le book review number thirty-four~ horton hatches the egg

title: horton hatches the egg
author: Dr. Seuss
personal star rating: 4/5 stars

When Mayzie the bird decides she needs a vacation from sitting on her egg, Horton passes by and she asks him to stay on her nest so she can take a break. Horton says this:
"You want a vacation. Go fly off and take it.
I'll sit on your egg and I'll try not to break it.
I'll stay and be faithful. I mean what I say."
"Toodle-oo!" sand out Mayzie and fluttered away.

Horton sat and sat and then he has the adventure that he would never expect. He stays with the egg through all types of weather.
He says to himself,
"I meant what I said
And I said what I meant . . .
An elephant's faithful
One hundred per cent!"

Although he was laughed at he refused to break his promise. This says a lot about Horton's loyalty. I adored reading this book and think it's a great follow up about Horton.

le book review number thirty-three~ horton hears a who

title: horton hears a who
author: Dr. Seuss
personal star rating: 5/5 stars

Horton the elephant is a large animal with an even bigger heart. He believes that everyone is someone despite their size. I find this to be very cute and fun and shows that everyone is somebody.

Even though nobody can see the Whos on the little speck of dust, Horton heard them and made it his mission to keep them from harm.

But with a kangaroo who at first refuses to believe, Horton has to come to their rescue on more than one occasion. And Horton proves that sometimes you just have to listen really hard to hear what's right in front of you.

memorable moments from this book are:


"I'll just have to save him. Because, after all,
A person's a person, no matter how small."


"I've got to protect them. I'm bigger than they."

"While Horton chased after, with groans, over stones
That tattered his toenails and battered his bones,
And begged, 'Please don't harm all my little folks, who
Have as much right to live as us bigger folks do!'"

"'Of course.' Horton answered. 'Of course I will stick.
I'll stick by you small folks through thin and through thick!'"

le book review number thirty-two~ if i ran the circus

title: if i ran the circus
author: Dr. Seuss
personal star rating: 4/5 stars

Morris McGurk has a dream to open a circus behind Sneelock's store. His ideas are remarkably imaginative and the recurrence of Sneelock helping him was humorous and also incorporated wonderfully.

I definitely think the artwork inside was an important factor in the entire book. The way the illustrations bring each event and creature to life is admirable. I thought it was funny and cute.

Morris's big idea is described with great detail. I admire the creativity.

le book review number thirty-one~ if i ran the zoo

title: if i ran the zoo
author: Dr. Seuss
personal star rating: 3.5/5 stars

I really wanted to give it a full 4 stars. There was one particular racial stereotype that made it lose that half a star. I understand that it was published in 1950, and since then we have become more sensitive towards this any type of racial difference. I think it was still a wonderful read but gave me pause to think about how far we've come with books nowadays that are directed at children and how they are all about including each type of person. I find that the equality is a wonderful thing. But I also love Dr. Seuss and that's why I still gave it 3.5 stars.

It's wonderfully imaginative and the creatures that Gerald McGrew creates are intriguing and unique. I definitely have much respect for the pictures, it gives such detail to the animals that Gerald wants for his zoo. I think the NERD was my favourite part. It made me smile and laugh.

le book review number thirty~ the lorax

title: the lorax
author: Dr. Seuss
personal star rating: 5/5 stars

I was at the library on Saturday afternoon and was looking for books for a school assignment. It involved analyzing a children's book. I ended up taking out several books just for fun. So here we go.

I adored reading this book. I watched the movie when it came out and reading this book was just amazing. I think everyone should pick up this book and enjoy sitting around reading it for a few minutes. It's nice to just read it aloud for the fun of it.

It's a touching story about saving the trees. It's a must read for anyone, and anyone can enjoy it.

A few wonderful, amazing, and memorable moments are as follows:

"I laughed at the Lorax, 'You poor stupid guy!
You never can tell what some people will buy.'"

"I, the Once-ler, felt sad
as I watched them all go.
BUT...
business is business!
And business must grow..."

"I meant no harm. I most truly did not.
But I had to grow bigger. So bigger I got."

"And all that the Lorax left here in the mess
was a small pile of rocks, with one word . . .
'UNLESS.'"

"'But now,' says the Once-ler,
'Now that you're here,
the word of the Lorax seems perfectly clear.
UNLESS someone like you
cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better.
It's not."

My shelf this Monday

It's Monday. And this week I have a ton of books in a nice TBR pile. And I thought I'd share the books.

From the public library:
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (a re-read)
This side of paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Poirot's Early Cases by Agatha Christie
Miss Marple: complete short stories

Currently Reading:
12,000 inspirational quotations
the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy by Douglas Adams

from the school library:
killer by sara shepard

books on my shelf (this weeks challenge if i find time):
the boy in the striped pajamas

realistically speaking i plan on by next sunday to have read:
the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy
killer by sara shepard
poirot's early cases by agatha christie
and hopefully finish up the quotations by next sunday.

So feel free to leave a comment telling me about the books you plan on reading this week and tell me if you've read any books from my list. Or maybe if you're planning on reading them too.

good luck, best wishes, stay gold, don't die.

le book review number twenty-nine~ tuesdays with morrie

title: tuesdays with morrie
author: mitch albom
number of pages: 199 pages (including the afterword)
personal star rating: 5/5 stars

from the inside cover:
Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher, or a colleague. Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it.
For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwarz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago.
Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded, and the world seemed colder. Wouldn't you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you, receive wisdom from your busy life today the way you once did when you were younger?
Mitch Albom had that second chance. He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man's life. Knowing he was dying, Morrie visited with Mitch in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final "class": lessons in how to live.
Tuesdays with Morrie is a magical chronicle of their time together, through which Mitch shares Morrie's lasting gift with the world.


first sentence:
"The last class of my old professor's life took place once a week in his house, by a window in the study where he could watch a small hibiscus plant shed its pink leaves."

Everyone has a person who have shared part of their lives with you. Mitch Albom has a beautiful way of portraying emotion while telling a story. Tuesdays with Morrie is filled with insight, wisdom and overall messages on the true important parts about life. I purchased this book the same time I bought two other Mitch Albom books. As an author he is exceptional. I found myself reading this book and feeling so much. Morrie had a positive outlook and that even though he couldn't be happy all they time, he made the most out of his situation. He made a decision that so many people don't consider- Morrie decided to live. I have to comment on Mitch Albom's writing style. It is very unique and splendid. I adore being able to read something that is so honest and pure. There is so much to be learned from this book. I find that we learn a lot through Morrie about our own lives. Although the book isn't the first novel you'd expect a teenager to want to read, I highly recommend it. It has life lessons that people of any age can learn and appreciate.

memorable moments number nine~ tuesdays with morrie

memorable moments:

tuesdays with morrie

by mitch albom

page: 4

"...when he smiles it's as if you'd just told him the first joke on earth."

xxx

page 12:

"He was intent on proving that the word 'dying' was not synonymous with 'useless.'

xxx

page 40:

"So which side wins, I ask?

'Which side wins?'

He smiles at me, the crinkled eyes, the crooked teeth.

'Love wins. Love always wins.'

xxx

page 51:

"'One day, I'm gonna show you it's okay to cry.'"

xxx

page 57:

"How useful it would be to put a daily limit on self-pity."

xxx

page 61:

"'You see,' he says to the girl, 'you closed your eyes. That was the difference. Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel. And if you are ever going to have other people trust you, you must feel that you can trust them, too - even when you're in the dark. Even when you're falling.'"

xxx

page 63:

"And I suppose tapes, like photographs and videos, are a desperate attempt to steal something from death's suitcase."

xxx

page 65:

"We all need teachers in our lives."

xxx

page 79:

"'A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.'"

 - Henry Adams

xxx

page 80:

"'Let's being with this idea,' Morrie said. 'Everyone knows they're going to die, but nobody believes it.'"

xxx

page 82:

"'The truth is, Mitch,' he said, 'once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.'"

xxx

page 157:

"'In the beginning of life, when we are infants, we need others to survive, right? And at the end of life, when you get like me, you need others to survive, right?'

His voice dropped to a whisper. 'But here's the secret: in between, we need others as well."

xxx

page 164:

"'Forgive yourself before you die. Then forgive others.'"

xxx

page 170:

"'Tell you what. After I'm dead, you talk. And I'll listen.'"

xxx

page 174:

"'Death ends a life, not a relationship.'"

xxx

page 178:

"'In business, people negotiate to win. They negotiate to get what they want. Maybe you're too used to that. Love is different. Love is when you are as concerned about someone else's situation as you are about your own.'"

le book review number twenty-eight~ wicked

title: wicked
author: sara shepard
series: pretty little liars - book 5
number of pages: 310
personal star rating: 3/5 stars

from the back cover:
In Idyllic Rosewood, Pennsylvania, four very pretty girls just can't help but be bad. . . .
Hanna will stop at nothing to be Rosewood's queen bee. Spencer's digging up her family's secrets. Emily can't stop thinking about her new boyfriend. And Aria approves a little too strongly of her mom's taste in men.
Now that Ali's killer is fainlly behind bars, the girls think they're safe. But those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it. And they should know by now that I'm always watching . . . .

~A 

first sentence:

"Wouldn't it be nice to know exactly what people are thinking?"

After the death of Mona they all thought that was the end of A. And with Ian arrested, everything would be coming up roses, right? Wrong. This book, although not as well written in my opinion still had the drama and new introductions. I was surprised in many places and found the end to be completely shocking. I notice a lot of changes from the show and I like that there are different directions. I think that the writing isn't too difficult to understand and it's a pretty quick read but it's a nice book to sit down on a snowy saturday (which i did today).

le book review number twenty-seven~ the girl who kicked the hornet's nest

title: the girl who kicked the hornet's nest
author: stieg larsson
personal star rating: 4/5 stars

from the back cover:
Lisbeth Salander - the heart of Larsson's two previous novels - lies in critical condition in the intensive care unit of a Swedish hospital. She's fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she'll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will have to prove her innocence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge. Once upon a time, she was a victim. Now Salander is fighting back.

first sentence:
"Dr. Jonasson was woken by a nurse five minutes before the helicopter was expected to land."

review:
In the final installment in the Millennium trilogy, we get the conclusion of the Salander story. I found this to be the book i didn't like as much as the other two. It was still remarkably mysterious but I found it didn't have as much impact as the first and definitely not as much as the second. I found that the loose ends tied up in an unexpected way. However, I was not disappointed for a minute. There were a lot of interesting plot twists and turns and I was constantly surprised. Overall, I enjoyed it a lot.