DJ's 2/4/13

[Liz Anderson]

The book that I read over break was "The Devil in the White City". This is a non fiction novel written by Erik Larson set in Chicago around 1893. It intertwines the lives of two men, one man who designed the architecture for the Worlds Fair, and a serial killer who uses the fair to lure his victims into the Worlds Fair hotel. This book was very interesting to me how Larson used two characters separate stories, and managed to link them giving you insight into each of their "brilliant minds". Although one is an architect and one is a killer, these two men are connected because without the worlds fair, there is no way to lure your victims to then be murdered. In addition, Chicago is a fascinating city, and this novel depicts all of the cities architecture, and its evolution through skyscrapers and other monumental buildings which are landmarks in the city today.

[Mikaela Litchfield]

The book I read over break was Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom, a short memoir about the author's old sociology professor who, at 78 years old, was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease. This is a neurological disease that  affects the nerves and slowly causes you to lose the ability to use your body. Mitch, who is a famous sports writer at the time, hears of his favorite professor dying in his Massachusetts home and proceeds to spend every Tuesday with him, talking about the meaning of life. For such a short story (I think it's under 200 pages) I found it completely uplifting and grounding. It's so easy to get caught up in the triviality of your own life but Morrie Schwartz's message is simple and clear, expressed in an aphorism he uses quite often: "Love each other or perish". I was captivated by the lessons in the book and read it in its entirety in one afternoon. A story where you witness to the drawn-out physical decay of an old man seems extremely depressing, but the story is more about what you can learn about life from death. Another one of Morrie's aphorisms was "Learn how to die, and you learn how to live". I really recommend it to any Mitch Albom fans (he wrote The Five People You Meet in Heaven too) or anyone in general.

[Randy May]

The book I read over break was Barry Sanders: Now you see him... , a biography of the life of famous Lions running back Barry Sanders written by the one and only Barry Sanders. This biography goes through the life of Barry Sanders, starting from when he first began football in Little League in Wichita, Kansas, to leaving the Lion organization due to payroll issue. Barry Sanders, a Hall of Fame running back who rushed for over two thousand yards in a single season and who is my all time favorite player, explains throughout his book that he did not leave football strictly because of money, but because of pride. He goes onto explain that once football starts to become a business for a player, that is when he should hang up the cleats. Barry also gives advice to young athletes looking to move onto the collegiate level. He explains that although he was born in a rough environment and neighborhood, he never forgot about his education throughout high school and college, and this is why he is now a successful banker. I recommend this book to anyone interested in competitive sports and the life of a humble star athlete. It is very interesting.   

[Julie Daniels]

The book that I chose to read over the break was the first "Harry Potter" book. After being pressured from many of my peers I finally decided that it was time to read it. I went into it expecting myself to instantly become a Harry Potter fanatic but just the opposite happened. I did not like the book very much at all and found myself having a hard time trying to finish it. I was told that unfortunately the first book is one of the worse ones but I just cannot bring myself to read the next one simply because the fist one was just to hard to get through. I now see why I waited to long to begin to read these. 

[stephen.voc]

Over winter break, I read David Seraris' latest satirical piece, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk.  This hysterical collection of fictional essays follows the lives of countless animals.  Sedaris proposes the hypothetical dilemmas that these animals likely face on a daily basis.  In doing so, Sedaris uses his animal characters as a vehicle to reveal countless truths about humans.  Sedaris paints multiple scenarios of animals falling in love, lying, cheating, stealing, getting knocked up, drinking, dating, and shouting racist jokes.  In plain terms, this novel will have you laughing out loud from the beginning to the very end.  By comparing humans to animals, Sedaris uses playful humor to depict the flawed nature of mankind, making his readers incapable of closing the book until every last punchline has had its moment to be fully appreciated.

On Monday, February 4, 2013 12:57:30 PM UTC-5, Liz Anderson wrote:

[elizabeth.smith.24]

The book that I read over break was "Perfect Match" by Jodi Picoult. This fictional novel is about a small boy, Nathaniel, who is raped, allegedly by his priest. At the trial, his mother, a lawyer herself, murders the priest and claims insanity although she very-well knew what she was doing. Throughout the novel, told in several different points of view, the thoughts and actions of Nina, Nathaniel's mother, are explained. The novel ends with one of Picoult's signature plot twists. The novel explores the love that parents parents have for their children and how they commonly will do anything they possibly can for the benefit of their child. Throughout, the love that a husband and wife share for each other is also shown, as Nathaniel's parents routinely fight, but their love eventually prospers. This book wasn't all that bad, but it was somewhat predictable, especially after knowing how Picoult typically ends her novels. The book overall was not terrible, but the characters were often unreliable and some of the plot line was not totally believable. 

[Dylan Panicucci]

The book I chose to read was With the Old Breed by Eugene Sledge.  Sledge was a United States Marine during World War II and fought against the Japanese on the islands of Peleliu and Okinawa.   Sledge’s story inspired the HBO miniseries The Pacific.  In the memoir, Sledge tells of all the camaraderie, horror, fear, and filth of war.  He shows the levels men were reduced to on both sides of the conflict.  He portrays the total physical and mental degradation that one has to deal with during war.  As he lies awake at night in fear of the Japanese sneaking up on him and his squad, or trying to survive an enemy artillery barrage, or sitting in the mud and rain amongst rotting, maggot infested corpses the reader gains an insight to World War II like never before.  Sledge notes that war is a terrible part of life, but that war and the Marine Corps taught him bravery, devotion, loyalty, and love for his comrades.  Sledge says that until there is no longer war or evil it will be necessary for people to make sacrifices for their country.  He quotes his fellow troops when he claims, “If the country is good enough to live in, it’s good enough to fight for.”

            

[katherine...@gmail.com]

During winter break, I read a short story collection from Ernest Hemingway. Among the many different, and equally wonderful stories, there was one titled The Snows of Kilimanjaro. One of the best things about Hemingway is the fact that he lets his real life permeate into his writing. In this particular piece, he tells the tale of a writer who was on a safari in Africa, when he was wounded, and that wound then grew to be infected. The majority of the story is the writer recounting all his adventures in life, and realizing that he never wrote, or accomplished all that he thought he would. As his health grows worse and worse he begins to blame his wealthy wife for his problems and realizes that he never loved her, and that all wealthy people are dull and boring. As the writer dies, he realizes more and more of what he overlooked in life. I found this story so fascinating because you can tell that Hemingway shares the doubts of his main character, and that by writing this piece, he is trying to work out some of his personal problems. The story, although a bit morbid, as the man ends up dying yet dreams that he's being rescued, is told beautifully and I highly recommend it to anyone!

On Monday, February 4, 2013 12:57:30 PM UTC-5, Liz Anderson wrote:

[sian.barry]

After seeing the movie that featured recently in theaters, I was determined to read The Perks of Being a Wallflower over winter break. The book is by Stephen Chbosky, who depicts a coming-of-age story about a freshmen boy who writes in his diary under the alias of Charlie. He writes and speaks directly to the reader, in search of a friend to listen, just listen, to his problems and his life. Like most books made into movies, I undoubtedly enjoyed the book much more; however, the movie was a great adaptation and I just love Emma Watson. The language Chbosky narrates with is simple, and although the novel is short, it was hard to put down and carried a weighty message, unveiling the troubles of the teenage years in conjunctions with family life, friends and high school. Charlie is an unexpected character, who shows his emotionality through his diary, which is not archetypical of high school boys. He is sensitive, insecure, and nervous, which would be more characteristic of girls, but Charlie hides behind a secret deep in his childhood that forces him to have both good and bad days and "feel happy and sad" at the same time. Even with his a rocky start to high school, he finds comfort in his newly gained friends and english class; he seeks help for the situations that trouble him and matures throughout the book with time and patience. Chbosky captures the both the realities and difficulties of adolescence through his novel. It was a nice short book to read over winter break; I really enjoyed it. 

[Matt Saba]

The book that I read over break was "The Lions of Lucerne" by Brad Thor. It is a realistic fiction about, Scot Harvath, an ex-navy seal turned secret serviceman and is set in many different locals all around the world, although it begins in Utah. The premise of the book is that the President of the United States has been murdered, his secret service detail killed, and the only person left alive is Harvath. After the attack he, instead of obeying the orders of his superiors, sets off to determine who the real attackers and what they want. In his travels Harvath goes to both Switzerland and what he believes to be the middle east, but is really just a building in Switzerland. Thor's ability to seamlessly blend an otherwise confusing tale together makes him an excellent long narrative writer. 

On Monday, February 4, 2013 12:57:30 PM UTC-5, Liz Anderson wrote:

[isabella.cuan]

The book that I read over break was "The Book Thief" by Australian author Markus Zusak. Published in 2006, it is a historical fiction novel set in Nazi Germany, beginning in January 1939. The story is narrated by Death, an unusual choice for narration, who communicates the story of Liesel Meminger, a nine-year-old girl living outside of Munich. Depicting Liesel's relationship with her foster parents, her neighbors, and a Jewish fist-fighter who Liesel's family hides during the Holocaust, the story offers a completely different perspective of the Holocaust and escalation of WWII. Liesel quickly discovers stealing as a way to acquire books, her new treasure, and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids. The fact that the book is told from the eyes of death itself is entirely unique and in ways, quite disturbing. Death riddled the decade of Hitler and WWII and thus, the novel conveys the gravity and devastation of such an era, but at the same time, it reminds us of the unprecedented courage and triumph victims experienced as well. The ability of books to fuel the soul in times like these is incredible and the lengths we go to survive is sometimes simply unimaginable. 

On Monday, February 4, 2013 12:57:30 PM UTC-5, Liz Anderson wrote:

[grace miller]

During the break the book that i read was called "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Album. This book was about an old man who works at an amusement park with no living family or loved ones. on his 87th birthday he dies while trying to save a little girl who is sitting under a falling ride. when he awakens in the afterlife, he encounters five significant people who somehow tie into his existence and who he greatly effected. These five people help him understand the significance of his time spent on earth and lead him to the place where he awaits the person who he will become one of those five people to. i really enjoyed this book because it was a different perspective of the great unknown formed into a lighthearted and heartwarming story. Mitch Album did a beautiful job of forcing his readers to forget their religion or beliefs and look at something so controversial in such a tranquil and positive light.

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[Alexandra Chin]

Seeing as I was in for a long car ride on my trip over break I went to Davis for a book to borrow, and that is when she introduced me to David Sedaris. Over the break I read his book "Me Talk Pretty One Day" and after hearing such goo review of the book I was pleasantly surprised that it lived up to the hype. While I still have to finish the last few chapters of the book I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in reading it. Very funny and witty, it is a great read and certainly kept me occupied on the trip. 

[merstriolo]

In light of the recent movie, which only captured the first part of the book, I read “The Hobbit.” By comparison, the movie actually did a justice to the book. I thought that the overall presentation, due to the reasonable length, was very good. The first scene was a bit lengthy, and although it took a half an hour of the movie to get through the first 10 pages of the book, it was an exceptional setup for the rest of the story, and a much needed intro. I don’t want to spoil it too much, but the book, having read it after seeing the Lord of the Rings I-III movies, was essential in clearing up the story of this fictional, yet realistic and captivating land. 

[Orion Farr]

The book I read over the break was Roadside Picnic, by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. This novel was very interesting to read, as it was written in soviet Russia during the 70's, and this definitely affected the writing style as well as the story. The story revolves around a looter named "Red", and his expeditions into a anomalous and cordoned off area where an unknown visitor from space came for a brief moment and left, leaving behind many unknown objects which are very valuable to scientists around the world. The book is very good and engaging, although is a very different read from what I am used to.

On Mon, Feb 4, 2013 at 7:37 PM, merstriolo <merst...@gmail.com> wrote:

In light of the recent movie, which only captured the first part of the book, I read “The Hobbit.” By comparison, the movie actually did a justice to the book. I thought that the overall presentation, due to the reasonable length, was very good. The first scene was a bit lengthy, and although it took a half an hour of the movie to get through the first 10 pages of the book, it was an exceptional setup for the rest of the story, and a much needed intro. I don’t want to spoil it too much, but the book, having read it after seeing the Lord of the Rings I-III movies, was essential in clearing up the story of this fictional, yet realistic and captivating land. 

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[Ben Skalla]

Over holiday break, the book that I read was "Paper Towns" written by John Green.  In my opinion this book did a fantastic job of combining wit and humor with this book that also provokes thought.  This book encourages the reader to consider the perceptions they have of the people around them, and the difference between illusion and reality.  The main character of the book, Quentin Jacobsen, has trouble distinguishing his relationship with a girl he knew growing up.  These relationships shape his views and shape him to be more realistic.  By the end, Quentin no longer feels the need to live in the imaginary life he thought about earlier in the novel.

[brook...@gmail.com]

Over break, I read a book called Eric. It was about a boy named Eric Lund, who was diagnosed with leukemia during his teenage years. Specifically, right before he was about to leave for college. Told entirely through the perspective of his incredibly caring and thoughtful mother, Eric is shown in a light he he truly deserved. Throughout the story, Eric's mother takes the reader from his first year of leukemia, also a year off of college, to his first years of his life, and his last years in an intensive care unit in his hospital. Eric teaches any reader so much about taking life for granted, and he shows the world how to love and how to live. Throughout his sickness, he becomes a star soccer player at his college, which he graduates from. He takes on all responsibilities of caring for himself on his own, and through all of his, Eric manages to hold as much love as humanly possible for everyone who steps into his life. I, personally, learned a lot about seizing the day with this story (which is true). I learned how to find happiness in anything I can, which is one of the most important things I take with me everywhere I go now.

[brook...@gmail.com]

Wow Mikaela, that book sounds awesome!

[jamiemelville1]

Over the break, I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. This novel depicts the pressures of adolescence and the effects that actions may have on people. The main character, Charlie, starts off High School with a rough start after the death of his friend. Throughout his Freshman year, he starts to fall off the tracks as he does drugs, parties, and hangs out with mainly upperclassmen. The novel is all about growth, as Charlie slowly starts to realize that he is more than he thinks he is. I liked the book because I thought it was told through a perspective that is relatable to many teenagers,and how Charlie's state of mind completely shifted from the beginning of Freshman year to the end.

[rippeyrachel]

Over break I was able to finish My Sister's Keeper which had taken me a very long time to finish, and the ending had me in tears. Because I do not want to ruin it for the people who have not read the book, I will not describe the ending. It had such an impact me, and literally moved me into sobs. My mom sat next to me and put her arm around me to comfort me and all I could think about was how unfair life can be to those who don't deserve its cruelty. Secondly, I also chose to read The Best of Me which had a oddly similar ending to My Sister's Keeper. The book was written by Nicholas Sparks so therefore it has to be superb. I am an avid Sparks reader, and this one was one of the best. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it had a similar impact on me as My Sister's Keeper and both were amazing reads. 

[OliviaPasserini]

Over break I read The Help. I had always heard the great things about both the book and the movie, so I expected a lot out of it. However, it was much more heartbreaking then I thought it would be. The book is about the story of how a white woman in the south teams up with black women in the hopes of creating and publishing the first ever TRUE documentation of what it is like to be the help in the south. It sounds like just a long book about things that we've all heard a million times concerning how hard it was for black people (especially women) during this time period in the south and all over America, but there is so much in it that I never really thought about. Like how these black women would raise their boss's children, teach them everything they know, be the the only one to comfort them and help them while their mothers are busy being social, while knowing the whole time that once they reach a certain age, the children will hate the them and think of them to be inferior. That heartbreaking truth seems obvious once you hear it, but until it was clearly explained in The Help, I had never thought of these types of emotional hardships, along with the social and physical. I HIGHLY suggest people to read this book. And I haven't seen the movie yet, but it's with Emma Stone so I'm sure it is also fantastic.

[OliviaPasserini]