Final Exam Blog Post

5 Reasons why Thomas from the Maze Runner is a hero Thomas, who is a young teenager, is forced into a Maze through a metal box with nothing but his clothes and a group called the Gladers staring down at him. A ruthless, cruel Maze that changes every night and holds unimaginable monsters inside is what he wakes to ever morning. Those who attempt to conquer the Maze and discover it patterns, are teenagers themselves, with no recollection of their life before the Maze. Oddly enough, Thomas feels a sense of familiarity wash over him when he entered the Maze. Soon after he arrives at the Maze, the everyday normality’s begin to change and the Maze and those inside of it are thrown into the chaos of the unknown. His validity is questioned and the attention on him grows when the first girl and last person to enter the Maze, claims that she knows him and tells Thomas that they are the real reason that a group of teenage boys are stuck in a dangerous, seemingly impossible Maze. 1. He is determined to find out more about the Maze and to figure out what is really going on. Even though he fully understands how dangerous it is and he has seen what it can do to the other Gladers who get hurt within the Maze’s walls, he still wants to be a Runner and contribute to solving the Maze. He thinks of possible patterns as he runs through. Thomas also looks for defects in the Maze or secret exits they could use to escape. By doing so, he encourages others to have the same determination that he does so that they can all get out of the Maze together. 2. He is willing to put his life on the line for others even when they don’t trust him and he does not know them that well. After he was pushed into the Maze, life started going back to normal for the rest of the -group, but two of the leaders of the Gladers went into the Maze to check out something suspicious and one of them was injured, so when they could not make it back out before nightfall when the walls that led into the Maze closed and did not open until morning, Thomas ran into the Maze so that he could help them make it through the night. 3. He gets others to help him find out what is truly going on with the Maze. When he becomes a Runner with the Keeper of the Runners, Minho, he encourages Minho to look at what is going on more and to question the different things occurring around him and the events occurring within the Maze. He also makes the Keepers, or the leaders of the group, think about how things are changing and think of new ways that they could escape. By doing so, he is the deciding factor in their escape and their safety. 4. Thomas accepts the fact that he’s being accused of awful things and is determined to prove that he does not remember doing anything that he is suspected of doing. Even after Thomas was repeatedly accused and questioned about doing terrible things that involved being a co-conspirator to the Creators of the Maze, he does not stop trying to prove that he does not remember anything before the Maze and that he did not mean to or plan to do any of those acts again. After hearing these accusations, Thomas becomes determined to prove to the Keepers and the Gladers that he has no recollection of anything that they’re claiming he did. By becoming persistent to gain the group’s trust, he can help them in the future to escape the Maze and get back to their normal lives.

Reading Wishlist

1. The Fever by Megan Abbott 2. Legend Series by Marie Lu 3.Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil 4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 5. In the Woods by Tana French 6. We were Liars by E. Lockhart

Book Talk

2014 (Book Trailer)

Truth in Memoir

I believe that there is a major difference between fiction and non-fiction. Non-fiction is straight forward with facts and proven points while fiction tends to be more creative is doesn't strictly follow a story it may be based off of. It is because of this large contrast between these two genres that we need boundary lines to distinguish the differences. If a book is to be considered non-fiction, I believe that it needs to have at least 70% validity behind what its saying. If it is more made up than factual, it cannot be a fictional story.

            Half-truths are okay if it is a good story but that does not mean it can be a non-fictional story. It is okay for a writer to bend the truths to a story, but they need to acknowledge that they changed the facts around and let the reader know that it is not a non-fiction story and that it is not 100% true. I believe that authors should have to write on the front of their book what the percentage of truth is within the story so that the reader understands that there may be some half-truths.

            I think David Shields is incorrect, I do believe that we need genres because people should be able to pick up a book from a section in a book store and fully understand what type of book they are going to read. I also think we need genres so that people who like a certain type of book can go into the book store and find a book that they may like based on books that they have read from that specific genre before. It matters because people should not be confused as to what kind of book they’re reading, it would only cause them to not want to read since they would be unable to find a book they could enjoy.

5 Reasons why Abby left home (Book 3 Listicle)

5 Reasons why Abby left home and went to college far away from her father

Abby Abernathy seems like an average freshman in college who moves out of her parent’s home to fully experience college and the obstacles that it may come with. But this statement is far from the truth, Abby’s father, Mick Abernathy is and has always been a big-time gambler. Abby took after him when she was thirteen and started to play against professionals. As soon as she turned thirteen, her father’s luck ran dry, he lost money left and right and he owed other people money almost 24/7. As soon as she was accepted into college and graduated high school, she moved out to a college away from her father and away from her past. By doing this, it helped her to get away from the gambling world, her father’s blame and her dark, dangerous past.

1.      She wanted to get away from the gambling world.

Since she was immersed in the world of black jack, slot machines and poker, she saw the dark sides of this lifestyle. She felt threatened by her father to pay her, was worried for her safety against the regular players that she beat and felt like no one could be trusted. She felt as if she would be put into a situation that she wouldn’t be able to get out of. She feared the gambling world because of the dangers it held. “He owes Benny money, Mare. If I don’t they’ll kill him,”

2.      Her father kept blaming her for his bad luck.

As her father’s ability to win worsened, he constantly blamed her for his lack of luck. He told her, “it’s the least you could do! I wouldn’t be in this mess if it weren’t for you!” Abby constantly felt as if her good luck was the reason for her dad’s back luck.

3.      Her father always asked to borrow money because he owed so many people.

Due to Mick’s constant loss of money, he always pressured her to give him money so that he could be able to pay off those that he owed. His thoughts were that if she was winning money all the time, she’d have some leftover that he could have, when in reality she was using that money to buy things she needed and for college itself. He even said that if she gave him the money that “Benny won’t send his thugs after me,” which forced her to feel obligated to help her father when he didn’t deserve it.

4.      She wanted to start a new life.

As most recently graduated high school seniors, Abby wanted to feel like she was free and could do whatever she wanted without having to worry what her parents would think. She saw college as an opportunity to get away from her past and turn a new leaf, become an entirely different person if she wanted to. When someone asked her why she moved from Wichita she said, “We just had to get away,” She believed that if she moved far away from her father and went to college away from home, that she would never be forced to face her past ever again. By getting away and going to college with her best friend America, she could put some distance between her and her old life.

5.      She wanted to experience college fully.

Abby wanted to be able to go to college and focus and have fun without her past or people she used to surround herself with hold her back. Abby wanted to be able to do what college kids normally do without the worry or stress of thinking about what trouble her father may have gotten into. She also wouldn’t have to worry about putting any of her friends or people she loved in danger because of what she used to do. 

Perks of Being a Wallflower (Adapting Book 2)

The book Perks of being a Wallflower should stay in only a film version if it was considered to be adapted. I believe an essential scene that would need to stay in the movie would be the tunnel scene. Another scene that would need to stay in the movie would be the scene where Charlie goes to a party with Sam and Patrick. I believe that Peter and/or Bob could be cut from the movie because I don't feel like their backgrounds were essential to the story itself. I would keep the same cast as the original movie because they portrayed the characters very well. Along with this I believe that you could keep the same soundtrack as from the movie because the soundtrack they originally created was a nice fit for the movie. Charlie's thoughts are definitely a unique part of the story itself and should also be capture in that light in the movie.

Matched (Book 1 Project)

For those who have read or are interested in reading the #1 New York Times Bestseller, Matched, now have an astonishing opportunity to own some of the beloved characters beautiful artifacts. These artifacts had a huge impact in several parts of the series and now you can own Cassia’s gold compact with a poem from her late Grandfather, Bram’s silver watch the his Grandfather gave him that his ancestors owned, Ky’s compass, Xander’s platinum cuff links that his father owned and Lea’s jeweled red bracelet that they have cherished and used every day.

In the novel Matched, some members of this Utopia have the ability to own beautiful artifacts that can be passed down from their family member or they can get them from the Society itself. The members of the City – where Cassia Reyes and her friends and family live- hold the artifacts they have near and dear to their heart “though citizens of the Society are allowed one artifacts each, they are hard to come by,” These artifacts are a way of showing who you are by what artifact you have and what it means to you, it can also show others traditions or facts about who your family was in the past and how it all relates to you. Cassia’s artifact was given to her by her Grandfather, it has the initials ACM and the number 1940 beautifully engraved on the front. Bram’s artifact is a watch that was also given to him by his Grandfather. These artifacts hold a lot of meaning behind them because Cassia and Bram’s late Grandfather gave them the artifacts. Ky’s artifact is a compass which is very unique because it is not used in the City. Cassia finds it fascinating because she has never seen a compass before. She believes it is an amazing artifact since it can tell you what way you are facing.

The precious artifacts are taken away from the few citizens that have them by the Officials of the Society. It is explained to them that their artifacts are going to be display in the City’s museum of history which come to be somewhat ludicrous to a few skeptical citizens. The members of the City are also told that they will not get them back. This causes a major shock to the citizens and series of questions from them to arise because this event has never happened before. Some people begin to question the safety of the Society and the events begin to add up.

The compacts, watches, cuff links or compasses were a sense of uniqueness and to some they even meant freedom. Some people believe that small events like this show cracks in the system and that the leaders of the Society have something to hide from its citizens. After things like the removal of citizen’s artifacts occur, rumors spread that the Society is losing a war outside of their territory. “All the information adds up to something being wrong…something is wrong. They’re losing a war and I can’t tell who it’s against,” After these rumors spread around the City and around the Society, safety of the so called ‘Utopian’ ways are starting to be threatened.

          These artifacts will allow the fans of the Matched series to feel a part of the City and feel a part of these characters lives’. The readers can have an opportunity to see what the characters held close to them and the secrets they held inside of these artifacts. They can read the ‘illegal’ poems Cassia was given by Ky and her Grandfather. The artifacts of the characters could help readers feel as if they are a part of the series and also have the capability to understand it better.

What is a book?

A book is a lesson or value. It can be taken anywhere and be read by anyone who is interested. A book is not necessarily a few hundred pieces of paper bound together, it can be words behind a screen or monitor. A paper bound can have some meaning behind it if it was passed down through generations, but the idea and message behind the book is ultimately the part that sticks with me most. Books can be changed from being read on paper to being read on a screen and the message of the book is still the same.

When it comes to the question of what is more important, I agree with Joe Meno on the idea that books can be read on paper or on a screen, it is still a book either way. He said that the idea of the book is more important than the actual form it takes. If you a stuck on what the book smells like or feels like then I don’t believe you are actually getting the lesson or message that the author is trying to bring to your attention. The message behind the book is ultimately the reason why people will or will not read it.

The cover may be what catches your eye but the content within the book is what will bring you to read it again and again. Therefore the content is the most important part, not how you read it. Books that are on a screen can still create memories or have a special meaning behind them. Just because a book is paper bound does not mean it is more important or more special than the same book that just happens to be displayed in pixels.

Along with these ideas, a book is also an adventure or a journey the reader takes as they read it cover to cover. Each book has a different adventure and it will still be an adventure if it is on a Kindle or iPad as it would be if it were written on paper.

Books will always have the ability to create memories. Books are an art and now in the 21^st century they have the capability to be read on not only paper but on a computer or tablet as well. This does not mean the book publishing industry is coming to an end, this just means that people now have different ways to read their favorite books by their favorite authors.

Why do I read?

Why do I read?

            

I read because it helps me forget about certain things in my life that may be troubling me. Reading helps me to look at normal people or situations differently than I normally would. I also like to read because sometimes I like to see what authors I may have heard of and what they have come up with when they think outside the box. Reading books from genres such as non-fiction or mystery can help me to look at the problems that I may have and compare them to the issues that others are facing so I can realize that I am lucky to have what I have and the issues that I face could be much worse. Reading books from genres like fiction or science fiction can show how authors think outside of the box and what they are inspired to write when they do. Another example of why I read is because I hear about books that other people talk about and become interested to read the book myself. I like that reading have countless genres so that anyone can find something to read.