Gloria’s Comments (group member since May 27, 2015)

Gloria’s comments from the Mrs. Settelmayer's Honors English 10 Summer Reading Challenge group.

I have been reading Terri Blackstock's Twisted Innocence for a while now...... I took a break midway through the book (when I got a little bored of it) to do some planning and researching for the 2015-2016 school year. I also read many short stories, many of which I will be using in class with you all this year:)
It is about a girl named Holly who was headed down the wrong path when an unexpected pregnancy made her realize she needed to straighten up. Through a chance encounter with a couple drug addicts mugging her, she meets the father of her baby again and gets caught up in a murder scheme. The love for her baby and newfound morality help her deal and make the right decisions throughout the mess she is in. Lots of action and quick-paced, but I didn't care for the writing. In addition, many of the events in his book seemed a little corny and unrealistic. I had to make myself sit down and finish the book early this morning; I do admit, I did get into the little love story woven in and all the suspense packed in towards the end.

I just finished reading The Weight of Silence. I couldn't put this book down! This story is about two families, each family trying to find out what happened to their little girl. These two girls are best friends who live next to each other, and both have disappeared out of their beds and are nowhere to be found. The author does a great job with pacing, keeping you in suspense from beginning to end. It is told from five different characters' perspectives, each chapter changing the character perspective. This was a bit confusing at first, but I got to know all five characters very quickly, and I ended up liking the switch from chapter to chapter. Very entertaining read!

I just finished Attachments. This ending is much more pleasing than Rowell's Eleanor and Park ending, even though I couldn't put Eleanor and Park down, finishing it in one night, while this book took me a bit.

Cheyenne, what's your book title?

Attachments
Im really liking this book so far! It is about a guy named Lincoln whose job consists of monitoring company emails and sending out warnings to be sure all emails remain appropriate. There are also two girls, Beth and Jennifer, who we get to know through their emails back and forth. They don't know Lincoln, and Lincoln doesn't know them, until he starts reading and becoming intrigued by their emails. This book goes back and forth in POV: one chapter will be emails back and forth between the two girls. The next chapter will be in third person focusing on Lincoln's thoughts, job, and life in general.

The emails between Beth and Jennifer have made me laugh out loud multiple times. These two girls are hilarious! So far, Jennifer reminds me of myself (no, I'm not trying to say that I'm exceptionally funny) because of the way she thinks and worries so much. I have pasted an excerpt below from one of Jennifer's emails to Beth as an example of how well Rowell uses language to develop her characters:

“Speaking of my mother, I foolishly told her last weekend that Mitch and I had been fighting about having a baby. And she sighed—have you heard her sigh? It’s like a balloon dying—and said, “That’s how it starts. You better watch yourself.”
“It,” of course, is divorce. Which she’s sure I inherited along with her straight teeth and her evil apologies. She’s just waiting. She keeps poking my marriage with a toothpick. Almost done!”

Excerpt From: Rowell, Rainbow. “Attachments.” Penguin, 2014-12-16. iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.

Check out this book on the iBooks Store: https://itun.es/us/QsLdy.l

I'm wondering if Lincoln is going to fall for one of these girls...

Hey everyone! Hope your first day of summer is going well. I will be posting in response to my first book as I read, not just at the end. You can do whichever you please. The ultimate goal is for you to read this summer and enjoy reading! Fill me in on what you are reading if you get a chance. Hopefully we all get some great book ideas from each other!
By the way, I could post a pic of the book I'm reading by clicking on the "add book/author" link right above the comment box. Then you don't have to type your book title and author.
I'll be posting my first response soon!

For those of you who are really challenging yourselves this summer and reading beyond the three book minimum, post your responses here for book #4 and beyond! Great job!!!!

Post your responses to and your review of book #3 here.

Post all of your responses to and review of book #2 here.

Post all your responses to and review of your first book here.

My summer reading goal is to read at least seven books before the start of the 2015/2016 school year.