DoAF Mid point.

This might sound a bit mean, but I'm honestly a bit bored. It's a real story and all the feelings of pain and isolation are real and I can sympathize with those feelings, but the way and the style the book is written in just doesn't appeal to me. I'm not trying to say as though the story is horrible and the events aren't terrible, but I think it's because the previous 3 books I read were all very fantastical, from the pure insanity of Hypothetically Speaking, to the supernatural and creepiness of The Shining and the massive scale and sci-fi world of Ender's Game. I don't think the problem is with the book itself. I think the problem is that I've accustomed my reading more towards fantastical elements. The Diary of Anne Frank is just what I've read in other Holocaust Novels, the difference being this actually happened. It's just depressing, and I'm not really interested in a book like that.

Diary of Anne Frank Intro

Honestly I'm just reading this because I can't decide on a short enough non-fiction book. I'm almost anticipating this to be an easy read simply because I remember  elementary school having this as a book to read. Although as older person, it may be a different experience than someone else may have had as a child. I may have a more mature perspective or a different way to interpret certain portions. I've never read it before, and I'm not too terribly knowledgeable on the Holocaust. I know about annexing and the genocide and the Hitler and I've read fictional stories on the matter, boy in striped PJs and Devils Arithmetic and others, but as a non-fiction story I'm curious to see how it is.

Ender's Game Final Part

SPOILERS EVERYWHERE
So there are more differences between book and movie. Some are actually pretty big. I think the movie tried not to include them simply to censor it honestly and for the "cool" factor, as Hollywood likes to do. The games I remember being different. probably for the cool factor. There was an iconic scene in the movie where they had everyone used as human shields, which in the book is different where EVRYONE needs to get through the gate rather than a single person. Also the cadets sleep naked. Censorship. Obviously for obvious reasons. But something I thought was interesting was that Ender actually KILLED Bonzo in the book, and was lied to and told Bonzo went to Spain to go home. Though the movie uses this as a way to develop Ender's character better, I think this scenario is more interesting because it shows that the military is afraid of scarring Ender in any way. I remember that some of Ender's superiors hated him in the movie, but in the book, Ender seems a lot less snarky. Also, the destruction of the Formic homeworld is a lot less dramatic feeling. This is probably due to the Book version of Ender just having a more introverted personality. I find that he's not as outgoing, and that's probably because of his worse off family situation? I may be looking too deep, but at the same time, I'm doubtful that the movie writers even took something like the change in Ender's family into consideration when writing Ender himself. Overall The book I feel is a 6/10. It provided interesting insight into the character's and the type of environment the characters live in. However, the plot twists and events are not too big of a surprise to me. Is the rating biased? Yes. But is it how I feel personally? Yes. I would still recommend the book, but make sure to read it before the movie.

Ender's Game Part 2 the halway point

So there are some differences from the book and the movie obviously. I noticed that the movie's "buggers" are now called formics in the book. Not sure why the change was made, honestly buggers in retrospect sounds silly. *SPOILERS* Also, in the movie, I get that they were using children as tacticians for the army's war, but ARE THEY SERIOUSLY ONLY 6 YEARS OLD?!?!? That to me blew my mind. It makes the whole situation more insane. Although now when I visualize the story I see the actors who look like pre-teens/ teens and I just can get over how the people in the book are so goddamn young! Also Ender seems to have a crappier life than I remember. Maybe it was different, but I can't say for sure, but Ender's family seems a lot more, not disjointed, but also not close. The only person aside from his comrades in the Military academy that seems to really try to interact with Ender is Valentine, which is a pretty sad existence if you ask me. To only have a single person you can really confide in. Also, Ender makes no mention of the e-mails in the book. The way the whole book is portrayed is much different from the movie in several respects so far. Motifs like love and caring relationships are really portrayed. Ender's life as a whole just seems so much more bleak. I'm not disliking the book, but it's not the greatest thin either. Probably stemming from the fact I saw the movie. *SPOILERS OVER* I'll see how the ending is, because I remember the movie having little resolution, and I'm curious to see how the book handles it.

Ender's Game Part 1 intro

Okay, before  start actually talking about the book, I have to say that I saw the movie. It was cool. So there may be a bias towards the book. However my sister and brother in law love the Ender series (well from what they tell me, it sounds more like a franchise than a series :P) so I decided to get a ticket and board the Ender's Game Hype Train. It was written years ago in 1985 by Orson Scott Card. Yeah that's about it. It's a science fiction story and I already know the plot and the ending (unless the book is different) so I'm really reading this book more so as a gateway into the series than an enjoyable read.

The shining: Final blog post

I'm not scared. Maybe I just have a high tolerance to fear? Am i just not suspending my disbelief enough? Maybe it's just possible that I had expectations too high for the book. I'm not sure. I expected to be mortified and possibly scarred from this experience. All the hedge lions, the ghouls, the monsters I didn't find scary. I did feel the suspense though. No fear, no horror, but I definitely felt those Oh Shitzu! Moments *SPOILERS* When jack actually empathizes, not sympathize, but EMPATHIZES with his own father and why he beat Jack's mother with a cane, it was definitely an eye-opener for me. I didn't see it coming and it was pretty cool to see. Also, maybe this is my suspension of disbelief not working right again, but the main antagonist Tony was....Danny from the future? A bit corny if you ask me. However, personal criticisms aside, I definitely still loved the book. I may not have been scared like I expected and I definitely won't have any nightmares anytime soon. (OR WILL I? MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA). Also are Wendy and Halloran married now? Not sure, but it feels that way. Not exactly a happy ending, but not exactly a terribly sad one either. It suits the book fine in my opinion. The Shining by Stephen King. The score may be a bit biased, I feel as though I should rate this higher based on external recommendations from others, but I feel this book deserves an 8/10 from me.

The Shining Mid-way blog

So through the first half of the shining (or really more like 70%) I have to say that I'm not horrified at all. I kind of assumed I would go through some sort of psychological mind ****, but I'm still perfectly fine. Maybe I just have to wait for the climax to resolve everything for me to really be horrified.That being said, although it has not yet my expectations, I do have to say that I'm thoroughly enjoying the book. The supernatural element of *SPOILERS* the shining and how it affects the character Danny with his per-cognitive abilities and his mind reading make the story very interesting. His imaginary friend Tony and Jack and Wendy's relationship in the story are all really cool to me. I find the Developments with Jack's back story and his mental struggles with himself as well as his now ironically struggling relationship with Wendy very enjoyable to read. The fact Jack has to deal with himself and his anger is a really good way to develop and to characterize him. Although I feel like there are certain parts that just DRRRRAAAAAAAAGGGGGG on. There was an entire chapter based around news articles about the hotel the family was staying at (Actually I don't know their last names....not sure if the book ever mentioned it or if I just have a bad memory). There was probably some sort of foreshadowing or symbolism that I OVERLOOKED (ha! punny) in that chapter. The parts I get bored I've noticed are basically the really descriptive scenes. They just bore me. Seeing the character interaction is much more fun to read about. But overall, there's more gruesomeness with the naked purple lady and the bloody beating Jack dished out. *SPOILERS OVER*

The Shining: Intro Blog

Going into the book I figured that Stephen King was like a god among horror writers. The Only real exposure I've had to the horror genre in literature is probably goosebumps, which I read more so to freak out at the ridiculousness. I've never read a "real" horror, nor have I read a book by Stephen King. I'm very excited to see what will be, especially considering all the good things that I've heard about the book. I remember vividly in 8th especially all the hype surrounding Stephen King for whatever reason. Can't remember how it happened but I've always been curious of how a true horror would feel.

Hypothetically Speaking End of Book Review

Overall I'd have to say that Mr. Dill has either an insane imagination or a lot of...well....substances lying around. I'm not sure if you could say this story had a real overall theme, and the plot is a interesting as you many know from my previous blogs. Though the story is still funny and enjoyable to read, nothing substantial had really come out of it. The character Adam has a lot of inconsistency issues. If anything he's just filling a place of what is possibly the largest plot device in the story. His actions are unpredictable and from a literary standpoint the book is trash. But still hilarious. Nearing the end of the book it appeared as  though some sort of philosophical message was being attempted to be portrayed,  it wasn't all that clear. The book is still hilarious and there really isn't a part that I didn't enjoy. But would this be a book for a wholesome feeling? Nah, this book in particular is more along the lines of junk food. If I had to give the book a rating out of 10 based on things like story, plot, characters it would be a solid *drumroll* 3.5/10. But, for my enjoyment of the book, a few jokes are a bit obscure or hard to catch but it was hilarious. My enjoyment rating is.....9/10! Good job to David Dill for making a book I enjoyed. And really, isn't that why most read a story in the first place? For entertainment?

Currently Reading: Hypothetically Speaking by David Dill: Blog 2

So the book seems to focus around three central characters. The really jerkish, arrogant, and selfish narrator, Adam who died and became Samuel who died and became James, who died and became Barnabie, and the final main character being Leila (who dies anyway by halfway through the book). Honestly the amount of characterization in Barnabie and Leila is so atrociously bad I can't really begin to describe. Mostly because there is little concrete description. Actually in the story, Dill straight up has the narrator tell the audience that describing scenery is too much work, "I mean won't people get upset?...What do I even look like?" (Dill 70). However, the narrator is a very fresh and interesting character. Actually I think he's really the only well written person in the story and is the driving force as to why I even like the book so far. The comedy is really all this book has going for it. Well that and the over-the-top nature of the ideas and concepts. From the narrator summoning trees to kill people at random just makes it amusing. The plot deviates so frequently it feels like an eccentric Superbowl commercial with armadillos in a hot tub with really attractive women that's selling some sort of plastic spork. AKA nothing gets done. Actually, there came a point where the narrator has claimed that the author no longer knew what was going to happen in some attempt to not give the author anymore creative right by stating it in the story (Obviously Mr. Dill needs to learn about unreliable narrators) so it's assumed that the author doesn't know what's happening. Which makes sense because the chapterella (like a chapter had a baby with a novella) that this whole "The author doesn't know what's happening anymore) I truly felt as though Mr. Dill really didn't know what was happening. He was probably high on some sort of hallucinogen and drunk with some really strong wine. I mean the main character starts to fly inside of the author's realm and meets 2 women (a 9 and a 8 1/2) a man made of paper and honestly I think he needs some rehab. Actually the narrator got drunk at some point, making some of the referential humor and ranting even more unintelligible than it usually is. It's a funny book to read, but once the author was completely left in the dark of the actions dictated by Barnabie and the Narrator, I'm not sure where this book will go.

Currently Reading: "Hypothetically Speaking" by David Dill: Blog 1

I chose to read this book because of Mr. Dill. A substitute teacher from my 9th grade days. I haven't seen him this year but apparently he wrote a book. I had seen his blog about it, (mrdaviddill.com) but the book was not complete then. Now with the story and all its chapter(ellas) and by the summary of trees moving beyond light speed and attempting to kill the author it seems something philosophical enough to be just like his kind of story. Though the book has had trouble getting published so in terms of quality i'm not expecting much but I think I'm going to enjoy this book regardless of any sort of bias I have.