Genre- Fiction

How can classifying books into genres be helpful to readers? How can it be problematic to writers?
  For readers it is helpful because it makes it easier to find specific books within a library. it also makes it easier for a reader to find other books they like, they know if they have read 3 books of the same genre and liked all of them then they will probably like others within that genre. It can be problematic to writers because it is very inconsistent. There is no system to being sorted into a genre, it is based solely on someone's opinion. Also it could be hard to pick the right genre, so many stories have multiple things in common and they could be sorted into many genres and it makes is hard to choose the right one.

Why does Nicholas Sparks believe it is unfair to call him a Romance novelist? Do you agree with him? Why or why not?
   "I don't write romance novels." His preferred terminology: "Love stories — it's a very different genre. I would be rejected if I submitted any of my novels as romance novels." And I agree with him. I believe roman novels need to be very cut & dry. The girl falls in love with the boy and he falls in love back and they live happily ever after. No questions asked. But with a love story it's different, it's more realistic. The boy pines for the girl and then something goes wrong. Love stories don't always end happily, they tell love stories that could actually happen in life. Not fairy tales. 

Are popular works able to be "great", or does their popularity show that they're less artistic?
  "Who decided popular was not good and good was not popular?" ---- What a great question. But I also think you need to ask, if those that are great are popular? I recently read Wuthering Heights for AP Lit and (sorry Mrs. Roth) I didn't finish it. I couldn't do it. I was so very excited to read that book. I've heard so many good things about it, but I have never actually seen someone with it in their hands reading it. Everyone has always said it was a great story, good literature. But why don't more people read it? If it was/is so great why don't I see people on buses and benches sitting and reading for enjoyment? If it really is so great, why couldn't I finish it? I don't think popularity and greatness correlate. But I do believe popular can be great. If a lot of people are reading the same story there is obviously something about it that drags people in, doesn't that make it great? I believe so. I also think it has to do with who calls it great? If I say a book is great, it doesn't get pushed to the top any list. So whose opinion matters? And why can't they make better decision about what is great. 

American Sniper

Dear Chris Kyle,
  I am writing to you to ask for your permission in turning your book, American Sniper, into a movie. There are 3 main things I wish to discuss with you.
1. I want this movie to remain as close to your actual experience in combat as possible, with that being said I want to omit Taya's thoughts from the movie. I want to solely focus on what you experienced- not your wife.  I hope to offend neither you or your wife, I just picture this film showing the life of war as precisely as it actually happens. While I want to let the audience relate to you as well as they can, I want them to relate to the war within you, not the war within Taya.
2. I wish to keep the movie as close to accurate as I possibly can. With that I would like to do filming, if possible, in any of the exact buildings you remember. I always want the actors we pick to have a deep understanding of the life of a SEAL so they can correctly portray the role, with that I want you and any SEAL buddies to be on set to help with the structure of filming. I want it to look as if my actors went through the same training as you. I want it to be as real as possible. Also with this I am asking you to be apart of the casting. I want you to help us pick the actors that are like the men you served with.
3. I will show all of your confirmed kills. Any kill that was confirmed will be in the movie. I want to include all 160. I understand that some may have happened at the same time and multiple people in a short time, but if you killed 4 men in 47 seconds, we will show 4 men falling in 47 seconds. It might be something only those of us involved in production notice, but like I said- this needs to be as accurate as possible and even if we are the only people who know that 160 people "died" in this movie than so be it. But I will have 160 actors fall.

I greatly appreciate any help you wish to give us. If none at all I understand that too.Thank you for your service to our country.

Sincerely,

Erin McElhenny 

Gender Flipped

The original book cover:                                                                 

My gender flipped cover:















I think the original book cover was directed towards teenage girls. I think this because it is a picture of a young girl on a swing and the 1 and 3 are in red while the other letters are in white and the are flipped from actual letters, which add a little bit of character to the cover and it seems to relate more towards girls. My flipped cover is geared towards boys. I made it very plain to catch attention and I put the title in block letters because that's more appealing to boys and I made the picture a cassette tape. Nice and easy but it also relates very well to the book. I don't really like the idea of gender driven books. I think you should be able to pick up any book, no matter the cover and read it. No matter if it has a dead body on the cover or a pretty flower. Any boy or girl should be able to read whatever book they like and not have to judge the book by its cover. The picture doesn't matter, its the story that matters and if you like the story the cover is should hold no power of persuasion over you.

My Book Talk

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13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

13 Reasons Why is about a girl, Hannah, who commits suicide but she leaves behind 13 tapes. These tapes are her reasons why she committed suicide. The tapes are then sent to every person who had something to do with her suicide and after they listen to the tapes they must be sent to the next person in the story. The book is told through Clay’s perspective, number 9 on Hannah’s list. This book was Jay Asher’s first novel. It has become a big part of teen life. Not only are teenagers reading this book, but adults who interact with teenagers are too. This book has brought a lot of awareness to the seriousness and preventable topic of teen suicide. 

The plot was very well developed. It started in the beginning and went in chronological order of the events leading to Hannah’s suicide. A majority of her tapes were about someone hurting her in some way, but the one time it isn’t is when she tells Clay’s story. In Clay’s story she finally felt like herself again and she started to have faith again. Hannah’s and Clay’s characters were the strongest. Clay because the whole book is told through him so we get to see all aspects of his character. Hannah because she is the voice we hear throughout the whole novel and Clay gives us his opinion and other’s opinions of her which helps shape her full character. The big idea my book is centered on is teen suicide. I feel that Asher’s stance is that suicide creates more problems than it solves. I feel that he did accomplish this throughout the book. In the scene where Clay is outside Justin’s house and he runs into Marcus. Marcus offers him a rock to throw at Justin’s window but Clay refuses. In this moment Hannah’s suicide has created problems for Justin. His window has been smashed in over and over again. Hannah’s suicide may have solved her problems but it hurt Justin. I believe this book to be fiction. This book was told through first person narration with out narrator being Clay. The tone of the writing was blunt but depressing. Hannah was very blunt when she explained her reasons. She left nothing to the imagination, she told everything how it was. But Clay was hysterical from her reasons. He couldn’t believe how she could do it. He was shocked and upset. He cried on more than one occasion over her. The writer’s style is best showcased through this quote from after the party Courtney invited Hannah to and after Hannah had dropped off Tyler and she had decided to just drive around town, “I explored alleys and hidden roads I never knew existed. I discovered neighborhoods entirely new to me. And finally… I discovered I was sick of this town and everything in it” (118). This quote shows how throughout the novel Asher made sure each section that was part of the tape was written in the exact way a person would talk. Hannah’s parts always had punctuation that made it easy to hear exactly how her voice would have sounded on the tape; which I liked a lot. 

The final rating I gave this book is a B. It was written very well. I loved the idea of the tapes and I’m glad Asher chose Clay to be the narrator. But at the same time I couldn’t relate to Hannah. I didn’t have  strong connection with either main character. I just couldn’t get into to book the way I wanted to and the way so many others have told me they did. I just kind of read it and didn’t get much out of it.

Post 2

"Sir?" she repeats. "How soon do you want it to get there?"
 I was a little confused when I read that line. I wasn't sure what he was doing. I assumed it might have to do with a package because when you ask a question like "how soon do you want it to get there?" you are most likely mailing something. I also was unsure of who was being referred to. Sir makes me think of a grown man and I knew this story was about teenagers so I wondered if maybe it started off in someone else point of view, but as a I read more I realized it was Clay.

At this point in the book I am not sure who the good and bad guys are. To me Clay seems like a good guy. Alex seems to be the bad guy, so far. Clay seems like a genuinely sweet guy. Alex seems like your average teenage boy. Someone who does something for the attention of it and doesn't think about consequences of his actions. Does that make him evil? Not necessarily but when his dumb choices cause pain to others he becomes the villain.

I dislike the moment when Clay takes Tony Walkman. I don't understand why he couldn't just ask for it. Tony was so nice and seemed helpful, I doubt he would have told Clay no. I think this moment is important because it shows an insecure side to Clay. A side we see some in his thoughts, because he was always too scared to approach Hannah. I believe this moment to really show that he wants to be a good person, but isn't sure how to be. I like the moment when Clay goes into Blue Spot. I really like how invested he gets into the tapes. He really seems to want to help Hannah, and figure out what happened to her. He seems to be really trying to see it from her perspective.

"The story is over." The story is not over. I don't think this story will ever end. That specific person's side of the story may be over, but this story will live on within those who receive these tapes. ""If you touch a girl, even as a joke, and she pushes you off, leave...her...alone." This statement holds a lot of truth. If someone does not want your touch, and they visibly are trying to get away from it, you need to stop trying to reach out to them.

I chose this book because I have heard so many good things about it and I was intrigued by the reviews and summaries I read. So far I really enjoy it and I can't wait to get deeper into Hannah's story.

Post #1 Why I Read

I read because I loved to get lost in the story. I love to find a whole new world and experience it, if only for a short while. I love to feel the emotions of the characters. I love the way reading takes me away from reality. Reading is the best escape of a bad day. Reading is my favorite escape. I also read because it's very relaxing. Sitting down on a rainy day with a good book and a cup of coffee is one of the greatest feelings on this earth. This isn't much more I could want than a good book and a cup o' joe. I also read because I like to learn new things. Every time I read a new book I walk away knowing something I didn't when I started, and I love it. I also read because it's exciting. It's exciting when I open a new book. That new book smell and cracking the spine is an AMAZING feeling. It excites me to go pick out a new book, and I get even more excited when I begin to read it. I honestly just really love reading in general.