I started Oliver Twist

I'm only on page two, but so far, I'm actually enjoying it.......

creepy....

Am I the only one who's started?

Da bookshop 2

these books are still for sale:

Naruto Vol. 1 Perfect condition $6.95
Naruto Vol. 2 Perfect condition $6.95

Shaman King Vol. 1 Perfect condition $6.95
Shaman King Vol. 2 Perfect condition $6.95

Yu Yu Hakusho Vol. 1 Perfect condition $6.95
Yu Yu Hakusho Vol. 2 Perfect condition $6.95
Yu Yu Hakusho Vol. 3 Perfect condition $6.95

xXx Holic Vol. 2 Good Condition, bent in corner $8.95


Manga Set Sales

Naruto Vol. 1 & 2 $12.00

Shaman King Vol. 1 & 2 $12.00

Yu Yu Hakusho Vol. 1, 2, 3 $20.00

Find me or ask the librarians on where to find me. <3

-snoozer01

Ender's Game dialog

Hi all. Here's the official starter for the Ender's Game discussion thread. Enjoy the book! A soon as I reread it, I'll start posting intellectual things. In the meantime, I look forward to hearing from you.

The Men in the Jungle

The Men in the Jungle by Norman Spinrad (author of Bug Jack Baron) is in my opinion one of the best Sci-fi books ever written. Though it was written in 1967, it is very advanced for it's time. Anyways, the book is about a man, Bart Fraden who was the former ruler of an asteroid belt, but is overthrown. Him, his girlfriend, and his general evacuate an begin searching for a planet that is lacking in technology and intelligence, and is ripe for revolution, so he can cause mass confusion, the rise from the rubble to become ruler. The planet they decide on, Sangre ("blood" in spanish) is an earthlike planet, ruled by the sadisitic cannibal elite, The Brotherhood of Pain. The Brotherhood rules the planet, and have a system set up. All people are divided and bred into special classes: their private security, a brutal militia like force, slaves who raise the "meat animals," select women, used for pleasure, meat animals, small obese children equivalent to livestock, and the bugs, large semi-intelligent insects that grow crops for the slaves. The main plot of the story is when the visitors land, an begin their plots for revolution. But, the morbidness of the Brotherhood starts to effect Bart. Their cruel sacrifices, and public shows of torture. Their "feasts." This book shows the effects of mainstream cannibalism, the powers just a small group can obtain over time, and in detail the steps of a successful revolution, but also how fragile trust between two people can be. This book has great sci-fi elements, an i highly recommend it. But be warned, it is highly graphic, very brutal, an definitely not for the faint of heart. But that doesn't make it any less of the under appreciated masterpiece it is. The reason Spinrad's books are not more well known is because at the time they were written, they were extremely graphic(not so much as shocking now, by todays standards, but still over-the-top violent) and even more controversial. There are numerous hidden meanings in this book, political statements, observations of humanity, what could lie in the future. See how many you can find. I think Sangre is supposed to represent a future earth, and honestly, events similar to this could quite possibly happen. I feel Spinrad does an excellent job of showing the darkside of humanity, and how the power hungry prey upon the weak, an in general gives some good advice on how one should live their life. This book for me, was one of the few books one happens along in their lifetime, that have the ability to change an shape who you are. Anyone in the Sci-fi lit class should read this, and anyone who is a fan of novels about war, controversy, rebellion, revolution, cannibalism, horror, or sci-fi. It is unfortunately hard to find, but well worth the search. It is not too long, and is well written and easy to understand. Check out this remarkable piece of sci-fi history.

Welcome Sci-Fi Class!

The library goddess would like to welcome each of you to the Knight-time Readers blog! I hope you enjoy your time posting and discussing books here forum. To see older posts, pull the page down, or click on the older posts listed on the right. I have of my favorite links on the right as well. I am not normally a science fiction reader, but I have absolutely loved a few science-fiction titles that I have read in the past. The Giver is one of the most chilling books I have ever read--if you read it in elementary or middle school, re-read it now that you have a little more life under your belt. I love A Wrinkle in Time, although it is not always classified as science fiction. You can't beat an evil, bodiless brain to just make your arm hairs stand on end. I have another one I liked but I can't remember the title--it had these creatures from space with long, metal legs. It will pop into my mind sometime in the near future! Anyhow, welcome, and enjoy discussing Ender's Game! Media girl 2 will probably chime in--she has read the series and enjoyed it very much!

Just read an awesome book called Speak

I just finished an awesome book called Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. I think it was a choice for summer reading for freshmen and it certainly is a quick read. But it so captures the outcast kid in high school. The curious thing that I noticed, as a teacher, is that no one, not even Melinda's parents, notice that she's withdrawn and odd. I would think that a teacher or guidance counselor or somebody would have noticed. Anyway, very good read. There was a movie made of the book, ironically on Lifetime channel this past weekend (usually a channel I avoid like the plague). It changes the ending and some stuff, but seemed pretty good. I happened upon Orson Scott Card's take on the book and the film and find it interesting. Here's the link to what he has to say: http://www.hatrack.com/osc/reviews/everything/2007-01-14.shtml. He also has some other odd things on that site as well, such as his aversion to eating at a place called Froggy Dog. Cool!

On Agate Hill by Lee Smith

I just finished this novel yesterday--instead of cleaning house, I just couldn't put this down! What a whirlwind of a book! It left me breathless, and still wondering at the end what really happened. As all historical fiction/romance/mystery novels do, I was certainly it made me thankful that I was born in 1960, not 1850. I wouldn't have made it--people back then must have been tough as nails. I highly recommend this book to all of my readers on the blog.

This Book is Awesome!

For everyone that doesn't know I don't read much and for me to Actually finish this one means that this definitely is an awesome book! It talks about that the life of a comic book nerd and his life in high school. I absolutely loved it! I'm sure you will too!

On Orson Scott Card's Empire

I've just finished Card's Empire and it is very good, especially for those of you who like Card's style. He definitely has a political message here. The premise is that people have become so blinded by partisanship that they can't see reality. It's the radical right vs the radical left in the Second American Civil War in this book, and neither is admirable. Just in case you don't "get it," he has included a little essay at the end explaining his philosophical stance. He fears, for example, that America is becoming so partisan that if someone announces that he/she is a Republican, for instance, that automatically brings in an entire idealogy and value set, as well as wholesale support of what we see as a Republican "agenda." His contention is that this kind of view is skewed and just wrong. A Republican might, for example, oppose gay marriage but support Roe v Wade, support the separation of church and state in terms of prayer in schools and oppose the war in Iraq while supporting a conservative fiscal plan in terms of taxes. He clearly sees politic views as individual choices on the parts of individuals and not a mass movement kind of thing.

Aside from the politics--which I really like--there is the usual "Card-esque" adventure, detail, newfangled gizmos, and surprising plot twists. All in all a very good read for folks of all ages.

Classic Challenge

Let's have a "Read a Classic for our own Edification and Delight" (and I bow to Jeanne M. for that phrase) challenge! Let's read Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. Jeanne M. has a cool activity planned surrounding the play Oliver that our high school drama department is doing this spring. I don't have any copies in the library, but I will order some today, and hunt the thrift store tomorrow for a few copies! We'll post discussions of the book, questions to Jeanne M., etc., on this blog! Because this is not assigned work, maybe you'll like it! Join the challenge and READ ON!

Why read the classics?

Ok, this may get to be kind of long, but I'll keep it fairly simple. I, too, love modern literature and there are some awesome books out there. But I do think it is valuable to read the classics for several reasons:

First, like the classics, modern literature says a lot about our times. When you read the classics, you get a real sense of what life was like. True, Red Badge of Courage is dry and dusty by comparison to Cold Mountain, but it give a whole different view from a different time. Crane in 1895 looking inside a young soldier's head while that soldier is on the battlefield. If you want to see how people thought, what the world was like, etc. go to the classics of any period.

Secondly, the language of the classics is what mostly puts people off. It is very difficult in most cases. But here's the thing. Reading the classics demonstrably improves vocabulary. In David Copperfield, for example, there are over 1100 "big words," SAT type words. So if for no other reason, self improvement is a reason to read the classics. Also, experiencing difficult, downright convoluted style is kind of like eating strange foods. You may not like olives, Feta cheese, samosas, fine wines (oh yes, you're too young for that), and all that stuff, but if you never allow yourself to take the challenge and try something, you'll find yourself eating burgers and American cheese, watching "feel good" movies, and reading only the easy stuff. Take a chance, work that brain! Hone those literary tastebuds.

Lastly, the stories and themes in the classics are relevant to us in many ways. Take Frankenstein, for example. Difficult, convoluted style, big words, perhaps a little tortured and melodramatic, drenched in the sentiment of the early 1800s. OK. But it's really ABOUT the limits we should put on science. Should scientists be allowed by government or religion to explore everything, without restraint? It's also about parental responsibility. If you create someone (e.g. a child) are you responsible for its actions? Could your bad treatment or rejection of a child lead to that person's criminal behavior later, and if so, are you responsible? It's also about the creative process. If an author creates a "monster," a work so odd, so different, so in the face of convention, can that author be blamed for how the "monster" turns out? You see what I mean? Now those are interesting questions we might never ask if we never read anything old. People have thought of the same stuff that concerns us for many, many years.

So my advice to those suffering through turgid, old books in English class is look for the positive in them. No, I don't like all the classics and sometimes wonder how in the world they got included in the cannon of classic literature. That's fine. But I don't discount all old books. I work on the challenging stuff in small bits and read the cool, fun stuff along the side. The best of all possible worlds (no offense to Voltaire).

Snoozer01 Bookshop 1

Hello peoples, :3

I've been know to donate all those shonen jump to the library and now i'm here to sell!. I've got a pile of books who want to go to good homes. Can you help them out?

Naruto Vol. 1 Perfect condition $6.95
Naruto Vol. 2 Perfect condition $6.95

Shaman King Vol. 1 Perfect condition $6.95
Shaman King Vol. 2 Perfect condition $6.95

Yu Yu Hakusho Vol. 1 Perfect condition $6.95
Yu Yu Hakusho Vol. 2 Perfect condition $6.95
Yu Yu Hakusho Vol. 3 Perfect condition $6.95

xXx Holic Vol. 2 Good Condition, bent in corner $8.95


Manga Set Sales

Naruto Vol. 1 & 2 $12.00

Shaman King Vol. 1 & 2 $12.00

Yu Yu Hakusho Vol. 1, 2, 3 $20.00

I do have a sheet in the library where all the sign up sheets are. If interested put your name, lunch block, and grade level. This way i can find you. Thanks for looking at the shop! - Snoozer01

Major credit to Mrs. R!!

As many of us students may agree, most of the books our teachers assign for reading are dull as dirt and just no good (or at least that's been my experience). This is because they want us to read classics that are classics for the reason that no one wants to read them anymore because they're pretty darn boring. HOWEVER, my AP teacher has assigned our class Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier, which is turning out to be amazing!!!! Trust me, i wasn't expecting this!! It's about a man who is fighting for the Confederacy in the Civil War and trying to get home to the girl he left behind...and it's about her struggles in his absence.....

I'm not far, but so far, it's really great. Recommended!!!

A fantastic video to share!

I am going off topic a bit to share this video with all of you! Go to http://www.worldonfire.ca/ and watch this Sarah McLachlain.

Google Workshop

Want to learn how to streamline reading the posts and comments to this blog? Then join us for my Google workshop for students on January 24th after school at 3:20 p.m.! I will teach you some new Google tricks, how to set up a personalized Google search page, use Google Reader to read new posts to our blog quickly, and other nifty things! (By the way, I will have a faculty Google workshop during each planning bell on February 7th). Just a hint of great ideas you will learn--if you go to the Google search, and type in this: movie:27958 (or your zip code) then you will get a list of the movies showing in our area!

TeenReadNC

NCDPI has posted a website I think all of you Knight-time readers will enjoy. Go to http://www.ncwiseowl.org/TeenReadNC . You can read book recommendations, or join the forum to share the books you are reading with other teen readers across the state!

If you liked The Lost Boy (Dave Pelzer books)...

then try The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin. This is a National Book Award finalist--which means it is amazing, intense, totally awesome! You can read the author's blog about the book at http://www.nancywerlin.com/rules.htm . This is one of the first blogs by an author that I have run across, and it is fascinating to read. Kind of like sitting with the author at your dinner table, but better, because you didn't have to clean the house, or cook the dinner first!

cool books

Although I've known about him for a while, I've just sort of discovered Neil Gaiman. He's terrific! I'm reading Good Omens and what a hoot. It's kind of a cross between Hitchhiker's Guide, Monty Python, and Harry Potter, if you can imagine that. I've bought two more and will keep you up to date.

Over break I also read Captain Saturday by Robert Inman, a NC author. It was pretty funny, kind of like Clyde Edgerton a bit. Good old Southern comedy and personal questing.

I also started Orson Scott Card's Empire and am looking forward to finishing that. I'll let you know what happens when the President, VP, Chief of Staff and all of the other important DC folks are wiped out in a terrorist plot--that's where I am so far!

Happy reading!