These are the "Top Ten Books" that I would say are my all time favorite books! On my list, I will begin with my "least favorite" of my favorite books that I've read at number ten, and working my way down to my "most favorite" of my favorite books I've read at number one (if that made any sense!) Includes Multiple Spoilers!
Book List:
10. Divergent By: Veronica Roth
Divergent is one of my all time favorite books for so many reasons! First of all, I love the theme that is portrayed and the message that is given throughout the story; to take risks and follow your own path despite what others may expect or what is typically expected of you. The main character, Tris, is also extremely inspiring, and shows great bravery and strength, even in times of danger and difficulty. I personally love that it takes place in a dystopian society in future Chicago. I think it's pretty amazing that it takes place in future Chicago, where we practically live (we live in the Chicagoland Area.) Dystopian societies also interest me greatly, because I enjoy seeing what life would be like if something were to go wrong, and life were to change. It really makes me think about how lucky I am to live in a World where we are not only limited to certain choices, but are free to make more decisions than those living in a world where the government basically controls all of their choices.
9. The Giver By: Lois Lowry
The Giver is one of my all time favorite books again for multiple reasons. Like I said previously, I love books with dystopian societies, and The Giver sure has a pretty strict, and unfair one. Though, I think it's so interesting how the children only get certain objects/toys when they turn a certain age, and how the people aren't able to see colors. I would never be able to live like that, but I love putting myself in the characters shoes, and imagining what it would be like to be them. I read this book when I was in 5th grade, because it was recommended to me by a teacher. I really enjoyed the book, and that was the book that really got me interested in reading about dystopian and utopian societies. I just love to see how they live! It's also good because at some points it can be sad, like when people get to a certain age and they have to give those people a shot to kill them, or when they have to kill premature infants, though it's not so overly sad that it's unapproachable. It contains parts that make you feel, and I love books that really make me feel some emotion. I also admire the different pieces of hidden symbolism that are embedded into the story. Those symbols give the novel so much more meaning, and make the story that much more interesting!
8. The Hunger Games By: Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games, is honestly one of the best books I've read! Again, the characters live in a dystopian society (can you see a pattern?) and I just admire how all of the people, even though they're living an extremely rough, and somewhat scary life, manage to stay strong, and keep moving on. I also like how the underdogs succeed in The Hunger Games. I know that in most books and movies, you tend to see the under dog thrive, but it feels different here. Sometimes, it's too predictable, and you know that the main character is going to most likely win or do well with whatever they do, but I feel like in this novel, we're not so sure that Katniss or Peeta will win the Hunger Games. I mean, only one person was supposed to survive in the first place, so it was a miracle that they both won. The characters, Katniss and Peeta, are also both exuberantly likable, and they have a point to prove. That they can win the games for not only themselves and their families, but they can also show the World that it's really possible to do well with something that you're expected to fail. They prove that they can do well, even when the odds aren't in their favor.
7. Esperanza Rising By: Pam Muñoz Ryan
Esperanza Rising is one of my favorite books, simply because I love the story! The novel is about a young girl named Esperanza who loses her house, her father, and all of her possessions in one night. Her evil uncle killed her father, and was threatening the family. So, Esperanza, her mother, and their previous servants must move to America from Mexico, leaving Esperanza's grandmother behind, so they could go to work at a camp in California. Esperanza had to leave her previous way of living behind (getting whatever she wanted whenever she wanted it) and learn to rough it a little. When her mother becomes ill she takes over multiple responsibilities, and when her mother is finally better, they manage to bring over her grandmother to America. It's an unbelievably touching story, and shows that even people in life who have/had it all, can thrive without all of the luxuries in life, and it teaches us that even when times are tough, you can work and preserver through! Esperanza surely showed us it was possible, and she made a big leap, from having it all, to basically being homeless. This novel shows that when you lose it all, even when life seems impossible, you can get through. Though, it also shows that some people have it really hard in life, so before you complain about how hard your life is, you should look at what other people have to go through, and then decide how "rough" you think you have it.
6. Mama's Bank Account By: Kathryn Forbes
Mama's Bank Account is one of my favorite books, and it may not look very interesting, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! My 4th Grade Accelerated reading teacher, Mrs. Cowell read it to us, and I was always excited to hear another chapter! It's about a family of Norwegian immigrants, who move to San Francisco California, and despite their troubles, their "Mama" always gets them through. In each chapter the family encounters a problem, and it's so interesting how the family reacts and adjusts because they were not exactly accustomed to the American way of living right away, like any immigrants would be! I loved following the families journey in America, and it was overall very heart warming how they all loved each other and supported and helped each other through all of the struggles America brought them. I believe that another main reason why I am in awe of this story, is because it's much different from the types of stories I normally read, yet it felt familiar and new all at the same times.
5. Love, Aubrey By: Suzanne LaFluer
Love, Aubrey will always be one of my favorite books, and it's incredibly sad and inspiring all at the same time. When Aubrey's Dad and sister die in a car accident, she's left with only her mother. Only days after the passing of her family members, her mother abandons her, and is forced to live with her Grandmother. Hoping everyday that her mother will come back, she makes new friends, goes to school, and continuously wonders why her mother just up and left her, I mean, who wouldn't be curious? When her mother really does come for Aubrey, she is different, and in need of serious help. Though, when her mother is better, she goes back home, and Aubrey stays with Grandmother until she's ready to go home with her mom. I enjoyed this story because I was able to put my feet in Aubrey's shoes, and it really made me feel something. It was the first book that ever made me cry. It really teaches you to be grateful for what you have because one day it could all be gone. It also teaches you to be grateful for what you have, because others have it much harder. Aubrey is so inspirational because she continues to live life even when it seems to be falling apart, and she will forever be one of the most inspirational characters I will have ever read about.
4. When You Reach Me By: Rebecca Stead
When You Reach Me is probably the closest thing to a mystery book that I've read, and it's unbelievable, and very confusing! Basically, there's a main character named Miranda, who gets 3 anonymous notes about things that will happen in the future, all of which come true, and in the end, she meets the person who was writing the notes who is actually a time traveler! Miranda eventually meets Marcus (the time traveler) and he explains his whole time traveling experience! I love how all of the puzzle pieces slowly come together, and all make sense in the end! I feel like a magnet just attracted all of the pieces and connected them together. I also love the idea of making the story about time travel. It's also kind of creepy, and I'm not totally into anything scary, but this book can send a chill down my spine, but is not so scary that it would give me nightmares. The whole mood of the book is a bit eerie, and you would never think it was about time travel, but I guess that kind of teaches you not to judge a book by it's cover.
3. The Fault in our Stars By: John Green
I think that The Fault in our Stars is probably one of everyone's favorite books, and lets just say, I basically love every aspect of it! It's about Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters. Hazel has terminal lung cancer, and Augustus WAS in remission, but the cancer came back and basically took over his whole body. In the end, Augustus dies, and Hazel has to learn to live life without him. Augustus brought life, fun, and excitement to everything he did in the story, and was just one of those types of people that everyone likes. I think it's important in books to have likable characters, and I'm pretty sure that everyone likes Augustus and Hazel. Though, my absolute favorite thing about the book, are all of the inspirational and meaningful quotes included. They mainly are saying to live life to the fullest, and love and cherish every second of it. They are also saying that you have to preserver through tough challenges, because the World wasn't just made to please everyone. I love the whole message of the novel, and it really teaches you to live life to the fullest, because you never know when it will begin to slip right out through your fingertips.
2. Out of my Mind By: Sharon M. Draper
This novel is absolutely incredible, and I could read over, and over, and over again, and I would still cry, and I would still laugh, and I would still be obsessed with the book. In Out of my Mind the main character Melody has Cerebral Palsy, a disease that affects her body, but not her mind. So, she can't walk, or really talk at all. So, she has a computer that she talks through. Though, don't let this handicap fool you, she is incredibly intelligent! She is often underestimated though, because her body doesn't work like everyone else's. She ends up making a team to compete in a math competition in another state, but her teammates leave her behind because they look at her as not being smart enough because she is handicapped. It's so heartbreaking because, like most people, you want the under dog to succeed, though, in a way she does. I love this novel so much because even though, the character doesn't end up getting to show that she really is smart at the competition, she is able to show the rest of her classmates that she's actually quite intelligent (even smarter than the children in her class who don't have a disability that could hold them back.) The story proves that even if you are underestimated, you can still prove a point. Though, the main moral of the story is really to not judge a book by it's cover. Though Melody had Cerebral Palsy, she was incredibly smart, and because she couldn't communicate verbally, or move, people didn't expect or believe that she was intelligent. That just shows you that it doesn't matter what someone looks like, or if they can talk, or if they can walk, or if they look different then others, they can still exceed expectations, and thrive in whatever they're doing, whether that be sports, or art, or school! You can be amazing no matter what disabilities you may have. Some people just don't realize that.
1. Walk Two Moons By: Sharon Creech
Walk Two Moons is my absolute favorite book that I've ever read, and I could read it over and over again, and love it every time! We read this novel as a class in 5th Grade, and I enjoyed it so much that I can't even put it into words! The story is a collection of individual stories told from multiple perspectives. All of which come together to explain Salamanca and the story of why is she is out on a journey, to find her mothers resting place, which later find out, is her mother's grave. There's hidden symbolism all throughout the story that explains Salamanca (the main character) and why she acts the way she does. There are also Native American myths mixed into the novel, to explain some of her superstitions. I love how in the novel, Salamanca uses stories from the past into the present moment of her narrative, because we are learning about what happens, after it actually happened, as Salamanca tells the story. The whole way she narrates the story, to the characters, to the hidden meanings and symbolism that come from the small details in the story, really are what makes it my favorite novel. It's not very difficult to read, but you have to look deeper to find the symbolism in things, and to understand the story on a deeper level. It makes you think, but it's so humorous, and incredible, and enjoyable at the same time, and that's why it's my favorite book of all time.
Looking For Alaska has actually been really interesting so far, and I'm loving the actual story, and idea of the book, but surprisingly, I don't have a favorite character. This is kind of weird, because in most books, you can at least pick out one character that you find yourself relating to, or enjoying, or loving, or appreciating, or favoriting, but I just don't find any of them particularly interesting. I think the characters are all too common and predictable. Every book these days has a crazy, intelligent, witty, outspoken character like Alaska. Every book has a shy, timid, smart character like Pudge. Every book has a smart, insane, sly, trouble maker character like The Colonel. Obviously I'm kind of exaggerating, because we know that not every single book ever written has these types of characters, but I feel like most books today create characters like this to make the story more appealing. When the characters are all very intelligent, or are trouble makers and get themselves into sticky situations all of the time, or are mysterious and unpredictable, it makes the story more interesting, and it's working, because the story is very interesting, I just don't find myself extremely liking any character in particular. All of the characters remind me of like specific people that I already go to school with everyday. Their personalities are pretty similar, and I just want something new. A new type of character, a new type of story, something a little bit more out of the norm where characters are concerned.
Though I don't particularly love any characters, if I had to choose my favorite, I would choose Alaska Young. Alaska is this care-free chick, who states her opinion whether you are going to like it or not. She is very witty and intelligent, and is great with people. She's kind for the most part, and is always there for her friends. Whether she has to come back at a teacher, or follow them straight out of the room, she supports and sticks up for her friends always. She's afraid of failing or disappointing her father, yet she is still rebellious and does things that she probably shouldn't be doing. She's always breaking the rules, but is careful about not getting caught. She's beautiful, and has all of the boys falling in love with her. She's a girl that most other girls want to be, and strive to be. Though, I think it's impossible to be as perfect as Alaska is depicted as. She's also pretty good at getting into people's personal lives! She likes to be in the know, and if she finds out you have a problem or are in trouble, she's always there to help you out! Now, though I don't particularly love Alaska, the one thing I really do love about her is that she is so unpredictable, and always has something interesting to share with us! Like when she told Pudge that when she was like 5 or 6, she got to choose what she wanted her name to be! She's just a crazy, smart, beautiful, kind, carefree, independent girl, who is too perfect to be true, which is what I think, causes her to not be my favorite character, because she's not "real". Nobody is like that, but she's just about as close to a favorite character as I have in this book.
Now, I do actually have a least favorite character. My least favorite character is Miles "Pudge" Halter. He's just this really quiet, and shy boy who is interested in learning people's last words. He is a "goody goody" well kept, boy from Florida, with few friends, which explains why he is so timid. He goes to Culver Creek High School in search of this "Great Perhaps" and his life is turned around when he meets The Colonel, Alaska Young, and Takumi. Now, The Colonel, Alaska, and Takumi were already friends, and they became friends with Pudge, but they totally changed him! He went from going with the flow, being an admirable person and student, to following around the trouble-makers of the school, and doing things he shouldn't be like smoking, which is already illegal if your under 18, and he was doing it on the campus of the school, which is against the rules! Though, he's only doing this because his new friends were doing it. He just kind of goes along with what they're doing, and I can't stand when people are followers rather than leaders. I'm pretty sure pudge didn't believe in smoking before he met The Colonel, Alaska, and Takumi, but now all of sudden he's just deciding to do whatever they're doing, and doing whatever they want him to do. Alaska just set him up with a girlfriend! She didn't even see if her was interested in her! The Colonel just expects Pudge to follow him around wherever he goes without asking if he's actually interested in going first, and he does! Pudge just does whatever they want him to, and it's definitely changing him as a person. I just don't know if it's for the better, or for the worse. I think it's pretty ironic that pudge is my least favorite character though, because he is actually the main character in the story!
There are only two real pieces of figurative language that I could detect so far in the story. One is a metaphor, and the other is a simile. On page 19, Miles Halter describes the beautiful Alaska Young's eyes. He says, "But even in the dark, I could see her eyes were fierce emeralds." You may think that this isn't very important, and he's only describing what her eyes look like. Though I think this may have a larger meaning later in the story. People's eyes can tell a story. You can tell if someone's in pain, or excited, or disappointed,. You can see this, just by looking at their eyes. We learned from this metaphor that Alaska's eyes are like emeralds, so I can imagine that they are very distinct, and beautiful. Because they are so easily noticed, and distinguished from the rest of her face, I can infer that her eyes will be able to tell a story. We will possibly be able to tell what she is feeling. I think if the author were to put in that small, but seemingly important detail (in my opinion) it may matter! The feature emphasized may play a part in something much bigger later. The other place in the story where I can see use of figurative language is when Miles describes a situation with the Colonel. His Girlfriend stormed out of the dorm room, and he says, "Sara slammed the door so hard that a sizable biography of Leo Tolstoy fell off of my bookshelf and landed with a thud on our checkered floor like an echo of the slamming door." This comparison shows that when Sara left the room, she must've slammed the door pretty hard! I mean a book fell of of the shelf because the door was slammed so forcefully. You could hear an echo from how loud it was. I think this may lead to us discovering something bigger later in the story as well. I think The Colonel may have a hard time being understanding and considerate of others. He was kind of, okay, he WAS fighting with Sara before she stormed out. From what he tells us later, they fight quite often. It shows that The Colonel must not be really good with people. Sara slammed the door so hard, that she had to have been pretty angry with him. I think the fact that Sara did this, shows us more of who The Colonel is as a person. He is not as pleasant to people as you would expect. This simile shows that, (using the context clues,) that Sara was mad at the Colonel for being rude to her. Also because the Colonel was being almost "unruly" in front of her parents. That's why she stormed out and slammed the door extremely hard. This shows us overall that the Colonel can sometimes be very inconsiderate. Those are the two pieces of figurative language I found in the novel. I think they will have an affect later in the story, but who knows? It's still a bit early to tell.
There are many pieces of imagery used in the story to emphasize important things. They are also included to get the point across of what certain things look like. Again, because I am only towards the beginning of the novel, the imagery doesn't all connect to show the bigger picture. The descriptions may not have an affect on the story later. Though the imagery does describe important things that we need to understand. It helps us to understand where the story takes place, who the character's really are, etc. The first piece of imagery I found was used to describe the feeling of the hot, Alabama weather. Miles says, "But each time I took those few steps to unload the what now seemed like so much stuff, the sun burned through my clothes and into my skin with a vicious ferocity that made me genuinely fear hellfire." This piece of imagery helps us to imagine what the Alabaman heat really felt like. It also introduces us to to the weather that the, (I would expect) the whole story takes place in. Also, the fact that it's extremely hot outside, leads to other events that come later in the story. Another piece of imagery that the author uses, provides for us the setting of the dorm room. The dorm that Miles, and the Colonel will be living in. This is also where a majority of the story so far has taken place. Miles describes the dormitory when he says, "With cinder-block walls coated thick with layers of white paint, and green and white checkered linoleum floor, the place looked more like a hospital than a dorm room." This shows us that the dorm is pretty basic and plain. It's ultimately very boring and old fashioned looking. Obviously, the author needs to explain this in great detail. So much of the novel so far has taken place in the dormitory. If we don't have a good idea of what it looks like, then it's harder to imagine what's going on. It would be harder to get a feel of the mood that the room might bring. In this case, the room brings a lifeless, dull, tiresome feel. The colors are very plain and unexciting, and the room doesn't have a lot going on. We need to know what the different settings look like, so we can begin to think about what mood that setting may evoke. Now we've seen how imagery can help us to understand settings and feelings. Though imagery can also help us to understand people. One last piece of imagery I'm going to talk about is when Miles describes himself. When he was called out in front of the class for not paying attention he thinks, "I sat still, my pen resting in my hand, my notebook open, my face flushed, and my jaw jutting out into an underbite, an old trick I had to keep from looking scared to crying." This gives us a lot of insight about Miles, that we haven't explicitly read about. Considering he said that he had an old trick to keep himself from looking sad or crying, I would assume that he's had to use it before. He said "it was an old trick I had..." This leads us to infer that he may have had problems with getting in trouble, or being embarrassed before. Whether that be through school, or an extra curricular activity, we don't know. Though we can assume that he's used that to stop himself from looking sad about something, or stop himself from crying before. This description has really helped us to think about Miles' past, and how it may have influenced who he is now. We just don't know what it is about his past that has caused him to have to learn this trick, and use it. Because the author so clearly describes what he was doing, and why, we now have gained a little more knowledge about Miles. We are one step closer to figuring out the secrets of the novel Looking for Alaska.
