Category: Independent Reading

The Litigators, by John Grisham. This book is a legal thriller that focuses on 31-year-old David Zinc, a lawyer at a high-stress corporate job who quits his job for employment at a small, dubious law firm called Finley & Figg in Chicago. The book is based around a large class-action lawsuit against Varrick Labs who has developed a cholesterol-reducing drug. However, with further research into the drug, it became known that it was a propellant for heart-attacks in individuals who may take the drug.

“David had no choice. Continue, alone, and he would save the firm from the threat of sanctions, and probably malpractice as well. His only other option would be to demand a continuance and, when that was denied, refuse to participate in the trial.”

“Sure, it’s a deal.” (p. 375)

In this quotation, we see David start to lose his lawsuit regarding the Krayoxx drug. At this point of the case, his opponent basically had David cornered. The more that this case progressed, the more it just looked like David was starting to lose ground. This is the point in time where he realizes that the whole lawsuit with Varrick Labs is too weak. They have large corporate lawyers, and are incredibly close to shooting him down. As the end of the trial comes closer, David is forced to make a decision: Should he stick with his current, struggling firm, or should he walk away?

 

The Naturals (Killer Instinct) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, follows five teenagers with special abilities that are obtained from traumatic experiences. One of these teenagers is Dean, a 17 year old boy whose father is a serial killer. During his childhood, Dean had to stay silent and endure the killings, as well as the suffering of the victims, all while keeping his father’s actions secret. When a new string of murders seems connected to his father, Dean is forced to confront him for the first time in years.

“These hands, these eyes –

they’re nothing?”

“They’re everything.” Pg. 73

This moment is significant because, throughout their conversation, Dean often belittles himself, making it seem like he’s worthless or irrelevant. However, despite his father being a terrible person, he still makes sure Dean understands his worth. This citation shows how a family bond is strong and even though there might be some obstacles family has unconditional love.

In Uprooted, Naomi Novik tells a story of magic, danger, and personal growth that centers on the story of protagonist Agnieszka, the one chosen to serve the powerful wizard known as the “Dragon.” In a world threatened by an evil, corrupting force called the “Forest,” Agnieszka first takes on the role of the Dragon’s apprentice. She must come to terms with her own powers, as well as the mysteries of the Forest. The following passage comes at a pivotal moment when Agnieszka realizes the weight of the task at hand and the bond she is beginning to form with magic.

 “But it wasn’t magic that chose me. It was the Forest, and it would never let me go.” (p. 327)

What makes this quotation significant to me is how it reveals Agnieszka’s internal struggle that she is no longer simply the protagonist of her own story, she is now enmeshed in a larger narrative in which she must learn to wield her own power and confront the forces of the Forest. This quote encapsulates the central theme of Uprooted, which is the struggle between personal agency and larger forces. It highlights Agnieszka’s sense of responsibility and the gravity of the world. The idea that magic is not just a tool but a force that shapes destiny adds complexity to the novel’s exploration of power, destiny, and choice.

Throughout the book “Down and Out in Paris and London”, written by George Orwell, we are continuously reminded of the poor working and living Conditions in Europe at the time. Since this Book focuses on his own experience throughout the Great Depression, we get a first hand understanding of the miserable lives these people were living in. To get a better understanding, we don’t have to go very far and look extensively; it is all right there, early on in the book: in particular the events of chapter 2 and the end of it especially;

“And so, just for one instant, I captured the supreme happiness, the highest and most refined emotion to which human beings can attain. And in that same moment it was finished, and I was left – to what? All my savagery, my passion, were scattered like the petals of a rose. I was left…it was dark and bitterly cold… All my money was gone, I had not even the price of a taxi fare. I walked back alone to my cold, solitary room.” (p.11)

This is a quote that leaves you speechless, as you realised Orwell has spent all of his money (on a bad deed), but his desperate description of the events did make his story kind of tragic. Having no money was bad, especially in Paris – you know, only the Capital of France (with very expensive stuff) – so to hear him have this realisation of losing almost everything was a pretty shocking thing to read. I think we can all learn from this guy, and the best thing to do – is not to let our emotions get over our rational thinking, which will save you trouble in the long run.

Legendary is the second book in the Caraval series by Stephanie Garber. This book is centered on Tella, Scarlett’s younger sister, involving herself in another of caraval’s dangerous games. This time the game is even more serious. Tella learns family secrets and takes dangerous choices to save herself and the ones she loves. In this scene, Tella has to make a difficult decision. She wants to win the game, and for that she must choose if she’s willing to risk everything for love and freedom.

“There is no such thing as a perfect moment. There is only the moment that will shape the rest of your life. This is your moment, Tella. What will you do with it?” (p. 257)

I chose this quotation because it shows how tells wants the control of her life. I like this moment because it reminds us that we all will need to take life changing decisions,  it reminds me that someday we will have to make though decisions, and those decisions will shape who we are. And it also shows how you define yourself by your decisions and not by the influence of other people.

Hideo Levy’s Tokyo Ueno Station is a somber novel about Kazu, a homeless man whose life and afterlife are defined by a constant weariness. Kazu, born in 1933, the same year as the Emperor, finds his life deeply intertwined with the Imperial family and Ueno Park in Tokyo. This connection is marked by striking coincidences. His life in Tokyo began as a worker preparing for the 1964 Olympics, and tragically, ended in the park’s homeless community. He was traumatized by the 2011 tsunami and outraged by the announcement of the 2020 Olympics. Now, his restless spirit lingers in the same park, forever bound to Tokyo’s Ueno Park. 

“I was always tired.

There was never a time I was not tired.

Not when life had its claws in me, and not when I escaped from it.

I did not live with intent, I only lived.

But that’s all over now.” (p.4) 

I chose this quotation because it perfectly captures Kazu’s existence.  His fatigue isn’t just physical; it’s a deep, existential exhaustion born from a life of hardship and loss. His weariness is constant, whether he’s struggling with poverty, grieving his son, or existing as a ghost. His life was dictated by circumstance, not choice. His “that’s all over now” isn’t a moment of peace, but a final acceptance of his fate. This passage really stood out to me and I found myself thinking about its message for quite a while. Since, at the end of the story, Kazu finally acknowledges and learns that his life was defined by a constant state of exhaustion. He accepts it, and nothing more. Through Kazu’s journey, we can see the books message that life is filled with hardship and some people are never given the chance to truly live. 

 

The Fever Code like stated back in another one of my posts, is about the past of the maze and how it was built (The series Maze Runner). I can’t get enough of this book because after I watched the movies, there’s all these great moments that either foreshadow, or lead on to the future like the very start of the first movie. The quotation below has our main character Thomas and a doctor or worker for the maze, Dr. Paige. Dr. Paige is found cutting some corners in her work and is now preparing Thomas for his stay in the maze.

“It was me, Thomas. I know you won’t remember this, but I want to say the words to you anyway. Explain myself. It was me who infected Chancellor Anderson and his senior staff. They wanted to give up. And I could never allow that, could I? What we’re trying to achieve is too important.”… “You were always my favorite” Dr. Paige said… “Let’s get him prepared.”… He didn’t want them gone. WICKED had tricked him. Of course they’d tricked him… Because these people were nothing but manipulative, single-minded monsters? And Dr. Paige had confirmed it all. (pp. 336-337)

I love these quotations because WICKED finally shows their true colors to a worker or subject of theirs, Thomas. Although they were preparing him for a procedure, one to wipe his memory, so the secrets of WICKED would still never be exploited, just used to traumatize patients before they undergo the surgery. What makes this even better is It’s right before the first movie or book. When Thomas gets sent into the Glade (Maze) he has no memory of anything, reading this moment in the book was amazing because it has him going through the surgery and at the very end he describes himself in darkness. It makes me kind of want to go back and watch the first movie!

The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr edited (and partially? written) by Clayborne Carson, is a book that focuses on various periods of King’s life. This book is more than half King’s own words, as the author has tried to keep the book mostly written by King’s own words via his books, letters, etc.

“I was much more afraid in Montgomery when I had a gun in my house. When I decided that I couldn’t keep a gun, I came face-to-face with the question of death and I dealt with it. From that point on, I no longer needed a gun nor have I been afraid. Had we become distracted by the question of my safety we would have lost the moral offensive and sunk to the level of our oppressors.” (P.82)

I like this quotation because he talks about how morals are better than physicality. If you’re a good fighter, that’ll make you a good fighter, but if you have good morals, it’ll make you an overall better person. He had come face-to-face with the question of if he’s willing to have a gun to protect himself, if he’s willing to attack, even in self-defense, just like the oppressors would attack him. He was not afraid because he knew he had good morals, he didn’t need a gun.

A Killer in King’s Cove is part of a series of books by Iona Whishaw called, A Lane Winslow Mystery. The story takes place just outside Nelson, BC which is where the author is from. It is set in 1946 in a very small community of about 20 people who have come to settle here for peace and escape the effects of the war they have just come through. The protagonist of this story – Lane Winslow – has just emigrated to Canada in search of a simple and quiet life away from her job as a spy in Britain during World War II. She enjoys writing and I came across this quotation which comes in form of a poem from the first piece of writing she did once she arrived in King’s Cove.

I can stretch my hand across the fields of time

to pull a child from where she grew alone

and with a breath that might be mine

exhale a garden of her very own. (p. 39)

This quotation is meaningful for the beginning of the story because it gives the readers the knowledge that she found a place where she can finally relax…for now. It also tells us that she grew up alone. Which is true. Lane had always felt alone growing up even if there were people around her. When she was a child, her mother was dying her father was forbidding. Since she enjoys writing, I thought it would be a good quotation to include as it is also her first piece of writing since moving to Canada.

As I have begun reading Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin, an inspiring novel that wonderfully retreads the past through the perspective of a young girl, I have enjoyed following her story as she grows into a stronger woman. Taking place in ancient Italy, the story of Lavinia has become the relevant story of maturing, finding one’s self, and much more still felt by countless around the world.

”I know who I was, I can tell you who I may have been, but I am now, only in this line of words I write. I’m not sure of the nature of my existence, and wonder to find myself writing. I speak Latin, of course, but did I ever learn to write it? That seems unlikely. No doubt someone with my name Lavinia, did exist, but she may have been so different from my own idea of myself, or my poet’s idea of me, that it only confuses me to think about her” (p. 3).

Lavina speaks of her adventurous stories, her pasted experiences, and the near scary future lying before her. She is brave and will continue with strife as any person must do when facing the unknown that lies ahead. This has been only the beginning of Lavinia’s story, however, I am so excited to be continuing this novel, and can not wait for its next chapter.

 

Schoolgirl is a novella by Osamu Dazai, published in 1939. The novella explores a day in the life of an unnamed high school student. Her beloved father has just passed away, and she’s living through a turbulent period, both for Japan and herself. At first, she seems devoid of emotion, but as the story progresses, we can see that she is filled with more hatred for all things than numbness. The story captures the confusion, vulnerability, and self-consciousness of adolescence, social critique, themes of alienation and disillusionment, and psychological depth. I really liked how the author effectively showed just how miserable she was. We get to really see into the mind of a girl going through a hard time, though I think the author projected some of his own experiences because we repeatedly see throughout the book that the girl displays signs of malice and resentment towards women. Although, that could also be a literary device to emphasize her misery.

“Tomorrow will probably be another day like today. Happiness will never come my way. I know that. But it’s probably best to go to sleep believing that it will surely come, tomorrow it will come. I purposely made a loud thump as I fell into bed. Ah, that feels good. The futon was cool, just the right temperature against my back, and it was simply delightful. Sometimes happiness arrives one night too late. The thought occurred to me as I lay there. You wait and wait for happiness, and when finally you can’t bear it any longer, you rush out of the house, only to hear later that a marvelous happiness arrived the following day at the home you had abandoned, and now it was too late. Sometimes happiness arrives one night too late.” (p. 101)

I chose this quotation because it says a lot about the character and sums up the contents of this novella. But not only that, once you lose yourself to sadness, it’s very easy to fall into this mindset, though the sentiment is correct, sometimes happiness comes the following day, too late.

The book I recently reread is It Starts With Us by Colleen Hoover. This book is one of my favorites because of its deep meaning and powerful messages about healing, relationships, and self-worth. Rereading it allowed me to appreciate the characters and their emotional journeys even more.

One of my favorite quotations from the book is:

When you’re told you are nothing for years on end by everyone you should mean something to, you start to believe it. And you slowly start to become nothing. (P.96)

I chose this quote because it highlights how words can deeply impact a person’s self-esteem. When someone is constantly put down by those they trust, they may start to believe they are unworthy. This quote serves as a reminder of the importance of kindness and support in relationships.

Reading this book again made me reflect on how people can overcome hardships and rebuild their confidence with the right support. Colleen Hoover’s writing is emotional and thought-provoking, making this a book I’ll likely return to again in the future.

In ¨1984¨ by George Orwell, one striking quotation comes when Winston Smith reflects on the Party’s control over reality.

¨War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. ¨ (p. 4)

This is a central slogan of the Party, the oppressive regime that governs the society in which Winston lives. The Party uses contradictory phrases, or ¨doublethink¨, to manipulate the truth and maintain power. The slogan encapsulates the warped logic of the totalitarian state, where the government controls not just actions, but thoughts and beliefs as well. It’s a reflection of the way language and truth can be twisted to maintain control over people, making them believe contradictions and accept them as truth. I like this quote because it reveals the terrifying extent of the Party’s power-how they can make the citizens of Oceania accept contradictory ideas as if they are logical, and how this reflects the manipulation of truth in totalitarian regimes. The phrases ¨ignorance is strength¨ particularly stands out because it captures the frightening concept that the less people know, the easier they are to control, and the more stable the regime becomes. It serves as a warning about the dangers of propaganda and the loos of individual autonomy under oppressive governments. The slogan highlights the chilling reality of living in a world where truth is whatever the ruling power decides it is.

In ¨To Kill a Mockingbird¨ by Harper Lee, one memorable quotation comes from Atticus finch as he speaks to Scout.

¨But there is one way in this world in which all men are created equal-there is one human institution that makes a pauper the equal of a Rockefeller, the stupid man the equal of an Einstein, and the ignorant man the equal of any collage president. That institution, gentlemen, is a court. ¨ (p. 220)

This statement is made by Atticus during his closing argument in the trial of Tom Robinson, a black man wrongly accused of raping a white woman. Atticus is attempting to appeal to the jury’s sense of justice, urging them to set aside their racial prejudices and deliver a verdict based on the evidence, not societal biases. I like this quote because it highlights Atticus’s firm belief in the power of the justice system to provide equality, despite the flaws and injustices in society. It reflects his integrity and unwavering sense of morality, showing that he has not given up on the potential for fairness and righteousness. Even though we know that Tom Robinson’s trial is tainted by the prejudices of the time, this quote still stands as a powerful reminder of the idealism of the law and the hope that, in the right circumstances, true justice can prevail. It encapsulates the themes of equality and fairness in the novel, which are at the heart of the social struggles the book addresses.

In ¨The Great Gatsby¨ by F. Scott Fitzgerald, a quotation stands out when Nick Carraway reflects on Gatsby’s dreams.

Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter-tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther…And one fine morning-So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past. (p. 180)

This passage occurs at the conclusion of the novel, as Nick ponders Gatsby’s relentless pursuit of his ideal future, which was built on the fantasy of reclaiming his past with Daisy. The ¨green light¨ symbolized Gatsby’s dream of rekindling their romance, but it ultimately represents the larger American Dream-an elusive vision of success that continually slips away. This final reflection is poignant because it underscores the tragic irony of Gatsby’s life; despite all his efforts, the future he dreamed of was unattainable. I like this quote because it captures the novel’s central theme: the tension between the past and the future, and the futility of chasing after an idealized version of life. The metaphor of ¨boats against the current¨ is particularly striking, as it conveys a sense of inevitable defeat and the futile struggle against forces beyond one’s control, leaving a haunting reminder of them human condition and the impossible pursuit of perfection.

Ishmael is a philosophical novel created by Daniel Quinn, which dives into the ideas of how culture influenced modern civilization through evolution, and it is done through the use of the narrator talking to a telepathic gorilla, whose name is Ishmael. Most of the book is structured through conversation, similar to Socratic literature. I found the way Socratic literature is structured has drawn my attention to the book more, and so far, Ishmael has set quite a good precedent for this type of literature. It is a good concept, which I would like to see more in books. Ishmael has many themes, the main themes of the book are ethics, sustainability, and mythology.

“Again…. Our policy is: Every square foot of this planet belongs to us, so if we put it all under cultivation, then all our competitors are just plain out of luck and will have to become extinct. Our policy is to deny our competitors access to all the food in the world, and that’s something no other species does.”

“Bees will deny you access to what’s inside their hive in the apple tree, but they won’t deny you access to the apples” (p. 134)

This quotation highlights how humans are inherently different from other species, and rather than taking what they need, they take all of it. After this is highlighted in the first part of this quotation, we then get a metaphor about bees. This metaphor in it’s literal meaning, means: Other species will not allow you to take what they require to survive, but they will allow you to take what they do not. By providing an example of humans, compared to an example of other species, this quotation brings to light the contrast in behavior between humans and other species; which reinforces one of the main themes in the book, being: “The world was made for humans”.

The book that I am currently reading is called “It Starts With Us” by Colleen Hoover. I am almost done this book and it is one of my favourite books already. I think that this book as a good meanings and good wisdom. One of my favourite quotations from this book is.

” when you’re told you are nothing for years on the end by everyone, you should mean something too, you start to believe it. And you slowly start to become nothing.” (P.96)

I chose this quotation because I found that it really had a meaning to what real life is and helps people understand different types of feelings.

In Salman Rushdie’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories, a quote I have personally found interesting is:

“To give a thing a name, a label, a handle; to rescue it from anonymity, to pluck it out of the Place of Namelessness, in short to identify it—well, that’s a way of bringing the said thing into being.” (p.63)

This quote shows us the power of naming, as well as how the language shapes reality as we know it. By giving things names we can truly understand them, as it gives existence to concepts ato the objects and places we name. In the book, naming is a big part of the plot as it highlights the significance of language and how it affects our perception of the world. 

Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a beloved novel that was written in 1999 and turned into a movie in 2012. The story follows Charlie, a shy and introverted high school freshman, as he struggles with friendships, love and past trauma in his everyday life. It is written in the form of letters which Charlie sends to an anonymous recipient, which gives the reader a deep look into his personal thoughts, emotions and experiences. I really enjoyed this concept because it made the story seem even more personal and as somebody that writes a diary, also very relatable. As he befriends two extroverted seniors, Patrick and Sam, he is introduced to music, books, and begins to feel as if he “belongs” again. The misery slowly starts to dissapear from his daily life, because he finally found friends that loved and cared for him. However, as he begins to heal from past traumas (which are quite unclear to the reader for a while), he also faces a lot of emotional breakdowns and struggles with mental health. Overall the book is quite an emotional rollercoaster and touches on a lot of relatable topics such as self-discovery, love, loss, friendships, and in my opinion – how important it is to truly live in the moment. Towards the end of the story, one of Charlie’s most important realizations comes when he finds peace and understanding, which helps him heal from his past traumas. He finally seems to grasp the reason behind his story and the stories of everybody else and decides, it is best to focus on your own journey and life and stop getting lost in “what if” questions about the past.

So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we’ll never know most of them. But even if we don’t have the power to choose where we came from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we try to feel okay about them. I think that if I ever have kids, and they are upset, I won’t tell them that people are starving in China or anything like that because it wouldn’t change the fact they were upset. And even if somebody else has it much worse, that doesn’t really change the fact that you have what you have. Good and bad. Just like what my sister said when I had been in the hospital for a while. She said that she was really worried about going to college, and considering what I was going through, she felt really dumb about it. But I don’t know why she would feel dumb. I’d be worried, too. And really, I don’t think I have it any better or worse than she does. I don’t know. It’s just different. Maybe it’s good to put things in perspective, but sometimes, I think that the only perspective is to really be there. Like Sam said. Because it’s okay to feel things. And be who you are about them. (p. 210-211)

This passage really stood out to me and I found myself thinking about its message for quite a while. Since it’s at the end of the story, Charlie finally acknowledges and learns that while our past shapes us, we still have the power to decide how we move forward. I completely agree with this. I believe that whatever happened in your past doesn’t define you, and that everybody is capable of growing past their traumas and experiences, into a new person. After struggling with his past traumas throughout his whole life, Charlie finally meets people that love him for who he is and he realizes that he’s so much more than what has happened to him. His mind doesn’t occupy itself with questions such as “What could’ve happened…?” or “What could I have done differently…?”, instead he’s focused on living in the moment and growing into the person he wants to become. He also realizes that pain and struggles are personal – just because someone else may have a “worse” situation doesn’t mean our own problems aren’t valid. On the contrary, even people in “better” situations might not be doing that much better. His sister feels guilty for worrying about colleges while Charlie is dealing with serious mental health issues, but Charlie reassures her that both struggles matter. Instead of dismissing feelings by comparing them to others, Charlie suggest that the best way to deal with emotions is to fully experience them. This seems to be the key message in the book: showing that personal growth comes from embracing your emotions rather than suppressing them.

Through Charlie’s journey, the novel reminds us that life is filled with both joy and hardship and the most important thing we can do is to be present, acknowledge our feelings and move forward in a way that feels right for us.

Beyond the Trees is a nonfiction story Adam Shoalts tells of his journey alone across Canada’s arctic. He wrote it after the documentary that was made which tells the same story which I watched before reading the book. I discovered that he had written books about his adventures after watching the documentary, so I decided to get his most famous book and give it a read. After finishing it, I have concluded that it is one of my favourite books I have read. I found it very captivating, interesting, and full of adventure. Some parts even made me chuckle. The story goes through his mission of travelling on foot and canoe across Canada’s arctic. He starts in Whitehorse, Yukon, and finishes at Baker Lake, Nunavut. It took him nearly 4 months to complete. He weaved through ice floes, faced bears and muskox, and portaged across rough terrain. As the title suggests, he is above treeline, in the arctic tundra. Parts of his journey actually crosses north of the arctic circle line. With little human interaction throughout his journey, he keeps himself company by talking to his canoe and the amazing wildlife. Some of which had never seen a human being. There were many hard times such as inclement winds, treacherous terrain, and ice blocks. I came across the following quotation in the book which is an example of how he overcomes difficult times.

My pants and socks were drenched, but there wasn’t time to dry things out. I just wrung out the socks, put them back on, and kept going. Discouraging as having your waders flood with frigid waters can be, I always found that there was some little thing to cheer me up: the sight of robins hopping along the banks, or a lone wolf wandering the shoreline, or an eagle soaring overhead. Sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference. (p. 201 – p. 202)

I agree. Sometimes it is “the little things that make all the difference.” I found this passage meaningful because it highlights his perseverance and ability to enjoy the little things, that are often overlooked, by changing his point of view. Instead of focusing on the negative, like his soaked clothes, he chooses to focus on the positives by finding joy in the small things and natural world around him. This shows great mental strength, and I think everyone should try more to find things to be grateful about, even if they’re small. It’s our outlook on life and the situation that shapes our experience more than the circumstance itself.

The Litigators, by John Grisham. This book is a legal thriller that focuses on 31-year-old David Zinc, a lawyer at a high-stress corporate job who quits his job for employment at a small, dubious law firm called Finley & Figg in Chicago. The book is based around a large class-action lawsuit against Varrick Labs who has developed a cholesterol-reducing drug. However, with further research into the drug, it became known that it was a propellant for heart-attacks in individuals who may take the drug.

Lyle took his hand off the casket and looked square into the shifty eyes of Wally Figg. “You know what killed my father, Mr. Figg?”

“You said it was a heart attack.”

“Right. You know what caused the heart attack?”

“Well, no.”

Lyle glanced around the door to make sure that they were still alone. He glanced around to make sure no one could be possibly listening.

“Ever heard of a drug called Krayoxx? (p. 37)”

In this quote, two important individuals are coversing, Lyle Marino and Wally Figg. This is the part of the book where these two individuals start to investigate this new Krayoxx drug, as Lyle was remarking upon how his father died of a heart attack. This part of the book is the moment where Lyle and Wally start to put this picture together as to why this heart attack may have happened in the first place. The culprit? So far, it appears to be Krayoxx. These two characters are onto Varrick Labs.

In The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene, the author delves deep into the complexities of human behavior. He tell us how people are often driven by hidden emotions and subconscious impulses. One of the central themes in the book is the idea that understanding the emotions behind people’s actions rather than taking their words at face value gives you a powerful advantage in social interactions. Greene argues that human beings are far more complex than they appear with many layers that are not visible and that by learning to read these hidden motivations you can better navigate any relationship or situation. This idea is particularly relevant in a world where much of what people say and do is shaped by their emotional drives even if they are not consciously aware of it. I chose the following quote because it sums up this key lesson in the book and highlights the impact that understanding emotions can have on our interactions.

Human beings are complex and driven by a variety of emotions. They have many layers, which makes them difficult to understand. But once you can learn to see beyond the obvious, to the underlying drives, you gain a power that is very difficult to acquire by any other means. The key is to understand the emotions behind the actions. (p. 43).

This quotation really made sense to me because it illustrates the idea that true social power comes from recognizing and understanding the emotional layers in the behaviors which is not always easy to do but can be impactful when mastered. By applying this concept you gain a clearer understanding of people which can change the way you interact with them on a fundamental level.

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Caraval is the story of Scarlett Dragna, who was always under the harsh control of her father. She always wanted freedom from it, but she stays under his control to protect her younger sister Donatella. Scarlett is invited to Caraval, a magical game where players use clues to win the competition. But after arriving, she cant find Donatella anywhere. Scarlett discovers founding her sister is the center of the game and Scarlett wants to save her more than anything, she has to solve the clues and win to find her, but Caraval is full of illusions and Scarlett isn’t sure of who she can trust. In this scene, Scarlett realizes she hasn’t taken action because of her fear. She’s been trying to avoid taking risks, but now she knows she needs to take them to save Donatella.

Every story has four parts: the begging, the middle, the almost- ending, and the true ending. It wasn’t until now Scarlett realized she’d been stuck in the almost-ending for too long. If she wanted a true ending, she would have to fight for it. (P.201)

I chose this quotation because it shows Scarlett’s growth and how she realizes she’s been trying to be safe for too long. It shows us how we need to take action and get out of our comfort zone to accomplish our goals.

 

 

In Aldous Huxley Brave New World, we explore the story of a controlled society where people are made to choose confort and prioritize social order above all else. In this quote Mustapha Mond is having a conversation with John the savage, where John shows his state of mind with superficial happiness and Mustapha explains how people choose to loose their humanity over being able to feel.

“And being contented has none of the glamour
of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle
with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never
grand.”(pg. 152)

This quote captures one of the central themes of the book: the superficial happiness and the nature of human life. Mustapha talks about how without emotions like pain and the need to resist temptation, people loose their ability to grow and develop a self image. The author wants to contrast what it means to be human and the need to feel unconfortable, pain, and other disconforting feelings to remain human.

The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr edited (and partially? written) by Clayborne Carson, is a book that focuses on various periods of King’s life. This book is more than half King’s own words, as the author has tried to keep the book mostly written by King’s own words via his books, letters, etc.

“I realized that there would be difficulties. Whenever you have a transition, whenever you are moving from one system to another there will be definite difficulties, but I thought that there was enough brainpower, enough determination, enough courage and faith to meet the difficulties as they developed.” (pg. 115)

I like this quote because Martin Luther King Jr is a man I always (and still do) look up to. He was so willing to fight, to step forward despite the risks and consequences, to put in his self not knowing how it would be received. This quote really gives lots of power to your soul if you read it the right way, if you hold onto it with nice hands, and if you can find it in yourself to feel it. Really feel it. Because, it’s true, there will always be difficulties, no matter who you are, no matter where you are, there are no exceptions. You have to keep moving, but finding the will to keep moving is what’s worth it, what’s important.

The Fever Code, a book written by James Dashner, is a sequel to The Kill Order and is about the overall production, format, and past about the maze itself. As you can see, I’m a huge fan of the series. I’ve watched the movies, I’ve read the books, this is the last one before I move onto something different and I’m thinking probably a sequel to the book You by Caroline Kepnes. This book got my attention at the start because it was where Ms. Mcvoy, Dr. Paige, and Mr. Ramirez recruited Thomas and Teresa to help them on a project, THE MAZE.

The cavern had to be at least a few miles square and as tall as a skyscraper. Building materials-wood and steel and stone-were scattered in piles across the floor… A huge wall was under construction, its skeletal frame almost reaching the ceiling… “You’re going to know a lot more, and you’re going to be very, very busy… You’re going to help us build this place.” (p. 68)

For anyone who hasn’t read the books or seen the movies, this quotation wouldn’t have much meaning but I find this quote the main source of guilt and death because in the future books/movies, Thomas gets put in the maze and everyone there, are people that he and others threw in, basically to die. So I like to think about this part as foreshadowing to a devastating end.

 

In this scene of the book powerless by Lauren Roberts. The main character Paedyn Gray is in the Purging Trails, surrounded by Elites that would kill Paedyn if they found out she’s and Ordinary, Paedyn has to hide the fact that she doesn’t possess power all throughout the trials.

A flicker of doubt crossed my mind, a whisper that I didn’t belong here, that I wasn’t strong enough to survive this. But I shoved it down, burying it beneath layers of resolve. I had to win- not for glory, not for fame, but because losing wasn’t an option. Not for me. Not for my family. Not for anyone else who had ever been told they weren’t enough (p.134)

I chose this quote because its shows paedyn’s bravery and determination. It shows she wont give up even when everything is against her, like she being powerless and having to hide it to be safe from the powerful people that want to get rid of people like her. She’s fighting for people that feel powerless. I like this book because it teaches us to keep pushing and trying even if it seems impossible.

 

As I am beginning to read Your Name by Makoto Shinkai, a popular Japanese book turned into a cartoon, I have loved reading an outside perspective on teenage love outside the North American view. The book follows the story of Mitsuha, a quiet teenage girl living in a small Japanese town, and Taki, a city boy living in the heart of Tokyo. Both characters long for each other but as the distance between them grows stronger, is their love really meant to be?

“I’m in love. We’re in love.
That means we’ll meet again. I’m sure of it.
And so I’ll live.
I’ll survive this. No matter what happens, even if the stars fall, I will live.” (pg. 80)

This book, however, does not only follow the story of the two star-crossed lovers unable to be forever with each other but also explores different topics such as finding one’s true self. Unlike many other romance books I have read beforehand, this book has kept me wanting more and more each second I turn the page, which has helped me start and finish this book quicker than I had expected. I love reading how the two main characters grow alongside one another, and I hope when I am fully finished reading this book and can watch the cartoon it will be just as good as what I have read.

The book I’m currently reading is Twisted Games, the third installment in the Twisted series. It’s a romance novel, and so far, it’s my favourite in the series. I’ve really enjoyed this book because of how deeply the characters grow and evolve through their relationships. The way the author writes makes the story feel incredibly real, and the emotions of the characters are described so vividly that it’s easy to connect with them.

One quote that stood out the most to me is when Rhys Larsen, one of the main characters, says to his girlfriend Bridget:

“You filled a part of my souls I always thought would be empty, and you healed scars I never knew existed. And I realized… it’s not that I didn’t believe in love before. It’s that I was saving it all for you.” (pg.410)

I chose this quote because it’s a beautiful reminder that love has the power to heal and transform. Rhys, who starts off as a guarded and cold character, gradually opens up and finds strength in vulnerability. To me, this quote resonates because it shows how love can give people the courage to confront the parts of themselves they’ve kept hidden, allowing them to become better, not just for someone else, but for themselves. It’s a sentiment that feels deeply personal and inspiring.

Before the winter break, I found myself in a reading slump. I was struggling to find and pick up a book that interested me, and then I found a recommandation on the internet that moved me, so I decided to give it a try. Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar tells the story of Esther Greenwood, a young woman that moves to New York City in the 1960s after winning a presigious internship but finds herself struggling with her identity and mental health while feeling trapped by society’s expectations. Even though she seems to have everything – talent, opportunities and a promising future – she feels disconnected and lost. Esther struggles to ‘find herself and her identity’ and she feels society pressuring her, which all leads to her falling into a depression. Through Esther’s journey, Sylvia Plath leads us through themes of identity, mental health and societal expectations placed on women in the 1960s, which I find very interesting. One of the book’s most famous metaphors, the fig tree, illustrates Esther’s fear of making life-defining choices and their consequences.

I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story.
From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and offbeat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn’t quite make out.
I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn’t make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.

In the Book “The Overstory”, written by Richard Powers, we are constantly reminded of the importance of wildlife and how humanity is dependent on it. In the case of this book, the attention centres around the trees, and we get clear evidence of this from the first pages of the book. This following quote is something that left me outright speechless, as it not only indicates that we are the guests here, but that the trees are the main inhabitants, whom have been supressed and used by humans ever since we inhabited Earth. Additionally, this is a very important quote because we get to see the true impact we have caused the trees once we think about context; For example, the Industrial Evolution is one of the main human creations which supressed trees; not only did we use wood to create power, we also produced (and still produce) loads of Carbon Dioxide, which, combined with us cutting down massive forest territories, creates a toxic environment for us and the trees, who are struggling to convert that harmful gas into Oxygen once more (keep in mind that is just one example);

“This is not our world with trees in it. It’s a world of trees, where humans have just arrived.”

(P. 4)

Now, as I said previously, this quote describes the perspective of the wildlife on Earth; We, although being here for a long time are not the original settlers, but rather we use and tend to overuse the resources provided to us. This quote describes how we are dependent on the wildlife around us in particular the forests. This is relatable in the modern world as we need to learn to respect not only our wildlife, but also the ancient forests.

My Fault by Mercedes Ron. My Fault is a book about love and change. If you really love someone are you willing to change to become a better person or are you are you going to let them go to keep your pride and ego. My favorite quotation from this book is.

“Noah, what are you scared of?” I asked. After a few seconds, she replied, her voice wavering: “Right now, Im scared of you.” I stood very still and tried not to make a sound. p. 318

I choose this  quotation because Noahs was abused in her childhood by her father who is in prison so she is afraid of violence. When Nick grabbed onto Noah she thought that he was going to hurt her because of her trauma and because Nick likes to fight. By the end of the book Nick quits fighting and cuts violence out of his life so that he can be with Noah without making her feel scared.

The Days of Abandonment is an Italian novel written by Elena Ferrante, published in 2002. The story follows Olga, an Italian woman, after her husband, Mario, comes home and calmly announces that he wants to leave her after 15 seemingly happy years of marriage. He explains that although he has nothing to reproach regarding their marriage or her, he wishes to break it off regardless. Olga does not understand and begins analyzing their relationship but cannot find any errors in their marriage. She frantically and desperately searches for answers but finds all their mutual friends, who may have any information, to be reticent regarding Mario. Olga begins spiraling as Mario leaves her abruptly, with two children, a dog, and a house to take care of. She finds her usual refined, delicate, and gracious choice in words as well as manner of tone become strident, vulgar, and coarse. She unwisely yells and lashes out her anger at everyone who happens to call. For this reason, she ends up pushing away any solicitous friends that were persistent in attempting to help her. The rest of the novel follows her as she continues her descent into a psychotic state after his departure. As Olga spirals further, becomes obsessive, and unhinged; you begin to worry for her children and begin to feel compassion for her.

Now, at thirty-eight, I was reduced to nothing, I couldn’t even act as I thought I should. No work, no husband, numbed, blunted. When the children were at school, I lay on the sofa, got up, sat down again, watched TV. But there was no program that could make me forget myself. (p.30)

I chose this quote because it captures well the emotional state that a person can feel once they are abandoned. How frail a person can really become once their system and daily routine is shattered. This quote shows how Olga’s life has been completely disrupted by her husband’s abandonment. When her routine was suddenly taken away, she was left feeling lost and without purpose. she couldn’t find anything to distract her from her despair.

In House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, Navidson and his wife Karen make separate, private journal entries on their stay in the house. In these private journal entries, they tend to talk about their thoughts and opinions alone in a room. Later, Navidson finds an endless, dark hallway in their house, which triggers two journal entries; Karen saying she will leave with the kids if Navidson goes into the hallway, and Navidson who says Karen is overreacting and needs to understand his curiosity. This hallways appearing causes a chain of events: The journal entries, the kids venturing into the endless hallway (which, due to their lack of fear, easily find their way out), and Navidson entering the hallway. During nighttime, Navidson enters the mysterious hallway and finds himself helplessly lost in the disturbing, infinite winds and directions.

By shouting “I’m here” and following the add-ee’s singing off the walls, Navidson slowly begins to make his way through an incredibly complex and frequently disorientating series of turns. Eventually after backtracking several times and making numerous wrong choices, occasionally descending into disturbing territories of silence, the voice begins to grow noticeably louder, until finally Navidson slips around a corner, certain he has found his way out. Instead though, he encounters only more darkness and this time greater quiet. His breathing quickens. He is uncertain which way to go. Obviously he is afraid. And then quite abruptly he steps to the right through a low passageway and discovers a corridor terminating in low yellow light, low light, with a tiny silhouette standing in the doorway, tugging her daddy home with a cry.

I like this quote because the fast, brief descriptions alone tell us how scared Navidson is. Though the quote tells us he is afraid, it doesn’t really need to. The fast pace with no room for mental descriptions give us a vibe of sheer terror without needing to outright say it. What makes it better is just the facts it’s his mind freaking out, and there is nothing in the constantly changing hallways with him. Imagine going camping, and at night you’re thinking; “What if someone is watching us? What could be out here with us, or who?” But in reality you’re just paranoid from the ‘What if’s. The same thing goes on here, except this time, there is nothing to expect. Many people go camping; not many people live in a house that creates infinite spaces out of nothing.

The Kill Order is written by James Dashner. This is a prequel to the popular Maze Runner books he writes, along with the next I will be reading, The Fever Code which is about how the maze itself was made. What I’m going over is the ending of this book which had a great turn. This is where Mark had infiltrated a government building/bunker or one similar to that where he finds an electronic tablet that shows important information on the virus “The Flare” that made the whole world fall.

We the Coalition hereby grant the PCC express permission to fully implement their PC initiative #1 as presented in full and attached below. We the Coalition take full responsibility for this action and will monitor developments and offer assistance to the fullest extent of our resources. The virus will be released in the locations recommended by the PCC and agreed upon by the Coalition. Armed forces will be stationed to ensure that the process ensues in as orderly a manner as possible. (p. 295)

This quotation talks about how government organizations, PCC and the Coalition, both gave permission and selected specific spots to release this deadly, world-dominating virus out to as stated before in the book, to “control the overall world population”. Which clearly wasn’t maintained at a safe level.

Ghost was an amazing book and I don’t know why I haven’t read it sooner. When I find a good book and cannot for the life of me put it away until I’ve finished reading the entire thing. Ghost is definitely one of those books. I like to think about reading as phases in my life because that’s exactly how I treat it. When I find good books I’m completely obsessed and I won’t stop reading until it’s done. This phase can randomly occur at any given moment; the next minute or the next year… maybe 3 years. I think I’m about to watch my reading phase Begin Again (I have been getting a lot of recommendations from some of my old friends).

Ghost is about this 13 year old 8th grader who has a very dark past about his father. His father started drinking and one day he tried shooting ghost and his mother. Not just once, like reloading and trying to shoot them again. Ghost and his mother ran and made it out alive (without getting shot). Life has been hard for both of them since then and they live (and lived) on Glass Manor (which is where everyone who is financially struggling ends up making it the poorest part of town). For context because I think it’s important, Ghost is not Ghost’s real name, it is a self given nickname that he goes by because he feels like no one notices him like a ghost (he gets bullied quite a bit and gets in trouble often) and also because he runs so fast that he is like a ghost disappearing into the darkness of the night. His full name is Castle Cranshaw.

I got two quotes from this book that I would like to share. The first one is irrelevant to the actual story itself and the other basically represents the entire thing.

I got a scream inside. And I could tell Red did too. He was a white boy with red hair who everyone was friends with mainly because people were scared that he was crazy and it’s better to be one crazy’s good side. Jessica Grant said her mother said the only reason people have red hair is because they’re red on the inside. Red like violent. But I got black hair, so does that mean I’m black on the inside?

Red is one of the only two school friends Ghost has. He gets bullied a lot especially by this kid named Brandon Simmons. This particular day Ghost has enough after Brandon threw chicken wings at him. Ghost picked up a tray and whacked him on the head. Brandon fell backwards, but Ghost kept it coming. I was cheering and rooting for Ghost the entire time. He definitely one. I too had to deal with many douche bags and I wish I had enough confidence to do what Ghost did.

One last quote (I know I wrote a lot, but I loved this book).

He faced me again, looking straight in my eyes. “Show you that you can’t run away from who you are, but what you can do is run toward who you want to be.”

This is what his track coach responded with when Ghost asked what he thinks running can do for him. He had to let that sink in for a while…. I LOVE THIS BOOK WITH MY WHOLE HEART!!!

The Magicians Nephew is one of the seven books in the Chronicles of Narnia. Including The Magicians Nephew, which I have just read, I have read five of the seven books. I really enjoy these fantasy adventure books and I like how the author writes. I can always picture in my head what’s happening whilst reading. In this book, The Magicians Nephew, Digory (the nephew) and Polly become friends in London when Digory’s uncle (the magician which he does not realise yet) gives them magic rings which sends them into the ‘Wood between the Worlds’. In this wood, they can use the rings to travel to different world by jumping into one of the many ponds. When they enter one, they find themselves in a new world. They come across an old room in an abandoned stone courtyard with broken walls and pillars, and thought there were lots of people in the room at first, but they were portraits hung on the walls. The furthest left portraits looked like nice and friendly people, but the further they moved down the wall, the nastier the people were. At the very end, there was an image of a woman. She looked beautiful, but fierce. Digory and Polly determined that she was the queen. And beyond her, there were empty chairs as if there were meant to be more people. In the middle of the room, there was a table which they went over to inspect. Some foreign language was engraved on the stone which they could not understand at first. This is when I came across this passage of the book.

If only Digory had remembered what he himself had said a few minutes ago, that this was an enchanted room, he might have guessed that the enchantment was beginning to work. But he was too wild with curiosity to think about that. He was longer more and more to know what was written on the pillar. And very soon they both knew. What it said was something like this – at least this is the sense of it through the poetry, when you read it there, was better:

Make your choice adventurous Stranger;

Strike the bell and bide the danger,

Or wonder, till it drives you mad,

What would have followed if you had (p. 35)

After reading this, they got into a quarrel because Polly did not with to continue but Digory did. At last, Digory hit the bell with the hammer, which was the choice they had to make to find out what would happen, and it were like a mini earthquake had happened. The room was filled with such loud noise and rumbling. Once it had stopped, at the end of the room where the image of the cruel woman had been, had come alive.

I chose this passage because I find it an important part of the story to learn how the queen came to be which will start Narnia and give readers a better understanding of how the story starts. Because of what happened here, they entered (unknowingly) into the land of Narnia by entering the wrong pond and then they got to watch it be created by Aslan which will be the start of the real adventures for anyone who comes across Narnia by mistake, which will be in the other books.

Reading To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Hen, I was able to reconnect to the somber feeling of when I first watched the cringe love story of Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky that faithful night in seventh grade. Thinking of all the books I could possibly read throughout the winter break, I stumbled across the one imaginative love story I’ve re-watched over and over again but have never been able to read.

“So, love and dating? I love to read about it, and it’s fun to write about and to think about in my head, but when it’s real…”

”Peter: “What, it’s scary?”

Lara Jean: “Yeah.”

Peter: “Why? Why is that scary?”

Lara Jean: “’Cause the more people you let into your life, the more that can just walk right out.” (p.176)

Needless to say, I completely expect every surprise waiting for me as I flip to the next chapter. I understand that’s completely also how countless writers have dreaded to read as they have gotten their books adapted into films for Netflix to profit off of. I don’t recommend this process of watching whatever book adaption before reading the hard-cover original. Nonetheless, if you have truly loved a storyline as I have with this basic love story after years upon years then read at your own risk of boredom.

The Wicked King, by Holly Black is the second book of The Cruel Prince trilogy. In this book. Jude has bound the Wicked King, cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie is difficult enough if cardan were biddable. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her. When it comes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, Jude must uncover the traitor, to maintain control as a mortal in Faerie world.

“I have learned that I cannot trust anyone in Faerie. I have learned that the price of power is not just a crown, but a heart that beats in the cold. I have learned that even the most well-laid plans can fall apart, and that the best way to keep control is to never show fear, even if you are terrified.”

This quote shows Jude’s realization that power in Faerie comes with mistrust, emotional sacrifices, and fear of losing the ones you love or yourself. She understands that to maintain control, she needs to hide her vulnerabilities and adapt to the ruthless world around her. This is where Jude starts growing into the person that will rule Faerie and will one day become the queen of Elfhame even as a mortal girl.

”Night” by Elie Wiesel, is a wonderful book detailing his experiences as a Jewish teenage boy during the Holocaust. He describes his experiences through his time in concentration camps, particularly in Auschwitz and Buchenwald most famous for its horrible sights.

“Never shall I forget that night, the first night in the camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke.”

Through his suffering and loss, Elie Wiesel overcame his past experiences creating a book that had won the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. This book has changed countless people’s lives across the world providing a new never-seen perspective that will never be forgotten.

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife is about Frederick, who is an old man very a very kind heart and is always willing to help others out. He was still grieving about the loss of his beloved wife named Dawn. Frederick was getting evicted from his apartment. Nothing ever seems to be going well for him. He ends up getting mistaken as another old man named Bernard Fred (who his dead because of an accident), and decides to borrow his life.

‘Would you mind terribly, old boy, if I borrowed the rest of your life? I promise I’ll take excellent care of it.’

As he continues his life he learns to move on and meets a new girl named Hannah.

As Fred gazed upon young love and old love side by side, his heart felt fuller than it had in a very long time. If only he had a loved one to share it with. Yet to his surprise, this time, instead of Dawn, it was Hannah who came to mind (Page 159).

This quote indicates how far Frederick (or should I say Bernard) has come with this new chapter of his life. He didn’t expect his life to have such a sudden turn like this one, especially at his age; he thought that he was nearly done his last chapter before these series of unpredictable events. I honestly didn’t enjoy this book as much as I had thought I would in the start. Hearing about this book I was really excited to start reading it, but quickly changed my mind after reading a bit of it. This book may be interesting for those who like ‘dark’ humour (you’ll instantly understand what I’m talking about once you start reading it) and those who do not mind a disgusting amount of detail.

In The Reptile Room, Lemony Snicket continues the Baudelaire orphans briefly find hope living with their kind, eccentric, relative, Dr. Montgomery, in his fascinating home filled with exotic reptiles. However, this sense of safety is  shattered when Count Olaf, disguised as Stephano, reappears with another sinister plan. A central theme of the book is the obvious dangers, forcing the siblings to rely on their own intelligence and courage. My favourite quote from the book being;

Dear Reader,

If you have picked up this book with the hope of finding a simple and cheery tale. I’m afraid you have picker up the wrong book altogether…

..I am bound to record these tragic events, but you are free to put this book back on the shelf and seek something lighter.” (Blurb)

This is because it sets the tone for the entire series. Dark, honest, and unapologetically tragic. This quote resonates because it prepares readers for the challenges the Baudelaire face and highlights their resilience despite endless misfortune.

 

The Kill Order is a novel written by James Dashner, the same man that wrote The Maze Runner books. If you have read the first 3 Maze Runner books then you would know that the entire world is slowly being killed off and turned into a dystopian wasteland by a virus called “The Flare”. The virus feeds off of the victims brain and drives them to the brink of insanity, soon enough turning into bloodthirsty monsters which are soon referred to as “Cranks”. In the quotation I’m about to show, it has an old friend, the Toad, returning but seems to have gone crazy and in need of help.

The Toad dropped to his knees and held the lit match closer to his face. He looked gaunt, and his eyes were moist and haunted.

“Are… You okay?” Mark asked, hoping his friend was just tired.

“I’m not,” the Toad answered, his face quivering as if he were about to cry. “I’m not, Mark. I’m not okay at all, There are things living inside my skull.” (p.81)

And

“I have things in my skull. I need help getting them out of there. Before they eat my brain and start heading for my heart” (p.82)

Both of these quotations show the character the Toad, experiencing symptoms of The Flare, having it thrive on his brain. Later in the story he proceeds to do inhuman screeches and wails, and he gets violent and angry. The whole reason I showed this is because it gives us good insight on the mutating process the virus has on the brain, driving someone mentally ill. And a little theory of mine is that the violent intentions to soon come might have been from the voices in his head, maybe telling him to.

 

My Side of The Mountain, by Jean Craighead George. This book, published in 1959, is a tale focusing on 15-year-old Sam Gribley, who decided to run away from his home in New York to go off and attempt to survive in the wilderness on his great-grandfather Gribley’s farm.

“By April I was no longer living off of my storehouse. There were bulbs, tubers, and greens to be had. Meals were varied once more. There were frogs’ legs, eggs, and turtle soup on my table. I took my baths in the spring again rather than in the turtle shell with warmed over snow.” (pg. 161)

In this quote, we see Sam discussing the end of winter up in the mountain. He was finally able to have more varied meals since animals were coming out of hibernation, berries and plants were starting to grow, and the weather was finally becoming warmer. Sam is no longer restricted to the small surface area of his hollowed out tree because of the cold weather, and he is now able to explore more of his local area.

In the book called “Kitchen”, we are Introduced to a young lady named Mikage Sakurai, who, after the loss of all her relatives, may not afford to live at the family house, and so her days there are numbered. Fortunately for her, she meets a young man, Yuichi Tanabe, with whom she bonds pretty quickly over her families tragedy. Her Grandmother has an unfortunate passing, and since it was her last relative, she was really sad, however, when she looked at Yuichi, she started to to think herself that her love for her grandmother was nothing compared to his;

…his eyes were swollen, from crying. When he saw my grandmother’s picture on the altar, again his tears fell like rain. My first thought when I saw that was that my love for my own grandmother was nothing compared to this boy’s, whoever he was, he looked sad. (p.7)

Overall, this mutual trauma helped bond these two characters together. Yuichi later invited her to stay at his house for as long as she likes, even proposing for her to move in with him and his mom. This excerpt perfectly outlines the kind and passionate character of Yuichi Tanabe.

The Thief is a Japanese book written by Fuminori Nakamura, published in 2012. The story follows Nishimura, an experienced pickpocket as he steals from the people of Tokyo. Nishimura receives an incredible job offer from an ex-crime partner of his, and pulls off his greatest heist.  Nishimura manages to pickpocket sensitive documents from a pocket that is completely sown on every side and resides on the inside of the jacket of the target. Along the way he meets a child with a good-for-nothing mother. He teaches the child the ways of pickpocketing in order to save him from getting caught. 

“A wallet shows a person’s personality and lifestyle. Just like a cell phone, it is at the center, forming the nucleus of the owner’s secrets, everything he carries on him.”(p. 7)

I chose this quote because I think it’s interesting to see such a personal take on wallets, I don’t think that’s something that most people even think about. Seeing it from the eyes of an experienced pickpocket makes wallets which are ordinarily dull seem like interesting objects full of personality.

In Coco Mellors’ Blue Sisters, the story follows four sisters whose lives are deeply intertwined, even as they navigate their own challenges and struggles. The book begins with a powerful quotation on the nature of sisterhood:

A sister is not a friend. Who can explain the urge to take a relationship as primal and complex as a sibling and reduce it to something as replaceable, as banal as a friend? Yet this status is used again and again to connote the highest intimacy. My mother is my best friend. My husband is my best friend. No. True sisterhood, the kind where you grew fingernails in the same womb, were pushed screaming through identical birth canals, is not the same as friendship. You don’t choose each other, and there’s no furtive period of getting to know the other. You’re part of each other, right from the start. Look at an umbilical cord—tough, sinuous, unlovely, yet essential—and compare it to a friendship bracelet of brightly woven thread. That is the difference between a sister and a friend. (p. 3)

This opening resonated with me profoundly, especially in moments like these, when I truly miss my oldest brother. It made me realize how essential he is in my life. How he’s not just a sibling but a part of who I am. Unlike friendships or romantic relationships, which are formed by choice, the bond between siblings is something you’re born into. You don’t get to pick your sibling, but despite, or maybe because of this, the connection feels deeper and more enduring. Even though the book focuses on the relationship between sisters, its reflection on the unique, unchosen connection of siblings perfectly aligns with me. My brother is irreplaceable and will grow with me, and has seen me grow my whole life. Reading this book has allowed me to reflect on the importance of siblings and how much they shape us, no matter where life takes us.

I started the book “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini yesterday, and I am completely fascinated and in love with it. The book follows the protagonist Amir, who is the son of a wealthy Kabul (The capital of Afghanistan) merchant. He grows up together with his servant´s son, Hassan, who is a Hazara, a large Afghan ethnicity. Hazaras have been looked down on, and treated like less, by their fellow afghans for centuries, but nonetheless, Amir shares a deep connection with his friend. Until one day, one small, fateful choice he makes changes their relationship and his life forever. After the Russian´s invasion in his country, Amir and his father flee through Pakistan to America, the country of hope and new beginnings. He starts a new life there, and seems to have forgotten all about his past. Until one day, many years later, he is forced to travel back to the country he left behind many decades ago, and confront what he should have faced a long time ago, seeing his changed country under the Taliban´s power.

” – nothing left for the children.”

“We’re hungry but we’re not savages! He is a guest! What was I supposed to do?” He said in a strained voice.

” – to find something tomorrow.” She sounded near tears.”What do I feed – ”

I tiptoed away. I understood now why the boys hadn’t paid any attention to the watch. They hadn’t been staring at the watch at all. They ´d been staring at my food.

This was a glimpse of the conversation Amir heard when he returned to Afghanistan and stayed over at his driver´s house for a night. He had had a beautiful meal the day before, and had noticed three little boys staring at his watch while he was eating. He wanted to thank his host and gave it as a present to the sad-looking kids. After hearing this, he now realised that the watch is the last thing they wanted. I think this passage was very interesting, because it shows what the author teaches the readers all the way through the book: the Afghan culture, and how being polite and respectful is worth more than anything else. Even in the worst possible case, when you struggle to find enough food to serve your children, not even then would they reject a stranger at their door. Amir realises when he goes back that the life he lead as a kid under his father´s wealth was never the life of all Afghans, and he is even more determined to repair at least a small peace of the pain he caused long ago. The whole book is an extraordinary insight to life on the other side of the world, with a beautifully written plot, it is a perfect eye-opening story to the terror experienced by a whole nation everyday.

Tally and Shay are now officially specials. Dr. Cable had them do the operation at the end of the book, Pretties. In this book, Specials, so far it follows Tally as a special, who is trying to find the source of where the pills are coming from which apparently turn people back to thinking for themselves again. She and Shay find their friend who they haven’t seen since their new operations, and he looks completely different to them now in a bad way, even though he has not changed, they have. After he leaves, I came across this paragraph which is a private conversation between Shay and Tally.

“What did Dr. Cable do to us, Shay? Do we have some kind of special lesions in our brains? Something that makes everything else look pathetic? Like we’re better than them?” “We are better than them, Tally-wa!” Shay’s eyes shone like coins, reflecting the lights of New Pretty Town. “The operation gives us the clarity to see that. That’s why everyone else looks confused and pitiful, because that’s how most people are.” (p. 92-93)

(…) “But you and I can smell an unwashed human from a kilometre away, a burnt-out campfire from ten. We can see in the dark and hear better than bats.” Her sneak suit flickered to night black. “We can make ourselves invisible and move without a sound. Think about it, Tally-wa.” (p. 98)

Tally seems to be the only one who thinks something happened during the operation that changed how special’s view people, which I think is true as well. Whereas Shay believes that specials are better than everyone. She backs this up with evidence when acknowledging how much better their senses are now. I chose this because I find it an important part for the readers to understand how different specials are from everyone else.