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I've read The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. I believe the genre would be romance/tragedy.
Book
The book is about a girl named Hazel who has thyroid cancer.  She meets a boy in a support group/meeting named Augustus, who has eye cancer. Just like in your traditional happy-go-lucky romance novel, they fall in love. Of course, Augustus doesn't confess his love until they're on the plane to Amsterdam to meet Peter Van Houten, the author of Hazel's favorite book. Hazel is the main character and narrates the story. In my opinion, I think the theme is that "Nothing lasts forever, so you should take advantage of the time with the people you hold dearest." This book kind of makes me think of the ending of this book I read in 3rd grade...I think it was called 1,000 Paper Cranes? It was about a very young girl that had leukemia, and at the very end of the book, she dies. It was heartbreaking.
Head
I was pretty surprised to learn that the meeting with the Van Houten was scheduled on his assistant's behalf. To see a facade shatter in front of your eyes, to learn of their cruel, broken, true nature.
Before I had read this book I had heard a lot of people talking about how sad it was, so I assumed that either the main character or the love interest would die. Spoiler alert: my prediction of the latter was confirmed to be true.
Heart
I learned that not all people are created equal. Everyone is created with problems, sometimes insignificant challenges or overwhelmingly severe ones. This book made me feel so happy for Hazel and Augustus-it was almost like I was falling in love with them. It also made me feel very disappointed in the way the book ended, but I personally think it also had a good sense of finality/closure.

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Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck
Social Realism
Book
This book is about two men Lenny and George. Who are going in and out of jobs looking for work, because they keep getting fired. Due to Lenny accidentally doing something wrong. The book is being told from a readers point of view (third person). The author wants me to know the difficult climate this book is taking place in. It makes me think a lot about different books taking place in the great depression. Example: Everyone is looking for work.
Head
The ending of the book really surprised me. I did not expect it at all. I noticed the foreshadowing throughout the book hinting towards the end.
Heart
This book made me feel really bummed about how bad it used to be. I learned that the actions of others can not really be changed unless people stand up.

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Harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban by J. K. Rowling
Fantasy Fiction.
BOOK

This book is about a boy and his friends going to a secret school. This is the 3rd book in the series. As they go to school they learn secrets and some bad things that they should not. The book is really based around good aginst evil because harry is always fighting off people trying to kill him because of his childhood. This book makes me think of The outsiders because its a group of friends that stay together no matter what and fight aginst all the evil that faces them.

Head

The thing that surprised me about the book is that there is actually a really good sense of humor. When I bought the book I thought it was just going to be about wizards and killing bad guys but there is actually a lot of times when they are talking and being funny. They also sometimes use their magic to play tricks on each other.

Heart

I learned that I actually like ready but only when it is something that I bet to pick and something that I enjoy. This book made me feel happy. It is one of the books i have actually finished by myself and it was a good book it made me want to get another book and read it.

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I'm reading Rainbow Six by Tom Clancy.

Book

This book is about a counter terrorism team that involves a lot of the world's best operatives. They fight many different terrorist operations. The book starts with a plane hijacking. The main character, John Clark moves to an SAS base in Hereford, UK. He trains hard and fights all the good fights. His wife is a doctor at the local hospital.

Head

Something that surprised me was how realistic it was. The firing range and training was very military like. It was kind of interesting how must thought Clancy put into the book, allowing it to have a good story while keeping the realism aspect.

Heart

I learned that even terrorists have motive to them. I loved that the book was so involved with the story and the ethnics behind what was going on. This book made me feel empathy and anger. I felt for the terrorists but I also felt for the people fighting them.

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I'm reading Monster by Walter Dean Myers. The genre is Mystery.

Book
This book is about a 16 year old black kid who's on trial for murder which he didn't do. I haven't read far enough into this book to determine the theme yet but

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I'm reading Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. The genre is Mystery.

Book
Shutter island is about a detective( Teddy Daniels) who goes on a mental institution in an isolated island with his partner. Because a so called dangerous woman had escaped. During his Journey he then discovers that his visit was now becoming a personal. With his trauma in the past during his time in the war and the murder of his wife. The perspective of the story is Teddy Daniels himself. The main theme of the novel is mental illness specifically phycophathic and criminal insanity. Each character is either a phycollogist or a patient but even the doctor seem to have phycological disorder.
I've have never read like this so I can not compare.

Head
Something that suprised me was the plot twist.I would have never expected an ending like that. The author wants us to make a conclusion of the mystery in the mental institution so at the end we become suprised.

Heart
I learned that sometimes one is wrong and accpetance is the key to reabitilation. This book made me feel clueless and unsatisfied, in a good way.

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The book I read was the great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald. It's a Novel.

Book
The great Gatsby is a tragic story set in in the 20's about a mysterious millionaire named Jay Gatsby who's only pursuit  throughout the story is to find the only woman whom he loved during his youth[ Daisy Buchanan)with the help of his neighbor Nick Carraway,  Daisy's cousin.
The story is told by Gatsby's neighbor, Nick Carraway. Nick tells the story as if he  himself  had written the novel.
Although the story emphasizes love and romance between a man and a woman the theme directs into a much greater meaning, Ambition and loyalty
A great example for negative impacts on ambition drives directly with Gatsby. Jay Gatsby is too invested on accomplishing the American dream which consists power, money and of course love. He had everything except for love and that made him retain madness and desperation which then lead him to death.
The main theme that stands out in each individual character is loyalty. In this novel the author brigs up the complexity of each character who enhance loyalty.
A great example is Nick, the narrator. Who Demonstrates misplaced and admirable loyalty. At the beginning of the story Nick shows great interest and wonder in Gatsby. Gatsby also shows great interests of making a certain bond with Nick, which led to become a particular friendship. Very early in the story Gatsby lays trust on Nick, as he confesses his love for Daisy which he had kept in secret for a long time. Nick demonstrates great loyalty by not informing Tom, Daisy's husband and friend, or anyone else about the true intention Gatsby has with Daisy. Not only did he keep his secret but helped him pursuit his ambition by inviting just Daisy and Gatsby to his house to have a cup of tea with the only intentions for them to reunite. He called it a favor. Another great demonstration of great loyalty is way at the end when Gatsby died by being the only one at his funeral.
This book makes me think of the book the picture of dorian gray due to ambition and power.

Head
Something that surprised me was the arrogance of Daisy. because throughout the story we see her as something precious and pure good but at the end after Gatsby's death we realized she was just as ambitious as Gatsby but not with love nor happiness but wealth and beauty. The author wants us to already know that the green light symbolizes something. How you feel that what you want is so close to you but seems impossible to reach or touch.

Heart
I learned that people are not as good as they seem to be and that just because we think someone has everything they can still be empty inside.
This book made me better in the sense of judgement and who I trust.

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I'm reading Women Aviators by Karen Bush Gibson. It's a collection of biographies.

Book

This book is a collection of stories of women aviators and thier pioneer flights, daring missions, and record-setting journeys. I have only read the Pioneers of Aviation section and the Golden Age of Flight section. The author wants to inform people of the amazing things women have overcome. She also wants to show that women have proven they can do the same thing as men. This book is unique and doesn't remind me of anything at first, but then I realized it reminds me of newspaper article about feminism and how women are just as capable as men.

Head

I was suprised by the amount of stories and details this small book contains. I was also surpised how much I have learned from the little amount that i have read from this book. There are so many stories that i have never heard of. I think that the author thinks that I only know about Amelia Earhart and that i want to leanr more about women acoomplishing things and aviation. It changed my thinking because I learned that there is so much more to aviation than just flying and I learned that there were women before and after Amelia Earheart that did just as much for women in aviation.

Heart

This book will help make me better because it has inspired me to take action and do things that people will never expect from you. This book has made me feel proud to be women and it makes me want to do more like these women.

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I'm reading the book In A Dry Season by Peter Robinson.
Genre- Mystery

Book
In a dry summer, a boy by the name of Adam Kelly went exploring in an abandoned village that’s now in Thornfield Reservoir but the village never got destroyed. He went to find a talisman until he found something else, a hand of a skeleton in the mud. Once that happened Jimmy Riddle also known as Chief Constable Jeremiah calls the main character Alan Banks to be the Detective Chief Inspector to this case, to help with the first person assigned to this case Detective Sergeant Annie Cabbot. The book then switches to a famous author by the name of Vivian Elmsley who had a book signing, and had a weird encounter with a man in line for a signature. The man asked her an unsettling question that made her think about the past once the book signing was over. It’s soon revealed that she used to live in that very village called Hobb’s End, on her way home the memories of her life there comes flowing back to her. It transitions back to Banks and Annie as they search for solving this case. Banks finds the village's unexposed secrets that were hidden long ago. Things start to feel uneasy as they begin to figure this misleading case with its forgotten past.
The story is being told from a limited third person point of view in Alan Banks perspective, but also the story gets in another character's perspectives. Like in Vivian and Adams, the book does this when the author wants to give more information on the story.
Since I’m not that far into the book, I think the author is trying to say that no matter how abandoned or how old something is, if it’s a big problem it will be brought up again until it’s dealt with.
This book kind of reminds me of Speak because Melinda has to deal with a big problem which is Andy Evans, after a party that happened a while ago. Well that wasn’t finished between them, until she ended that problem.

Head
Something that surprised me is when Adam Kelly survives the falling tiles. When in searching for the talisman in this distinct house far away from the others. He notices stones stuck out making stairs to the roof, he climbs them and when he crosses the middle the tiles beneath him start giving out. Adam falls but lands in the mud stopping the impact, still his left wrist gets stuck in between a flagstone with his right arm stuck deeply in the mud. Adam stayed in the mud for a bit, until he saw that two remaining slabs came falling towards him. Bracing for impact. One tile fell to the left, missing him. The second one fell towards his right clashing with another tile, making two pieces and one of the pieces hitting his upper arm making him bleed. That beginning part was surprising, because I definitely thought he was going to get more hurt.
I noticed that when people have some sort of problem in the past they don’t do anything to fix it, and if that problem is still in peoples head then most likely it wasn’t fixed.  I saw this happen with Vivian when we get to learn about her character. She became an author that didn’t write or speak about the situation that happened in Hobbs End, instead she has to be reminded of what happened after forty years. So she had memories of what exactly happened when she lived there.

Heart
Simple: Some things that I learned about myself when reading this, is that I can truly read a book and understand it pretty well. I don’t usually read at all, but this builds my confidence to get more books. I also learned that I have some kind of interest in finding the theme of a book.
Something I learned from others is that. Banks is still learning how to be a father, no matter how long he’s been one. A father that’s trying not to follow in his parents footsteps. In the book Banks get’s a phone call from his son Brian, telling him what grade he got in this final exam. When Banks heard that he got a score that was below average, he started to question what he’s going to be doing with his life. Brian then says that he’s going to start taking this band he had more serious. That made Banks question even more about his son's future. After a bit more talking, Brian hangs up because he didn’t want to hear it anymore. That really made Banks regret what he said, and he realized that some of the things he said was what his parents said to him when he got a second job. Banks doesn’t want to end up acting like his parents, so he probably wants to apologize and accept what his son has because that comes a longer way.

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The book I read was Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. The genre of the book is Novel, Children's literature.

Book
This book is about a pig named   Wilbur that was the runt out of all his sibling and was going to be killed but a little girl named Fern saved him. Once Wilbur became bigger and older, they placed him in a barn with more animals because he could not live in their house anymore. The first night he stayed in the barn, he was very scared until he heard a voice from above. It was a spider named Charlotte that had her web right above where Wilbur stayed. They become very close friends and end up becoming best friends. The person telling the story is a narrator. After reading this book, I feel like the author is trying to express the idea that friends are really important in life and they can help you get through very difficult situations. This book makes me think about the book Wonder because both Auggie and Wilbur were born differently and they go through difficult times and make new friends. I feel like both of the books show the true meaning of friendship.

Head
The thing that surprised me in Charlotte's Web was that Fern was able to convince her dad to not kill Wilbur even though he was the runt. The author probably inferred that we knew that Pigs and Spiders do not usually seem like best friends which made it an even better story because it shows two very separate characters becoming friends. When Charlotte died at the end and Wilbur was there to help her children, it confirmed by theory that true friends are there until the end. I noticed that the author kept adding things in the book to keep the reader on their toes. Whether it was Fern's uncle wanting to slaughter animals or Wilbur almost dying and even Charlotte at the end. The author kept adding things to make the story very interesting.

Heart
Through this book I learned that I would not be where I am today without the friends and family that I have by my side. I learned that when others are down and they feel like they can't get back up, friends and family are the people that are gonna pick them up and get them back on their feet. This is going to not only be a better friend but to respect my friends more now that I understand what they have done for me. This text made me feel many different ways. I was sad and happy but overall I was just happy for what I have. This text changed my thinking about the world in several ways. It made me realize that just because people do not look like they would be good friends does not mean that they can't be. My actions and feelings have now changed and made me more alert that I need to be a good friend to my closest peers and in return I know they will be good friends to me.

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This book The book I read was This Is Not the End by Chandler Baker. The genre is science fiction.

Book
This book is about a girl named Lake who got in an accident with her boyfriend, Will and her best friend, Penny. Lakes boyfriend and best friend died and when she turns 18 she has the choice to resurrect only one of them. She goes through this story with her brother who is crippled and a boy named Rio, who she later falls in love with. She is determined to find out who she wants to resurrect. The person telling this story is Lake herself, she makes it more emotional by telling us her memories. Baker is explaining that if you decide between two people you love, will you be able to live without the other. In "When I have Fears That I May cease to be", Keats believes that he will never be able to love someone. In this book Lake believes she has lost the love of her life forever.

Head
Something that surprised me was that Matt was so cruel to Lake, but later on she finds out that he sacrificed everything for her. I noticed that the Lake had no flaws and at the end you figure out why. Lake was always envied even by her best friend, Penny.

Heart
When Penny and Will's parents were trying to bribe Lake to resurrect on of the children, it showed how people can go to desperate lengths to get what they want. This book made me sad, but it made sense why Lake choose. She was taught a lot a valuable lessons.

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I read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
Genre: Science Fiction

Book
This book is about a country called Panem ruled by a man named President Snow. Inside Panem, there is the Capitol and the twelve districts. There used to be thirteen, but the Capitol bombed it. The Capitol is very controlling over the twelve districts. Every year a boy and a girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen get drawn from a bowl of names from each district and have to fight to the death for the pure enjoyment of the residents of the Capitol. This book is in the point of view of sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen, who volunteered as tribute to the hunger games in place of her twelve year old sister, Primrose Everdeen. The author wants to show the importance of determination and family. This book reminds me of the Maze Runner.

Head
What surprised me in this book is that not a single resident of the Capitol was in opposition of the Hunger Games. Instead, everyone looked forward to it and celebrated as it came closer to starting. I noticed that everyone seemed to be mocking Katniss until they saw what she could do during the training. Then, some of the contestants from the richer districts decided to team up and hunt her down.

Heart
This book made me feel determined to stand up for what I believe in, because nobody in the Capitol said anything about how they were wasting lives for their enjoyment. This book changed my view of the world because I know that if a hunger games was proposed in the real world, it would be easily and quickly denied by most people.

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The book I read was Lockwood & Co. The Hallow Boy, by Jonathan Stroud. The book is a fantasy thriller fiction that is very entertaining to read.

Book
This book is about a ghost hunting group called Lockwood and Co. The group consists of 3 people: Lockwood, Lucy, and George. Ever since the "problem" started, ghosts have been haunting Europe and only children can see them. This is what the characters do throughout the book, they fight and destroy ghosts. The story is told by Lucy and is in first person. In the previous book, Lucy learns that she has the ability to communicate with the other side (the dead). She learns this by a skull in a jar that has a ghost inside talking to her when the lid opens a little bit. This makes her the second person in history to have a full conversation with a ghost. The problem is that the skull jar was stolen by George and they can't tell anybody about it. In this book, Lucy begins to put her ability/talent to the test. Also in this book, there is a massive ghost outbreak in a major part of the city with no seen reason. Eventually the help of Lockwood and Co. is requested. The group eventually finds and destroys the source of the outbreak in an old kings prison underneath a shop. This book illustrates that even when you have something special like a talent, your safety is more important than trying your talent out. This book makes me think of Harry Potter because of the constant danger these characters are in.

Head
What surprised me in this book, is that after two books they finally introduce a new character into their team. Holly was a new character introduced to the Lockwood and Co. She was a former ghost hunter, but was too scared after a prior even to ghost hunt again. Instead she keeps the house clean, organizes their files, and figures out what jobs they go to.

What I noticed in the book, was that jealousy was a big part of it. In the past books, there has never been jealousy or much conflict within the Lockwood and Co. But that is part of the reason I love the series so much, there is variation in each book and not just them fighting ghosts the same way every time.

Heart
This book made me feel aggravated at points. In the book, Holly is hired to be a "maid" and a receptionist for the company. In introducing Holly, Lucy becomes jealous and spiteful towards Holly. It is quite obvious that this is because Lucy has a crush on Lockwood, and thinks that he or Holly feels something for each other. Lockwood is somehow oblivious to the tension between the girls and doesn't show any interest beyond friends for either of them, which is just his personality. What frustrates me the most is that even when the two girl's live are in danger, they still argue and fight. And in doing so, they put themselves in an even more life threatening situation. Other than this, this book was phenomenal.

From reading this book, I learned that jealousy is unavoidable. It will come when least expected, and in any shape or form. As a result, when I am jealous of something from now on, I will accept it and move on. No arguing or fighting, just let it go.

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The book I read was Dry, by Jarrod Shusterman and Neal Shusterman.
Genres: Science fiction, and dystopian.

Book
The book follows Alyssa, a high schooler a couple weeks away from summer. She lives in southern California with her brother Garrett, her dog Kingston and her parents. In recent news, a massive drought has hit southern California, and it all starts as just a nuisance. But the days go on, and the degree of danger increases exponentially when the reality of the situation hits. Everyone is in a rush to get water. At every page you turn there is a new problem, a new life threatening encounter, and a new solution for the characters to find their way to water. Everytime I picked this book up I needed a glass of water by my side; I could feel my throat turn to sandpaper. This book makes me think about how irrelevant status is. Even though at the beginning of the drought it did matter in terms of "who gets water and who doesn't", towards the end it didn't matter. Something that really stood out to me was the term "Three days to animal". It's scarily accurate. We are humane right now, but once we lose something essential to us it doesn't take much time for us to turn into animals. To then turn on each other. The main characters we follow are all incredibly different people, but they are working together towards the same goal. This book, although nothing like it, reminds me of Speak. The need for status is so clear and visible in just about every students eyes. It makes me wonder what would happen to them and how would they change if they were in the same position as Alyssa with the same recourses as her.

Head
Even though just about every page had something intense and surprising, I think the most surprising part of the book was a single moment of joy. A single moment where nothing else mattered, and it was just them. It was a wonderful moment. I wish I had that moment right now. The weightlessness of their problems, struggles and sorrows peeled off their skin and into the wind. Shusterman took the massive section of a zombie apocalypse and added a harsh reality to it. Dry is a zombie apocalypse; just more realistic. Therefore scarier. He took a perfectly predictable story and placed us in it as a part of an already existing problem, and suddenly it isn't so predictable. The little information I had about this hidden switch transforming a person from humane to dangerous changed every aspect of my thinking. I'd never even considered how valuable water is. I am fortunate enough to never have to worry about that. But what if I did? Shusterman did an excellent job with exactly that.

Heart
I learned that I am not entirely who I know I am. That switch exists within us all. Most of us just haven't had to switch it yet. I never considered that as humane and "human" (animal nonetheless but in retrospect to "three days to animal") I am that cannot and might not always be the case. There are certain things I simply cannot live without, and will go to great lengths to obtain if I needed to. This book made me feel more like what I am. I am an animal. We all are. But we act like other animals trying to survive is appalling, when in reality, we all just need to eat. I think it's important we remember the bare necessities, and be grateful. For just five seconds. And when I say be grateful I don't mean about getting that new phone you asked your parents for. Look at the bigger picture, and appreciate where you stand in it. Appreciate all that lives and dies around you. Look beyond the human race. It sounds cheesy, but after reading this I feel like I can see and understand the Earth and all things living in it better than ever before. The Earth is a beautiful place, and it's not just our home. It's home to many others too. We are just as much of animals as any other animal, and I think that's what scares us the most.

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The book I read was The Secret Life Of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.
Genre: Domestic Fiction

Book
The main character Lily is alone with her abusive father. She has a nanny Rosaleen. Lily blames herself in a way for her mothers death. She then gets news that the person who killed her mother might come for her.  Lily runs away with Rosaleen. Later in the book Lily and Rosaleen become members of the community around the Boatwright house. Soon Lily meets Zach. Zach is a farmer and they start developing feelings for each other. Lily finds out that her mother did spend time Boatwright house like she thought. Later on Zach gets arrested and Lily returns home. When May finds out she drowns herself in the river. May is the most sensitive sister. Zach is let out of jail when a boy confesses. Later on Lily and Zach are alone together and he kisses her as they promise to try to be together in the future. Soon after Lily asked the killer if he actually did kill her mother. He admits and she somehow forgives him. In the fall Lily starts school with Zach, making new friends. She started her new chapter.

Head
I think what surprised me was how Lilys father blamed her in a way for the death of her mother. Leading lily to grow up thinking it was her fault. I think the author expected us readers to already know that she had her one person in the beginning  Rosaleen. Sure she was her nanny but she was all she had. What confirmed my thinking would have to be the power of us females. This book has a strong female lead creating kind of a them of female empowerment. For instance the whole novel shes fighting her father and so many other hard ships just to get justification for her dead mom. Lastly I noticed just how brave she is, and i'm also happy she found Zach and got the truth about her mother.

Heart
Reading this book I was shown it being okay to be broken because it'll get better. Might take time but it will. I also learned to fight for what I believe in just like Lily did with her mother. I think this book overall will make me better with sticking up for what I believe in and with being hopeful. If something hard happens I tend to just give up, but after reading this book it kind of made me realize all the good that can come out of trying harder.

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I read The Storm on Our Shores by Mark Obmascik
Genre: Historical Story Based on Real Events

Book
The book is about the lives of two soldiers, one American and one Japanese, who fought against each other during World War 2. One of the men, a Japanese medic, was killed. Some of the story involves or was based on the diary of said medic. He lived in America for many years and was training to become a doctor.  His experiences from America and with family in Japan were written about which made him into a real person who shared many things with the average westerner. Neither of them were made out to be violent men, rather people forced into an awkward situation. The American was haunted by the things he had to do during the war for years. When he was a boy, he began working in the mine to help support his family despite his love of school. The person telling this story is a 3rd person omniscient narrator who describes what people are doing and thinking. It seems like the author is trying to tell readers how things are not always how they seem, life can be difficult, and things aren't just black and white. This book makes me think of The Diary of a Young Girl (Anne Frank's Diary) because they both reveal many aspects about a characters life and how they were in a difficult situation and eventually died.

Head
Something that confirmed my thinking was the implications from the book that many soldiers didn't want to fight or kill, but had to anyways. I was a little surprised at how American and westernized the Japanese medic seemed to be.

Heart
The book made me feel bad for the multitude of soldiers who have fought in the past regardless of their desires to do otherwise.
I realized that some things such wars could be so horrible and so pointless to a new level than I previously thought possible. To elaborate, before I thought many wars and much of the killing was pointless in what caused it which is true, but the thing I realized was how pointless some of the individual battles can be. One such battle was talked about in the book and was a fight for a small hill that would be otherwise not bothered or cared about.

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The book I read was Geno: In Pursuit of Perfection by Geno Auriemma and Jackie MacMuller
Genres: Biography, Autobiography

Book
The book is a collection of stories. Starting with the story of how Geno Auriemma moved to America from Italy at a young age. The stories he tells about moving from luxury in Italy to poverty in Pennsylvania while also having to learn a new language. He establishes himself as a hard worker from this move because he watched his parents work 1 or more jobs while he raised his siblings, attended school and learned how to play baseball. He then tells stories of coaching high school basketball and moving up the ranks to becoming a division 1 assistant coach. After many years as an assistant he was offered a job to be the head coach of a small college up in Connecticut. Once the reader arrives at this point in the story, the new stories he tells are of his many players and teams he has coach. Starting with his first and team that was full of hard working girls, to his newer stories about all-american team an the championships they won. Geno Auriemma likes to talk about hard workers and how his favorite players were always the ones that worked the hardest. He wants his readers to know that a college coach wants hard workers and recruits with good morals to not cause trouble. A book I read that was very similar to this one, was written by Pat Summit the famous Tennessee Vols coach. Her stories were very similar to Geno's. Same going for their themes. I likes to reread these books every once and awhile so that the next time I read it I can get a different outcome that applies to my life.

Head
The author of this book already knows that you know the many awards and titles he has won. He wants the reader to know how he got there and to say it is possible to achieve those awards and titles. Something that always challenged my thinking reading books from college coaches perspectives were the relationships they have with their players. Many players have close relationship (mostly star players) while others did not. I liked how Geno emphasized his relationship with every player he had. He thought that knowing the players to the best of their abilities would be helpful to coaching them and motivating them in a way that they would respond.

Heart
I learned that to be a hard worker all the time, not just on the court but off the court can go a long way with coaches and recruiters. They want to see someone who will be able to represent their school with pride. A way my actions will change will be to work hard (I know crazy). But to live up to my own standards and standards of others.

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The book I am about to finish reading is  Mr. Mercedes.
Genre: This book is a work of fiction; made up of crime, mystery, and a horror most foul.

Mr. Mercedes~
Just your everyday Cat and Mouse plot story you'd think? No, this plot twisting story of a thriller takes the reader on a ride through murder, escape, and determination. Bill Hodges, an old retired detective had recently retired, is our main character here. Little did he know, he would soon be dragged into a conflict only a psychopath could dream of. In which in this case, one did. And made it happen. On a cool wintry day, many men and women had gathered in search of jobs, waiting in a line to hand off their resumes to possible employers. Suddenly, a vicious force tears through this massive crowd, sweeping and and dragging many lives of poverty to death. The cause? A pretty little Mercedes. This parallel story line follows Bill Hodges, Jerome, and Holly on their efforts to find, and stop the corrupted Brady Hartsfield (Mr. Mercedes).

Head~
Throughout this suspense building novel, Stephen King surprises the reader and myself by incorporating many different concepts of technology. His ideas that he creates in this story are mind blowing, I almost wanted to believe they were real. Inventions so logical that how could we not have created these ourselves? These devices, all add up to murder however. Brady never gave his ideas to the world due to a jealousy and murderous instinct. This challenged me quite a bit, to create alternate endings in my head. Try and solve the case with new factors that appease my imagination.

Heart~

As a result of reading this Stephen King novel, I believe that my actions and feelings will become much more aware of my surroundings. To have an open mind and sense of knowing the paths laid out before me. As a person, this book made me feel chills and shivers. Every time I think of Brady or Hodges, their past and stories just flow through my head. Its an interesting feeling, Sir King gives us such a bond with these characters. We feel so connected to just one character, and then immediately get introduced to the full mindset of another. This style makes me feel inspired.

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The book I picked up again is called Choosing Courage by Peter Collier. It is Nonfiction.

Book
This book is about several stories told by military veterans about situation where they chose courage to help others during a fight against an enemy. There are lots of veterans that told their story and then the book wrote it in their point of view. The author wants us to have courage in uncertain times. They want us to not be afraid and stand up to the challenge. This book reminds me of the book called  Prisoner B-3087 because the main character is challenged with being a nazi prisoner in a concentration camp. He must have courage to face this problem because he must be able to be able enough to do work so he doesn't get killed.

Head
It surprised me that in the stories, every veteran says that they don't regret anything they did that day. They are very humble and say that if it was them, they would want to have someone save them too. I noticed that so many people do heroic things without being acknowledged. Everyone that has courage to do something to save a life needs to be thanked. They are what fights for you. They are heroes.

Heart
This makes me feel that ordinary people can be heroes. If they have courage, they can do extraordinary things. This made me learn about myself that if you choose courage, you can save lives. You have to take the risk because you would want the same if it was you on the other end.

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The book I just finished reading is Life is so Good by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman. It is an autobiography.

Book
The book is an autobiography about the life of George Dawson, the grandson of a slave who lived to be the age of 103. He talks in vivid detail about his journeys and adventurers beginning in the late 1800's. The book shows the people treated him at the time and how he earned the respect of many of those around him. He grew up his entire life working, even as a child he was working at his family farm never giving him a chance to go to school. All throughout his life he dreamed of learning to read but always had to work first. Finally, at the age of 98, he went to a school for adults and learned to read. He became an inspiration for many showing that you could never be too old to learn. The whole book is about overcoming challenges and making sure to look on the bright side to keep a healthy mindset.

Head
It really surprised me how cruel people were just based on the appearance of a person. During the book, there were people that disliked each other just because they looked different. In certain parts of the book, Mr. Dawson is clearly treated unfairly but he couldn't do anything about it because he could have been arrested or killed. I noticed that when he traveled to different places, people treated him differently. When he was in Mexico and Canada people treated him like a friend, while in his own home town in Texas he was treated very poorly. I noticed that he could earn the respect of people and they turned out to be good people but some were too stubborn to change their mindset and continued to be unfair. He earned the respect of many people through hard work and determination. When he had a job he made sure to finish it and do it well.

Heart
The book made me realize that I have biases even though I don't always realize it. I realized that sometimes I judge people before I even talk to them. I learned to take pride in all of my work no matter how small the task.  I learned that people will always judge others no matter what and it is important to respect yourself or else no one else will. From now on I will always treat people with respect and avoid judging people and I will always take pride in my work.

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The book I am about to finish is called Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore.
Genre: Non-Fiction

Book
This book is about a a homeless African American man who is very stubborn and doesn't like to talk to anyone and a wealthy middle aged white man who wants to help people who don't have much.  It is an earlier time period and people were judged and harassed base on their skin color. The African American man avoided all interaction with   all white people. This story, brings two people together who. usually wouldn't be friends. The story is told from both men alternating each chapter from their perspectives. The author wants us to know that everyone should be treated equally no matter who they are or what they look like. This book reminded me of the book The Outsiders that I read in 7th grade. They both have people who are treated differently because they look different or have less money.

Head
In this book I was surprised by how long it took The African American man to trust the white man. This showed me how bad it was back then and how bad some people treated other human beings. The author thinks that I already know about how there was inequality when talking about different races back in earlier time periods. This confirmed my thinking because of how stubborn the African American man was when having to talking to white people. I noticed how throughout the book the African American man because less stubborn and had more trust when he realized that not all people judge him based on his skin color.

Heart
I learned about how it used to be when my ancestors were growing up and how much the world and society has grown in making sure everyone is treated equally. I learned about how some people really suffered from not being treated the same as everyone else. This will help me to better to make sure that everyone is treated equally no matter who they are, what they look like, or what they have. This made me feel bad for all the people who had to suffer because of thing like this. No one can help what they are born with so you shouldn't treat them any different because of it. This has changed my thinking of the world because I can't believe how bad some people were treated because of things that they can't help. Everyone should be proud of who they are and other humans shouldn't be tearing them down. I think my actions will change because of reading this book by making sure I'm nice to everyone and if Someone seems like they're having an off day, I want to try to help.

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The book I finished reading is The Blind Side by Michael Lewis.
Genre: Non-Fiction

Book
The Blind Side is a true story about a high school boy that truly was a product of the system. He didn’t have a good home life and was never given the chance to learn until someone decided to open their home and heart to make a difference. Through the love and support he never knew existed, he graduated, went to college and became a professional athlete. While his life was drastically changed, so was the life of the family that took him in. This book is creatively written in the third person point of view and the reader is given a look into each of the main characters’ thoughts as if each one of them are telling their stories.  By sharing this story, the author wants the reader to know that kindness makes all the difference.  The way people grow up and are influenced in their life will determine what they do with their future. This book makes me think of the book Marley and Me. While the content is different, they both are “feel good'' stories with a similar theme where an  unexpected relationship can have the most profound change on a person.

Head

There were many unexpected twists and turns in the story but what surprised me the most was the car crash Michael and Sean Jr got in. Michael stopped the airbag with his arm with no regard to his own injuries.  He had a natural instinct to protect others even though growing up, no one protected him. I noticed that throughout the story that his ability to protect others would lead to his success.

Heart
I learned that depending on how you grow can determine what you do the rest of your life; however, kindness can alter any course. This made me feel sad for the ones forgotten in our system because I realized some people can’t help their circumstances and will never really have a chance. As a result of reading this book, I will always choose kindness and strive to positively help others.

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The book I read was The Natural by Bernard Malamud

Genre: Sports Fiction

Book-

The Natural is about a young man from the country named Roy Hobbs with a natural talent for baseball. Before his tryout for the Chicago Cubs in hopes of being the greatest there ever was, he was shot and his career was postponed 15 years. After his return he was still a star despite the doubts that arose because of his old age. He carried the team to the playoffs but was facing lots of pressure that came from manipulation and his self centered desires and actions. The narrator primarily focuses on Roy’s perspective. The author wants the reader to understand the consequences that come with poor moral decisions. This book reminds me of the movie Major League because the teams in both stories are run by owners that drive the team down purposely for their own personal benefit.

Head-

The author assumes you know the basic terminology of baseball and have partial understanding of the sport. I noticed that whoever or whatever Roy was focusing on had a direct impact on his performance. Almost like there was some path laid out for him and when he stepped out of line he would notice it in his baseball games. Iris was a symbol of strength and good fortune and 🤬 was the opposite yet more desirable therefore creating conflict within Roy.

Heart-

The ending to the book made me feel bad for Roy because he accepted the bribe of money to throw the game but once he regretted his decision it was too late. His sellout was exposed and he was left miserable weeping over his mistake. This made me realize that since money is such an important thing in sports and the world, it can sometimes even overcome players' love for the game and good sportsmanship.

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The book I just read is an autobiography called Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins.

Book
This book is about the life of David Goggins. Before Goggins became a Navy Seal, an Army Ranger, and a ultra-marathon runner and cyclist, he was a overweight depressed guy with no future. As a kid, he also struggled with poverty and abuse. In his book, Goggins talks about how he recovers from his problems through self-discipline, mental toughness and hard work.   After many years of work, Goggins is now recognized as one of the fittest people in the world. Throughout the book, Goggins claims that one of the reasons he was able to push through all of his problems was a rule he went by called the 40% rule. This rule reveals how most of us only use 40% percent of our own capabilities, and that to fully reach our potential (100%), we need to be able to push past pain and fear. This book reminds me a lot about the movie Gleason, which is about the life story of Steve Gleason, who was a legendary football player on the Saints who was diagnosed with ALS, the disease that Stephen Hawking had. Goggins wants the reader to know to never give up and to always try to push past your own mental and physical obstacles.

Head
One thing I noticed is that Goggins is right about how people only stop when they hurt or are tired. I never really thought much about being able to keep going whenever I'm tired. I went running this morning and I really started to hurt. My knees were horrible, I had a cramp, and I was telling myself to just stop and rest. It surprised me when I kept going and started to actually feel good. I think that it's really cool that we can achieve so much more when we don't give up.

Heart
One thing that I learned about myself through this book was that pain is only temporary, and if you tell yourself to do something, you'll probably end up doing it. There is always that voice in the back of your head that's telling to do bad things, but I think that once you learn how to control it you can accomplish way more than you thought. This knowledge sort of makes me feel like I need to be doing something right now, like I should go out and see how far I can push myself. I think everyone should read Can't Hurt Me because you will learn something about yourself that you never knew about before.

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this I am towards the end of 1984 by George Orwell/Eric Blair
Genre : Dystopia/Fiction

Book
1984 is a book set in a dystopian world controlled through propaganda and thought control. Our story is told by the main character Winston, Winston struggles to keep himself from being caught as a resistor of the current regime in Oceania. The ruling party uses a figure "Big Brother" to enforce fear and obedience. Winston finds places to hide from the eye's of Big Brother such as an apartment with no cameras. While normally hating most women in Oceania for being filled with lies and propaganda, Winston begins to fall for a woman who has offered him what he has been searching for. Winston meets a woman who is deep within the resistance called 'The Brotherhood". The Brotherhood is an underground resistance group attempting to overthrow Big Brother.

Head
I noticed a lot of similarity in our current state and the state of Oceania. While we aren't controlled by a mad man filled with power, we are watched a lot more than when 1984 was written. I was also surprised by the amount of risk Winston took. Winston risked being caught by the Party and the Anti-🤬 league for having an affair with a woman. In 1984 the government uses organizations made up of normal citizens to help persuade the acceptance of them.

Heart
1984 made me feel happy, I felt this way because in the book you are presented with this world that is almost totally different than ours, but in certain ways, you pick up on similarities. This reading changed my view on the world by showing different views, in the book you see the view of high ranking officials within the party while also seeing the view of regular citizens.

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I just finished Divergent by Veronica Roth
Genre: Fiction

Book
Divergent  is about a dystopian society that defines individuals  by the factions that they choose. Every person takes tests that shows which single faction they should belong in.  The main character Tris has to blend in to one faction when she was made to blend into three. The story is told in first person by Tris, which helps the reader understand her struggles of blending in.
The author wants the reader to understand ones identity, and how powerful and dangerous secrets can be. This book reminds me of Speak by Laurie Hale’s Anderson, because in both books, the main character struggles with blending in and both main characters have big secrets that cause them harm.

Head
In this book I realized how important it is to have more than one personality trait and how hard it is to put people in boxes. In the beginning I thought that there was no way that Tris was dauntless, brave, with no regrets. The author changed my thinking because at the end of the book Tris was more dauntless than almost anyone else.

Heart
This book made me feel like everyone is divergent, no one has just one quality, we are a mixing bowl full of different unique things. When I was little I used to always think that if I got mad or frustrated it’s a bad thing, but I learned that everyone gets mad and frustrated because that is a quality that makes everyone who we are, we all make mistakes, no one is perfect, and the book divergent proves this opinion.

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The book I read is After We Fell by Anna Todd
Genre- Fiction
Book
This book is the third book in a series. It continues to tell the love story and life of Tessa and Hardin. Showing the rollercoaster of ups and downs that is their relationship. Though this time Tessa moves to another city without Hardin after a huge fight. The interesting thing about this book is that it is told in both Hardin's and Tessa's perspective throughout out the entire book. The theme in in this book is that love is messy and hard. This book mainly reminds me of the book called Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon because it was also a relationship that had many challenges in its path such as Tessa's and Hardin's does.
Head
I think what really stood out to me was how much it seemed like they hated each other, but loved each other deeply and completely. How they would constantly fight and say horrid things to each other, yet the next day they would be back to normal and be this super loving couple. One thing I noticed was Hardin's slow change in character and how as the book went on we learned more about him. As if he was opening himself up to us too. Going from very angry and mean to slowly a more controlled anger and nicer person.
Heart
It changed my perceptive of love and what its suppose to look like. I always thought love had it rough patches but was mostly rewarding and easy. Though this book is the opposite it was always hard and barley rewarding, but at the same time it was so raw and pure. It was their version of love. I guess I learned about myself is that I was quite naive to what loved look like. Growing up watching my parents have the perfect marriage made me clueless. That love is this easy thing and amazing. Though this book has shown me that it's not always like that.

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I am reading Lord of the Flies by William Golding.
Genre: Fiction

Book
Lord of the Flies is about a group of boys that crash land on an deserted island. There are no adults on the island, so the island is ruled by the boys. The story is told through third person omniscient. The author wants us to understand the nature of savagery, and what comes from it. In some ways it reminds me of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson were Melinda. the main character, is hated by everyone in her school. It reminds my of this book because, it shows how cruel and powerful, children and teens can be.

Head
What surprised my is how violent the teens got. Killing someone is a big deal, and murdering someone at their age is not done often, so it caught me off guard. I noticed how the  author used the boys to represent different ideals and ways of thinking. Jack is savagery and dictator like, Piggy is order, Ralph is leadership, and Simon is religion and peace.

Heart
This text has changed my thinking, in a way. I always new that government was important and necessary, but I never really thought how difficult it is to up hold. People want many different things, and if a single person gains too much power, it could be devastating, like in Lord of the Flies. It shows how fast the world would turn to savagery without rules. It makes my feel a little nervous because if the corona  virus had caught us completely off guard and the governments shut down, people would start go crazy. At the beginning of the virus, people went crazy for toilet paper. It is not hard to think of how people would off reacted if there was no government enforcing the law. It would have made savages out of us all.

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This 9 weeks, I read Animal Farm by George Orwell.  This novel is an historical/political allegory to the Soviet Union.

Book
Animal Farm takes place on a small farm in the United Kingdom, simply referred to as Mr. Jones's Farm. The story is written in third person omniscient. In my opinion, this is so that the reader can see the viewpoints of all of the animals, since they are all so different. This is used to show the social-economic differences in Russian Empire, the predecessor to the Soviet Union. One example of this is the pigs. The pigs can speak, write, and draw, yet the sheep can't do any of these things. The story details the rise and fall of the Soviet Union, along with all of the struggles and hardships throughout its existence. Most of the characters, events, and places represent something that actually happened or existed during the Soviet Union. Some examples of this are Old Major, who represents Karl Marx; Old Major's speech, which represents The Communist Manifesto; and Mr. Jones, who represents Tzar Nicholas II.

In Your Head
Throughout Animal Farm, I realized that every single event, person, and place represented a piece of history.  For example, The sheep were not only the peasants, but also the gullible. Another example is Snowball. Snowball is a hard-working pig who puts other animals first. But, when Napoleon, who represents Joseph Stalin comes to power, Snowball is ostracized, similar to the expulsion of Leon Trotsky, Stalin's Main opponent.

In Your Heart
The book truly changed me because it shows what people will go through just to gain power. For example, in the novel, The pigs changed their own rules whenever is suited them. It also changed how I act. In the future, I am going to be more vigilant towards big decisions and the changes people make. For example, the sheep didn't even realize that they were being brainwashed and overworked. I never want this to happen to me.

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I am reading Lightning by Dean R. Koontz
Genre: Fiction

Book
The book is about Laura Shane and her life and how Stefan, a soldier under the fuhrers command falls in love with her. Stefan uses time travel to go forward in his life but back when she is born in 1955 to stop a drunk doctor from messing up the surgery. Stefan appears other times in Laura's life to save her from certain events, one of which is a robbery in a grocery store where Stefan kills a junkie. The story is told from a 3rd person omniscient point of view and I think the theme is about fate because Stefan changes the fate of laura but in the end, he can still not prevent some things like Danny's death. It makes me think of the movie Back to The Future for apparent reasons. They both deal with time travel and changing events.

Head
I was surprised at Danny's death as I thought that Stefan would just have to live without being able to fall in love with Laura. The author presumes you at least know a little about World War II and who the Fuhrer was.

Heart
This book made me feel a little scared in the tense times when I cannot predict what will happen. A good example is at the begging of the book where Stefan confronts the doctor. I learned that I can appreciate some love stories as long as I can enjoy the other aspects of the book.

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I am reading Geno: In Pursuit of Perfection  by Geno Auriemma and Jackie MacMullen. Gerne: Biography, Autobiography

Book
The book is about Geno Auriemma and the how he became the most accomplished male women's college basketball coach. Stories about his life before becoming a coach, and stories during his first years as a high school basketball coach.

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I am currently reading Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling. It is a memoir.

Book
In this book, Mindy Kaling writes about her life, "fame", and journey throughout her career. I believe the author wants the reader, and the world, to understand that no one's life is as perfect as it may seem, and everyone is going through something you know nothing about. She writes about what goes on behind the scenes of something that looks easy to the public eye. This book reminds me of another memoir by Sophia Amoruso titled #Girlboss. This book is about the founder of the shop "NastyGal". It discusses all the failures and hardships she went through in order to reach her success.

In Your Head
We tell ourselves that what is on the media is not all there is to someone's life, but it is hard to believe until we see it. Through reading this book, I have discovered that there is so much people put in to looking pretty on Instagram, or in photoshoots. This challenged my belief that certain people were just cut out for that life, and others were not. While this is partially true, most of it is work rather than gifts.

In Your Heart
After reading the text, I will try to be better at not believing everything I see online or in magazines. The people I am looking at went through so much to get the perfect photo that looks effortless. This book helped me discover that. With regard to the world, this book is so applicable. Not a single person we meet is only what we see on the surface. Everyone has something not shown, so we must remember that.

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Name Of The Wind by: Patrick Rothfuss
Genre: Fantasy Fiction
Book
This book is about the creation of the legend that is Kvothe the Great and the measures he takes just to be able to make ends meet as a young boy without parents. The story is narrated by an older, more mature Kvothe who is nearing the end of his lifetime. The author wants the reader to know that if you set your mind into doing something, there is no reason that you should not achieve it. The Name Of The Wind is similar to the Harry Potter series because Harry and Kvothe both think of their school as their home and had difficult childhoods. Regardless of that, they both became legends in the end.

In Your Head
I noticed that Kvothe is a lot more compassionate and understanding when he is older and narrating the story than when he was actually living in it.
I believe that the author thinks that I already knew of traditional English  folklore before I read this book. I did not.
In Your Heart
After reading this book I learned that adversity is not an excuse to not succeed in life. If Kvothe can face everything ALONE and succeed then why shouldn't I be able to?
This will help me to be better because a lot of the time I am fine with doing the bare minimum and just be considered average when if I gave 100% effort all the time I could be outstanding.

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My choice book is "Mythos'" by Stephen Fry
Genre: Fiction
Book
This book is about the greek gods, it tells the stories about the gods and there adventures, mishaps, trickery and much more. It tells the stories in a more modern approach making it fun to read

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One Of My Choice Books I read: The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky Genre: Realistic Fiction/Coming Of Age Novel

Book:
This novel is about a boy named Charlie who is starting his first year of high school. He goes into high school with not a lot of friends, he is pretty shy, and he is portrayed as a wallflower, meaning he is someone who is not as involved and pretty reserved.
This entire book is written through Charlie's letters, his perspective. Throughout the book the reader gets to experience how Charlie has evolved during the year.
I think the author's theme is that it is always important to include everyone, everyone needs a friend, even if they seem like they want to be alone. Once you get to know someone you can really grow with them and see how they contribute to your life, and how important you contribute to theirs.
This book reminds me of Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell because throughout the book you really get to see how Eleanor and Park's relationship grows, just like in this book the reader experiences how Charlie's relationship grows from being shy and not very social, to having long lasting friendships with his peers.

Head:
I am not going to spoil it, but the ending surprised me so much. After reading it, looking back I realized how everything connected to that conflict.
One thing I noticed is when I watched the movie (after I read the book), it did a pretty good job of playing flashbacks to show what has triggered Charlie's thoughts and actions.

Heart:
This novel made me feel pretty down afterwards because although I did enjoy reading his letters about his first year of high school experiences such as his relationships and parties, Charlie's internal conflicts made me upset.
This text changed my thinking about the world because I realized how one traumatic experience that could happen in your childhood can really affect your whole life, even if you do not realize it.

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I have just finished The Assassins blade by Sarah J. Mass. Genre: Fantasy fiction

Book
The book is about a guild of assassins that have been training since birth to kill the main character Celeana is 16 and is the best assassin in the guild other than Arobynn who runs the guild. Her and the second best in the guild Sam are sent on a mission to bring slaves into there town but disobeying there orders her and Sam free 200 slaves from the slave trade. when returning home the consciences for there disobedience is steep Celeana is sent away to train in the harsh conditions of the red dessert with the silent master, after three months away she returns wanting her freedom from the guild. But stays with sam but after another deceptive mission from Arobynn her and sam decide to leave, but to do so they have to pay a large amount to Arobynn they take a very risky job and both end up getting captured. Sam sadly gets tortured and killed while Celeana is forced to work in the salt mines as a slave but vowing her vengeance on whoever killed Sam.

In your head
what really surprised me during this book is that Sam died he seemed like an important part to Celeanas story and maybe still is in some way. The other thinks I already know that Celeana and Sam both had feelings for each other. Something that challenged my thinking throughout this book is that a person can only take so much before they brake Celeana has faced a lot and still keeps her chin held high even as she is sent to be a slave. I noticed that the other changed points of views, there was always a narrator but she showed different peoples thinkings at different times.

In your heart
something I learned about myself is that i get very attaches to characters very easily. what I learned about others is that everybody has there own problems to deal with and they all deal with them in different ways. This will help me to be better by trying to see what someone is going through before judging them on how they act. This book made me feel happy at parts sad at parts but most of the book I was angry with how Celeana and Sam had been treated by people they thought cared. This book has changed my thinking about the world by again just knowing that everybody has their own struggles to deal with.

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I am currently reading The Towering Sky by Katharine McGee.
Genre: Science Fiction

Book
This novel is about a group of teenagers in the twenty-second century. They all come from very different backgrounds, but they are brought together after their secrets are at risk of being discovered. This story is being told by a narrator, and each chapter the narrator gives us a perspective from each character. At the point I am at in this novel, I am not able to figure out what the author's theme of the text. The Towering Sky reminds me of another book called The Art of Racing In The Rain. Although these book have completely different plots, they both convey the importance of staying true to yourself.

In Your Head
While reading this book, one thing that surprised me was when the police found Leda to question her about Mariel's death. This was the first time the reader heard about her dying, and the fact that the police had already made a connection to Leda meant that everyone else was at risk of being exposed. After this, I noticed that Mariel had been stalking all of the characters, and knew all of their secrets. So if the police continue to investigate her then they could possibly find all of the information that she had about them.

In Your Heart
While reading this novel, I learned that no matter your background, you can reach whatever goals you set for yourself. Just like Rylin when she dropped out of school to get a job to support her and her sister after her mother's death, then got a scholarship to the best school in the tower. This made me look at the world differently, and now when I see someone struggling, I see their potential, not their "failures" as society would put it.

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Principles by Ray Dalio

Genre: Nonfiction

Book

The book Principles is about the billionaire hedge fund manager Ray Dalio and he talks about the most important principles to follow to become successful and to live a good and happy life. The person telling the story is Ray Dalio. The author wants me to know the best strategies to become successful and live a good and happy life. This book makes me think of Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki because in both the books they talk about strategies and what mindsets to have to be successful and to live a happy life.

In Your Head

What surprised me in the book Principles is how long it took Ray Dalio to become successful and that he started his profession at a young age. It also surprised me that one of his hedge fund firms had to close because they were out of business. I noticed how hard Ray Dalio had to work to become successful and that you can't just go to a good school and get your degree and become a successful hedge fund manager there is much more hard work to it.

In Your Heart

The way this book will help me is it already tells me what not to do and tells me what things I should do and how I should attack the challenges to come in the business world. This book made me feel good because I know I can do the hard work and become a hedge fund manager when I’m an adult because Ray Dalio was able to so I can too.

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Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Genre: Coming of Age/Fiction

Book
This classic novel is about the lives of four sisters growing up poor during the Civil War. With their beloved father gone to fight, they encounter hard times dealing with poverty and living up to society's expectations to become successful women. The entire book focuses on the girls' wishes and journeys from childhood to adulthood. Although Jo is the main character, the narrator is omniscient and has access to the character's thoughts. I think the author's main theme is the importance of family and overcoming obstacles to reach one's goals in life. It also shows how women living in this era wanted to do more than what they were told, which was to get married and have kids. Little Women reminds me of the novel Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery . They are both coming-of age novels that focus on women empowerment and not living up to society's expectations and being your true self instead.

Head:
The ending is very shocking. I was not expecting Laurie to end up with Amy, nor was I expecting Jo to end up with Professor Bhaer. I can't say I was not expecting Beth's death, because I noticed the author mentioned some things about her health in some key parts of the book. This book changed my view on the Civil War era. War was not the only thing happening, poverty and grief were changing the lives of many and this novel does a great job explaining younger generations what life was like back then.

Heart:
This book has encouraged me to not give up on what you desire and to work hard for what I want. Every time I sat down to read and was having a bad day, it immediately lifted my spirit and put a smile on my face. I highly recommend this if you are looking for a funny and classic book.

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The Art of The Deal by Donald Trump Genre: Nonfiction

Book
This book is about how Donald Trump built him empire by doing real estate deals in New York.  Donald Trump narrates the story.  The author wants me to know how to work real estate in one of the largest city's in the world.  This book is very interesting because it shows how to really do real estate you must go through many steps not just including the raw deal.  You have to go through zoning, meet officials, and get loans by bargaining with the banks.

Head
I  was surprised by how hard it is and how many steps it took to finish a deal.  The author only assumes that you understand a few key vocabulary words like loan and zoning.  My thinking was changed by how complicated it was to create and build new properties.  I noticed that any people who were inexperienced were taken advantage of by more experienced people.

Heart
I learned that I want to go into business.  I learned that others need to be smart enough to compete with others and you have to be stern so as to not fall behind. I believe that this will help in the future if I ever decide to go into the real estate industry.  This made me intrigued by the different intricacy's of the industry in New York. This text changed my thinking by showing how these things actually work from an insiders perspective.  I don't think that this will really change my behavior in life but I will take this book into consideration in the future if I am ever doing real estate.

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I am reading  "The Story of Philosophy: The Lives and Opinions of the Greater Philosophers" by Will Durant. Genre: reference work

Book
This book is about ideas that have been explored by philosophers since BC eras. Philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle are heavily analyzed in this text. It discusses ideas and flaws in capitalism, socialism, communism, as well as how to make democracy as effective as possible. He challenges fundamental beliefs of modern philosophy and proposes ideas for a perfectly effective democracy.

In Your Head
Many people do not heavily discuss flaws with some of the greatest philosophers in time, which is exactly what he did all throughout the book. In the book, communism is heavily discussed. I personally do not believe a communist government would be effective in our modern society. The author discussed how true communism would be beneficial to society as a whole, but would be impossible to enforce because of human psychology. After reading that section, I agreed, which I didn't think I would ever do. I still do not agree that communism would work, but I agree that if humans had a different mindset that it would be beneficial.

Heart
this book provided me with knowledge of a way to educate myself in a way to benefit society through democracy, as well as the push to explore ways to cure ignorance.

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The Toll by Neil Shusterman

Science Fiction/ Dystopia

The novel is from the perspective of many characters as they deal with their individual problems all relating to the sycthedom falling apart. In a world where immortality has been erased, people called scythes control overpopulation through obvious methods and maybe its a metaphor about world politics and how those are devolving as well. The entire story is told by an omniscient narrator that switches perspectives often from a wide array of characters and occasionally villains. The author wants the reader to know about the hubris of man and how no one should be given the “noble” power to freely kill. The author also wanted to discuss how society and government can lead to devolution when someone is given too much power. In a way, this book reminds me of Lord of the Flies by William Golding. They both discuss the formations and eventually devolutions of societies, both of which stemming from an imperfect human given too much power.

Head

Something that surprised me was definitely the ending. I did not expect the story to go in that direction, neither did I expect it to end in such a melancholic way. I feel like this reading challenged my thinking as it states the ending results in a world that’s better without a sythedom. Honestly I prefer the idea of a world with a scythedom, at least one without the antagonist. Of course the novel claims there will always be another villain, but I feel like with proper care another villian won’t be allowed in the sycthedom, resulting in a much better system than the one they end up with. Saying this end result is better is like saying there will always be another 🤬 so instead we should get rid of elections and just randomly pull new laws from a box.

Heart

I guess I learned more about my thoughts on immortality and how it should be handled. Honestly, the world of Scythe seemed pretty ideal at the beginning of the novel and a lot more dystopian at the end. Just get rid of the villain and make sure no other obviously evil people are let in and we’re good. In a way this novel changed the way I viewed the world in that I further understand the importance of relations between supranational organizations, although I’m not sure if I really feel satisfied with that. I just don’t feel the events of the novel are all that realistic. I mean, as a fifteen year old I probably have more faith in humanity than a however old Neil Shusterman is, but if the characters of the novel had more faith in humanity than I think it would've worked out better. It’s because of their loss of hope that things turned out so… melancholic. I’m sure Neil did that because sad endings are good endings, but in hindsight it just seems so unnecessary. Maybe that’s the point: human are imperfect and we do unnecesary, stupid things.

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I have just recently finished reading the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi but I will mostly be discussing the first book "Shatter Me". You can put this book into a number of different genres including science fiction, romance, and possibly dystopian as well.
Book
This book is about a girl whose skin is fatal to the touch. Everyone who touches her and everyone she touches dies almost instantaneously. This book takes place in the future where Earth is crumbling under the pressure of the human population. The oceans are polluted and unsafe, the animals are long gone due to poisoning, and the weather has turned unpredictable making it possible to even snow during the summer. There is an organization called the Reestablishment that is conducted by the government and basically has  control over the whole world. The Reestablishment has promised the people that they have a way to help solve this global problem as millions of people are starving and living in unsuitable conditions. Everyone knows that they are lying and that they are a group of self-centered people who want the world to themselves without caring about the other billions of people. This story is about a girl who tries to stop the greedy minds of The Reestablishment and help save the world with the survival of its people in mind. The story is told in a first person point of view from our young protagonist Juliette Ferrars. One of the main messages that I get from this author is embrace who you are even in the face of those who doubt you and look down on you. This book makes me think of the book Divergent by Veronica Roth. Mainly because both books are science fiction/dystopian and also because the protagonists are both girls who struggle throughout the book to accept who they are. Both books focus on saving people from adversity with the help of true friends.
Head
When I first started reading this book I was surprised by the elevated language in which it was written in. Throughout the book there are so many similes and metaphors and just beautiful writing overall that I was just not expecting from a young-adult book. One of many favorite lines is, “I spent my life folded between the pages of books.
In the absence of human relationships I formed bonds with paper characters. I lived love and loss through stories threaded in history; I experienced adolescence by association. My world is one interwoven web of words, stringing limb to limb, bone to sinew, thoughts and images all together. I am a being comprised of letters, a character created by sentences, a figment of imagination formed through fiction.”
― Tahereh Mafi, Shatter Me
I noticed throughout the book the structure and the way the author shows the development of Juliette through the writing. In the beginning, there are a lot of strikethroughs and there seems to be an obsession with numbers and repeating the same phrases over and over again. This erratic way of writing shows a visual representation of the chaos that is happening in Juliette's mind. As she evolves and develops as a character, the strikethroughs deplete, the repetition dissolves, numbers are written as words and the language softens. This artistic choice by the author is one I've never seen before in a book. I think it is truly an amazing way to be able to see how the main characters feelings and inner thoughts change from the beginning to the end through this unique way of writing.
Heart
I don't even know how to put into words everything that this book has to offer and don't think I could ever explain just how good this book is without you actually reading it. This book has shed light on so many important topics that are very relevant today. Specifically this book has shed light on the impact that humans have on the world. If we don't alter our actions now, the consequences in the future will be so much worse. The only reason for the destruction of the biosphere and the premise of the book is the harmful touch that we humans have had on our environment. In the book, population has become out of control. We have fed our people poison and fed animals waste forcing them to live in their own filth and abusing them. We have dumped chemicals into the Earth that are hazardous to our health. We have abused our world, our home, for resources and the world has finally decided to fight back. This book is a message to us that right now we have to change our actions and be more conscious of the sustainability of our planet for the future. This book has also made me think about how we judge others. The "villain", if you will, in the first book is a 19 year-old named Warner. He is the military commanding officer of the sector that the story takes place in. We see how Juliette experiences his terrible actions through her own eyes. She comes to hate Warner because if what he has done but we latter realize his motives and his actions were not as they seemed. Let's just say that he is no longer the villain in the next books. This has confirmed my thinking that as humans we judge harshly and without thinking through our assumptions. Even though the actions of Warner seemed bad, we come to realize that he was just trying to something good in his own twisted way.

I really enjoyed this book!

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In the beginning of continuous learning I read Coming Back Stronger by Drew Brees. Genre: nonfiction.

Book
This novel is about the life journey of Drew Brees. He talks about how to overcome adversity by stating his encounters with adversity, never giving up and to always work hard to earn your goals. The story is written by Drew Brees with help of Chris Fabry. Drew Brees wants us readers to understand that no one should give up when an obstacle attacks us; he wants us to understand that we should always try find any way to fight and get past it. Drew Brees also wants us to understand how to be a leader in a community and for a team. Coming Back Stronger reminds me of Growing Up Colt by Colt McCoy and his father Brad McCoy. Colt's book reminds me of Drew's book because they both talk about being a leader and overcoming adversity. They are also both written by NFL quarterbacks.

Head
One thing that surprised me in the novel was when Drew Brees talked about the devastation of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and what the Saints did to help the community. I always knew that it destroyed New Orleans but I didn't know that the Saints let people stay in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, the Saints' stadium. From a football fan standpoint I was also shocked when I realized he was offered to play quarterback for the Miami Dolphins and almost picked them over New Orleans. I believe the author thought I already knew the basis of his football career and devastation of New Orleans at the time of the hurricane. How Drew showed him fighting through his almost career ending shoulder injury confirmed my thinking that anyone can achieve anything if they work for it hard enough. I noticed that there were a lot more challenges than I expected for a star record breaking quarterback like Drew Brees.

Heart
I learned that I respond well to motivation, and a book like Coming Back Stronger can help me work harder at everything I do. This novel made me feel happy. I felt that way because I love seeing stories where someone works hard and their work pays off. It also made me feel happy because it continued to show me that working hard will gain me happiness and goals. My actions and feelings will continue to go in a positive direction of being a hard worker and a better person.

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I am reading  "The Story of Philosophy: The Lives and Opinions of the Greater Philosophers" by Will Durant. Genre: reference work

Book
This book is about

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During Quarantine I read the novel On The Come Up by Angie Thomas. Genre: Realistic Fiction.

Book
This novel is about a girl named Brianna, who is a prodigy for rap. Her father was considered and rap king before being murdered at a young age. This is a story that shows how Bri's family and friends help her get through trials and circumstances. In this book Bri has to deal with the enemies and emotions of being her fathers daughter. This novel is told through Brianna as a first-person point of view. The author wants me to know that even if the law says equality, that does not mean that people will treat others with respect and equality. The novel reminds me of the book The Hate U Give by the same author, Angie Thomas, because the shows the struggles of equality, law and future.

Head
Something in the novel the surprised me was that Brianna struggled to find a way that see could talk without expressing her anger, but then she later finds out she can do this through her rap.
The author already knew that her readers would see that the inequality is wrong and we would want the situation to change.
The author showed this when she didn't have to explain in her novel that the inequality was wrong and unfair. It shows that she still think equality is important when her characters are trying to find a solution the this problem.

Hart
I learned about how when we think about inequality, we need to not only think about race but also about other situations like money and social groups. Because I also learned from this book that some times that is the most important thing the see and realize.

I highly recommended this novel!

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One of the choice books I read in April is Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. Genre: realistic fiction.

Book
This novel is about a girl named Kya who  is essentially abandoned as a child and who grows up on her own in the marsh of North Carolina, eventually learning how to read and write with the help of a kind and thoughtful boy named Tate. A couple years later, a man named Chase is murdered, and everyone suspects Kya. The story is told in 3rd person omniscient point of view that oscillates between past and present and Kya's perspective and the police's perspective, and the author wants me to know that we are leading up to finding out what happened a little bit at a time. The author also wants the reader to know how important nature is to Kya as well as to the setting and entire being of this book. This makes me think of the book Oryx and Crake which is a dystopian/sci-fi novel that revolves around the distortion of nature. It's a completely different type of book, but the nature imagery in WtCS reminds me of it.

Head
One of the things that surprised me about this book is how resonant it was considering how popular and mainstream it is right now. The point of view and solitary life of Kya creates this peace and stillness that meshes so well with the natural landscape the author develops. In other words, the setting, the characterization of Kya, and the style itself are all in sync. What I also noticed is that it took me a while to get into this book - I started reading it months ago and only picked it back up again in April - but once I began really dedicating time to reading it, it was an engrossing and enveloping read.

Heart
This book is one of those few special books that made me completely forget about the world around me and read hundreds of pages at a time. I was reminded of the power of a book, especially during a time like this. I was isolated from my friends and family, yet the book gave me something to look forward to. I wanted to know what happened to Kya, who killed Chase, and how the book would end, and even when the writing wasn't driving the plot forward, it was beautiful. I was also amazed by the fact that the author is a scientist who has published several books in the past but had never written a novel before. This book made me feel in awe of the natural world and the people who study it (Kya and the author herself).

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These past nine weeks I read the novel Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.

BOOK
The book is about how a black teenage girl copes with the death of her friend. Her friend was killed by a white police officer who did not have good reason to shoot him.  Throughout the story the main character, Starr, tries to express her opinion to the world while using her friend's death as motivation. The book is told through the character of Starr as a first-person point of view. The author wants me to know that not long ago equality was not accomplished. She wants me to realize what people had to deal with back then. This novel reminds me of the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson because the main character, Melinda, kept her thoughts inside her head and slowly revealed them throughout the book. In Hate U Give Starr reveals her opinion (which she was afraid to show) to her friends, family, school, and eventually city.

HEAD

Something that surprised me was when Starr wanted to express her thoughts and feeling her father did not approve. He wanted her to be smart and safe and he thought it would be a better idea to not have her show the way she feels. This surprised me because her Dad has very strong feelings towards equality and even HE shows what he thinks sometimes. Throughout the book I noticed how calm and gentle Starr’s mother is compared to her father. Starr’s father is very strict on his opinions and how he treats Starr. On the other hand her mother is very calm about all the chaos that has been going on in their families lives.

HEART

Starr had two personalities in the novel. She had her “Ghetto Starr” who does not talk properly and messed around while also having the “Starr Version 2.0” who would act proper in front of her white friends at her white school. This led me to realize that I do the same thing. I learned that I act slightly different around my family than I do my friends. Reading this text triggered different emotions in me. Throughout the novel I had bursts of anger towards some characters, but sympathy towards others. There were specific parts of the book where I was mad at the plot and the decisions made by some characters. Overall, the novel Hate U Give by Angie Thomas took me on a roller coaster of emotions that altered my views on equality and our history that went along with it.