My Sister's Keeper

A book I also read in seventh grade, My Sister's Keeper I actually managed to finish. 

The book is about Anna, or Andromeda and her sister Kate. Kate has promyelocytic lukemia. Anna was genetically engineered to be a donor for her sister. In the first chapter we meet Anna, Kate, Jesse (the brother) and their mom. We also meet Campbell Alexander, the lawyer Anna visits to ask if he will be her lawyer. She says she wishes to sue her parents for the right to her own body.

This book is a heavy one. Is it right to have a child just for the purpose of benefitting the other? Should Anna sue her parents, and therefore stop the her sister's mere chance of survival?

I really like this book. It's gripping and basically just amazing. If you haven't read it I strongly recommend it. This is my third time reading it.

Little Women

I have attempted to read Little Women at most twice. The last time I did I got through book one, I think. I can't quite remember. When I was little I would watch the movie when I was sick. (the more modern version with the same actress that was in The Crucible, Winona Ryder and Batman's Christian Bale) In seventh grade I attempted to read  it, like I said I got through book one, but one day I put it away and never finished it. I'm going to strive read it and finish it this semester. 

The March girls and their Marmee have recieved a letter from their father.  They all miss him dearly. The girls: Meg, Beth, Jo and Amy have all decided that instead of buying themselves things for Christmas they are going to buy their mother something. How lovely. 

Meg is the girly one. She's prim and propper and easily excited. Beth is the sweet one. She's always optimistic, but frightened easily. Jo is the man of the house. She's boyish and outspoken, not afraid to be who she is. Amy is prim and propper. She's a cute little girl who's too "smart" for her own good. I love the characters. They are so familiar to me. 

So far it's going well. It seems simple, but that's alright.

Words for Everything

I've finally finished The History of Love. Let me set a few things straight.

The History of Love was written by Leopold Gursky a survivor of the Holocaust. Before immigrating to the United States Gursky gave his manuscript to his friend Zvi Litvinoff. Litvinoff and the manuscript moved to South America where he met and married Rosa. Rosa found the manuscript and thinking it was Zvi's pressured him to publish which he did. Litvinoff thought Gursky was dead and never found out that he was alive. After publishing Zvi publishedThe History of Love he recieved a postcard from Gursky who asked for his manuscript. Rosa intercepted the mail before Zvi got the chance to read it and kept it from him so that he would not get upset because he was practically on his death bed. Rosa wrote back that the manuscript had been destroyed in a flood. 

Alma Singer went of this ridiculous goose chase for the person who wrote her mother asking her to translate The History of Love. She discovered who it was, famous author Issac Morritz , who uses the pseudonym Jacob Marcus (a name of one of his characters in a book he wrote.) It turns out that this author is the son of Leopold Gursky and Alma Mereminski. Morritz how ever recently died. So then Alma embarks on this crazy journey to find the Alma that the story was written about. She finds out that Alma Mereminski died five years ago and that she was the mother of Issac Morritz. She some how get's in touch with Leo, though I believe it was Bird's doing. They meet in Central Park and she tells him about The History of Love. He tells her that's his book that he wrote. Leo gets really confused because her name is Alma too. He tells Alma S. about his second book Words for everything. He sent that book to his son shortly before his death, so that that way his son new that he existed. The manuscript of Words for Everything was found in Morritz's home shortly after his death and was going through the publishing process in Morritz's name. Gursky calls the publishing company after reading about the book in a magazine and let's the publishing company know that it's his book.

When asked what his name in by the telephone receptionist he says the same as the main character of the book, when asked his address he says the same as the Leopold Gursky's in the book.

The most terrible thing is that in Central Park with Alma Singer Leopold Gursky dies an old, lonely and confused man. His works published never in his name. But I knew from the beginning because Leo was always preoccupied with death.

People die in books and in real life.

Bird

Bird is the name of Alma's twelve year old brother. The reason he's called Bird is because he's attempted flying. Bird is a very interesting character. He like Alma writes. However, he also reads what Alma writes. 

Bird's best friends is the janitor at his school, Mr. Goldstein. Mr. Goldstein is a very spiritual man and a big influence on Bird. 

Bird is convinced that he is the one who will have to have save the world from the flood. In fact, Bird built himself an ark. However, the fire marshall disposed of it because it was a hazard. He calls himself a lamed vovnik. According to Wikipedia a lamed vovnik would make Bird one of the 36 holy jews in the whole wide world. He also thinks that he'll be the Messiah, or savior of his people. 

He's a very interesting twelve year old boy and I believe he takes a lot on himself. He's trying to take care of his sister and his mom, and I don't think he's every had someone to look up to like a father figure except for Mr. Goldstein. But it's hard to look up to Mr. Goldstein because Mr. Goldstein, hoping Bird can save the world looks up to him.

done

I've finished Gatsby. Though I do not know if I liked it or not. Myrtle Wilson died, Gatsby died. The Buchanan left. Everyone's dreams diminished. The book is about "American Dreams". But no one in this books seems to achieve it. I think I'll have to reread this book later on, perhaps in the summer when I don't have things distracting me.

Gastby dreamed of this life of the rich and wonderful. So did Daisy, a husband to support her and a child to show off. (The poor thing!) Myrtle Wilson just wants to be somebody. Mr. Wilson just wants to do what's right, what God wants, even though he doesn't.  Mr. Wilson is the only one who truly doesn't fall in to the black hole that was the Roaring Twenties, or at least not until he kills Gatsby. 

Who's at fault here? Myrtle or Gatsby? or even Daisy, she was the one that actually ran Myrtle over. However Myrtle didn't have to run in the street, or have an affair with Tom. Gatsby didn't have to let Daisy drive either. It was destined to happen I suppose. Just like Of Mice and Men. 

Are "American Dreams" not achievable? Lennie and George didn't achieve theirs, neither did any of the characters in Gatsby. Why not?!  

Why do people have to die? It's soo ANNOYING!

I think that I should read a book where people achieve their dreams and don't die. That'd be nice... is there any book like that? Right now I cannot think of  one. Why do books do that??? But I suppose they wouldn't be as enjoyable anymore if they didn't.

bus ride

Saturday morning I had the fabulous opportunity of waking up around 7:00 to go to school and board the bus at 8:30 for the DeKalb County Swimming Championship. Luckily right before I left my house I stuck my book into the pocket of my swim bag. So on the bus ride to Dynamo on which we got lost. I managed to read chapter IV.

In this chapter we learn how before the Great War Daisy and Gatsby were intertwined with each other. He bought the mansion close to her house so that he could see her again. When Jordan Baker came to his party the conspired to reunite himself and Daisy via cousin Nick. I get the feeling towards the end of this chapter that Nick is kind of overwhelmed. I would be too. I wonder what shall occur when Daisy finds out.

One thing I find interesting whilst reading this book is the spelling of today, tomorrow and weekend. (My copy is the movie edition from the 70's. I don't know if more modern versions have them updated or not.) The words are spelled with hyphens: to-day, to-morrow and week-end. I just found that more like my old collection of Nancy Drews. I've always wondered why the words were like that. I believe good-bye was also like that in Nancy Drew at least. According to the Online Etymology Dictionary today was first two words then hyphonated until the later 20th century. It doesn't say why the words were merged but other than that I suppose it's interesting.

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php