Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Share two books and one hobby/skill in the Comments section here. From Mike Lohre.

Students, let's share the 2 books we most want to read with the rest of the class and one specific skill or hobby you'd like to pursue or learn.  Briefly describe who wrote each book and what its main theme or subject is.

The truth is that we are often inspired by our peers more than anyone else.  Let's share our ideas here in the Comments section to this post so we have all our ideas in one place and can reference each others ideas.

22 comments:

  1. Two books I'd like to read, whether in class or individually, are:
    1. Looking for Alaska by John Green consists of the following subjects (according to Shmoop, since I haven't read the book): friendship, home, lies and deceit, suffering, mortality, and choices.
    2. Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra. My mom has always really enjoyed Paulo Coelho and Deepak Chopra, and she's always recommending their books to me. Seven Spiritual Laws of Success is one of her favorite books. It's basically a book about ways to fulfill your dreams and ways to become successful not only by hard work, plans or ambitions, but by understanding human beings and the laws of nature.

    One skill or hobby I'd like to pursue is playing the piano. I've been singing since I was really little, but I'd really like to take it a step up and learn to play piano. I can play Someone Like You by Adele, but that's about it and I think piano is such a beautiful instrument to play, so hopefully I can work on accomplishing that!

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  2. Two book I would like to read are:

    1984 by George Orwell. This novel focusses on government sensorship and thought control. I feel like it is a relevent topic in today's world where freedom of information is fought for all over the world.

    One author who I have always wanted to read is Tom Clancy. His novel "Executive Order" particularly peaks my interest. In this novel, the President, Supreme Court, Congress, and Joint Chiefs of Staff are killed and the Vice-President is forced to take control of the situation and counter the threats he now faces.

    One skill I want to learn is being able to drive a manual transmission. I can drive a tractor but I don't think that counts. I like how it adds attention to detail and a finer skill to driving. I think it would make driving much more enjoyable and make you a better driver in general

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  3. The two books that I'd like to read are:

    12 Years A Slave by Solomon Northup. Written in 1853, this is a memoir of Northup who was born a free man in New York, kidnapped in Washington D.C. and sold into slavery . He served as a slave for multiple owners for 12 years, and his personal novel goes into detail about the horrors of slavery. The memoir has recently been turned into an Oscar award winning film and touched me deeply. Everyone knows that the books are better than the movies, so I want to someday read this memoir. Plus, considering the time era it was published, the diction and sentence structure may be complex but educational.

    A book that I actually owned and started but stopped because of school, work and other personal interest took over, is Death Comes to Pemberley. Written by P.D. James in 2011, this novel is a "sequel" to Pride and Prejudice, one of my favorite classic novels. The novel focus on the murder of the husband of Lydia Wickham - Bennet, one of the four sisters to Elizabeth, the main character. Lydia is considered disgraceful for the corrupt marriage she engaged in behind the back of her family. So I wonder why, how and who killed of Lydia's husband.

    A skill I would love to learn is archery. It has been a dream of mine for awhile. Something about it seems to refreshing and clamming yet powerful. And as silly as it sounds the Disney Princess Merida, inspired me to take on this wanted skill. Merida is a strong, adventurous, young women who believes love should be found on your own time and that being independent and yourself is important. I see a lot of myself in this fictional cartoon character, but she makes me happy.

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  4. Two books I would like to read are:

    The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I've had the intentions to read this book for about three years now and always forget about it. The story follows a teenage boy who is an introvert but trying to overcome it through friends, drugs and drinking. He creates a soundtrack of mixtapes which guide us through his life. I actually watched the movie a while ago but I still want to read the book because I usually enjoy the book more than the movie.

    Another book I'd like to read is The Giver, another book I've been meaning to read but haven't yet. Since the movie came out I've been especially interested in reading it lately. Basically, the story is about a boy who lives in a colorless community where no one experiences and kind of emotion. It somehow becomes his reponsibility to bring color and emotion back into the community. I really want to read the book to see if, and how he does this.

    A skill I would really like to learn is glass blowing. It sounds a little far fetched but I really admire the skill and freedom of creativity that it allows. Not only that but how rewarding the process must be. They offer classes at CCAD and I'm seriously considering taking one next fall.

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  5. 2 books that I intend on reading and one skill I plan to pursue:

    One book that I really want to read is The Kite Runner. I read A Thousand Splendid Suns which is by Khaled Hosseini, the same author as The Kite Runner. I really enjoyed the book A Thousand Splendid Suns, in fact is probably one of my favorite books. The kite runner is about a wealthy boy who becomes friends with his servant's son. I am very anxious to read the book.

    The second book I really want to read is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I've seen parts of the movie but I would prefer to read the book. The story is about a young women who meets a man that she can not stand, but is actually in love with him. It seems like a really good book and I hope to accomplish my goal by reading it in this next year.

    One skill or hobby I would love to pursue is shooting. I enjoy watching crime shows on USA and honestly my dream job would be to work in security and after visiting Washington, D.C. this summer, I wanted to be in the CIA. I have went to a shooting rage once and absolutely loved it. I think it would be such an awesome hobby to get into. I also have always wanted to go hunting..so I believe shooting would greatly help in that aspect.

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  6. The two books I would like to read are:
    1. 1984 by George Orwell. A book about a dictatorship with a strict overpowering government, who monitors the people's every move.
    2. Ender's Shadow by Orson Scott Card. I loved the book Ender's Game and this is the sequel, which tells the amazing story of Ender from the perspective of his student Bean.
    The skill I would like to learn how to do is to play guitar. I have always wanted to play, and I have a couple guitars to use also, but I have never found time to get lessons. Also I can not find someone who has the time to teach me. I feel like it would be a good skill to have because I can not play any other musical instrument.

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  7. The two books I would like to read are:
    1. The Kill Order by James Dashner. This is the fourth book in the series of the Maze Runner. This book goes back in time before the first book of the series and explains what happens that leads up to the trials.
    2. Divergent by Veronica Roth. This is the first book in a series. I have been told it has the same style as the Maze Runner series. It is about a world that has been changed drastically. I don't want to read to much about the book because I want to read it.

    The Skill I would like to learn is woodworking. My grandpa is amazing at woodworking and I want to learn these skills when I have the chance. This is an amazing skill and can help me all through my life.

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  8. The two books I would like to read are:
    1. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. This book is about a guy who finds himself on a island after a shipwreck. He finds out that the island next to his is full of savages. He have to live off the land and hope that someone comes to rescue him.
    2. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. This book explains little bits of everything that has to do with science and does it in fun way. I've read his book a walk in the woods and loved it so im thinking ill love this too.
    The skill I would like to learn is racing cars. I've always loved working on my car and making it faster and upgrading everything to make it tighter. My step dad used have a stock car and he raced. Its expensive and that's the only thing holding me back.

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  9. Ive read the first hunger games book, so I would like to finish the series and read the other two books, Catching Fire and Mocking Jay. Both of these books are written by the same author, Suzanne Collins. The themes found in the books are pretty similar throughout the series: Oppressive government, inequality between low and upper class, and maybe suffering as entertainment.
    Something I want to pursue is learning how to pop. Which is a specific dance style generally used to dance with very energetic songs. I always think it's interesting when people can make their bodies look like it's made of noodles and have it sync with the song.

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  10. The two books I want to read would be technically way more than two books:
    The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling. I have read this series about 5 times my entire life and I want to reread them again because I would love to look at them with a fresh eye and not think about whats coming up next and how the series all ends. This series is about a boy amid Harry Potter who found out that he was a wizard and now is the chosen one that will defeat the evil dark lord Voldemort.

    The skill I would like to learn is how to sing in front of a big group of people. I would love not to be afraid and feel sick every time I try to sing to people. I want to be confident in my voice and I hope on day i will become that way. I will work very hard to achieve this skill because I truly want to overcome my fear.

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  11. One book I would like to read is “The Bone Clocks” by David Mitchell. It is a story that incorporates time traveling and a young girl who runs away from home. She finds herself in the middle of an occult war being used as a pawn between two rival camps of immortals. He is an author whose books I have yet to read and the book seems to incorporate many things that hold my interest when reading.

    A second book I would like to read is “Love Letters to the Dead” by Ava Dellaira. In this book a girl is give an English assignment to write a letter to someone who has passed away. You are told that her sister is dead but this is not who she writes the letter to. I like books that start differently than the way they end. And there is almost always a hidden meaning that you find within the story. I feel that this would be one of those stories.

    The skill I would like to learn is to play the guitar. My great grandpa used to make guitars and many members of my family are involved in some type of music. I think that it would be fun to learn to play.

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  12. Two books I would like to read are "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and "Moby Dick". "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" is about a boy who goes on an adventure with an African American in Missouri. The theme of this book is about how friendship can triumph over most things. "Moby Dick" is about a man who joins a whaling ship and he goes on a voyage to cure his depression. The theme of this book is one of excitement and of journey.

    The skill I would like to learn is to be able to fix cars. My brother in law is very good with cars and I would like to learn how to fix and repair them myself which would save a lot of money in the long run.

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  13. One book I want to read is "Left Behind" by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. The movie actually just came out on October 3rd, but I want to read it before I see the movie. It's about the beginning of the apocalypse; it's the first in a large series of books, which brings me to the second book I'd like to read: "Tribulation Force", the second book in the series. This one is also about the apocalypse, just further into the story of the series.

    The skill I would like to learn is to be able to write programs with Java. I think it'd be cool to learn, especially if I may need it in the future for a job.

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  14. The first item I would like to read is a playwright by William Shakespeare called "Coriolanus". I first came across this play on twitter when one of my favorite actors, Tom Hiddleston, tweeted that he was going to be in a production of it in London. I was going to see it at a movie theater that they were showing it in but I wanted to read it before seeing it so I understood everything that was going on. It is based on the life of a roman leader Caius Martuis Coriolanus as he leads Roman armies against the Volscian city of Corioles. I bought this book back in April and read like ten pages into it and haven't gotten back to it, I want to make sure that I do read this book.

    Another book I would like to read is "It's Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini. It is about a teenage boy who thinks he needs to go to the right school, get perfect grades, and the right job. He realizes that he is average compared to those around him and the stress he puts on himself weighs on him so much that he nearly commits suicide. He is finally able to help his anxiety by admitting himself into a mental hospital where he makes new friends with with a transsexual sex addict, a girl who has scarred her face with scissors, and a man who has self elected himself president of the institution.

    A skill that I would like to learn is either yoga or ballroom dancing. I want to get active again but I absolutely hate running, ironically I did track in high school though. I want to find something that would be fun and enjoyable to do. I have been interested in both yoga and ballroom dance for a while and just need to take the step to try it.

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  15. One book I would like to read is The Meaning of Night, by Michael Cox. The story focuses on a man who commits murder in England. I want to read this book because it is set in the Victorian era, which is one of my favorite time periods of Great Britain.

    Another book that I want to read is The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by Washington Irving. Yes it is short, but I have never actually read it before. All I have seen is the movie spoofs of the story.

    One skill that I want to learn is how to use my time wisely. Lately its been difficult to keep up with all the work that I have to do while at the same time I need time to relax. I should think of a better time schedule, especially on the weekends, in order to get all of my classwork done.

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  16. I am not one that is much for reading, but i realize it's importance and connection to real life events. There are lessons waiting to be learned within the pages of any piece of literature. I actually wish to become a more prominent reader because i want the knowledge and wisdom that comes along with it.

    I would like to read the Harry Potter series for fun just because i have seen and further more enjoyed all of the movies. I just feel like it would be very amusing to me.

    On the other hand, in my senior literature class, we read a novel called Sophie's World. It has a ton of information concerning our most prominent philosopher's of our past. There a so many good things that one can get out of this book, and i wish to read it over again because i know there are some important themes that i most likely missed. I strongly recommend it.

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  17. I am not a very big reader but after thinking about it the books that i hope to be able to read this year are: The case for Christ by Lee Strobel and The Ishbane Conspiracy by Angela Alcorn. Both of these books talk about Christianity and different issues Christians face. case for Christ is a legal case to prove that God is real. and the Ishbane Conspiracy is about the Devil and his tactics. Both of these books have been recommended to me by some close friends and i think they would be interesting to read.

    A skill that i would like to improve on would me playing volleyball. It is a sport that i enjoy playing and would like to get better at it.

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  18. I'm not a huge reader, but I would like to read Huckleberry Finn and probably the series Game of Thrones because I watch the TV show. The Hobby I am currently trying to pick up and learn is playing the guitar.

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  19. 1. The first book that i would like to read is The Cuckoo's Calling worm by Robert Galbraith ( but actually it was J.K. Rowling)
    2. The second book that i would like to read is The Silk worm by Robert Galbraith (J.K.Rowling). Both are crime fiction books and Cuckoo calling is the Prequel to the Silk Worm. Also i love the harry potter series so i want to see how well these will turn out.

    One Hobby that I picked up is coaching for a long time i wanted to coach soccer for my younger siblings so i have been working towards my coaches license.

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  20. The two books i would like to read are :
    -Huckleberry Finn, i would like to read this book because it is so closely referenced in society and I've just heard it's an awesome book!
    -I would also like to read the second book in the Hunger games series catchinf fire because what made me wanna read the first book was the movie and now i can not force myself to watch the second movie without reading the book!
    A skill I'm trying to build is identifying people more than just kind of giving the benefit of the doubt. There's been many experiences in this past two years where that has hurt me and there's nobody to blame but myself.

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  21. One of the books that I would like to read is The mark of Athena by Rick Riordan. I read his whole series while i was in middle school and i just found out that this book is a spin off of those so i really want to read it.

    Another book i would like to read is The Godfather by Mario Puzo. My dad suggested this book to me as a really good book and i saw and loved the movies so i thought i could get the story in a different more depth form.

    One skill i actually set for my self to learn before i started college was to learn to play the guitar and take a class once i get down onto main.

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  22. I am not a very big reader. I don't like reading very much because it is very hard for me to find something i am interested in. I would like to read Huckleberry Finn and also the Hunger games series. I have seen the movies for the Hunger Games and they were absolutely amazing so the books have to be pretty great too.

    A skill i would really like to pick up is woodworking. A lot of cool stuff can be made and i would really like to learn how. I have wanted to do this for a long time.

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