New Books, New Blogs

I recently read two books on the Lit Circle book list: I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak and Looking for Alaska by John Green. I loved both of them, but I'll be sure to blog about both of them!

I Am the Messenger

I've read another book by Markus Zusak (The Book Thief) that I found absolutely phenomenal, so I was really interested in reading this book. The book is about a 19 year old taxi-driver (Ed Kennedy) who one day receives a playing card in the mail - an Ace of Diamonds - with a list of addresses on it. I won't go into too much detail on the plot, but basically, Ed needs to figure out who is sending the cards as well as how he can help the people he is sent to on the cards. Mostly, I loved reading this book that blurs line between ethical and unethical when it comes to the well-being of other people. I enjoyed the suspense, the characters that you became attached to, and the excitement of the plot. The ending was great as Ed learns about himself as well as what he wants for his future, but I probably need to re-read the ending more carefully in order to really enjoy it (I was just racing to the finish to see what happened in the end). All in all, I definitely recommend this book, but be warned before you pick it up - there's definitely adult content in it!

STUDENT SHOWCASE: Here's a blog from Alex on his progress and thoughts of the book thus far:

Check out Alex's blog here.

Looking for Alaska

This is a wonderful coming of age book about a group of friends at a boarding school. The group is drawn together by their desire to live life to the fullest (i.e. pranking those around them). The main character, Miles (aka Pudge), is on a quest for what he calls "The Great Perhaps." He falls in love with a girl named Alaska Young - the most adventurous, beautiful, craziest girl he's ever met. The friends navigate through school, authority figures, and love together - growing as they go. The beginning of the book is entitled "Before," and is a countdown to something. The second half is entitled "After." This book is beautiful, tragic, enlightening, and hilarious. John Green definitely writes a true-to-life story aimed at young adults, and I'm sure everyone would enjoy this book. Again - be warned of adult content!

STUDENT SHOWCASE: Here's a blog from Austin about his enjoyment of the book thus far:

Check out Austin's blog here.


Happy reading, everyone! We only have two more Lit Circle discussions to go!