Nickeled and Dimed

Nickeled and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich was a very interesting read, because I think that if a person were to do such an experiment, they must be very interesting characters. She learns many lessons like, the fuits of labor, the unfairness of management and the economy, how to live consevatively and how the average worker operates. Most importantly she learns of the struggles of the average person and the major flaws of this country's economic system. She had very likeable tone throughout the book, and her character development was very visible. Overall, very good book, but a slow start, in my opinion. I would only reccomend this to patient reader.

The Last Shot

I really, really enjoyed The Last Shot by Darcey Frey, even if Marbury had a sticker on it. As an aspiring athlete i really connected to the story, the characters and the emotions they exhibit. More than that, Frey did a great job exemplifying the feelings of the chracter and making the reader undertand those feelings. I really liked the plot and the scenario, especially because it was from the perspective of four similar, yet very different characters. I reccommend this boom to any sport lover.

THE PACT

I was really unimpressed with this book. Not really much to say about it. Boring plot, confusing dialogue, no climax, not very well written. I do not recommend it.

A LONG WAY GONE- ISHMAEL BEAH

Ishmael beah lives in New York City. He was born in Sierra Leone, where, during his childhood, Civil war initiated. Before the War, Ishmael was a normal boy living a normal life filled with friends, music and sports. Ishmael and his friends manage to escape violence until they reach Yele, a government protected village. There, they are converted into drug addicts and killers. Eventually they are forced to go to rehabilitation. Later, Ishmael is deported to New york where he writes this story and suffers frequent memories and dreams of violence. The book was good, but because it was such emotion and events, it was much more interesting. Alos, I feel that the book had a good ending and meaningful plot. I enjoyed it very much.

FIGHT CLUB

Fight Club was an unexpectedly good book. Also, I thought it was interesting that Brad Pitt was in it, because I did not know that there was a movie. It was an interesting read. As mentioned earlier i was not anticipating a well written plot or surprising twists that had enraveled the book. The language and mood made the book increasingly interesting. The title I still believe is slightly irrelevant, however, it makes a little sense. If there's a sequal, I will read it. I highly recommend it, because it was probably the best book I read this year.

Thoughout the year i have read mostly non fiction stories such as biographies and actual stories. However, this quarter I mixed it up a little. I read a realistic fiction book, Monster, and a fantasy, Eclipse. Dramatically different books, I thoroughly enjoyed both. From this quarter I learned alot about myself as a reader, that I can red more than just non-fiction and different writers. Also, I seriously need to keep a more stable and steady reading policy because it limits my reading ability. Despite liking both books, I prefered MONSTER because I enjoyed the story more, the writing style and way it made me feel when i finished the book.

CHARACTER CONNECTION

In my independent reading books, ECLIPSE AND MONSTER, two major character easily connect. The characters are Edward and Steve. Both Edward and Steve have similar qualities, both are quiet passive and all-round nice guys. However, they both are seemingly dangerous in the eyes of others. Edward's a peaceful vampire and Steve is a strong young black boy in a gang in the projects. Despite such titles, in reality, the two are completely harmless and are pacifists. Also, the two suffer similar problems, because of discrimination, the peaceful duo must unjustly suffer. Through no fault of their own, both are attacked by people for things they have no control over.

MONSTER

The book is continuing to be increasingly interesting. Now, Steve seems to be so terrified, so afraid, so nervous that he has almost lost all hope. He is so demoralized he says, "what's the point? I'm gonna be locked up FOREVER.". Court is resumed. There are not a lot of people in the court. No friends, barely any family and a lot of people who hate him. He almost believes that he deserves to live in jail for the rest of his life. However. seeing his parents and siblings greatly comforts him. He flashes back, where he sees his father and him meeting at an unkown place where they are both crying. His father promises and offers Steve hope until he is forced to leave by the police guards.

Steve's face exemplifies no emotion. His lawyer is trying her best, but the odds are depressing. The prosecutor looks extremely confident and the jury returns with an undecided verdict: only one member voted innocent. All of a sudden the door open, the courtroom's quiet and Steve's last chance at freedom walks in.

MONSTER

As the story progresses, Steve uses flashbacks of his previous life: Life when he was free. His recollections reveal that, in fact, Steve always had a tough life where he was either manipulated, forced or framed for being a bad kid, which continues to provide sympathetic rationalization that Steve is, in fact, innocent. However, the witnesses and evidence, unfortunately, provide seemingly undenialable proof against Steve.

Trial's eventually adjourned. Every moment Steve feels like every one is looking at him and is beginning to feel the pressure. As he is about to return his cell, his lawyer approaches saying that his chances are slowly diminishing. Scared more than ever, Steve hears 3 men down the hall. There's a lookout, ironically, just like him, a rapist and a victim. Steve can only listen and watch the shadows of the trio, parying that he won't be stuck here.

MONSTER

In the book MONSTER, by Steve Harmon, Steve is the main character. He is a black sixteen year-old boy from the streets of Brooklyn. At the beginning of the book, there is no backround information about him. The book starts out with Steve in a prison cell enlightening the reader with his story. In order to maintain his sanity, Steve records his experiences in jail and pretends to be a movie producer. He explains that he was wrongly convicted of being an accomplice in a murder at a local store where the owner was murdered. Steve is currently seperated from his family and locked in a prison cell until his trial that will determine his entire future. He continuously describes the agony he faces in prison: the food, the people, the endless thinking. He repeatedly states that he, "HATES, HATES, HATES!!!" prison.

He soon explains the inspiration of the title. He says that the prosecutor refers to him only as a "MONSTER,"

THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN- MITCH ALBOM

Reading, The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom was very enjoyable. I enjoyed Mitch albom's writing style and word choice. Despite being continuously distracted by outside interference, I never lost interest in the book. As I read, I conveyed numerous of emotions as I continued to grow close relationships with the book's characters. Because the book was so powerful, I was determined to continue reading because I was so interested in reaching the ending.

This book was exceptionally enjoyable because it had dual meaning. Not only was the literal story satisfying, but the powerful life morals touched me. Mitch Albom's lessons of Connection, Sacrifice, Forgiveness, Purpose and Happiness has altered my beliefs. I recommend this book very highly.

THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN- MITCH ALBOM

Eddie, again, has a new location. He sees various wedding ceremonies. He encounter two people: a young Filipino girl and his wife, Marguerite. Tala, the young girl, was in the burning house that Eddie was desperate to destroy. She explicates that because of him, she died. She was the dark figure within the flaming house that Eddie was so depserate to destroy. Consumed with sadness, Eddie hysterically tears. Despite being a mere child, she is vastly intelligent. She clams Eddie. Once he regains his composure, she elucidates his last lesson: Purpose. Eddie now realizes that he destiny was to save the little girl's life, just as he destroyed Tala's. He now knows that the "angel" who took Eddie from his body to Heaven was Tala. he returns to Ruby Pier. He sees a crowd of people. these people, were the people who would have died if Eddie did not work at Ruby Pier.

He then rejoins his loving Marguerite. She is waiting for him at Ruby Pier. They reunite and Eddie's heaven becomes Ruby Pier. Eddie is overjoyed and now realizes true happiness. When the little girl dies and she goes to Heaven, eddie will be one of her guardians.

THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN- MITCH ALBOM

Eddy is transported to his third guardian. She is an old woman named Ruby. She explains that her husband, Emile, built Ruby Pier, named after her, many years ago in order to please her. bewildered by her, he asks of how they are connected. She enlightens him, because of her, her husband built Ruby Pier, where he was employed, where the accident occurred, causing him to die. She then involves Eddie's father. She tells Eddie that, before he was born, his father tried to stop his friend mickey from committing suicide. Mickey betrayed his father's friendship by trying to seduce his wife, Eddie's mother, when his father caught him. She teaches him his thried lesson: foregiveness. Just as Eddie's father forgave Mickey, he must forgive his father for mistreating him.

THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN- MITCH ALBOM

After his encounter with the blue man, Eddie's instantly transported to an active battlefield. Eddie escapes the danger and reunites with his captain. They reacquaint themselves. imprisoned by Japanese soldiers, Eddie and his allies flee and destroy the Japanese village. Mentally unstable from recent hardships, Eddie violently destroys everything in sight. When he sees a dark figure in a burning house, Eddie tries to enter the house. even though his comrades try to restrain him he nearly reaches the dangerous obstacle. Protecting him, his captain shoots Eddie in the leg, a permanent scar. Angry, Eddie attacks his captain when he is enlightened by his act. however, the captain explains that he took necessary measures to avoid risking Eddie's life. Soon after, the captain is killed by a land mine and Eddie falls into deep lamentation. He forgives his captain, his second spiritual guardian who teaches his second lesson: sacrifice.

THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN- MITCH ALBOM

Eddie soul ascends from his lifeless body on Ruby Pier. his background continuously changes into multicolored paradise until he finds himself in endless white. Instantly, he feels rejuvenated: His body is virtually healed. He has returned to his physical, youthful peak. Overjoyed by his new found speed and strength, he finds a blue man. The blue man explains that Eddie recently died and that he is the first of five of Eddie's heavenly guardians who will teach him the morals of life. He begins by introducing himself as a man who was killed by Eddie. Baffled, Eddie is outraged by the stranger. He explains his story where he was a Polish immigrant who was naturally nervous and abused by his father. To cope with his nerves, he ingested silver nitrate that altered his skin into a blue pigmentation. Later in his life, he traveled to the United States where he was recruited into a freak circus at Ruby Pier. one day, on Eddie's 8th birthday, Eddie was playing baseball with his friends when his baseball fell on the street. Ignorant and inccent, Eddie carelessly chased after the ball, when the blue man was driving. The blue man nearly hit Eddie, but was able to manuvre himself away from the child. However, the incident caused him to lose control, crash and bleed to death. Stunned and guilty, Eddie demmands that he should "pay" for his sin. the blue man responds however by explaining that it was not his fault. He teaches eddie his first lesson: Everyone is connected.

THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN-MITCH ALBOM

In the book, The Five People You Meet in Heaven the main character, Eddie, is an 83 year old war veteran who works at a theme park known as Ruby Pier. Eddie is a hard worker, intelligent, popular, but retains numerous injuries from the Vietnam War. Eddie has worked at Ruby Pier for years, just as his father did. It is Eddie's job to maintain a productive and safe environment at Ruby Pier by operating and reparing broken machinery. As a child, Eddie used to enjoy Ruby Pier, however, nuturally, constantly working there has reduced his joy to dullness and frustration. He sees the more the theme attractions change, the more Ruby pier stays the same. However, he does enjoy helping children.

Today is Eddie's 83rd birthday. It is a warm, dark summer night. he reminisces his life: His good and bad times, his family and most significantly, his teen lover. Interrupted by a frantic shreik, Eddie realizes that theres a broken roller coaster. two of his workers are trying to repair the vehicle, but Eddie quickly realizes that if they snap the cord, the attractions will fall. Trying to warn his fellow employees, his voice is overwhelmed by the crowd. As the men cut the cord, the machine falls on an unsuspecting girl. frozen with fear, she's immobilized. To her rescue, Eddie was able to sacrifice his own life for hers, instantly killing her.