Best Book of 2014

It was very easy for me to decide what book was my favorite so far this year. I picked the Maze Runner by James Dashner. I loved everything about this book from beginning to end.
The Maze Runner is an action packed story about a group of boys and one girl trapped inside a giant changing maze. All of the boys show up in the maze the same way, with know memories of their family friends or past lives just their names and basic knowledge. The group has tried for 3 years to get out of the maze but suddenly when Thomas and Theresa show up everything changes. They start finding clues about their past and how to escape the maze.  As the book continues and comes to the end the story of the first book is over but it opens up a door to the series to come. What i loved most about the Maze Runner was that it has non stop action and suspense that will keep you interested. The storyline is fantastically written and addicting.
The most memorable part of the book for me is when Thomas, Minho and Alby are trapped in the Maze at night after Alby has been stung by a Griever. Minho ditches the two boys and runs into the Maze in effort to hide and survive the night in the maze, which no one has ever done. Thomas stays with Alby who is unconscious and helps hide him in the ivy on the walls risking his own life. After having many close encounters with grievers all 3 boys survive the night incredibly. This part of the book showed me what friendship and trust meant to the boys in the book. This part can also be implied into real life with many friendships. When Thomas could have easily left Alby for dead but he helped hide him and saved his life.

Best Book in 2014

      When it comes down to the books that I have read in 2014 since September, it has to come down to the Dragon Ball Z series written by Akira Toriyama. The main reason id have to choose this series is because of the good childhood memories it brought back.
      Dragon Ball Z is about a saiyan named Kakarot but is called Goku who ended up on planet Earth when he was a baby and grew up becoming one of the strongest fighters in the universe. Goku battled many battles in his life and found a way to protect Earth every time no matter what came to attack but also with the help of his friends and his sons, Gohan and Goten. Through all the obstacles they faced they always found a way to protect what they loved together and to protect what was right.
      What I liked mainly about the books is the power through words and actions that were given to Goku all through out the books. Through all of the volumes of Dragon Ball Z, Goku was the one that always stood up when no one else would or could, was very intelligent, and was always training to make himself the best anybody or anything could be which gave him the "Hero" figure that everyone knew would come to save anything that was wrong.
      The thing I will always remember no matter what is how much Goku challenged himself even when it was impossible to be done, he would still push himself to do it and to find a way to succeed and fight for anything he had to, which in the book is "in his blood" to be a fighter.


This is an image of Goku years after his time but as a spirit coming back to help his
Great Great Grandson whos name is also Goku and is having a hard time in life because he is going through some hard times. The main reason I choose this is because even after the longest time Goku still found a way to help anyone that needed it just because its who he is, and that will always be who he is.



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Samurai Shortstop

  Samurai Shortstop is my favorite book of 2014 because it is exhilarating. The story takes place in Tokyo in 1890. It is in a freshman boy's point of view. Toyo, the boy, comes from a samurai family. With the use of guns, samurai aren't really needed any more. Toyo's uncle commited honorable suicide at the beginning of the story and Toyo is wondering if or when is father will do the same. At Ichiko, Toyo's school, the freshman are treated very poorly. Toyo had a very hard time getting on the baseball team because the seniors ran it, and they believed that he was a girl. Toyo later made it onto the team and got his revenge.

  The author, Alan Grantz, vividly describes Tokyo and Ichiko during that time period. Although, Ichiko may be a fictional school. He also describes the people in the city. Some wore traditional attire while others wore suits with top hats. Toyo's father who is very traditional usually wore a kimono with sandals and had long hair which he tied up. The author describes how Japan is getting more modern due to western influence.

  This book made me think of the movie The Last Samurai starring Tom Cruise. I have not seen it, but I do know that it details how the samurai "died out" and how Japan modernized due to western influence.

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QB1 by Mike Lupica

    This is the best book of 2014 because it held my interest and it kept me reading. The main character is Jake Cullen, he shows determination. It was inspiring to me that he never gave up and I admire that in a person.
               Jake's dad was a NFL legend, and his older brother was following in his dad's footsteps in being a QB. Jake is pressured to be like his older brother and his dad. Jake and his older brother were always compared to Eli and Peyton Manning. Jake wanted to prove to the team and his family that just because his brother left for college doesn't mean that the team will lose.
      I specifically liked how even though he was being over looked by everyone, he worked hard at practice. Jake never gave up when things got tough and not many people believed in him. Many people overlooked him and thought he was never going to be like his dad and brother. Jake had to prove himself to the team.

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      The part of the book that will stay with me is eagerness and determination to be an amazing athlete. His eagerness to be great was to be more than what was expected of him. He had amazing strength on the field and off the field.  

Leaving Paradise

                   The best book I read in 2014 is Leaving Paradise. I decided to write the book Leaving Paradise, by Simone Elkeles because I think it is the best book I have read in 2014. This book is kind of a romance and a mystery book. The plot of this book is that this boy Caleb Becker spent the past year in jail for hitting his neighbor, Maggie Armstrong. Maggie has spent the past few years in hospitals and physical therapy.

                   The thing that I liked most about the book is that it made me not want to stop reading it. At some parts of the book I didn't want to put it down when I had to. I remember the part when she reunites with Caleb. I thought it was a nice ending to the book.

The List

The best book I read in 2014 was definitely "The List" by Siobhan Vivian.  I decided to write about this book because it really gives you a message as to how things affect people in different ways.  This book is about 'The List' that comes out the Monday of homecoming week every year. The list is posted everywhere; on every bulletin board in every bathroom/locker room.  Nobody goes the day without seeing it.  The list consists of two girls from each grade, one labeled the prettiest... and the other labeled the ugliest.  The book is divided into sections of which each focuses on a different person mentioned on 'The List'.  Some are thrilled to be named the prettiest while others wonder why and if it was a joke.  Others are wondering why they were labeled to ugliest.   Is it because of their looks or because of them as a person.  Under one of the names on the list it says "Beauty isn't just skin deep, btw".  This comment was made to one of the girls ,Candace, who was labeled the ugliest of the Sophomore class.  Although, everybody knows she would have won prettiest if it was based on her look, this really shows what other people think of her as a person.  Candace, instead of maybe thinking about her actions and how they affect people decides to get revenge on the new girl who was labeled prettiest instead of her.   This is just a section of the book, but this is what spoke to me the most.  People need to think a lot more about how they react and what they are really doing before they do it because in the end Candace was the one doing the wrong doing and not the girl who was simply labeled the prettiest.  She did nothing wrong.  Although, this is not the only part that  I will remember about this book.  This book also showed how some of the girls who truly were labeled the ugliest for there looks over come this and make it look like its no big deal.  I was really inspired by the character Danielle.  Her boyfriend was suggesting a bunch of ideas on how to retaliate and plans on how to figure out who wrote it, but she just decided to show no emotion.  Because that's what they all wanted didn't they? To get a reaction from her.  The way the author set up this book was really great because you had a change to see what the girls were like before and after they were labeled and you see how labels can really change people, some for the better and some for the worse.  \

 

If I Stay

 It was very hard to decided for me but defiantly the best book that I read during 2014 was If I stay by Gayle Forman. I loved reading this book it was always making me bit my nails wanting me to keep reading more. Mia the main character gets into a car accident with her family, sadly her mom, dad, and  little brother all died but Mia has the choice to stay or to go. Through the whole book it would describe her condition she is in. Also, the book would bring back some good or maybe some bad flashbacks that Mia had making her either want to stay or to go. The flashbacks would remind her of her boyfriend and her family. She realizes with her flashbacks all of the good memories that her and her boyfriend Adam have had and it makes her really want to stay. Unfortunately she doesn't think she is going to be able to make it with out her family here with her.
     Probably my favorite scene is during the car accident. The book makes the car accident so detailed. It was like I could see the whole scene in my head.  It made me feel like I was there in the movie. I will Always remember that part. This book makes me think about how hard this choice would be. Honestly if it was me I think I would also stay too. Although, my whole family would be gone I would have to be able to live my life alone in a few years anyways. Mia is also 18 now. I feel that she will be able to make it through her life with out her family.

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