"Heat" by Mike Lupica

This book was a quick read. It is about a boy named Michael Arroyo, a talented 12 years old Little League Baseball player. He lives without his parents and only lives with his seventeen year old brother in the shadows of the Bronx, New York.

In this novel, the big dilemma is that one of his little league rivals accuse him of being older than twelve. Without his birth certificate, which is stuck in Cuba, he has no way of proving himself.

Michael's dream is to lead his little league team to the little league World Series in order to play in Yankees Stadium. His chances are very high because he has a pitch with "serious heat."His dream is to meet his all time hero, the great Yankees pitcher, El Grande.

The Soloist Steve Lopez

The Soloist by Steve Lopez is a book, and currently a major movie about a homeless, rather old man who plays the violin. Steve learns that Nathaniel Ayers is a schizophrenic, who once, long ago attended the famous creative arts school, Juilliard.
As time passes the two men form a strong bond of friendship, and Steve can see a future for Ayers' life. For each step forward, there are five back however, the man never gives up.
Their friendships will change their lives in ways they could never have seen them change before.

I am exicited to read this, rather modern book. Even though I am only a few pages into it I am hooked. It is also based on a true story which Steve Lopez encountered. Which makes the book just that much more interesting!

The Hobbit

The Hobbit, written by J. R. R Tolkein, is the beginning of the Lord Of the Rings trilogy. The protagonist is Bilbo Baggins who is a hobbit, a mythical version of a man. The story focuses on his adventure with others who are in search of a treasure guarded by a dragon. This fantasy centers on the hardships of the journey and obstacles that are thrown in the paths of the travelers.
Not only is the story itself intriguing, but it is the writing that is most exceptional in this novel. The author leads this tale with such description and detail that the chapters became scenes in my head as I read. The Hobbit is not a very easy book to read because it can be dense in parts. However, I would recommend anyone in our class to read this book; especially those interested in fantasy and adventure. After reading The Hobbit, I felt that I had a better understanding of writing descriptive and imaginative scenes. This book provides an entertaining story as well as beautiful writing.
Beatrice de Vaulx

Anna Karenina

Since I didn't have as much time to read during the 1st vingtaine, I haven't gotten very far in Anna Karenina. In the 117 pages that I have read, I have followed the lives of 5 different individuals. Prince Stepan "Stiva" Arkadyevich Oblonsky, Princess Ekaterina "Kitty" Alexandrovna Shcherbatskaya, Nikolai Dmitrievich Levin, Princess Anna Arkadyevna Karenina and Count Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky. 

The book begins focusing on Prince Stepan Arkadyevich Oblonsky, or Stiva. A drama surfaces in the Oblonsky household when Dolly, Stiva's wife finds out about her husband's affair with the family's governess. The Oblonsky house is a mess and Stiva and Dolly do not wish to speak to each other. The family only begins to speak to one another when Stiva Oblonsky reminds Dolly that his sister Anna Arkadyevna Karenina is coming to visit from St. Petersburg. 

In the meantime, Nikolai Dmitrievich Levin has come to Moscow to propose to Dolly's youngest sister, Princess Ekaterina "Kitty" Alexandrovna Shcherbatskaya. Levin is an aristocratic landowner who lives in the country. He is very passionate about Kitty and has been dreaming to marry her for some time now. He later delays his proposal learning that Kitty has another suitor, Count Alexei Kirillovich Vronsky. 

Later on, Stiva goes to the railway station to pick up his sister Anna Karenina and bumps into Count Vronsky. Count Vronsky is at the railway station picking up his mother, which has been conversing with Anna Karenina on the train. When the train arrives, Count Vronsky sees Anna for the very first time and is completely under the spell of Anna's beauty and elegance. Count Vronsky leaves the train station with his mother, while Anna leaves with Stiva Oblonsky to his household. 

When Anna Karenina arrives in the Oblonsky household, her brother Stepan informs her of the scene in the house. Anna persuades Dolly that despite the affair, her brother is still in love with her and that he is ashamed of his infidelity. Dolly decides not to get a divorce and chooses to forgive Prince Stepan. 

Kitty visits Dolly and Anna and, like Vronsky, is overwhelmed by Anna's beauty. Kitty is a young woman and is expected to choose a good husband, due to her social status. She believes that Vronsky is in love with her and expects to dance with him at the ball that evening. After her meeting with Anna, Levin confesses his love for Kitty and proposes. Kitty refuses, believing that she is in love with Count Vronsky, and leaves Levin heartbroken. 

At the ball, Count Vronsky dances with Anna. Vronsky was flirtatious with Kitty as a source of amusement, and believed that her response was nothing serious. Kitty sees that Vronsky has fallen in love with Anna and has no interest in marrying her. Kitty is heartbroken. Anna is distressed at her physical and emotional response towards to Count Vronsky and returns home to her Husband Count Alexei Alexandrovich Karenin and her son Sergei "Seryozha" Alexeyich Karenin in St. Petersburg. Count Vronsky follows her on the same train. On the train ride back to St. Petersburg, Count Vronsky confronts Anna Karenina and confesses his love for her, she refuses; this encounter affects her emotionally.  

Devastated from Kitty's refusal, Levin returns to his country home so wallow in sorrow. Anna returns to St. Petersburg, but since her encounter with Count Vronsky, she no longer finds her own husband attractive and is disgusted by his very presence. 

The Arabian Nights: The Young King of the Black Isles

This story is about a sultan who travels and finds a king half man and half marble. After hearing the unfortunate story of the king, the sultan made it his goal to help him. The king had been bewitched by his wife. She bewitched her husband because he had put her lover into a coma by hitting his head very hard. After cursing the king, she tried forever to heal her lover. The sultan listened intently and devised a plan to help the king whose lower body was trapped in marble. This story uses very descriptive language and captures the deceit between husband and wife.

Beatrice de Vaulx

The Arabian Nights: The Fisherman and the Genie

This story is about a poor fisherman who has to sustain his family on the fish that he catches. One day, he throws out his nets and catches a lamp. After rubbing it clean, a genie emerges from within the lamp.  However, this spirit does not offer the fisherman any wishes, but tells the fisherman that he is going to kill him. By means of deceit, the fisherman traps the genie once again in his prison. After much arguing, the genie promised to make the fisherman wealthy. The genie showed the fisherman a pool with the richest fish in the world. But as the fisherman later discovered, it was much more than that.
Beatrice de Vaulx

peeling back the mask part 3

all violence has stopped and peace was agreed beetween raila and kibaki and the head of the UN came to kenya to help resolve the problem beetween them. It was agreed that raila would be prime minister and kibaki the president of the republic of kenya but not all the problems were solved

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

This whole story is told by Jacob Jankowski, a Polish American and the narrator. When he tels his story, he is 90 or 93 years old (we are never sure). He is in a nursing home and is a very grumpy man. 

This book starts on a terrible note. The narrator named Jacob, a 23 year old  college student studying to be a veterinarian, has just learned that his parents passed away in a fateful car accident. Grieving and looking for something new, he jumps onto a passing train. What he doesn't know is that particular train is a circus train for the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth on it's way to perform. Jacob soon becomes the circuse's veterinarian and falls madly in love with Marlena, the horse-performer and the wife to August, a man who is a paranoid schizophrenic and his boss who likes to beat his animals and his wife. 
After several weeks of the circus moving from own to town, they get word of the fact that another circus is going out of business. They rush over there as quickly as possible and start paying a very low price for most of the animals. One of their mane prizes is Rosie, the elephant. Rosie is said to be extremely stupid but they soon find out that she does not understand english but does understand polish.   
She soon becomes the focus of the circus and Marlena and August work together to put on her show with Jacob helping with the polish frases. 
During this whole episode, everyone is terrified of being "red-lighted" which is essentially being thrown off the train while it is moving. Most of this happens at night as they wake you up. 
As Augusts case worsens, he starts to beat Rosie and Marlena more and more. After a very brutal beating, Marlena leaves August to stay in a hotel while she is not performing. After finding this out, Jacob attempts to kill August in his sleep but finds he can not. He then decides to leave his knife on Augusts pillow as a threat. Once he comes back to his room, he finds that his roommates have been "red-lighted" in his absence. 
The next morning, some of the people that were "red-lighted" return and promptly let out all of the animals during one of the performances which caused a stampede. During the commotion, Rosie the elephant smashed Augusts head and he died instantly. Due to this, the circus lost all of it's respect and customers and it was forced to shut down. Marlena and Jacob then leave the circus to begin their life together while taking with them Rosie, a monkey that Jacob has come to love and Marlena's horses. 
At the end of this book, it describes a circus appearing in front of the nursing home. With slow steps, Jacob makes it across the road and into the circus just to catch the end of the acts. He then meets the owner of the circus who was called Charlie and tells him that he was the veterinarian for the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Jacob then asks him if he could stay with the circus and sell tickets because that's what the old folk are for. Charlie agrees and Jacob finally feels home again. 

I enjoyed this book very much because it contains so much detail about all the animals and I enjoy the fact that this book uses many flashbacks to tell it's story. 

'Field Grey'

'Field Grey' is a novel written by Philip Kerr.
Having reached Chapter 2, we have so far met Dona Marina, a young woman. She is wanted by the Havana Police for shooting an officer. She is a revolutionary and owns the largest Brothel in Havana. Dona and Bernie Gunther have known eachother for a long time. The story takes place in Cuba, 1954.

The book instantly caught my attention and I am eager to find out more.

Doctor Fisher of Geneva

DOCTOR FISCHER OF GENEVA OR THE BOMB PARTY

For my english book this term I wanted to read something slightly different, a book which I have posted about before, 1984 was on my list, however the library had already signed it out.
I found a book, by the author Graham Greene, names Doctor Fischer of Geneva or the Party Bomb.  
I started reading it this thursday, and since then I cannot put it down. It is about a man in his late 40s / early 50s, how falls in love with Doctor Fishers daughter, Anna-Luise. She loves fall in love likewise and they get married. However Anna-Luises father shows so little interest, nonetheless, Jones (the main character), seems to feel it would be a good idea at least to tell Doctor Fischer about the marriage. Doctor Fischer does not care the slightest bit. But that would be too perfect to be true. Jones receives a letter from Anna-luises father, saying that he was invited to the, famous, private, well known parties which Doctor Fischer holds.
When Jones arrives, he notices how badly Doctor Fischer treats his guests, and how the rich, always want to be given more. The guests would receive presents if they did what was told, e.g. eat some digesting, cold porridge, and say what Doctor Fischer wanted. Those who hath, shall be given was a quote in the book, describing the greed of the rich.
This book is great, I love the way its written, and a slight detail, which makes the book more enjoyable is the short chapters (just a personal preference). It gives you a lot to reflect on, and as I am in one of the most expensive, yet extraordinary schools in the world, I can relate.

'The Perks Of Being A Wallflower' by Stephen Chbosky

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower is so far one of my favorite books.

The main story is based on a young freshman at high school. He is a quite an unusual protagonist; emotional and sensitive in spite of only being a teenage boy. He leads an antisocial life until he meets two siblings who become his best friends; Sam and Patrick. The entire book is written in Letters addressed to 'a friend'. He changes the name of the characters in the book for anonymous reasons. The book is essentially about important events and situations 'Charlie' deals with daily. The book investigates both the subject of abuse and awkward teenage situations.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend this book to anyone who is amused by the trials and tribulations of being a teenager.