Amazon Book Review Project

[Shannon Alvarez]

Walkin' the Dog
Walter Mosley

So this book is pretty much amazing. Socrates Fortlow is a 59 year old ex-con in L.A. He has a two legged dog named Killer. The book pretty much goes through the trials and tribulations he faces in his daily life as a man changed by jail. He is shown as being wise, yet very realistic. Some of what he says is very philosophical and they mention philosophy multiple times in the book (didn't you say it WASN'T like that, Mr. Belasco?). Mosley does an amazing job of making his characters seem realistic, the dialogue he gives to each character helps to make them as a person.
I really enjoy reading this book (it got to the point where I was almost late for volleyball, I could not put it down!), because of the situations that you do not see on a daily basis. A man being accused of every crime committed around him, dealing with drama after drama and some very bad people. Socrates feels like he does not belong some times, yet throughout the novel he grows as a character and you see him come out of his shell and make the right decisions. After all, he is a role model to this boy Darryl who was starting off on the same path he had already trodden. Walkin' the Dog is an amazing book, I think a lot of people, whether they are readers or not, would honestly enjoy reading this novel.

*Thanks for the suggestion, Mr. Belasco...you'll get it back like next week. I'm not done with it, really.*

Shannon Alvarez (:

[32346]

Memoirs of Geisha by Arthur Golden follows the interesting world of Japanese "classy prostitutes". Sayuri Nitta retells her life before and after WWII as a geisha in Kyoto Japan and talks about the turmoils of her father selling her into the profession and her sister becoming a full fledged prostitute. It goes from the time she is very young(about nine) to when she is old (about 70) and talks about her entire life in the profession.

Even though this story was written by a white man, it was beautifully crafted and is a must read. It has jealousy, romance, prostitution, and lots and lots of japanese culture. It is absolutely worth all of the hype that it got a few years ago. It was almost impossilble to put down and was chosen as a pleasure read, not for this post( I just forgot about the post). So everyone, go read it.

Grace

[32016]

The novel I chose to read was The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan.  This book is a true story about Kelly Corrigan and the stuggles she had to face when she discovered she had breast cancer.  Not only does she have to deal with her husband and children and the new hurdle they all must face, but she also finds out that her father was also diagnosed with cancer.  This news is very upseting and depressing, but the family refuses to let it bring them down.  This book does an excellent job of portraying and unique father-daughter bond between Kelly and her father, and the love they have towards each other throughout bad times.  This is an amazing and inspiring story about family and survival, and a lady who is is "the middle place" of being a daughter and becoming an adult.

I recommend this book to anybody who is interested in an inspirational story about a tight-knit family and the bond that they have throughout the hardships in their lives.  A great book overall!

-Erin 

[Kayleigh LaMaina]

Eclipse
by Stephenie Meyer

Eclipse is the third book in the Twilight Saga. This book follows our heroine, Bella Swan, as she strives to keep both halves of her live, Edward Cullen and Jacob Black, together.  However, Edward, the love of her life, and Jacob, her best friend, and are enemies to the core of their beings. Edward is a vampire and Jacob a werewolf.  While this inner struggle is going on, she must also worry about the deadline approaching only a few weeks away.  Bella made her decision to become a vampire long ago and does not regret it, but when the vampire equivalent to royalty, the Volturi, say she knows to much and she must be turned or die, it seems all more real.  With graduation only weeks away, she begins to realize what she will miss from being human. 

On a more immediate front, Victoria is still chasing her.  This vampire still holds a vendetta against Edward for killing her mate, James; coming after Bella is an eye for an eye, a mate for a mate.  Concurrently, a rapid murder spree has broken out in Seattle.  What is really going on the small town of Forks, Washington?  Whatever it is the balance of the world may be at stake.

Of the series, this book holds the most metaphors and foreshadowing then the other books.  It is an amazing piece of work and a great read.  I recommend it to all those that love a good adventure romance.

“In the dead silence, all the details suddenly fell into place for me with a burst of intuition.  Something Edward didn’t want me to know.  Something that Jacob wouldn’t have kept from me… It was never going to end, was it?"

[Brooke Parker]

I got the impression that we are not reading AP level books anymore, so I am reviewing Naked by David Sedaris.

****
While not as amazing as Me Talk Pretty One Day, Naked does have the same charm as Sedaris' other works. The only reason I cannot give the book 5 stars is because the stories were either a hit or a miss. While I have not enjoyed EVERY single story by Sedaris, his other books contain an overwhelming majority of chapters that cause the reader to go into fits of laughter, and occasionally stop breathing. Naked had more than a few stories that weren't hilarious, and even a couple that, dare I say it, actually bored me. The best story in the book by far was "A Plague of Tics", which explain Sedaris' strange behaviors as a child like licking light switches, and hitting himself in the head with shoes. While this particular book wouldn't be my top Sedaris pick, I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys laughing. I would not recommend reading this book with other people close by, however, because they may not enjoy the uproarious laughter that comes from the reader.

[Ethan Bobo]

To get better acquainted with President Obama, I would suggest reading his book, Dreams from My Father.  I found this to be an excellent book, starting off strongly and staying consistently entertaining through to the end.  What is especially nice about this book is that President Obama was still a Senator when he wrote it.  Due to his then-current political status, Obama speaks with a much formal tone and more personal tone than one would expect of the president (for example, he used profanity on page four).

While reading about Obama's life, including his lack of father-son moments, his early childhood in Indonesia, and his adult years, the reader becomes more familiar with Obama and begins to realize that he is truly living the American Dream.  I would suggest Dreams from My Father to Democrats who like to know about Democrats,  Republicans who like to hear all sides of the story, and anyone who enjoys reading about a successful man that came from a past filled with obstacles and tribulations.

Ethan Bobo

[steph moulda]

Francesca hates blacksmiths!!!!!!!!

[32240]

Bram Stoker's Dracula is one of the best books I have ever read. It is all about the hunt of Count Dracula, who everyone knows is a vampire. This story is way more involved than any of Stephenie Meyer's books, even though they are great. Dracula is filled with symbolism. The most prominent symbol is the dark of night. When people think of darkness they think of fear and the unknown, Stoker uses that fear to fuel his story. Dracula never attacks during the day, only at night. The fear of bats, rats, and wolves is also a big part of the story. Dracula can control the wolves and rats and he can actually turn into a bat.

[32240]

Sorry something messed up here is the rest of my post.

  The story itself is told in a phenomenal way. Each character keeps a diary and their entries are compiles to make up the story. The reader can get inside the heads of each character, they can see exactly how each of the characters feel.
  Overall this is an amazing story and everyone should go out and read it.

[Chaz Lear yo]

Green Eggs and Ham
Dr.Suess

     
        "Green Eggs and Ham" is the story of the incessant Sam-I-Am. His constant badgering of the story's main character to try the delicacie is undone by no other book. His unusual tactic of throwing out many different situations in which he would consider trying it, makes absolutely no sense, seeing as the change of your surroundings usually doesn't affect your abillity to enjoy something. Unless you are eating it in a porta-potty or something but thats just sick. The truth of the matter is that Sam-I-Am's  harrowing journey to get hs irritable comrade to taste the combo that, just like the book, is "so good, so good, you see".

hahahahahah Chaz Lear

[Zach Zeitler]

Title: Survivor
Author: Chuck Palahniuk

     Survivor is the fourth novel I have read from Chuck Palahniuk and it left me craving a fifth.  It tells the story of Tender Branson, the protagonist, who is the only survivor of his suicide cult.  The way the pages are numbered (counting backwards, towards page 1) add to the suspense of the novel by counting down the time left for the life of Branson as he records his life story in an airplane that he hijacks and plans to crash.  The novel portrays the typical Palahniuk "style" with its short, choppy sentences, first person narration, and somewhat disturbing sense of humor (which I happen to enjoy very much).  Palahniuk is one of the few authors that has the ability to keep you reading, losing all track of time.  After reading Survivor, it became clear to me that I have yet to read a Chuck Palahniuk book that does not leave me feeling completely satisfied. 

[32068]

Nineteen Minutes
by: Jodi Picoult

Nineteen minutes is a story about the expericence a small town goes through after a school shooting.  The author takes you into the lives and perspectives of all the different people that were affected directly and non directly by this tamatic event.  Jodie picoult takes the reader through a time loop, when she goes in and out of the past experiences that led up the shooting.  She shows all angles, and constantly reveals something that changes your entire veiw of the characters.  It is a touching novel and plays on the important concepts of the eperiences eveyone goes through in highschool and how they deal with those experiences.  The story and reasons behind the actions of all the characters change with each turn of the story.  Everything is perfectly placed, so that when you think you know whats going on something else is revealed and changes your holse perspective on the story.  Jodi Picoult doesnt just focus on one main character, but goes into the history of all who are involved.  It is a provoking novel that always keeps you on your feet.  Once you pick it up it is hard to put it back down.

-Chelsea DeWeese

[Mr. Belasco]

Green Eggs and Ham
Dr.Suess

     
        "Green Eggs and Ham" is the story of the incessant Sam-I-Am. His constant badgering of the story's main character to try the delicacie is undone by no other book. His unusual tactic of throwing out many different situations in which he would consider trying it, makes absolutely no sense, seeing as the change of your surroundings usually doesn't affect your abillity to enjoy something. Unless you are eating it in a porta-potty or something but thats just sick. The truth of the matter is that Sam-I-Am's  harrowing journey to get hs irritable comrade to taste the combo that, just like the book, is "so good, so good, you see".

hahahahahah Chaz Lear

as i see the hahaha, I can only wonder where the actual book review is... I do not see anything I can seriously grade for an AP student.

Mr. Belasco