Flu by Gina Kolata

As per usual, the book I'm reading is Flu by Gina Kolata. The book goes into the 1918 virus that was sweeping the entire world, how it came into being, how they can vaccinate it, and what other factors may have caused it to be spread out. Many scientists, obviously too many to be named because in the first 2 chapters of this book alone, there are at least 20 scientists that have been named, are flabbergasted at this disease. The only thing stopping these M.D.'s and virus specialists are the other viruses that are popping up as well, including the infamous Swine Flu. Scientists have just been starting to put together the pieces of the puzzle, including animals as one of the major factors into how the disease spread and finding out that farms are also a type of "factory" for the virus. Seeing as how pigs are usually bred on farms, this is a very reliable guess as to where the virus may be "multiplying" and then forcing themselves onto those who are healthy. The healthy, as usual to how viruses spread, go into towns, which are very populated, and then end up coughing, sneezing, breathing out the virus, etc.
The discovery of the swine flu actually almost stops doctors into unwinding the secrets behind the Flu of 1918. Ironically, a few summers ago, swine flu was receiving so much fame, caution, and constant fear of people contracting it. Unfortunately, that was only one variant of swine flu. One of the earliest dated cases of swine actually happened in the same year as the great Flu: 1918. The reasoning behind this is simple: since the great influenza has been contracted into farms, then into pigs, and then into people, it is liable to say that the great Influenza virus may have evolved into one of the dangerous variants of swine flu. The book also states that, as far as we know, there are at least 2 different variants of swine flu all starting with the same symptoms: Coughing, sore throat, and runny nose. The book also states that scientists know of at least 20 different types of Swine Flu.
Many of the terms defined in this book are medically related. Some of them are distemper, which is basically the symptoms of dog flu, epidemic, wide spreading of the disease, infection, which is basically being afflicted with a disease, viral, which means that viruses cause whatever is viral, and, of course, influenza, the disease which this book is based upon and a disease which causes symptoms such as cough, fever, runny nose, headache, etc. This book only gets more and more interesting, and I only wish to read more.

Flags of Our Fathers

1. "Flags of Our Fathers"
2. James Bradley 
3.  The author's main topic is about the history of the flag raising at Iwo Jima. His father John Bradley was a medical soldier who one of the five who raised the flag in February of 1945. The author finds journals of his father and pictures. He investigates them, then goes to Iwo Jima with his family to see it now. 

• tantalizing-having or exhibiting something that provokes or arousesexpectation, interest, or desire, especially that which remains unobtainable or beyond one's reach
• invigorating-to give vigor to; fill with life and energy; energize.
• valor-boldness or determination in facing great danger, especially inbattle; heroic courage; bravery
• clamped-to fasten with or fix in
• enlist-to enroll, usually voluntarily, for military service

Pele's New World

Title: Pele's New World
Authors: Peter Bodo, David Hirshey, Pele

So far the book has covered up the majority of his soccer career. His career is slowly coming to an end as he his playing his final World Cups with Brazil. He as achieved the goal of scoring a 1,000 goals with his Santos team. Also Pele's family was introduced. He met his wife Rosemeri Cholby after the World Cup in 1958.

Vocab

1. mezzotint - to engrave a picture in mezzotint

2. tantamount - equivalent in seriousness to; virtually the same as

3. subtle - so delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyze or describe

4. yeomanly - (Historical) of, relating to

5. poignant - evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret

a long way home Memoirs of a boy soldier by Ishmael Beah

This biography has developed from the author being at home in his village to now where he is a war refugee. He goes through things that are hard to believe to be possible. He is twelve in the story and he survives in the woods alone for a month every time the author mentions a length of time that he was in a hiding place I have to read it again like when he spent a week in a bush hiding from rebels in the village. The author also let's the reader know what he is thinking about through his journeys. Along with that he shows how others are feeling through the interactions he has with them and how people are afraid of him because of his age (he is the typical recruiting age for the rebels). This book demonstrates how war affects people by the masses during a time where there is war and chaos in a country.

Stephen King The Dark Half

The book I am reading is The Dark Half by Stephen King. My book is fiction and has one main character named Thad Beaumont or his pseudonym George Stark. This book has been focused for the most part on an article about George Stark, who is Thad's pseudonym. This article is in People magazine and is titles, "George Stark, Not a Very Nice Guy". Thad is very taken by this and ends up having several mixed emotions about the article. Him and his wife have two kids who are twins. Thad decides that he has to get everything straightened out and let people know who the real man behind George Stark is and how they are not similar at all. George is described as Thad's dark side or the side that writes on rainy days. One night Thad's wife wakes up and he is not in bed and she does not hear the type writer which worries her, she decides to go see if he is up and finds him writing vigorously only inches from the page. He is working on his new book with a new name for George Stark is now dead and gone, never to be seen again. So we think.

Vocabulary

• hearse - a vehicle for conveying a dead person
• gobbledygook - unusual jargon that is hard to understand
• melodramatic - exaggerated and emotional or sentimental
• palimony - award after a break up of those who had lived together for a long time
• byline - a printed line accompanying a news story

Pudd'n Head Wilson By Mark Twain

In Pudd'n Head Wilson, a man by the name of David Wilson has moved to Dawson's Landing, Missouri from the north. He is thought to be strange and not intelligent after a comment he makes and is therefore given the name "Pudd'n Head" Wilson. The Judge of the town, Mr. Percy Driscoll, just had a son as well as his slave Roxana. The two babies look so much alike that Mr. Driscoll cannot tell them apart. Roxana is one sixteenth African American and does not even have the complexion of an African American. Her son, Chambers, is one thirty second of African American and does not look as though he is of African American descent. As a theft in the Driscoll house has just recently occurred and saw other slaves get sold down the river. For fear that her son Chambers could get sold down the river, she switches the children knowing that no one will know the difference, in an attempt to give her son a chance at being safe.

Consummated: To bring to a state of perfection.

Usurping: To seize and hold by force.

Obsequiousness: Obedient

Meekly: Humble

Unrebuked: Sharp, stern disapproval

(new book)

1. Joshua by Joseph F. Girzone, 2003

2. To tell the story about Joshua because he is new in town and everyone wants to meet him.

3. not yet

4. 1. tongue-tied - unable to speak from shyness

2. well-disciplined - having or exhibiting discipline

3. grazed - to feed on growing grass.

4. townsfolk - people of the town.

5. baffled - to confuse or bewilder.

5. The book is starting off very good but I want to know what will happen when the townsfolk go to Joshua's house.

Five People You Meet In Heaven

The Five People You Meet In Heaven is fictional novel written by Mitch Albom. At this point in the story Eddie has died and met his first person. His first person was the Blue Man who had a part in the circus at Ruby Pier. Eddie learns that the Blue Man had a troubled life and that Eddie had a part in his death. Eddie moves on to his next person who happens to be his Commander.

swagger- to walk or strut with a defiant or insolent air

bandoliers- a broad belt worn over the shoulder by soldiers and having a number of small loops or pockets

Retaliate- to return like for a like

impotent- lacking power or ability

seethed- to surge or foam as if boiling

Miss Lonely Hearts & The Day of the Locust

Miss Lonelyhearts & The Day of the Locust, Nathaniel West

He has been developing the character from bringing him to a writer who doesn't say much to a man who really starts to see how insane he is and has to go out and go do things, but he cant because he doesn't have many friends.

Seduction- going into the process of seducing someone to have intercourse with that person.

Intermittent- either coming and going at different intervals of whats going on at that time

Lining- the process of inserting layer of fabric, fur or other material.

Troupe- a company,band or group of singers, actors or especially one that travels about

Moral- pertaining to or concern with the rules.

The Turn of the Screw

The Turn of the Screw is a novel written by Henry James and was published in 1898. The Governess arrives at the house thinking it was a beautiful town but by the end of her first 2 nights she thinks it is an "ugly" town. Miles the employer's son was kicked out of school which troubled the governess. Later the Governess starts to see figures roaming around the house.

procession - continuing normally

obscure - unknown

Atonement - forgiveness of a wrong doing

scruple - feeling of doubt and hesitation

confounded - used to express and emphasize anger

Lamb the gospel according to Biff, Christ's childhood pal.

Author- Christopher Moore

This book is simplifying the story of Jesus while putting a lot of humor to keep people interested in the novel. The books Genre is still undetermined because the story of Jesus is what we believe to be true but it has a few fictional situations, so i guess i can call it Semi-Fictional. at this point Joshua finally realizes that he is different from everyone else in that he is the son of God.

Characters

Joshua (Jesus)-the messiah

Biff (Levi)-Joshua's close friend

Maggie- Joshua and Biff's best friend

Commotion- a violent motion

Mishmash- a combination of multiple things

Legionnaire-a member of any legion

Emerged-to come forth into view

Likelihood-the state of being alike

the Hobbit

Title- The Hobbit

Author- J.R.R Tolkien

Supporting Details- The Hobbit is the main character in the story, but he does not want to go because he is afraid of change. The only reason that he goes is because he is peer pressured into doing it by 12 of his friends. On the journey they encounter dragons, spiders the size of bears, and even elves. characters such as Golem drop in every now and then, but are mainly not part of the plot line. Most of their conflicts are prevented by the hobbit. He does this by putting on a ring that makes him invisible.

Huck Finn

Title and author: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain(Samuel Langhorne Clemens)1885

General purpose of the book: entertainment

Narrative hook: "You don’t know about me without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer; but that ain't no matter.

Commenced- to start

Victuals- food

Snuff- to smell something

Sivilize- to bring out of savage

So far this book is a little boring, only because it is easing into the book and giving you a good feeling about who the characters are and what they do. The narrator is unknown in the beginning but later is revealed to be Huckleberry Finn.

Ligeia

1. This title of this book is Ligeia. The author of this book is Edgar Allan Poe. This book was published in a collection of Poe books in 2011.
2. The general purpose of this book is to show his audience what it was like to be in one of Poe's romantic comedies, and how his twisted mind could somehow shape a very great story.
3. The Narrative Hook in this book, in my opinion was the line "I cannot, for my soul, remember how, when, or even precisely where, I became acquainted with Lady Ligeia."
4. Five key words in this short story were:
   Placid- Calm
   Adapt- To adjust
   Scrutinize- To observe
   Analogy- A comparison or likeliness
5. So far I have very much enjoyed this book because it has kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire book, and because it was very interesting.

Miss Lonely Hearts & The Day of the Locust

From what ive read so far this book is very interesting/deceiving but very well written. Miss lonely hearts is actually a man, who writes a column in a news paper. People write to him with there problems, in a page they tell him their problem, then in the end they ask for his advice. So hoping that he will write back, these people share there deep dark secrets to a person they don't even know. Miss Lonely hearts is a very simple room, a smoker and a drinker. He doesn't like to start anything with anyone, and doesn't care for speaking, which is weird because he is a writer. You can tell he is simple because they describe his room as the walls being bare, except for a crucifix. I haven't read much, but from what i have read i defiantly want to read more.

1) Last of the Mohicans By James Fenimore Cooper, Published in 1826

2) The story tells of the French and Indian War and how the Indians aided the French.

3) page 23 " Being little accustomed to the practices of the savages"

4) veil- fine material worn by a woman

beaver- lower part of the face guard of a helmet

artlessly- without skill

rib band- another word for ribbon

abstracted- lack of concentration

5) The book is very good so far. It is filled with a lot of detail about the Native Americans

during the war and tells of the French and Indians relationship.

the Catcher in the Rye

Read the opening chapter of your selected book and answer these questions:
1) title and author? date published?
2) general purpose of this book?
3) narrative hook? quote it.
4) define five key words from the opening chapter.
5) is your book any good? (your evaluation so far, questions you may have about what you read or about what is unfolding.

1. the Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger, 1951

2. the author tells that he will explain what happened to him himself around last Christmas

3. "If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where i was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but i don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth." - this is the first sentence of the book when it starts. I really like it because it makes the readers to be really hooked to the book. Because of that quote, I feel i want to know about this author more and read the book more

4.

1) hemorrhage - a serious bleeding inside a person's body

- A band aid is not sufficient to stern a hemorrhage

2) splendid - very good, great, impressive, beautiful

- An idea came to Beethoven of a splendid canon while sleeping in a carriage

3) bashing - strong, public, and often unfair criticism of the people or group mentioned

- Politicians are so good at bashing each other

4) manure - animal faeces, sometimes mixed with chemicals, that is spread on the ground in order to make plants grow healthy and strong

- Those pigs and their manure do smell pretty bad

5) grippe - a former name of influenza

- He is ill with the grippe so he even cannot go to school

5. The start of the book is very impressive because his tone is pretty cynical and he uses tough languages, which makes the author to be differentiated from other authors. The author has his own languages and expressions in the book. For example, you can see the word "goddam" or "hell" frequently in the book. I am curious about the author's background. He does not suggest or mention about his life in the past or background himself specifically yet.

Pele's New World

1. The title of the book is "Pele's New World". It is written by three authors; Peter Bodo, David Hirshey, and Pele.

2. The purpose of this book is to inform the reader about the struggles that Pele went though to end up on top of the soccer world.

3. The narrative hook was the first two sentences of the book which was said by Pele, himself.

"Many times, people ask me where I come from. This is very hard question, because the answer is nothing."

4. nostaglia: A sentimental longing for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.

He felt a strong feeling of nostaglia for his bed at home after several weeks at college.

carioca: A native of Rio de Janiero

Pele can be referred to as a carioca because of where he comes from.

hinterland: The often uncharted areas beyond a coastal district or a river's banks.

Feeling very curious, the boys wondered off into the hinterland.

mezzotint: To engrave.

As a sign of romance, he mezzotinted their names into the immense tree in the center of the field.

tantamount: Equivalent in seriousness to; virtually the same as

They do not realize that homework is just as tantamount to their grade as a quiz.

5. So far I find the book very good. It is very descriptive. The story line is magnificent and holds your attention. My favorite part about the book so par is how it switches from a narrator to Pele telling his actual life story.

Flu by Gina Kolata

This book is probably one of THE most interesting books I have read in all my life. Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus That Caused it by Gina Kolata, published in 1999, is a book about the, as the title states, great influenza pandemic that completely took over then entire world. The purpose of this book, at least in my opinion, is the informing and the discovering of the era of which this variant of the generic influenza, or flu, had taken the world under siege.  The quote from the book that really had me going in and reading was,

"If such a plague came today. killing a similar fraction of the U.S. population, 1.5 million Americans would die, which is more than the number felled in a single year by heart disease, cancers, strokes, chronic pulmonary disease, AIDS, and Alzheimer's disease combined."

The way it is presented is unreasonably critical to the book. It states in the most clear and precise way how deadly the that version of influenza was to the entire world, which implies that it wasn't just the U.S. that suffered.  Many people retained the illness from taking a German-made aspirin made by the German company "Bayer." Other people contracted the disease through general means: touching, breathing the air around the diseased, and sometimes by even soldiers who came back abroad who also contracted the disease themselves.

The words that had me interested in what the book had to offer were epidemic, delirium, plagues, traumatized, and deathwatch. According to the book, this variant of the usual influenza had many other names, such as "Flanders Fever" by the Germans for the initial symptom of the disease, "three-day fever" as Asia called it, and "Spanish Flu" from where the disease is rumored, at least in the book, to be originated from.

Just from the first chapter, and me wishing to be a medical professional, my take on the book is that it is one of the best medically related books I have read in my entire life. The information provided by this book is a treasure and I absolutely love the way it is presented. The book had me wanting to read more and more and I  am just jittery to read more about the history of the disease.

reading for pleasure

Title- Lamb, the gospel according to Biff, Christ’s childhood pal.

Author- Christopher Moore Published in 2003

Narrative hook- in the beginning of the story there was a quote “you probably think you know how the story will end but you don’t. Trust me, I was there.” this got me interested in reading more because I wanted to know how it ended.

Key words-

1. Bewildered- amazed or astonished

2. Stonemason- someone who works with stone

3. Earshot- within the range of sound

4. Lepers-a person with lepercy

5. Prophet-a person who speaks for god

Evaluation- I think this is going to be a very funny book that pokes some humor into religion.

Class Reading

The name of this book is Pompeii, a novel by Robert Harris. It is not quite possible to tell the purpose of this book in the beginning, but I have a feeling that it has something to do with the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The narrative hook of this story is "Already he could feel the heart of the morning beginning to build, the promise of another day without rain." This narrative hook tells you what is going on in this book: it implies that the part of Italy that they are in is in a drought. Five key words are aqueduct (an artificial channel for conveying water), foothold (a place where a person's foot can be lodged to support them securely, especially when climbing), Misenum (an ancient port in Campagna), incline (an inclined surface or slope), and engineer (a person who designs, builds, or maintains something). from what i can tell from the first chapter, this book sounds really good. I have a feeling that I will truly like this book, and it seems to me like it is the type of book that I will not want to put down.

The Murders in the Rue Morgue

The Murders in the Rue Morgue was written by Edgar Allen Poe in 1841. The general purpose of the story is to entertain and keep the reader on edge and trying to figure out the mystery. The narrative hook was " The mental features discoursed of as the analytical, are, themselves but little susceptible of analysis. We appreciate them only in their effects."

Acumen: Sharpness of insight.

Intuition: instinct, innate knowledge.

Retrograde: Having a backward motion or direction.

Susceptible: Vulnerable, unprotected.

Inordinately: Exceeding reasonable limits

I personally find the book mysterious and good because it keeps the reader on edge and continuing to read.

a long way home ( Brian Turnbull)

1. a long way gone: memoirs of a boy soldier

2. to entertain

3."I never told my friends what I had seen in the war"

4. crapes- sneakers

cassava- a vegetable that comes from a root.

refugee-someone that lost their home due to war

fatigue- tired

malnourished- not well fed or starving

5. This book is tragically sad so far but well written. It follows a boy in Sierra-Leone that becomes a refugee of war and is separated from his family in a rebel invasion.

a descent into the maelstrom, The Tales of Edgar Allan Poe

1. A Descent into the Maelstrom, The Tales of Edgar Allan Poe, 2011

2. The general purpose of this book is to tell amazingly written tales with extensive vocabulary.

3. Have not found yet

4. maelstrom - a powerful often violent whirlpool

providence - the control and guardianship exercised by a deity or God, divine intervention.

commensurate - proportional

profundity - depth, infinity

tenure - grasp, hold

5. The book is an okay tale and is not as good due to the hype of the other tales written in the novel. This tale was sort of a let down compared to the others. Although the seriousness of the maelstrom does get intense and pick up later in the story.

Henry James: The Turn of the Screw

The Turn of the Screw, a book written by Henry James and was first published in 1898. Henry James wrote this book as an anecdote, he was told a story by the arch bishop of Canterbury and wrote the book based on what he remembered from the story.

Narrative Hook: "There had been a moment when i believed i recognized, faint and far, the cry of a child"

It is a interesting ghost story that, so far, has had me on the edge of me seat.

Five People You Meet In Heaven

1) The Five People You Meet In Heaven was written by Mitch Albom and was published in 2003

2)The general purpose of the book is for Eddie too look back at his life and realize that he wasn't a waste (like he tells himself).

3)The narrative hook for me was "Oh no the cart is about to fall!"

4) arthritis-painful inflimation and stiffness of the joints

Shingles- a disease characterized by skin eruptions

Halibut- a large flat fish in the North Atlantic

Cacophony- harsh discordance of sound

Hydraulic- operated, moved by, or employing water on other liquids

5)So far I have really enjoyed this book. I like the Mitch Albom idea of having his character meet five people who have directly or indirectly affected his life. I am eager to find out if Eddie was able to save the girls from the falling cart or if his effort was futile.

Reading for Pleasure

The book I chose to read is The Dark Half by Stephen King which was published in 1989. This book starts off very normally with a man and his wife talking to each other and generally focusing on People Magazine. From what I have heard though this book takes a turn for the worst and leaves you in angst. The hook in my point of view is when you discover that Thad is George Stark who is being described as, "Not a Very Nice Guy", in People Magazine.

Definitions

1. Smorgasbord - an extensive array of things, often food

2. Pithy - brief, forceful, and meaningful

3. Pungent -acutely distressful to feelings or mind

4. Adamant - very hard, difficult to cut

5 . Smarmy - unpleasantly suave

The book is starting off a little slow but I am very interested to see where it kicks off and the fear comes into play.

To kill a Mockingbird

1. title and author? date published?

* The title of the book is called "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. This book was also published in 2002.

2. General purpose of this book?

* The general purpose of the book was to tell us a great story. The book so far is about characters from a small town in Alabama called Maycomb county. During the book it talks about Attius' clients in court. They talk about two men being put on trial for first degree murder and they were "Haverfords" a term used in the town as jackass, to plead not guilty and possibly face the death sentence. The narrator and Jem were outside one morning where they heard loud noises coming form next door. they went outside and seen the boy Charles Harris a little 7 year-old boy. The boy tells them he knows how to read and they begin to taunt him. The first chapter has a lot of great stories and filled with detail.

3. Narrative hook?

* The narrative hook of the story is " When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow."

4. Define five key words from the opening chapter.

*assuaged- to make an unpleasant feeling better

*customary-society, places, and all around

*regarded- consider or think about something or someone

*fury- wild or anger

*unsullied- clean and fresh

5. Is your book any good?

* My book so far has been very good. It is very interesting and seems to be holding a lot of great scenes. I look forward to finishing the book.

To kill a Mockingbird

1. title and author? date published?

* The title of the book is called "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. This book was also published in 2002.

2. General purpose of this book?

* The general purpose of the book was to tell us a great story. The book so far is about characters from a small town in Alabama called Maycomb county. During the book it talks about Attius' clients in court. They talk about two men being put on trial for first degree murder and they were "Haverfords" a term used in the town as jackass, to plead not guilty and possibly face the death sentence. The narrator and Jem were outside one morning where they heard loud noises coming form next door. they went outside and seen the boy Charles Harris a little 7 year-old boy. The boy tells them he knows how to read and they begin to taunt him. The first chapter has a lot of great stories and filled with detail.

3. Narrative hook?

* The narrative hook of the story is " When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow."

4. Define five key words from the opening chapter.

*assuaged- to make an unpleasant feeling better

*customary-society, places, and all around

*regarded- consider or think about something or someone

*fury- wild or anger

*unsullied- clean and fresh

5. Is your book any good?

* My book so far has been very good. It is very interesting and seems to be holding a lot of great scenes. I look forward to finishing the book.

To kill a Mockingbird

1. title and author? date published?

* The title of the book is called "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. This book was also published in 2002.

2. General purpose of this book?

* The general purpose of the book was to tell us a great story. The book so far is about characters from a small town in Alabama called Maycomb county. During the book it talks about Attius' clients in court. They talk about two men being put on trial for first degree murder and they were "Haverfords" a term used in the town as jackass, to plead not guilty and possibly face the death sentence. The narrator and Jem were outside one morning where they heard loud noises coming form next door. they went outside and seen the boy Charles Harris a little 7 year-old boy. The boy tells them he knows how to read and they begin to taunt him. The first chapter has a lot of great stories and filled with detail.

3. Narrative hook?

* The narrative hook of the story is " When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow."

4. Define five key words from the opening chapter.

*assuaged- Make (an unpleasant feeling) less intense

*customary- According to the customs or usual practices associated with a particular society, place, or set of circumstances.

*regarded- Consider or think of (someone or something) in a specified way.

*fury- Wild or violent anger

*unsullied- clean and fresh

5. Is your book any good?

* My book so far has been very good. It is very interesting and seems to be holding a lot of great scenes. I look forward to finishing the book.

Class Reading

The title of my book is Through My Eyes by Tim Tebow with the help of Nathan Whitaker. It was published on May 31, 2011. The purpose is to learn about the life of Tim Tebow and how he became what he is today. A narrative hook at the end of the first chapter was when he said "Game on" after he lost the Heisman to Sam Bradford. 1. periphery- the external boundary of a surface or body. 2. Advocate- supporter. 3. Intensify- to gain significance. 4.monotone- a consistent way of talking with the same speech sound for each word. 5.biased- to favor one over another based on personal interest.

I would say that this book is good so far with how they were at the periphery of Time Square where all the biased advocates of Tim were as his nervousness intensified on the announcement of the Heisman winner. Which was very good and it was described as a very big part of his life to when it goes back to his birth to the start of all that has happened.

The Hobbit

The novel the Hobbit was written by J.R.R. Tolkien on September 21, 1937. The purpose of this book is to take your mind off all the stress of the world and take you to a fantasy. The beginning of this book is a descriptive hook. It shows the reader about what type of world he is entering by reading the book. "In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole filled with ends of worms and a dirty smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on and to eat: It was a hobbit hole, and that meant comfort."

Adventure- An unusual, exciting, and hazardous experience over a long period of time. "The man set out for an adventure to kill a troll"

Wizard- A man with magical powers. "The wizard could cast fire out of his bare hands!"

Hobbit- A member of an imaginary race similar to humans, of small size and with hairy feet."The hobbit could run for hours and not get a single scratch on his hairy feet."

Dwarf- A small human-like creature that lives in mines or under a mountain. "The dwarf rarely left his home to go into the sunlight."

Dragon- A mythical, fire-breathing, reptile-like creature. "The dragon could set a whole village on fire in a matter of minutes with his fire breath."

this is a phenomenal book that takes you into an adventure of your own.

The Fall of the House of Usher

This story, The Fall of the House of Usher, is very dark twisted tale. The "house" in this story means two things. it means the actual, physical building, and the descent of the family of Usher. The story technically means two things. The house collapses just as the family collapses. The brother buried his sister alive after he thought she died. She came back to kill her brother. The narrator (who was following them the whole time) witnessed this and as the last of the family collapsed, so did the house, and the author barely escaped with his life. This was a great tragedy story.

MS Found in a bottle

The short story of the MS found in a bottle is a good story. The story is about a whirlpool that drags two ships into a swirl. In the whirlpool a bottle was found with a message in it. The men read the note in it, which gave them the inspiration to actually try to escape the whirlpool the letter completely changed the moods of the sailors. Even though one of them got killed on the ship. The books keeps the reader locked in and you cant wait to see if they get out.  

House of Usher

The house of Usher is at its end no more family members are left they all had passed on and no one is there. The place is old, beat up, in the middle of a swamp, and no one cares for it. I thought this short story was very unusual. In the story when Madeline is buried alive and then comes back to murder Roderick. When they die the house collapses and the narrator escapes.  

Ms. Found in a Bottle

The disaster in the story was the whole ship being entirely sucked into a whirlpool. Finding the bottle, was inspiration to strive to find their way out of the whirlpool. It keep's the reader's interest because the story has the reader rooting for the men to get their way out of the whirlpool. I didn't want to stop reading until i found out what happened to them.

"To conceive the horror of my sensation is, i presume, utterly impossible; yet a curiosity to penetrate the mysteries of these awful regions."

M.S. Found in a Bottle

This story, M.S Found in a Bottle is definitely a story that is explaining a natural calamity about the tempest and the whirlpool that sucked the two ships into a deep decent into the sea. When they found the bottle, it gave the men even more reason to get out of the whirlpool. My favorite quote from this story is " all in the immediate vicinity of the ship, is the blackness of eternal night, and a chaos of foamless water; but, about a league on either side of us, may be seen, indistinctly and at intervals, stupendous ramparts of ice, toweing away into the desolate sky, and loking like the walls of the universe.

The Story Message in a bottle was a disaster story, One of the disasters was a whirlpool, only two survivors were left after it stroke them. The people that were stuck used a message in a bottle as an attempt to communicate to someone that they were lost. I don't think the message in the bottle method is the best one but if i had to use it i would definitely would use it.

"Almighty God! See! See!"

Tell Tale Heart

In the story, the tell tale heart, you read about a man driven by madness to kill his employer. He sneaks in on his victim, and slits his throat. After killing him, he dismembers his body and hides the parts of the body under the floor boards. when the police come, he stays there and invites the police in to see the condition of the place. when the police think its safe, the man cracks and confesses that he killed the man and hid him under the floor boards.

This story is so twisted, the reader wonders if Poe was mad. I was very intrigued by the story expecially when the murderer cracks and tells the police. it was an entertaining story, and i enjoyed reading it.

House of Usher

The House of Usher, Is about the household of the Usher family. The Usher family is at the end of it's line, and no body in the family is left to care for the house. The condition of the house symbolizes the downfall of the Family. It is in the middle of a swamp, the windows are shattered, the gardens are overgrown, paint is peeling, and the wood is rotted. The story is narrated by an unnamed person, who follows the end of the lives of the last Usher descendants, Roderick ,and his twin sister Madeline. Even though the story starts out dark, it takes a sudden twist as Madeline is buried alive, but comes back to kill Roderick. As they die, the house collapses and the narrator barely escapes with his life.

this story, was very entertaining. I think it was one of Poe's best works. the ability to create such a dark image with his words, left the reader enchanted by the twisted events told by the narrator.

MS Found in a Bottle

The story, MS Found in a Bottle, explains how one notorious whirlpool which dragged two ships into the swirl. Once the bottle was found (which surprisingly survived the rough waves of the ocean) the men read the note and what stood out was how they felt someone knew it was happening. This gave the men great relish to escape the fierce whirlpool. This whirlpool even killed a man on the ship. "the ship is quivering-oh God!-and going down!", was one of my favorite quotes.

Tell Tale Heart

This tale was good but insane. A man goes crazy because he doesn't like another man's eye, therefore he kills him. The killer get's away with burying the dead body under the floor. It's amazing what guilt can do to one self. He was so guilty he thought he heard the old man's heart beat as he was walking. This man could not live with such guilt that he confessed to the police.

Message Found in a Bottle

The story Message Found in a Bottle is a disaster story. One of the disaster that the sailors encountered was the whirlpool that killed everyone but two people. People used the message in a bottle method because it was very mysterious and people can ascertain about the people missing. The message kept me wanting to read to story because you could read the message in the bottle at any time you would like.

"Almighty God! See! See!"

The House of Usher

The story of The House of Usher is a little creepy in my opinion. The "house" in the story is a family named Usher and there were many descents of the them but it all ends with two people, a brother and a sister. The house itself and the people of the house are dying and suffering. The brother thinks his sister ends dying from from a kind of miasma but she comes back from her interment and kills the brother.

"There was a iciness, a sinking, and a sickening of the heart."