Predictions in 'The Choice'

Ok so I am still not very far into 'The Choice' by Nicholas Sparks.  However I still have some exciting predictions and thoughts.  Ok so in this chapter, it went from Travis's point of view, and randomly I switched to Gabby's point of view; I didn't really like how the pov changed without warning because it confused me. Anyways, gabby and Travis were in an argument because gabby is accusing Travis's dog of getting her dog pregnant.  However, by the way the argument was described and how she was ranting for so long and ended up crying, I don't think that was the only thing bothering her.  I mean she mentioned getting into a fight with her boyfriend and having a stressful week at work...

Ok so I know this sounds so cliché and predictable, but I think gabby and Travis will end up together.  Travis hasn't found anyone yet, and Gabby is in a fight with her boyfriend.  Gabby poured out her emotions to Travis, and Travis listened.  If he wasn't interested in her than he wouldn't have sat there and listened to her.  Yes yes yes that is such a normal Nicholas sparks type story line; boy and girl fall in love after going through some type of struggle. But I don't know.  There may be some type of plot twist.  I guess I will find out. Hmmmmmm.........

The Choice- characterization

 I have just began reading 'The Choice' by Nicholas Sparks.  Although i am still in the first chapter, (the chapters are long) i have been introduced to a few characters and have seen some of their personalities.  For instance, Matt has done nothing but complain;  i mean i would be complaining also if i had to spend a hot humid day lifting a gazillion pound hot tub.  Anyways, Travis is the other character who is helping Matt carry the hot tub but has a totally different approach on his attutude towards it.  He is acting humorous and is trying to get Matt to lighten up.  The following quote is a small conversation between Matt and Travis.

"This is ridiculous,"  Matt said, ......................
.... "You've already said that."
 "And this isn't fun,"  Matt grunted.
 "You said that, too."
 "And this isn't going to be easy to install."
 "Sure it is,"  Travis said.

This conversation displays both of their personalities very well.  Travis definetly has a more positive approach towards the situation while Matt seems to be a bit of a 'Negative Nancy.'  I imagine this as a humorous scene, with Matt complaining constantly and Travis attempting to cheer him up. 
I am not sure what is to come in this story; actually i have no clue considering that the only part that i have read has been about a hot tub... its a little difficult to make any predictions.. I hope i enjoy this story like i have enjoed other Nicholas Sparks books.

Final Blogging Assessment English 1B

I am a little over halfway done with The Lucky One. At this point, there are a lot of questions being asked by me and other readers. For instance, there is the forever long classic question of 'WILL THIBAULT TELL BETH ABOUT THE PHOTO?' The reason i put that in all caps is because that question or thought has basically dragged on through the entire story. Does Thibault suspect Clayton for bothering Beth's personal life, and does Beth believe it? This is the main question at the moment. (sorry im not sure if this is a spoiler or not so i apologize if this ruins anything for you...)

"You should have told me earlier." she said, frowning.
"I didnt get concerned until he broke into my house."
"And you really think he's capable of setting you up?"
"You know him better than I do."
She realized she wasn't hungry anymore.
"I thought I did."
-Beth's POV

This short conversation between Thibault and Beth really surprised me. I was kind of like 'whoa there.' in my mind... I never liked Keith Clayton from the very first chapter, and now i hate him even more. Like why cant he just move on with his life and stop bothering Beth's life??!? Yes, i know that his family basically runs the town and he would find a way to discover where they all went, but honestly it isnt fair that keith has any position to control what they do. He is a bad person. Sure, this is my opinion and some might think differently, but i am really unsure about how anyone could think differently. I mean have you not been reading the book so far? The dude literally admitted to scaring off Beth's relationships! Im not sure what will end up happening, but hopefully Beth Thibault and Ben can get away from Keith before he does any more damage to their lives.

(This picture is from the movie, when Logan Thibalt talks to Keith Clayton; and they don't like each other.)

TLO review

Ok so at last I have finished The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks.  I'm not going to say what happens at the end because major spoiler... but I will say that it is intense. I actually noticed my heart beating quicker as it got scarier.  At the very end, there is a major twist that has the reader realizing that they were thinking wrong.  (read the book if you want to know what I am talking about.
Overall if I had to rate this book I would give it a 4 out of 5 stars.  Parts of it were really slow; I honestly didn't get into it until the middle-last sections.  It was worth reading for me however; I wanted to read it before I saw the movie, and now I am able to watch it!  I hope it isn't too different... anyways... TLO had a good plot and story line and was pretty easy to keep up with.  At first I thought I would be confused by the point of view changing between Thibault, Beth and Keith in each chapter, but as the story went on it made it useful to hear all of their POVs.  like I somewhat already mentioned, the beginning was a little slow and I have to say I was kind of confused.  But just like most stories, as the book progressed, the story got better.

I highly recommend The Lucky One to anyone who likes other Nicholas Sparks novels.

Important Quotes- The Lucky One

 I am a little over halfway done with The Lucky One.  At this point, there are a lot of questions being asked by me and other readers.  For instance, there is the forever long classic question of 'WILL THIBAULT TELL BETH ABOUT THE PHOTO?' The reason i put that in all caps is because that question or thought has basically dragged on through the entire story.  Does Thibalt suspect Clayton for bothering Beth's personal life, and does Beth believe it?  This is the main question at the moment.  (sorry im not sure if this is a spoiler or not so i apologize if this ruins anything for you...)
 "You should have told me earlier." she said, frowning.
  "I didnt get concerned until he broke into my house."
  "And you really think he's capable of setting you up?"
      "You know him better than I do."
She realized she wasn't hungry anymore.
   "I thought I did."
This short conversation between Thibault and Beth really surprised me. I was kind of like 'whoa there.' in my mind... I never liked Keith Clayton from the very first chapter, and now i hate him even more.  Like why cant he just move on with his life and stop bothering Beth's life??!?  Im not sure what will end up happening, but hopefully Beth Thibault and Ben can get away from Keith before he does any more damage to their lives.

Questions in 'The Lucky One'

Alright so I am a little over halfway done with 'The Lucky One' by Nicholas Sparks.  I looovee all the books I have read by him, particularly 'The Last Song' and 'The Notebook'.  So far I am enjoying this book.  I heard the movie was great, so I will watch it when I finish the story.  As I am making my way through it, my mind is racing with thoughts.  I'm not sure if this is a spoiler or not, but if I spoil something for you than I apologize.... haha... well.... Thibault and Beth seem to be getting along better and better.  They went on their first date and both had a good time!  I still have not decided whether I want Thibault to tell Beth about the picture or not.  Knowing Beth's character she will get very frightened and creeped out (I know I would be a bit scared if a stranger walked across he country looking for me...) anywho, I want Beth and Logan together, because I know they are meant for each other!  You know when you are rooting for two people to be together in a book or movie, and when they finally get together you have a mini celebration inside your mind?  Maybe that's just me..

The main issue is that Beth's ex-husband Keith is a weirdo stalker cop who likes to get his way.. He hates Logan and will probably find any way he possibly can to separate Beth and Logan.  I have a feeling that Clayton will find out about the photo and tell Beth... Oh God I hope im wrong... I don't like Keith... There honestly wasn't a specific reason for this post, I just had some thoughts I needed to get out.  Will Beth find out?  Will Logan let guilt get the best of him and tell her?  Will Keith leave forever? (that last one was more of a wish)

Krista Ramsey Introduction Activity

http://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/columnists/krista-ramsey/2014/03/22/krista-ramsey/6760681/

Ryan and Megan were two newlyweds starting out their life together, but once Ryan's mother dies, his eight year old twin half-sisters had nowhere to go.  Ryan and Megan take on the difficult responsibility of raising these twins and try to give them a life that they didn't have before.

"We didn't know how it was going to work, but it had to work, so we made it work," says Ryan. Megan adds, "We realized we're a lot stronger than we thought, and that you can make it through anything – that's our family motto."
This is a powerful line because it proves how much they really cared about these girls, and it is an inspiration to the readers.  I loved the first sentence in the quote.  The way he repeated 'work' not only had good syntax, but it really emphasized the dedication he has.  Their family motto really inspired me and I think it has that same effect on all the readers.

Ramsey's writing style is definitely Journalistic.  It seems kind of obvious because she is a columnist, but her work is completely un-biased and states nothing but the facts.  A line that shows that style is the very first line of the article- "On April 22, 2012, life looked like nothing more than a long, smooth path to happiness for Ryan Craig and Megan Annis."

If I got the opportunity to ask Ramsey any questions, (unfortunately I was sick the day she spoke to the class) I would ask
"How do you decide which topic to write about next?"
"What made you want to start writing columns?"
"What is the best tip you have for any writers who want to pursue a career as a columnist?"

Conflict in The Lucky One

As of right now, Thibault has found Beth and is working for her.  She does not know about the picture that he has of her that lead him here, and I don't know what she will do if she finds out.  Personally I would be very creeped out if a man walked across the country looking for me because of a picture he found.  I hope Beth doesn't get too hurt, because I know her son Ben really likes Thibault and would be sad if he were stuck with his dad being the only man in his life.  Ben's dad is not a very good father to Ben and even though his parents are divorced, Ben still has to spend the weekends at his fathers house. 
  Anyways, the main conflict so far is Thibault trying to decide if he should tell Beth about the photo or not, and he needs to decide soon because if he gets too close to Beth and Ben and she finds out about it and reacts badly, everyone will be heartbroken.  (I'm not sure if that last sentence made sense but im not sure how else to word it haha)  Anywho, part of me wants Thibault to keep it a secret so him and Beth can be together, and part of me knows that Beth deserves to know the truth.

The Lucky One- Setting

  So far in the five chapters i have read, the setting of this story has been around 2005 or 2006, in North Carolina.  Anyone who has read a Nicholas Sparks book can relate that there is a 99% chance that the characters will live in North Carolina.  Thibault, who is tells one of the perspectives, was stationed over seas for the marines forces for many years. He goes back to North Carolina- or walks there I should say.  I think that it is a little insane that he would walk from Colorado to North Carolina to find someone he has never known.  Anyways, I think Sparks does a great job at describing the small town of Hampton that the story takes place in, as I read I can actually picture what the town would look like- which is probably different than others would picture it.  I guess I should see the movie in order to know for sure, but first I have to finish the story.  Sparks does an amazing job, as always, in explaining the setting that this story takes place!  I cant wait to continue on in this story!

The Lucky One- Thibault

I have read two chapters told from Thibault, and his story is pretty strange.  He has mentioned how he was a part of the Marine Corps for a while where he became close with two members on his squad.  You could tell that he cared about them, even thoigh they were all so different.  During his service he discovered a picture of a woman with a small note on the back, and he hangs it up but when no one claims it, he keeps it.  After his service is done he decides to search for this woman.  Honestly i think it is very weird that he doesnt know this woman yet travels the country looking for her.  If some hippie showed up at my door with a photo of me and told me that he has been searching for me, id be pretty creeped out.

  However, as creepy as it is he clearly will not rest until he finds her which reveals a lot about his character.  He is a determined man who continue to think of ways to find this woman.  To other people he is strange in weird, but i know he has a story and i like how he doesnt give up.

 

The Lucky One- predictions

I just began reading 'The Lucky One' by Nicholas Sparks.  I am only on chapter three, but so far a lot is going on.  Each chapter is told from a different character's perspective, and they all have different stories.  One is a cop who does some things a cop shouldn't do, and there is a hippie who has walked across most of the country in search of someone he has never known, and then there is a divorced mother who just wants the best for her son and nana.  Obviously these characters are very different yet i think something will bring them together at some point, maybe some type of problem.  I have always liked Nicholas Sparks books, so I know that i will enjoy this.  I like how the characters are being dscribed and portrayed, and i think these things help the reader to imagine and predict what the characters may be like.  This story will probably turn in to a complicated or tragic love story, from my experience reading Sparks books that is a pretty accurate prediction.  I definetly think I will enjoy this book!

Final Blog Reflections- Tri 2

http://emilyrosado.blogspot.com/2014/02/dear-john-characterization.html

         Most of my blogs have been about what I think of the book I was reading at that time.  I did, however, focus on only setting or characterization in a few.  Even though it is not my longest post, I think the blog where I talked about the main character in 'Dear John' really sticks out because I feel as though i explained him thouroughly enough for the reader to get a good understanding of who he is.  Using words such as his 'traits', his 'personality' how he likes 'different' 'charming' girls; those are a few word choices i used to describe who he is as a person.  I didnt have to include what he looked like because even though Nicholas Sparks doesnt describe his appearence very much, except for the fact that he has random tattoos on him, I feel like it is better to have the reader imagine what he would look like.  I have an image of what I think John looks like, and my image is probably different than everyone elses.  The reason I did not make the post very lengthy is because there wasnt enough description of John to last two paragraphs.  All the reader needs to understand is some personality traits, and the rest is all up to the imagination.

          Next trimester my main goal is to read more and write with more meaning.  I read most nights now, but if i am not at a really great part of my book, I cant focus and usually last about a chapter.  I need  to find books that always have me hooked, enough for me to continue on no matter what.  There are so many options to choose from , and me being the picky person that I am, its hard to find a book that I absolutely love.  As for writing, I feel like I need to focus more about what the writing means, instead of how much I am writing or what i am writing.  I feel like being in the Creative Writing class this trimester has really opened up my eyes to what writing should really be about.  I definetly enjoy it more than I used to, so that class has really impacted me.  I like writing when I am not told exactly what to write, and when I can be creative.  Next trimester, I hope that my reading and writing skills improve a lot. 

Dear John- Setting

    I am currently on Part 2 of 'Dear John'.  Up until now, the entire story has taken place on a beach in North Carolina.  However, all of the Nicholas Sparks books I have read have also taken place in NC.  I think I remember reading that Sparks lives there, so he probably knows the place so well he is easily able to write about it.  The story takes place during the time of a big war, because John is a soldier stationed in Germany.  John is on a break and is spending time back home in NC, and that is where he meets Savannah, who is there to help build homes as a project for church.  they spend time together on the beach and also in Savannah's beach home which she is staying at with a lot of other people.  
   John and Savannah spend the entire first half of the book on that beach, and in local spots around it, where they fall in love.  By part 2, John has to go back to Germany for the army, and he leaves Savannah.  They still continue to write each other, but they are very far apart.  I think this story takes place not long ago, because they use calling and emailing to communicate as well.  I do not know what happens after John is in Germany, because he is stationed there for an entire year, but I hope he gets a chance to visit Savannah again.

Dear John- Characterization

      John is the main character in "Dear John".  His life has been different than others, growing up with only his father, who is a man of very few words.  John was a troublemaker in high school, and joined the army after school to get away from his life snd hopefully get some discipline.  He returns home for a little bit where he meets Savannah, who he likes very much.  He likes her diffefent charming personality, which says a lot about his traits.  Savannah is only there for a church trip where she helps build homes, so she will not stay there long.  John loves spending time.with her, and i think she makes him a better person, even though they havent known each other long.  Not much has been revealed about John so far in this story, but i hope i can get to know his character more because he seems to really open up to Savannah, which will hopefully lead to a great future for the two of them.  Not much is described about John's appearence besides the fact that he has tattoos on him that mean random things, but Sparks does not need to describe his appearence for the reader to imagine what John may look like to them.  John is definetly the protagonist, and I think his view on his life, and especially on his dad changes for the better when Savannah enters his life.

Nicholas Sparks

 
       I ave placed a hold on the book "Dear John" by Nicholas Sparks on the Mason Public Library eBook website, so i will be able to read it on my Kindle.  It should take a few days to be available, so I will wait until it is available so i dont have to start another book.  I know I will enjoy this book because I have read lots of books by Sparks, such as 'The Last Song" and "Safe Haven"and "The Notebook" and loved all of these books and movies, and I have heard that the "Dear John" book and movie were amazing, so I decided to read it since I love his other books.
     Nicholas Sparks has all sorts of books, almost all are romance novels and they are all very amazing.  All of his stories have been New York Times Bestsellers, and has had over 89 million prints worldwide in almost 50 different languages.  He is a very well known author and has never disappointed me with one of his stories.  I could not choose one favorite, but "The Last Song" and "Safe Haven" are a few of the ones I have loved.  I cant wait to start "Dear John" because I know I will love it. 

 

Fault in Our Stars- Finished!

I finished the Fault in Our Stars very quickly, because it is extremely good.  I thought the ending was pretty good, and although I cant give anything away, I did get very emotional and surprised when the book was complete.  Overall, John Green used amazing characterization with Hazel and Augustus, making the characters have amazing depth and personality.  Part of me suspected the book to end like it did, but at the same time the way he described it was still very tragic and I did cry at the end!  Throughout the book I grew to like Hazel and Augustus's characters even better, and I think that was the goal that John was going for.
  My favorite part about this story was the connection that Green made between Hazel and Augustus, and their alike personalities that you wouldnt normally expect in a story like this.  The way that they knew that they were different but didnt care, the way they loved each other and respected each others opinions, all of these aspects of the book really made it so much better.  I loved this book VERY much, and I can not wait until the movie.

Started 'Heartless'

Before I begun to read the "Fault in our Stars' I tried reading the 7th book in the Pretty Little Liars series; a series i have been reading since 8th grade.  I started 'Heartless' right before winter break, but after getting past a few chapters, i felt like i would rather read the Fault in Our Stars because I have heard how great it is.  I will probably go back to 'Heartless', because i know it will be great, but for now i decided to take a little break from that series.  I have always loved PLL, the show and the books so I know that I would love this book if i read it.  To anyone thinking of beginning the Pretty Little Liars series I suggest starting on the first book so you can understand what is happening.  It has great characters, suspense, and surprise and i love the series.  For now i will read the Fault in our Stars but i will definetly go back to Pretty Little Liars.

Fault in Our Stars- just started

I have finished up my Pretty Little Liars books for now, and have begun a highly requested book by everyone.  I have heard so many people talk about how good the Fault in Our Stars is, so I decided it was about time I read it.  I have gotten to about chapter 6 by now, and I am enjoying it so far.  I love how positive Hazel and Augustus are about things, and how they have so much in common. Hazel is a great character in the story because she is strong, she has strong opinions, and she tells herself to stay positive which would be a hard thing to do under the circumstances.  I think that John Greene, the author put lots of thought into the characters he created to make them complex and interesting.  I am not sure what will happen next in this great book, but I cant wait to find out!
Who has read the Fault in our Stars and what did you think?