Summer Reading Assignment: Entry 4

Looking for Alaska is a novel written by John Green. After reading The Fault in Our Stars by John Green last summer I was hopeful and read Looking for Alaska for this summer because of John Green's writing. You could say I chose this book purely because John Green wrote it, but I also heard good things about this book from friends. The characters go to high school (boarding school) like me (shocking). I wouldn't say I live the kind of lifestyle as the characters in this book but I still found ways to relate to the characters while reading. This novel drew my attention also by the way it is written, the set up is weird and it is separated in two parts due to the events with Alaska Young.

Making recommendations to a certain audience is hard for me, I can't really generalize a book towards a certain group of people. Considering John Green is a young-adult/ teen book author I would recommend Looking for Alaska to that group of people, teens and young adults. Although anyone could enjoy this book considering the events in this book considering it being a more "mature" book. For example, The Fault in Our Stars (another teen book written by John Green) was enjoyed by my own mom. Looking for Alaska focuses around the importance of self discovery and about love isn't as clear as it may seem. This book drives askew from John Green's cliche type of books.

Summer Reading Assignment: Entry 3

"How could i abandon my parents, who were nice enough to pay for my education at Culver Creek, my parents who had always loved me, just because i maybe like some girl with a boyfriend? How could i leave them alone with a giant turkey and mounds of inedible cranberry sauce?" (pg 78) Pudge (formally known as Miles), the main character who from the beginning gave the reader the hint that he likes Alaska Young. I think that in this part of the book, he realizes it. He also realizes how crazy it is to like her and to want to be with a self-destructive girl like Alaska who also has a boyfriend already.

"I go to seek a Great Perhaps" A quote that Miles seems to live by, which is the last words of Francois Rabelais. In the book I got the idea that Alaska Young is the "Great Perhaps". Going with that quote it could mean that anything could happen. I think the quote on page 78 about how Miles left his parents to spend Thanksgiving with Alaska is an important quote in this book because it is the point where Miles actually realizes what he has gotten into.

Summer Reading Assignment: Entry 2

Almost from the start of this book the reader can see the rivalry between the Weekday Warriors and the regular boarders. The Weekday Warriors that I have mentioned briefly before are "all rich kids who live in Birmingham and go home to their parents' air-conditioned mansions every weekend.". (pg 13) They are basically the cool kids, and the Colonel hates them. Every kid at Culver Creek Boarding School is smart, and they have to be. But within this crazy boarding school are tons of drugs and destructive kids. Cigarettes seem to be a key part to this school, or at least the group Miles hangs out with. There is a cycle to buying and selling these cigarettes, it starts with Alaska who sells them to Miles (only because he doesn't want to not fit in or to have Colonel hate him, partially because he seems to be the kid who never really fits in and tends to be a follower) who then gives the pack of cigarettes to Colonel after taking maybe 2 just to fit in socially.

The way this book is set up is kind of odd. It has two parts: Before and After. I cannot go into much depth about the way this is set up considering I haven't gotten past the "Before" section and I am still confused on how this is going to work. But I would assume it has something to do with Alaska, given the name of the book. And at Culver Creek all these kids are trying to fit in and not get into trouble, which sounds way easier than it actually is, as Miles would know.

Summer Reading Assignment: Entry 1

The book Looking for Alaska starts with Miles who is moving to a boarding school. Miles is a junior and is studying at Culver Creek Boarding School. With this being Miles' first year at Culver Creek, he has no idea what to expect.  Miles goes through a rocky start to say the least. After he meets his roommate Chip who actually goes by Colonel and assigns Miles with the ironic name of Pudge (him being a scrawny boy it makes no sense). He is then introduced to Alaska Young, who seems to be the cigarette dealer. More characters like Takumi and Lara who I predict is going to be Miles' girlfriend after matchmaker Alaska pairs those two together.
So far Miles has also had a near death experience after a group of Weekday Warriors (super rich kids, aka rivals of Colonel and his group) punish him for being assosiated with Colonel who apparently ratted out their friend. A big rule at Culver Creek Boarding School is to not rat someone out to the "Eagle". The Eagle is the dean of the school formally known as Mr.Starnes. There is so much more to happen in Looking for Alaska with the Weekday Warriors pursuit to find out who got their friend expelled and with Pudge's search for a girlfriend (which later in the book I see him with Alaska considering the name of the book).

Book Recommendation: The Help

Unlike my last book, The Help has me so much more engaged in the book. I did not even notice how fast i was flying through this book. It may not seem like a lot but my pages read per week went from 21 to 81. Even though i probably wont finish The Help by the end of the trimester (mostly because it is 500+ pages long) but i think i will find myself finishing the book really soon.
Honestly i think any reader would enjoy this book. I like this book because it deals with real issues, even though the issues in The Help aren't really present today i think people could still learn from this book. I have not finished this book yet (obviously) but this book is so generally (not in a bad way) that anyone could read this/ enjoy this book. It is a little hard to understand and get into at first just because of the way it is written. But overall it adds to the book. It is also hard to get bored of this book even though it goes by slow. I think this is because every other chapter is written by a different character. So not only do you get the view of the help; but you also get the view of the white women and families.

Above is an ad for the movie The Help. The women in the picture are Aibileen, Minny, and Ms. Skeeter. The book follows these three ladies and each chapter is told from one of their points of views.

Favorite Quote

I have already talked about each character a little bit so far in my posts. Aibileen is the main character. She is super nice and a good worker. She also loves the children she takes care of. As i said before Aibileen's character was based off of a maid that the author had and adored. Aibileen is obviously a good person and her love for children shows through the book.

Mae Mobley is the little kid that Aibileen cares for. Recently, Aibileen has potty trained her. But not on the "white toilet". On Aibileen's toilet that was installed in the backyard by Mrs.Leefolt who Aibileen works for. This is a problem for Mrs.Leefolt, she doesn't want her daughter "to catch diseases" in a "gross" bathroom. Mrs.Leefolt gets furious with Aibileen and Mae Mobley. And while Mae is upset, Aibileen comforts her by saying on pg 111,"You a smart girl. You a good girl."
I think this quote is very important. In the time this book takes place, the maids pretty much raise the children and are their mother figure. I also think this says a lot in the relationships between all characters in the book.

( A picture from the movie The Help of Aibileen and Mae Mobley)

Water for Elephants Trailer

Water for Elephants Trailer