Maya Angelou

Over the past few weeks I have recently had the fortune of reading some of the works and poems by Maya Angelou. After the first two poems I read by her I automatically knew that she was a very gifted artist. From her poems like "Phenomenal Woman" to "The Caged Bird" each poem told a new story from a different perspective. Maya Angelou was an activist during the Civil Rights movement as well as the Women's rights. In her biographical summary it talked about her having the pleasure of working with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. It is evident that many of the topics she writes about reflect many of her own personal experiences. I found that many of her poems speak of love, Women's rights and the hardships people face every single day. Many of the poems I have read in the past are usually hidden by several metaphors and deeper meanings. I could never seem to grasp the concept of the poem without taking hours to analyze it. Sometimes it is good to see a poem every now and then that does not waste anytime and is to the point. Readers can look at her poems and within the first few stanzas the main idea of the poem can be recognized. Maya Angelou is an amazing writer, activist, poet and all around person. Looking through different works of Maya Angelou I have come to appreciate poetry more. I fell in love with Maya Angelou's poems and I hope others will too.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Clary Fray grew up knowing a normal life, knowing nothing of her "dead" father and nothing of her mother's past. Clary's life changes one night at a club where she runs into three mysterious people, Jace, Isabelle and Alec, who slay someone right in front of her eyes. But why can no one else can see them, but her? Has she gone crazy? One of the people she met that night, the handsome character named Jace, finds her again and shows and tells her things she's never imagined. Things like demons, vampires, werewolves, fearies and more actually exist. She soon learns that she is a Shadowhunter just like Jace, Isabelle and Alec, who hold the duty of slaying demons to protect man kind. But demons aren't her only problem. Her best friend gets kidnapped by vampires, her mom is missing, her home has been invaded by unknown creatures, she has been attacked more than once, and it turns out that her father isn't dead after all. Is he the one behind it all? And why?

I would recommend this book to anyone that likes to read about anything mythical. Cassandra Clare keeps the reader on the edge and keeps them guessing. She does a great job in describing the make believe things she writes about. You will fall in love with her characters and this book entirely.

Monster, 1959

This hilarious but serious book is a basic retelling of the King Kong story, but with a sympathetic, neanderthal-like character as the monster. Named K. this creature has, like King Kong, lived on a secluded island. In this version, however, K. get some sort of vague explanation as to how he came into being, since the neighboring islands had been testing sites for atomic bombs, therefore dousing K.'s island with radiation. As the story progresses, the simple minded K. is monsternapped, taken on a touring circus show around the late 50's world of the United States, and ultimately ends up perched on top of the Statue of Libery after a chase through the city. As in King Kong, K. becomes fascinated with a female character, Betty, although in his mind, it is a vague, primordial feeling of importance, and not actual beastly lust. The entire story is written in such a way that it paints the events of the 50's into an interesting, almost modern sense, and I sometimes found myself having to remind myself that these were past events, and not current events. All in all it's an interesting, well written, serious story with numerous funny parts that all come together to present a retelling of the calssic King Kong story.

The Kite Runner

Khaled Hosseini's novel The Kite Runner is a story that contains Amir, the main character, who tells us that a kite running contest in the winter of 1975 changed his life forever. This contest still haunts him and that it involves something he did to Hassan, whom he calls "the harelipped kite runner." Amir takes us back to his childhood, in the final decades of the monarchy in Afghanistan. His father, Baba, was one of the wealthiest and most charitable Pashtun men in Kabul, where they lived in the Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood. His mother died in childbirth. Amir's closest friend, the harlipped Hassan, was also his servant and a Hazara. He was very close to his father, Ali, who was Baba's servant.

After Amir had cut the last opponent's kite, the kite fell far away. Amir then asked Hassan to go and get it. While Hassan was looking for the kite, Hassan ran into Assef, a big bully, and got raped by him. Amir was watching all of that, and he didn't do anything to stop it. This event led to develop guilt in Amir's heart. After a couple of months, Amir and his dad , Baba, moved to the U.S. because the Taliban took over Aghanistan. Hassan then gets married and has a child of his own, he nemed him Sohrab. the Taliban hated Hazaras, so they killed Hassan and hist wife, but Sohrab ended up in an orphanage. After a couple of years, Amir got married, and went back to visit Afghanistan. He found Sohrab, Hassan's son. Somehow he found out that Hassan was his half brother. Amir then decides to adapt Sohrab, since he doesn't have a child of his own, and make up for the horrible things he had don to his half brother, Hassan.

This book is a really good book. It is a story about a young boy around 10 years old who gets abused by his mother. This book is very sad because of the large amount of detail that the author puts into it. There are times when the boy is telling his story that I could almost get sick because of how graphic it is. This book, however, really helps me see how much things I take for granted in my life. These things make me appreciate the simple things in life so much more. The little boy in the story is a very strong boy. He endures so much pain physically, mentally, and emotionally. When I read this story, it makes me realize that if a little fragile child can survive abuse, then I can get through any problem that I may come across.

Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire by Steve Perry

Shadows of the Empire takes place in between Episodes five and six of the Star Wars Trilogy. After the events in The Empire Strikes Back, Luke, Leia, Lando, and Chewbacca are making efforts to track down Boba Fett and rescue Han. In their search for Boba Fett, they encounter Dash Rendar, a hotshot smuggler pilot. He aids them in their search, and gets caught up in events to come. Meanwhile Luke is honing his Jedi skills and constructing his lightsaber, working towards becoming a Jedi Knight.

There is a new foe standing before them now who also poses a threat to Darth Vader, the Falleen Prince Xizor. He is the head of the largest criminal organization in the galaxy, known as Black Sun. Xizor plans to kill Luke in order to decrease Vader’s position with the Emperor and take it for himself. He is a cunning antagonist, who even Vader is wary of.

Overall, this is a great book in my opinion. Almost anyone can pick it up and read it right away, even if you haven't seen any of the Star Wars movies. I would however suggest that someone wanting to read the book watch part of the Original trilogy so they may have a better understanding of it.

“A Raisin in the Sun”

“A Raisin in the Sun” is a play written by Lorraine Hansbury explaining how difficult life once was for African Americans in the 1950s. The main characters are Walter, Ruthe, Travis, Beneatha, and Lena. All of the main characters live in a small and crowded apartment where they are forced to share a restroom with their neighbors. The following characters Ruth, Walter, and Lena are all employed but still barely have enough to survive. Walter and Ruthe are the parents of Travis and only want the best for him. Travis sleeps in the living room at night due to the lack of money that the family makes. Lena is the mother of Beneatha and Walter. Lena’s husband recently died leaving his insurance to his family. No sooner than the money arrived, Walter and Beneatha already made plans to spend it. Walter planned on spending the money on pursuing his dream, and opening a liquor store. Beneatha planned to pay for medical store. The only conflict with Walters dream is that no one believed that he should spend his father’s insurance money in such a way. This is an example of a dream deferred. When the family received the money, everyone expected their own share of it. Being the responsible one of the family, Lena took the money and bought a house. The only problem is that they weren’t wanted in this neighborhood. With all of the racial tension taking place at this time, this became a conflict for them. Although this was a conflict they still moved in to the house of theirs. As a responsible unselfish mother, Lena gave Walter his money for his liquor store and told him to store Beneathas share in the bank. Walter was stunned that she even trusted him with the money, but he still let her down. Walter gave all of the money to Willy Harris, thinking that he’ll make it all back plus more with his business going. It was just then that his dream was deferred. Willy Harris stole Bobo and his money. Although this happened the family did not let this stop them from moving in their house.

PEOPLE magazine review

Okay..

We all have a favorite celeb, that we either idolize or favor, a band that we just can’t get enough of, and a favorite TV show that keeps us watching it 24/7. THE People magazine is something that defines that sort of interest. I can’t get enough of the fun articles and the updates on new bands or music artists. PEOPLE really does hit the spot with me. They may criticize on the wardrobe of some celebs but they still give all the back up and info you crave. If you have a favorite celeb look you want to mirror or achieve, PEOPLE will most likely have the solution, especially if you are dying to hear about an upcoming marriage from a celeb which you may admire. They have it all: Celeb marriages/breakups/affairs, celeb wardrobe looks and runway shots, immediate updates on new or current TV shows/movies/radio shows/ bands, articles on random famous celebs including private interviews with them, and even updates on current disasters in the world. You name it, it is a 99% chance PEOPLE will have it. Oh, they have horoscopes as well! very fun, maybe your favorite celeb or celeb crush might just be the same zodiac sign as you. You find out. So just read it!

The Giver, by Lois Lowry

Anyone would want to live in a society where there was no violence, poverty, prejudice, or injustice; a perfect world where nothing bad happened and everyone got along. Or would they? Jonas is a 12 year old boy living in a peaceful, Utopian community where every family consists of a mother, father, daughter, and son. However, everyone is the same. They follow strict laws throughout their entire life, and are assigned their lifelong career at the age of just 12 years old. Each family unit is required to share their personal feelings and dinner, and they take pills to take away emotion. When it is time for Jonas to receive his career, his is not like any other. He has the “capacity to see beyond”, and he sees color, which no one else can. Because of this Jonas is assigned to be the “Receiver of Memory”, and The Giver telepathically gives him memories of things eliminated from his world. Jonas’s world quickly falls downhill. Why had emotion and meaning been eliminated from the lives of everyone? Jonas struggles with this and becomes determined to bring truth back into the world. Read The Giver, by Lois Lowery to find out what happens!

Garden of Rama

In the year 2124 a alien ship comes within close orbit of earth. As it passes by it does not stop but rather keeps going. In 2146 it swings close again, but this time a ship is sent out to intercept it. But when the cosmonauts don't come back earth sends its most powerful weapon to destroy it, a nuclear phalanx. The people of earth think its destroyed. But when it comes back a third time the people of earth react more rationally. in a tale of intense action, family love, and earth shattering space travel three cosmonauts travel across the void of space to an unknown destination.

Tears of a Tiger

Tears of a Tiger is a compelling story consisting of a phenomenal basketball team that endures in rigorous activities. One day after a basketball game Robert Washington, the star athlete and team captain, decides to go out after the game. He is with three of his closest friends, including his best friend Andy. They were supposed to go get something to eat after the game, and then go see their girlfriends who have patiently been waiting for them. But, they decide to buy some alcohol and drink before they pick up their girl friends. Robert is the driver and Andy is in the passenger seat. Robert becomes dizzy and looses consciousness and crashes into a side barrier on the highway. Robert dies. His friends and his basketball team are in horrific shock. The basketball team tries to help Andy morn the loss of his best friend, but the stress from Robert's death is too much to bear.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist By Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Nick O’Leary, a teenager from Hobroken, New Jersey, is heartbroken after his girlfriend, Tris breaks up with him. About two weeks later he is at a gig with his band and he spots her there with another guy. Nick tries to ignore her but just can't stand it. After he is done playing, he goes offstage and runs into a girl named Norah and asks, "I know it sounds weird but, Will you be my girlfriend for the next five minutes?" Norah is stunned. Since Norah has nothing to loose she kisses him to show she said yes. After that kiss, the two begin to have feelings for each other within the first minute. That is where their journey begins. But there is a secret that somebody isn't telling the other, will that disturb their relationship? This book is a very unique book. The vocabulary is retro and fun. All the idea's that are thought, all the words that are said between the characters are hilarious. I really enjoyed reading this book, and hope to read more from the same author. I would recommend it to anyone.

Native Son

Anti-heros live all around us, but what about in the 1950's? Native Son is a great book, it is a depression set novel in Chicago. The main character Bigger Thomas goes through three dramatic chapters of devastation and tragedy, fear, flight, and fate. This novel draws you in from cover to end. Beginning from a simple job, working in the Dalton's home to a dramatic twist of murder. Bigger is not trying to be caught in the Mr. Dalton's daughter's room, Mary. So he decides to cover her mouth with a pillow, which leads to her murder. He goes further to enter Mary's body into the basement furnace. All seemed well until the inhalation of the smokes ashes from the furnace rises throughout the Dalton's home, when two FBI agents come to investigate the unanimous disappearance of Mary. The ashes and a ring given to Mary by her mother was discovered and sent to run for DNA matches.

Bigger knows he will get caught and hung if they find him so he decides to flee, which begins the chapter called "Flight". Bigger gets his girlfriend Bessie involved and they tell the Dalton family that Mary was kidnapped and ask for ransom money. The police are already on to Bigger at this time, because he also disappeared, due to his fear of being caught.

Bessie and Bigger are on the run to find shelter. When they finally find an abandoned apartment complex Bigger decides to kill Bessie with a brick and throw her out the window into the snow. Bigger does this because Bessie no longer wants to be apart of Bigger's problems. After a few days the police finally catch Bigger on a rooftop, where the fate of his future lies.

This book is a thrill quencher, as much as the suspense of the novel draws you in, you do not want Bigger to caught. Does he really get caught and or killed? That is a question for you to answer when you read this book

City of Ember

The City of Ember is a book about a underground city that was built to shelter refugees in the event of a apocalyptic war. The people in the city were sent down there before the war even started and were given everything that they would need for hundreds of years. Over time the people forgot about the surface and came to believe that they were above ground but there was no natural light. two hundred years later they are running out of supplies and their generator is breaking down. the people of Ember have no knowledge of how to fix it and don't realize that they are underground. To find out more about this riveting tale visit your local library or bookstore today!

Seventeen Magazine review

If you’re thirsty for details & tips on how to get the right look for prom or maybe even a dance at your local school, Seventeen Magazine is for you.
If you are craving tips on how to get great make up looks or perfect Hairdo, Seventeen Magazine is DEFINITELY for you. Seventeen is a wonderful magazine to read at just about any age, a consumer rating for that category suggested this magazine for ages “15 +”. The articles that this catalog provides are phenomenal, with great tips for both you’re life & past/present/future relationships. Horoscopes are a big hit in this magazine as well, they are completely fun and entertaining to read. I get a shipment of this magazine weekly, so i dig right into the horoscopes page, first thing! Seventeen was also a top hit seller for almost over 2 years! it also provides fashion tips, celebrity gossip/interviews, Health/sex/fitness guide, Hair/skin/makeup tips, Dating advice, College + Career help & tips, and lots of more fun and exciting stuff! This is one of the best teen magazines I've read yet. It gives you opportunities, give-away gifts, and prizes to everyone who subscribes to their magazine. I guarantee this magazine will become a 5 star rating from YOU! So if your interested in any of the fun qualities that this magazine obtains, go to your local quick shop, drug store, or even your favorite apparel department and 'Seventeen' is guaranteed to show up!


Click this link to explore the virtual world of Seventeen magazine!

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

"The Kite Runner" is a fiction book that provides information about how the Taliban changed many lives in the country of Afghanistan. The author of this book is Khaled Hosseini. In Afghanistan there are two classes. There are the Pashtuns which are higher class citizens, and the Hazaras which are the lower class citizens. The Hazara citizens are usually mistreated on a daily bases because of their race. They are servants for the Pashtuns in this country. The main characters are Amir, Hissan, Baba, Ali, and Rahim Khan. Baba, the father of Amir, believed that every sin is a variation of theft. This statement made by Baba makes him seem very hypocritical because all of Amir's life Baba lied to him. He never told him that Hissan and Amir were brothers. This event alone causes everyone problems throughout the entire book. If Amir would've known that Hissan was his brother, he wouldn't have let Assef rape him. This story is unique because it shows how the protagonist and he antagonist can change or it can be one person. The Author of this book Khaled Hosseini provides his readers with much detail. For example during the event when Amir and Assef fought you can imagine how bad Amir looked afterwards.

Born Blue by Han Nolan

Born Blue is about a girl named Janie being sold for drugs for her mom who is a heroin addict. When she was little her mother tried to drown her in the ocean. Later she gets put into a foster home and makes a best friend named Harmon. Harmon only has one thing his father left him which was a old shoe box with only a few old tapes which was what Janie called "the ladies" who she would listen to with Harmon and eventually sing to. She only truly loved two things; to sing along with "the ladies" and Harmon. One day Harmon gets adopted and leaves Janie all alone with one of her favorite tapes. After Harmon leaves, her mother kidnaps her and sells her to a different family for heroin. That day is when Janie's journey begins to find her Harmon and become a famous singer. I loved this book. It starts out a little bit slow but when it speeds up it is very interesting and keeps you reading nonstop. the plot of this story is fantastic and proves to me that anything can happen.

The Gospel According to Larry, by Janet Tashjian

The Gospel According to Larry, by Janet Tashjian, is about a seventeen year old boy named Josh Swensen simply trying to find his place in the world. His life goal is to make a difference in the world, but does not want the fame that comes with it. He creates an alter ego, Larry, and makes a website named thegospelaccordingtolarry.com, where he “preaches” his strong beliefs in anti-consumerism and how to make the world a better place, despite the fact that his father has a career in advertising. He becomes very confident that no one will ever know his true identity, and even his best friend Beth who he has been secretly in love with for years does not know he is Larry. However, Josh’s life seems to come crashing down as his website gets attention from celebrities and someone under the cyber name “Betagold” threatens to find out who he really is. It seems like everyone but Josh wants Larry exposed, and he knows exposing him would destroy everything. After reading this book, I would have thought it was based off of a real person had it not been marked as fiction. It is written with the author actually meeting Josh in a parking lot and asking her to publish his story. This book really promotes Henry David Thoreau’s philosophy of simplicity, and referenced him throughout the book. Josh himself owns only seventy-five items, and gets rid of an item when he gets a new one. The message of anti-consumerism really got me thinking, and this story reveals the true selfishness of the human race. If you want to find out what happens to Josh/Larry, or get inspired to make a difference, I strongly encourage you to read this book. It has an action-packed ending with an ironic twist!

Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

When I first read the back cover of the Kite Runner, all I saw were flattering reviews of a book claimed to be a good story of modern Afghanistan. Yet the story is far from a simple novel regarding the Middle East. Kite Runner covers the themes of betrayal, love, father and son, man's humanity to man and many others. The story revolves around the privileged life of Amir, the narrator, and his friend Hassan. The cast system between the two boys becomes more evident as the years pass, despite the fathers Baba and Ali (Amir and Hassan's respectively) being childhood friends for years. Amir is always jealous of Baba's love for Hassan, and at one point in the story, Hassan eventually turns out to be the sacrificial lamb. Without spoiling the story or plot characters, it would be safe to say that Kite Runner is everything good that the reviews mentioned. As an honest human being, I must say I was not intrigued at first, yet the book drew me in with considerable ease after the second page. This paltry review cannot do any justice to the great book Kite Runner is, as well as the emotions it will bring to rise. Your media-fed perception of Afghanistan and the Middle East will be shattered. Humanity, sorrow and memories persist from the land of birth, far to the reaches of America, as well as the orphaned seed of a murdered friend.

Homeland by R.A. Salvatore

Homeland is about the beginnings of the drow Drizzt Do’Urden, as well as the prequel to the Icewind Dale Trilogy, and his life in the Underdark city of Menzoberranzan, the home of the evil drow (dark elves). Drizzt Do’Urden is the third son to Matron Malice of House Do'Urden. The Weapons Master of House Do'Urden Zaknafein, his father, gave him weapons training as well as reinforcing Drizzt’s morals with that of his own. His moral code does not allow him to act as other dark elves, in that they would selfishly turn on allies and enemies alike for their own desires, while he wouldn’t.
Over the rest of the story, he faces many challenges regarding his morals and his race. Drow society revolves around their deity, the evil spider queen Lolth, with females being dominant over males in their matriarchal structure. Males typically play the role of the soldier or mage, while females become priestesses to Lolth and/or in powerful positions in their society. They endlessly plot to murder their rivals and enemies to obtain whatever they desire, with the more powerful figures being more apt to be the targets. Overall, this is a great book for the beginning of one of the best series of books I've ever read.