Choice Read Post #4

I have just begun a new novel for choice reading.  I am now currently reading Manhunt the 12-day chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson.  I have always been interested in history and in particular Abraham Lincoln.  Lincoln has always been my favorite president ever since I was young.  He was my favorite president because of his honesty, integrity, and leadership. Those are qualities that I want people to describe me as.

The novel begins with Abraham Lincoln and his wife Mary deciding wether or not to even go to the theater to see the play.  They were unable to find anyone who was interested to go with them.  In the end, they ended up taking Major Rathbone and his wife with them.  The Lincoln's and the Rathbone's arrive late to the theater, and the play has already begun.  

Abraham Lincoln

Then the novel flashes back and explains John Wilkes Booth's plan and how he has spent his day.  His friends are also in on it with Booth.  His friends are going to assassinate the secretary of state and the vice president.  His one friend backed out and didn't kill the vice president, and the other executed, but somehow the secretary of state survived, though badly wounded.  It was very interesting to hear the story behind what his friend did to the secretary of state.  I knew that Booth had acquaintances to assist him, but it was fascinating to hear exactly what each of them did/didn't do.   

The book then switches back to Booth and his quest to assassinate Lincoln.  The novel goes into great detail of Booth killing Lincoln and the chaos that broke out in the theater after.  It goes on to discuss what doctors tried to do to save Lincoln's life in the theater.  The last part that I read was when the doctors moved Lincoln to the Peterson House. There, the doctors are still attempting to save his life.  

John Wilkes Booth

I have really enjoyed this book so far.  The detail and the first hand accounts/sources that are included make it a fascinating read.  I am really hooked and drawn into the story. It is also great because, even though you know the story of Lincoln's death, this novel discusses what happens after that.  I haven't gotten there yet, but it will discuss how people were able to track down Booth.  I am looking forward to continuing to read the remainder of this novel.  As a person who enjoys history and an Abraham Lincoln fan, this is a great book.

Choice Read Post #3

The Five People You Meet in Heaven book cover

This past week I have just completed The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom.  Over the summer for one of my two summer reading books I read Tuesdays With Morrie, also by Albom.  I really liked the first one because it really made me think about a lot of life situations.  That is what prompted me to read The Five People You Meet in Heaven.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven is about a man named Eddie who works as a maintenance man at Ruby Pier (an amusement park).  Eddie, in his eighties at the time, has worked there his entire life, as did his father.  One day, something goes wrong with a ride and Eddie is called to try and save this little girl who is stuck on the ride.  Sadly, Eddie dies trying to save the girl, but this is when the story begins.  

Eddie played by Jon Voight

When Eddie arrives in heaven, he meets five people who were all important people in his life.  On some occasions he knew the people, but other times he didn't know the people.  The first person that Eddie met was a man named Joseph (also referred to as the "blue man").  When Eddie was a young boy, he ran into the street. Joseph was driving his car, and swerved to avoid hitting Eddie.  However, he crashed, had a heart attack, and died.  The second person Eddie met was his captain in World War II.  His captain's motto was "nobody gets left behind."  One day, his captain saved Eddie's life by shooting him in the leg so Eddie would not enter a burning building.  The third person Eddie meets was a woman named Ruby, who the park is named after.  He husband Emile built the park, but injured himself.  He was sent to the hospital where Ruby met Eddie's father who was also suffering in the hospital.  Ruby tells Eddie about his father's last days, and Eddie learns the importance of forgiveness.  The fourth person Eddie meets is his wife, Marguerite.  She tells Eddie how much she enjoyed her life with him, but explains to him what happened on his 39th birthday.  Eddie was at the race track betting on horses and winning a lot of money.  He calls her and she says to stop because they planned on adopting a baby.  She then gets mad at herself for yelling at him so she drives to the race track.  However, on the way there, she gets in a car accident landing her in the hospital, ever changing their marriage.  The final person Eddie meets is a little girl.  Originally, I thought it was going to be the girl who Eddie couldn't save from the ride.  Instead it was the girl, named Tala, Eddie was going to save when he was entering the burning building.  However, she died before he could save her because Eddie's captain shot him in the leg.  She tells him that his life was worth living because he kept so many people safe at Ruby Pier.  Eddie then drifts off to heaven where he re-unites with Marguerite by the ferris wheel at Ruby Pier.  In the end, Eddie learns about love, forgiveness, sacrifice, and most importantly, everybody is connected in some way.

Ruby Pier Entrance

Mitch Albom

I really enjoyed this novel.  At times it made me stop and think about my life.  I thought about the people have impacted my life and people who's lives I've impacted.  I also thought about who I might meet even though I'm only 16 years old.  Hopefully I will live for several more years, but this book makes you appreciate life and not to take anything for granted.  Overall, I believe that everyone should read The Five People You Meet in Heaven and Tuesdays With Morrie, both by Mitch Albom.  One interesting side note that I didn't realize until the end of The Five People You Meet in Heaven was that in Tuesdays with Morrie Mitch explains that he is a sports reporter in Chicago.  After finishing the second novel, I saw a picture of Mitch, and I realized that I have been watching him on television on ESPN as a sports analyst. 

Rating (out of 10): 9

Choice Read Post #2

The Harder The Conflict Book Cover

Last month I created my first post on my choice read book, The Harder The Conflict, by Joseph H. Dempsey.  I have actually just completed the novel on Friday (November 18).  I really enjoyed the historically accurate story about young boy Jimmy Stiles and his role in the American Revolution. 

When I left off last, Jimmy had just returned home after working as an assistant to the Colonial Army.  Soon after his return home, Jimmy enrolls in the Morris Militia (as I predicted that he would).  However, his first task as a soldier isn't on the battlefield.  Jimmy and the other members of the militia were asked to transport supplies and food from the next town over to the soldiers located in Morristown.  The trip took several days because there was so much snow and ice that travel was slow.  The men made it back just in time to save the troops from starvation and frostbite. 



George Washington

While still stationed in Morristown, General George Washington asks Jimmy and his friend Aaron to listen in on a court hearing, and then report back to him after.  When they arrived General Benedict Arnold was being the one being accused of assisting the British forces.  The boys report back to Washington who absorbs the information and sends them on their way.  After looking into the trial deeper, Washington discovers that what Jimmy says is exactly what was said in court.  He wonders whether Jimmy just remembered well or has an amazing memory. 

After some time, Jimmy has his first experience on the battlefield.   The Patriot forces and the British were separated by a river.  The Patriot forces were given the task of waiting until the British fired and began to charge before they shot.  Once the British charged one began to run right toward Jimmy.  Jimmy took aim at the soldier, but missed.  Not having time to re-load his gun, Jimmy charged at the British soldier and they got into a duel with their bayonets.  Using the skills that he copied from the pamphlet, Jimmy pins him on the ground.  Jimmy rises up the bayonet, set to stab the man, but before he does the soldier says he will run away if he doesn't stab him.  Jimmy lets him go and later says that he doesn't think that he could have stabbed him.  I personally find that it is incredible on Jimmy's part being able to apply something that he copied and never practiced.

Rifle with Bayonet

Later on in the story Jimmy meets up again with General Washington who said that he has been very impressed with what he has been hearing about him.  Washington stated that he heard about the bayonet experience and was impressed with Jimmy's skills.  He goes on to say that he wants to use Jimmy’s amazing memory as a way to communicate with the French forces because their notes keep getting intercepted by the British.  So for months Jimmy travels caring messages in his head back and forth between the two sides.  Finally the two sides agree on a big move.  They want to trap the British at Yorktown.  The French send their ships around behind the British so they cannot escape by sea.  Then Washington leads the troops on land (including Jimmy) and they attack the British on land.  After a few days, the British surrender and the war has been won.

Jimmy returns home for the first time in months where his mother has not yet heard that the war has been won.  Even though she is happy about the war, she was happier to see Jimmy.  She gives Jimmy some soup and gathers the rest of the family to see Jimmy.

Soldiers during battle

I really like the book The Harder The Conflict.  I like that it was historical based and accurate, it made it much more interesting.  I really enjoyed reading the appendix of the book which talked about all the locations in the novel and the characters.  In the characters section it explained which ones were real and fictional.  Only five of the characters in the novel were fictional which is a credit to Mr. Dempsey's researching.  But just because the character is real doesn't mean their actions are.  That was the case with Jimmy.  Jimmy was a boy who grew up in Morristown, New Jersey, who was in the Morris Militia, but the story of his involvement in the war was fictional.  The one thing that I didn't get about the story was the title's relevance to the story.  It is a quote said by Thomas Paine, but doesn't relate well to Jimmy or the story.  Personally I feel that Dempsey could have chosen a better title for the novel.  Overall I felt that it was a pretty good book and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a story about the American Revolution. 

Rating (out of 10): 8.5

Choice Read Post #1

The Harder The Conflict book cover

For the past month and a half I have been reading The Harder The Conflict as my choice read book in English class.  Currently I am half way through the novel written by Joseph H. Dempsey.  Ironically, Joseph actually was a history teacher at Morristown High School before retiring, and I currently attend Morristown High School.  Joseph did extensive research before writing the book as the places and most of the characters are historically based.

The novel is set during colonial times during the American Revolution.  The protagonist of the story is a young boy, Jimmy Stiles, who is 12 years old at the beginning of the story.  At the outset General Washington has some of the United States troops stationed near the "Green" in historic Morristown.  Jimmy works in a small store in Morristown and supports the patriot cause for going to war against Britain.  Throughout the story, he encounters many historical figures, for example, George Washington, Benedict Arnold, Lafayette, General Von Steuben, and Nathaniel Greene (who has the most contact with Jimmy throughout the story).

Nathaniel Greene

Jimmy's parents will not allow him to enlist in the army and become a soldier, however, they allow him to help Washington and the Colonial army in other ways.  Jimmy proves his worth and loyalty to the army as a spy when he catches a man steal important maps and papers from Nathaniel Greene.  This man tells everyone he is part of the colonial force, but is actually a loyalist.  Once Jimmy sees him take the papers, he reports back to General Greene who then has the man arrested.  Jimmy also helps General Von Steuben.  Von Steuben has trouble communicating with the American troops due to the fact he does not speak English because he is from what today is Germany.  So with the help of a translator, Jimmy copies information packets for the troops on how to use the bayonet.

Currently in the novel, Jimmy has just returned home after almost a year away from home coping the brochure as well as helping the army in other ways.  He has returned to work for the local store in Morristown when General Green approaches him.  The general asks Jimmy of a good place for the troops to stay for the winter in Morristown because General Washington wants them to find a place soon because the winter is quickly approaching and there is preparation that needs to be done before the soldiers come.  Jimmy brings Nathaniel to the location and tells him that it will probably be another tough winter.  General Green agrees with Jimmy, but says the army cannot take another harsh winter.

Patriot Soldiers

When the army moves in at the beginning of December, Jimmy sees his friend, Aaron, who he met when he was making the papers for Von Steuben.  Aaron is nearly frostbitten and Jimmy takes him to his house where Jimmy's family will care for him.

Even though I am only half way through the story, I am really into the story and find myself pretending to be in the situations that Jimmy is in.  To this point in the story Jimmy has proven himself to the colonial army and I predict that by the end of the story and war he will switch roles from a spy/helper to a soldier.

Reading Experiences

Going back to when I was only a few years old, my parents got me involved with books.  Even before I could read I remember sitting on the couch, staring at the pictures, as my parents read the words aloud.  I recall that they would read all the time and when we ran out of books, we took trips to the Morris Plains and Morris County Library.  Despite all the car rides, I still had one favorite book: The Three Little Pigs.  I loved that book so much.  We would get every version of the book made, which included the True Story of the Three Little Pigs and The Three Little Javelinas.  This positive experience of enjoying books even before I could read set the tone for when I could read.

By the time I could read, I realized how much I enjoyed reading.  I didn't have one favorite genre or author, however I did enjoy reading sport books.  I then moved up a level of reading to the Harry Potter science-fiction novels and the mystery Hardy Boys series.  I found books very interesting as I became absorbed in them and envisioned myself as the main character either trying to crack the case or getting the game winning hit.  This led me to continue reading up to this day.  Now I still enjoy mystery books, but I also enjoy reading historical novels.  It does not matter if they are historical fiction or actual accounts of what happened.  For one of summer reading novels I read The Man who Broke into Auschwitz which was about a man who fought during World War II.  He was then captured, and was made a prisoner of war.  Then he switched places with a Jewish man in Auschwitz, realized all the horrors of the camps, and lived to share his story.

Currently I see myself as a pretty good reader because I read often and enjoy it.  However, I still have some goals for myself.  I would like to read books that are more challenging to be a better reader and improve my vocabulary. In conclusion, I have had a very positive reading experiences in my life from the time my parents read to me to present day.