Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

           The first (and best) book I read over the summer was, Pretty Little Liars, by Sara Shepard. I also read the next seven books in the Pretty Little Liars series, Flawless, Perfect, Unbelievable, Wicked, Killer, Heartless and Wanted. Although it seemed like each book in the series got better and more intense, this one is where it all began. The four main characters, also known as the Pretty Little Liars, include Spencer Hastings, Aria Montgomery, Hanna Marin and Emily Fields. But they have a secret; in the summer they were going into eighth grade, their other best friend and leader, Alison DiLaurentis, mysteriously disappeared! None of the girls know how it happened, but are they just saying that to cover up? No one can be sure with all the secrets, lies and mysteries floating around picture perfect Rosewood. Then, the girls start receiving mysterious letters, texts and emails from “A”, revealing all of their past secrets and regrets. They are unaware what they have done to deserve all this and it’s tearing their worlds apart. Together they all must figure out who A is, put the pieces of their lives back together and try to forget about Alison’s horrible death.

This is a great book because its very vivid and detailed and the captivating mystery will leave you wanting more and more. Its really suspenseful and there’s always a weird unexpected twist to keep you on your toes. In this book, something that seems non-important can actually be a huge part of the plot and the fact that you wont know it until you read it makes it awesome. I recommend this book to all people because it's awesome.

My Summer Reading Blog

During the summer, I read the book called, Legacy of Lies, by Elizabeth Chandler. This is the first selection in a two book volume. Legacy of Lies is about a sixteen-year old girl, who gets an invite to her grandmother’s house for the first time in sixteen years. Megan, the main character, did not want to visit her. Even though she did not want to go, she went for her mom. Megan had to fly from Arizona all the way to Maryland. When she arrived, she had met many people. The ones she wanted to bond with were her grandma, and her new-found cousin, Matt. Mysterious things started to happen as weeks passed by. Objects were always misplaced; Megan was having bad dreams, flashbacks occurred. Everything was happening all at once. Could these incidents be happening because of Megan?

The author, Elizabeth Chandler, uses many writing techniques, such as mood, tone, setting, and voice to develop a suspenseful mystery. Her use of imagery created vivid descriptions and you can see and hear all the thoughts that are going through the characters’ minds. The author demonstrates this in the following passage: “The air was cold and damp down there; it held the darkness like a sponge. My eyes adjusted slowly to the bit of light that came from the doorway above. Suddenly I saw huge wheels, wheels with teeth, one wheel interlocking with the next, like the gears inside a clock. The largest was as tall as I.” (103). These are Megan’s thoughts about her dream, and the author makes me feel as if we have experienced this, as well. The author uses the simile,“The air… held the darkness like a sponge,” to convey the suspenseful mood of Megan’s dream.
One reason, the story is so effective in building a connection to the reader, is that the author tells the story in first person. It is Megan’s voice that leads us through the story: "It was the name he had written on my heart. I turned to look down at him. My foot slipped. Reaching out wildly, I grabbed hold of the pipe that propped open the door. For a moment it held me, then I felt its cold iron slide through my fingers, felt myself falling backwards. I heard a rushing sound in my ears and plunged into darkness"(190). Chandler's story is full of tension and excitement, not only because she is a talented writer, but also because of the choices she has made to tell her story.

This is a fantastic mystery with many plot twists and a full cast of characters. The author writes with great suspense and uses many literary devices to develop strong characters and descriptions. I would recommend this book to anyone. It has a plot that makes you want to keep reading and has many surprises!

The Last Shot, by John Feinstein, is an amazing novel. The story is about two children, Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson, who win a contest and get to go to the Final Four (College Basketball Finals).The Last Shot, by John Feinstein, is an amazing novel. The story is about two children, Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson, who win a contest and get to go to the Final Four (College Basketball Finals).

This book is being told in a 1^st person style, by Stevie and you know everything he thinks, says, or hears. The other main character, Susan Anderson, is someone who really cares about what she has to do. Her motto could easily be, “Work first, and fun later.” But, it is not that difficult to persuade her to do something. For the reason that she can be persuaded easily, she does a lot of exploring that Stevie wants to do. Also, Stevie likes to help people, but at the same time wants to have some fun with it. Relating back to Susan, Stevie is the one who is usually convincing her to do go and meet people that are famous.

The main conflict is Chip Graber, the Minnesota state basketball star, is being blackmailed. But, what makes it even more interesting is that nobody knows who the blackmailer is… not even Chip Graber. Chip is being threatened that, if he wins the championship, Chip would be stripped of the “Best Student Athlete of the Year Award.” His team would also be deprived of the championship that they had won in the previous year. The threat that was the worst for Chip was that his dad, the coach, would be fired.

As one conflict was getting worse, Stevie’s and Susan’s conflict was getting better. Something that changed over the duration of the book was the friendship of Stevie and Susan Anderson. At first, Stevie was a little bit jealous of Susan because, she was so good at reporting. Since she was so superior, it made Stevie look terrible. But when the two teenagers hang out they realize that they aren’t that different after all. I think what the author is trying to say is that; you have to overcome your problems to find an answer.

What John Feinstein does make this book amazing, is that he just drops people in the story. What I mean by that is a new character just comes out of nowhere. It wasn’t even foreshadowing. In spite of those reasons, The Last Shot an amazing book. What made me like the book even more was its genre, a sports –mystery. But even if you don’t like sports, or mysteries, The Last Shot is such an amazing book you would love it anyway. So, I would obviously recommend this book to anyone that is around being a teenager.

This book is being told in a 1^st person style, by Stevie and you know everything he thinks, says, or hears. The other main character, Susan Anderson, is someone who really cares about what she has to do. Her motto could easily be, “Work first, and fun later.” But it is not that difficult to persuade her to do something. For the reason that she can be persuaded easily, she does a lot of exploring that Stevie wants to do. Also, Stevie likes to help people, but at the same time wants to have some fun with it. Relating back to Susan, Stevie is the one who is usually convincing her to do go and meet people that are famous.

The main conflict is Chip Graber, the Minnesota state basketball star, is being blackmailed. But, what makes it even more interesting is that nobody knows who the blackmailer is… not even Chip Graber. Chip is being threatened that, if he wins the championship, Chip would be stripped of the “Best Student Athlete of the Year Award.” His team would also be deprived of the championship that they had won in the previous year. The threat that was the worst for Chip was that his dad, the coach, would be fired.

As one conflict was getting worse, Stevie’s and Susan’s conflict was getting better. Something that changed over the duration of the book was the friendship of Stevie and Susan Anderson. At first, Stevie was a little bit jealous of Susan because, she was so good at reporting. Since she was so superior, it made Stevie look terrible. But when the two teenagers hang out they realize that they aren’t that different after all. I think what the author is trying to say is that; you have to overcome your problems to find an answer.

What John Feinstein does make this book amazing, is that he just drops people in the story. What I mean by that is a new character just comes out of nowhere. It wasn’t even foreshadowing. In spite of those reasons, The Last Shot an amazing book. What made me like the book even more was its genre, a sports –mystery. But even if you don’t like sports, or mysteries, The Last Shot is such an amazing book you would love it anyway. So, I would obviously recommend this book to anyone that is around the age of a teenager.

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
Blog by: Fallon Sheridan

Well developed characters, a riveting plot with constant unexpected twists, and writing that will make you wish the book would never end are just some of the great aspects of Agatha Christie’s mystery, Death on the Nile.

Linnet Ridgeway, a beautiful and wealthy woman beyond imagination, receives a phone call from her long lost friend, Jacqueline de Bellefourt, asking to have a reunion. Ecstatic, Linnet agrees to meet Jackie, as well as contemplate the idea of giving Jackie’s fiancé a job at her new business. However, after the meeting, Linnet falls in love with Simon (Jackie’s fiancé), and the engagement switches from Jacqueline and Simon, to Linnet and Simon. Together, the new couple decides upon taking their honeymoon on a boat along the romantic Nile River in Egypt; however, along the way, they become conscious of the fact that Jackie is following them along the trip. Then, one night in the saloon aboard ship, Jacqueline gets a bit too drunk and shoots Simon Doyle in the leg. That same night, Linnet is shot in the head with no witnesses around. Suddenly, with airtight alibis, bribed witnesses, blackmail, and a web of lies, it becomes difficult for Monsieur Poirot, the detective on board, to unravel the facts of the case and narrow down the suspects.

Agatha Christie, besides setting the mood extremely well through word choice, does an excellent job of making the reader believe one thing, while the truth will turn out the be the exact opposite. Every discovery is eye-opening and jaw dropping, and every mystery, even the most minute, has you on the edge of your chair anxious to continue reading. Misleading the reader to make the outcome even more flabbergasting is just one amazing aspect of Christie’s writing. It truly makes the book more suspenseful.

Christie also does a fantastic job of using clues, especially red herrings, to keep you guessing until the very end. After all it is quite difficult to discover a culprit with weapons used from multiple different people aboard the ship! Also, over obvious clues, are also prominent and great aspects of the story. These could be considered similar to the technique of foreshadowing because they give you small hints as to whom the criminal could be (by realizing that over-obvious clues led you to believe that it could, or could not, be a specific person).

Along with the external conflict of “WHO COMMITTED THE MURDER?”, there is also internal conflicts among the characters such as jealousy (Jacqueline jealous of Linnet for stealing her true love), greed (when Linnet’s pearls are also found to be taken), and deception (where lies become so believable that you actually begin to deem them as the truth). So much suspense and suspicion keeps you on this nail biting adventure until the very end.

Although it is an obvious choice, the discovery of the murderer is definitely a highlight of the story, because the whole adventure of the story leads up to this one person. Also, the attempted homicide of Linnet is a highlight as well, because one of the main characters comes within inches of death. As you can imagine, an almost homicide is a breathtaking and shocking event. This event that transpires also foreshadows her actual homicide in the near future.

I would definitely, without a doubt, one hundred percent, recommend this book to others. It was truly a fantastic read that was hard to put down. In fact it got so good at points, that my hand was shaking just reading it. You could actually immerse yourself in the book and feel as if you were truly there, experiencing the dilemmas that those aboard were facing! Agatha Christie’s writing style is great, and Death on the Nile is a definite “must-read”!

Caleb Palley- Hitchhikers Giude to the Galexy

Over the summer I read the book the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. The book is about a lonely guy who doesn’t like life to much. This characters name is Arthur. One day his house is being destroyed so the government could build a new highway over pass where his house is standing. After a breakfast at a bar with his friend Ford, Arthur comes home to see his house demolish. While this all is going on an alien spaceship fly’s over head and tells the humans that there planet is scheduled to be destroyed to build a new space highway. As it turns out Ford is actually an alien too. So at the last second before earth is destroyed, Ford waves a white flag witch is the space hitchhikers symbol. So he and Arthur are abducted on to the ship destroying earth. After this Arthur and Ford went through many adventures like being lunched out of a spaceship into space and traveling around in a ship ran by probability. They also went to planet that has been dormant for 2000 years was awoken to build a new Earth.

I think this was a very good book and I would recommend it to others. I think if you are looking for a great science fiction story with a deep meaning and lots of symbolism this would be the book for you. I think this was a good choice for me for my summer reading. It wasn’t too hard to read but it also wasn’t that easy. It was more of a small challenge but sometimes it is good to go out of your reading comfort zone.

By Caleb Palley

Mr. Marcus English 8 NoahKanwal 9/27/10

This summer, I read Catching Fire (the sequel to The Hunger Games)by Suzanne Collins. In this wonderful fantasy, North America is divided into twelve districts, known as Panem. In the first book, Katniss, the main character, takes her sister’s place in the Hunger Games. These games are a cruel set of challenges where one boy and one girl from each of the twelve districts fight to the death in an arena. Katniss and her co competitor, Peta, make it out of the Hunger Games as the only two victors. In the beginning of Catching Fire, things are going OK until the capital makes an unorthodox decision to have every victor from every district compete to the death in an arena. This cruel decision sends everything spiraling out of control and leaves Katniss with the decision to abandon everything she knows – her family, her sister and her best friend, Gale – or stay and fight for her life.

Conflict, whether it be internal or external, is a major element in this book. One external conflict is that the capital is torturing all the living victors of the Hunger Games by making them compete again against each other. Also, all of the districts are beginning to get fed up and uprise against the capital. In the arena, the way Katniss defies the capital affects every district. The internal conflict going on inside Katniss is that she knows Peta is in love with her, but she is not in love with him. She does not know who to love, between Peta and her best friend, Gale, who loves her also. Also, Katniss does not know whether or not she can pull through and survive the Hunger Games a second time. She knows that all of her competitors are worthy and they have proven it by winning.

Some of the most brilliant highlights from this story are in the games themselves. Katniss forms an alliance with some trustworthy victors and they watch each others’ backs which is very inspiring to me. Even when others around them were fighting and dying, characters in this story form friendships, have hope and do what they need to do in order to survive. Although many of the victors are old, they have huge reps, and egos that are impossible to imagine. One victor that Katniss takes a liking to is named Finnik. He is very charming and cries all of the time. But, his ego is huge. One of most significant parts of this story is how he treated Katniss like an adult in the arena. Another standout scene in this book is when Gale is being whipped. Later, Katniss never gives up on comforting him until he is strong. Gale is willing to give up his whole world for Katniss, and a couple of weeks of her time to heal him, almost makes him feel guilty.

The thing that is very unique about this writer’s style is that she can take a child, put her into a game to the death, and then still give her the same thoughts that a normal 16 year old girl would have. How she can make a trained killer, be also kind, sweet and beautiful, is amazing. The most common literary devices Collins uses are similes and metaphors. Many of the things that go on are so new to Katniss that all she can do is compare them to things she has seen before. Thus enters the similes. Imagery is a huge part of this book, because without it, I would feel no emotion reading it whatsoever. The way the author describes a child in pain or a cruel president out for blood almost makes me sick because I can picture it so clearly.

Although the ending of this book leaves you on a complete cliffhanger, and makes you wait on the edge of your seat until you read the next one, I would definitely recommend it. It includes many important lessons, such as not to take life for granted and home is where you hang your hat. I think I got a lot out of reading this book, and when I was finished, I was just a little bit smarter about the world and the way I should treat people. I will probably read this book again and again, and get different lessons out of it each time. Although it was just made up of paper and ink, what this book contained was very special to me.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

Over the summer I read the fantasy novel Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling. In the book the main character Harry, has to overcome many challenges both external and internal. The main external conflict is that Harry is competing in the Tri Wizard Tournament against the top students in the other wizarding schools and one from his own school. The main internal conflict is that Harry is competing in the tournament against top wizards from other schools that have a lot more experience than him. Harry has to be confident and participate with the best of his ability.

The main characters are Harry, because the story revolves around him. There is Ron and Hermione who are Harry’s best friends and constantly help him achieve what he is trying to accomplish. Another main character is Cedric Diggory; He is the other competitor from Harry’s school in the tournament. Two more main characters are Viktor Krum, who is the wizard representing his school in the wizard tournament and Fleur Delacour, representing her school. The last main character is Harry’s mortal enemy Lord Voldemort.

J.K. Rowling does a good job of using the literary device foil characters in the book. Many of the main characters act as foil characters towards Harry. Harry is competing against Viktor Krum, Fleur Delacour, and Cedric Diggory so they act as foil characters in the form of a challenge. Also Harry’s best friend Ron is also a foil character because he and Harry get into a fight so Harry has to find a way to win back his friendship. Rowling also uses the literary device of foreshadowing. In the story, Harry’s headmaster Dumbledore takes Harry back into one of his memories. The memory is of a court case and it shows Barty Crouch Jr. being convicted for using an illegal spell. This is significant and a form of foreshadowing because Barty Crouch Jr. becomes important towards the end of the book.

This novel is very unique. The Harry Potter series is one of a kind because it’s about wizards and witches in their own world right outside the non magical world. The events that happen in the wizarding world constantly have affects on the non magical world. Also the main characters are teenagers so it’s easy for most of the readers to connect and feel empathy for the main character.

There were many highlights in the story. The main parts were when Harry gets chosen to compete in the tri wizard tournament, when the other schools arrive at Hogwarts, the ball, the competitions, and the ending of the book.

I really liked this story. It is my second favorite Harry Potter book behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I highly recommend this book to people who like fantasy and magic but I suggest reading the books before it first. Also if you have seen the Harry Potter movies, the books are ten times better.