Me Before You-Update

So because I have been so wrapped up in Roadl Dahl's biography, I'm sad to say that I haven't gotten very far in this novel. I'm only about 20 pages in so far, because I just don't find it that interesting yet. Reading romance novels is new to me, so maybe I just have to become adjusted to it. But so far, not much has happened. The novel begins in the perspective of Will, and recounts how he was hit by a truck and lost use of his legs. Then, in the next chapter, it cuts back to Louisa and explains how she was fired from her favorite job and is now desperate to find another one in order to support her family. The book cuts forward a few weeks, and you find Louise skipping from one job to another. She goes back to her job searching after being fired from the fast food restaurant, and someone offers a job to take care of a disabled person. As you can probably tell, this person is Will.

Even though I am not that interested in this book yet, I have to say, the writing is superb. Jojo moyes is very good at inserting tasteful bits of sarcasm and irony in her story, and that kept me from abandoning the book. One of my favorite humorous lines from the book is when Louisa says, "Unemployment had been a concept, something droningly referred to on the news in relation to shipyards or car factories. I had never considered that you might miss a job like you missed a linb-a constant, reflexive thing" (Moyes 15). Because of her excellent metaphor, I can understand how Louisa is feeling.

I may not be too interested in this book, but I do have to say that I really like Jojo Moyes's writing. It's very well done and keeps the story moving, though maybe not fast enough for me. I will continue reading this, but I may decide to abandon it (gasp!) if it comes to it.

When Zachary Beaver Came to Town

A boy. A trailer. A fat guy.
Obviously, these are the makings of a great book.
On the front cover of When Zachary Beaver Came to Town, there is a black and white picture of a trailer sitting in a barren wasteland. The novel is about a small town in Texas that gets shaken up when "The Fattest Boy in The World" comes. Toby, the main character, is fascinated with him and his stories of traveling, but he knows there is more to him than he thought. While this is happening, his best friend's brother goes to fight in Vietnam, and Toby's mother leaves Toby to become a singer. This book explains how all of those are related and how they combine to make a summer that will surely change Toby's life.
Wait, what?
I will be honest, I thought I wouldn't be able to relate to anything in this book. So why did I choose it, read it, and thoroughly enjoy it?

The story revolves around Zachary and Toby, and how Zach changed Toby's life forever. It was not a monumental change (don't want to give any spoilers) but the book ended with Toby changed into a different person with new ideas. I have had several people in my life influence me. My parents have definitely influenced me to make the right choices, but I also have had a few teachers and friends whom have changed me for the better in some way. So after I read this novel, I felt like that was the strongest connection I had with it.

I chose this book for regular reasons in the beginning. It is a National Book Award Winner, the author is well-known and a talented writer, and it is realistic fiction, which I enjoy. In the beginning, I really just read this book because I didn't have anything else to read. But approximately 20 pages later, I was hooked. I couldn't stop reading this until the very last page. The plot was just so different and interesting it was intriging. This is one of the most unique books I have ever read.

Before I go, I just wanted to share one of my favorite lines from this novel. Kimberly Willis Holt writes, "The Mozart sonata Dad picked out begins to play. When we hear the first note, we open the sacks and the ladybugs escape through the opening, taking flight. It's as if someone has dumped rubies from heaven. Soon they will land on the plants in search of bollworm eggs. But right now they are magic-red ribbons flying over our heads, weaving against the pink sky, dancing up there with Mozart" (Holt 101). This paragraph just painted the most lovely picture in my head. It's filled with great figurative language: "But right now they are magic-red ribbons flying over our heads, weaving against the pink sky, dancing up there with Mozart." Also, I liked how the author used long, flowing sentences to really show how beautiful and elegant the lady bug waltz was.

The Authorized Biography of Roald Dahl-Early Life

This biography is enormous. The book is roughly the size and length of a textbook. But it is way more interesting. I am on page 137 of it right now, which delves into Dahl's early life, and it is fascinating. One quote from the novel, on page 40, is "His seductive voice, the subversive twinkle in his eye, and his sense of the comic and curious gave him an ability to mesmerize almost every child who crossed his path-yet he could also remember and reimagine his own childhood with astonishing sharpness" (Sturrock 40). I agree 100% with the author's opinion. Roald Dahl was a master storyteller, whose, quote, main goal was "...to please children. I don't care about adults." Reading this biography, the author points out that all the heroes in Dahl'sn novels are children. Dahl's childhood was quite difficult. He spent his young years going to harsh boarding schools that, on the outside, looked "charming" and "seemed to care about their children." But in the school, there were poor living conditions, condescending upperclassmen, and most terrifying of all, harsh headmasters who gave brutal whippings to boys for no reason at all. Dahl had to live constantly in fear from when he was seven to 17 years old. This, I believe, is the main reason why all the main characters of his children books are children and adults are the antagonists. Dahl was brought up feeling powerless and weak against adults, and his books when he was much older were his way to retaliate.

This has been a great novel so far and I will continue reading it until the end.

The Authorized Biography of Roald Dahl

Although I am still currently reading "Me Before You," I thought I would talk about another book I am interested in reading afterwards. "The Authorized Biography of Roald Dahl" is an extremely detailed biography of the famous writer Roald Dahl, who captivated millions of children's hearts with stories like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "The Witches," and "Matilda." And when I say extremely detailed, I mean it. The entire biography is written by someone who knew Dahl personally and spent many months with him learning all about his life, from beginning to end. This biography apparently will delve deeper in what made Roald Dahl such an incredible author. It follows the difficulties of his childhood, with harsh school masters and their unyielding whipping canes. It will tell you about Dahl's experiences in World War II, and, of course, his complex and not always easy writing career. It is a very long biography, so once I finish reading the book I am currently on and begin this one, it will be awhile before I can give a review of it. But I am extremely excited to read all about one of my favorite childhood authors and see how he became the creative genius he was.

IF you would like to read more about Roald Dahl, click here.

Me Before You

Should you make someone you love happy even though it harms you?

"Me Before You" answers that question. I have just started the book (page 10). Supposedly, the book is about a young woman named Louisa Clark, who has, by all definitions, an average, if slightly boring, life. She takes a job working for a physically handicapped whose life was large and exciting before his accident left him bound to a wheelchair. He is moody and depressed, but Louisa overlooks that and soon she will do anything to make him happy. But doing so may also break her heart.

I don't normally read romantic novels, but I have chosen to read this one for multiple reasons. The first is that Jojo Moyes, the author of "Me Before You" is a fantastic author. "The Horse Dancer," "Windfallen," and "The Girl You Left Behind" are all other books written by her that have received great reviews. The second reason I chose this novel to read was it is a change of pace. As I said previously, I do not read romantic novels. I read more historical fiction, or fantasy. I thought it would help me grow as a reader to read a different genre once in a while. So I looked for a romantic novel that had good reviews, and chose this one. The third and final reason I chose this novel was the storyline is captivating. I am curious to see how Louisa helps Will gradually become more happy and how she will fulfill his plans for him. Also, I want to figure out how and why Will's plans will potentially break Louisa's heart. I can't wait to read this novel and will probably give a review on it after I finish it.

The Queen of Attolia

This fantasy novel is the second book in a four book series. It follows the life of Gen a little while after he returns back to his home land of Eddis and has given the Hamiathes's Gift to his queen. However, his small but beloved country soon goes to war with one of the most deadliest and power nations in the world. Gen must do what he has never done before: He must steal a queen, he must steal a man, and he must steal peace. But, he can only do so if he recovers something the Queen of Attolia may have sacrificed long ago.

Being only 138 pages into the book, I can't give it a fair rating until I have read it all. But so far, it is extremely well written, has an excellent plot, and the characters have been defined very well. One of my favorite lines from the novel is on page 26, when Turner writes, "He didn't want to go back to sleep. he imagined his grandfather waiting for him at the gates of the afterworld, and he didn't want to have to tell him that he'd spent the last few hours allotted to him napping. The old man would not be impressed by false nonchalance." These few lines really captured Gen's predicament, and the bleak humor Turner skillfully wove into this passage added some depth and helped describe what kind of person Gen was and what his grandfather was like. I am thoroughly enjoying this book so far. If you like adventure, fantasy, mythology, and humor, then "The Queen of Attolia" should be a must-read.

Eldest

"Eldest" is the second book in the Inheritance Cycle. It takes place directly after Eragon defeats Durze the Shadow, who was one of Galbatorix's most feared servants. Eragon realizes he killed the Shadow out of pure luck, and so travels to the Elves' Land to find a trainer. Meanwhile, Roran, his cousin, is fighting an equally deadly battle in Eragon's hometown. The country is teetering on the edge of war with Galbatorix, and it is up to Eragon to help overthrown the Dragon Killer and bring peace through the world.

This was an impressive book, especially considering it was written by Christopher Paolini when he was still at a young age. The depth of the plot was very impressive, and it was clear that Paolini had put a lot of thought into this book before writing it, which is what good writers should do. The characters are fascinating to read about, and I found myself grow attached to Saphira and Eragon. The details in this novel are also very well-done, and add to the story. I was hooked onto this book as soon as I read the first page, and read the entire book within two days. I would recommend this book to anyone who has read "Eragon," the first book of the Inheritance Cycle, because "Eldest" makes allusions to it frequently throughout the story.