1. Phantom Tollbooth - I just remember loving this book. I think it is because the book is very clever. I specifically recall the conclusion island which characters could jump to.
2. Flowers for Algernon - I first read a shortened version of this book in middle school. I liked it so much that I got the full book and read it right away. It was very sad, but I also found it moving and thought-provoking.
3. To Kill a Mockingbird - To me, this book was so interesting and unique. Usually, I am more of a fan of mysteries and fantasy; however, this piece captured me attention.
4. Life of Pi - I read this book a long time ago but I really enjoyed its style and plot.
5. Harry Potter - every single one ever!!!!
6. Lord of the Rings - every single one ever!!!!!!
7. Chronicles of Narnia - every single one ever!!!!!
8. Count of Monte Cristo - I loved this book! I became very engaged with the main character and I couldn't wait for him to succeed in his tricky plot.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Once upon a time, I was an avid reader. I still love to read but I have found less and less available time. Therefore this summer I embarked on a tour of four books, although I wish it could have been more. I re-read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling and The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. For the first time, I read My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult and Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. The book out of this collection that touched me the most was My Sister's Keeper.
This writing explores a family dealing with a cancer patient, a juvenile deliquent, and a child who sole purpose was to donate organs to her dying sister. Now two things need to be said before I continue. First I have not seen the movie, although I do intend to; therefore, this writing has no reflection on the cinematic production. Second, I will be ruining the end of the book. If anyone intends to read it, exit this page now and spare yourself the heartache.
I expected Jodi's work to be sad. The subject matter cannot be dealt with lightly and I have read other works of hers, which are also upsetting. Yet, it was hard to put down. The majority of the book consists of descriptions of a lawsuit that the youngest daughter (the child who was created to save her sister) files against her parents after she was told she had to give her sister her kidney. Anna does not want to give it up for many reasons stated such as a love of playing hockey (after giving up a kidney it is recommended to cease playing any contact sports). She asks for medical emancipation so that she may decide when and how to help her sister. As a sister myself, I empathized with the predicament. Granted, my sister is not sick, but there is a fine line between helping your sister and retaining your own identity.
While reading, I found myself developing and changing an opinion with every new page. I couldn't decide if the younger sister was just being selfish. I couldn't decide if the parents had gone too far and stopped caring for the youngest daughter. I couldn't decide what was to be done. Perhaps this was because I did not have all the facts. The last few chapters of the book reveal some startling revelations regarding the characters motives. It turns out that the sick girl had asked her sister to file such a lawsuit. Anna says that her sister asked her because she wanted to die. She had been tired of being the sick girl and at age 16 was tired of her life. This was Anna's main reason for her actions. However, the book illustrates that upon further questioning, Anna's sister was simply exhausted of her life but did not actually wish to end it. Now, here comes the kicker. Anna wins the lawsuit, upsetting her mother a bit but also bringing the two closer together. On the ride home, Anna is with her lawyer and they get into a car wreck. But wait, it gets worse. Anna's father is a firefighter. Since he is part of the first emergency group to arrive on the scene, he does not know right away that his daughter is dying. She is pronounced deceased at the hospital where her grieving mother and father are told her organs are still usable for donations. This is the end. The epilogue describes Kate's life (the older sister) as successful with her new kidney. She is doing well many years later and has not had the cancer come back since her sister was alive.
I was shocked. Not only did I not see this coming, but also it just seems so utterly tragic to me. I could barely comprehend such a possibility. While I sat in awe pondering such a circumstance in my own life, I decided fiction is best left to books. If anything similar came upon my sister and me, without a doubt I would give her my kidney. Of course, our situation would be much easier, given I wasn't raised for that purpose. However, I can understand Anna's difficulty and Kate's desperate thoughts. Simply the book took me for such a ride that thinking about it still gives me chills. I hope no one ever has to face such a decision of giving a kidney, whether they were created for that goal or not. Having to make or deal with it can be no simple task. (764)
This writing explores a family dealing with a cancer patient, a juvenile deliquent, and a child who sole purpose was to donate organs to her dying sister. Now two things need to be said before I continue. First I have not seen the movie, although I do intend to; therefore, this writing has no reflection on the cinematic production. Second, I will be ruining the end of the book. If anyone intends to read it, exit this page now and spare yourself the heartache.
I expected Jodi's work to be sad. The subject matter cannot be dealt with lightly and I have read other works of hers, which are also upsetting. Yet, it was hard to put down. The majority of the book consists of descriptions of a lawsuit that the youngest daughter (the child who was created to save her sister) files against her parents after she was told she had to give her sister her kidney. Anna does not want to give it up for many reasons stated such as a love of playing hockey (after giving up a kidney it is recommended to cease playing any contact sports). She asks for medical emancipation so that she may decide when and how to help her sister. As a sister myself, I empathized with the predicament. Granted, my sister is not sick, but there is a fine line between helping your sister and retaining your own identity.
While reading, I found myself developing and changing an opinion with every new page. I couldn't decide if the younger sister was just being selfish. I couldn't decide if the parents had gone too far and stopped caring for the youngest daughter. I couldn't decide what was to be done. Perhaps this was because I did not have all the facts. The last few chapters of the book reveal some startling revelations regarding the characters motives. It turns out that the sick girl had asked her sister to file such a lawsuit. Anna says that her sister asked her because she wanted to die. She had been tired of being the sick girl and at age 16 was tired of her life. This was Anna's main reason for her actions. However, the book illustrates that upon further questioning, Anna's sister was simply exhausted of her life but did not actually wish to end it. Now, here comes the kicker. Anna wins the lawsuit, upsetting her mother a bit but also bringing the two closer together. On the ride home, Anna is with her lawyer and they get into a car wreck. But wait, it gets worse. Anna's father is a firefighter. Since he is part of the first emergency group to arrive on the scene, he does not know right away that his daughter is dying. She is pronounced deceased at the hospital where her grieving mother and father are told her organs are still usable for donations. This is the end. The epilogue describes Kate's life (the older sister) as successful with her new kidney. She is doing well many years later and has not had the cancer come back since her sister was alive.
I was shocked. Not only did I not see this coming, but also it just seems so utterly tragic to me. I could barely comprehend such a possibility. While I sat in awe pondering such a circumstance in my own life, I decided fiction is best left to books. If anything similar came upon my sister and me, without a doubt I would give her my kidney. Of course, our situation would be much easier, given I wasn't raised for that purpose. However, I can understand Anna's difficulty and Kate's desperate thoughts. Simply the book took me for such a ride that thinking about it still gives me chills. I hope no one ever has to face such a decision of giving a kidney, whether they were created for that goal or not. Having to make or deal with it can be no simple task. (764)
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