Journal: What is your favorite book of all time? What impact did it have on you?
I've been asked several times by students "What is your favorite book?". This is never an easy question to answer since I have many favorite books, plus what is my favorite today might change tomorrow depending on my mood or circumstances in my life. However, there are several books that always make my top ten: Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter series, Hunger Games series, 19 minutes, The Kitchen Boy, Janet Evanovich series, The Notebook, The Other Boleyn Sister, etc. so I will choose to write about one of the books that I have read most recently. A book that I have recently recommended to students is the novel Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. (Again the book is better than the movie!) The book is set in the depression era and begins with a flashback of a memory about a violent murder remembered by the main character, Jacob, who is now ninety years old. We are not told who committed the murder. The book returns to the elderly Jacob who is frustrated with being stuck in an "old folks home" with "young folks clucking" around him. He tries to forget the memory of the murder and instead reminisces about the days when he was young and working for a circus. He did not intend to work for the circus, but due to his parents untimely death and lack of money to continue with college, he found himself taking care of the animals, particularly one stubborn elephant, on a circus train full of interesting characters. The novel opens your eyes to a world rarely seen by those outside of the tight familial like circle of circus performers, and its plot twists and action make it difficult to put down. With romance, action, conflict, and more, this book appeals to a wide audience.
Hannahh-- My favorite book would definatly be Shades of Blue by Karen Kingsbury. This book is about a couple who is on the verge of getting married but yet the groom has this urge to make his past right. He travels to his home town and asks to meet with the woman he used to love. In the story there is something that happened in his past that defined that man he was in the present. It is a great love story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It isn't predictable and it also shows you a little bit into a real life issue. I dont want to say what because that would give the heart of the novel away. It appeals to young adults and adults, and is a great read you won't want to miss.
ReplyDeletePerhaps my favorite book of all time has to be Tacky The Penguin. Basically, Tacky reminded me a lot of myself as a young boy, a loud, obnoxious, funny prankster who is always getting himself and the people around him in trouble. Well I suppose I can’t really say a whole lot has changed from now to then, but I like to think of myself as a little bit more mature now a days. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't have just one favorite book, I have read to many amazing books that have influenced my life to narrow it down to just one. So, I will share with you one of these books. Seven Day's in Utopia is a golf book that I read this past fall. It was an incredible book for my personality for several reasons. It's a book that shares the experinces of a fictional golfer in Texas that blows the final round lead in a tournament and is very hard on himself. He stumbles upon the town of Utopia where he meets a new friend who teaches him that golf is just a game, and shows him how he can play his very best golf. When he is done in Utopia, he takes part in a professional golf tournament in Texas, to find out what happens next you will have to read the book yourself! This book has shown me alot of lessons about golf, as well as life. Sometimes we forget that sports are games, and we can't be too harsh on ourselves. After all, it is just a game!!
ReplyDeleteIf I had to pick a favorite book it would probably be Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Last Olympian. It is the final book in the Percy Jackson series which is about modern demi gods fighting the newly resorected Cronous. I love the mixture of real life and fantasy in this book along with the battles and Greek monsters. A very fun read for anyone. I highly recomend this series as well as the one that follows it called Heroes of Olympus.
ReplyDeleteKyle Verdoes
ReplyDeleteIt is really hard for me to pick a favorite book of all time. I know my favorite books are anything by mike lupica. If I had to pick one his books that is my favorite it would be travel team. This book appealed very much because at the time I was playing traveling basketball in seventh grade, so I could relate to this book very well. I love the story behind this book because i love stories about underdogs. If i'm watching a basketball game or any kind of sport and i don't have a favorite team i always choose the underdog. I also really liked this book because it was about basketball and i love basketball.
Mallory P.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite book is "A Child Called It" by Dave Pelzer. This book made me realize how bad some children have it. After reading this book I realized how truly lucky I am. At first this book was not my favorite. It made me sick to my stomach and I didn't like it at all. Child abuse is becoming a serious problem in today's society. I am very against child abuse. After reading this book I wanted to make a change. I decided I want to work with children in the future in a field where I can watch out for signs of child abuse. No child deserves to be abused or neglected in any way. I am so thankful for everything in my life, especially my parents. They never hurt or neglected me in any way. I plan to always be a person who is against abuse and neglect and someone people feel comfortable coming to for help.
My favorite book that I have read would be "THE HELP" They just reciently made a movie out of it, I have not seen it yet but I really want to! This book really is an emotinal tear jerker! It's set back when racisim was a large problem still in the south. A young women "undercover" takes African American maid's stories working for wealthy white men and women. She show's the world the real truth about what is happening in the South. She tells the tale of many women that are sacraficing their life to tell her their life stories... This book is a great book for anyone to read, but... I feel woman may enjoy it more as the sentimental value of the stories being told.
ReplyDeleteI honestly do not have just ONE favorite book. It really depends on my mood that day. Some of my favorites are Jumping Off Swings, Dear John, The Last Song, and any book by Ellen Hopkins. Dear John is an amazing book about first time love and the challenges that come along with it. Jumping Off Swings is a story about a girl that is just trying to find a place for herself in the world. The Last Song is another book that really spoke to me. Around the time I read this book, my grandparents had both just died so it really hit close to home. Ellen Hopkins writes very inspiring books. She writes about teenagers and their struggles, but to the extreme. They are all amazing books and I could never pick an absolute favorite.
ReplyDeleteI also do not have a favorite book. I have read many books in and outside of school. To pick one would be way to hard, therefore I will talk about the last book I read. I read "Go Ask Alice" by Beatrice Sparks. On the book cover though the author is listed as anonymous. I read this book in my 60s Literature class with Mrs. Bladhom and liked it. It is a diary styled book revealing,Alice,a teenagers life and thoughts. Alice lives a normal life to begin with and has a great family behind her but when she starts hanging out with the wrong crowd she is drugged and then becomes addicted. The book describes her journey through life dealing with her addiction to drugs and new lifestyle. I thought this book was an easy read and enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteNathan DeRuyck
ReplyDeleteI have read hundreds of books throughout my childhood, many that i really enjoyed. I would have to say that the Harry Potter series is my all time favorite. Ive always loved advaenture books and what kind of kid doesnt like wizards? I think another reason I like them so much is because in every book, the characters were the same age as me. I could relate to what was going on even though it was fiction. These books really stressed the importance of family and friends. Reading them made me appreciate them more and everything else that I have been blessed with.
Most of the books I have read are usually included in a series. I dont remember the last time i read a book for enjoyment that wasn't. So my favorite series of all time is the "A Series of Unforunate Events" by Lemony Snicket. The series takes you through the lives of three siblings after their parents die in a fire and leave them a huge forture. All the books focus around Count Olaf trying to find ways to get his hands on the money. Time and time again the children out smart Count Olaf and return to hiding where Count Olaf eventually finds them. I really enjoyed the books and recommend it to anyone who likes mystery or adventure books.
ReplyDeleteIf I were to pick my favorite book it would have to be a Child Called It. The book made me think of how different everyones lives are and how bad some children do have it. As soon as I started reading this book I was in complete shock because I can't believe that anyone would ever do that to their children.While reading it I began to think about how lucky I am to have parents that treat me right. I have always been against child abuse and I feel noone should have to go through that.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite books would have to be The Shack. I had heard so many people talking about the book, and one Christmas my dad got the book as a present. I'm not even sure if either of my parents have read it yet, but i snatched it right away. I read the book in two days. I couldn't put it down. The problems that it addresses in the book are not always east for people to accept and grasp. I feel like the author did a very nice job. The book is very touching and at times very difficult to read, not in level, but in the emotions that it evokes in you.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I hate to admit it, I LOVED reading the Twilight series. I read one of those big books in a day in a half. I just couldn't put them down. It was't even the plot line that I found to be that intersting. But I did like them a lot. I didn't even read them until after the movies started coming out. I think that I wanted to see what the big deal was about, so I read the books and really liked them. It also made it fun reading them that my mom and one of my best guy friends were reading them at the same time. (YES one of my guy friends read the entire series!!) I liked the books not because they were the big craze, but because they got my attention when reading them.
Its hard to say i have a "favorite" book. I dont really believe in favorites when it goes tothings like this. All books impact and inspire me in different ways. One book that i read lately that I enjoyed very book was the first book in the hunger games series. It is an intenst book that could intrest boy and girls. It is full of action, adventrue, life lessons, and of course love. This book is one to relate but that expect of it doesnt change my few because it was so hard to put down. In this book a girl an her family find themselves in a situation that know would dream of being in, and woudl never want to be. The older girl in the family make a desicion to save her little sister. This desision although brave changed her life forever. She is put in an arena and forced to fight for survival. I encourage boys and girls to read this book, its a great easy read!
ReplyDeleteI think my favorite book would probably be This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen. It's about a girl named Remy. Her mom is a famous writer and has been married 5 times. She doesn't believe in love until she meets a guy named Dexter. It's a really good book. Sarah Dessen is my favorite author of all time.
ReplyDeleteFrom all of the books that I have read I would have to say that The Great Gatsby was definatly one of my altime favorites. I would recomment this book to a friend because it is a novel that shows how all people, no matter who they are, are not living exactly how you have planned your life. Jay Gatsby is this wealthy man that has parties every weekend, but somebody who lives near him sees how much fun he must have, but then after he gets to know him he findsout that Jay Gatsby actually have a very troubled live, and would also what to live very different
ReplyDeleteMy favorite book of all time, which I recommend everyone read, would have to be Hero Found by Bruce Henderson. It's about a man named Dieter Dangler who flew a bomber plane during the Vietnam War. Dieter got shot down over the jungle and was a prisoner of war along with other american soldiers. He knew how to survive in the outdoors because he grew up in germany during WWII. He and the other prisoners planed and executed an escape which lead them to freedom. This escape became known as The Greatest POW Escape of the Vietnam War.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite books of all time are the Harry Potter series. Back in 2nd grade I started to try to read these books; I thought I looked so cool with these "big chapter books." When I reached a mature age and when I could actually read these books, I was completely enthralled in the series. A lot of people have read the series and I think what's so popular about them is the sense of companionship that follows through all the books. Harry, Hermoine, and Ron went through real-life struggles in a ficitional place, letting them conquer these struggles sufficiently. It has been neat over the years to recognize that I have been growing along with Harry and his friends. And yes, I will admit that my heart broke at the end of the last book/movie, proclaiming "My childhood is over."
ReplyDeleteMy favorite character by far was Professor McGonnagal (sp?) she's a BOSS and gets anything accomplished, something I like in women.
Long Live Harry Potter
My favorite book of all time is Defending Jacob. It was something I read over the summer. It is about a district attorney who is charge of a case, but then finds out his son is the main suspect. Their family struggles throug the next year in which there are a countless number of attacks from the community. The son eventually gets off because a family friend arranges a confession and suicide by another character in the book. The main reason I read this is because I <3 Law and Order.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite book of all time is going to have to be The Bible by the author a bunch of people. I know it's sounds bad, but I have taken the time to read through it and I find some of the mini stories within it are very entertaining to read. A couple I'd have to pick out is the story of Genesis; Adam and Eve, how they betayed God had kids and spread sin. Noah and how he herded one of every animal before the flood. But, my favorite is the story of David and the Goliath and how God gives him the strength to take him out with only a slingshot and a rock.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite book would have to be "Eragon" by Christopher Paolini. It is about a boy who finds a dragon egg in the forest while he is hunting. This ofcourse turns his life into a chaos as strangers, who are willing to do anything to get it, show up looking for the egg and he must run. The book follows his trials and education in dragons as he learns about an army waiting for him to be them their best shot to rebell against a ruhless king.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite book of all time would have to be the Outsiders. I read this book while i was in middle school, it took me a very long time to read because i was not very interested in reading but once i got more and more into it i couldnt put it down. I enjoyed this book because it was a book about kids who got into some trouble and were having to deal with some tough situations. When I look back on it, I am very happy i had the chance to read that book and it ended up being my favorite book of all time.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite books of all time are The Series of Unfortunate Events. I liked these books because they are always interesting and the events that happened always suprised me. THis series was the first series that I read all the books and enjoyed reading them!
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of i absolutely love. The first book i really enjoyed was Crank by Ellen Hopkins. After i read Crank i read the rest of her seris, and they really opened my eyes about a lot of things in life like, drugs, prostitution, abuse etc. The next book is Go ask Alice, i read this book my sophmore year and fell in love with it, then i read it agian my senior year. Another book that i really like doesn't have to deal with drugs, haha it has to deal with a heart transplant, its called Heart to Heart by Lurlene McDaniel. Its an amazing book and really sad, i encourge you all to read it!! :) and i have to add the book i'm reading now. Scar Tissue by the one and only sexyyyy Anthony Kiedis who is the lead singer of The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Its about his life growing up as a child and how he developed as a rock star and its super intruiging and a book that once you start read you won't want to put it down!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite series at the moment would have to be "The Fallen" series by Lauren Kate. This series is about a girl that is reincarnated every time she encounters the guy that she has fallen in love with hundreds of years ago. In the book there is an ongoing war with "good" and "bad" angels. The series is about finding a way to work things out without ruining things for everyone.
ReplyDeletewell.. i meant i have a lot of ** BOOKS i absolutely love. haha..
ReplyDeleteMy favorite book of all time is Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. It is my favorite because my mom read it to me every night when I was a little kid. I was kind of a rebelious kid so I connected with Max the main character. I also liked eating Ramen Noodles and when Max gets his supper at the end of the book it looked like Ramen Noodles so I bonded with him like that too haha.
ReplyDeleteI don't really have one single favorite book. Of all the books I have read, Nicholas Sparks as an author really stands out to me. I can't think of a single book by him that I have read and not enjoyed.
ReplyDeleteI really liked Eragon. It has to be my favorite book of all time because it is the first book I really got in to besides things that I had to read for class. It showed me mystery,fantasy, and it also showed sorrow. I feel that in this book it was an adventure that would end in complete chaous but it kept pulling me back in.
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