Book Review

1.      The Hunger Games:

In The Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins has created a fascinating dystopian world. Reading the Hunger Games can lead to interesting discussions about our own world and how reality shows, threats of war, authoritarian governments and obsession with fashion trends influence us daily. Due to the darkness of the story, it is best suited for teens and adults rather than tweens. We consider giving this book with 4 star or above average.

2.      Ender’s Game:

It should go without saying that science fiction and young adult’s fiction are not considered the most prestigious literary genres. Together with romance and crime, they belong to a vast, unregulated world of bestselling books that attract scarce critical praise. And yet, some of the works that come from this milieu continue to capture the attention and imagination of its reader's years after their release. We consider giving this book with 3 star or average.

3.      Twilight:

There's a reason more than 10 million Twilight series books are in print. Twilight, the first in the series, is the addictive story of two teenagers –- Bella, a regular girl, and Edward, a perfect gentleman and a vampire. This is the type of book you might read in just a few sittings, becoming engrossed in its fantastical world and oblivious to your physical surroundings. While not the next great thing in modern literature, it's a fun book to get lost in and comes to an end much too quickly. We consider giving this book with 2 star or below average.

Write Up

Week 13 (13.05.2014)

For the last meeting, we can conclude that The Hunger Games is the best book to read. Second is Ender’s Game and the last one is Twilight Saga - Twilight. The rate we give for this three book are 4 star or above average for The Hunger Games, 3 star or average for Ender’s Game and 2 star or below average for Twilight. All this book is suitable for adults an d teenagers to read.

Discussion - Twilight

Week 12 (09.05.2014)

After the book reading session: 1.      Do you like this book? Why or why not? Ø  Yes, I like to read this book. This is because; it suspense, horror, romance and have strongest emotion when you read this book. I love this book, because it make you want to find you true love and want to feel the emotion of love. 2.      What rating would you give for this book? Ø  We consider giving this book with 2 star or below average. 3.   What spoilers would ruin this book if you told your readers about it? The spoilers that could ruin this book, when you told there readers about what happens at the end of Twilight story. For example, can Bella and Edward be together, what kind of obstacle that will prevent them to be together and what happen to Bella, will Edward turn Bella to become a vampire. If you answer this entire question, it can be spoilers to this book. 4.  All books teach a lesson (theme or moral). What did you learn from this story? Ø  Choices - Personal choice pops up as a huge component of all the action in Twilight. Bella chooses to pursue Edward even though it's a dangerous. Edward chooses to engage in a relationship with Bella even though his instincts tell him that she's his prey. Ø  Love - Twilight is a story of forbidden love. Because Edward is a vampire and Bella a human, Edward technically should consider Bella his prey. While Edward does love Bella, his primal instincts lead him to thirst for her blood. Similarly, Bella's natural instincts should warn her that Edward is dangerous, that she should stay away from him, but instead she craves being near him at all times. Ø  Good vs. Evil - Generally, vampires are seen as evil. They're considered "monsters" in cultural lore. Most vampires give in to their desire for human blood, but the Cullens don't. It's not easy for them, but Carlisle's mission to avoid "evil" acts is focused and strong-willed enough for the Cullens to successfully live without partaking in their natural craving for human blood. Overall, in Twilight, being good or evil is a decision an individual makes, rather than being an uncontrollable fate. Ø  Strength and Skill - Bella and Edward's relationship is ironic when it comes to strength and skill – she's a klutz with zero muscle power, and he's a smooth-stepping superhero (well, "bad guy" from his perspective). All vampires are much stronger and faster than humans, making them dangerous predators, but some of the Cullens have extra "skills," such as Edward's mind-reading and Alice's ability to see the future. Bella's immunity to Edward's sixth sense makes her all the more interesting and appealing to him. Vampires also have impossibly acute senses, which give them another upper-hand over the human population. But for all their physical advantages, vampires seem to have a harder time controlling their primal urges – mainly, their hankering for human blood. 5. If you were the author of the book, how would you end the story differently? Ø  Edward’s should give advice to Bella to stay away from him and his family. As we know, Edward don’t want to hurt Bella and he care about her safety. 6.   What title would you give for your review? Ø  Eternal love

Discussion - Twilight

Week 11 (02.05.2014)

During the book reading session: 1.      Before deciding on the book, what are the determining factors that attracted you to the book? (Author, genre, book cover, reviews you have read?) First of all before I read this book, someone tell me that this book was very good to read. The book tells us about a forbidden love between human and supernatural. So I try to find this book and read it. So far, the stories tell us about a young girl falling in love to a vampire. Stephenie Meyer has stated that the apple on the cover represents the forbidden fruit from the book of Genesis. It symbolizes Bella and Edward's love, which is forbidden, similar to the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, as is implied by the quote from Genesis 2:17 that are quoted at the beginning of the book. It also represents Bella's knowledge of what good and evil are, and the choice that she has in partaking of the "forbidden fruit", Edward, or choosing not to see him. 2.      Who are the 5 most important characters in the book? List out the names of the characters playing them. Ø  Bella Swan Ø  Edward Cullen  Ø  Jacob Black  Ø  Alice Ø  James  3.      What is the story about?      Twilight is about a seventeen-year-old girl named Bella Swan, who moves from her mother's home in Phoenix, Arizona, to live with her father in her birth town of Forks, Washington. There, she becomes intrigued by a student, Edward Cullen. Edward saves her life on multiple occasions, exhibiting super-human qualities. Bella learns from family friend Jacob Black that legends say the Cullen family are vampires. Edward eventually admits to this truth, though his family hunts only animals, not humans, through moralistic choice. Edward constantly warns Bella against being with him, perceiving her life to be at risk if she continues to associate with him because the scent of her blood is so much more powerful to him than that of any other human. Bella's love and confidence in Edward's restraint is such that his warnings go unheeded, and on an outing with the Cullens she becomes the target of a sadistic vampire, James. With his family's help, Edward is able to save Bella from James' predations, but Edward is still unwilling to change Bella into a vampire himself 4.      Which group of people would you recommend this book to? Ø  Teenagers Ø  Adult

Book Reading Session - Twilight

Week 10 (24.04.2014)

Third book we read - Twilight.       Find a new words/phrases and the meaning of that words. Words/phrases - meanings       Omnipresent - present everywhere       permeable - allowing a liquid or gas to pass through       bulbous - shaped like a bulb       hover - to wait somewhere, especially near somebody, in a shy or uncertain state       claustrophobia - an extreme fear of being in a small confined place       hyperventilation - to breathe too quickly because you are very frightened or excited       devastatingly - extremely shocking to a person       Inconspicuously - not attracting attention       enthusiastically - feeling or showing a lot of excitement and interest about       vividly - producing very clear pictures in your mind       shuddered - to shake because you are cold or frightened       cryptic - with a meaning that is hidden or not easily understood.       contradicted - to say that something that somebody else has said is wrong, and that the opposite is true

Discussion - The Hunger Games

Week 9 (17.04.2014)

After the book reading session: 1.      Do you like this book? Why or why not? Ø  Yes, I like to read this book. This is because; the story is a violent, jarring, speed-rap of a novel that generates nearly constant suspense. It make you heart beating fast, to read what happen next and how the person try to survive from other contender. 2.      What rating would you give for this book? Ø  We consider giving this book with 4 star or above average. 3.      What spoilers would ruin this book if you told your readers about it? Ø  The spoilers that could ruin this book, when you told there readers about how Katniss survive from other contender and how her save Peeta from giving up his life. 4.      All books teach a lesson (theme or moral). What did you learn from this story? Ø  The novel "tackles issues like severe poverty, starvation, oppression, and the effects of war among others. ”The novel deals with the struggle for self-preservation that the people of Panem face in their districts and the Hunger Games in which they must participate. The citizens' starvation and their need for resources, both in and outside of the arena, create an atmosphere of helplessness that the main characters try to overcome in their fight for survival. Ø  The Hunger Games Themes is all about power, society and class, love, strength and skill, appearances, politics, competition, and sacrifice. 5.      If you were the author of the book, how would you end the story differently? Ø  The story about The Hunger Games are only part one from three part of the story. So the end of the story must not be change, otherwise the story from part two will not published. But if is no continuous from this book, we suggest that the will some angrier from other district and overthrow the old Capitol and establish a new government. Or we can end the story by telling the readers about how Katniss unify the twelve Districts and overthrow the capitol, that make their life ruin because of the annual hunger games. 6.      What title would you give for your review? Ø  Survival

Discussion - The Hunger Games

Week 8 (12.04.2014)

During the book reading session: 1.      Before deciding on the book, what are the determining factors that attracted you to the book? (Author, genre, book cover, reviews you have read?) Ø  Book cover - The original black cover features an alternate version of the mockingjay pin designed by Tim O’Brien with the mockingjay holding an arrow in its beak. Ø  About the book - The book received mostly positive feedback from major reviewers and authors. "The Hunger Games is a violent, jarring, speed-rap of a novel that generates nearly constant suspense. I couldn't stop reading." - Stephen King. "I was so obsessed with this book I had to take it with me out to dinner and hide it under the edge of the table so I wouldn't have to stop reading. The story kept me up for several nights in a row, because even after I was finished, I just lay in bed wide awake thinking about it. The Hunger Games is amazing." - Stephenie Meyer. 2.      Who are the 5 most important characters in the book? List out the names of the characters playing them. Ø  Katniss Everdeen Ø  Peeta Mellark Ø  Gale Hawthorne Ø  Cinna Ø  Rue    3.      What is the story about? Ø  Each year, for 74 years, the Hunger Games have taken place, forcing 24 children from 12 districts (one boy and one girl from each district) between the ages of 12-18 (who are chosen at the annual Reaping ceremonies) to kill each other as punishment for the rebellion initiated by District 13. This year seems no different for Katniss Everdeen, until her younger sister, Prim, is called to participate. She takes her sister's place as tribute to save her sister from certain death. Ø  Katniss will do anything to survive, even if she may have to go against her own moral standards. But when a fellow tribute reveals his affection for her and another begins to act like and remind her of her sister, it becomes harder and harder to figure out how to survive without killing those closest to her. 4.      Which group of people would you recommend this book to? Ø  Teenagers Ø  Adults