Summer Reading: Book No.3

Book No.3: The Origin of Species

This book was very interested, yet difficult to read because of it's length and also because it was a work of fiction rather than non-fiction, like my other books were. Nate recommended that I read this book, and I was pretty interested in reading it because i've always been fascinated by natural selection and evolution and how species are formed due to their climates and other animals around them. One of the reasons why Nate probably recommended this to me was because when it was published, it caused a controversy between religion and science.

One thing that I liked about this was that Darwin doesn't know, nor try to know, everything about everything. He knows that some things are still a mystery. I also liked that his ideas combatted religious ideas by providing logic to counter argue what most religious people believe in.

Nate thought that because the book was so old, that it wasn't very relevant now in the sense that the wording is odd and it's more difficult to read, and I completely agree. One of the things he did find interesting, and I, as well, found it interesting- was the way that Darwin came up with his theories used today. With this book we got to take a closer look at how these were developed and what his thinking was behind those theories.

Summer Reading: Book No.2

Summer Reading Book No.2: The Catcher in the Rye

The second book that I read was The Catcher in the Rye, recommended to me by Nate Ross, a former Junior. I asked for his advice on picking out both of my honors books, and his recommendations were great because I had never read The Catcher in the Rye, but had always wanted to because it's a classic, and it might be important for Junior year.

I really liked this book because of the way the author writes. It's not only well written, but it's also easily relatable and the conversations are fun to listen to. It's like listening to a good friend tell you a long story. It was also refreshing to read something "as told by" a teenager in the city that was also considered to be a classic. The book gives you a lot to think about and reflect on as you relate it to your day-to-day. A few things that I did dislike though were how at he would repeat things, from simple phrases used again and again, to whole concepts and ideas about his life. I understand that it was supposed to be written in the perspective of a teenager, and a lot of teens repeat things, but I thought that because it was a novel, that might be different for the sake of the reader.

Nate said that he really enjoyed this book because it was "real", and I completely agree. It was very easily relatable and real and fun to read. One thing that Nate disliked was that fact that Holden "was a little bit too much of a bitch at times". I also agree, because he kept going over the same things, and overreacting to everything that happened too him.

Overall I think that this book is an essential book for anyone, and as the back of the book says, "You will never forget it."

Summer Reading: Book No.1

Book No.1: The Five People You Meet in Heaven

This book was recommended to me by my Dad who is an avid book reader and keeps a large collection of old and new books at his house. I sat down next to his stack of books and picked out a few, one of them being The Five People You Meet in Heaven. He told me that it was a great book, and that I should read either that or Tuesdays with Morrie, which is another book by the same author.
I really enjoyed this book. The author is both able to carry on a conversation within the book, and keep a steady yet entertaining plot. I loved how he told different stories of his past in these sort of "flashbacks" while traveling through heaven. The "Today is Eddie's Birthday" sequences became a little repetitive, which is one thing I did not enjoy. But his stories of war, of love, of the freak shows in town, and of his life long connection with Ruby Pier were very interesting.
My dad and I both agree that we love the author's writing style, because it's easy to read, yet has meaning, not just senseless drama and conversation. We also talked about how the author offers up an interesting new way to look at heaven. Instead of a place in the clouds with whatever you want, it is a place to reflect upon your life and understand what happened and why, via the people who knew you best, and some strangers that were impacted by significant occurrences in life.
I feel like this quote (from the song Tiny Rainbows by Nana Grizol) represents the moral behind this book wonderfully.
"We were ourselves, but blended at the edges as it should be."