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Thursday, September 26, 2013

Looking for Alaska

Review by Edan
Title: Looking for Alaska
Author: John Green
Publisher: Dutton Books
Published: 2005

Summary:
Miles, or Pudge, loves last words, everyones last words, and obsesses over the "Great Perhaps". When he decides to go a boarding school called Culver Creek everything he ever believed and done is questioned. He is thrown into pranks with his friends, studying, conceptions and Alaska Young. She is one of his friends, full of humor, smarts, self-corruptiveness and mystery. When he finally falls in such deep love with her and her shroud of mystery, she becomes impossible to get. Impossible to see. Impossible to hear. Impossible to find. And causes him to never trust himself and the world again.

Review:
It was an amazing book. It was divided into two sections, Before and After, leaving you to wonder what they mean. Miles is an interesting character, a good boy leaving his home, not ready to bet mixed up with everything else. Or thats what he thinks when he first gets there. He just wants to fit in and eventually Alaska changes who he is. Everything about him. He forms a new Miles, a new Pudge. It is an enchanting story. The end becomes slightly tiresome, of fighting over dumb stuff and blind ideas. It is a humorous book with a depressing undertone that I would highly recommend, though to anyone at least in 8-9 grade. It makes you think, while also being entraining and wondrous. It has a good plot, with interesting characters and philosophies. I would highly recommend it. But watch out, it will make you cry....

Rating: *****

Monday, September 23, 2013

My Name is Mina

Review by Edan
Title: My Name is Mina
Author: David Almond
Published: 2010
Publisher: Hopper Childrens Books

Summery:
Mina has always been different. She sees the word in different ways. She didn't fit in at school. She picks up this journal and writes what she thinks. How she sees the world and what is is to her. She explains everything through her writing, third person stories and poems. She will change you views with just a couples of phrases.

Review:
OK, I know that was a bad summary. It is just a hard book to explain. It is so beautiful though. I love David Almond's writing. Mina writes in a way that is easy to understand and relate to. She learns and discovers everyday and shares her ideas with you. After reading this book, I truly was changed. My English teacher says that a good book is one that changes your views, it is not always true, but this one certainly does. David Almond got his idea of writing My Name is Mina from his other book Skellig. I loved Skellig. I think that you should read Skellig before picking up My Name is Mina. It would take away some of the mystery of Skellig if you had read My Name is Mina before hand. These two books are beautiful and mysterious, leaving you to wonder and think. I think everyone should pick up these books and read them, then decide what they think of them. Reading these books is about understanding, if you can not purely understand or except what is happening, reading these books will infuriate you. You have to open your mind. These two books and wonderful, mystical, beautiful, awe-inspiring and touching books; a must read for anyone.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

San Francisco Book Sale

If you love books and live near San Francisco, CA, make sure to come down to Fort Mason next week for some book-mania!

Next week will be the annual book sale! They have old books, new books, kids books, science books, books on tape, vinyls, CDs, DVDs and more! Everything is under $3 and all proceeds will go to the San Francisco Public LIbrary. A warehouse with rows upon rows of books, what could be better?! All of the books are organized into tables to there is some order to it all ;)  If you have the time, try to make it down there, I love it and have found some of my favorite series there.

Location:
Fort Mason Center, Festival Pavilion

Times:
(***Members only preview and reception***) Tuesday (9/25) 4PM-8PM
Wednesday (9/26) to Sunday (9/29) 10AM-6PM

Click here for more information.

Hope to see you there!