Book Worms discussion

For the final book review, please do the following:

1. Initially, write the title of the book with link and the number of pages of your book.

2. Overall, be sure that you are writing a persuasive review about the book. Discuss answers to questions such as, “What do you think about this book?” and “Would you recommend this book to others? If so, who? If not, why not?” The review should focus on your reaction to the book—positive, negative or both.

3. You need to discuss the impact that this book had on you as a reader. Why did you read it and how did your perspective change given what you read? After having read this book, are you inclined to take any particular action? (This could be as simple as reading another book by this author.) Why or why not?

4. In order to receive full credit, you need to refer to at least one of the six literary elements (point of view, mode of discourse, allusion, special effects, purpose, or tone) that you discussed in the journal. Try to blend your reference into your other discussion instead of doing this as a separate entity within your review. Please italicize/capitalize the reference so I can identify it easily.

5. In order to receive full credit, your book review must be at least 300 words.

6. Remember that you need to use 4 vocabulary words in this journal post. Please bold/italicize/capitalize.

7. Remember that you need to include a short, meaningful quote from the book.

8. Remember that you need to include some sort of rating of the book.

9. Remember that the review must be written with a persuasive tone.

10. After you have completed the review, in 3-5 sentences, respond to another group member’s posting.

Killing Yourself to Live: 85% of a True Story
1-257

I really thought that this book was a fun read. I really didn't think that this was a hard read which most things are for me but certainly I really liked this book. For me in particular I thought that I could relate to Chuck Klosterman in some of the situations, such as being in limbo with a couple girls but really finding out what its really all about and committing yourself. I really took some good advice and it seemed so perfect in timing as I read this particular passage on why you should never cheat, "The reason why you should never cheat on someone is because you wont enjoy it. No matter which person your're with, you'll always be thinking of the other one. You will never be in the romantic present tense: your mind will solely exist in the past and the future." I would definitely recommend this book to someone that enjoys books a long the lines of biographies and rock and roll. The impact that i had from this book was an experience it definitely changed my DISPOSITION. I say this because, from the passage above it changed the way that i look at things. Honestly I see somethings in a completely different way. This was certainly looked upon and ENDORSED as a positive read after at first i didn't think so much of. After I SCRUTINIZED and EXEMPLIFIED this book I would give this a 4 out of 5 and would recommend this book to anyone and everyone that may have a spark of interest.

Prey
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/83...
504-504

This book was good yet very challenging book. If I had to start over again, I would probably pick a book that I could better comprehend. That does not make this a bad book. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. Crichton is a very good author in all his books and this is no exception. This is a very well written book and the reader feels like a student in a science class the way he describes the technoology and science in this book, I can't even tell whether some of the stuff in this book was real or just made up. Even with all the SCTRUTINY Either way Crichton does a very good job of suckng the reader into his world. the PURPOSE of this story is that of most of Crichtons books, and that is technology is a powerful tool, and not let that tool control the user, which is us as people. ""We think we know what we are doing. We have always thought so." This quote EXEMPLIFIES how human ignorance can lead to human downfall. I'm not saying that technology is going to kill us and we will live in a PARADOX with Terminators in leather jackets and sunglasses hunting us, but relying on technology too much could be a human weakness. WIth that said, if you want to read a rollercoaster of a story and still have a powerful message, then Prey is a good place to start.

The Alchemist
197 pgs.

I really thought this book was a great book. When my sister recommended it to me I didn't think much about it I had no idea how popular it was and I'm not one to scrutinize so I read it. Overall I give it a 9/10 that's only because it's not the best I have read but it's still very good. At some points I thought I could really relate to the main character and this book really brought out a gamut of emotions when I read it. I would really recommend this book to someone else that is sort of feeling low or down because it can be a real pick me up once you have read it all. Overall I think Paolo Coelho has a really clear purpose and I think he wrote it that way so that everyone would understand the book. This book shows us important it is to follow your dreams and how your destiny is always written but you need to read it. A quote that really exemplifies that is "When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream". After reading this I sort of try to find meaning in things that maybe don't have any meaning but they might. At the end of this story Santiago makes it to his destinination and to me it ended in a pretty funny way. As he is digging for his treasure a few thieves come by and rob him then beat him almost to death he then tells them why he is there, the thieves laugh at him and call him a fool for believing in dreams. Then one of them says I once had a dream there was buried treasure at a broken down mission somewhere in southern Spain. He then realizes where his treasure is; he goes back to the mission from the beginning of the story and finds his treasure. To me that was sort of funny he went so far for a dream when it was right under his nose for long it's a paradox.

Sean wrote: "Killing Yourself to Live: 85% of a True Story
1-257

I really thought that this book was a fun read. I really didn't think that this was a hard read which most things are for me but cer..."

I find his view on love and cheating very interesting and i would to know what his views on the subjects are. The whole thing about rock n roll really sparked my interest to im a big fan. I think i would have fun reading a bout a rock journalist in a love triangle.

The Serial Killers Club
303 pages

Despite one or two drawbacks, overall this book was entertaining and fun to read. When it was first recommended that I read this book I was a bit skeptical. For some reason I imagined the book would take itself too serious and I wouldn't like enjoy, but it turns out it was quite the opposite. The main character's casual remarks and euphemisms of grim situations, his awkward dialogue and apparent fear of being discovered, and the camaraderie between the killers all shape the book's tone into something palatable and enjoyable for all except the most squeamish. I found the most enjoyable portions of the story to be the descriptions and meetings with the other serial killers. Their dispositions run the gamut of human emotions and professions, such as the shy librarian to the burned-out police detective. Although I found the majority of the book is a fun and casual read, I feel that the strength of the book wanes at the end and falls a little flat. For some reason the author introduces a sort of deus ex machina to finish off the book's final chapter and resolve unanswerable questions and situations that main character has reached. For some reason the book feels rushed towards the very end, and that there story should be longer than it was. Although the story went out with a whimper instead of a bang it was still a good read. Despite the constant threat of discovery and death, the narrator's casual mood brought out a lot of the humor in such a dark situation. His failed attempts at being smooth and sly also serve to add to the comedy of the novel. Although apparently awkward and a bit absent-minded, at times the main character shows a higher degree of intelligence and creativity. One of my favorite quotes occurs between a dialogue with him and an FBI agent discussing the possibility of killing the Kentucky Killer, high-profile serial killer: “The club can't compete with that...We're dealing with the equivalent of Elvis here, the member's are cruise ship crooners in comparison.” I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars, despite its disappointing end. This book definitely sparks my interest in other books with dark comedy, and although I probably won't read another of Povey's books I will try to pick up others just like it.

Sean:
I might pick up your book next. I tend to like books based on reality, and from what I've seen this one has received some good reviews. I guess it wouldn't hurt to read something with a moral, too.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
http://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/8...
782 pages

Most television and film directors face a peculiar problem; they usually have a limited amount of time and/or money for which to display and represent their idea(s) through their particular piece of work. These directors are forced to edit large amounts of content out of their film in order to accommodate both the flow of the story and their fiscal and chronological restrictions. Many writers, Susanna Clarke included, suffers from an almost opposite problem. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell follows the intertwining paths of two magicians in an alternative-universe 19th century England and they seeks power, ancient magical worlds and battle enemies: amongst themselves and others both real and magical. Well, at least some of the book is about this: a very large part of Clarke’s 782 page book is comprised entirely of unnecessary and irrelevant details and events that inundate the reader and constantly derail any sort of momentum that the novel gains. On the very first page of the book, (describing Mr. Norrell, one of the two main characters and magicians) Clarke writes: He hardly ever spoke of magic, and when he did it was like a history lesson and no one could bear to listen to him. Although somewhat exaggerated, this quote describes Susanna Clarke’s writing style almost perfectly. There was very little going on throughout the book and yet much examination of many small details dragged out over long periods of time: there are many, many chapters dedicated to old English gentlemen discussing politics and other matters of the state (issues which are very rarely mentioned later on in the novel.) Clarke’s point of view throughout the novel seems to be that of a women spending an entire Saturday afternoon watching another women watching another women bird-watching: she is very neutral about nearly every issue she presents and presents in painfully full detail: she takes on the role of an observer relaying her careful observations to the reader rather than actually participating in the story itself. Now, I’m certainly no cynic, and yet, while I usually have a very patient disposition, I had a lot of trouble getting through this book; it was simply too slow for me: it didn’t really hold my interest or make me think too hard. Although very appealing at first, this novel has turned me off of any further work of Clarke (for now) as well as any other wizard-magic books for the time being. For all of these reasons I would recommend this book only to those with several weeks of vacation to spend and not much else to do. Overall, I would give this novel a rating of a three out of five.

Joseph:
I can relate to the scientific jargon used in your book. It can very often be frustrating. It's good to hear that it did not take away from the book too much.

Ruben: I thought after reading your final book review That reading uplifting books can actually be a good reason to read. Since I don't read that often this could be a good reason for me to start. I will definately check it out. Thanks for the new inspiration!

Diego, it seemed that you enjoyed the book, and that the diolauge made the book more interesting to read. I wish my book was like that because all the scientific talk.

Sean wrote: "Killing Yourself to Live: 85% of a True Story
1-257

I really thought that this book was a fun read. I really didn't think that this was a hard read which most things are for me but cer..."

Good start, Sean, but you needed to also address a literary element and to develop this review a bit. This sounds like an interesting book. Revise/proofread as well.

Joseph wrote: "Prey
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/83...
504-504

This book was good yet very challenging book. If I had to start over again, I would probably pick a book that I could better comprehe..."

Joe, you needed one more vocab. here. Good start for a review; you have a clear opinion, but this needs to be better developed.

Ruben wrote: "The Alchemist
197 pgs.

I really thought this book was a great book. When my sister recommended it to me I didn't think much about it I had no idea how popular it was and I'm not one ..."

Solid start. Develop further with more details/specifics.

Diego wrote: "The Serial Killers Club
303 pages

Despite one or two drawbacks, overall this book was entertaining and fun to read. When it was first recommended that I read this book I was a bit s..."

Nice job, Diego. You are a strong writer. Interesting review.

John wrote: "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
http://www.goodreads.com/book/photo/8...
782 pages

Most television and film directors face a peculiar problem; they usually h..."

You supported your negative take on this book very well. It sounds laborious. Ugh.