Book 3 Review

            The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks is a number one New York Times bestseller, and is the sixteenth book he has written in the romance genre. It’s an interesting read because it’s a different love story that deals with wanting to let go of your past, but wanting to relive it at the same time, it's not the typical romance novel. Revenge also comes into play and may jeopardize more than one life.

            The plot of the book was a little different. It was a little harder to understand what was happening throughout the book because it would change scenes and characters in the next paragraph, so it was harder to figure out who you just started to read about and what is happening after just finishing a whole different character and scene. For example:                                                                                          “Finally tiring of his efforts, he simply kicked in the back door, just like Ted had done at Tuck’s house. He stepped inside, wondering what the hell Candy might be up to. Just as she had every fifteen minutes since she’d arrived, Amanda approached the nurses’ station to ask if they had any further information.”(pg. 273)                                                                                                                                                                      Just like that they are in one scene with a character kicking in a door, and the next sentence is another character at the hospital for her son. Even though it did get confusing, Sparks did a good job in portraying the plot. He allowed the reader to know exactly what was happening and let them better understand who the characters were and what they were trying to accomplish throughout the book.

            The themes of love and revenge were definitely seen clearly all throughout the entire novel. This is something that Sparks did very well in writing The Best of Me. In almost every chapter there is love and revenge that is occurring.  For example, in one scene the two main characters are realizing they never stopped loving each other, and in the next scene one character is attempting to kill the other because of what happened in the past. It’s a very mixed book. It’s like a salad, each bite you taste something different, the lettuce, tomato, dressing. In the book you taste a little bit of revenge with a little bit of love to make an intense and tasteful story. For example:                                                                                                                                                          “How can you do that? Just turn it off like that? Even when you know they’re out there hunting you down?” Amanda could feel adrenaline flooding her body. “Is this some crazy idea about your destiny as a Cole?” “No.” He shook his head, the movement almost imperceptible. “I wasn’t thinking about them because I was thinking about you. And since you first came into my life, that’s the way it’s always been. I don’t think about them because I love you, and there isn’t room for both.”(pg. 212)                                                                                                                                                                        This example from the book shows the revenge and the love, but that love is more powerful than revenge.

            The characters in The Best of Me really fit into the whole story very well. How Sparks wrote the characters out to be allows the reader to either love the “good” characters, or hate the “bad” ones. They really fit into the whole mood and feel of the story. While reading, it all can be visualized, what they look like and how they are acting, it’s the kind of story that can be easily imagined in one’s head.                                                                                                                                                                                             

           Overall the book deserves four out of five stars. It did really well in portraying the plot and the characters involved, although it did get confusing at times.The two themes of love and revenge really let the book be what it is, a powerful love story with a bit of a thriller in it. Instead of being a cheesy love story throughout, it was intense and thrilling as well.

Silver Linings Playbook trailer

book talk

Post 5

I think that a book should be at least 70% true to be considered non-fiction. I think it should be 70% because non-fiction is a true story, and if you have half the book made up then it’s not true. I think 30% is a good percent to be made up because it allows the author to be creative and make their story a bit more interesting than a bunch of facts all piled together. For example The Glass Castle is considered creative non-fiction because there are stories she tells that are not all the way true because she adds creativity to them to make them sound more interesting to read and for the readers to fully understand her childhood and the things she went through.  I believe that it’s okay if a story is only half true but a good read. Who cares if the person added fiction to their stories, they just wanted to make their life sound more interesting and not sound boring. I don’t think it matters that Frey and Mortenson bent the truth to tell their stories because again they wanted to make their lives and the whole story more interesting. I don’t think we need fine lines between genres because if it’s a good story then it’s a good story, who cares if it’s true or not, if it was written well and has a good plot line then that’s perfectly fine with me.

post 4

I am reading The Silver Linings Playbook,and in this book the main character Pat is telling his "real life" movie of himself. He is not mentally stable and always has lots of thoughts and feelings going through his head that I think would be hard for a film maker to adapt into the movie. You cant really show all of this in a movie so they would probably have to slim down his his thoughts and actions. I have seen the movie, and in it they have done this, he is much more calm in the movie than he is in the book.
In the book Pat goes to his best friend Ronnie's house for a nice "dress up" dinner. He ends up just wearing his new football jersey his brother got him. Ronnie's wife Victoria has a sister that has been invited, Tiffany, who is also not very mentally stable. Tiffany ends up wanting to go home early, and tells Pat that he is going to walk her home, and he does so. This is a scene that introduces Tiffany and how she acts, and what kind of personality she has. She says what she wants, when she wants and has an "I dont care what other people think" attitude.
Another scene that I dont think should be cut is Pat and Tiffany's "first date". They walk to the diner and Tiffany just orders a tea, and Pat orders a bowl of raisen bran. They end up sharing the raisen bran, and Pat gives the waitress forty dollars for their small meal becuase its what Nikki (Pat's ex-wife) would want him to do. This scene is important because it shows how Pat and Tiffany act around each other and how this one "date" will lead to others later on.
Another scene that shouldnt be cut is when Pat is at one of his therapy sessions with his therapist Dr. Cliff and Cliff stands up and starts talking about the Eagles and starts doing the Eagles chant. This scene is important because it shows that Cliff is a realy person, and watches football, not just talk to people about their feelings all day, which makes Pat really trust and like him.
In the book, Pat, his brother, and a friend go to an Eagles game and Pat ends up knocking a man out becuase he was wearing a different teams jersey and started to try and fight Pat. This scene isnt all that important becuase nothing happens after that, there really wasnt any meaning begind it, there are a lot more important scenes than that one fight scene.
Two characters that can be cut would be Pat's brother's freind Scott, and Pats brothers wife Caitlin. They are not really important and serve practically no purpose in the story, Scott is just there because he's a freind and goes to a few football games with them. Caitlin isnt really important either becuase she doesnt do anything and the book is about Pat and Tiffany, not his brother and his wife. In the movie these two characters do not show up, and the movie was great and it made sense without them in it.

Book Project: The Night Circus fan experience

This is a fun and entertaining way to get to know the characters and the Le Cirque des Reves circus. This is a video game where you are able to choose either Marco or Celia to explore the circus and the places the circus goes throughout Europe and parts of the US, meet the other characters and learn their magical talents, but most importantly you are “playing the game” that Celia and Marco are playing in the book. You will have to show off your talents in the circus and do better than your opponent in order to win. The catch is that you don’t know when somebody will win, so you have to do your best throughout the whole game.

In The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern Celia and Marco are put into a game as children because of their special magical talents, and have to practice them until it actually starts, which is years after they are put in it. The circus is the venue for the game and they have to use their talents to out talent the other. Celia is a performer in the circus, although her magic act is actually real compared to the other performers who are just illusionists. Marco is Chanderesh’s assistant but is still able to show his talents off. They travel with the circus throughout Europe and the US, which would be different levels of the game (each time to get to a new place; you are at the next level). Some of the places they travel to are; London, Massachusetts, Dublin, New York, Barcelona, Munich, and Vienna, which you will be able to see in the game. In the book Celia gets a letter that says “He writes back to inform her that it has been specifically designed to be manipulated by either side, so she may add whatever she wishes.” What this means is in the game you will be able to add things to the other players designs that they created, and you will be able to manipulate them in a way you want, this will show off your talents. “While the act of a fully grown (if below-average-size) woman condensing herself into such a confined space would be impressive regardless of the details of the box, it is made even more impressive in this case by the fact that this box is made of glass completely transparent.” This is a part in the book where a contortionist is performing at the circus; she puts herself in a small box and disappears. In the game you will be able to meet characters like her and interact with them to learn more about who they are.

This video game would be a great way to allow fans to interact with the characters in the book, and the places the Le Cirque des Reves night circus travels. They will actually get to become the characters and have magical talents that they get to use in a competition to try and win. This game will allow the fans to better understand the plot and the characters because they get to interact with them. You will be able to travel throughout different parts of Europe and participate in a circus without having to leave your house. This game is meant for Young adults and adults because it’s so interactive and will feel like you are really in the circus, there’s no age limit in going to a circus.

*available for Wii, Xbox, Playstation

Sneak peak of the game: There is the circus and Celia turning her cape into a flock of birds, which she does so in the book, and what you will have the chance to do in the game!

post 2: What is a book?

A book is a story between two covers. The physicality of it and the story itself defines what a book is. Personally i love holding a nice, crisp, good smelling book in my hands and turning the pages, I can understand the story being told in a physical book, but i read an electronic book im not getting the full book. there are no pages to be turned, no crispness to it, just a light and the tap of your finger. whats the joy in that? besides the physical book the story is what you make it. you have to use your imagination to have the story become the book. reading a physical book puts you right into it, think of it as an amazing view of a waterfall in the rainforest, you get the full experience of it if you are actually there and being able to touch the wet stone, rather than just looking at a photo of that waterfall and just experiencing the little bit of color it reflects. thats how electronic books are, you dont get to experience the fullness of it.
 "physicality of a book, the way it looks and feels and even smells--the notes written in the margins" this is what Nancy Jo believes, which is the same belief that i have, how can you understand what your reading if you cant actually feel it or write your thoughts to the side. i also believe what Tom Piazza says "Computers and e-books and smartphones all basically look alike. They are strictly vehicles; you pick them up to step through them into some consensus reality; you’re wired in" there is no uniqueness to electronics, physical books have thier own look, shape, and size, they all look different and reflect what the story is about inside.

post 1: Why do you read?

I read for many different reasons. Reading is a way to escape reality, dive in and explore a whole new world. When I read I’m able to see many different perspectives and point of views of others in the text. You are able to understand characters and the plots a whole lot better than just watching a movie or a show. Books go so much more in detail on what is going on, and who the characters really are, so you can relate to them or see what kind of person they are. I always like books more than the movies they are turned into for that reason, detail. Reading is so relaxing, you don’t have to think or worry about anything except the characters you are reading about. If I’m having a bad day or I just want to escape I read. I mostly read sad, romance books, I don’t know why, I don’t like being sad, There is always something about them though that pulls me in and makes me not want to put the book down. Books have helped me become a better reader, I used to hate reading and was slow at it but as I started reading more and enjoying books I got a lot faster at it and I really enjoy reading now.