Category: Independent Reading

I am currently reading a book called “The Catcher in The Rye” , and it is quite interesting. It is about a kid named Holden Caulfield, who got expelled from prep school because he failed most of his classes. The story recounts the two days after the expulsion and dissolves us in the mind of the 16 year old. He is confused and disoriented, he becomes exhausted and mentally unstable. Holden describes his fiction of being “the catcher in the rye”, that was inspired by a song he heard a little boy singing: “If a body catch a body comin’ through the rye.”

“Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules.”

“This is a people shooting hat,” I said. “I shoot people in this hat.”

The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody’d move. . . . Nobody’d be different. The only thing that would be different would be you.

In the first quote, his teacher teaches him about the importance of playing by the rules.

in the second quote, Holden uses the hat as a mark of individuality and independence.

in the last quote, the museum gives him this vision of life that he is able to understand: it is frozen, silent, and always the same.

THE book is Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. It was made by J.K. Rowling. In this part of the book Harry had been invited to got to Hogwarts which was a school for wizards and witches. It is talking about what happened in the last month in the Dursleys house.

Harry’s last month with the Dursleys wasn’t fun. True, Dudley was now so scared of Harry he wouldn’t stay in the same room, while Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon didn’t shut Harry in his cupboard, force him to do anything or shout at him-in fact they didn’t speak to him at all.

This is a funny part of the book for me because before they found out Harry was going to be a wizard they treated him like trash. This is funny because it shows just how quickly someone’s mind set can change depending on what is going on around him. Dudley was also very mean to Harry and tried to make Harry scared of him but now he won’t even be in the same room as him he is so scared of Harry.

In the book The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne it talks about how the German’s and Jewish were very different and how the conflicts effected the society. The protagonist of the book is a boy named Bruno who is the son of an Schutzstaffel officer. This story was based off of the Holocaust which was in 1933. In the story, Bruno makes friends with a jewish boy named Shmuel.  One day, Bruno went exploring in the forest and saw a fence. On the other side of the fence was a camp and had many people wearing striped pyjamas. And that is when Bruno saw a boy sitting down. That is how he met Shmuel.

Bruno: We’re not supposed to be friends, you and me. We’re meant to be enemies. Did you know that (p. 54)?

This quote expresses how the jewish and Germans were not allowed to be together or friends at all! This is forbidden and when they did try to see each other they would have to be very secretive. But as the boys were young, sometimes they never understood why they couldn’t just be friends like normal 9 year old boys. Which is sad to think about because now a days we are very lucky because even thought some people did have a hard childhood, none of us had to go through what they did.

The DaVinci Code, written by Dan Brown, is a book that I haven’t finished yet. It is about a symbologist named Robert Langdon, who meets a cryptographer named Sophie Neveu at the Louvre museum in Paris when they are investigating a strange murder. The person who was murdered left a code and arranged his body in a particular way that meant something to Langdon and Sophie, But no one else. Them discovering and deciphering the code entangled them in a dispute between the Priory of Son and Opus Dei over a possibility of a child.

“The Pentacle – The ancients envisioned their world in two halves – masculine and feminine. Their gods and goddesses worked to keep a balance of power. Yin and Yang. When male and female were balanced, there was harmony in the world. When they were unbalanced there was chaos.”

I think this quote is special as it brings us back to the old times, even before humans really existed, when it was just the gods, envisioning and creating the world. It makes us think, and it could remind us that balance is important, and why our world was made the way it is, and how it has changed since then.

Currently I am reading Lies by Michael grant. It is the 3rd book in the series. This series about if one day all the adults just disappeared. Without adults this leaves young teenagers to take care of young children who can’t take care of themselves. In the book they organized a daycare so that they can have all of the kids who have to be taken care of (not in a scary way) have a place to be. One girl stepped up at the beginning of the FAYZ (Fallout Ally Youth Zone) to take care of the kids. However putting up with the stress of taking care of 20 or more kids along with he bulimia (where she throws up after every meal and cant control herself around food) has caused her a lot of stress. Even with people to help her she just jokes at the sound of a break.

“Maybe I’ll go check on her,” Mary said. “In my spare time.” She laughed. It was a running joke that had long since stopped being funny.

This shows that everybody needs a break and its not good to pressure yourself too much. Especially when you still need to take care of yourself.

“The Giver” by Lois Lowry, is a really odd novel, it is clear yet confusing. This book is written in 3rd person. In the first two chapters we are introduced to Jonas (in this case the protagonist), an eleven-year-old boy living in a highly controlled society, that prioritizes sameness and conformity. As Jonas is preparing for the Ceremony of Twelve, where he will receive his life assignment, he reflects on the emotions of fear and uncertainty that spread through his community. The world around him is empty of color and genuine emotion, leading to sense of emptiness.

“It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened. No. Wrong word, Jonas thought. Frightened meant that deep, sickening feeling of something terrible about to happen. Frightened was the way he felt when he was afraid of the gabble of the baby’s cry.” (p.1)

This quote highlights Jonas’s internal struggles and hints the deeper complexities of his society. It sets the tone for his journey, making his awareness of the fear that underlines the community’s front of perfection, and hints of his eventual quest for truth.

The book is Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. The author is J.K Rowling. Harry is having a conversation with this new Professor named Professor Slughorn. He is trying to get a memory about Voldemort. Voldemort killed Harry’s parents when he was little. Voldemort also tried to kill Harry, but Voldemort has never been successful. Harry is trying to convince professor Slughorn to give him a memory so he can use it to kill Voldemort. 

“You are the chosen one?”

“Of course I am” said Harry calmly.

“But then … my dear boy …  you’re asking me in fact, to aid you in your attempt to destroy-”

“You don’t want to get rid of the wizard who killed Lily Evans?”.

Harry, Harry of course I do, but-”

“Your scared he will find out you helped me?”

“Be brave like my mother Professor…”

This conversation was one of the best in this book. I love how Harry tries to guilt Slughorn into giving him the memory. And how slughorn is so

The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton, is about two feuding social groups, the Greasers and the Socs (short for “Socials”).T he context to this quotation is that there was a fire at their local church because someone left a cigarette and it lit on fire, all the Greasers group ran into the church to save the children in there, and when lots of them left brunt they went to the hospital, where the nurses told them Johnny was burnt the most and with fetal injuries. When Ponyboy and Dally saw Johnny, he was on his deathbed. They told him about how they beat the Socs, but he was to drained to think about that considering his injuries.

“Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold… It’s a good way to be. It’s like the way you try to be, like you used to be. The way I wanted you to be when we were kids. Stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold.” (p.148)

In the moment that Johnny tells Ponyboy to “stay gold…” he is referencing the Robert Frost poem that Ponyboy had shared with him earlier in the book, nothing gold can stay. The poems meaning is that beauty and innocence are fleeting, and that you have to hold on to it. By Johnny saying this he is saying to Ponyboy that he needs to hold on to that “gold” for as long as he can.

I am reading the Gone series by Michael Grant right now. I am on the second book. So far, in the book, the adults have been gone for over 1 year. In the book, there are no firefighters, doctors, or parents, and the remaining kids have spun out of control without someone telling them no. Some kids even started to get powers. But a majority of the kids remained without powers. Some kids got jealous and thought they were ‘freaks’. Those kids then formed a group led by Zil. It was called the Human Crew. ‘Freaks’ that encountered the Human Crew met a deadly fate.

It wasn’t over. It couldn’t be over.
“Actually, I could use your help,” Zil said to Lisa. “I have plans.”
“What are you going to do?” Lisa asked eagerly.
“I’m going to put real humans back in charge. Get rid of the chuds. Run things for
us, not for them.”
“Yeah!” Turk said.
“The six of us, here? We’re just the start,” Zil said.
“Absolutely,” Hank agreed.
“Zil’s crew,” Turk said.
Zil waved that off modestly. “I think maybe we should call ourselves the Human
Crew.”

This shows that there will always be an opposing side, that not everybody will agree on everything, and that it is not a good idea to leave a bunch of teens (and younger) alone.

In the book The Summer I Turned Pretty written by Jenny Han, it dives into the concepts of life with friends and family, young summer love and the joys and struggles of being a teenager. Belly Conklin (as the protagonist), annually spends the summer at cousins beach with her family and close friends. Throughout the series, a love triangle begins with Belly and two brothers: Jeremiah and Conrad. As the book goes on, new adventures begin and old memories come back.

I loved the feeling of talking and having somebody really listen to what I have to say. It was like a high or something (142).

Whenever I read this book or think about it , I always remember how well written the book was. This book is a very popular book and is the first out of a series of three. I think the book is a great example of how life can be hard sometimes and confusing but you still have to forget about it all and still have fun. You’re only a teenager once so do what makes you happy.

 

The School for Good and Evil, by Soman Chainani, is a series of 6 books in where 2 girls, Sophie and Agatha, are taken from their homes to the mystical school called The School for Good and Evil. Really, the school was actually 2 different schools, one magnificent, grand, and expensive school; the school for Good, and one run down, old, and dumpy school; the school for Evil. In the first 3 books, Sophie and Agatha go through their 3 years in the school, Sophie in training to be a princess, and Agatha trained to be a villain. In the last 3 books, their kingdom faces attack from the School Master, and they have to team up and defeat him. My quote is from the first book, though.

She had always found villains more exciting than heroes. They had ambition, passion. They made the stories happen. Villains didn’t fear death. No, they wrapped themselves in death like suits of armor! As she inhaled the school’s graveyard smell, Agatha felt her blood rush. For like all villains, death didn’t scare her. It made her feel alive.

This quote made me think deeply for a while when I read it, because I think there is a lot of meanings behind it. I think it demonstrates off the bat a different way of thinking. It makes you think about how villains affect the stories we read, and how if there were no villains, every hero we know wouldn’t be a hero, because they never saved anyone from anything.

“Wonder” by R.J. Palacio tells the story of a kid named Auggie Pullman, with a facial difference because of a medical problem The story follows him as he moves to a regular school for the first time in the fifth grade. But because of his medical problem the bullying, trust, and friendships makes some problems that Auggie suffers, but he also finds good acts of kindness and support. Some people see how Auggie’s presence impacts his friends’ and family’s life because the story is told from many of perspectives.

“When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind.”

This quote is about the central message that the book is trying to send to everyone. This message is that you have to be kind and respectful to people around you and it doesn’t matter what do they look like

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

The Testaments is a sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale book written by Margaret Atwood  The Testaments is set 15 years after the original story in the dystopian scitety of Gilead and is narrated from three different perspectives Aunt Lydia, a powerful member of Gilead’s, Agnes, a girl raised in Gilead and finally Daisy, a young woman living in Canada who learns about her connection to Gilead. This book explores many themes such as power, resistance, survival and betrayl.

Quoute “Aunt Lydia said that silence, too, was a form of power.” (Agnes, Chapter 45, Page 218) This quote stood out to me because it shows how silence can be used as a tool of control in Gilead, especially in Gilead where speech is dangerous and silence can be a way to protect yourself or maintain your position of power.

Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a novel based on a woman who returns to her hometown, Los Angeles after many years. One night, she faces a decision wether to go home with her ex-boyfriend, rekindling their past romance, or to stay out with friends. Which would lead to new experiences and relationships, this moment created two parallel storylines, that alternate throughout the novel.

I can’t help but think about all the choices we make. How they lead us to where we are, and how we can’t see how it all plays out. What if I had made a different choice? What if I had taken a different path?

When I read that passage, it made me think about how our choices really shape our daily lives and how important it is for everyone to find a balance in what they do.

“The Sigma Protocol,” by the best selling author Robert Ludlum a interlacing story between espionage and conspiracy. when Ben Stalworthy a son of a holocaust survivor who is also haunted by his past, finds himself upon an organization known as sigma, Ben finds himself in a risky game of owl and rat. As he finds chilling secrets with his friend Anna Navorro about the shadowy corridors of power. Ben Stalworthy must race against time to revel the secrets that he found about the shadowy corridors of power while tracking the clues left alone by his brother. But along the way he is questioned by the police.

Ben glanced at Schmid, who was tapping at his keyboard and no doubt listening. “I’m beginning to see that. So what am I supposed to do?” “the way it works in Switzerland, they can you for up to twenty-four hours without actually arresting you.” “You’re kidding me.”                                                     “And if you tick them off, they can throw you in a dirty little holding cell overnight. So don’t.”               “Then what do you recommend?”                              “Hartman, you can charm a dog off a meat truck, buddy boy, so just be your usual self. Any problems, call me and I’ll get on the phone and threaten an international incident. One of my many partners does a lot of corporate espionage work, point being we’ve got access to some pretty big databases. (p.40)

This quotation it’s from when Ben is taken to be questioned and being held for more than 20 hours by the police, this is a good book and I do recommend the book.

“Stargirl” by Jerry Spinelli, is a weird yet captivating story. At first I thought it was really stupid and boring, but it is actually really interesting. It is an adult-fiction novel based on a girl that was different than anyone else. It takes place in a fake city in Arizona called Mica. It follows the life of a 15 year old boy called Leo, who meets this strange but fascinating girl called Susan, but she prefers to be called Stargirl. Leo and everyone else at Mica Highschool are puzzled by this girl who shows up with her pet rat and a ukulele, at first. But then Leo discovers that Stargirl liked him, so he started liking her too, and they started dating. Stargirl is an unusual girl, but she is really kind to everyone who stands in her way.

“She is one of us. Most decidedly. She is us more than we are us. She is, I think, who we really are. Or were.” p.g 32

This quote captures, the way stargirl acts, she is curious and she always stays positive. People were wondering if she was real for the way she acted, and that quote is the answer.

The book Nothing More to Tell is a mystery novel by Karen M. McManus. This book follows a girl named Brynn, who four years ago, left Saint Ambrose School following the murder case of her favorite teacher, a story that made the headlines after the teacher’s body was found by three Saint Ambrose students in the woods behind their school. The case was never solved. Therefore, Brynn wants to be the one to solve it.  

“Things’ll get worse before they get better”. 

My reasoning behind this quotation was because it shows when Brynn was trying to solve the case, she knew she would uncover some things she did not want to uncover before she got to the truth. 

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” written by J.K. Rowling is the seventh out of seven books in the Harry Potter series. The series takes place in an world parallel to ours except for one twist; Wizards and witches (people who are capable of doing magic) exist among the people. The novel explores the life of a wizard boy who lives a miserable life with his aunt and uncle, who gets sent to the magical school of Hogwarts at 11 years old, where he learns about his past, why his parents are dead, and much more. He ends up in a massive feud and battle with a villain named Voldemort, and the final battle happens in book 7, the book where this quote is from

“Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and above all, those who live without love. By returning, you may ensure that fewer souls are maimed, fewer families are torn apart. If that seems to you a worthy goal, then we say good-bye for the present.” (p. 722).

In this quote, I mainly focus on the first sentence, and to me, this quote has a very deep meaning, I think it symbolizes different points of view or different outlooks on life, and it makes you rethink how you live your life.

I am currently reading the Gone Series written by Michael Grant and recently finished reading the second book in the series, Hunger. Reading this book has taught me a lot about how much we depend on other people. Especially adults. The book is about when one day all the people over the age of 15 randomly disappear and a giant 20 mile wide dome it created. However near the end of the second book the oldest kid there named Sam who had become their ‘leader’ because of a heroic act he did a while before the ‘FAYZ’. However since he is only a 15-year-old he was overwhelmed by the stress and all the problems. So at the end his friends forced him to take a break and do his favorite thing.

“Under arrest? What are you talking about?”
“You are under arrest for trying to kill a kid named Sam Temple.”
“Not funny.”
But Edilio persisted. “Trying to kill a kid . . . just a kid . . . named Sam Temple. By
stressing him out with the whole load of the world on his back.”
Sam didn’t find it amusing. Angry, he turned back toward town. But there was
Astrid, close on his heels. And Brianna. Quinn, too.
“What are you all up to?” Sam demanded.
“We voted,” Astrid said. “It was unanimous. By order of the Perdido Beach
Temporary Council, we sentence you, Sam Temple, to relax.”
“Okay. I’m relaxed. Now can I get back to work?”
Astrid took his arm and all but hauled him across the beach. “You know what’s
interesting, Sam? I’ll tell you what’s interesting. A fairly small disturbance in deep
water, creating a ripple, a surge, can become a pretty impressive wave as it nearsshore.” (pg. 609)

This shows that pressure and stress can change a person. It also shows that no matter how important or busy a person it we are all human and we all need breaks.

In J.D. Salingers the Catcher in the Rye Holden Caufield and his sister Phoebe Caufield got into an argument and Holden new that if they went to the zoo Phoebe would follow him. Phoebe did follow him but she still wouldn’t talk to him. They went through the zoo seeing all kinds of animals, and they kept getting closer and closer to the carrousel. And they had finally arrived at the carrousel.

That’s depressing, when somebody says “please” to you. I mean if it’s Phoebe or somebody. That depressed the hell out of me. But I put the dough back in my pocket. “Aren’t you gonna ride too?” she asked me. She was looking at me sort of funny. You could tell she wasn’t too sore at me any more (p.223).

This quote is important because it shows just how strong the relationship between Phoebe and Holden is. Phoebe could have stayed mad at Holden no matter what he did to gain her forgiveness but she didn’t. And Holden didn’t have to make her feel better but he did because he cares about her.

In the book We Were Liars, by E. Lockhart, follows a wealthy family who spends every summer of their private island, the main focus of this book is Cadence, after she suffered a head injury during one of their summers there, and has a hard time remembering almost anything from the past trips to this island. While there were there this summer with all of her cousins and friends they go around a circle and say their favourite mottos.

always do what you’re afraid to do p.122

This quote is from Ralph Waldo Emerson but is said multiple times by the main character Cadence Sinclair, as a part of her personal journey trying to get her memory back. I think this is an important quote to use because it is used so many times in the book. Including when Cadence does things she is scared of but it brings back her memories.

In the first chapter, The story starts with Julian Mantle, a successful lawyer, that was experience a life with crisis after having a heart attack. That event force him to evaluate his life choices. He discovers that his wealth and status and also his unhappiness.

In the second chapter, Julian decides to leave his carrier. He also travels to India, there he meets a group of monks. He learns about the importance of the inner peace and mindfulness.

In the third chapter, Julian is introduced to a monk who shares to him about life, happiness, purpose, and personal maestry. Also, the monk teaches him the real happiness. Besides, he teaches him how to stay focused and have a balance life.

I recently reread the oxford school Shakespeare version of Romeo and Juliet, and I learned a lot of stuff that I missed the first time I read the book.

At the beginning of the book, Romeo is depressed about his wife to be, Rosaline, not being able to marry or have kids as she became a nun. Benvolio, Romeo’s cousin, tries to cheer him up and convinces him to go to a ball and meet a new girl, “Compare her face with some that I shall show, And I will make thee think thy swan a crow” (Act 1 Scene 2). He was unsupportive of the idea at first, but then he eventually agreed to go. He fell in love with Juliet, and she did too with him. Her dad wanted her to marry someone called Paris, and this caused problems. Romeo was eventually banished because of the death of one of the characters related to Juliet, and pretends to kill himself to make Juliet come to him. He didn’t wake up in time, and Juliet killed herself. Romeo wakes up, sees what has had happened, and kills himself too.

For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.
(Act 5 Scene 3)

I sourced this quote because the narrator really shows how heavy and beautiful this love story is. The quote literally means, “there” is no love story as sad as this Romeo and Juliet.

This is a very fascinating novel, it starts with Somers and Hazard two detectives in a small town called Waerdurah Hazard and Somers had such a past in high school but that seems to have been resolved. Now they are partners watching over one another. (I was reading this book over the summer, it was exciting, a murder mystery/romance novel. I picked up where I left off not quite done with the book)

                Jesus god no! Somers took a breath “I mean, no, let                              me handle this ok?”

Hazard managed to nod.

“You call and check in?”

“I don’t need you coming up busywork.”

“come on man somebody’s got to  call”

“Fine.” Hazard snapped. (Pages 103-104)

Context: hazard wanted to go into Lady Mable’s chambers, they needed information from her on a murder, (Lady Mabel did not wish to speak a word) then Detective Hazard called down to the office to tell them the difficult time they were having trying to get the information out of Lady Mable.

“The Light Pirate” written by Lily Brookes-Dalton is a captivating novel set in a near future world grappling with climate change. The story follows the life of a young girl named Wanda, who grows up in a Florida that is increasingly threatened by rising sea levels and severe weather. As she navigates her childhood and adolescence. The novel explores themes of resilience, family, and the bond between humans and nature. It delves into the emotional landscapes of its character, highlighting their hope and fears in a world where survival becomes uncertain.

“The passage of years could be assigned a number, but in this place, time has a different measure. its progression is marked by the smoothness of water where ruins once broke the surface. The thickening of a young grove’s canopy. The collapse of an old utility pole. It is marked by the end of one species or the beginning of another. Here, time sprawls and curls. The land returns to the way it was; it becomes something brand new.” (p. 315).

This quote captures the theme of resilience and renewal, emphasizing how, even amid loss, there is always the potential for new beginnings and the continuous transformations of the world around us.

“Coco Chanel, An Essence of Mystery” written by Isabelle Fiemeyer. Coco Chanel is the founder and namesake of the luxurious brand Chanel. She had a brief career as a signer before her first clothing shop opened in 1910. She grew up in a time when women were expected to wear confining pieces, but her goal was to design classy articles of clothing that were fashionable but also comfortable. Instead of offering corsets and lace frills, she designed wide-leg pants and sailor shirts.

“It’s not the appearance, It’s the essence.

It’s not the money, It’s the education.

It’s not the clothes; It’s the class”

This quote is special because Coco Chanel would say it all the time. She has made a fashion staple and inspired many women to do the same. Her clothes have revolutionized the fashion industry. She may not be alive anymore, but her legacy still stands strong and holds value throughout people’s lives.

Cant Hurt me

The Author of this book is  David Goggin’s the book is a Memoir about a young black boy  who grew up in new York he was a only child and had a abusive father. Through out the book it shows how he is effected by his father and how hard it is to grow up in a household with that kind of environment. He would have to watch his mother get abused and he couldn’t not do anything about it because he was too small and young. After all of his trauma growing up he made a promises to himself to one day be bigger and stronger then his father. However when he started to grow up he forgot about his goal and lost control of his life he was depressed over weight lazy and not happy until he realized what he had said to himself as a child. The book showcases his life and journey on how he succeeded with his goals and went on to become a ultra athlete Navy Seal who became a huge inspiration to thousands of people around the world. He is now know as one of the hardest and toughest humans on the planet. I really enjoyed this book because it is a big motivate for me and it gave me lots of inspiration as an athlete. I also felt that the book has a perfect mix about his life trauma and his successes. One quote i enjoyed in the book was on page 6

” Even the best pep talk or self-help hack is nothing but a temporary fix. It     won’t rewire your brain. It won’t amplify your voice or uplift your life. Motivation changes exactly nobody. The bad hand that was my life was mine, and mine        alone to fix.”

This quote has lots of meaning to it and it really says how David Gogings personality is and how he was as a person.

 

In The Feeling of Greatness – A Moe Norman Story by Tim O’Connor, the idea of  determination and grind are explored quite clearly. Moe, a Canadian golfer, was arguably the best ball striker of all time. He never missed a shot. The consistency in him game was incomparable to any other player. He could sit on the range for hours on end in a day and never stop hitting golf balls. Whether it was the middle of winter or a scorching hot day in the summer, you could still find him there.

On some days, Moe would hit upward of fifteen hundred balls—to the point that he couldn’t hold a club any longer. Moe would retreat to the clubhouse and soothe his bloody hands in cold towels. sometimes, he threw the towels i n the garbage, which made tucker furious. The next day, with his hands covered in Band-Aids, he might hit inly his daily minimum of six hundred (p.51).

In the world of golf, Moe is an icon. The chances that we will never see a phenomenon like him again are slim to none. When I hear all the stories about Moe I begin to think to myself “wow, how are these real”. But that is what makes him so great. All his stories and unforgettable and thats how its the greatest of all time.