zaaaAP Lit SuperBlog

Maybe "Life-Changing" Was the Wrong Way to Put It

Then again, maybe not.

Your "last posts" have been truly enjoyable.  Thank you. 

I've also enjoying all the hemming and hawing over identifying the most influential book in your lives -- and it has made me rethink how I present this final blogging assignment.

The actual prompt for this final post was to write about a book that changed your life.

It didn't have to be the only book that changed your life -- or even the book that changed your life the most.  Most of you, however, took it one or both of those ways.

I personally hate to give my "favorite" anything.  I don't like to pin myself down -- or to rank things I enjoy.  In the future, I'll make sure people know there's a lot of flexibility here.

If I had to answer this prompt myself (and Ruth reminded me that I promised to), I would choose the most recent book that blew my mind.  And that would be A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge.

It's a science fiction novel -- which, as many of you know, is my not-so-secret literary love.  It's long and complex, but here's a good summary/review. 

I should warn anyone who might be intrigued enough to pick it up -- it's not a great introduction to the genre of science fiction.  It takes place in far, far future with little connection to what we know as Earth.  You have to be willing to take that leap and let the world build around you.

But what a world it is!  What's most remarkable about it is how it forces us to rethink our cultural assumptions around technology, politics and even adventure and exploration.  As good science fiction does, it shows me a future I never thought of -- with far-reaching space travel and beyond-complex computer networks -- but it is rooted in our own culture's present-day cultural and political conflicts.

*   *   *

Thanks for indulging me in this final assignment.  If I could ensure you took one thing from our class, it would be these four words:

Keep reading.

Keep thinking.

Novel That Affected My Life The Most

A novel that had a significant impact on my life was Jodi Piccult's Salem Falls.  I began reading this book on a trip up to my grandparent's house in the UP of Michigan.  It was a long and boring ride, and this book kept me interested the wholetime.  This helped me realize that books actually can be interesting and not completely boring.  I think that this was one of the first books that I was actually interested in, and that was why I liked it.  The problem with me is trying to find a book that interests me.  A lot we have to read for school bores me (but I still read it), and therefore it is not an enjoyable read.  Reading this has inspired me to look for other books.  I'm currently reading Hemingway's Farewell to Arms.  I'm about fifty pages in and it is quite the enjoyable read. 

P.S. Thanks for a great year in English Bernie! 

P.S.S. Sorry for the late post...

The Great Gatsby

For this assignment I had to think long and hard about what book to choose. The problem is not that a book has never opened doors, but I think almost every book I read "blows my mind" a little bit. I think one of the most important ways of being a good reader is to approach every book with a mind that is ready to be changed and morphed. For example, I think this year I have been morphed tremendously by The Stranger and God of Small Things. I think for weeks after reading the The Stranger, I asked the importance of my goals and what they truely meant. After reading God of Small Things, I challenged societal rules and felt revived in my efforts to create political change. The difference between a good book and a great book is how much time the book truly stays within your conscious. I choose Gabsty because although its been a year since I've read it I think it still effects me as if I read it yesterday.

I'm pretty sure the greatest aspect of the Great Gabsty is essentailly Gabsty. Gabsty represents the American People and society. He is the unconditioned dreamer who took himself from nothing and became powerful. One of my favorite passages is how Gabsty becomes Gabsty. How he is just a poor boy looking for work and the idea that somone could "recreate themselves." I think that is so reminscent of what this country at its fullest potential gives. Despite the truth of the matter, we have a beleif that goals are assertainable. I think I also enjoy about Gabsty is how the pain of trying to reach those goals becomes. Gabsty is torrmented at the fact he has to watch Dasiy from across the bay with nothing more then a cigar for company. I think in that passage it shows the isolation and perhaps even selfishness within the American dream.

The Girl with the Pearl Earring

This is the question I have always been dreading. To ask me to pick one book that changed me is like asking the impossible. I read constantly and every year I find dozens of new books that could easily make this blog. However, I will choose the one book that changed my literary life when I was thirteen. I read The Girl with the Pearl Earring summer of eighth grade. Before this novel, I was reading the classic teenage-puppy-love-while-battling-with-peer-pressure young adult books. I found The Girl with the Pearl Earring in my basement on the bookshelves that had been there since we moved in covered in dust. I was bored and feeling adventurous. Why not, I thought. I read that book in one sitting. I devoured every word, every sentence like I had recently ended a five year hunger strike. The Girl with the Pearl Earring may not be of “great literary merit” like the ones listed on the AP. But it opened my literary world to books outside of my comfort zone. This book revolutionized the way I read books. I still read for the overall plot but I realized that there was so much more to the book than the story. I went to the library after I finished and picked up more books like the Catcher in Rye and Wuthering Heights (these two books are another story one that would take far too long to write out here). Happy Last Day of School! I’ll miss this place.  

Old School

The book that changed my life was the first book in the series "The Babysitters Club."  Now, these books are not popular for their quality writing and complicated plot lines, but they were the books that helped me develop a passion for reading at a young age.  I would stay up for hours on end happily following the adventures of Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacy, among many recurring characters.  If it hadn't been for those books, I would not have learned to love books to nearly the extent that I did, and they changed my life.  They made me realize the value of reading and how much fun it could be.  So while they may not be the highest quality or profound books that I have read over the years, they made a lasting difference.

The End

My favorite novel from class this year has been God of Small Things. I like the way the book is written and how it jump between past and present. I also like how the story starts at the ending and slowly tells the reader what happened to make the ending. I don't think I have a favorite book ever. I just like too many books. I like Wuthering Heights a lot.h story lines really complex and I like that I have to actually think when I read it. I guess my favorite book depends on my my what book I'm reading at the time. 

So Long, Farewell

My last blogging, and I have to write about a BOOK. Great.

Just kidding!

I had been thinking for about three days straight, trying to think of what could possibly be a book that changed my life. I have read so many books in my life, but I cannot say that many of them have changed me a whole lot.

Then I remembered Jurassic Park.

I think that sounded a little more epic than it actually is. However, Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park was a life-changer for me. We read it in 8th grade science class, and I thought it was just the coolest thing ever. Extracting dinosaur DNA from insects petrified in amber and creating real, live, present-day dinosaurs, who then run amok in an island theme park...

The reason I consider this novel a life-changer for me was that it pulled me into a new genre—out of the many fantasy/magic books I had been reading into something more scientific—real science fiction. After reading Jurassic Park, I began reading many of Crichton's other various science fiction novels, all of which I have loved (the top being Prey and Sphere), and I began reading more and more science fiction, which I have come to love and very much enjoy. That's really the only reason it is a life-changing novel for me.

And with that, I come to the closing of my last blog post.
Farewell to four years of high school, four years of teachers, four years of friends...

Last Post, Best Novel

I read Anthem by Ayn Rand when I was a scrawny, annoying eighth grader and I think it changed me for the better.  Before I read Rand I mostly read the simple reads the school required and also a couple of cheap entertainment young adult "novels".  Anthem actually was a school required book but it was the first time I felt connected to a different philosophy in literature.  I've read a few of Rand's other novels such as Atlas Shrugged but it was that initial read of Anthem that made me appreciate more complex literature.  Ohh, and on a lighter note, The BFG by Roald Dahl is the best book everrrrr!

The Final Post

So on this last day of high school, I decided that you cannot just choose one favorite book. Yes, there have been many books that have changed me, none that I would say have changed my life.   I personally have not had that connection yet in life with a book that has influenced me that strongly. However, if I had to choose one book that has had a great impact on me it would be  "The God of Small Things".  I personally feel like this book has changed me because it has opened a new world of culture to me.  Culture that I would normally not particularly think about, or know anything about.  In "God of Small Things" culture is such an important aspect of the novel. It is as if you cannot read the novel without learning something new about the families culture.  This is the part that I enjoyed the most.  I loved learning something that I normally might not of been interested in.  Therefore, " The God of Small Things" is the novel that I choose that has influenced me and my lifestyle. 

Finally.

The first weird thing about writing this post is that tomorrow is our last day of high school. All four years came and went. But, I am here to talk about my favorite book.

I just finished reading the book "Lovely Bones". It is about a girl who was murdered, and she is watching over all her family, friends, and even the man who murdered her. Yes, it might seem like a scary horror novel, but it really isn't. The girl is in heaven and she tries to lead all of the people in her town to where her body is. This is one of my favorite books because you see life through the eyes of a young girl, in HEAVEN! It's different and interesting at the same time. It changed the way I think about life and death, and heaven and earth. That was probably one of the most important books I have read in my whole life.

So, I would just like to say, thanks Bernie! The blogging was just so much fun!

Favorite Teacher

Okay this is a little off topic but I felt that I needed to make a post asking about the past four years. Who was your favorite teacher at OPRF and why?
Mine would have to be Mr.McCarron. Science and Astronomy class were a blast with him. He made class fun every day with his corny jokes that related to the topic and he constantly asked questions to make sure that we got what he was teaching. He always funny ties and wore bow ties during exam days. He also called his exams O.T.E's for Opportunity to Excel. This made exams a little more interesting because it made us look at the exam in a more positive way. Mr. McCarron was just an awesome teacher and it was a honor to be one of his students. I will miss him a ton after graduating.

The Giver

I put off writing this blog because I had a lot of trouble thinking of a book that truely changed my life in some way. Instead, I chose a book that I not only loved and still love, but one that made me think of things in a different light. Lois Lowry's The Giver is a novel about a boy named Jonas who lives in a world where everything is regulated-there are no colors, no emotions, no...anything. He is assigned a job, however, of holding all the "memories" of what the world was once like (colorful, emotional, etc.), which leads him to understanding that the world he lives in is essentially empty.

Although this is not the most advanced book, and the first time I read it was in middle school, I think in a lot of ways it opened my eyes. For the first time, I thought about a world different than my own and what would happen if things changed. I would reccomend this book to anyone-it may be an easy read but it's definitely a good one.

Last Post. Ever.

No book has truly ever changed my life persay, but a few books have genuinely altered my perception on the world and how I view it.  One of those books, and probably one of my favorite books of all time, is World War Z by Max Brooks.  Brooks, in intense and well-written Studs Terkel-like journalism, chronicles a 20 year "Zombie War" that engulfs the planet, and how humanity was forced to the brink of extinction.  The War is ended when the free governments of the world decide to take the fight to the undead, and eventually overcome the scourge they themselves created.  After and during this period, many socio-economic and political changes hit the nations of the world. China and Cuba both turn to democracy, while Russia returns to a Royalist Czarist regime.  The book also hits a litle more close to home, making points on government ineptitude and American isolationism, while also covering the themes of survivalism and uncertainty.  The book is beautifully written, and I can honestly say is probably one of the best books written so far in the 21st century.

On a completely unrelated note, good luck to everyone in college.  I wish you all every happiness, and hope that one day our paths may cross again.

-Jon Rouse

Just Not the Same

Okay, so this is a book that really influenced me, but the only "catch" is that I first read it when I was five.
It's called Just Not the Same by Addie Lacoe.  It's about three triplet sisters who constantly fight over who gets what.  The common complaint when I was five was:"Why does SHE get that?"

This book accurately describes the minor problems that triplets may face especially earlier on in life.  Although I have to admit, sometimes my triplet sisters and I still fight over who gets to sit in the front seat of the car or who gets the TV remote.

I read this book early in life, but I must say, I very much enjoyed reading about girls (even if they were fictional) who were "just like me".

The Final One

So this is the final post and frankly Im happy about it.  Anyways, there is no one book that has been life-changing for me that I have read so far, but there are some that have changed or altered my way of viewing certain things in a positive way.  One of the books that has done this is Running With Scissors.  Some of you may recognize this title because it was later made into a movie, or should I say a bad movie.  This book was not only funny but really allows you to appreciate others opinions and way of life; it makes you judge others less for truly being themselves and motivates you to do the same.  Not only would I highly recommend this book for its wit and self-relization, but also because it is one that you can just loose yourself in.  Farewell Mr. Heidkamp and thanks for the ROAM today.

The Last Lecture

I enjoy reading, and like others, it is hard for me to pick out just one book that either I have enjoyed, has influenced me or has changed my life.  One book that I really enjoyed and got a lot out of was Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture.  The book is based off of Randy's last lecture (hence the name of the book) at Carnegi Mellon University.  The Last Lecture talks about overcoming obstacles and Pausch basically gives advice throughout the book.  Randy Pausch was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer before he gave his last leacture, which was ironic because it could very possibly have been his last lecture, but he didn't talk about death.  Pausch instead talked about life and how to overcome troubles, and the book captures everything.  He tells us his story and talks about how he became successful while adding his advice without preaching it.  The book is filled with words of encouragement, wisdom, and intelligence.  The Last Lecture is and inspiring book that has changed my life and I think that everyone should read it.

Final Post Finally

The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury is a good book, not exactly life changing but influential, that I recently read. It is a science fiction novel but is very accessible. Basically the plot of the story is that nuclear war is engulfing Earth so people flee to Mars. The story chronicles the colonization and eventual conquering of Mars by the humans, while at the same time telling the story of what happens to Earth. The book is well written (It's Bradbury) and engrossing. It makes some strong commentary on human nature, our tendencies to destroy and exploit things, are arrogance and vanity etc. The book is interesting because each of the chapters is a short story in chronological order. Some of the stories weren't even written for the book originally but were stories Bradbury had written earlier. A bonus is the nuclear destruction poem There Will Come Soft Rains which makes an appearance in one of the chapters, I would never have read that poem if I hadn't read The Martian Chronicles.

Light in August

Over the past years I have not read as many books as I would have like to. I've read some books outside of class, but the stack of books I want to read grows larger. Fortunately, after reading Light in August this year, I have a new found motivation to tackle that stack. For me, Light in August reopened my eyes to literature as an art form not just something I have to do for a class. I've been given a new appreciation for the subtleties and complexities of literature. Upon first read, the passage at the novels onset where Lena waits for the wagon to come down the road struck me is over descriptive and worried me that I would have another Great Expectation like book. A book where more words just seem to written. In reality, the lengthy two page depiction of this scene help place you in Lena's shoes. It made you wait like she was waiting. I found this very cool. The rest of the novel was awesome as well, but that first scene really did it for me.

Stone Fox

Stone Fox is probably one of the most influential books of my life. Although it is meant for children, I love reading it whenever I have free time in the summer. The plot summary follows.

Willy and his dog Searchlight enter a sled dog competition. The competition is to win $500 so that his grandfather (his only caretaker) gets healthier. A native American called Stone Fox that doesn't talk to white people and has never lost a race also enters the competition. During the race, Willy and Searchlight lead the whole way. But just before the finish line, Searchlight's heart bursts and he instantly dies. When Stone Fox reaches them, he draws a line in the snow. He says that if anyone crosses the line, he'll shoot them. Willy carries Searchlight across the finish line and wins the $500. His grandfather recovers.

This story always brings tears to my eyes when I read it. The courage of a little kid and his dog to save his grandfather's life is unbelievable. The amazing part of the story is that Stone Fox refused to let the kid lose. Although Fox was winning the money to help his family recover the land taken away by the white people, he realized how important his family was, and thus helped little Willy help his family. If anyone needs an easy read over the summer, I would highly recommend going to the library and checking this book out. It would literally take an hour or two, and I think it's well worth your time.

Fulfilling the Dream

A novel that truly changed my life was The Great Gatsby by by F. Scott Fitzgerald. In this classic, Fitzgerald pokes out the flaws of the envisioned American Dream during the Roaring 20's. Fitzgerald shows in this book how there is no perfect storybook dream and the sins of the 20's with Jay Gatsby acquiring his new fortune by any means possible, even if its illegal. I loved how Jay Gatsby threw all these extravagant parties just so Daisy would notice and one day come. Gatsby was completely naive the whole time knowing that this dream was fake and all blown up just like his image. The whole story changed my perception on life, looking at how far some will go just to reach their outlandish dream. Gatsby's funeral at the end also spoke volumes, realizing that few attended it really stood out to Nick that Gatsby had no real friends and was a man of low character. Just like many others in the Roaring 20's.

I actually loved a school book..

My favorite book I’ve ever read would have to be The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I read this book last year in my AP English class with Ms. Rosas and fell in love with it. My favorite aspect of the book is the amount of symbolism Hawthorne put into the novel. Knowing and understanding all the symbolism that takes place, really takes the novel to the next level and makes it much more interesting to read. Besides all the symbolism, I guess I am a sucker for the traditional forbidden love story lines and this one is one of my favorites. The characters had to go against society, religion, public humiliation, and death to conceal their undying love for each other that it got to the point where it made one of the characters physically ill. This just shows how strong and passionate this character was for his significant other and what he had to go through to protect her.