Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Quarter Outside Reading Book Review

Quarter Outside Reading Book Review Hannah Spring

True Believer by Nicholas Sparks. Warner Books, 2005 Genre: Fiction

True Believer, written by Nicholas Sparks is a novel written about love, entwined with a scientific story. It takes place in Boone Creek, North Carolina, when Jeremy Marsh investigating ghost appearances, when he falls in love with the town physic’s daughter Lexie Darnell. He later has to make a big choice to either go back home to being an investigator reporter, the thing that ruined his first marriage, but the job he loves, or be with the one he loves.

“Sparks gives his readers another reason to believe.” The book reads along with, “A romantic confection that’s as light as air, smooth as silk, and gloriously sweet.”
The writing style in True Believer is very descriptive. The dialogue is very realistic and Nicholas Sparks does a good job of conveying the author. He shows the emotions very strongly through the characters like they are his own, especially through the main character Jeremy Marsh. Jeremy experiences something he had never expected, falling in love.
To me this book was very different from other literary works by Nicholas Sparks. Although it contained a love story, which all the books I have read by him do, it contained a different twist with the ghosts, plot and setting. But it still had a very good ending.
“Her voice was soft, almost a whisper, and he looked at her. He could see the reflection of the town lights flickering in her eyes.”(pg.322)
I like to read Nicholas Sparks’ books, and that is why I chose to read this book for my outside reading book. Every book that I have read of his always has a very good climax, or ending and leaves me glad I had read the book. I first started reading his books when I watch The Notebook, my favorite movie, which was based on the book he wrote. What I enjoy in his books is how he goes into such great detail when he is describing a characters emotion or something like the setting because it gives me, or any reader a very vivid description in their imagination. The author has affected me because his pieces of writing are so well written it encourages me to read more, or write more. The one thing that I didn’t really like was how he encorporated ghosts into the story, because I don’t believe in them, but either did the main character. This book was overall very good.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Value Essay

The Value of Adventures By: Hannah Spring

Ever wonder how peoples values are so different from your own? In the United States, and all over the world, people have very different values. For some, their values are their religion, some their children, and others their million dollar homes. Americans usually have different values depending on there class. Very rich, first class Americans, or celebrities who get paid millions, usually value there cars, or diamonds, whereas people who live in the lower class, or some who have close to nothing might value there job, children or food.


I lay on the beach as the sun scorches my skin. The sound of waves is heard crashing nearby, along with the yells of people all ages. I straighten out the beach towel and enjoy the time I have left of the week vacation in Rhode Island with my best friends. The suns rays are strong, as we race to the water to cool down. The foam makes us jump, but then is a relaxing feeling. I wade in, as the waves come closer to crashing on me. I dive through an oncoming wave, a second of fear overcoming me, but then rise to the surface. I am at my favorite place, the beach for my annual Rhode Island vacation, with my neighbors for a week.
After we realize we have had enough at the beach for that day, my neighbors and I load up all of the boogie boards, umbrellas, towels, and food. We drive two minutes to the blue beach house on the ocean. We unload the car and make a dash towards the little shower. I wait my time, patiently waiting to rinse all of the sand away, and to finally relax. I later step out of the wooden shower walls and into the house. I climb up the cottages’ narrow spiral staircase to the small upstairs that contains no walls, and 7 small cots. The day is fun and we later walk down the sandy streets to get ice cream. I inhale the aroma of the salt water, hoping that I will never forget the smell. As I walk the streets I realize how hot it can be on an early August night in Rhode Island .
Over the next few days of the somewhat same routine of going to the beach and then coming home, and doing different various activities those nights, sadness starts to come over me, because I soon realize I will be departing the next day. We wake early and pack our bags. I trickily walk down the spiral staircase with two big bags, watching each step. I shove open the door with the bag and load it in the trunk of the green van. Soon everything is out of the blue cottage, and I say goodbye. We get in the van and await a long 2-hour car ride home, with the noises of kids card games and jokes the whole way.

With the key in my hand I start up the powerful engine. I swerve the blue two-seated go-kart out of my driveway and into the field. I press down the pedal and accelerate up the hill. I feel free, as the wind is against me, in the pretty field with no one around I take the wheel with two hands and pull it to a sharp right. I zoom down the fresh cut path, watching carefully for oncoming bunnies or animals that might jump my way. The humming motor reminds me to be in control, but to have a good time. I then pull out of the narrow paths, and race past my house, to see my pond and see if I can see the muskrats that occasionally swim by. I increase the speed with no sighting, and loop back around to my field. I then take a corner to sharp, and pull the reverse gear towards me. The gear shifts, and I slide backwards. I shift it forward into drive again and go back to my joy ride. The blue go-kart, given to my siblings and I is the ultimate source of fun.
After a fun ride, which usually lasts about half an hour, I pull the go-kart around my house. I am careful to stay away from things I could hit, knowing how much trouble I would be in. I take the wheel and drive into the garage, then shut off the motor. I press the red, square, button, and unlatch the seat belt.
With an automatic transmission, two seats, disc brakes, headlights, 35mph speed, and shocks, you can have a fun time with a friend, or at night. I mostly ride in the summer, because the go-kart doesn’t really work that well over deep snow. But my favorite time to ride is in the summer, because of the weather. My dad cuts paths through the field behind my house in the early summer before all of the long grass, bushes, flowers and plants grow in, so my siblings and I can race through them, and play games with the go-kart and our mini dirt bike. I value my go-kart because it gives me an sense of fun and freedom.
I value both my Rhode Island trip and go-kart very much. Although in someway they both cost money, for things like gas to drive to Rhode Island and to drive around in the go-kart, they are both priceless to me because they both provide me with travel, fun, and relaxation. They are also very much alike because I always look forward to both.

Although value may not matter in some peoples lives, its very important to me. Things that I value usually have a big role in my life, and help me. They help me relax through stressful times, or just have fun. I also value them because I am lucky to be able to have a go-kart, and also to be able to go to the beach for a week with my neighbors and stay in a beach cottage. There are also many things that are very important in my life like my family, and friends that mean very much to me. This is why value is very imporant in my life.