My Blog Reflection

My blog post ( http://nazsreadingblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/evermore-why-you-should-read-it.html) is my best and favorite post because in it I exemplified my ability to analyze complex characters and I've analyzed the development of the theme. I worked hard on it and tried to use the rubrics for it. In my post, I talked about several different aspects of the book which is important to do because you need to keep the reader interested. My teacher, Mrs. Noble, has given me great tips and advice for my blog posts and I have best demonstrated it in that post. I also have added pictures and have had more then 2 paragraphs of text which is pretty important to do. I have described the plot so that people know what it's about but at the same time I didn't give a lot away to spoil it for the reader.

My goals for next trimester are to make sure to understand the text that I am reading because sometimes you can glance through the pages without really understanding and reading the book. My goals for writing are to use all of the tools of writing( imagery, similes, metaphors, personification, etc.) and also to really think about what I will write and what I will talk about. It's important to also read and comprehend the book from the p.o.v of the author, the characters, and of course the reader. I've struggled a lot with keeping up with my reading and posts every week because being in high school is very time consuming but at the same time you need to manage your time wisely. I've overcome this struggle by making time for each class and making sure I get everything done and also I've made school my number one priority. One strength that I had while blogging was that I can write and explain my view and feelings about a subject or a book and make my posts look interesting to want to read. (I've done choice 1 & 2)

R.L Stine: The New Girl

I have just finished reading the novel, The New Girl, by R.L Stine and I love it just like all of his other books. I first wanted to read this book because R.L Stine was one of my favorite authors when growing up and it was one that I haven't read before. The book is set in present time around fall time in the high school Shadyside High. When Cory Brooks, the main character, lays eyes on the new girl for the first time he is lost in her light blue eyes and can't get her out of his mind. Cory Brooks finally finds out who the new girl is and her name is Anna Corwin. Anna has light blonde hair, pale as a ghost skin, beautiful light blue eyes and always wears dresses. Cory just can't get over how much she likes this girl. Later, he finds out that she lives on Fear Street. That's a street that is said to be really scary and dangerous and Cory is surprised that she lives there. Anna for some reason keeps disappearing, and Cory finds out she is dead. It is up to Cory and his friends to find out the secret behind Anna.





The thing that I love about R.L Stine is his writing style. First he develops two or three main characters and several secondary characters. Then, he keeps the plot moving at a steady pace and he knows his audience so he knows whats interesting and what's not. He will make the reader think one thing will happen and then do something else to trick us. Then, he outlines the book so that the plot makes sense. Finally, he always has an exciting and satisfying ending.

How he writes (quote by R.L Stine):

"I think of the titles first. I think I work backwards from most authors. Most authors get an idea for a story and they start to write it, and then later they think of a title. But I think of the title first and then the title sort of leads me to the story. ...I know the ending, so then I know I can always get there. I plan out every book first before I write a word. I do a chapter-by-chapter outline of every book. So before I start to write, I know everything that’s going to happen in the book. I have it all planned, and then I can just enjoy the writing. I’ve done all the hard part. I’ve done the thinking before I start to write." - from an interview with The Author Hour.

We Beat The Street

This is a remarkable true story about 3 doctors who wrote this book because they wanted to show everybody that obstacles can be overcome and how struggles can lead to success. I think this book is very inspirational because it shows the power of friendship and of positive peer pressure. As kids, Drs. Sampson Davis, Rameck Hunt, and George Jenkins grew up in the tough city of Newark, New Jersey. They had to struggle against gang violence, drug use, peer pressure, and the challenges of being young and african-american. 

The story starts out by first telling the back stories of each of the three main characters who would later become doctors. The first character that you read about is Sampson. The book tells about his first experience with doctors and hospitals when he was just a little kid. When he was just six years old, he broke his foot and had to go to the hospital to get a cast. Then the book starts to talk about Rameck. Now he never had an accident or an incident that required him to go to the hospital, he kind of doesn’t realize his dream of becoming a doctor until he goes and sees an orientation for medical and dental school with Sampson and the third main character George. There Rameck realizes that he should become a doctor and decides to chase after his dream with the assistance of his two best friends. The book then finally starts to talk the third and final character of the story, George. George wants to become a dentist. He first decides upon this profession when he had to go see the dentist when he was just a little kid. He had to get braces and was very excited. One of the reasons he wanted to become a dentist was because of the dentist that he had. George really liked him and this dentist had a great influence on George. Then the story starts to talk about each of their own lives, including family, school, and friends. Each of them came from a troubled area and had a tough childhood. They each had their own personal family problems and also had money problems that made their family lives harder. Each of them did not think they would go to college because of the fact that college costs money and they did not think that they had enough money to get that far in life. Another thing that held Rameck, George, and Sampson back were each of their own personal groups of friends. All of their friends seemed to be more harmful then helpful, always getting them in trouble, whether it is from drugs, violence, crime, or with the police. Their friends were definitely a negative influence. Then it talks about their schooling and how each of them met and started to hang out with one another. The book talks about how they stood by each other and helped one another out throughout their lives. I would recommend that you read it.

Evermore: Why you should read it

Evermore, written by Alyson Noël, is one of my favorite books. Ever is a girl who lives in a rich community in California with her aunt, Sabine. Her family died in a car accident where she had a near death experience that caused her to become psychic or an "Immortal". She gets daily visits from her departed sister, Riley. (This will become important later in the story) She meets a new student named Damon. He is hot, exotic, and wealthy. She cannot read his thoughts or see his aura and when he touches her she feels a strange sensation. When he talks everything else is blocked out. 

This sense of normalcy intrigues her and she wants to be around him more. She starts to come out of her shell little by little. Then, new character called Drina is introduced into the story. Drina was out with Damon one day and Ever is jealous. Drina has no aura or visible thoughts. Drina becomes friends with Ever's best friend, Haven. Damon and Ever become closer and closer. In the end, Ever finds out that Drina caused the car crash by pushing a deer into the road, knowing that Ever's dad would swerve. Drina, Damon, and Ever are all immortals which is why they cannot read each other's thoughts. Drina tries to kill Ever because she wants Damon to herself. After a battle, Ever wins. She also convinces her sister, Riley to cross over and join the rest of her family. Ever is left with a 
clean conscious and a new start. 

We learn the life lesson that love conquers all. Ever is the protagonist, Drina is the antagonist. The story is told in first person. It takes place in modern day California. The conflict is person against person: Drina tries to kill Ever to win Damon back.

How The Fat Boy Chronicles Inspired Me

I first read this book in Health class because it was a requirement but it turned out to be a really good book. The Fat Boy Chronicles, written by Diane Lang, is a novel about Jimmy Winterpock in high school who has trouble with fitting in and making friends. He often got bullied at school and didn't want to go anymore because they were making his life very hard. He is very obese but doesn't realize how it could affect his life. When he went to the doctor, his doctor told him he wouldn't live very long if he kept his bad diet and poor exercise. He finally realized that being obese was holding him back. It was holding him back from making friends, being confident, and having a good self-esteem. Then, he started to exercise with his dad and eat better food with the help of his mom. Eventually, he lost a lot of weight. This book was made into a movie and I haven't seen it yet but I urge you to watch the trailer. 

This book is based on a true story about a teenager( now he's an adult) who went to Mason High School and lived in Mason, which I thought was very interesting. The book was actually a diary that the real Jimmy Winterpock(his name is Doug Hennig in real life) that he wrote in high school so someday it can inspire and inform people of what it is like to be bullied. It has definitely inspired me because I hate bullying and the fact that Jimmy worked hard to lose weight, be healthy, and stay strong really showed me of what of a survivor he is. This is Doug Hennig now. :)

How I Feel About The Hunger Games Series

The hunger games series is about a girl named Katniss living in the future where people fight to the death annually for peoples amusement. This is my favorite series of books because I really love the plot and the author uses imagery and a lot of details but it is fun for anyone to read. Katniss has changed a lot in the series. Katniss wasn't has brave or strong because The Hunger Games has made her strong. I often think about the quote, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger", because it relates very well to the characters. I love how similar they made the movie to the book because that's not always the case. The fact that Katniss volunteered for her sister when her name was pulled, was a very courageous thing to do. She was the first person ever to have volunteered for somebody and that shows that she has a loving and caring personality.

If I could have a conversation with Katniss I would ask her what it is like to have a whole family dependent on you for food and other necessities. Also I would like to know how she felt when she got called to go in the hunger games again and pretend to love somebody she didn't love. To be away from family and living a lie would be pretty hard so it would be nice to hear her perspective on those situations. I'm so glad that my friend recommended this series to me because it's one of the best books I've ever read. Also, both of the movies are super action-packed and exciting. So I have a question for you, if you could talk about anything or ask anything to Katniss what would it be?

Never Have I Ever

Never Have I Ever, a book by Sara Shepard who is also the author of Pretty Little Liars, is one of my favorite books at the moment. This book is in a series called The Lying Game, and the series is about secrets, lies, and killer consequences. What drew me in was that this book has an original and thrilling plot and I would recommend it to anybody that likes action and mystery. It has a balance of romance, drama, and action for anybody to enjoy.

Emma , one of the main characters, was forced to pretend to be her twin sister who she had never crossed paths with before. Her twins name is Sutton. Sutton gets murdered but has no idea who it could be. All of her loved ones still thinks she's alive. Emma tries to solve the mystery of Sutton's death but the more she looks, the more suspects get revealed. When Sutton was alive her and her friends played a lot of games that ruined people's lives. She was popular and a bully, the complete opposite of Emma. Who had to live with foster care. There used to be a show based on this series but it ended last year. But the show was a little different then the book because Sutton was alive.

Sara Shepard is one of my favorite authors. She uses a lot of cliffhangers and foreshadowing in most of her works. Her details are very specific, filled with lots of imagery. She's very mysterious, if you've read her books or have seen the shows based on them you'll know what I mean. The TV shows aren't anything compared to the books though. Here's a question for you, if you had to switch places with somebody who would it be and why?