Mrs. Jernigan's Class discussion

What are you reading? Tell us about your book.

The story has a fragmented format as it shifts back and forth from the past (AD 73) to modern day between a group of archeologists, tourists, and a secretive society. The vivid scenes hold mystery - breed suspense - and suggest more is happening beneath the surface of the novel. How the writer will blend these three strands together will be interesting to watch. After a catastrophe, three players are joined in a common cause- to find the stolen book - amid prophecies, mysteries, and strigoi.

Fifteen Minutes

I am reading Fifteen Minutes which is about an upcoming star named Zack Dylan. Zack is from a small town in Kentucky and he is in love with his girlfriend, Reese. Zack Dylan is trying out for a singing show called Fifteen Minutes. So far the novel consists of Zack Dylan dealing with the fame and trying not to change for the world.

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I haven't really gotten into the book about it is about this stranger that comes into town and has a bunch of money. He is trying to make this town that is very religious and supersticious make a mistake. As a mistake, i mean he wants to make them sin.

14 year old Susie Salmon has just entered heaven after being murdered. We experience her frustration and sadness as she looks down on Earth from her heaven and sees her murderer living only a few doors down from her family who is unaware.

Paper Towns Margo is a wild child who has been neighbors with Q almost there whole lives. they are not in the same friend group so now that they are in high school they do not hang out. BUt one night, Q finds her ouside his window asking for him to drive her and go on an adventure. so they go do wild things all night and then the next day, something shocking happens.

I am reading a book called Tim Tebow: Through My Eyes. Pretty much this book is just about how Tim Tebow has lived his life and how he has delt with certain things that have happend to him throughout his exciting life. He tells many storys and gives alot of advice to how to deal with certain situations that will help as you live your life.

Two poor "dumpsite boys" growing up on the trash covered slopes of Behala. Living a life of no excitement and finding nothing in the trash worth anything, one day the two, Raphael and Gordo finally find something worth their while. What they dont know is that what they found will cause and continue to cause complications. I like this book, and Mulligan continues to throw curveballs and very unexpected pop-ups which keeps the reader interested.Andy Mulligan

Im reading Revolver,there is a 14-year old boy named Sig and it opens with him sitting alone with his own dad's corpse. Then a man comes to there door saying that Sig's father stole his gold. This book is alittle weird because it jumps around when short chapters end, but it is interesting and will capture your attention.

I Am Number Four: The Lost Files #11

I Am Number Four is about two type of people from other planets. They came to earth to fight eachother. I love this book so far because it is so interesting and keeps me on my toes. It is intriguing because it is not the lifestyle that we are used to hearing/reading about.

I'm reading Insurgent which is the next book after divergent. It picks right up where the first ended and Tris and the three others try to hide from the Erudite. I'm enjoying this book so far though I don't think it's as good as Divergent.

This book begins with protagonist, Liesel, and her brother. Her brother passes away, so she is sent to live with another family, like in foster care. Shet met a boy named Rudy. He really likes her and wants to kiss her. As death being the narrator, the story is written with a strange twist-kind of hard to understand sometimes-but a great accompany to a great book.

Paper Towns
The journey of Paper Towns begins with two friends named Margo and Q. They grew up together really close, playing together on the playground and when they are playing the come across a dead body. Then the first chapter begins when they are all grown up and in high school and Margo is the popular beautiful girl and Q is the nerd and not so popular guy. Q is in love with Margo but Margo has lost sight of her friendship with Q because she is so involved with her girlfriends and her boyfriend. Then all the sudden she comes to Q's window in the middle of the night in desperate need of help, so Q contemplates wether he should go or not but he ends up going on a journey that he doesn't know what is going to happen next.

I am reading the book that is mentioned above, by Jo Nesbø. It is about the famous serial killer hunter Harry Hole. So far there has been a strange murder of a woman in her apartment, that was found by the couple below them. Her middle finger was cut off, and she was shot in the head at close range.

I decided to choose Looking for Alaska after loving the past two novels I have read by John Green. This book, however, is much different from the other books I've read by him. Looking for Alaska is quirky and intriguing. The story is about a teenage boy named Miles "Pudge" Halter. His entire existance so far has been completely noneventful. He decides to move to an "anything-but-boring" boarding school. Here he meets two people, one of which being Alaska. Alaska introduces the idea of being spontaneous which launches him into "the Great Perhaps" he is looking for.

I am reading No-No Boy by John Okada. It is a book about a young Japanese man around the time of World War 2. When he refuses to fight in the army he is sent to prison for refusing to fight. The book takes us through Ichiros struggles in dealing with his family, freinds, and fellow American citizens after the war ends. The book has a depressing feeling where the character seems as if he is stuck in a hole that is almost impossible to get out of.

I recently finished the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. Throughout the novel, the reader follows the timid Melinda through her freshman year. The writing style is in a way very poetic as we try to figure out this secret she is holding deep that changed who she is now. I very much enjoyed this book and highly suggest it.

The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl

Timothy Egans novel The Worst Hard Time is a about a dust storm that hits all of the mid-west in the 1930's. the book. the author tells the story of the eniotment of the deadly storm and the inpack it had of the communities.

I am reading Terror Attacks by Anne Williams and Vivian Head. It is a books that tells several stories of attacks that have devastated the World throughout the years. From The Boston Tea Party to the IRA Bombings to the Attacks on September 11. It is an opportunity to learn what took place in the world before people born or when some people were living and the history of it. Also learning about the terrorist groups that we have never heard of before. Terror Attacks

Catie Collins I am reading Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo. The Burpo family went to visit relatives in North Dakota. They visit this attraction called Crawl-A-See-Um where the children, Colton and Cassie get to overcome their fears of holding a tarantula. When the kids overcome their fear the get a ribbon to reward their courage. The family goes to visit their pastor friend, and Colton and Cassie get sick. Colton throws up every thirty minutes for three days until the family can get home to the hospital. The parents are worried, and something major has taken over their son.

Untamed: Becoming the Man You Want to Be

I am reading a novel by Xan Hood, CPA alum, called Untamed: becoming the man you want to be. I really enjoy this book a lot, he discusses the hardships of being a Christian by doing the right things, which don't appear to be fun vs doing bad things, which are what everyone could imagine. It's good to read that everyone deals with struggle and know that we are not in it all alone.

I am reading The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey. It is a story about a girl named Cassie in the midst of an alien attack trying to survive on her own. These alien attacks come in waves and Cassie must try to survive it all. Life is the only worthwhile thing in this end of the world type book.The 5th Wave

The book i am reading is I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak. Zusak creates a metafictive narration by having the main character, Ed Kennedy, talk directly to the reader as he travels through an odd challenge. He is recieving tasks to do by an unknown source, helping different people and hurting different people; he goes through riddles and puzzles, breakins to his house and punches to his face to complete these goals. His three best friends and fellow cab drivers are unsure what he is up to, and he is slowly becoming independent of him. Very interesting read.

I am reading Prisoner of Tehran. I have read through page 60. It is so good. The book immedietly puts you in Marina's perspective of being taken away from her home and into an Iranian prison for being a threat to the government. Every other chapter switches to and from her life in prison, then flasbacks to leading up to prison. I read today about how her mother was cruel to her, and Mariana would tip toe in the house after school, make her own dinner and stay in her room all night so her mother wouldn't yell at her. She also saved up every penny she had to buy books at a local used books store, she began reading the Narnia series, and became friends with the store owner. He let her borrow the books for free, and they had a really close relationship - that became one of her most impactful experiences leading up to prison.

I am reading Through My Eyes by Tim Tebow. The book goes deep into the life story of the former University of Florida star who's life has exploded onto the national spotlight. Going all the way back to his youth, Tebow describes not only the glory moments that the public already knows, but gets personal with stories about his childhood dog, Otis and helping out with the farm. The book starts with Tebow as a young boy and goes all the way to himself today as a football player and a man.

The Buddha in the Attic is about Japamese women who travel to meet their legal husbands who are also immigrants in the United States. They chose to leave their families in order to escape the monotony of Japan. These women were sent pictures and letters from their "husbands" to describe what life will be in America. When they arrive on California, the truth is revealed about theue husband economic class. With no way back home, they are forced to learn the language and survive under brutal and abusive conditions.

Maria wrote: "What are you reading? Tell us about your book."


I am reading I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak. He also wrote The Book Thief. The book is about a teenager who receives a playing card in the mail with different addresses on it with times to go to all those places. It is his job to become the messenger and figure why he was send to the different places and how he must help. I have not read much of my book yet but I am really enjoying it.

I am reading the book, The One, by Kiera Cass. It is a story that is placed in the United States in the future, also known as Illea. The main character, America, is a common girl who was chosen to compete against other girls for the prince's heart and the crown of Illea to become the next princess. In the chapter I just read, the rebels who are trying to destroy the monarchy have begun to attack the girls families. America must decide if she will stay or leave to protect her family.

I am reading Night by Elie Wiesel. The horrid experiences of a Nazi death camp are being told through a young Jewish boy. It explains how the harsh conditions and evil treatment cause all loss of faith and hope.

For my outside reading, I am reading the novel The Help by Kathryn Stockett. So far, this novel is about a black maid, Aibileen, who is practically raising her 17th white child in the heart of Jackson, Mississippi. At this time, Jackson is the root of segregation and racism, and Stockett grasps the harsh reality of it through the black maids' perspectives. She also grasps the insincerity of the white woman as they do not raise their children, and solely care for their appearance. On the other hand, she switches perspectives to another character, Skeeter, who is a young white girl who graduated from Ole Miss, and actually has a heart for the black woman, unlike the rest of the white ladies. Although she feels in her heart that racism is wrong, she feels unable to do anything about it right now. The Help

I am reading the Batman Begins screenplay by Christopher Nolan and Daviv S. Goyer. It is the first movie of the trilogy and reads almost as well as it is watched. Nolan and Goyer write in a way that the reader is able to get a clear picture of what is going on in the story and if you have already seen any of the movies than it is almost as if you are able to hear the character's voices as you read their lines. I am excited to continue reading and relive all the exciting moments from the movie in a totally different fashion this time around.

Maria wrote: "What are you reading? Tell us about your book."

I am reading The Maze Runner series. I just finished the first book yesterday and Im now on chapter 6 of the second book, called The Scorch Trial. I really enjoyed the first one. It was not like most other books where you have to force yourself to read the first few chapters until it gets interesting. Right off the bat action and suspence start. I actually could not put the book down. My mom literally had to take my ipad away for an hour so I would eat dinner with her and my sister. If you dont know what it is about, its about a boy who wakes up in a huge area with huge walls that lead to a maze. They have to figure out how to get out of the maze. They have been there trying for two years with no luck, but when Thomas (the main character) shows up, everything changes.

Through the journey of Pandemonium, the protagonist, Lena, has to go throw trials she never thought she would experience. Love is a disease in the novel. As she is separated from her family and the people she loves she has to conquer everything by herself. She is a very independent person who will do anything to keep the feelings of love in her life. Even if that means she might come close to death.

I am reading Seabiscuit (An American Legend) by Laura Hillenbrand. It is a captivating story about the sucess and failure of a 1930's-early 40's race horse. It reads like a novel but at the same time has a detailed description of the events leading up to the sucess of Seabiscuit. I have enjoyed reading this book because it gives the perspective of the jockey as well as the horse.

The book I am reading is called Anubis Gates. In the prologue it begins with magical plot by a very old man to bring the anctient Egyption gods into the present World.Two magicians are deployed for this plan.In Chapter 1 it begins with a historian of Colrige named Doyle. Doyle apparently has been hired by a huge scientific Cooperation caled DIRE and is questioning the ethics of his new occupationThe Anubis Gates

1984 I am reading 1984 by George Orwell, which is about a man named Winston.
Winston seems to be one of the only people who is aware of the incongruities around him. He remembers another time, before the wars and the revolution, when life was different, when people were allowed to do what they wanted to. Right now, Winston is searching for someone else like him, someone else who has not been brainwashed by the party, and remembers like he does.

While the trio searches for the mysterious relic of the church, they stumble across another guide to help them navigate the churches and museums in Russia - Rasputin. His appearance is as expected; his story of excommunication is quite the opposite. According to his story, he saved dying Russian children following the Nazi destruction of the cities and structures by turning them into vampires. Rhun and Rasputin have a history together - working to end injustice and pursue faith - but alas on different sides of the current situation. Will he prove treacherous and turn the team over to those who hunt them with the grimwolf? Or will they escape and be victorious over the stringoli who pursue them through the Russian terrain? What does history tell us about the mystical priest?

I am reading the novel The Sword . It is about the new civilitaion 400 years after WWIII. They have reverted back to the middle ages. I am in the middle of chapter 6. In my reading today, The main character Teo, who is a soldier as well as a proffesor, is returning to his home kingdom chiveis. It describes the city and tells about how it is surrounded by mountains and one wall. It also begins to explore the fact that Teo is skeptical of the city priest and the city religion which is pagan and focuses on "magic." which is really brimstone. At the end of my reading, Teo is setting up a lecture with his students in his property outside the city walls since he is off duty from being a scout for the time being.

I just started the third book in The Maze Runner series, The Death Cure. In the end of the second book, the characters are taken out of the Flare infested desert and placed in an unknown area. The beginning of the third book picks up with Thomas, who has been stuck in a completely white room with no contact to anyone else. The Rat Man has just returned and informed him that he will soon be done with the Trials and tells him other important information, but Thomas now has to decide if he believes the mysterious man or not.

Anthem
Just finished the book Anthem by Ayn Rand
The book averages at about 100 pages and in this story is the philopshy of Objectism trully expressed. Ayn Rand wrote this while working on The Fountainhead and it was almost a reminder or notes taken while writing the book. Anthem takes place in a distopia society that has eliminated any use of 1st and 2nd person views. You are They and I am Us. Everyone is the same and we all love each other. We love our brothers and we work for the glory of civilization. The story goes with the emerging pride and ego in one of the civilians, who has no name but a number, and follows there quest to discover these feelings in them that lead them to questioning their reality and seeking his passions.

Hush, Hush

Enticed by her new dark, mysterious classmate, Nora struggles to understand the bigger picture of the episode she involuntarily becomes a part of. Who is Patch? Why is he a part of my life? Why is he so different from all the other highschoolers? The book begins with the story of a fallen angel. The mystery shrouding Nora's new classmate leads me to believe that Patch is indeed a descendant of a fallen angel. The book is really good so far. Becca Fitzpatrick creates a story that your mind can dive into and become part of. Overall, the story is full of suspense, drama, and mystery that can keep any reader turning the pages.

I'm on chapter 5 of An Abundance of Katherines by John Green. So far, we have met the main character, Colin Singleton, and his best friend, Hassan. Colin is extremely smart and kind of nerdy, so he doesn't have very many friends. Hassan is his only friend, other than girls named Katherine. He's dated 19 Katherines, and just broke up with the last one. All 19 girls have dumped him. In an attempt to cheer him up, Hassan takes Colin on a summer road trip. They've been driving for less than a day & are in Kentucky right now.

Bossy pants:

Bossy pants is an autobiography by actress and comedian Tina Fey. She tells of her life so far. She includes details and stories on her life growing up. The reader gets to follow her through high school and college and life post school. Fey's writing is witty and enjoyable. She has a very definite tone and you can read it in her voice. The book is light hearted and also hilarious. The reader gets to observe her career and personally life. You gets an inside look into SNL and Tina's assent into becoming her own boss and running the TV show 30 Rock. The book is filled with awkward and funny moments. Tina's writing is real but always with a quirky twist. She isn't trying to appear perfect or put together. She finds humor I her day to day life and let's us all be apart of it.

I'm reading Columbine which is a book about a school shooting in Colorado in 1999. The two shooters were senior boys Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. The book begins by explaining Dylan and Eric's stories along with some of the stories of those who ended up being shot. Currently it is explaining the day minute by minute and the parents are frantically searching for their kids. The SWAT team has just entered the high school and are moving slowly towards the shooters. Cops and paramedics are rushing into the high school and pulling out bodies that show signs of life to safety.

Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness[bookcover:Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness|13547180
I just finished "Brain on fire: my month of madness" a memoir by New York Post journalist Susannah Cahalan. This story opened with a flash forward of Susannah strapped to a hospital bed, unaware of her whereabouts. The story follows her decent into madness, from a normal adult in New York, to one with juvenile needs and behaviors. This is the true account of disease, faith, and a diagnosis that dalmost didn't happen. An inspiring story prompting the appreciation of identity.

In my book, Eleanor and Park, by Rainbow Rowell, the two protagonists are an unlikely pair. They are not the cliche teen love story characters because they are both drawn to each other based not upon looks or social status, but each other's heart and personality. Park goes against all fear of rejection and embarrassment and plunges head-on into a friendship with Eleanor, which later evolves into something more. I like how the author constantly keeps the main character's feelings for each other hidden in their conversations. Neither characters know of the infatuation of the other, which I like. Since the beginning, they have both held back in every realm of their relationship, but at some point their true feelings will have to be revealed.

I am reading Atonement by Ian McEwan. The story is portrayed through the point of view of Briony Tallis. Briony is a creative expressive young girl who percieves her world through the lens of theater and drama. The main story line followed is that of her sister, Cecelia Tallis, who seems to have an interest in their family's servant's son, Robbie. McEwan shows scenes through the points of view of Cecilia and Briony. Cecilia's encouters with Robbie are flirty and nervous, while Briony's views show exagerated violence or extreme passion. Broiny's hieghtened imagination will get her into trouble when her realities become dramtized, throwing lives into the cross fire of her fantasies.

The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell: An Accidental Soldier's Account of the War in Iraq

Written by John Crawford, "The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell" explains the story of an American soldier fighting in Iraq. The narrator is a young man who offered up his services in order to pay for college, who was surprisingly sent to Iraq with only a semester left. Once he arrives,through sand storms and blistering heat, Crawford and his men fight past hajji and other radical Iraqui men in their fight to defend their country. Crawford struggles through doubts in his new marriage back home, while protecting his life and exploring his new home across the globe. This novel gives a brutally honest depection of a young man's life fighitng in Baghdad, from messing around with friends to creating relationships with the townspeople to avoiding a gunshot to the chest.

Shooter: The Autobiography of the Top-Ranked Marine Sniper

A fascinanting Chronicle of Jack Coughlin, one of America's highest decorated snipers, this novel has been rather interesting so far. I thoroughly enjoy reading it and following Jack's progress through traing and early conflicts of the 1990s. I stopped reading days after 9/11 and there is a large amount of foreshadowing pointing to the fact that the game is about to change forever; it seems as if things will never be the same and the United States military must adapt in order to survive in the unique envirenment of Iraq and Aphganistan.

A Visit from the Goon Squad: I have only gotton through chapter four, so I am not far enough yet to make a thorough analysis of the plot, but I have been introduced and gotten to know all of the characters because of how each chapter switches narrators. This shows a duel perspective and how each character connects to another. Sasha is a woman who is kind of lost and struggling with stealing when a music producer, Bennie, hires her and soon enough falls for her. He is also struggling with his own problems of lust and growing closer to his son. There is also another love story arousing with Lou and Jocelyn, Lou may offer Jocelyn a recording contract. The book is kind of confusing because there are so many characters and it is hard to keep up with how they are all connected, but so far i have enjoyed reading it.