he tells readers that in order to overcome the fear in their lives a stronger emotion is needed.  Love is needed to overcome fear.
I would reccomend this book to everyone.  It is such a great book and I learned so much from it.  If you read it I would love to hear what you think.
"It is only as one grows up that one learns that there are other things here than sun and gold and oranges.  It is only then that one learns of the hates and fears of our country.  It is only then that one's love grows deep and passionate, as a man may love a woman who is true, false, cold, loving, cruel and afraid."
                  ~Alan Paton, Cry, the Beloved Country

A.P. LIterature Reading List

So here are the books that I have to read for one of my English classes:
Term 1
Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neal Hurston
Cry the Beloved Country, Alan Paton
Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller (play)

Term 2
Crime and Punishment, Fydor Dostoyevsty
A Dolls House, Henrik Ibsen (play)

Term 3
Hamlet, William Shakespeare (play)
Tess of the D'Ubervilles, Thomas Hardy

Term 4
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Tom Stoppard (play)
Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad

Right now I am reading Cry the Beloved Country.  I will post when we start reading the next novel.

Nooks/Kindles vs. Paper Books

One of my readers asked how I felt about nooks and kindles.  I personally didn't like the idea of an electronic book at first.  I love the way the pages of a paper book feel between your fingers, the smell of a brand new book and the smell of an old one.  I just love everything about books.  When my brother first got a nook he tried to convince me how cool it was and for awhile I didn't want to listen to him.  Then my friend who was a senior last year said that their English class rented kindles to put all the books they were reading on.  I then saw the usefulness of a nook or a kindle.  You can take as many books as you would like anywhere you go.  Next year in my English class we read a lot of different books, we also get to use a kindle to put them all on.  This eliminates having to carry a lot of books and make your backpack even heavier.
I personally have a nook that I am going to use for school next year, for me it won't replace paper books but I find it useful for traveling and other situations where a paper book might not be as convenient.  That is my personal opinion but, I would love to hear what you think about nooks and kindles too.

The Poisonwood Bible

The Poisonwood Bible was a really great book. I was required to read it for an English class I am taking next year, but it was the best book I have ever been required to read.  The Poisonwood Bible is about a Baptist minister and his family and their lives while on a mission in the Belgiam Congo.  The book is told in the point of view of the four children, Rachal, Leah, Adah, and Ruth May, it changes each chapter but is suprisingly not confusing.  This gives the story an interesting twist becuase each part is told by a different daughter.  The book goes through the trials and hardships of a family living in Africa.  I don't want to give away too much because it was a really great book.  I would reccomend that everyone read it because it was really interesting and fun to read.  It was a fairly long book but I would reccomend it to everyone.

I Am Number Four

I Am Number Four was one of the best books I have read this year.  This book was so interesting, I couln't put it down and I finished it in one day. I Am Number Four combines other worldly objects with humans in a really great and eventful plot.  The author does a great job in developing the characters personalities and other qualities. 

I Am Number Four is about a boy from another world.  His planet has been destroyed by another alien race seeking out natural resources.  When the world is being destroyed 9 kids  and their protectors escape to earth to live and develop powers called legacies.  The main character of the book is John, he is number four.  I Am Number Four is the story of John and his protector Henri as they run from the Mogadorians (the aliens who took over their home planet and are now trying to find and kill them on earth).  The plot contains just the right amount of action, and contains unreal yet believable stunts.  At the end of the book you are introduced to a new character.  Number Six. The end was left open for the sequel that is coming soon Power of Six.  The title could mean that the book is about two different things.  It is either about Number Six or the power of the remaining six children.  I guess we will just have to wait and see.

I also watched the movie after finishing the book.  The movie was really good by itself but not nearly as good as the book.  If you want to read the book, it moves a lot slower than the movie does (probably because they didn't want a five hour movie) but it is really good.  I reccomend either watching the movie and then reading the book or reading the book but not watching the movie for a while after you are finished. Overall both the movie and the book were really good.  I would reccomend this book to everyone.