All time favorite

I'm fairly indecisive about a lot of things, mainly because I generally am not a picky person. However, when the question of what my favorite book comes up, I know exactly what to say. The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale is easily my favorite book. It's the type of story  that I will sit down and read in one day and than want to turn to page 1 and read it all over again. I've wondered why this is my favorite book throughout of life; it isn't the best book ever written, and it is more of a children's book. But it has several things that really appeal to me. 

When I was a child I had a very active imagination! My neighbor friends and I would dream up these amazing different worlds all the time. Shannon Hale does an excellent job of using rich, vivid imagery to create this interesting world that this story occurs. I love that. Not only that, but she makes the main character someone who I could relate to. Throughout the book the main character starts as a shy, timid character, and gradually gains confidence in herself. By the end of the book, she has found herself and has confidence in her talents and abilities. This has a great appeal to a lot of people, particularly girls, because self doubt is something everyone does. The fact that the main character learned to accept the things that make her different and people still admired her is really empowering and I really like that the author did that. All and all, while this book may be more of a children's book, it will always be one of my favorites. 

Hi, I'm a cliche returned missionary. Hooray

I must admit, even though I've been home from my mission for almost a year and a half I still find it difficult to find time to read non-church related books. So therefore, I'm going to talk about a church related book! Imagine that. Currently I am reading a book called "The power of everyday missionaries" by Clayton M. Christensen. In his book he discusses his own personal quest to become an effective member missionary. He had a lot of set backs and problems, but the things that he has written are super powerful and come from true faithful experience. I would highly recommend it to anyone who has even the faintest desires to be a good member missionary and just doesn't know how.  One of the reasons that I love his writing so much is that I AM his intended audience. He wrote the book intended for people exactly like me. People who truly have desires to share the gospel and see miracles in their every day lives, but just aren't sure exactly how to go about it. In addition, he uses lots of powerful personal experiences. It also begs mention that the examples he uses are perfect for the points he is trying to make, and show the whole process that his wife and he have gone through in order to get to the point where they are at today. He is able to connect with me emotionally by establishing that he understands what I'm going through and offering me hope and ideas of how to become better. Seriously, who doesn't love a book that legitimately inspires them to be better.

Finally, possibly the best part about reading his book is that I am continuously impressed with every single chapter! I keep expecting him to run out of great ideas, but every single chapter is simply incredible and offers new perspectives that I'd never thought about before.

Hip-hip-hooray!

Blog.

I don't really have a favorite author, or even a favorite book. I'm sure I have enjoyed some this books but right now I can't think of anything. However, I did just read a book today for another class entitled “What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20” by Tina Seelig. So, I guess I’ll just share some of my thoughts about that book. Reading this book has definitely made me stop and think more about my life. Am I heading in the right direction? Where do I even want to end up? I don’t think there is anything wrong with the traditional, expected path that I am on but, what more can I be doing? I have found a renewal of desire to set goals and make plans. I need to keep my ambitions high, and yet be flexible and be able to adapt to the opportunities and challenges that I find in life. Overall the book helped me think through life a little bit more and got me excited to face the future. I guess I liked the book because she used a bunch of life experience, both of her own and those of other people. She has had a very interesting path in life and has quite a few stories to help illustrate her points. She also draws heavily from other people’s experiences. The style isn’t very unique or all that interesting. She pretty much just tells a bunch of stories that are interesting. And I hunger to learn more, like a man that is looking to go to Beto's right now...

Blog Post 6

My favorite author is probably Pittacus Lore, who wrote the I am Number Four series. It may be possible that Pittacus Lore is a pseudonym, in which case I would have no idea what the author's real name is. Pittacus writes science-fiction books that can easily captivate many readers after reading the first ten pages because of his sudden attention getter. His plots don't tend to go in the direction of an average story where the main character would go on some challenging quest and live happily ever after in the end. WhatI enjoy about the plots he creates is that it changes unexpectedly from a hopeful mood to a tragic mood and vice-versa. His writing style creates a lot of suspense for the reader as the story progresses. His writing structure is well organized and isn't too formal for the audience. The aspect of Pittacus's writing that I enjoy the most is how he displays each of the characters; attitudes and personal character. Each of the characters all have unique personalities and the methods Pittacus uses to describe those moods create great imagery for the audience throughout the story. These are the reasons why I simply enjoy Pittacus Lore's books.

Mary Higgins Clark

Alright Mary Higgins Clark has been one of my favorite authors for a long time. That may be a little weird because her books usually have a young, successful, attractive woman as the main character. It's weird because I'm a guy but we're chillin'. Anyways I enjoy her books because of her ability to demand the attention and imagination of the reader. The plot of her books almost always include a very suspenseful, thrilling story line as the young woman tries to figure out who is after her while struggling to maintain her personal safety and sanity. Clark's ability to captivate the attention of the reader is evident in the fact that in each book I've read, if I'm not careful, I end up looking at the clock hours later, trying to figure out how time had passed so quickly. Her style, her diction, and clarity in creating images and story lines is outstanding. That is why I have read many of her books and why I still get excited to read one when she comes out with a new book. It's also something I share with my older sister Rachel who also really enjoy reading her books. It's kind of fun to get excited about something that is only between you and your sister so that just adds to the appeal.

I like it sappy

     My favorite author is the lovely, creative Danielle Steel. My favorite novel is The Promise because it's a story with tons of controversy, tons of heartbreak, and tons of love. I've read many of her others books as well, and I was addicted to every single one! Danielle Steel has a way about her that makes you understand every person in the novel. You root for those you love, you expect a happy ending, and you get a happy ending. That is the number one reason that I love Danielle Steel. She never lets me down. I hate books that don't end how they're "supposed" to. I need happiness. Her writing style is so sincere and so intriguing. Her books could be a million pages long, and I would never get bored. Majority of her novels are love stories, she has a ton, and yet she continues to come up with new amazing stories. It baffles me that authors can constantly rack their brains for amazing content. Another thing that I love about Danielle Steel is that the people in her novels are real. She presents her novels in a way that you can maybe assume how the book is going to end, but it's never exactly how you expect it. Her tone is always so serious and intense. It keeps you on your toes, and it keeps my heart happy. One time I wanted to write her a long letter telling her how much I love her and how much her books have changed my life, but then I didn't. I was afraid it was too weird. I still love her though. One day I'll read all of her books. She's a genius. She knows what she's doing.

Nerd Alert

     Many people on here have talked about how they don't really enjoy reading, but I will own up to being a complete nerd reading daily. I love reading and it was hard for me to choose a favorite book ...so I didn't. But I did narrow it down to three!
     I have a huge infatuation with the Lost Generation writers of the 1920s because I think it was just such a unique time to live in. One of my favorite books is Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway. I just really like his direct, declarative style. He is unique and that makes reading his stories enjoyable because it's a completely different reading experience. The other '20s writer I love is none other than F. Scott Fitzgerald. He writing is so flowery and metaphorical and I think he presents his stories in the most beautiful way. Sometimes his detailed diction makes the books slightly longer than is needed, but it's worth it. I love many of his books, but my favorite is probably still The Great Gatsby.
     The other book I adore is Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger. I think his writing style is splendid because in this book, he writes in the voice of a young man very convincingly. His voice in this book comes off a little profane and with a high school education, just like the character. I'm not saying I condone cussing, but in this book, the swear words give the book personality and transport you to the world he is in.
     I love reading the books that have been cherished for many generations because you know they are good, or else they would be forgotten by now. They have a certain amount of credibility or ethos to them. So go ahead and call me a nerd.

The Firm = my Fav

The book that I really like the most is The Firm by John Grisham. I read this my senior year of high school and honestly I would read it again. Because of this book I read other books by Grisham like The Pelican Brief and The Rainmaker. His books are fast and very detailed. They are all thrillers and are very involved with the laws. For example The Firm is about a new lawyer that gets hired by a firm that has relations to the mafia. The Pelican Brief is about a law student running for her life after she wrote a brief about the murders of supreme court justices that happened to be correct. And yes The Rainmaker is also about law but more in the court room. I can honestly say that while reading the books I gained insight and learned understanding of law and the different aspects of it. My favorite The Firm actually made me decide I never wanted to become a lawyer. The hours they put in their work is monstrous, not to mention all the reading they have to do as well. While reading The Firm I could see the story unfold in my mind through his descriptions. Most importantly thou he did not over describe things. This allowed me to finish building the environment and people with my imagination. There was never a dual moment in that book. With the finish of every chapter I wanted to dive right into the next one. I had to limit myself to two or three chapters a day so I could lengthen the enjoyment of reading the book. I would highly recommend others to read John Grisham's books especially The Firm. Heck it was such a good book that they made a movie of it starring Tom Cruise.

Reading and I don’t really have the best relationship; we never have. When I was younger I struggled with reading comprehension problems. I would read things three times just to understand the material I read. I believe this is what gave me the initial hard feelings for reading.

the last 10 years I can honestly only remember a handful of books that I’ve read, half being assigned readings through high school and another fourth being religion based. I didn’t want to resort to bringing them up but the twilight series is one of the very few I can remember. As an eighth grade girl I remember the pressures to read this ‘incredible’ series that everyone was talking about. I have never read through a book so well or fast in my life. Stephanie’s style and imagery made it so easy for me to become enveloped in the story. I didn’t struggle to comprehend but rather excelled and soaked up her descriptive writing.

It's been a while since I've been into reading for fun. When I was younger I loved Harry Potter probably like most people. I was way into those books. In the past few years I haven't been into reading. It would usually just be for school assignments. When I was a missionary I rarely had time to read books. I can only think of one book that I read as a missionary besides the scriptures. I enjoy reading news articles and magazines and I did read those a bit more often as a missionary. Those are the type of writing that I've been into the most in the last few years. I like getting brief updates on current events so that has been my main reading lately. If I have free time I like to sit and watch TV not really read a book. That's probably bad isn't it? When I get to read news articles I like how they are usually concise and to the point. They don't have much space to write so they keep their writings short and full of information. I like reading things like that. But now I'm wondering if I should get into reading a real book. The reason I liked Harry Potter when I was younger was because I enjoyed getting lost in the books. The Hunger Games books also come into my mind because they were enjoyable to read and they just suck you into the story. That's what makes them fun.

author's I like

So this is kind of a hard blog post for me to write about because I really don't read a lot.  I'm basically just going to write about the few books I've read and actually enjoyed.  First, I really like the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  Tolkien does a very good job of describing the characters and scenes in all the books.  I was really engaged every time I read.  He just made his stories exciting and action packed (for the most part).  Another book I enjoy is the book of Mormon.  Mormon does an excellent job abridging the history of his people.  He literally saw our day and knew what specific things to put in to help us in our day!  Not very many authors can write a book by using the spirit of prophecy and revelation.  Even Joseph Smith said that it is the most correct of any book on earth so Mormon must have done a pretty good job.  The way he puts everything in chronological order really helps his presentation because it kind of helps me to know what things are going on and stuff like that.  This has got to be the best summary anybody has ever put together.  I also like how Mormon will tell a story and then he will interrupt here and there to give his insight or help guide the reader to what we should actually be getting from the story other than just entertainment (which is still good too).  The way he writes makes it easy for everybody to understand.  That is why I love these books.  :)

The Words on My Wall

My family is currently living in New Jersey, subsequently it was difficult for me to bring all of my belongings when I started classes last semester. One of the many items that were not able to make it to my current dwelling were my wonderfully amazing wall decorations. So every morning of last semester I would wake up to plain, boring white walls, and every morning I would think to myself "I need to decorate." But I could never find what I would want to decorate my room with. Until this semester I finally decided I would decorate my wall with quotes from my absolute favorite books. I am a bookworm, or at least I was before college made my life busy, but I still consider myself to be one. This being said, I have A LOT of favorite books; among them are "Anna and the French Kiss" by Stephanie Perkins, "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen, "Edenbrooke" by Julianne Donaldson, "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card, and pretty much anything written by Shannon Hale, KaraLynne Mackrory, and Rick Riordan.

I believe the reason I like all of these books and authors is they all have a voice that is at the same time beautiful it is cynical. They are also very good at creating the imagery that I need as a reader to get involved in the book. I love when authors describe a building, room or clothing a character is either in or wearing. I am able to relate so much with engaging descriptions. So in essence my favorite style an author may possess is a minutely sarcastic voice with very descriptive imagery. 

Blog Post #6: Screenwriters Are Authors Too!

I'll be honest here. It's been about half a decade since I really read anything substantial for pleasure. The mission and school have a way of shoving so much reading down your throat that I have no desire to pleasure read in what spare time I have, which is why I get offended looks from people when I tell them I've seen Hunger Games, but haven't read the books.

My favorite writer right now is Joss Whedon. That's right, not an author, but a screenwriter/director. Why? I love his blatantly "in-your-face" sense of humor, which he injects into all of his screenplays in just the right spots.

For example the way his protagonists poke fun at his villains is ingeniously funny. In "Firefly," Malcolm Reynolds (portrayed by Nathan Fillion) - after almost getting skewered - manages to barely win a sword fight, and decides to be the better man by not killing his opponent. "Mercy is the mark of a great man," Mal says as he pricks him with his sword and adds "Guess I'm just a good man." He stabs him a bit again and smirks, "Well... I'm alright." Another great piece of humor comes in, in "The Avengers" with the banter between Iron Man and Loki as Iron Man taunts Loki by making fun of the ridiculousness of his costume. "Make a move, reindeer games."

Halo game series creator Bungie also took a play out of Whedon's book by getting Firefly cast members to play major parts in Halo 3: ODST and using "Whedon-esque" humor to create a chemistry between the main characters that reeked of Firefly, despite its occurance in a totally separate sci-fi universe.

My point is: Joss Whedon's style of writing is all I need to brighten my day and entertain me when I'm brain-dead after school, work, and homework.

Blog Post 6

My relationship with reading is complicated. 

In a sense, am very picky with my reading.  There is plenty of material I would enjoy reading, but whenever I have free time, there are so many things I would do before I would sit down and pick up a book.  This does not mean I don’t enjoy reading.  It just takes a very good book or article on something I am super interested in to get me to actually sit down and read outside of assigned reading.  There are many books I have began to read and enjoyed for some time, but soon enough I always end up going outside and doing something active in the rest of my free time and forget to ever pick up the book again. 

With this, I must confess that I have not read many books at all outside of what has been assigned in school.  The last book I read on my own though and really enjoyed was Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.  I didn’t enjoy the plot of the story at all, but somehow still loved the book since it was written so well.  Hosseini wrote it in such a close, personal, and clear manner that I was completely captured every time I picked it up and would completely lose track of how long I had been reading.  It was as if I were still a little kid and Hosseini was my grandfather telling me deep, wondrous stories before bed.  Hosseini always kept hooks on me that made me keep reading, and he perfectly painted each situation in the story so clearly that I felt like I was experiencing it all first hand.

Addictions, Curve Balls, and Twists

What is my favorite thing to do? Most people assume it’s dancing, especially with me being a Cougarette, but guess what, it’s not!  I have a passion for reading.  Funny, right?  Often times people think dancers don’t like to read, or aren’t very good at it, but I absolutely love it!  I’ll tell you a secret- I’m not allowed to read during the school year because I become addicted and cannot put the book down, I love it that much!  One of my favorite authors to read is Jodi Picoult.  She has written many award-winning novels; ‘My Sister’s Keeper’, ‘House Rules’, and ‘The Pact’ are just a few of her many successful and intriguing books.  Each of her books involves complex relationships filled with love, hope, and anger.  All of her characters are very deep and well thought out.  Picoult’s style of writing involves the genres of her books.  Each of her novels is created around complicated plot lines constructed by webs of relationships.  She incorporates psychology and a lot of philosophical ideas of what is right and what is wrong.  My favorite part of her books is the curve ball that she throws at the end of each book. Picoult holds you in suspension for the entire book, wondering what is the truth.  By the end, you think you have detected what happened during the conflict of the book, but then she throws a twist that you never expected.  Her books have kept me up until the wee hours of the morning reading to see what happens next, they are that addictive!  After I had finally completed the books, I realized that it was morning and I had read through the entire night!  Her books are absolutely amazing; I would recommend Jodi Picoult to anyone. 

Anyone Lived In a Pretty How Town

     E.E. Cummings was an utter genius. When he wrote Anyone Lived In a Pretty How Town he reached new heights. At least in my book.
     I used to be a poetry virgin. I hated it with all my might. I wouldn't read it, wouldn't write it, and when teachers said it was time for the poetry section I did everything I could to skip out on those classes and procrastinate those assignments.
     But then one day something magical happened. My favorite English teacher stood in front of the class and said, "Students, it's time. Poetry Month." My mind immediately went into denial. Heavens no. Not already. This isn't happening. It's just a nightmare Brogan, it's going to be alright.
     But I was wrong. It was happening. I sat outside the classroom with my best friend as we tried to figure out what in the world the poem meant. It took a good twenty minutes, and no one had figured it out yet. Then my teacher came over and said something prophetic... noone and anyone are people.......bam. I figured it out and no one else in my class did.
     From that day on I have loved the poem Anyone Lived In a Pretty How Town. The style is so unique and captivating. The whole thing is a puzzle and trying to figure it out is incredibly difficult, yet satisfying. And when the moment comes that you finally do understand what E.E. Cummings is trying to say, you feel like a total genius. And let me tell you.... you basically are at this point.
     One of the greatest things about this poem is that you feel like you are reading something super deep and meaningful like Shakespeare, but not too mushy like I think his writing is. And you are reading something fun and light-hearted like Dr. Seuss, but not too silly that you don't take it seriously.
     I guess all I can say is I broke a commandment (totally just kidding....Mormons) but I am officially no longer a poetry virgin.

Tricky Slippy Lippy Authors...Hemingway making ordinary extraordinary!

I honestly don't know why I used that title. I'm hoping the inspiration will suddenly reveal itself to me as I continue this sentence....
Nope. Kay, moving on.
My favorite author has always been Hemingway. Why? Because he is DIRECT. His short, choppy, basic diction conveys more meaning to me than the flowery poetry of other accredited writers in a faster amount of time. The time I save in reading allows me to direct the excess at understanding and applying his messages in a personal, unique fashion that I can't quite experience with any other author.
 I also like his writing because it is so different from my own.
 I am constantly surprised at what he will do and how he will do it. Take "A Clean, Well-lighted Place." The story begins with two basic, run-on sentences that I would never dream acceptable, even at a high-school level. But yet the sentence,"In the day time the street was dusty, but at night the dew settled the dust and the old man liked to sit late because he was deaf and now at night it was quiet and he felt the difference" makes me feel the difference too. I ask myself how.
In all honesty, the answer is because the way I would think something unedited in my head. Even though "the difference" is never fully explained, I don't need it. That difference I almost couldn't quite verbalize because it is so internal....But I want to try. The difference is..
                  Quiet, settled, no dust- no cares, no one to impress, no one to take pity on his condition, nothing but the cool freshness of an old day almost finished.
Wow, that felt cool. Maybe that's how he writes. Just basic thought patterns based solely on impressions and feelings associated with every day situations. I think when most people read, they prepare their minds to be taken to a "fantasy." Not necessary a fictional place, but more of a state of being "elsewhere," whether that involves seeing something new, understanding something differently, or being informed of something unknown.
Not with Hemingway. He takes basic, ordinary occurrences and simply jars thoughts you already have- the ones you sort of ignore because they're "unimportant," and brings them back to the forefront of your mind. 

Blog Post 6: Favorite Author

It's no secret that i love stories. For me, the more stories an article has the better (as my peer edit group can attest). When i am reading any sort of material and a personal story is included i am instantly hooked. I guess you could say it's an obsession. I enjoy hearing other people's experiences, struggles, and lessons they learn because it makes the point they are trying to portray that more relevant. That is the reason that Gerald N. Lund is one of my favorite authors. I probably sound like a cliche mormon suggesting a general authority as my favorite author, but his books are so good. In each chapter he goes into depth about a principle or doctrine related to the topic of that book. At the end, he puts a mini chapter applying the principles to stories he has collected either from his life or from acquaintances. The stories are so interesting and enthralling that i will continue to read chapter after chapter just so that i can get to the stories at the end. I feel as if they help me fully understand the deep doctrines that Lund does a beautiful job of addressing.

Book/Author

I love to read books that I can obtain new knowledge about....well just about anything.  But when reading a novel I prefer historical or cultural based novels.  One that comes to mind is "The Chosen" which is a novel based on 2 Jewish boys and even though they are both Jewish they practice two different forms. The author gave me a greater understanding of the Jewish religion and the people who practice it through 2 young boys lives and indirectly their fathers also. I came away from the book with a greater understanding and admiration for the Jewish faith. And my favorite part of reading this type of novel is that it gives me a chance to understand myself more fully, and understand better and appreciate more my environment as I understand the events and characters of the novel.

Blog Post #6

My favorite book is Number the Stars written by Lois Lowry. I read this book in elementary school and it has been my favorite ever since. I love the writing style of this author. I remember not being able to put the book down because it was so captivating and flowed so nicely. I like that this book is easy to read. It is easy to follow and does not try to confuse the reader. I also like the subject matter of the book. It is a story about two best friends during the Holocaust. The whole book explains their journey; one girl being a Jew, the other hiding her and ultimately saving her life. I loved this book because although it is about fictional characters, the historical facts are all correct for the most part. I always like more of an emotional writing style. Those that involve real human relationships and feelings are stories that I find an interesting. I do not like writing styles that we see in textbooks that just list facts. I like to read about real people and real situations. Real life is what appeals to me. Because I have a hard time reading for a long period of time, I really enjoy books that are straight forward, simple, and not to lengthy. When they are like that it is really easy to get lost in the story and details. I like simple but meaningful text that interests me and is easily relate-able. The way the author presents the story or information determines whether or not the reader will keep an interest.