Every Day

I am reading the book Every Day by David Levithan. The character I chose is Justin. He is a little bit different because he wakes up in a new body every morning. He is always the same age, 16. But, whether his skin is light or dark, whether my hair is long or short, whether I'm fat or thin, boy or girl, scarred or smooth. "Justin" says that the body is the easiest thing to adjust to, if your used to waking up in a new one each morning. It is the life that is the hardest to grasp. Every day he is someone else. He is himself  he knows he is but he is also someone else. It has always been like this for him.

Setting: Soulless: The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger

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Soulless is a novel set in Victorian London, England, with a twist. The genre is called Steampunk. I have since learned this genre has a fan movement attached to it, and many of the fans (as well as Steampunk authors) have a penchant for cosplay. Anyway... the best way to describe the genre Steampunk, in general, is to say it is Victorian values and dress, but with the use of steam contraptions. Let me try and explain...

So here you can see what is called a "mechanimal". It's a dog, run on steam power, consuming coal and well... pooping ash. This picture is what I see the main character's dog looking like in Carriger's novel Etiquette and Espionage. 

I'm sorry, I digress. But it is a difficult setting to wrap your brain around. The main difference I see in the settings of Carriger's books is her inclusion of the supernatural. The main character in my book, Soulless, is Alexia Tarabotti. She comes from a very good background, but she is peculiar as far as the world of women and courting (dating) goes. Alexia's father was Italian, so Alexia is not a Barbie-like woman. She is rather strong, rather tall, has olive skin and long black curly hair. She is also 26-- quote old to be single in this mid to late 1800s world. Her family is obnoxious. Her two sisters, very blonde and petite, find Alexia and her stubborn ways unbearable. Her mother has no idea when or how Alexia will find a suitable man to marry, and her step-father would be happy with any solution to rid Alexia of their house in the cheapest manner possible. The thing her family does not know, the other thing besides her looks that sets her apart, is that she is soulless. She is what is called a preternatural. In a nutshell, she has the unique ability to neutralize any vampire of werewolf back to human form by simply touching them. 

In a world where women are expected to look nice and follow strict social rules, Alexia stands out like a sore thumb. She would rather spend hours reading in her father's library than date a man. She is very forward, and the first glimpse we get of her in the novel she is killing a rogue vampire in an ornate sitting room at a high society gathering. She is obviously NOT your average woman. Oh, and to top it all off, she falls in love with a werewolf. Love between a supernatural and a preternatural? Well, who knows what hyjinks that will bring in future books. 

I am almost done with the book, and I have to say in terms of the "steam" in steampunk, I found very little of it until I was nearly at the end and in a secret lab. All I saw was a steam tea maker in a carriage and some funky glassicals that the Beta werewolf, Prof. Lyell, wears. Now near the end, I see an automaton who is Frankenstein like and made out of steampowered gears under old blood and slightly humanish flesh, and some odd medical contraptions run on electricity. There were far more references in the young adult series written by Carriger than in this one-- but I have only read this one book. Actually, though I like the characters, I have little interest in reading another of her books in this series. 

goodreads.com

gailcarriger.livejournal.com

For All My Fault in Our Stars Fans

For all my Fault in Our Stars fans, and I know there are so many of you, here are some things definitely worth your while to check out! Follow me...


Meet Esther Earl. She is not the only girl who inspired John Green as he wrote The Fault in Our Stars, but she is the girl whose story has the most parallels. Courtney Jones, from Booklist, reviews  this book as such: Esther was 16 when she died from complications of thyroid cancer in 2010. By that time, she’d become a fixture among the Nerdfighters, a community dedicated to intellectualism and creativity, created by YA author John Green and his brother, composer Hank Green, via their popular YouTube channel, the Vlogbrothers. She loved Harry Potter–themed “wizard” rock music and Doctor Who, and she was part of Catitude, a group that ran the Project for Awesome, a Nerdfighter charity campaign. John Green dedicated The Fault in Our Stars (2012) to Esther, and in his introduction to this memoir, he notes that while he’s proud of Fault’s success, “the one person I most want to read it never will.” Featuring essays from friends, family, and doctors and curated by her parents, this collection—part autobiography, portfolio of her fiction and drawings, and photo album—is a touching eulogy, and it fulfills her dream to be an author. An intimate portrait of a vibrant, deeply engaged teen, this title reveals the power of the internet as a mode for connection, which comes through with each reproduced chat session and blog post. As the Nerdfighters say, rest in awesome, Esther.

In addition, there are also some really interesting articles out there to give you an overview of who Esther was. To read an interview with Esther's sister, click here.

Check it out!!!

                                                                   Dogs Of War



The book dogs of war is about in the afghan war the American troops used dogs to sniff out bombs, traps, trip wire and other deadly things. this book was not only a fun read but it also helped me learn more about the American forces and how they defend our freedom.
       my favorite part of this story was when the dog heard enemy troops approaching and barked a lot to inform the American troops that there were other hostiles coming and not only did he save the  troops but the dog also made a heroic effort to save American lives. this was a very fun informal hart warming read and I enjoyed this very much.

Dogs Of War

The book Dogs Of War it is about the Afghanistan war and how dogs were a major part in the war.  The dogs helped in the war by sniffing around for bombs, traps, tripwire, and more.



My favorite part of this book is when the dog smells enemies coming and barks like crazy to alert the American troops. The dog not only saved the American troops but won a award for the best army dog in history.



In the book Dogs Of War there was two stories about war dogs. In the second story there was a dog who was raised by the army from when it was a puppy. In this story the dog is in the Iraq war. This dog saved many lives by sniffing out bombs and I.E.Ds.


These dogs may not be like regular dogs but they have good lives after there service. They get to go and live in regular homes in the Untied States after service. They get to have normal lives and in the end of the book it said that the dogs don't bark at strangers if they are in a uniform. The dog runs up o them and sits like he is salute them.







               Trevor T.                       Dogs Of War

If I Stay

              "Am I dead? I actually have to ask myself this. Am I dead?"   Parts like this in If I Stay are what brought me to like Mia. I love how she really lets you into her mind and show you exactly what she's thinking in the moment. When she asks herself questions, she leaves you wondering the same things. It's intriguing because you want to know what she might find out. She is also very unique, especially in the ways that she differs from her family.
              She really opens her mind after her car crashes. She realizes that she is outside of her body but can't tell if she's living. Her confusion relates to the reader's confusion. Both the reader and Mia don't necessarily know what is going on for sure. I also got pulled in to liking Mia when she is describing her childhood as growing up to be a cellist. I think it is great that she is different from her family in that light, and even that she doesn't look like them. That is what truly makes her her own person. 
              Mia reminds me of a character named Tris, from Divergent. They remind me of one another because they are both different from a lot of people around them. Tris is different because her personality and thought process is different from that of a normal person. Mia is different because she stands out from the rest of her family, by appearance and by having different interests, such as playing the cello. Although Tris and Mia are unique in different ways, they still are alike in that aspect.

Eleanor and Park

" With crazy hair, bright red on top of curly. And she was dressed like... like she wanted people to look at her." (pg. 8)
    This line immediately sparked my interest in Eleanor . The combination of the crazy red hair and dressing  differently really caught my attention. I, for one, understand the whole unmanageable ginger hair thing. And the whole "new girl" title isn't abstract for me either.  There's countless awkward situations that you wouldn't even take in to account when being the newest victim in a jail we call school. First of all, feeling like you're taking a veterans place when you're still a rookie is a god awful feeling.  So when the newest victim, Eleanor, goes to find her place on the bus  no one welcomes her with open arms.  Of course she wanted to cry her eyes out. Not feeling accepted is a horrific  feeling, but she kept her cool. I admire this about her because for some people in trying situations they show weakness, but not Eleanor. Strong women is kind of my cup of tea  and she fits this role perfectly.