Assholes and Overachievers

Let me start off by saying that I see the irony between pairing these two books together. Although they are both non-fiction, they are obviously two very different types of books. One is informative and well researched, while the other is... well just look at the title. Also, I know a lot of people were offended by Tucker Max's book and you'd have to live in a box to not see why that is. Of course I agree that the way he treats people is cruel and a bully like him shouldn't be making so much money off being an asshole. And yes, I do feel a little ridiculous for feeding into the assurance that people will buy this book because sex, alcohol, and funny stories sells. But I'd be lying if I said that I didn't find the book entertaining, which is why I'm introducing this book (and plus, it is book #19 on my summer reading list so I have to add it!). So in advance I apologize if I'm offending anyone by discussing this book and I welcome your criticism on it, but please don't shoot the messenger! 

Assholes Finish First by Tucker Max - One day over spring break my car was in the shop so I decided I'd walk to my local Barnes & Noble. My mom was going to pick me up when she got home from work, which meant I had about an hour to mosey around the store. At the time, this book was sitting on the best sellers shelf and of course the title caught my eye. I had heard about the book before and figured I'd grab a coffee, then read it for entertainment until my mom arrived. I got to about page fifty and thought it was pretty funny. Then again I enjoy shows like "Family Guy," which I know a lot of people despise. I didn't buy the book until a few days ago. When I went to the counter I tried to ease the embarrassment of buying a book like this (the last book I bought there was a book on teaching children's creative writing) by saying "I'm doing some educational reading." Luckily, I don't think the cashier really looked at the book title because she simply said "Oh, that's good to hear."  Basically, Tucker Max combines his sexcapades, drunken acts, and just general funny stories in one book. But as stupid as his decisions are, one thing I like about his book is you can tell from his writing that he's fairly smart (as ridiculous as that may sound). A lot of people would probably find this book repulsive and say to never buy it (I definitely wouldn't fault them for saying that), but if you're looking for an entertaining read then go ahead and pick this one up. 

A quote from the book: "When a girl you meet three hours ago decides to tattoo your name on her body what is the appropriate reaction?" 

The Overachievers by Alexandra Robbins - Obviously, this is a very different type of non-fiction account and in no way do I see any resemblance between the book discussed above and this one. I just found this to be another interesting non-fiction read and thought I'd pair the two together for that reason alone. Well... maybe I did it to redeem myself from discussing the other book or because the two books make an excellent blog post title. I read this one last summer after finding it in a pile of books in my mom's room. My grandpa gave this one to her a few years ago. As stated on the author's website the book combines "fast-paced storytelling and spectacular investigative journalism." The book rotates between nine high school over achievers, their stories, and their journey through the admissions process to get into college. Maybe I would've enjoyed the book more when I was in high school because it would be easier to relate to, but it was also nice reading it after I'd already been through that whole process. This is a good book to consider if you're going through/finished with the admissions process or are an overachiever/parent of an overachiever. I found some parts of this book funny because like those kids, I have recopied forty pages of a textbook into my notebook so the material would be absorbed better or studied for twelve hours to do well on a test. I liked how the author stresses that while it's okay to like a school because of its name, it isn't always the right decision and it's important to find a school that fits you, like a few of the students in her book. Although I found this to be slow at times (though maybe because I'd just read a series of fiction books), overall I found it to be both funny and real. 

A quote from the book: "In one survey respondents listed Princeton as one of the country's top ten law schools. The problem? Princeton doesn't have a law school." 

Hope you're enjoying your weekend and happy reading! If you like some of these blog posts please feel free to follow this blog by clicking the link at the end of the page; I'd love to meet some of my readers. 

  by  peasap 

Two Great Reads

Happy Saturday readers! I hope you're taking advantage of the weekend and either relaxing, heading to the beach/pool, or catching up with friends. I'd like to share two other books I really enjoyed that I read fairly recently:

The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult - I read this one over my spring break and really liked it. Daniel Stone grew up as the only white boy in an Alaskan village. Because of his isolation, he turned to drinking and stealing. Eventually he meets a girl, falls in love, and gets her pregnant. Years later he is a reformed man and father as well as a comic book artist. His wife teaches Dante's Inferno at her college and in a sense, The Tenth Circle reflects Dante's struggles through the nine circles of hell. Mainly, the book focuses on Daniel's teenage daughter Trixie, who accuses her ex-boyfriend of raping her. The end of the book is definitely a shocker.
A quote from the novel: "What if love wasn't the act of finding what you were missing but the give-and-take that made you both match?"

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen - I found this one sitting on my bookshelf last summer and I wish I would've picked it up sooner! I was afraid it would be too juvenile, simply because I received the book a long time ago, but I really loved it. The book is about Macy, who is getting over the recent death of her father. Her boyfriend is away at brain camp so Macy decides to get a job at the library, where her coworkers treat her like dirt. Her boyfriend says she is being dramatic and that maybe the two of them should take a break because she is distracting him. One day, Macy notices a Wish Catering van, which catered a party her mom threw. There she meets Wes, who she learns she has a lot in common with. She also meets Kristy who becomes a good friend. I liked the ending of this book because it was so uplifting.
A quote from the novel: "It's just that... I just think that some things are meant to be broken. Imperfect. Chaotic. It's the universe's way of providing contrast, you know? There have to be a few holes in the road. It's how life is."

I hope you take a look at the two books, dear readers, and that you enjoy your Saturday! As of today we've reached 30 followers, wohoo! I can't wait to introduce some guest bloggers soon so if you like some of these posts, please feel free to follow this blog by clicking the link at the end of the page. Happy reading!

  by  Per Ola Wiberg ~ Powi 

More Shakespeare!

  by  paul bica 

"What is wonderful about great literature is that it transforms the man who reads it towards the condition of the man who wrote." - E.M. Forster

Hello readers! I'm hoping to purchase a few new books today, but until then I'd like to discuss a few more Shakespeare plays that I've really enjoyed. I figured I'd share these in case you want to take a walk down memory lane for a moment to think "Oh yeah, I remember when I read that one."

King Lear - I read this play during my senior year of high school. King Lear has three daughters and at the beginning of the play he asks the three of them to tell them how much they love him. Cordelia is the only one who doesn't use false flattery and because she is honest and dutiful to her father, she gives him a relatively plain answer. Because he loved Cordelia best and was angered by her lame profession of love he sends her out of his house and divides the kingdom between his other two daughters. He later realizes that neither of them want him around and tries to redeem himself.
A quote from the play: "Nothing will come of nothing: speak again."

Macbeth - I typically don't like plays, stories, or movies with a lot of action and fighting scenes, but I'm a little biased toward this play as I was in it last year! I played a female Ross, which was a lot of fun because I got to wear an army fatigue outfit during the fighting scenes, got to drop my glass in surprise when Macbeth started going crazy at the banquet table, and was one of the few characters who got to stay alive throughout the entire play. Basically, Macbeth receives a prophecy from three witches that he'll become king and then murders the current king to steal the title. Both he and Lady Macbeth start to become paranoid and mad as the play progresses and more murders occur up until the final battle.
A quote from the play: "Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under it."

Merchant of Venice - I read this one last year for my theatre class. Shylock seeks a literal pound of flesh from Antonio, the Merchant of Venice when he fails to pay Shylock the money he owes him. Several characters defend Antonio throughout the play and in the end, Shylock curses his faith.
A quote from the play: "But love is blind and lovers cannot see the pretty follies that themselves commit."


I hope you're all having a wonderful summer and I'm so pleased that we're more than a quarter of the way there to my goal of getting 100 followers before introducing a guest blogger :) Oh! And after commenting on her blog, Tracey Garvis Graves, http://www.traceygarvisgraves.com/, author of On the Island, commented on my post about her book and is now following this blog *gasp*!

If you enjoy some of these posts, please feel free to subscribe to this blog by following it at the bottom of the page. Happy reading everyone!

  by  paul bica 

Shakespeare!

  by  paul bica 

"When you sell a man a book you don't sell him just 12 ounces of paper and ink and glue - you sell him a whole new life." - Christopher Morley

This fall, I'll be taking a Shakespeare class. I've been thinking about my recent posts on classics and how I haven't added any Shakespeare plays, but it's mainly because I've decided that William deserves his own post. I haven't come close to reading all of his plays yet (which is why I'm looking forward to this class), but for now, I'd like to share three favorites with you! I know it might seem a bit dull to return to Shakespeare after reading so many modern authors, but if you haven't read any of these, please take a look :)!

• Hamlet - I'm sure many of you have read this in school at one point or another, but I had to add Hamlet to the list! If you haven't read this one, please go back because although it's one of Shakespeare's tragedies, I still find Hamlet and some of the other characters hilarious. I first read this play during my senior year of high school, then two semesters ago in a British literature course. I find the little quirks in this play (such as the play within a play, the scene where Claudius is praying, and Polonius constantly spying on his son) adorable. The play begins with Hamlet pining over the death of his father and his mother's marriage to Hamlet's uncle Claudius. When Hamlet's father returns to Hamlet in the form of a ghost and tells Hamlet he was murdered by Claudius, Hamlet spends the rest of the play trying to get revenge, faking insanity, and trying to get Claudius to confess to the murder. A quote from Hamlet: "This above all; to thine own self be true." 
• Taming of the Shrew - If you have seen the movie 10 Things I Hate About You, you're watching a modern version of this play, which the film bases its plot on. I read this play for my theatre class freshman year, then watched an excellent production of the play on video. I'm bummed I can't remember who the performers were because they did an awesome job. The plot involves the beautiful, calm Bianca who has plenty of suitors and her sister Katharina who has none. Bianca's father tells her she cannot get married until her shrewish sister Katharina is married. Bianca's suitors pay Petruchio to suit Katharina. He brings her back to his home and tries to tame her. At a banquet Katharina shows that she is the most obedient wife. A quote from The Taming of the Shrew: "There's small choice in rotten apples." 
• Twelfth Night - My theatre group put this play on at my school this year and I was the publicity chair for the play. I also read this for my British literature class. Like Taming of the Shrew, this is another one of Shakespeare's comedies and definitely gave me some good laughs (especially when I saw it performed). A woman named Viola decides to cross dress and use the name Cesario so she can get closer to and serve Duke Orsino who is in love with Olivia. Viola falls in love with Duke Orsino. Everyone is confused when Viola's twin brother Sebastian arrives. Sir Toby Belch, the fool, and Malvolio are three other hilarious characters who live in Olivia's household. This one definitely has a feel good ending (except maybe for Malvolio). A quote from Twelfth Night: "Many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage." 

Have a wonderful day my lovely readers :). If you enjoy reading some of these posts, please feel free to subscribe to the blog by following it at the end of the page or tell some friends to! Once we reach 100 followers I'd love to get a guest blogger on here. Happy reading! 

  by  paul bica 

More Books I've Really Enjoyed!

  by  seyed mostafa zamani 

“We don't need to have just one favorite. We keep adding favorites. Our favorite book is always the book that speaks most directly to us at a particular stage in our lives. And our lives change. We have other favorites that give us what we most need at that particular time. But we never lose the old favorites. They're always with us. We just sort of accumulate them.” – Llyod Alexander

Hello lovely readers! I'd like to share four more books with you that gave me that empty feeling when I finished them, aka that "Aw man, I wish there was a sequel" feeling. So whether you're sitting on the beach with a strawberry daiquiri, relaxing on a raft in the pool, or lounging inside your air conditioned house, here are four more books that are ideal for any of those scenarios: 

• Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult - If you've been reading some of my other posts, I'm guessing you've gathered that I absolutely love Jodi Picoult. This book is about Shay Bourne who is on death row in New Hampshire. He wants to donate his heart to a small child, but that child is his victim's sister. Shay becomes a sensation when he suddenly starts performing miracles in prison. The child's mother is conflicted between giving her daughter the heart of a man who killed her daughter's sister and saving her child's life. We later learn why Shay felt he needed to commit the crime. A quote from the novel: “When you're different, sometimes you don't see the millions of people who accept you for what you are. All you notice is the person who doesn't.”
• One Day by David Nicholls - I purchased this book before watching the movie. I remember first seeing advertisements for the movie and thinking that it looked interesting. Then I went to Barnes & Noble and saw the novel toward the front of the store, which is when I realized the movie is based off this book. The book follows Dexter (Dex) and Emma (Em) who first spend the night together after they graduate from college. It then details where they are in their lives on the same date of every subsequent year from that first day. They eventually become best friends. Dexter is a player and becomes very successful, while Emma rarely dates and seems to be putting her life on hold. The ending of this book is a complete tearjerker, but I still recommend it for an awesome read. A quote from the novel: "I suppose the important thing is to make some sort of difference," she said. "You know, actually change something." (opening line)
• Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver - I remember reading this book for school once and really enjoying it. Apparently it's a sequel to the book The Bean Trees, but I never read that one and it definitely wasn't necessary to understand Pigs in Heaven. The book follows Turtle and her nonbiological mother, Taylor. When Turtle sees a man fall down the Hoover Dam she tells her mother and eventually, the man is rescued. Because of this rescue, Turtle and Taylor are asked to go on the Oprah Winfrey show. However, when a lawyer watches the show and notices Turtle is of Cherokee heritage she tries to return Turtle to her birth family. Turtle and Taylor go on the run and the book follows this journey. A quote from the novel: “Anybody can get worked up, if they have the intention. It's peacefulness that is hard to come by on purpose.”
• The Pact by Jodi Picoult - This book is about Chris and Emily, two teenagers, who have been neighbors for eighteen years. Their parents are best friends and they are too until high school,  when their relationship turns into something more. When Emily dies from a gunshot wound to the head, Chris tells the police that him and Emily had a suicide pact. Rather than believing this story, the police put Chris on trial for murder. I read this one awhile ago, but I remember not being able to put it down. A quote from the novel: “She was all the things I wasn't. And I was all the things she wasn't. She could paint circles around anyone; I couldn't even draw a straight line. She was never into sports; I've always been. Her hand, it fit mine.”

What are some of your favorite books? I'd love to hear about them!

Thank you again new readers for making this blog what it is becoming :) If you enjoy some of these posts please feel free to subscribe to this blog by following it at the end of the page!

  by  paul bica 

Favorite Books

  by  Pilottage 

"Picking five favorite books is like picking the five body parts you'd most like not to loose." - Neil Gaiman.


Since I just finished two new reads, I'd like to share some of my favorite books until I go on a new book buying spree. For now, here are four favorite books I'd like to share.

• Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews - I am in love with this book. Although it's slightly sick (like many of her novels) this is still my absolute favorite. I think I've read this book at least fourteen times so I guess that says a lot. I cringed a little when Stephen King berated this book in On Writing. I first read this novel when I was fairly young (maybe too young because I don't think I fully understood what happened between Cathy and Chris) and truly think this was the book that made me say "I want to be an author someday." Yes, it is unrealistic that the main characters say things like "Golly gee," and that the bad guys' motives aren't very strong but personally, I still think V.C. Andrews is an excellent writer. I've never fallen so in love with a plot or a book's characters before. I couldn't wait to read the sequels and basically feel this way about every V.C. Andrew book I have read, which is a lot. This novel was #1 on the NY bestsellers list. It follows four children who start off with the perfect life, but eventually, are locked in an attic in their grandparent's house because of their mother's greed and grandmother's cruelty. It details their struggles, which include a grandmother who whips them, puts tar in Cathy's hair, and tells them they are the "Devil's spawn,"and a mother who buys them gifts, but visits them more and more sporadically. Chris struggles as he comes into manhood, but is isolated from the rest of the world. Anyone I meet who has read this book always says the same thing "Oh my gosh, you read that too? Wasn't it amazing?" So please add this one to your lists :) Here are the sequels if you want to check them out as well: Petals on the Wind, If There Be Thorns, Seeds of Yesterday, and Garden of Shadows. A quote from the novel: “Love doesn't always come when you want it to. Sometimes it just happens despite your will.” 
• My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult - This is the first book I read that made me continue reading Jodi Picoult books from here on out. If you've already seen the movie, then reading the book may not have the same effect, but it's definitely still worth the read. I read this book before the movie came out and this is such a cliche, but I think the book was a lot better than the movie. If you haven't heard of either, the book follows Anna who has had several transfusions and shots throughout her life so that her sister Kate can battle leukemia; Anna's bone marrow matches Kate's. Eventually Anna decides she wants her body back and goes to see a lawyer, a decision that threatens to rip her family apart. Throughout the novel you discover various secrets about the main characters and their decisions. Although they didn't use this ending in the movie, the end of the book will shock you. A quote from the novel: “You don't love someone because they're perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they're not.” 
• Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult - I loved this book. Katie, a young Amish girl, secretly gives birth in a barn, then denies that the birth ever happened. However, the next day someone finds the baby dead in the barn and a non-Amish lawyer comes to defend the girl. Ellie, the defense lawyer, must question the Amish peoples' different sense of justice, Katie's claims that she remembers nothing that happened, and Elie's own sense of morality. This novel has so many levels to it; a love story, a clash of cultures, and a surprising ending. A quote from the novel: “If you didn't remember something happening, was it because it never had happened? Or because you wished it hadn't?” 
• Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld - This was Curtis Sittenfeld's first book. The novel is so funny mainly because Lee Fiora, the protagonist, is so observant. When the novel starts, Lee is fourteen and the book details all of her experiences at a prestigious boarding school in Massachusetts. I once read an interview with Curtis Sittenfeld in which she discusses how in Prep, Lee overanalyzes everything, then overanalyzes everything again. But that's what I really enjoyed this book. I've read this one twice and have heard a lot of people say that they have done the same. I  almost died when my communication professor told us "I know Curtis." A quote from the novel: “I always worried someone would notice me, and then when no one did, I felt lonely.” 

So I hope you've found some new books to add to your TBR (the book to read) piles. Thanks again to my new readers :). Yesterday I was thrilled with reaching 200 page views and today we're almost at 300. And as of today we have reached 20 followers! I hope to have my first guest blogger once we reach 100 followers so if you enjoy some of these posts please feel free to follow the blog at the bottom of the page or tell your friends about it!


What are some of your favorite books? I'd love to hear from you! 

  by  Kıvanç NiÅŸ 

I Really Love Best Sellers

I'm definitely one of those people who walk into Barnes & Noble and rush to the best seller shelf at the front of the store. What can I say? I'm a sucker for consumerism — books about to become major motion pictures, books I read about in magazines, or books that reach that magic shelf in Barnes & Noble are typically the first to catch my eye. But I figure the books are on that list for a reason and they always wind up being incredible reads.

So as I walked into Barnes & Noble this Friday to find some new reads, I wandered over to that shelf and afterward, found myself purchasing two awesome books: The Perks of Being a Wallflower and On the Island. I'll be adding these books to my summer reading list (the first post on this new blog) as they contribute to my goal of reading at least 20 books this summer (these are books seventeen and eighteen). In bullet style, I'll share some facts about the books as well as things I really liked about them in the hopes that you'll add them to your reading lists!

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

• Although I know this book used to be super popular, I saw it make its reappearance on the Barnes & Noble best seller shelf a few months ago and from its cover discovered it's about to becoming a "major motion picture starring Logan Lerman and Emma Watson." 
• I remember my friend telling me awhile ago that she really liked this book and I typically like books that are about to become movies. However, a few months ago I decided I'd wait on this one because I had some other books in mind. A few days ago a friend said "Did you see that new movie The Perks of Being a Wallflower that's coming out? It looks so funny." As I meandered back to that shelf I saw the book was still sitting there and decided it was time to pick it up. 
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an easy read as its told in a series of letters written by Charlie to an anonymous friend. We never find out who this friend is, but through Charlie's letters we learn about Charlie's life and his journey through his freshman year of high school. 
• Charlie is so observant about everything. I think people who are readers will really enjoy this book because although Charlie is a little strange, we can all relate to him in some way. As his good friend says, "He's a wallflower. You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand." 
• The back cover and other readers have compared this book to The Catcher in the Rye. Charlie and his commentary on life did remind me a lot of Holden Caulfield. 
• Nothing major happens in the book, but Charlie does meet a new group of friends, fall in love, and experiment with sex, drugs, and alcohol. It is his comical observations that made me want to keep reading without putting the book down.
• By the end of the book you find out why Charlie often needs to see therapists and he tells the friend he is writing to that if he doesn't hear from him it is a good thing because sophomore year Charlie hopes to "participate" more in life as his English teacher suggested, rather than stand on the sidelines. 
• I definitely recommend this book for a simple summer read. 

On the Island by Tracy Garvis Graves

• Like the author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, this is the first book Tracy Garvis Graves has written. What really attracted me to this book was both the cover and title. 
• What's neat about this novel is that it's a New York Times bestseller, but you find out from the author's letter at the end of the novel that she self-published and that this was "truly a word-of-mouth book." 
• I really enjoyed this novel, especially because it is told from two points of view, Anna Emerson's and T.J. Callahan's. 
• Anna starts off as a thirty-year old English teacher, while T.J. is a sixteen-year-old boy whose cancer is in remission. 
• Anna's relationship with her boyfriend is suffering, so she decides to tutor T.J., who needs to catch up on missed schoolwork from his illness, at his families' summer home on a tropical island in the Maldives. 
• When the private plane Anna and T.J. board crashes somewhere in the middle of the ocean, they swim to an uninhabited island and are forced to make a new life there together. 
• Nature provides them with a series of dangers such as sharks, jellyfish, bats, mosquitos, lack of rainwater, and coconuts that are hard to crack open until some of their suitcases wash up on shore. 
• Although T.J. starts off as a boy, as the novel progresses he becomes a man and the novel follows the relationship that Anna and T.J. build while on the island. I loved the tension between the two characters as they decide between their feelings and social norms. 
• This novel is definitely a great beach read and the author's letter made it seem like there was also talk of this one becoming a film. 
• Her blog can be found here: http://www.traceygarvisgraves.com/

As always, thank you to my readers; this new blog is growing each day because of you and has just reached 200 page views! I look forward to providing my readers with new opportunities (guest posts, contests, etc) when the blog gets big enough, so if you enjoy some of these posts please feel free to follow my blog at the bottom of the page or recommend it to friends. 

I hope you guys add these two to your piles and happy reading :)! 

  by  paul bica