The Curious Incident of the dog in the Night

This book is not like anything i have ever read, which is definitely refreshing! It takes place in england and the narrator of the story is a boy with some brain disorder but because he is telling the story he doesn't quite know what it is. But you can tell its there because he throws tantrums and doesn't understand certain things.
He really makes you feel grateful that you are not like him because simple things like not liking the colors brow and yellow and refusing to eat foods that touch each other on the plate are things that we would never think twice about but he focuses serious mental energy on these little things.

Also the book does not start out with the happy lets all sing together style. In the beginning of the story i actually had to skip part of it because there is a dead dog. It is unpleasant but so are multiple parts of this book. Sometimes i just want to transport myself just so i can give this kid a hug or just explain some simple details of life to him that he just can not comprehend.

In the book he is writing a mystery story trying to track down who killed the dog that we talked about at the beginning of the story. But when his dad finds out that he has continued to investigate even after he told him not to (he only lives with his dad) and him and his dad get into a big fight and his brain kinda goes blank and when he gathers himself back together he can't find his story. So he searches all over his house everywhere except his room and is dads room. It was common sense not to hide his OWN book in his room so he decided to check his dads room even though his dad told him not to. Lets face it this is for a good cause. He was very careful not to move much around but when he was almost ready to give up he saw... THE BOX! he opened the box very carefully and looked inside, not only was his book there but so were a whole bunch of letters addressed to him! Turns out they were from his mom who is supposed to be dead...

I won't say anymore, sorry gotta wait until next week but I'm just as excited to read this book as you are to find out what happens next. This book is really good and i will recommend it to anyone who doesn't mid a little discomfort while reading and who enjoys a slight half way mystery (not quite a mystery but sorta is).

That Summer: Sarah Dessen

        This book by Sarah Dessen was not my favorite. Usually I love her books and they are really fun to read but i have to say for this book on a scale of one t ten it would be a 7. I liked it and everything and it was interesting but there wasn't any really dramatic parts in the book and that disapointed me. I like dramatic books or books with a big problem going on. This book had many little problems but not a BIG one. Instead of having a story mountain i feel like it was a highway with tiny bumps in the road.

        In the book the characters main concern is her hight. Yes that might be a problem for the character but as a reader who is not extreamly tall it was not very easy to realate to her problems, and i couldn't really see why being tall was such a problem for her.

        As we always learn in writing you have to think of the reader. The problem of being 5 foot 11 inches at age 15 is a problem that some readers might relate to but unfortunately this reader was not me and i don't think any other 8th grader readers at least at our school are going to face.

        The one other problem in the book she had was the fact that her dad cheated on the mom and ran off with the local weather girl. That was interesting but the only way she talked about it was when the main character was complaining about it which you can understand is pretty annoying. One thing I always wonder is why do writers think their readers will like to hear their character complain if normal people don't like to hear complaining. I think somethimes they need to use the complaints to get a message throught the readers mind but most of the time it is just as annoying to hear a character complain as it is to hear a human do it. 

Daisy

               Daisy is a character who is hard to understand because even people in her family and actual characters don't even understand her completely. She is interesting though because you can't always predict what will happen with her around. A lot of characters are like that though which keeps the story alive and interesting. 

               The weird thing about Daisy is that she is this great girl who isn't stupid our weird just a little bit sensitive and yet there are girls who pick on her. In most books there is an obvious reason why someone is being picked on but in this the author keeps us just as confused as Daisy is on why they make fun of her. Some girls are just mean and their isn't even a small hint of why they are. It just show how mean some girls can be to each other. 

               I like that even though camp is supposed to be this amazing place for Daisy's sisters bullies can easily ruin that for her and this glorious camp that her two older sisters talk about and love is hidden and questionable for Daisy. Who can see the fun of being somewhere when you have limited friends and people hiding your clothes throughout your cabin. She can't go to her sisters because she doesn't want to be the sister who tags along with everyone. Its very confusing to read and to deal with.

               One thing that i really like about this author is that when your characters feel confusion or frustration you kind of feel the same. When Daisy did the zip line and everyone was so proud of her i was happy to. I also like that it take place at camp because they do a lot of the same stuff that i do at camp so i can relate to the feelings and think back to how fun or not fun that activity was. For example when Daisy was about to do the zip lines and was scared to i remember feeling that exact same way and just looking around creeped me out. It feels nice to know exactly what they are talking about and be able to relate to how they feel physically and emotionally. 

The summer of firsts and lasts: Sisters

          I think this book is off to a good start. It has an interesting style that i haven't seen a lot and can't decide if i like it yet. Each chapter is in the point of view of different sister. There are three sisters in total, Daisy, Calla and Violet and each chapter is told from one of their perspectives. It is an interesting writing technique so that you get to know all of them in different ways. But the bad part is i already found my favorite sister (actually i don't know if that is a good thing or bad).

          The story takes place at a summer camp, which is cool because it sort of reminds me of my sleep away camp. I can relate to how the characters feel, for example: how much they like the first day where you meet all of the people in your cabin, and about half way through the session they start to get a tad bit home sick. In a way it is a little creepy how i can relate on so many different levels. Even the part about sisters because i have a younger sister.

          One thing that i think they got wrong (or just haven't shown yet) is the fighting part of having a sister. Yes you want what you can't have so anyone who does not have a sister, or any sibling for that matter will know that it isn't all laughing and best friends. You do fight, its just part of life. But in the book these sisters seem to look up at each other with love and respect. They know everything about them, and always talk about times when they were laughing or having fun. But being a sister i know that it isn't like that (at least not all the time). Personally i go to camp to get a break from family but all these girls can talk about is how close they are and that they get to hang out with their sister.

          Maybe this makes me seem like a bad person but everyone needs a break right? I know i said i could relate to them and i CAN. Just not on family levels. I am interested to see how these perfect sisters unfold, and what will happen in the future.

Television

In the book Bossypants Tina Fey describes the work put into making a T.V. show. All you see is the final result but you don't think about the background set up. Or if you do i don't think this is what you would imagine. They actually have to make the actors sign a contract for at least 11 episodes before they even air the pilot! When I read her book i really noticed that you don't just write something and it goes on to television you have to get a year to just come up with your idea for the show. Then you actually have to write the script. This is crazy!! I honestly never thought that it would take this much trouble. Tina Fey talks about that at first they never thought it would make it but she was optimistic.

This business is weird i never knew that the actors went through this. They have to think that if the show will do well. They can't just bail on the cast and crew. This happened once to the people at 30 rock and they had to re- write the whole thing. This is not okay!! Even more they promised that they would do the show AND then said that she wouldn't do it. Point is that if anyone reads this and does go into showbiz (highly doubtful but you never know) don't be obnoxious and cancel on people without reading the SCRIPT first (okay that was not the real point of this just wanted to get that out there)

AN INSPIRATION TO US ALL....

Tina fey writes in a way that is so fun to read! She has given me ideas of what to write about. It is actually FUN to read her books because they are so similar to the popular T.V. shows and movies she has made. It makes you think that she really does put all of HER into the writing (if you haven't noticed i am trying to do the same, hope its working well!) She puts jokes in there and she is honest about what she thinks. She does't care if someone says that it is stupid or she is wrong. So i am just going to say this now "opinions can never be wrong because it is what someone thinks and you can't have a right thought" She says what she thinks about how she looks. She knows who she is. She knows that not everyone can be loved 100% so why let the people who don't like you hold you back. (yes i can preach and say this but it is always easier said then done)

TO WRAP THIS UP...

I have found the book Bossypants to be thought provoking, inspirational, oh so very funny, and best of all you get an insight of what it is like to work in the entertainment industry! (oh gosh) I have not finished this book yet BUT i highly doubt that the ending will differ from the amazing beginning!

Faking 19

I thought best friends were supposed to be your security blanket. The things that protected you against the rest of the world. The one thing that you trust.

In this book the two apparently best friends Alex and M are not really what i think best friends are. Yes they say they are best friends but is that enough. I think the author is trying to give their readers a reality check. This is life. Their is none of this magic that connects two best friends. Or is there.....

I think that the author of this book has a different opinion of what friendship is then me. She says that these two girls are best friends yet Alex is really nice and i feel like M can be nice when she wants to be but for the most part she is well a "snobby typical california stereo type" (nothing agents california!)

Friends are supposed to be nice to each other and care about one another (i know that sounds cheesy but its true) and it seems like all M does is cares about her self and all of her problems. Yes she was born and raised in a rich house where she never had to do anything and her life was all handy dandy. Alex just came to accept that, but i really don't think that is how a friendship works. Who wants to be with someone who doesn't care about you? I don't think anyone would just come and accept that.

I don't like to complain about books because all in all the book is good BUT (and i know there is always a but) The author does get off track in her book. One moment she will be in one spot and the next they will be somewhere else. I just think that she has great plot but then starts to add in and it confuses you then when she goes back to what they were talking about before. But after a few books i think she will be really good write.

Celebraties are People too: Bossypants By: Tina Fey

       

          In the book Bossypants by Tina Fey I am amazed to notice what she goes through and went through as a kid. Even though hollywood seems all glamorous and fun there is a place before then. In Bossypants Tina Fey talks about her life as a kid before she actually became a celebrity. It is weird because you never think about how movie stars got to where they are you just know them as, Oh yah they were in that movie but they had a life before hollywood.


          In the book you get to know who Tina Fey is. She doesn't just write but she puts the same personality that makes her T.V. shows so funny. She is not just a actress but a writer too. Once you read her book you can tell. You don't think about celebrities outside of what you read in the magazines, for example Tina Fey git slashed in the face when she was little. I never knew that but once she pointed it out in her book, i can't NOT notice it. She talks about how she was working in a ticket booth selling for shows that she wasn't even in. It is hard to imagine someone so famous doing something so small.


          What i admire her for because she can be silly and honest about herself without worrying about what people will think about her. She is just a regular person, which is hard to think about knowing her popular status for so long. But she is and she has made plenty of mistakes, gone through just as much pain as us. Even if she is this funny great person, she was someone before this too.


          An issue i think she really stresses in her book is that she was this child who had her own issues and definitely was not "normal". She talks about things that i would never chair to my best friend let alone anyone who read my book! But she does it. I think she wants to illustrate that she isn't a person with a fantasy life that so many people would kill for. She is the weird one who passed out in her doctors office.


          I don't think people realize that their is a history to people before they became famous. I admire Tina Fey for showing me and probably many others that there isn't some special bubble around celebraties. They just followed what they love to do. So should we.