I, Juan de Pareja - Elizabeth Borton de Treviño

This book was okay. Not completely fascinating, but not completely boring either. The kind of book that if there was a movie - the movie would likely be better.

The book was assigned before winter break, so maybe I had a more motivation to read it so I could finish it before then. Honestly, I didn't hate reading it, but it wasn't good enough that I'd  read more than I had to. Like most books, it had it's high peaks and lower aspects. Sometimes I found myself wondering, even just the slightest bit, what would happen next. Then others, it was a "let's just get this done as soon as possible" kind of read.

The story was interesting, but I think the author could've made it more intriguing. However, the book is based on a real person, so the author did her best. It is about a slave who had a loving Master and Mistress, until they died. When they died, he was led to his new home in Spain by a cruel guy. So cruel, that Juan ran away from him to try to find his own way to Spain. His plan failed because his greedy guide wouldn't get paid until he brought him safely to his new master. We are relieved when his new master is nothing like his guide, in fact, the very opposite. He is a wonderful painter and soon the master and the slave, Juan de Pareja, become good friends. But, Juan started to want to learn the art of painting, which was illegal for slaves. So, he taught himself in secret. As the story progresses, it gets more interesting and a little more suspenseful. That's why I would say the ending was the best.

The ending was what you hoped for throughout the story, along with a little love story. It's beautiful, joyful, and satisfying. Then - woah! -  plot twist! It goes downhill then back up to the peak. It's basically the equivalent of a book roller-coaster, however, it's not hectic or insane, it just keeps us on our toes until the very end. Very well written near the end.

All in all, the book was satisfying, but not my favorite. Like other books before it, it had good parts and others that weren't so good. One of the best things about this book, though, is that it is not predictable. Although, I'm still glad I didn't have to read it on winter break.
 

Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson

"Mr. Freeman thinks I need to find my feelings. How can I not find them? They are chewing me alive like an infestation of thoughts, shame, mistakes. I squeeze my eyes shut... I will make myself normal. Forget the rest of it."

-Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson

 

       Wow. Wow. Wow. This book is incredibly moving. I am seriously at a loss for words, but I will do my best to write out my thoughts.

 

The first thing I can tell you is that you're definitely in a high-schooler's mind. You can see and interpret the world precisely like the main character Melinda does, even after reading it. The book talks about a serious, and difficult, subject. Rape. We see the world through a hurting teenagers eyes. We know exactly how she feels and oh my, the depth of sadness we feel for her. She is so real. So relatable. She is like many other hurting teens who just haven't found their voice yet. She speaks for every grieving person, and not only teenagers.

 

This book is full of emotion.  A tear-jerker, with sarcastic humor and a great victory. This is not just a sad story. It's also a very victorious one.

 

It's written in a way that Melinda's life is pretty much average. The whole book isn't some soap opera where we're always quickly flipping through the pages. She goes through her normal life, and there are parts where we feel for her more than others. But also, the damage that's been done to her - the violation she feels - is evident in her everyday life.

 

The ending was the most satisfying to me. It is not entirely expected, however it is far from being cheesy. The ending was natural and very, very, pleasing. It's like a deep breath, or the sunrise after a dark night. Truly wonderful.

 

The way that the story was created is particularly interesting to me. The author, Laurie, literally had a nightmare of a girl crying. After seeing that her own girls were alright, she started to describe what she heard. She said she wasn't even sure what the girl in her dream was crying about, but as the story went on, she found out. We see this naturalness throughout the entire book. Everything Melinda does seems natural to her personality. She is unique. Nothing seems forced at all. The story literally flows, which is another strange thing that makes Melinda seem so life-like.

 

I am absolutely in love with this book. There is nothing more to say than wow. I did my best to write out my thoughts, but to truly know what I'm feeling... you'll just have to read it.

 

 

 

 

 

  



Doomed Queen Anne - Carolyn Meyer

 

"My heart beat faster as I listened, and my anger mounted. Blood pounded in my temples, my mouth was dry as dust, and my hands were shaking. How dare they speak of me like this? I wanted to shout at them. One day I shall be queen above all of you!"

- Doomed Queen Anne, Carolyn Meyer

 

 

 

This book was very enjoyable. Although I had to read it for school, I finished it way before the deadline.

 

Anne was not very attractive compared to the other ladies at court. She was different and certainly had some flaws. Once she learned to accentuate her beautiful features at the French court, however,  and to hide her ugly imperfections, she was still different, but in a very attractive way. Maybe it was her uniqueness and confidence that drew her to Henry.

 

This historical fiction is written from Anne's perspective. The author covers all the stages of her life, which gives us a seemingly greater insight to what Anne was really like. The book starts at when she is an awkward and unattractive girl who hated her sister. From the beginning we see that Anne admired King Henry VIII, and therefore despised her sister, who was his mistress. Then we see her at the court in France, and in England as a lady-in-waiting to her enemy, Henry's wife, Catherine of Aragon.   

 

Anne was quite sneaky, but also kind to certain people. Different people portray her differently. This book, since she is the main character, displays her as favorable and throughout the entire book we're rooting for her.  She was wise and clever, cautious, discerning, and alluring. We see how she feels about Catherine, and Catherine's daughter, Mary. Her vicious anger burns through the pages.

 

This book is, in short, a love story. Maybe that's why I enjoyed it so much. There is, however, not just one love story. Evidently, there's the admiration that was  shared between her and Henry. Before that, though, she had other lovers who she sincerely cared for. We also see the sad fate of a friend whom she used to weave her way to Henry.

 

The ending was sad, but it was factual. Overall, though, the author did a superb job at incorporating facts and making Anne come alive once again.  I would love to read another book by her.

 

  

The Hiding Place - Corrie ten Boom

 

"... How could I imagine this white-haired man, called Opa - Grandfather - by all the children of Harlem, how could I imagine this man thrown by strangers into a grave without a name? And Betsie, with her high lace collar and gift for making beauty all around her, how could I picture this dearest person on earth to me standing naked before a roomful of men? In that room on that day, such thoughts were not even thinkable." 

- The Hiding Place, Corrie ten Boom

 

 

 

I love to learn about World War II. It is awful, heart wrenching, and moving. And this book describes it perfectly, first hand.

 

Corrie ten Boom is the daughter of a watchmaker, Casper ten Boom. A very peaceful family, and a peaceful life... Until WWII hits Holland. This Christian family worked underground hiding Jews, right under the Gestapo's noses. The book is a big deep breath that you don't let out, you know the danger of the work they're doing. And you cry when they get raided.

 

The book is balanced in that approximately half the book talks about their life before and during the war, and the other half is her life in the concentration camps and afterwards. Although, I did get a little impatient while reading about their life when I wanted to hear about life inside the concentration camps. 

 

The amazing faith that this family displayed, even in the darkest pit, is baffling. There's no word to describe their faith. Especially her sister, Betsie. Betsie was praying for the German soldiers who treated her so horribly, she was leading Bible studies - not out of duty, but out of love. She sincerely thanked God for the fleas that lived in their hay mattresses. I am completely in awe of her faith. She said "their is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still." If you stop and think of the cruel place they were in, that quote speaks - very loud volumes.

 

Near the end of the book, Corrie tells us what happened after she was freed and the war was over. She bought a home that would be a safe haven for Jews and others who survived the horror of the Holocaust. The home was Betsie's vision - literally. While in a concentration camp, Betsie had a vision of the house they would use for that specific purpose.

 

Corrie also went on to preach and teach. After one of her sermons she met a German. The same German soldier who she 'met' in the camp. To hear how she reacted was truthful. She didn't want to forgive him. She couldn't even lift her hand to shake his. But she did, but not alone. With God's help.

 

What is most shocking, is how Corrie survived. She technically wasn't supposed to survive. Through a clerical error, a slip of a pen, she survived. The next week all the women her age were taken to the gas chambers.

 

The whole story is beautiful testimony of love, faith, hope and forgiveness. It's one that will never leave your mind, and will leave you changed... for the better.

Utopia - Sir Thomas More

 

 

".. I gave them all my books, among which were many of Plato's and Aristotle's works.

 I had also Theophrastus on plants, which, to my great regret, was imperfect; for having

laid it carelessly by, while we were at sea, a monkey had seized upon it, and in many places

torn out the leaves."

-Utopia, Sir Thomas More, Page 56

I think that's my favorite part of the entire book. I actually laughed out loud when I read it. The rest of the book, however, is very serious and written sort of in a professional business matter. Having read the unabridged version, at times the language was a little hard to follow. Other than that, it was wonderful!

The story revolved around Utopia, a fictional land, in which Sir Thomas More described the perfect society. The author uses real, as well as fictional characters. This doesn't mix you up at all, in fact, it makes the story seem real! More than once as I read, I found myself reminding myself that Utopia wasn't an actual place. He describes in great detail everything about the Utopians. Their towns, their magistrates, their manner of life, their travelling... everything! Not a detail was too unimportant. I loved being able to picture the Utopians in their day to day activities and seeing their world through their eyes.

The vocabulary was simply amazing! By reading the book, I improved my vocabulary. Words like superfluous, verdant, morose, and vehement, are scattered on the pages. The word choice in the book really made it that much better, and intrigued me to look up the words, and thus, I have a greater vocabulary!

Their were some high and low points of reading this. At times, it was really interesting and I hardly wanted to stop, and others, I kept glancing at the clock. Since the majority of the story is about Utopia, and nothing else, you get a little bored from time to time. There wasn't the typical outline that a story has. There wasn't any part more suspenseful than the next, it was mostly learning about the Utopians and their way of life.

Throughout the story you get an idea of what Sir Thomas More was like. How he thought, what his pastimes were, and what he was like. You see this because he is laying the foundation of what he thinks would be an ideal nation. Every rule that Utopia has, he created it, and therefore, supported it. For example, the Utopians have shorter work days and in their spare time most or all of them like to read. By that alone, we now know that Sir Thomas More definitely liked to read.

I entered this book thinking it was the basis for Communism. I read from another book that that's where the spark came from. I don't know if I entirely agree with that. There were some factors in Utopia that can be observed in Communism today, like everyone working for the commonwealth of the nation, and no personal possession of property. But, there was also a statement that completely contradicts what we commonly see in Communism; freedom of religion. "... for this is one of their ancient laws, that no man ought to be punished for his religion."  I think that if this book really was the basis of Communism, that Communism today would allow freedom of religion.

The ending was particularly unique. Raphael had finished his account of Utopia (Raphael was a character in the book) and Sir Thomas said in the book that he didn't entirely agree with everything that he was told... but in reality, of course he did! He was the author! I found the ending, and the entire story, very satisfying. 

The King's Fifth - Scott O'dell

  Hmm..... I probably would've liked this book better if I didn't have to read it for school. And read three chapters a day. (Okay, the chapters were usually very short..... it's the usually you have to be aware of.)

  Probably the first thing I noticed after reading a couple of pages was that I immediately knew why the book was called The King's Fifth. And that's a good thing; it always helps to know why a book is called what it is.

  This book has drama, really. At first I thought it'd be a total bore, however, there is usually always something that's going on and will keep you reading. The characters are never just standing there waiting for something to happen, and you're not falling asleep as you read about them waiting. You do want to know what happens at the end. It's one of those books that if you stopped reading in the middle of the book, it'd probably eat you up until you find out how things turned out.

  Of course, this genre of book isn't for everyone. Having my fill of books set in  the medieval/renaissance period, I had a general idea of how things would turn out, and having read lots of stories in the same time period, it does gets slightly boring after a while.

  The book was written in a way that made you feel as though you were reading a cartographer's  journal. Since journals are something no one ever lets me read, I really liked the way it was written. The story plays in your mind very well. You can see fear on the Indians faces, or the horses packed with bags of gold.

  Since the characters in the book were Spanish explorers, occasionally a Spanish word was written in italics. This usually didn't fog up the sentences, partially because I'm learning Spanish, but also because you can guess at the general meaning. But Spanish words were not on every page, so don't worry.   

  The ending was disappointing. Near the end, the book was great! It was my favorite part of the entire book. It was easy to read with lots of anticipation and anxious feelings... the actual ending, however, on the last page, was a bit of a let-down and didn't seem to truly follow what had happened beforehand. That was really frustrating! The ending is supposed to sum everything up, and although the book did seem finished in a sense, I'm still left wondering what will happen afterwards.   

My only complaint about this book is the upsetting ending... ... and that I had to read three chapters a day.

Every Secret Thing - Ann Tatlock

This would be a tattered, dog-eared book... if I didn't love it so much.

 

 

  There I was, at a yard sale browsing for nothing in particular.  I found this book, and being a book nerd, I couldn't pass up an opportunity for a new.. no  wait... used book.  I seriously just bought it because a book for 1$ is worth it, I don't care who you are.

 

  When I started reading it, it wasn't one of the books that immediately catches your attention from the first word.  Even now, the introduction isn't my favorite, it's still good, but not as good as the rest of the book.  But keep reading.  Then, you will be hooked.  And you will probably have no social life because you're reading this book.

 

  The story is one you'll fall in love with.  A teacher returning to her old school, a young girl who lost her father, a pinch of romance, and some hurt. There's a lot more than one thing going on, but it never seems chaotic or too hard to follow. It's an easy read.

   Reading this story can only be properly compared to listening to a friend tell her story after you've been re-united.  You hope everything is perfect and the heroine stays strong.  You feel everyone's feelings and soon you are  immersed into their world.  No exaggeration.  It's touching in an immaculate way, yet the story is so very relatable that it seems real! This isn't one of those stories where you wish you could be like them, because the characters aren't perfect. They face challenges that some of us know well.  

In short, I can't give one reason why I like   love  adore...  savor this story. Everything in it is beautiful, simply beautiful. It's one of those books that, when you finish it, you almost feel an emptiness inside. Partially because the story is over, but mostly because you know it will be a while until you find a book this delightful.