The book nook: rating system

Hey guys it's Hannah :) I have decided that for all my future book reviews that I would like to give a number rate for the book as well as the regular review. I don't want you guys to be confused by what  number means what so this is my rating system:

1- trite storyline and uninteresting to me
2- interesting story idea but confusing writing.
3- interesting story with some cool ideas but not the best writing.
4- good story, good supporting ideas, and good writing.
5- completely blown away, a book that changes the way you think or feel. Great story, great supporting ideas, and fantastic writing style.

It's a simple rating system but I hope you guys like it! I doubt I will ever review a book below a three because I rarely pick up a book I don't like, but I am trying to branch out what I'm reading this year so we will see! Please comment your rating system or if you have any suggestions for mine :)

The Book Nook: The Beginning of Everything

Hey guys it's Hannah! Sorry it has been a while, I had a very busy summer. The school year has started again and things are just as crazy but I promise to post more :). The first quarter of my junior year in high school is almost over, and let me tell you, no one was kidding when they said junior year is the hardest grade in high school. Ezra Faulkner though, the main character in the novel The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schnedier, would probably disagree with me.
     

            

           Ezra had it easy his whole high school career, that is until a car hit him and shattered his leg, and his girlfriend cheated on him. Before that he was king-the star of the tennis team, in all advanced classes, class president, and had a super hot and popular girlfriend. But then the end of junior year came and his life came crashing down. When senior year rolled around it seemed the thing that would put his life back together was actually a person, Cassidy Thorpe, the new girl.

        I will admit when I first picked up this novel I was expecting a beach read. I was pleasantly surprised. Through this novel Robyn Schneider explores the idea of personal tragedy: the supposed terrible moment that a person can look back on in life and say that changed it all. The reader gets to bare witness to Ezra's personal tragedy and how it changed his life.
       This novel is hilarious and heart-wrenching. It is witty and charming and so much better deeper than I thought it would be, you will fall in love with the characters and be sad to see the book end. Robyn Schneider has written a beautiful book about personal tragedy and breaking out of the molds the people in our lives expect us to fall in. I really enjoyed this book and I encourage all of you to check it out! If you liked it, comment! :)

Top 90s Shows Teens NOW Can Appreciate

I was born in the early 90s and didn't really get to appreciate many of the shows until I was a lot older, but I do remember sneaking into my [much] older sisters room to watch episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dawson's Creek, and Roswell. (Just to name a few). 

Now, thanks to Netflix, teens now can appreciate these "forgotten" shows. And since summer is kicking off, many of us have a little down time to kick back and indulge in a little addictive TV. 

*I will warn you. Those who don't really remember the 90s or who didn't make an appearance into the world until the late 90s/early 2000s...yes, the style was a little "weird"*

In my opinion, these are the shows everyone should watch/experience at some point in your life.

1. Boy Meets World. Seriously, if you haven't watched this, you're missing out. It comes on on MTV/MTV2 every day. I mean, they are even making a spin-off, Girl Meets World, which I am STOKED about. 

2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It's addicting, cheesy, yet fabulous. You can watch every episode on Netflix.

3. Dawson's Creek. Just do it. You'll understand. (Also on Netflix - or if you're like me, you buy the box set of every, single season.)

4. Felicity. All about finding yourself through college and being off on your own. Also on Netflix.

5. 7th Heaven. I've seen every single episode numerous times and have recently longed to watch it all over again.

There are SO many others I would encourage you to watch.

Roswell. Party of Five. Full House. Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Clarissa Explains it All. 90201 (The original, not the remake) Saved by the Bell. The Wonder Years. Melrose Place. (Again, the original) My So-Called Life. Sabrina, The Teenage Witch. All That. And several others. 

And remember, fashion has come a long way. :)

Until next time. 

Heather

Ps. What are your favorite shows? Past or present?

Interview with Rachel Caine

Interview with Rachel Caine

Earlier this week I had the privilege of meeting the international bestselling author Rachel Caine at her book signing in Liverpool, England. I arrived for this event at 4pm however it did not start till 5pm and there was already a long line of highly enthusiastic fans of the Morganville book series in which , she was promoting her 14th installment. Eventually 5pm came and Rachel Caine began signing books for everyone and she was so gracious and sweet to everyone who came along , and some fans even brought all 14 of her books for her to sign and she signed every single one. When my time came to have my book signed I was with a group of sweet girls who were ecstatic as I was over the chance to meet Rachel Caine so much so that when Rachel Caine told one of the girls that she looked like one of the characters in the books, she cried with happiness, we were all given a glow in the dark "Morganville Resident" bracelet, a Morganville bag and a Morganville Resident ID which we were extremely happy about. We then waited until the last fan had their book signed to ask Rachel if I could possibly have an interview with her, and she said YES! she was so sweet answering all of the questions and didnt mind that we wanted to know about the books. It was such a great experience to meet such a down to earth and  successful author whose books so many people adore and love, and thankfully she didnt mind teenagers asking her questions about her books, so here is my interview with the author of the Morganville Series, Rachel Caine.

Q. Where did you get the inspiration for Morganville from ?

A. This is a funny story, so my publisher mentioned to me, I was writing the Weather Warden series at the time, which is an adult fantasy series, and they said "would you like to write a young adult series for us" and I thought "I don't really know how to do that" and my editor said "oh yes you do, just think of something" and I said " well what would you like to see" and she said "oh I don't know, something maybe supernatural/paranormal,I don't know, vampires or something" now this was right when Twilight  was just coming out , nobody was really aware of it yet, although I'm sure the editor was,but I said I used to write vampires, that would be fun ,and then I was driving home and I called a friend of mine and I said "I don't think I'm going to do this because I cant think of anything new to say about vampires,or new to do" and she said "I bet you can, tell me the first things that pops into your head"

So this whole series started on a bet?

Yes ,and it was dark and I said "the streetlights are really far apart" and she said "Why" and I said "because if vampires built a town streetlights would be really far apart so you would have further to run to safety" and she said "well that's interesting,I don't think I've ever seen anyone built a town around vampires before" so that's how it started.

Q.Did you base any of the characters of anyone you know?

A .I try not to base anyone exactly on a single person because it makes for very awkward Christmases ,you know there is always someone who will come up and say "I read that and I don't talk like that" or "my hair is better than that" or whatever, so I try not to do that but, what I do is take pieces of peoples characteristics  or their speech patterns or something that they've done and kind of blend it together, but I rarely lift somebody wholesale, now the historical characters I do kind of fit in and I disguise them just a little bit, just so people will have fun figuring out who's who ,like Ada for example, from the lab is Ada Lovelace , Lord Byron's daughter and one of the founders of computing and I honoured her by making her a vampire and sticking her brain in a jar. 

Q.Once you have finished this series do you think you will ever do a spin-off series?

A. You know, we've talked about it, I think I'm just going to let it alone for a little while I think, I have another book that's coming out after it that is unrelated called "Prince of Shadows"and then I'm going to be looking at what I'm going to do next , probably later in the year ,we'll see, if I do it'll be probably be some one-off books about adult characters I think.

Q.Which character of the series would you say you're most like ?

A. I'm probably most like Claire,only because when I was growing up I was an only child and I was very you know very sheltered and lived out in the middle on nowhere and I loved to read and I loved science and math although I didn't think I was very good at it, but I loved it and so had I applied myself to it I probably would have gone to school for physics and I did take a few physics classes in college.

Q. Have there been any plans for a film?

A. We've had it optioned several times by various producers and its always in conversation somewhere or other but the problem is that there are a lot of things right now that are similar too, like you get people saying "yeah but Vampire Diaries is still on TV and True Blood is still on TV and then Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy is coming out and Being Human" there's a whole range of things that it could be like so we will probably wait awhile.

Q. If it ever did get made into a film is there anyone you would want to cast, as we said Alex Pettyfer for Michael and David Tennant/ RDJ for Myrnin?

A. I dont think we can afford Robert Downey Jr.I really dont but I would be okay with David Tennant as Myrnin, he is my favourite Doctor Who. Okay true story the cover designer who designs these books she actually,we were walking around here neighborhood and she said "oh yes there's my apartment building, David Tennant lives there from time to time"

Q. Obviously because the series is long and amazing did you know from the beginning where it was going to go?
A. No, I knew were the first three books were going to go, and I had planned for six, I never in my life thought it would last past six, so I was writing book six and they came back and said "well we would really like you to do nine" and I said "well that's a problem because I have a plan for six, and it's like a big battle scene at the end" and they said "well you can do one-off books and do something different" and I said "okay I'll give it a try" so we did 7,8 and 9 and by the time I was on eight they said "lets go to twelve and then get it to fifteen"and we actually discussed going to eighteen and I said "I really don't think I can, you know let's take a breath", because I'm doing two a year, so in order for me to do anything else, I have to put it on hold so I can do something else, so that kind of why.

Q.How have you found the UK being on tour?
A. I love the UK, this is my fourth trip and I love it and I could live here ( you should) well my husband would be totally okay with that because he wants to live close to a pub and have a local, when we came last year, the rule was any signing I had he had to go to a pub before or after my signing.

Q. Have you got any tips for aspiring writers?
A. The most important thing that I can think of right off the bat is try to be patient because it is a business that happens slowly, I've been writing since I was 14 years old now Jennifer Lynn Barnes beat me by several years, she said she wrote her first novel at 6, she remembered what it was about, most first stories are always about animals for some reason. But also the other thing is to try a set a little bit of time everyday to write because if you just wait for something to strike you when you want to write it is very easy to get frustrated. If you space it out and have regular time, and you sit down and do it and what happens is ideas seem to come a lot easier because you sort of allow space for them. I know it sounds weird but it's true.

Q.Were there any hard parts to write in the series?
A.Yes it happens in every book,there is always somewhere around the middle of the book I just get this feeling that nothing is happening and I just don't know where I am going to go and I don't know how to get through it and I've become accustomed to that, and most writers feel that way at some point, it's just normal so once you know its normal  to feel that way it's much easier to work your way through it, you just say "I'm going to do five more pages today" and soon enough your in a part of the book which is easy to write.

Q.Are the people on the covers based on the characters?
A.Well on the UK covers, no I would say that they're not, I would say they are more representative of "Here's what Morganville looks like" There are some that look like the characters but on the US covers it's a little easier because they are very representational of the characters so I could tell you those, but the UK covers are more like beautiful art.

Q. Which was your favourite book to write?
A.Probably Last Breath because that one for whatever reason I just went through it in record time, it was just fast and I know every little thing that was going to happen and it all happened correctly and that never happens, so that's my favourite but probably Feast of Fools would be the other one.

Bullying: It's everywhere

(This is a post I originally posted on my own blog a few months back, but it is one I felt I needed to share again because it's so important to me and I hope that it helps someone in a some way, shape or form.)

Several months ago, I read this book and it was one that somewhat punched me in the gut. It touches on a subject that everyone is familiar with in some way or another. BULLYING. Unfortunately, bullying has taken on a completely different level this day and age. Especially with social media taking over the world. (Or so it seems). I was bullied in middle school, a little in high school, and honestly, I've been bullied a little bit as an adult. Basically, some people are just downright mean and I try so very hard to see the good in everyone, but some people just show nothing but their mean side.

It really upsets and sickens me to see, almost on a daily basis, the number of kids, teens, and young adults who take their lives because they have been picked on, made fun of, and bullied to the point where they just can't take it anymore. That world shouldn't be like that, it's just wrong. We should be the change that everyone wishes to see and it all starts with being kind to one another.

I read a lot of books that I absolutely love and will recommend to friends, but every now and then a book comes along that I just have to tell anyone and everyone about.

Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti is such an inspiring and touching book. It is about something that is very close to my heart….bullying.

In this day and age, so many people, young and old, are bullied for their sex, their looks, how they dress, and so on. It breaks my heart. I have never been physically bullied, but I have been verbally and it really breaks you down. As someone who wants to have kids of my own, I hope and pray that my kids will never be bullied and they will never be the bully. I also hope that as someone who is studying to be a teacher, I will take a stand against bullies and help those who are struggling through school each and every day. 

I really am grateful for Susane for writing such a great book. It will make you tear up, make you angry, but in the end…you will feel hope.

If you or anyone you know has been bullied or is being bullied, please read this book.

And Keep Holding On.

Ps. Susane also includes several resources for those who need help, here are a few:

To Write Love on Her Arm - twloha.com

It Gets Better Project - itgetsbetter.org

The Trevor Project - thetrevorproject.org

Above The Influence - abovetheinfluence.com

And please remember, be kind to one another. It makes all the difference.

Until next time,

Heather

[original post by me can be found on turningpages2011.blogspot.com]

British Food

                               Food

Okay let’s face it everyone has traditions when it comes to food and you would be surprised how much food can differ in different places for example the UK and the USA we both have very strange types of traditions without really realising it, like in the UK every Sunday we have what is called a Roast Dinner without fail, it wouldn’t be Sunday in the UK without a           roast, and I know in America you all love Apple Pie for some reasons I don’t understand. So I thought I would show some UK traditional food and ill explain why they are traditional Okay to start the UK food.

1.       Roast Dinner

As I already mentioned in the introduction a Roast Dinner in the UK is a big thing because its a tradition though we don’t know why, all of my friends and family have it done ever since I can remember and it is like this all over the UK, I don’t really know when this tradition started or why it started but I know it has been a British tradition for a long time. For those of you who don’t know a Roast Dinner is made from any kind of cooked meat you want, any kind of vegetables, and a Yorkshire pudding ( if you don’t know what it is , google it) and gravy ( optional)

2.Fish and Chips

Okay if you know anything about British Culture you will know we love our fish and chips (you can have it with mushy peas and gravy if you want), it’s almost our national dish, you can get them anywhere in the UK we absolutely adore it but I’m not sure why, and we get them from the chippy ( that’s a chip shop, well anywhere where you can get a takeaway) If you come to Britain you have to have one just to embrace the British-ness of it.

3.Full English Breakfast

Okay there is nothing better than waking up and having a full English Breakfast to wake you up, its the best way to start the day (well in my opinion anyway),It consists of eggs, bacon, sausages, fried bread, mushrooms, baked beans and sometimes black pudding (you don’t want to know what its made of, trust me!) But if any of you come to England for a trip your hotel will offer this so at least try it.

   

4. Bubble and Squeak

Yes I know it’s a stupid name before you say anything, but it’s a British classic. Normally made from leftover vegetables from a Sunday Roast, such as potatoes and cabbage, and other vegetables and then mix them with mashed potatoes. You then fry them in a pan or bake them, which makes it bubble and squeak, hence the name. I have never personally had it but everyone I know who has had it has said it’s delicious.

And Lastly ...

5. Scouse

This is the signature dish where I am from: Liverpool, but it’s still popular in Britain, it’s got its name by the fact that people from Liverpool are called scousers and it just came from there. In the simplest form it’s a stew with beef chunks, potatoes and carrots but you can put anything in it , like beetroot (scousers love it!) some people even put leek in it but you can make it anyway you want. It is so simple and easy to make and it’s delicious.

p10teens.blogspot.co.uk/p/holly.html

Chasing the Skip by Janci Patterson Review

Ricki’s dad has never been there for her. He’s a bounty hunter who spends his time chasing parole evaders—also known as “skips”—all over the country. But now since Ricki’s mom ran off, Ricki finds herself an unwilling passenger in a front-row seat to her father’s dangerous lifestyle. 

Ricki’s feelings get even more confused when her dad starts chasing seventeen-year-old Ian Burnham. She finds herself unavoidably attracted to the dark-eyed felon who seems eager to get acquainted. But Ricki thinks she’s ever in control—the perfect manipulator. Little does she know that Ian isn’t playing their game by her rules.

Review by P10 member, Hannah!

I have recently read a book called Chasing the Skip written by Janci Patterson. This is her first novel, and I liked it a lot. At first I thought it was going to be some cheesy love story between two of the main characters, Ian and Ricki, but I was soon proven wrong. This book is about a girl who was born into an extremely dysfunctional family and forced to navigate life as an adult even though she’s only a teenager. Ricki has severe trust issues caused by the father who walked out on her as a child and the mother who leaves but usually comes back. Patterson can and will make the reader attached to all of her characters with one stroke of a pen. Patterson is clearly a skilled writer and I look forward to reading her future novels, I hope you all pick up a copy of Chasing the Skip!

Tell us--have you read Chasing The Skip? What did you think of it?

Off the Pages: Bellatrix Lestrange!

Hello! I'm Rachel, and this is the kind of post that I will be doing for the p10 blog!

Off the Pages is where I take a character from a book and describe their life as how I imagine it may be if they were pulled from their book and dropped in our world. Where would they live, what would their job be, their favourite foods, fashion style, you name it, I'll attempt to imagine it!

First up, Bellatrix Lestrange from Harry Potter!
(I just had to start with someone crazy)

Bellatrix's new home: Probably someplace where she can watch everyone from a distance but not actually have to interact with the public unless it's on her terms. A luxury penthouse in the downtown of a city seems suitable.

Bellatrix's new job: I doubt that Bellatrix would actually work a proper job. Either she's inherited a fortune, blackmailed someone or is secretly a jewel thief, chances are slim that she would be willing to work hard enough to afford the lifestyle that comes with a penthouse.

Bellatrix's style: Biker chick inspired, without a doubt. I can definitely see Bella with a whole closet for leather jackets and combat boots. The hair would stay though. Nothing says insane like Bellatrix's hair.

Bellatrix's companions: As far as a roommate goes, I'm thinking cat. No one would be crazy enough to want to live with Bellatrix. I can just picture Bella keeping a cat- particularly an anti-social, bitter and scratching-inclined one- just so that she could whisper her evil plans to it and set it free in the building to leave hairballs in the stairwells. 

And to end, something a bit more random
Bellatrix's Favourite Movie Snack: What would Bella eat on those few evenings when she has nothing better to do than watch terrible thrillers from the '80s with her cat in her private movie theatre, I wonder? I think that spicy wasabi peas would be fitting. As a bonus, they are the perfect snack food for throwing at people.

So, what do you think? Am I anywhere near what you would imagine Bellatrix would be like if she was ripped from her pages and thrown into the fictionless world?

I'll be back next month for another character to investigate!

Rachel

Roommates: The Kelley, The Ashley, & The Ashleigh

Now almost two years of college complete, I’ve decided to share my big epiphany with the world: There are three types of roommates. Obviously there are some that are better than others so I’m going to give you the rundown (if you’re currently in college or looking to go off to school in the next couple years) so you’re prepared and it doesn’t come as a big surprise.

The Kelley: The Kelley is to put it nicely, not such a good roommate. On the surface, she is a great person, but underneath she’s actually horrible person to live with. The Kelley can best be described as one of your best friends (or just friends) from high school that you so ignorantly decided it will be amazing to live with. Yeah. Don’t do that. There’s a reason people tell you not to live with your best friend. Sure, in some cases it can work out wonderfully, but The Kelley is a perfect example as to why you take a big risk in doing so. Living with The Kelley is great for the first semester, then after that all the ugliness shows through. The Kelley is full of excuses. She gets comfortable and decides its okay to leave her crap ALL OVER. She lets the trash overflow instead of taking it out. She talks insanely loud and yells at her video games at 1 a.m. (when you’re trying to sleep). She’ll cook and run the dishwasher only after midnight (for some odd reason). She will incessantly complain about gaining weight (this is after eating at 1 a.m.) and yes she actually does gain some weight. She will then proceed to walk around without a shirt on. Be warned, The Kelley may or may not start partying and develop what could be considered a teeennsy bit of a drinking problem. Also, questionable morals. It’ll get to be ungodly overwhelming. The Kelley is a type of roommate that only those with high, high, high, high levels of patience can tolerate. I mean either that or you obviously have a super power as yet undiscovered and marketed by Stan Lee, in which case, you’re epic.

The Ashley: The Ashley is the roommate that you did not know at all before living together. She may be one who got stuck as the odd one out in her group of friends and just needed a place to live, but that’s okay. When it comes to cleaning up after herself, The Ashley gets an A+. That is because she is always in her room. Whenever she dirties a dish, she puts it in the dishwasher. She is quiet and respectful of other people and what they’re doing (unlike The Kelley). Basically, The Ashley is a great find in a roommate. However, there is a downside to The Ashley. Since she is so quiet and never talks, you feel awkward talking to her. This Simpsons GIF perfectly describes conversations with the Ashley. Awwwwkward to begin. She may sit in her room with the door open while you’re out in the living room but she’ll never come out and sit on the couch, which is fine. It’s just that The Ashley isn’t a big socializer. The worst part of The Ashley is finding out after living with her for a semester that you have so many things in common when it comes to books and you have a “WHY DID I NOT KNOW THIS!?” moment. I suggest that if you have The Ashley as a roommate, you make an effort to get to know her because you never know how freaking amazing she will be.

The Ashleigh: You won the lottery if you get roomed with The Ashleigh. When you first begin living with The Ashleigh, you have no clue who she is. You may have talked to her on Facebook a little bit before moving in so you know a bit about her, but still. The Ashleigh is a foreign thing or rather person. Who is she? I’ll tell you who she is. She becomes your best friend. But not the cliché “OMG BFFs!” from high school. I’m talking about the lifelong friendship sort of best friend. The living together-ness starts off quiet and shy. You don’t really talk that much about anything besides the basic everyday stuff. But as the next semester comes, The Ashleigh becomes your confidant away from home, someone you can complain about life to, and someone that you can have awesome times with. She’s the best. She has the same interests as you (meaning she may or may not be completely and totally obsessed with books). She shares your interest in attractive accented people and will join you in the creation of a Pinterest board titled “WHY ARE YOU SO ATTRACTIVE!?!?”. With The Ashleigh you have events like Accent Tuesday or Taco Friday. The Ashleigh is someone who is great to live with. In the end, she knows you like you’re family and you her. After everything, she’s the roommate that you will choose to live with after your stay in on-campus housing. Then, she’ll take dorky pictures of the lease signing for your apartment with you. If you get The Ashleigh as the roommate, you are one lucky mother. Courtesy of my real-life Ashleigh, she tells you: "BEEEOTCH I'M FABULOUS!"   

Please remember that this is just an overview of the various situations that you can find yourself in. It's always best to remember not to freak out if you get stuck with a bad roommate. There's ways to work through roommate issues and those involve communication. Roommate-ness is a relationship like any other and the key to that is communication. And with that I leave you all with my wisdom. You're welcome.

Love & rockets,
Alexandra 

sleepsontables.blogspot.com

British Small Talk

British Small Talk

Okay I know that the majority of people that will read will not be English. You will probably be from America, Europe or other parts of the world. So I thought it would be a great idea to show you how to talk to British People because let’s be honest we are a bit strange to the rest of you therefore we speak differently to each other, even if it is something to pass the time, so here are a few tips on how to make British small talk:

Tip 1: Say Hi/Hello

British people tend to be slightly embarrassed when being with strangers so if you so happen to be alone with a British person say hello and ask how we are because we are shy (we don’t know why) but once you get us talking we will not stop.

Tip 2: Complain about something

If you know anything about British people you will know we love to complain about anything and I mean anything from the weather (which is the best thing to complain about because we never have nice weather here, so we can always complain) the news, the recession or any other topic that we can moan about, and you will see a British give up the chance to complain  even if it’s something minor.

 Tip 3: Offer a cuppa (cup of tea)

Once you have a Brit talking and they feel comfortable around you, offer to have a cup of tea with them, they will say yes and go with you, because for us Brits a cup of tea is our traditional drink and we always have it with anything and it is the perfect reason just to have a chat, so tempt a Brit with a cup of tea and they will never say no.

Tip 4:Ask us questions

Everyone likes people to take an interest in what they are doing , and we Brits are the same, so ask us questions like “What are you doing today?” , “Where are you going” or even if it is just “Do you know where a nice tea/coffee shop is?” (Because I know you Americans like your coffee) and we will happy that we have helped you even in a little way.

And Lastly...

Tip 5: Compliment them

Everyone likes to be complimented especially the British because we are so self-conscious about ourselves so compliment someone, on their hair or their clothes and they will most likely tell where they got it from and how much it cost, which will make them less self-conscious and more likely to talk to you and then you will probably make a British friend.  

  

If anyone wants to ask me a question or anything

my email address is hollyproctor24495@gmail.com

The Book Nook

            Hey guys I'm Hannah, and my posts on the P10 Teens blog are going to be book reviews. I wish I could give you a main genre that I'm going to be talking about but I've read and enjoyed books anywhere from the Hobbit to Pride and Prejudice. This time I'm reviewing Divergent written by Veronica Roth.

                 When I first heard of Divergent, I was hesitant to read it. I have a rocky past with dystopian novels (lets just say 1984 and Brave New World were not my favorite books...). I decided to read the first chapter anyways and was hooked. I finished the book in two days. Divergent is about a society that is divided into five factions that each uphold certain characteristics (honesty, bravery, selflessness, love, and brains) to keep the peace. In this society is a girl named Beatrice (Tris) Prior, the protagonist, who is a member of Abnegation (selflessness). When she is old enough to decide what faction she belongs in she switches to Dauntless (bravery). The book is about her surviving initiation and becoming a true member of Dauntless. She makes many friends and enemies along the way (some you never saw coming) through this process. There is of course a romance. Roth somehow found the perfect balance: she didn't ruin the story line by drowning it in everlasting love, but had just enough to make things interesting. There is some foul play going on between the factions (it wouldn't be a dystopian novel without it). what will Tris do?  I refuse to spoil the book so you will just have to read it yourself! ;) One thing I will say is Roth always keeps you guessing whats next and holding on to the edge of your seat. Until next time!





















































         

What The Guys Are Reading: Game of Thrones Edition

    Hey everyone, I’m back and decided to talk about one of the biggest pop culture phenomenons going on. A lot of people are asking what’s the big deal with Game of Thrones?

I mean what's their not to love

 With Season 3 of the HBO Spinoff just starting and praise for the previous two seasons, it seems as if you just can’t not notice this mammoth of a franchise.
   
   I’m here to tell you why guys, and a lot of gals, are really digging this series. It is so good because it has everything a guy wants. Sex, action, cursing, and zombies (of a sort). This book series is huge and a lot of guys that don’t read may not read the series but they know of they show. I started by watching the show and only recently got the books. The books are so much better but most guys don’t know this. So, if you want to get a guy a good gift he will appreciate, get him the first book in the series. Convince him to read it even if he says it will be a lot like the show. He will be hooked right when he reads the first chapter.

Bromance of the Century

     Guys are really going to enjoy the back and forth bickering between Ned and Robert. Ned is the sensible one but Robert is the king that just wants to kill everything. It’s like a dream come true for a guy. There isn’t really much of a love story that gets intwined in the story to hook a romantic side of a guy. To be honest, most of the marriages seem to be planned and no one really likes each other. So guys are gonna love not having to see their favorite character become a wuss because every character in this book is a badass in their own way. So pick up this book if you want to impress a friend or if you want to just read it yourself to get to know a guy. I would suggest this book as a stepping off point for guys that are looking for bigger books to read and haven’t really gotten to read a book bigger than a few hundred pages. It may seem large but it is a very fast read and totally worth it!

      Remember to hit me up on twitter with any questions or suggestions @JaxCordes or if you like music check out my soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/jaxchords. Hope you enjoyed the post!

the Ringling brothers

Hey I know this is super late but I've been tangled up with school work, friends, and family. But here it is this is my paper that I did for english class about the Ringing Brothers.

Under the Big Top

The circus has been around for ages; it is like a city within its self, it has greatly impacted the entertainment world. From the start the circus has always been bringing cheer to people all over the world. The circus keeps its show up to date keeps up with the times. The circus started out traveling on wagons then when the times changed and so did it and it started using trains. The circus has acts from all over the world, so because of this the speeches are translated. The circus also performs all over the world. ! The Circus has an impact from around the world, but to understand this one should learn about its history. Ringling brothers, Barnum and Bailey circus was originally two different circuses the Ringling brothers and also Barnum and Bailey. Each circus has it own unique history. In 1907 The Ringling Brothers bought the Barnum and Bailey circus, they combined shows a decade later. When The Ringling Brothers combined shows the group renamed the show to “Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey, the Greatest show on earth” (Ringling brothers).

The Ringling Brothers consisted of seven brothers born to August Rüngeling. The seven brothers that opened the circus were Albert Ringling, Augustus Gustav Ringling, Otto Ringling, Alfred Theodore Ringling, Charles Edward Ringling, John Nicholas Ringling, and Henry Ringling. In 1889 the Ringling Brothers started using the railroad (Ringling Brothers). The circus used the train to haul the big top from destination to destination. The performers for the circus would spend eleven months out of the year on the tracks (Coates 26). The circus has to be close together because the performers spend so much time together.

The Barnum and Bailey was started by P. T. Barnum who was born on July fifth, 1810 to a poor family (McGill 1-2). Growing up Mr. Barnum worked at a number of things such as: editing a newspaper, being a performer, promoting shows, and later on in his life running a circus (April). Mr. Barnum ran his own newspaper in 1831. He used this paper to covey his views on everyday issues and the often got him put in jail (McGill 1-2). Mr. Barnum got in to show business when he moved to New York City and opened a museum in 1842. Mr. Barnum’s museum held all forms of oddities such as: a house of mirrors and stuffed wildlife (McGill 1-2). While the museum was getting famous the civil war was at its end. Soon after the war ended Mr. Barnum’s museum burnt to the ground, people quickly rebuilt it and it re-opened a year later (McGill 1-2).

In 1871 Mr. Barnum was introduced to his competitor in the entertainment world, James A. Bailey, they combined shows in 1881 and created the Barnum and Bailey circus. When the circus first opened they bought a big attraction that made this circus the leading circus in America at the time (McGill 1-2). Mr. Barnum’s shows invited and changed the lives of many people. The circus was going strong until 1891 when P.T. Barnum died (McGill 1-2). The shows combined in 1907 to become the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey circus and this circus was run by John Ringling north until 1967 when the circus was sold to a businesses group (“Ringling Brothers”).

The circus is still going strong today. The Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey circus still travels by train, in the off-season the train goes to the shop in Florida (Coates 26). The performers are living on the train for 11 months out of the year. The main use if the train is not only for transportation of the performers but also it moves all the equipment for the show, such as the famous three rings and big top. During the performance year the circus has to keep the trains up to a standard safe to use them, they check the trains three times a year and makes sure everything is up to date (Coates 26). The train holds all the sound equipment and all the animals it is what the performers call home for most the year. Although the circus uses the train for most everything now before trains came along they had to travel from place to place by wagons.

Even though the animals in the circus are trained they still have the animal skills, so the circus has to keep the feuding animals away from each other. The Ringling circus is still going on today and they have hyped up the show with lights and new music. The current ringmaster is Johnathan Lee Iverson he is Ringling Brothers youngest and first African American ringmaster (Feiler 114). During the off season when all the performers are learning the act the ringmaster goes into special training where he learns how to calm the crowd and control the animals in the ring if something goes wrong. It is the ringmaster’s job to be inviting and make the crowd happy and enjoy the time the people spent at the circus (Feiler 114). When the circus is in the training season each opening speech is translated into different languages because the performers are from all around the world. The performers spent a lot of time training for the show and they can get in fights with other performers so the circus has just one rule leave all the problems of the outside world at the edge of the big top (Feiler 114).

The Ringling brothers opened up schools for people who want to join the circus or for people who love to clown around; the school is a clown college. The corporation that runs the circus holds auditions each year for a limited number of spots. Going through this course does give one the chance to go and perform with the Ringling brothers circus but it does not give the guaranty that one will get a job at this or any other circuses. The Ringling brothers also has many summer camps for kids where they can learn what goes on behind the curtain, how much practice and work goes into performing a show this big every year.

The circus has been mentioned in books and stories ever since the first circus appeared. P.T. Barnum was showcased in a few short stories my Herman Melville in 1847 (April). Many books about the circus talk about what goes on behind the scenes of the circus. From the stagehands putting up the big top to the performers when the circus is open. Some talk about how hard it is to raise a family on the road (April). Some will talk about how People Joined the circus and about the times and everything that led up to then joining the circus. Many books about the entertainment world at the time that the circus got big will showcase the circus or parts of it.

In conclusion through the years the circus has grown and has started to impact the entertainment world more than it ever has. From the way it started to the way it is now. From beginning to the end the circus will have you on the edge of your seat and in no time one will have memories that will last a lifetime. One can never know just how much affect one thing can have on another. The circus has affected many people from all over the world many of whom have never even been to the circus. How does one think the circus has impacted the world and everyday life?

Works Cited

April Gentry. “P.T. Barnum in the works of Herman Melville.” Blooms

            New York: Facts On File:

            Database. 13 Feb. 2013

Coates, Rhett. “Circus train A-Coming.” MAS-Ultra

            Trains 71.2 (2011): 26.

            Database.14 Feb. 2013.

McGill, Sara Ann. :P.T. Barnum.” MAS-Ultra.

            Biography. 2005 1-2.

            Database. 13 Feb. 2013.

“Ringling Brothers.” MAS-Ultra.

            Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6^th Edition, 11/1/2011

            Database. 12 Feb. 2013