Barnes and Noble

Since I usually blog about books, I figured I would dedicate a blog to my favorite bookstore Barnes and Noble.

Granted, I'm probably a little biased since I work there, but even before I got a job there I loved going in there. They give readers a chance to sit down a browse through books while sipping on their white chocolate mocha (or whatever their choice of drink is from Starbucks) and enjoy the atmosphere. 

Plus, there are hundreds of books. Sports, gardening, children, fiction, history, language, romance, religious, computer, mystery. Almost any type of book you could think of. Barnes and Noble also has a staff (I noticed this long before I started working there) that is really helpful and understanding. 

If  you like to read and are looking for a place to go, give your local Barnes and Noble a try. Curl up with a nice drink from Starbucks in one of the comfortable chairs that are floating around, and get lost in the pages of a book while the music that plays over the intercom soothes you. 

Harry Potter

So, I know most people are thrilled that the "Twilight" movie is coming out in November now. I am excited, yes, but also a little disappointed to hear that Harry Potter got pushed back.

I've read the Harry Potter books since I was young. My mom used to read them out loud to my sister and I on car trips. As I grew older, I found myself re-reading the worn pages of our hardcover edition, which I still do to this day. I have (finally) come to terms with the fact that the series is over, and it might be a while (Twilight is great, but it's just not Harry Potter,) before we see another series like that.

My favorite in the Harry Potter series is "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix." I must admit I was disappointed in the movie, because they left out some of the best scenes in the whole novel. I won't spoil them here (hopefully more will people read the books now.) 

It was fun growing up along side Harry Potter and his friends Ron and Hermione. The struggle with good and evil is something I think everyone deals with and as a child it was nice to have examples of how people's goodness can outweigh the bad. 

If you haven't read any of the Harry Potter series, I encourage you to do so. Especially if you like to read. I find something new in the series each time I read it, which goes to prove that the novels aren't just for kids. Or maybe, just maybe, they will let you escape back into your childhood. With a little bit of magic from Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. 

"Nineteen Minutes"

Some people take a 19 minute shower. It takes 19 minutes to drive across my town if I catch the green lights. In the novel "Nineteen Minutes," it takes Peter Houghton 19 minutes to walk into his high school with four guns and kill 9 students 1 teacher. 

 I've read a lot of books in the past few years. I read all the time. But no book has affected me nearly as much as "Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Picoult. This books sheds light on bullying. The question it raised for me was really a touchy subject. When do the bullied start fighting back? And who has the right to judge another?

 The book is littered with main characters, each playing a significant part. Alex is the judge on Peter's case. She is also the mother of Peter's childhood best friend, Josie, who was hurt in the attack. Lacey is Peter's mother. Patrick Ducharme is the detective that works on the case, trying to get inside Peter's head. All these characters are essential to the novel. 

 Reading this book in high school completely changed my perception. What is constituted as bullying? When is it taken too far? When do the bullied become the bullies? How can we stop it? After reading this book, I realized that these questions are present outside of high school and can define who we are as people and as a society. 

 Read Nineteen Minutes. I hope it gets you to see that bullying is a serious issue. 

 That's it for this post. Have a good night and be safe.

Ace

Finished My Novel and August Rush

Hey everyone,

So I finished up "Where the Heart Is" and I must say it was an amazing read. I had already seen the movie, but at the same time I felt as if I was seeing Novalee in a completely new light. I didn't think about the movie version at all. It was exceptional.

Now, I know I usually stick to writing about books, but I wanted to blog a little bit about a movie I watched recently. My mom had been talking about August Rush for a few weeks now. Well, I finally sat down and watched it in full last night and I was blown away. The acting was great, the music was great. It was just a heartfelt story.

Anyways, back to books. So I had written about To Kill A Mockingbird earlier. Tonight, I met a young man named Atticus. It was so cool. He says he's never read the book, but seen the movie several times. His mom wants him to know where he got his name. Meeting him was great.

Anyways, that's it for this post. Be safe and have fun.

~Ace

broken arm...

So my blogs will be kind of short in the upcoming weeks, since I broke my arm recently. That being said, I want to talk a little bit more about the novel I am reading "Where The Heart Is."

I find myself walking along beside Novalee Nation as she and her daughter Americus get settled into their new life in Oklahoma. I've laughed and cried. and I am barely halfway through the novel. It seems to get better with every page I read.

All right, that's going to be it. Have fun and stay safe.

-Ace

Where The Heart Is

Novalee Nation is a poor 17 year old that is left by her boyfriend at a Wal-Mart in Oklahoma. 

Where the Heart Is tells Novalee's story as she struggles with raising a baby and figuring out where she truly belongs.

She meets great people along the way. Sister Husband is an recovering alcoholic that takes Novalee and her baby girl Americus in. Forney Hull is the local librarian, who opens up to Novalee and falls in love with her. Lexie Coop, a kind woman who has a thing for attracting the wrong men, becomes her best friend. And Moses Whitecotton helps Novalee discover that she can do anything she really sets her mind to.

Willy Jack, Novalee's ex, tries to make it as a singer. As he struggles to achieve his dream, Novalee sees all of hers coming true. She eventually figures out that "where the heart is" isn't where you live, it's where you feel happy and alive and secure. And family doesn't have to be the people God gave you. It can be the people you choose. 

There is a film version of Where the Heart Is, with Natalie Portman giving an excellent performance of Novalee. It features a great cast and (so far at least) seems to follow the book closely. 

I usually don't read books off Oprah's book club list since most are not the "easy reads" I want to read while in school. I don't have time or energy to read Anna Karenina by Tolstoy or The Road by McCarthy. However, I was immediately drawn into Novalee's life and her interesting story.

Give it a chance; you might just like it.

-Ace

"Remember It's A Sin To Kill A Mockingbird"

To Kill a Mockingbird is only one of the best books ever written. It is still required in most high school reading lists, as I believe it should be.

Jem and Scout. Brother and sister. Best friends. Throughout the story we follow Jem and Scout's adventures through town (mostly involving the newcomer Dill and Boo Radley.)

Their father, Atticus, is the hero of our story, at least in my opinion. Knowing he would be creating problems, Atticus did the right thing and defended an African American who was accused of raping a white girl.

At the beginning of the novel, Scout and Jem are two children who admire their father because he is their father. By the end of the novel, I believe that they admire him because he is a decent man who does the right thing because it's the right thing to do. Not to gain anything.

Readers see that Atticus has his children's best interests at heart throughout the novel. He teaches them to read (earlier than he was supposed to, according to Scout's teacher when she first starts school) and helps them learn values. He shows them that money isn't the most important thing by letting people "pay" them any way they can, whether with food or goods or money.

Click here to read about an overview of To Kill A Mockingbird.

Everyone should check out this book. At least give it a chance. You'll grow up right along side Scout it seems.