Shooter (review)

This book takes us inside the mind of the Marine Corps top ranked sniper, Jack Coughlin. It gives us a perspective of a war different from any other. It is the perspective of a killer and a hero. The book is narrated by Jack Coughlin; he talks about his experiences from the war in Mogadishu to the war in Iraq. He talks about his kills, and his extreme concentration just before a kill. He takes into his mind as he is killing the enemy one by one. He talks about logging his kills in a book, and lonely feelings in the cold dark rain with no sight whatsoever. I can’t even imagine how mentally strong you would have to be, to be a sniper. You would have to sit around all day waiting for action, and after it comes you have to be able to deal with the extreme images of war playing over in your head.

A part I really liked in the book was when he talked about when he was scoping an area for the enemy and saw an enemy sniper looking straight at him through his scope. Other than that this book wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be. The book is told by Jack Coughlin so there aren’t any special adjectives to spice up the action of the war. It gets kind of boring when he talks about all the little components of war. I was hoping there would be more action, and more descriptive words than there were. I didn’t really like this book because I don’t like reading, and it takes a lot of action to hold my attention. If you like history and war then you might like this book though I don’t recommend. If you like a lot of action like me then you probably won’t like this book.

Wicked (Book Review)

Wicked by Gregory Maguire was written in 1996 to contradict the oh-so-popular story, “The Wizard of Oz.” Pretty much everyone knows the story. But Maguire thinks of the potential behind the common ‘good versus evil’ storylines. How would the story look from the Wicked Witch of the West’s point of view? That right there was enough to grab my attention. I bought this book on one of my trips this year at the airport because I needed something to read on the plane ride back home and I knew that I would be going to see the Broadway musical when it came to Kansas City this spring.
It starts off with the birth of Elphaba, a.k.a. the Wicked Witch of the West, to a minister and his wife living in a little shack and after she has her emerald colored baby she becomes unfaithful. Then it skips to when Elphaba is older and going to school at Shiz and is roommates with Galinda, the Good Witch. The book follows her through her schooling and dealing with different problems in Oz and the Emerald City. The reader gets to witness how she breaks out of her shell, makes friends, finds love and rebels against that which she believes is wrong, like so many heroes in stories, but Elphaba doesn’t get recognized for what she does. It was really fun to see what might have been going on behind the storyline in this tale that we all know and love.
I really liked this book because it was funny and showed that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover because there could be something great underneath the wrapping. I was confused a lot by some of the stuff that he would talk about, like the difference between ‘animals’ and ‘Animals’ and some of the other issues that went on throughout the book. But the emotions Maguire conveyed, like shame, betrayal, jealousy, accomplishment, happiness, friendship and love, were completely recognizable because we all have felt them before. It was also pretty confusing with some of the words that he made up, but I guess that’s the whole point since it is a make believe place. But besides the confusion and the length of the book I would definitely recommend it to everyone.

21: Bringing Down the House (Book Review)

21: Bringing Down the House was wrote by Ben Mezrich. I chose this book because I saw the movie 21. The movie was wrote from the book. I really liked the movie because it showed the ups and down of gambling and a hint of how to card count. Also I picked this book because I like blackjack and someday when I turn twenty one I would like to go to Vegas and win a bunch.. I think it is interesting how people are smart enough to count card and they make enough to where they don't have to have a job. Also I wanted to read about card counting. Many times the book says its not illegal because you don't alter or change the game at all.

The book starts out when Kevin Lewis is chosen by two of his M.I.T. dropout friends (Martinez and Fisher) to take part in a card counting team. He is introduced to Micky Rosa, the soul of the team. Micky, Fisher and Martinez teach him to card count, the language, and the signs. Once they think he is ready they start him off as a spotter. A spotter is a guy who finds a hot deck and tells the BP (Big Player) when to come in. Kevin moves his way up to Big player very quickly. Now him and his teammates are living the great life in V.I.P. suites for free in Vegas each weekend. Soon enough they decide to expand and invite three more players. Things continue to go well until the team decides they don't need Micky Rosa's investment anymore because he was taking to much profit. They tell him they don't want him anymore and deep down he is mad but he doesn't show it. The team begins to play without him and they are doing better then ever until they start getting kicked out of every casino they walk into with in fifteen minutes. Someone from M.I.T. has ratted out the team and now they are in everybody's system as card counters. They try new casinos and still get busted. It never really tells who ratted on them but I have an idea but I will not spoil it for you!

I thought this book was amazing. In times it had so much suspense I couldn't even set it down. I'm really interested in card counting, it sounds like quite an adventure. Plus I like to gamble when I can, and am looking forward to the casinos when I hit of age. I like the way he described Vegas, it sounds like a very fun place to be. I can't imagine what it would be like to be a high roller and get V.I.P. suites and basically anything I want. On the downside I think it would be very scary to be kicked out of a casino. I would recommend this book to anybody who likes blackjack, Vegas, card counting, or just playing cards. This really is a great book.

Eragon (#4)

"'What are you doing here?' blurted Eragon.  Angela folded her hands in her lap.  'Well, why don't you sit on the floor and I'll tell you?  I'd offer you a chair, but I'm sitting on the only one.' Questions buzzed through Eragon's mind as he settled between two flasks of acrid bubbling green potions." (435)

I'm with Eragon one this one.   What is she doing in the Varden.  I just assumed that she was simply just the figure the author was using for foreshadowing, not an important character.  At least am assuming she is more important now because of her reappearance.  After Angela and Solembum were first introduce in Teriem, I figured they would never be heard of again.  Apparently I was mistaken because he they are now in the midst of every important thing happening right now.  This very odd and strangely interesting character now has a great influence on what is about to happen just by being there I can tell.  I am also suspecting that since she is a bit mysterious and always working with potions, she may have more power than just mixing things.  This story just keeps getting more interesting.

Impulse (review)

This is a different book than what I have been doing post for and that is because I didn’t finish reading my book in time and therefore I wouldn’t be able to provide an adequate summary. The book that I am posting a summary on I finished reading right before we started doing the independent reading so it’s still pretty fresh in my mind.
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Title: Impulse
Genre: Fiction – coming of age – for teens
Before I read the book Impulse I knew nothing about it, although I have read every other book by the author so I was very excited to see that she had another book out. I really like Ellen’s book so I was definitely looking forward to reading it. And in the end it fell short of nothing.
The summary:
One thing you should know about this book before I carry on: Instead of chapters the author uses people, every “chapter” is a different point of view from a different character. And the story shows how each character gets to know each other.
The story is about three teens coming together: Tony, Vanessa, and Conner. They are three totally different people living in three totally different worlds but they have one thing in common, and that is Aspen Springs psychiatric hospital for people who have attempted suicide.
Vanessa is a cutter. She lives with her grandma and her brother because her mom has issues and her dad is in the war. She ended up in aspen springs because she cut herself in the bathroom but this time she cut to deep and her brother found her in a blood stained bath tub.
Tony is a pill popper. He lives with his mom who prostitutes herself for money, and his dad ran away a long time ago. He’s suffered problems with all of his moms boyfriends and thinks that’s the reason why he suffers from sexual confusion. He’s basically had a really tough childhood and when his lost father says enough is enough he pays for his stay in Aspen Springs.
Conner grabbed the gun. Connor comes from a rich family and is always being compared to his older sister. Nothing he does is good enough for his parents and they get especially mad when they find out his has an obsession with older woman. The day his mom comes home and finds his Calvin cline shirt and his body covered in blood from a shot to the heart is when he finds himself on a trip to Aspen springs.
The story itself consist of them all meeting up in aspen springs and once they all hit a certain level At the hospital they can go on a camping trip and that’s when all the trouble starts and an up expected turn takes its worse for conner.
All in all I really liked this book; it was a very nice read. All of her books appear really thick because of her spacing, and she uses a lot of fragment sentences which I like. I would recommend this book for teens who are going through the same problems, if your having a hard time with life this is a good book to relate to.

Uglies (review)

Scott Westerfeld was born in Texas in 1963, and now splits his time between New York and Sydney, Australia. He has written many science fiction novels including his Midnighters trilogy, the Uglies trilogy, and another set of standalone novels set in contemporary New York. In this first installment of the Uglies trilogy, Westerfeld sets a standard for a series that’s sure to be exciting, intriguing, and addicting.
Tally Youngblood was born in a world where everyone past 16 is supermodel gorgeous. At your 16th birthday, you get an operation that gives you flawless skin, hair, teeth, and a perfect body. As can be expected, Tally is very excited to reach her 16th. All her friends are disappearing as they turn 16 before her and move to New Pretty Town. With just a couple months left until her birthday, she makes a new friend named Shay who doesn’t really want to get the operation. A couple nights before Tally’s birthday, Shay tells Tally that she is going to run away to the Smoke, a place where “uglies” go when they don’t want to get the operation, and invites Tally to come too. Tally refuses and has to watch one of her friends leave her forever. Now Tally’s ready to get the operation. But when she goes in, someone from the mysterious Special Circumstances tells her that she can’t get the operation until she goes to the Smoke and gives up the small community of rebels to the government of Tally’s city. Using coded instructions from Shay, Tally sets off into the wild by herself; ready and willing to betray her friend and a whole little city of uglies. However, when she gets there, she finds that these people aren’t just a bunch of wild uglies. They are people too who have families and know the secret about the operation. When Tally learns the secret, she decides where her real loyalties lie, but when she makes a gesture of allegiance to the Smoke, everything comes falling down around her. Now she has to decide what to do to save this place that she considers home and the people inside it. The shocking climax will have you on the tip of your seat, eager for the 2nd book in the series: Pretties.
This book has many aspects that every book should have: internal conflict, exciting chase scenes that keep the pages turning, a love story, and above all, a plot that really makes you think about right, wrong, loyalty, and priorities. I recommend this book to everyone over about 12, or for anybody who likes thought-provoking stories.

The Road (Book Review)

The Road is written by Cormac McCarthy, and is fiction that has an air of science fiction to it. The book is about a man and his son, who are living years later in a post-apocalyptic world and the setting is in the United States. Everything is destroyed, burned, and ravaged through. The main characters are a man and his son who are nameless and that’s how they are referred to throughout the book. They are left with nothing except for a cart of some food, supplies, and the clothes on their back. The man and the boy are trying to make their way towards the South, because the winter in the North is just too cold too handle without heat. There is barely any food left and even less people. Many have died of starvation, but most have died because of the tragic event that occurred. On their way South on the road (which is the highway), they encounter challenges, such as starvation, illness, and even cannibals. Every single day they are cautious about their surroundings and watchful for lawless groups that roam the road and attack, and sometimes eat, people, in able to steal whatever that person has left on them. The man and the boy were lucky enough to find some sort of foodstuff, which kept them alive. Their journey leads the man to question his beliefs and understandings, but most of all, it brings the man and his son closer together. Their love is the only thing helping them fight through their struggles. The end of this book is saddening and also a bit surprising.

This was a really great book. It is a frightening depiction of what life would be like if ever such an event like the one portrayed in the book happened. The author, McCarthy, has a unique style of writing that does take getting used to. One of his gifts is his way of describing and giving the reader every single little detail of the landscape around the main characters. His use of words creates vivid and alarming images that makes the reader feel as though they are standing right there and seeing those same surroundings. This book was a real page-turner and I enjoyed reading it.

I would recommend this book to mature people. The journey the man and his son are on is both stirring and chilling. Parts of it are gory and yet real. I chose this book because I heard that it was really good, filled with adventure, twisted action, and had beautiful and haunting words. When I finished this book, it had fulfilled all of its’ hype. McCarthy’s writing makes the reader pay close attention to the details and the meanings of the text, and leaves them wanting more.

Eragon (#3)

"Eragon reached for his power, but the robed man said in a sharp, dangerous voice, 'Stop! If you use magic, I'll kill your lovely friend here, who was so kind as to mention you're a Rider.  Don't think I know if you're drawing upon it.  You can't hide anything from me.' Eragon tried to speak, but the man snarled and press the dagger harder against Murtagh's throat.  'None of theat! If you say or do anything I don't tell you to he will die.  Now, everyone inside.' He backed into the tunnel, pulling Murtagh with him and keeping his eyes on Eragon." (377).

I know this do works for the good guys, but I can't stop thinking that something is wrong with him.  He just doesn't seem that trustworthy.  Especially after his physical description, action, and the fact that he is a twin with a brother that is exactly like him.  Later you find out he has some authority and power in the Varden and that worries me.  I can just tell right now that either they will both turn on the Varden later or cause serious problems for Eragon, if not both.  This is another example of the authors use of foreshadowing, I believe.  That still remains to be determined but I'm pretty sure my assumptions are correct. guess i will just have to wait and find out. 

Eragon Review

The strange thing about this book is I never really had the intention to read it. I picked it out just by chance. I ran through five other books on the list, but the library was out of all those books. Eragon caught my eye and I remembered my friends telling me it was a good book and that a movie was made about it. So I grabbed it and began reading.
The journey begins with fifteen-year-old Eragon hunting in the Spine, a dangerous forest that the town of Carvahall is afraid of. Right as he is about to capture a dear with an arrow to the chest, a flash of light explodes from where the dear stood. In that spot a mysterious blue stone appears. The stone later turns out to be a dragon egg and the female sapphire dragon is born. Eragon later names her Saphira and raises her in secret. Eragon is forced to flee his home in Carvahall after guardian Garrow his slain by the Ra’zac, a vicious and mysterious race. Eragon and the town story teller Brom set out to avenge Garrow’s death and begin their hunt for the Ra’zac. Along their journey, Eragon finds out Brom was also a dragon rider as he is now. Brom slowly begins training Eragon in the ways of swordsmanship and magic. In the town of Terim, Eragon meets an herbalist by the name of Angela, who foretells his dangerous and eventful future. When Eragon and Brom finally reach the secret location of the Ra’zac, they are captured during the night. A fellow exile by the name of Murtagh rescues Eragon and Saphira, but Brom is slain in the commotion. Heart stricken, Eragon sets out to find the secret group known as the Varden, who oppose the tyrannical rule of King Galbatorix. Along the way, Eragon is captured once again by a Shade. With the help of Murtagh and Saphira, they are able to escape the Shade’s grasp and save a severely wounded elf. With the dangerous empire following the four, they set out for the Varden in attempt to gain safety. This trip leads to battles and journey’s that none of them see coming. But I will just let you find those out for yourself.
In my opinion, Eragon was and excellent book. It was full of danger, adventure, and humor throughout the whole book. It was very well written with very elaborate and detailed descriptions. I enjoyed the story so much it forced me to read the second book in the series and shake in anticipation for the third and final book. This book appeals to a wide range of people beyond the typical medieval mythology reader. This is a great read for almost anyone.

Wise Guy ( Review )

Henry Hill was twelve when he first got introduced to the mafia, which happened by complete accident. He had no clue what his life would eventually lay out to be, but being a Wise Guy was all that mattered. Wise Guy is the events of Henry’s life told through Nicholas Pileggi’s interview with him, which took place in a remote location.

Henry and his family live in Brownsville-East New York; Henry’s parents were middle class people just trying to make due with the hard times of 1956. His father had always been raised on the morals of hard work, so at eleven he forced Henry to look for work. Luckily just across the street from where they lived was a cabstand ran by the Varios’. From the moment the Varios found out the Henry has half Sicilian they embraced him as their own son.

As of that moment Hill’s life would be flooded with arson, extortion, and murder. Seeming like the most sever of crimes to modern society, but to the mafia was nothing short of another day of work. This novel has kept me turning the pages till the final words. If you like graphic novels that put you in the scenes, then Wise Guy is defiantly something to read. Pileggi does a fantastic job bringing one man’s life into perspective for anyone who is willing to pick it up.

The mafia has always been a mystery to anyone not involved, but when Hill was pushed into the Witness Protection Program much of this hidden world was revealed. I encourage everyone to read this, to better understand a part of American history that is held by few, but affected millions.