Books Read:

Uglies by Scott Westerfield  (Finished the Book) 1-323

Pretties by Scott Westerfield (Finished the Book) 1-323

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen 1-54

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How do the scientists insert the brain lesions without damaging the people under surgery? Are some people immune to these lesions? How did Tally "talk" herself out of the lesions? How does David feel about how Tally was with Zane? Will Tally and David get back together, and how did Shay turn special?

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In Flipped, Julianne is a bit of a complex character. She can be loud, brash, and annoying. However, Julianne is also very insightful and clever. She's accepting of all people and can be much more mature than other kids her age. This is exemplified when she was on the tree, because she saw beauty in the gnarled branches and chose to protest how the city was cutting the tree down. 

Double Reading Log

The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby 1-317
Lolita by Vladimir Nakobov 16%-22%


The Jungle Book 50%-100%


Trends
In The Clockwork Three, they have many different trends than that would be found in our time period. For example, the opera is popular there while here, our culture would much rather see a movie. Also, the clothing that the characters wear is very different. For example, Madame Pomeroy wears very ostentatious outfits that would be considered ridiculous today. 


Symbolism
In Lolita, there is are a few symbols that can be interpreted differently. The first symbol I'd like to address is Lolita herself. Now, Humbert views Lolita as perfection- he rants on and on about her supple skin and youthful beauty. He talks about how he views her as His Lolita, his Lo and Loli. However, I don't believe Lolita is truly what Humbert desires. I believe that Lolita just reveals his craving for young children- not just the Dolores. "I was able to make out a dim first version of Lolita's outline, legs, cheekbones, bobbed nose." In this section of the book, Humbert is not talking about Dolores. He is talking about her mother as a child. Therefore, I believe that Lolita symbolizes what Humbert desires in a women- youthful perfection. 


Ethics
In one scene of The Clockwork Three, Hannah steals a diamond necklace from Madame Pomeroy in order to pay for her father's medical bills. Though I empathize with Hannah for her father's condition, I don't believe that was the right thing to do. Hannah ought to have explained her situation to Madame and asked for a loan, not steal the gift impulsively.


Details
Dolores, or Lolita, is described in intense detail in this novel. She is described as a messy, uncaring, rebellious 12 year old girl. She is dressed sloppily and does not care for any baths. She has a fierce temper and is capable of having terrible arguments. However, Dolores is quite innocent and can be very fun at times. 

Reading Log

The Jungle Book by Ridyard Kipling

1%-49% (approximately 80 pages)

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

1%-15% (approximately 30 pages)

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In the story of Mowgli and his jungle life, much of the native tongue is used. For example, they call the fire a Red Flower and they call various other creatures either by an African name or a different nickname. Also, the seals use different names when referring to bachelors ( the seals call them holluschickie).

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When describing his memories, the narrator Humbert manages to describe his experiences with a melancholic, sad tone- almost as if he is romanticizing his life a bit. However, when he begins to describe his "nymphets", it is hard to not take him seriously as his tone is as serious as it was when he was describing Annabel before. 

Reading Log~

A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard

14%-68% (more than 100 pages)


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In this book, Jaycee describes her scenery in detail. When she is captured, she vividly recounts how she felt herself grasp something sticky, which is a pine cone. With all of the intricate descriptions, I can actually feel like I am living through her experience with her.

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In this story, Jaycee accurately portrays her abductor, Paul, as an ethic-less man that cruellly tricks her into believing she is in good hands. Also, Paul's wife is portrayed as an immoral woman who puts up with the abuse going on in her yard. Through out this story, I find myself continuously horrified about how Paul and his wife could do something so horrible to the young, eleven year old Jaycee.

Reading Log~

Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
1- 127

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In this action-packed novel, there may not seem to be many symbols. However, it is actually chock full of symbol. The first symbol is Toshio sitting up on the rooftop throwing arrows at those running past when the game started. This symbolizes fear and the notion "eat before being eaten".

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This story is chock full of controversial topics. First, the major thing that the characters are divided about is to kill, or to work together and die together? Of course, many characters such as Kazuo just decide to kill and don't have any regrets. However, many students such as Toshio have mental battles on whether killing is the right thing to do or not.

reading log week 10

The Condition  by Jennifer Haigh

I finished the book- around 300 pages?


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This story goes way into depth when defining who the characters are. First, Gwen herself is intricately carved. Her Turner's syndrome ultimately hides her true self and personality. Before diagnosis, Gwen had been a adventurous young girl. However, once she was diagnosed, she became elusive and stubborn. Well, she had already been stubborn, but now she had become even more so. This is especially shown when she goes to the island and then begins to live there, much against her parent's wishes. However, Gwen is still very distrustful and quickly leaves when she suspects foul play.

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Pauline and Frank have big differing views on how to treat Gwen properly. Pauline prefers to avoid the situation altogether. Frank likes to bring out the facts truthfully. Though both have their own pros, they also have cons. I believe that Gwen should have a combined treatment. She should receive the tender loving care from Pauline, but Gwen also shouldn't be treated as a child. Gwen also has the right to know about her disease, but then again she shouldn't be treated like a specimen ready to examine. In conclusion, both Pauline and Frank are right and wrong. Gwen should be treated as a normal human being, but with some specialness involved also.

Reading log week 10

Happyface by Stephen Emond
pages 1-307

Garden Shadows by V.C. Andrews
pages 86-257

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In happyface, the big idea seemed to be the cliche idea of a loser becoming a cool kid. However, as I moved through the story, I soon found this was not the average story.

The big idea was actually that insecurities can easily be hid. This is shown both by the events and the unreliability of the narrator himself. In the book, "happyface" easily hides the traumatic past events of his life by slapping on a huge smile and never taking it off. But as the reader finds out, "happyface" is also hiding his own insecurities from the reader. For example, "happyface" hid the incident of his brother's death through out mnost of the novel and only revealing it to us near the end of the book.

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In garden of shadows, the new fashion trends and woman rights correspond with
the telling of the story. For example, in the beginning of the story Olivia is wearing the old fashioned clothes and the younger more fashionable ladies are wearing bag dresses. However, as the story went on, Olivia's daughter began to wear the most fashionable scarves and tight fitting dresses. And also, Olivia gained more rights as she went on with Malcolm's business because women started to fight for their own equalities.

Reading Log Week 9

books Read, pages read...

"Looking for Alaska" by John Green pgs. 1- All of them

"The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green pg. 1- 243

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In the novel The Fault in Our Stars, there are many cute symbols scattered through out the novel. The first symbol I noticed was a young child in the scene where Hazel encountered a naive little girl that wanted to know why she wore the sticky things on her nose. The young child represents the time where Hazel did not have to deal with the horrors of cancer and when people didn't treat her like a poor creature that deserved buckets of sympathy. The innocent child symbolized pre-cancer Hazel.

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Many questions were left unanswered in the novel "Looking for Alaska". The biggest, quite obviously, is whether Alaska committed suicide or not. I personally believe yes, she did, because many clues were left through out the text. Alaska had been extremely mad that night, and normally drunk people would have been able to swerve to the side. Also, Alaska is extremely unpredictable and is known for last-minute impulsive actions. Therefore, I believe that biggest unanswered question's answer is that Alaska killed herself.

Reading Log Week ?

Garden of Shadows by V.C. Andrews
pages 1- 85

Les Miserables
1%-4% (long book ;_;)

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In the prequel garden of Shadows, we get to experience the cruel wife's perspective of being married to Malcolm, the evil grandfather figure. Olivia starts out as a dreamy romantic who wishes nothing but to be whisked away on a white horse like all the other girls. However, Olivia is now considered old and ugly. Not a great combination for a wannabe wife. But when Malcolm whisks her away on a quick, perfunctory marriage, I get to see how Olivia slowly realizes that she is only a tool for Malcolm to use. She first discovers this when Malcolm leaves her on her wedding night and assigns her to overlook the house matters. Then, she confirms the truth when all Malcolm cares about is how he doesn't have a daughter when Olivia's health may be in danger.

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In the beginning of Les Miserables, I was drowned with detail about the bishop. I was fed detail about his daily routine, and about how benevolent he was to the poor and the sickly. The bishop's house is also quiet plain and simple, because he prefers to donate his money to the unlucky. The bishop is also a very stout man with two ladies that tend to him. He also owned a hospital that he created very large.

Though I don't see the point of all these details yet, hopefully I will soon.

Reading Log Week Eight

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Friday-Monday 1/6-1/9
Three Hours
Pages 1-432

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In this story, the ethics of humans are questioned. The white people are held above the colored very clearly. Skeeter, one of the  main characters, even talks about the invisible lines drawn. The boundaries between the white and the colored, the boundaries between the League members and not, the women and the men. However, she also mentions how these lines do not exist and how they are only created when believed in. This shows how though the white women and many colored folk believe in the racial divisions, they aren't real unless you believe they are.


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According to today's society rules, there are many rules involving the colored folk. First off, according to Miss Hilly's Home Sanitation Initiative, colored folk have to use bathrooms outdoors because of their "diseases". Second, colored folk are expected to not get jobs other than house care and brute work. And finally, colored folk are under the causcasians. Meaning, not good enough to go to the same schools. Same jobs. To be friends. It was all part of the rules, and the rules are morally wrong in my opinion.