Elijah Browning

http://animoto.com/play/zi03J1XCa45tRLNuQjQJ3w

http://animoto.com/play/F4v9WxLJ4uJKTrAUkDrk0w

Conclusion

     This year's English class has been quite interesting. The blogs were definitely the most unique thing I've probably done in any English class in high school. I remember at first everyone was kind of weird about it because we weren't sure how it would go and didn't know what to do with a blog. As time went on, I think it all just flowed better. We were allowed to post practically whatever we wanted, and whether or not it worked, it was a pretty comfortable system for all of us. Exploring different parts of the internet for class was pretty cool, and as more and more people are getting smartphones, it's going to be easier and easier to do a lot of different kinds of activities in class.
     Read for a Lifetime had a better list of books than I had expected it to. None of the books I read were what I would call bad. I was kind of disappointed with Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, but from then on I liked all of the books that I read. The Boy Who Dared was a really cool story about a teenager in Nazi Germany who could spot all the wrong that was going on around him. The combination of historical facts and implements of fiction made the story seem a lot more real. Five Flavors of Dumb was also really interesting. The concept itself was different as the idea of being deaf usually makes people think that music is out of the question. My own personal connection to music made this book even more interesting because I think that music is something that everyone can enjoy, even if music is simply vibrations to you. Rules of Attraction proved to be a good sequel and this assignment actually gave me an excuse to finally pick it up and read it. Of course, I think it'd be even better if we just got to choose our own books, but overall I believe that the blogging mixed with Read for a Lifetime worked out well.

Romance

     The romance genre has been around for a long, long time. The romance novel was a literary genre that was developed in Western culture. In the traditional sense of the genre, these novels must have an emotionally satisfying or optimistic ending. This is obviously not always the case, but it was how it was set up. Romance novels are the most popular genre in modern literature in North America. In 2004, it was recorded that 55% of all paperbacks sold were of the romance genre. Romance novels appear in 90 languages, but English is by far the most common as most of these authors come from the English-speaking countries.
     One of the earliest romance novels was Samuel Richardson's popular novel in 1740 titled Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded. It was a revolutionary novel, having focused entirely on courtship and throughout the whole story, told it from the point of view of the female. In the next century, Jane Austen expanded this genre with multiple books. The most famous and debatably most popular novel was Pride and Prejudice. It is often considered the epitome of the genre. Many more writers to come would increase and expand the genre, including authors like Georgette Heyer and Kathleen Woodiwiss. Woodiwiss's book, The Flame and the Flower brought forth the modern romance genre. It was also the first single-title romance novel to be published as an original paperback in the United States. The genre has further developed in the decades that followed, including all the works by Simone Elkeles.

Animoto!

Here's a quick little animoto trailer I put together!

http://animoto.com/play/G3JYd5OtEzTMi7w6NW28Dg

Links!

http://www.simoneelkeles.net/oldsite/index.html
This is Simone Elkeles's site. Here you can read her biography, contact her, and check out all of her books.

 http://www.simoneelkeles.net/oldsite/rules.html
This is the specific site for Rules of Attraction. It tells you were you can go to buy the book tells you all of the awards it received including being put on the Read for a Lifetime list!

http://www.ielanguages.com/spanish1.html
There's a lot of random Spanish in the book. It's all relatively basic, but here's a site so that some of the phrases can be easier to understand.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7137775-rules-of-attraction
This is a site that gives a basic summary and gives you links to buy the book. There's also a long discussion about the book and tons of user reviews saying whether or not you would be interested in the book.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhEx0kaUlrU
This is the book trailer. They've made trailers for each of the books in the Perfect Chemistry series.

http://www.bookchickcity.com/2011/02/book-review-rules-of-attraction-by.html
This is an online review of the novel. It's from a girl's perspective, so a guy probably shouldn't follow it. To be completely honest, a guy probably wouldn't enjoy this book.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Mafia
Gang violence is a big part of the issues that Carlos deals with. This page gives an overall history of gangs and criminal activity in Mexico and how it's affected different areas of the United States.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_food
Mexican culture is brought up a lot in this book. Carlos is very proud of it, including the food section. This site gives a history and overview of current Mexican cuisine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile_repair_shop
Carlos and Kiara eventually settle down and run an auto shop together. This is a small page describing the different kinds of shops there are and specialty places.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8662836-chain-reaction
Here's a site to check out the next and final book of the Perfect Chemistry series. So if you read Rules of Attraction and enjoy it, looking at the next book in line will probably work out well.

Pictures!

Cover.


The story's set in Colorado. Kiara likes the mountains and woods in Colorado.


Carlos is immersed in his culture. He teaches Kiara about real Mexican food.


Carlos runs into issues with gangs. This is a Mexican gang sign.


Carlos proves to be a very skilled soccer player, giving entertainment to Kiara's little brother.


Kiara's dad was in the military, and in the end Carlos decides to join the armed forces to be worth something.


Kiara is a big fan of hiking. She brings Carlos hiking once when he decides to follow her because she's ignoring him.


Love is obviously the major plot to this story. Carlos and Kiara pass racial and cultural boundaries in this process.


Both Carlos and Kiara share a love for cars. In the epilogue they show that they have an auto shop of their own.


The third book of the series is already out. I have not read it, but here's the cover.

Rules of Attraction

     Rules of Attraction is the by Simone Elkeles. It's the sequel to Perfect Chemistry but with different main characters. Perfect Chemistry's main characters are still involved in the beginning of the story, but Alex's little brother and a girl that works for Alex are now the center of the tale. I was a pretty big fan of Perfect Chemistry so more stories about the Fuente boys sounds like it could have potential. I went into this book with a lot hope, thinking it would be pretty good. It was yet again a romance novel, with the same kind of hispanic and gang conflicts as in the first book.
     After reading the book, I have decided that Elkeles is an author that I would be interested in reading in the future. Rules of Attraction was definitely not Perfect Chemistry. It's hard to beat the original, but it was definitely a good read. At first I wasn't too sure about it because I found the main character, Carlos, to be much too irritating. I was glad that Elkeles changed the personality of the main characters though. I was a bit wary that it was going to be practically the same book. In the beginning, I found Carlos to be nothing more than a brat. He's given all these opportunities that his brother, Alex, didn't originally have. His mother sent him up from Mexico to for better education and a better chance in life in general. He just acts like he doesn't care and wants to leave. He's disgusted with his brother for being chained down to his "gringa" girlfriend and leading a steady life. Alex is no longer the cool, rough member of the Latino Blood that he remembers. He feels disappointed and betrayed, as if Alex had given up his roots and forgotten about his family.
     While you grow to understand Carlos, this all proves to be very frustrating as his attitude seems unnecessary. The main girl in this book has good potential. Unlike in the last book, this girl isn't exactly popular. She's more of an introverted nerd. Kiara has a stuttering problem and has one real friend. She proves to be surprisingly daring though. Throughout the book, Kiara manages to bring out the true Carlos. While at the beginning, Carlos is determined to be a jerk so as to not get close to anyone, he later learns to open up a little more and let Kiara see how he really is. I don't want to give any spoilers away, but the book was a good read, and I hope that the third book she's released is just as good.

Coming of Age

     Most of the Read for a Lifetime books are what one would consider of a coming of age novel. It turns out that there is a more specific term for this type of book. Bildungsroman is by definition, "a literary genre which focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood." This basically means that the book focuses on a time period where the main character is growing up, but not necessarily to an adult I find. They just have to mature and be faced with an issue that makes them have to realize the real world. This genre of literature originally came from folk tales of a dunce or youngest son who goes out into the world to seek his fortune. The goal is maturity, and the journey to that is hard and long, but eventually they do and become a part of society.
     In Five Flavors of Dumb, one could most definitely say that it is coming of age. In this story though, I wouldn't call Piper a generally sensitive character. Like any decent character, she can get emotional, but overall, I'd say that she rather has a pretty strong personality. It's definitely dealing with an adolescent growing into adult years though, considering that she is preparing to go to college. Piper proves to be a rather interesting protagonist in this sense. She's very independent, smart, and witty. She'd probably make for a pretty decent friend, although like any other adolescent, she has her faults and her immaturities. She gets angry and jealous very easily, even saying things that might hurt her sister's feelings even though she cares so deeply for her. I wouldn't want to give away the ending, but I would consider Piper's journey into adulthood a very good read, as are many other books in this genre.

Music

     This book is all about music. Five Flavors of Dumb concentrates so much on how important music is in our lives. It shows how music can change and motivate people to do something with their lives. Not only do they go into what the characters feel when they hear music, but even Piper herself, who cannot hear, feels exciting from watching the music and feeling the vibrations. I really loved this book for that reason because I felt like it truly showed how anyone and everyone has the ability to enjoy music. It proved that music can touch us all and it doesn't matter what supposed "handicap" you possess. 

     This story even went so far as to look into the lives of two talented, yet destructive musicians. Two people who succeeded in the music world and truly felt what they were making. In all the videos I've seen of Kurt Cobain, he seems so in tune with what he's singing. He doesn't care about the things around him or what the people might be saying. He just seemed to devote his life to his music, and the short life it was, whether or not you liked his music, definitely made a mark on the music world. Their second icon was Jimi Hendrix. The one that many call the greatest guitar player ever. In the story, they went to where he grew up, in a shack. He is a true 'from rags to riches' story. Jimi Hendrix rose up from supreme poverty to become one of the most beloved artists of all time. It was unfortunate the both turned to drugs and caused so much damage to themselves, but if you overlook that, and simply see their love and talent in music, they truly seem like the perfect role models for a rock band.  

Animato Trailer!

A short, simple, free animoto trailer of Five Flavors of Dumb. Enjoy!

http://animoto.com/play/SEx2jR917eMCS5RkO3CbJg

Links!

http://antonyjohn.net/index.php
Plain and simple, this is the page of the author, Antony John. It contains actual background information on the author, so that we can get to understanding him better. Also, if you like the book, there's upcoming books that the site will advertise.

http://www.forever27.co.uk/forever/
In the story, they specifically focus on two big rock stars who died at the age of 27. It turns out that there are a lot of rock stars that have died of this age, to the point that it's actually kind of creepy. This is a site dedicated to those musicians who are a part of the "27 Club."

http://www.lifeprint.com/
In Piper's life, sign language is her favorite and easiest method of communication. In the world today though, there are not many people who know how to sign, including myself. Out of genuine interest, I have put this link up, as a way of starting that education.

http://www.all-guitar-chords.com/
In a rock band, one would expect the guitar players to know how to play a good number of chords. It turns out that two of the guitarists are quite ignorant, and Piper's little brother has to help out. This is just a site dedicated to showing all the chords and variations of the guitar.

http://www.nad.org/
This site is the National Association of the Deaf. It's the premier civil rights organization in the U.S. made for and by the deaf. After learning what feels like the genuine feelings of a deaf character, I feel like one can't help by try and see what they can do for the deaf.

http://www.hardrock.com/
The band is most definitely under the category of hard rock. This site is more connected the idea of hard rock cafe, but it's also got a lot to do with rock itself. The story might've been about a deaf girl, but it's also just as much about music, specifically hard rock.

http://jezebel.com/5018950/can-changing-your-hair-change-your-life
Most of the time, we only think of how your hair looks as a big accessory to your physical appearance. In the story, it shows that a new haircut can make you feel alright again. This is just a simple article trying to address that very idea.

http://www.hearingplanet.com/purchasing-hearing-aids.php
There are many different types of hearing aids for different types of people. It has a lot to do with the level of hearing that one has as well. This site gives valid information on hearing aids and a detailed procedure in how to pick one that best fits you.

http://www.seattleweekly.com/music/
Just like in first quarter, it seems that the story is set in Seattle again. Instead of showing the same home page of Seattle, I figured it'd be best to put it with the music scene in Seattle. I, myself, have heard many good things about the music scene in Seattle. I think this site will actually expand that knowledge and keep one up to date on all things music in Seattle.

http://www.theresabook.com/2010/11/book-review-five-flavors-of-dumb-by-antony-john/
Finally, here is a well done review for the book. It gives a good overview of what the book is about and should interest anyone into reading it. I hope that in the end, this site could convince someone to read the book.

Picture View

[This is one of Piper's supposed methods of understanding people. Her hearing aid from childhood does not help her as much as one would hope though.]


[This is the best way the Piper has to understand people. Lip reading. Although she is perfect at this, this can be limited too simple, the turning of one's back to her.]


[Overall, to almost every deaf person you'll meet, this is the most preferred method of communication. This effects Piper a lot because her dad's lack of sign language shows how he chooses to ignore her due to his disappointment in her loss of hearing.]


[Piper has a person secretly sending her messages to help her understand music, specifically rock and roll. Initially, she is told to go see Kurt Cobain's house. In learning about Cobain, she started to understand the nature of rock and the passion that some have for it. Kurt Cobain was a unique individual who brought his non-mainstream band to popularity and ran a powerful, destructive life until the all to soon end at the age of 27.]

 
[This was the second rock god that Piper was sent to. She visits where he grew up, and the shack that he grew up in shows how hard life was for him growing up. All that he had to hold on to was his love for music. He grew to be one of the best guitarists of all time. He also belonged to the unfortunate 27 club.]


[One of the main issues with the band is that they weren't really together. They were all separate players, and in music, listening to each other is vital. Piper had to get the band united, both musically and team-wise.There has to be some kind of pulse or beat, which wasn't fulfilled until...]


[The band couldn't even play together before Piper brought Ed over. Ed is something of a percussion genius, a talent that he's gained from his mother and worked on in his own time. In many areas of music, such as orchestra or band, percussion tends to be made fun of, but as shown in this book, they truly are important. In a sense, they are the foundation for a band, keeping it together.]


[Throughout the whole story Piper is trying to find her herself and change the things that she thinks need to be done in order to complete her own self. Whether or not it was taking up the challenge of music or getting into music itself, there are many opportunities for Piper to just leave and stay as she's always been.]


[As with every story that I like to read, there is an underlying theme of friendship. These main characters do not all start off well with each other, but by the end they have all gained a better understanding of the others. They proved to not only be able to form together as a band, but as people too.

Five Flavors of Dumb

     In starting the year, I actually had wanted to read this book first. Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John is a book about a mostly deaf girl who starts managing a rock band. Not only did it have a unique plot, but the writing style appealed to me. It seemed very humorous, in the sarcastic kind of way that I like. It's proved to be quite a good novel, going pretty deep into the weaknesses of people. It's most definitely a novel that would be called "coming of age" in the sense that while it's technically about the main character trying to manage a rock band, it's really more about her and the other characters in trying to find themselves in their last year of high school.
     The main character's name is Piper. Piper wasn't born deaf, but it wasn't a surprise when her hearing steadily got worse. Both of her maternal grandparents were deaf, and it quite obviously had to go down the genetic line at some point. Her parents are very insecure about this issue and, as most people would, find it to be quite devastating. Her father seemed to completely reject everything about it and refused to learn sign language. Piper uses a hearing aide and can read lips. That's how she ends up getting by, but it doesn't work all the time, especially since the hearing aides only sort of work in a quiet space. This leads us to the next issue of the story, that her little sister was born deaf, but they spent money to let her hear. Their family isn't all that rich though, so they delved into Piper's college funds, that her grandparents had saved for her. Honestly, this was a betrayal to them, considering that they were not ashamed of being deaf, and the idea of using all the money to "fix" someone, would've been both an insult and a disappointment to them.
     That only slightly goes into the idea of how we perceive weakness. In general, people will feel sorry for the deaf or the blind, but in all reality, is it really that bad? Just because Piper is deaf, doesn't mean that she's missing out of life. Sure, she can't hear, and it can be awkward talking to people, but all in all, she has dreams that she wants to fulfill and a life that she can live out. I know that I've started the blog on quite the late time, but I hope to properly show the issues that have come form this story of a deaf girl, breaking the boundaries and taking life into her own hands through the most beautiful thing that she can't hear, music.