Ive read more about the book and can now explain more on it. After Laura recieves the deal she needs to fly out to her fathers funeral. In the escort plane, 2 FBI agents ask her to preform a top secret mission in auroras antarctica quarters. Her goal will be to download all their information onto a hard drive and leave. Now she is faced with an ultimatum, either betray and loose a well paying job, or betray her country. She eventualy chooses to infiltrate aurora and steal their information, but this wont be a simple task. Since its in Antarctica, half of the whole year is dark and half is bright. Laura still doesnt know how the base looks...

I am on chapter 6 and will be contonuing to read this book as I find it very entertaining to read about. I rate this book an 8/10.

A fiction story about a girl who's mom remarries and her new partners daughter has to move in with Emma who is the main character. Through the first 6 chapters Emma has to battle with her new stepsister Quinn who she thinks is insufferable and constantly rude. The moral so far has been about how difficult high school can be in maintaining simplicity and joy and how Emma has to continuously be patient even when its tough. It talks a lot about normal high school experiences and how to handle them and overall is very relatable. I chose it because i thought it would be interesting to see this girls point of view on high school dramas. It also has a lot of humorous moments between the sisters. Overall, I would give it 4/5 stars.

This is a romance book about a girl in her senior years her name is Liza and she needs Wes' help. See her curse that is Michael, who just moved back to town, as it is now a bit weird. With her scheme wanting to go to prom with him. The reason why I chose this book is that the storyline looks interesting within the story about her crush for the guy. On the page I am reading right now, the book she talks about her times when her neighboor was Wes, and talks about how he is the typical boy, and then she talks about back in kindergarten. I am only on the second chapter, where she meets the guy at a track field.

I chose this book because while I was reading the blurb it was talking about crime and investigation which was a topic that I found interesting and wanted to read more about. I am currently on chapter 4 which is the climax as Ted Mckay starts to find the wanted criminal.

Summary:
Renegades is set in a world where prodigies—people with superpowers—are governed by a superhero organization called the Renegades. Nova Artino, raised by villains known as the Anarchists, infiltrates the Renegades under a fake identity to bring them down from within. As she trains on a patrol team led by Adrian Everhart, who also hides a secret vigilante identity, Nova starts questioning her loyalties. A key turning point is when a fellow anarchists is too hasty in making a move making them nearly get caught by the renegades but she still gets punnished for making a mistake.

The book follows Circe, the main protagonist, who is the daughter of Helios, the great titan of the sun, and Perse, one of the nymph daughters of Oceanos. The first few chapters describe the early days of Circe's life, touching on relatable, personal concepts such as bullying, jealousy, love, and hatred. Later on, however, Miller shifts the theme towards experiencing and imagining the world of Greek gods, blending Circe's own personal experiences with actual events that happen in Greek mythology (such as Perses' kingdom and adventures by demigods). Miller also brings Circe's unique viewpoint that infantilizes the other characters, including the Gods, contrasting popular perception by humans.

I have, so far, read until page 109 out of around 380 total pages. Given that I am only reading this book in LL class, I expect to be able to finish this book by the end of October.

SUMMARY OF STORY (FOR NOW):

• Circe is born to the daughter of Oceanos and Helios

• She is bullied significantly by her family members around her due to her lack of special powers and in their own words, "sordid" appearance.

• Circe is jealous of one of her half-sisters who takes away a mortal man she loves (Circe was already in a somewhat-romantic relationship with him). So, after learning about Kronos' blood and its malintentful properties, Circe locates some of it, and uses its power to turn her half-sister into a monster.

• After the incident, the Gods and Titans are afraid of the power of sorcery, having seen that not even the daughters of Oceanos are safe from it.

  • They also fear that it could be used by malicious beings (including mortals) to harm overpower their godly powers.

    • So, Circe is exiled for eternity (on a small island)

    • There, she develops her sorcery techniques and expertise.

• Circe meets Hermes and forms an amicable relationship

Monday, 6th October:

Continuing on, at this moment, I am on the scene where Fyodor Pavlovich and his children, along with Miusov, go to the church to meet with the Holy Father to discuss some matters. Miusov is an atheist, and Fyodor Pavlovich repeatedly torments and angers him for his own pleasure. In the gathering, Fyodor Pavlovich repeatedly acts like a buffoon, disrespecting the place and making the people around him uncomfortable. He then plays the supplicant and asks Zosima for advice, but doesn't take it seriously while acting like he really understands and will change.

It allows us to understand Zosima's difference from everyone else in that scene. All the other people have an It allows us to see how Zosima differs from everyone else in that scene. All the other people have a flaw or are troubled by some irritation or concern during the scene. This shows that Zosima possesses a high level of spirituality, enabling him to love mankind unconditionally, whereas others might hate certain parts of it.earthly flaw and are troubled by at least some irritation or concern during the scene. Showing that Zosima has a high level of spirituality which allows him to love mankind unconditionally, whilst others might hate certain parts of it.

Tuesday 3rd March:

So far, I've read up to book 3, The Sensualists, in The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky. I think this book is very interesting in a way that makes it unique from other books I've read; it depicts a deeply troubled family where the brothers struggle with their inheritance of "Karamazovism," a sensualist drive from their father, Fyodor. The youngest brother, Alyosha, is the main glue that keeps them together, sharing a close bond with their father, whilst Ivan (cold and detached) and Dimitri (lustful and ruled by passion) distanced themselves from their irresponsible father. In this section, something interesting is that Dimitry and his father quarrel over Grushenka, turning them into bitter romantic rivals. Overall, I think this book is definitely worth reading, as it explores concepts such as the nature of humanity and psychology, free will, faith and the existence of god.

Although I enjoy reading, I plan to take English SL, as English has been my weakest subject for a long time.

Thursday 2nd April:

As of now, I am still in book 3, The Sensualists, due to the lack of reading time in class. Since I am only reading this book in class, I haven't gotten far. Right now, Dmitry has robbed and attacked his own father as a result of their feud as love rivals for Grushenka—both men are hopelessly in love with her for some reason. One interesting story was about the Karamazov's servant, Smerdyakov, who is an interesting character because he barely speaks and says only a few words; he is believed to be Fyodor's illegitimate child with Reeking Lizavetta, and an individual who does not believe in god, where he agrees that "if there is no god, then all is allowed". I think the master servant relationship between Fyodor and Smerdyakov and Grigory is unique, as even though Fyodor is portrayed as a very carefree and even foolish individual, he actually has a large amount of wealth to his name, allowing him to sustain his privelliged lifestyle.

Starting from around page 100, Miller starts illustrating the life of Circe on her island and her small adventures that relate to Greek mythology, Gods, and Titans.

The events so far are:

• Going to the island of Crete to meet Minos and Pasiphae (her sister)

  • with Daedalus

• Getting accustomed to her home

• Speaking to and meeting with Hermes at times

• Meeting Jason and his crew

Honestly speaking, since I've already read this book a couple times before, and now that I am getting into the details of the main story, the book feels somewhat boring. I think it would be best for me to leave this one behind and start reading another one---perhaps The Things They Carried (it would be great for me to read it once before the unit).

BUT that doesn't mean that the book itself is uninteresting, especially for those reading the book for the first time!!! In fact, I would HIGHLY recommend Circe to anyone interested in adventure and mythology, or fans of books such as:

• The Lord of The Rings

• Percy Jackson Series... or anything of that sort

• Ranger's Apprentice

• Warriors

• Wings of Fire

The novel was written by Anna Sewell from 1871, and finished 1877, in the last year of her life. She was bedridden and ill while writing it and died 5 months after publication yet lived long enough to see her only novel become a success. Today it is even one of the best selling books of all time.

The book is written through the eyes of a horse, like an autobiography. It explores themes of sympathy, perseverance and Hope. It shows how life is a rollercoaster. You can't always have what you want, yet how life goes on and there's always more to live for.

It explores life of animals and aims to teach empathy and animal welfare by giving a voice to those who go through unimaginable suffering that we as humans could never fully understand. It shows consequences of actions, and how we shouldn't treat animals as decoration. It shows how the conditions we put horses under for our own benefit breaks their spirit. The book never fails to describe the dreadful imagery and despair of the situation horses were under.

Due to an injury as a child, she was disabled, having trouble walking or standing for long periods of time. Because of this she started learning and spending time with horses. She spent many hours driving her father to and from his work place. Back then people used horses and carriages to get around, and she grew a strong bond and great respect to the horses. During her time many horses lived under or in cruel conditions and abuse for purposes of beauty, human entertainment, exploitment or profit.

Anna's book sparked an outburst of concern for horses and was a crucial factor contributing to the abolishment of cruel practices such as the bearing rein which was used to lock the horses head up high for beauty standards which caused great damage to horses' necks.

What makes the book especially interesting to me is the way it explores fear and shame. Each soldier tries to appear brave on the outside, but inside they are dealing with guilt, doubt, and the fear of letting others down. The storytelling style also drew me in because every chapter feels like a personal confession rather than just a war story. It made me think about how much people carry with them that no one else can see.

My favorite chapter so far is “On the Rainy River.” I found it powerful because it shows Tim O’Brien before he becomes a soldier, facing the moment that changes his entire life. The struggle he feels—choosing between what he believes is right and what society expects from him—made the chapter really meaningful. I felt his fear and shame when he stood on the river, knowing that Canada offered freedom but feeling too embarrassed to run away. This chapter stood out to me because it shows that the emotional battles happen long before the real war begins. It made me think about how much pressure people face to make choices they may not truly believe in. I think the main message discussed is how can you tell if a war story is true this shows how impactful this book is it doesn't just tell the facts of the war but it talks about the trauma the effect the psychological effect of the war

During this unit, a book we have been reading is called "The Things They Carried," by Tim O'Brien which explores the different physical and emotional burdens that each character holds with them during the Vietnam War; however, they each have their own way of coping to these traumas. One chapter I really enjoyed was "Enemies" and "Friends" because it explores the complicated relationship between soldiers, especially how trust can shift in the pressure of war. In the chapter "Enemies," Jensen and Strunk had a complicated relationship over a missing jackknife, and they got into a fistfight, which made Jensen lose his distinction between good and bad guys. Their fights show how even people on the same side can become enemies when trust disappears. But what I liked most is how "Friends" almost reverses that tension. After the brutal fight, Jensen and Strunk slowly rebuild their friendship by teaming up and their decision to make a pact reveals a different side of friendship. Their promise to end each other's suffering when one of them is in critical condition shows a deep level of loyalty even if it becomes morally complicated.

I have never read any type of book like this that is about a war which talks about their own experiences. I thought that this book was quite interesting as it the different perspectives that they talk about, as it goes through themes that were throughout the book to tell the story. In the book, they were able to tell the true, raw emotions of the experiences. In this book Tim O' brien was able to create this book based off his own experiences and build it on the view point of the book and tell stories that were either real or fake.So far, I have only read until Sweetheart Song of Tra Bong as it is about Rat Kiliey telling a story about Mark Fossie and an American girl named Mary Anne who came to the war zone and had and head start to like being in the war zone. A character that I had liked in the book is Ted Lavender he looked like he was afraid of the war, which I would be too if I were in one. My favorite chapter "On the rainy river" because this part of where Time O' Brien gets recruited to the Vietnam war as he was scared and was able to face his fears by reflecting about it at the tip top lodge and facing his fears about the potential that he thought he had that was better and then decides to go to the war. Overall, this book was good as there were many plots to it and twist.

I've read until page 110, in the chapter Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong.

This book is one of the first I've read of its kind---a text written by an actual soldier in an actual war. Prveiously any war-themed books I had my hands on were on fantasy, like the Ranger's Apprentice and the Lord of the Rings. However, this one felt real, and genuine, including very grotesque, yet relable emotions and descriptions of life in war.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who would like a "new" book, is interested in the Vietnam War/nature of war, or is tired of the cliché topics that many new action-themed books tend to stick to, because TTTC is, in simple terms, different. Not in the literal sense, but more so in the sheer complexity of the ideas expressed by O'Brien. He masterfully communicates complex, human concepts in a way that could have gone dry and convoluted in lesser hands. Here's an example:

When a booby trap explodes, you close your eyes and duck and float away and then look back for a moment and then look away again (O'Brien 68).

Here, he's using grammar structures that would usually be seen as boring and incorrect by some teachers, and yet he manages to communicate what many find difficult to even think of---the merging of facination, personal thought, and sheer terror. Plus, you can really feel what's happening, as if you're watching a movie, but at a trillion frames per second, each momentary feeling hitting hard, directly at you.

The book explores, on one hand, the physical items the soldiers carried. From letters and good luck charms with sentimental value to the weapons and tools they used to fight. To the emotional burdens they carried, such as grief, fear, guilt, and haunting memories.

The book is written in a way that makes Tim O'Brien the narrator, vividly describing his time in Vietnam and how the war impacted the physical and psychological well-being of soldiers.

Some of the main, or often talked about, characters are Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, Kiowa, Rat Kiley, Norman Bowker, Curt Lemmon, and more. To pick a favourite amongst them is like choosing which puppy to adopt from the shelter. Each of them brings such value to the book in different ways.

The book is written with a mix of memory-like and real-life events, combined with storytelling. Effectively and frequently exploring themes of courage and the meaning of war.

Reading this book changed the way I think about and view war. I think this book should be discussed more in schools and that more people should read it. It really shines a light on how useless and destructive war really is, showing the lasting effects and impacts it has on people.

The most impactful chapter to me was "The Man I Killed." It is also my favourite chapter, because he clearly demonstrates the impact of killing the enemy on the soldier, and how the dead man might've had a whole prosperous life ahead of him. I feel that it is one of the more emotional chapters of this book, as it humanises the enemy, showing Tim O'Brien the enemy he killed as a reflection of himself: against the war, unwillingly recruited, and just wanting to live an everyday life. It doesn't discuss the action, only the aftermath, where he is stuck inside my own imagination while Kiowa and Azar try to rationalise the killing. Overall, it does an excellent job in communicating the emotional truth and burden of killing a person to the reader.

I would recommend this book to people who are intrested in wars or genocides and enjoys to hear small details that happened throughout the Vietnam War.

I would read similar books to this that explore small details of the war or genoicdes which explores diffrent perspectives and emotions as I like to see actions.

It goes back in time to the games that were won by Haymitch Abernathy, who was the district 12 mentor in the original series.

Though I have just started it, it has already presented themes of dystopia, love, and rebellion, which are all major themes of her hunger games sieres.

So far, the book has been really immersive and emotional, making me very eager to continue reading.

If you have read the Hunger Games books that came first, I highly recommend this book, as it gives us insight into how things were back in the day. It allows us to compare and contrast the timelines and how things have changed. Not only that, but it also gives us more background on a character with whom we had a love-hate relationship in the first books. It gives us his story, his life, and a greater understanding of why he is the way he is.

After some discussion with my peers, it appears that the first, shallow impression we tend to have is that "Tim O'Brien wrote a fictional account of the war in a unique, vignette structure." This led to an intrinsic sense of acceptance that the text that could be categorized into the broader pool of storytelling. However, as I analyzed each chapter in more detail and made connections with my own day-to-day life, I realized that it is more than just an account of soldiers' experiences; it's a scientific, comprehensive case study.

To understand how I got to this conclusion, let us firstly go back to the main factors of the book that make it unique:

• The stories are divided up in a vignette structure

• Everything is made-up

• Emotions are key; not literal fact

What I feel is that by adding such elements into the book, Tim O'Brien's aim isn't to facilitate the communication of the soldiers' experiences or to express a sort of message. It is rather to provide a deep insight into how his brain works. The structure and content of the book build O'Brien's train of thought, and the ways in which he strugges to grasp the truth in war. For example, his inability to articulate who is to blame for Kiowa's death is communicatd through the awkward back-and-forth from doubt, humility, blaming Bowker, and to the war as a whole.

His writing style is certainly unique, and his books are definitely worth reading as they can provide substantial insight into his art of writing, specifically his blend of fact and fiction, using metafiction and unreliable narration to explore the emotional truth of war instead of the factual truth. This style of writing allows him to create intense, realistic, and surreal experiences as you read. His use of visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, and tactile imagery is top-grade, and he also uses other types, such as kinesthetic and organic imagery. I found that this aspect of the book was the most enjoyable and insightful, as it didn't merely give me an overview of what "happened" in Vietnam, but also allowed me to experience the "emotional truth" many soldiers felt during the war.

He uses unorthodox methods to convey certain emotions and moods, such as grammar structures that would usually be considered incorrect, such as his excessive use of "and" while listing items and events that make it seem monotonous, while actually being significant, to show the soldier's resistance to emotional connections and their increasing indifference towards the war.

This book discusses ancient/old female criminals and gives a unique perspective on how female felons have been viewed over time. In the three first chapters i have read it gives varying biographies on different woman in history who have completed murderous crimes. It is a easy book to read because you can always skip to the next chapter if you become bored because it is structured as separate biographies one after another. It is graphic and a little dark so if your not into that sort of story telling i wouldn’t recommend it but because it is mainly about ancient criminals it is not very scary. Overall i give the book a 3/5 as it sheds light on a interesting perspective although it is a little grimacing and dark.

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is called to help decode the symbols, but he soon realizes he may be connected to the crime. Cryptologist Sophie Neveu is introduced and seems to know more than she first shows.

The opening sets up a fast-paced mystery involving secrets, symbols, and art. I lo0ve that this book is exciting and fully gripping from the start.

But at my final year of the MYP, I feel that I have clearly developed many skills such as my vocabulary, understanding of rhetorical structures such as polysyndetons and anaphoras, and my overall knowledge about the world around me.

In the first chapters of the book, I really realized why this book is so appreciated around the world. For me, its appeal doesn't quite come from the content itself, but rather the ways in which the author describes and illustrates the relationships between characters in society. His style of doing so is not at a crazy level of analysis commonly seen in Russian literature, but rather subtle, using action and passive voice to establish different moods/tones associated with different characters. I hope to be able to write at this level in the future, and develop my own distinctive style to communicate my worldview.

I plan on taking LL A SL in the DP. I am aware that this subject will require much reading and analysis. From my experiences with reading time last and this semester, my overall observations, goals, and strategies are:

• I have observed that I am capable of focusing on a book with a high level of detail, and pushing through dense narratives

• I am unable to focus well when I am tired (evenings) or immediately back from school

  • I feel that I am most productive when reading in the morning, or from the time range of 5pm to 8pm.

• I've noticed that I have increasingly less time nowadays to read books. So, I aim to make dedicated times especially during holidays to read

Aside from that, as the reader the book is very emotional. Constant reminders throughout the book of love and grief, past events that keep your emotions in a choke hold. These emotions range from sadness to longing to hope all the way to anger.

I still highly recommend this book to anyone who has read any of the hunger games series. It’s the kind of book you really hope they turn into a movie at some point. And having watched the other hunger games movies, you know it would be a good one.

Each character has such a unique profile to them, it really makes you eager to learn more about them. They are very well introduced and you can really see how the things the characters go through changes them throughout the book. Im about 1/3 of the way through and there has already been so much character development for all of them.

We also hear about or hear from characters who were often referred to in the old books which gives us this sense of connection to the original hunger games reality, as well as being able to learn more about them. This gives us a better understanding of the history of the hunger games and the things that have led to certain events.

Throughout the whole novel, the story is narrated by the lead character being of a young, English boy, who goes to live with his Norwegian grandmother after his parents are killed in a car accident. The boy loves all his grandmother's stories, but one has significantly stod out as it is supposedly a story about real-life. THe grandmother tells him a true story, by explaining her initial encounter with witches when she was a child. She tells the boy how witches are nothing but horrific female demons with their main purpose and goal being to kill human children. She warns him that although a witch may look exactly like an ordinary woman, there are clues in differentiating them to humans. One exmaple is that witches are bald, infact they all wear wigs to resemble more human like. There are other ways stated. Throughout the novel the boy has been seen having several encounters with witches, even stumbling on going to the exact same hotel as a massive group of witches there to host a meeting on how to kill children more succesfully.

There are lots of events happening throughout the novel, making this a very entertaining, and interesting read for all ages and audiences. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for somthing both comedic, suspensful, and entertaining

• The narrator keeps describing events that feel very similar to previous ones... and everything is "too real," and "routine-like."

  • It feel as though I am really following the narrator on his day-to-day activities, seeing everything at the same pace as normal time

• The narrator seems to be... sociopathic? Or hiding smth?

  • The narrator initially presents himself as an innocent weak person compared to Tom Buchanan, but later sets up a date between a rich, next-door neighbor and Tom's wife by tricking her

  • Shown to be quite dogmatic

    • "I am one of the few honest people I have ever known."

So in this sense, I would describe the book as "boring," but not a story that you can give up easily. It feels all too weird, as if the narrator is attempting to play around with the readers.

I aim to continue reading this book in class, and to make some more progress, ideally finishing it by the end of May.

The most shocking moment was when the author, Loung Ung, stole rice from her own family because she was so hungry and starved that she was even compelled to steal from her own family.

Another interesting point is that the base people—usually very uneducated—hold a deep hatred towards the new people despite not having done anything to them. At this time, the power structure has been flipped upside down, where the uneducated masses hold a higher position than the intellectuals and skilled workers, who sit at the very bottom of the pyramid.

By next month, I will have finished this book and updated this padlet.

They discover that Saunière was connected to the Priory of Sion, a secret group protecting a dangerous secret: the Holy Grail may not be a cup, but a bloodline linked to Mary Magdalene and Jesus. As Langdon and Sophie follow clues through Paris and London, they are chased by the police and by people working for a mysterious figure called “the Teacher.”

The story reveals betrayals, puzzles, and hidden messages in famous art, especially Leonardo da Vinci’s works. In the end, Sophie learns about her own family connection to the secret, and Langdon realizes the Grail’s meaning is more symbolic and spiritual than simple treasure.

What I liked most is the fast pace and the puzzles. Each clue leads naturally to another, so the book feels like a treasure hunt. The mix of art, history, religion, and suspense makes it exciting, even when some ideas are controversial or fictional.

My favorite character is Sophie Neveu. She is intelligent, brave, and emotionally strong. She is not just helping Langdon; she has her own personal journey, especially as she learns the truth about her family. Now I started reading a new book, similar to the Da Vinci code also a classic mystery story called a good girl's guide murder by holly jackson. I really enjoy the style it is written in where she writes notes about the murder she is investigating and also a narration part with a story happening at the same time. Every page gets more interesting as new clues get discovered. I am at page 68, and really enjoy it my goal is to finish this book buy next months.

I remember hearing people who said that the romance between Gatsby and Daisy was so lovely and beautiful... and how Gatsby's death was such as tragedy. But I feel a different sentiment about how relationships should be constructed. It is truly perplexing:

Some background:

• Tom (Daisy's husband) is shown to be a cheater who has many mistresses, and sees Daisy as a cowardly woman (which Daisy agrees with)

  • The two do not hold their marriage from love, but rather from social constraints

• Daisy is shown to feel that to maintain her rich status (which is of priority), she must stick with Tom and act as a coward, even when she feels love for Gatsby

• Gatsby is shown to be a low-class "plebeian" who got rich from illegal booze during the Prohibition era

The issue:

• Daisy cheats on her husband to be with Gatsby constantly, which, albeit understandable, just feels a bit wrong when compared to a usual storyline trope; Gatsby is a rich criminal infatuated in a married woman... liking him back feels messed up

• Nick, the main character and Daisy's cousin, decides that Gatsby's love for Daisy is so pure and wonderful, deciding to help him meet Daisy and to avoid Tom in the process

  • This feels a bit wrong too, since he's interfering with someone's marriage and supporting a cheating wife, when she already has a child!

• Gatsby decides to take the blame for a murder that Daisy committed, and ends up getting killed. Daisy accepts that and leaves town with Tom.

  • This scene, for me, strangely didn't feel as bad as people describe it. In a way, it did feel unfortunate that Daisy had lost her love, but in another sense, it felt that this was the best solution to the issue. I think Daisy agreed, as shown in how she never sent a letter after her departure, and didn't; attend the funeral.

But, anyways, the book was quite enjoyable and unique.

In 1 month's time, I would like to have started reading another new book.