40 Book Challenge

I think that I have read a lot this year. I maybe read about 10 books last year, but this year I doubled it. I read 20 books, not exactly 40, but I made a goal at the beginning of the year to get at least 20. At first I didn't actually think that I would reach this goal, so when I did I was very delighted. I thought that I would read about 10, maybe 15. I still can't believe that I got half way. I think that I went out of my comfort zone and read somewhat harder books. I'm talking about, Wuthering Heights, Crank, and others like that. Wuthering Heights was a good book. I didn't really think that I would like it, but it turned out I did. When I Crank I was pretty sure I was going to like because it had a bunch of drama in it, it turns out I did.

Next year, I'm not sure how many books I will read. I want to make a goal, but I don't want to make one I can't achieve. I want to finish the 40 Book Challenge, but I don't think I would finish. I think my goal would be to read 30 books. I believe that if I continue reading the way I'm reading then I should be able to read 30 books. All I have to do is read slightly more than what I read now. I have began to enjoy reading. I found authors that I enjoy, so I think that this goal is possible.

Smoke : Week of 5/12/14

Pages Read: 93 - 543 SPOILERS!!!

So far Smoke has been a great book. It is the sequel to Burned. Unlike Burned, Smoke is told in two different perspectives, one from the main character and the other from her sister. They both were abused by their father and care for all five of their sisters. They were not only family, but also friends. One day, their father was beating the main character's sister, Jackie. The main character, Pattyn, just had her father kill her boyfriend, so she had enough. She warned her father that she would shoot him, but he didn't believe her, he just laughed. So he kept hitting Jackie and Pattyn shot him died. Then she ran.

In the book, Jackie is trying to defend Pattyn, but their mother is trying to defend their father. I think that Pattyn had the right to shoot. Jackie was getting abused really badly and might have died that day if Pattyn didn't do anything. I also think that Pattyn shouldn't have ran away. I think that the cops would have understood that their father was getting abused and something had to be done.

While Pattyn was on the run, a stranger and her went into the bathroom and a guy came in. Pattyn saved the stranger's life, so the stranger let Pattyn stay at her house. The next day, the stranger's friend came over with her child, who had the measles. Pattyn volunteered to watch the baby so no one caught the measles. Eventually, the baby got better, but the mother caught the measles.

Burned: Week of 4/5/14

Pages Read: Finished

Over the past month, I became fond of the author Ellen Hopkins. I first just wanted to read her books to count as poetry, but once I started to read Crank, I got hooked. They aren't really "school appropriate", but I like them. They can teach you a lot about what will happen if you mess up your life. The books also talk about what you can do right in your life, but mainly the books are about a teenage girl changing and doing bad thing and overcoming them.

I chose to read this book because:

I read Crank and really liked it, so I thought about trying other books by the same author.

I like how the format is in different poems. It fits the story very well.

I like how even though there are different books, they have different characters, but the same kind of plot.

Someone should read this book because:

It tells a good story in a unique way. The format is really what I'm talking about. The format is like a bunch a poems, but they all come together
to form a story.

The title seems cool. The title Burned is, what I think, a cool title. Even if I didn't know what it was going to be about, I probably still would have read it.

It can be a true story. Burned is a book about an abusive father who drinks a lot and sends his daughter away because she was changing and getting into trouble.

Someone should not read this book because:

It can be to detailed at some parts. Some parts can be very detailed. Not gory details, but the other kind. I suggest of you can't stand health class, then you shouldn't read the book.

The story plot may upset you. Since the story plot is about abuse and changing into someone bad, it can upset someone. If you are that someone I suggest you don't read the book.

The format is weird. The format can a good and a bad thing. I personal like it, but some people might just want to read a normal book.

Even if you think that any of these things are bad, they are, but the story is still a great one.

Mindblind: Week of 4/28/14

Pages Read: 52 - 249

This book is pretty good. It is about a teenage boy who has a disorder. I think that the disorder is a good thing because it made him really smart, but there are some bad things about the disorder too. Like, he not all that social, the only reason he has friends is because he is good at a video game, and the only reason he is good at the video game is because he memorized all of the moves with his smartness. The disorder he has is asperger.

My favorite character so far is the main character, Nathaniel. Nathaniel is the one with asperger. He doesn't really think of it as a disorder, but more as an advantage. He doesn't really like people and the friends he has. His mother is very supportive, while on the other hand, his father can't be more disappointed. His father leaves the family and starts a normal one. Well, as normal as one family can get.

I think that Nathaniel and I wouldn't be best friends. One reason is that he doesn't like anyone. I think that if he actually liked to hang out with people than we could be friends. I say could because there is another reason I think we wouldn't be best friends. The other reason is because he complains a lot. He doesn't really take time for the fun things in life, with him everything is a puzzle. I just can't be best friends with someone like that.