Nicholas Sparks Biography

Nicholas Sparks is the author of the book I'm currently reading. December 31, 1965 an extremely successful writer was born however, no one could ever guess. He was the middle of three children and moved around the country until he was about eight years old. Finally his family settled in Fair Oaks, California. He remained there until he graduated as valedictorian and then went to  the University of Notre Dame on a full track and field scholarship. During his freshman year Nicholas set the 4 by 800 relay which still stands today. However after that season he got injured which ended his career. He then later majored in business finance. the year after college he met his future wife Cathy Cote. When they were married on July 22, 1989 the new couple moved to New Bern, North Carolina. The first book he ever got published was called Wokini in 1990. After that he needed a more substantial job so he began selling pharmaceuticals and then was transferred to Washington DC. Then in his spare time during 1994 he wrote the Note Book. A literary agent, Theresa Park saw that it had great potential and decided to represent the book. In 1995 the Time Warner Book Group paid 1$million dollars in advance to publish the book.This is how Nicholas Sparks became the successful writer he is today. Since 1996 he has published eight-teen novels, ten of which has been adapted into films.

Backround information 1950s

The beginning of A Walk to Remember takes place in the 1950s. During this time period the United States had the most powerful military in the world. Since WW2 ended the economy was booming which meant new cars, suburban homes, and many other new developments. The Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas took place in the 1950s. This now allowed colored kids to go to school with white kids. When you hear 1950s the first thing that comes to my mind is modesty. Religion was a strong indicator of anti-communism during this time period, because of this people dressed very conservative, men wore suits and women wore dresses.   

Just like today music was a part of everyday life. In the 1950s rock 'n roll was developed from a mix of Southern blues and gospel. Billy Haley, Elvis Presley, and Jerry Lee Lewis were idolized by teens across the nation. Television became the main source of media. Newsman now could not only tell a story but also include videotaped pictures from the event. History programs were widely watched and gave viewers a new perspective. Due to the development of t.v. you would expect that radio would have a declining audience however this is not the case. Radio was still a source of information and a easier way to share music. I believe that all of these aspects will shape the book in the future and possibly impact the main character. 

Works Cited

Bradley, Becky . "1950-1959." American Cultural History. Lone Star College-

    Kingwood Library, 1998. Web. 7 Feb. 2011. 

Setting of a Walk to Remember

Last week I started reading A Walk to Remember. For those of you who haven't read this book, in the beginning it takes place in Beaufort, North Carolina during 1958. This was a small town where the roads were gravel and narrow. All year long it smelled of sea salt and pine, a scent unique to the area. To me the beach setting creates a mood that is chill and relaxing. Churches were on ever corner and that is what their lives were centered around. Landon spent his time making fun of his minister, Hegbert Sullivan. He was old and all he had left was his daughter Jamie. Every year Christmas pageants were thrown and Landon Carter was stuck sitting through every one of them. His father was a congressman for thirty years and was always out of town. In my opinion this makes the town look small and almost insignificant.

Works Cited

Ritika. "360 Degree Thoughts." 360 Degree Thoughts. N.p., 23 July 2010. Web. 1 Dec. 2013.

Favorite Book

My favorite book I read last trimester was Matched. I liked it because you weren't able to expect what was going to happen next. Also since everything takes place in the future technology would always altar the direction the story was going which made it a very interesting read. All in all this was a very hard book for me to put down. However I was a little disappointed on Cassia's character development. She started out as a complex character but then turned in to the stereotypical rebellious character that only wants to overthrow the source of power. When it came to the relationship of Cassia and Xander after she met Ky I was very confused. I couldn't tell if Cassia didn't want to talk to Xander anymore or if she just didn't have time for him. Despite Cassia's character I loved how the author introduced Ky. He was this mysterious boy that the reader didn't know much about until further into the book. This was another factor that made it hard for me to put down.

To be honest I really liked the setting. In the book it was referred to as the "society" so it didn't really have a name but it was so descriptive. The author did a good job of telling you all the rules or laws and that made a big difference in my comprehension. The rules also shaped the characters personalities which I thought was interesting. I also really liked how the author took the time to explain all the jobs and go into depth about them. I felt like this also gave a more realistic feature to the characters. Even though this book didn't directly relate to my life I felt like I could connect with the main character. Also this is another reason I liked this book. So if you are looking for a really good book I suggest reading Matched.

"Catcher Gone Awry." Catcher Gone Awry. N.p., 6 July 2010. Web. 08 Sept. 2013.

Final Reflection

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My blog about analysis does meet the requirements because the rubric says to cite evidence and support analysis of what the text says. I did this by inserting quotes and analyzing there meanings. I also tried to predict what will happen in the book based upon the quote in my book. Also based on my quote I made inferences about Eugenie and her actions. My quote describes the current conversation and predicament between Armand and Julien. In addition my quote actually shows the situation, which is thorough evidence.

Next trimester a goal I want to achieve is to read four books. A goal for writing I have next trimester is to pay more attention to grammar. Areas i would like to improve on next trimester in my reading is my speed. I read very slowly. I would also like to improve my close and critical reading skills, maybe even try some new methods. Another area i want to improve in is my vocabulary. Expanding your vocabulary comes from reading more so two of my goals go hand and hand. When reading and writing I hope to improve on identifying different plot structures and characterization methods.

analysis

In chapter 12 Armand hears that his sister Eugenie travelled to Tuileries. However he refuses to do anything about it besides worry. When the royal family returns to the palace of Tuileries, the Queen slips Armand a not that reads "save us". He takes this note back to his home who he shares with his friend Julien. When Armand tries to burn the note Julien catches him, suspecting he is up to no good he starts to ask Armand questions. They talk about the revolution and how it is nearly impossible to save the royal family. Suddenly Julien brings up Eugenie and says, "'It is high time you took her about instead of hiding her away. If you keep her amused, she will be less likely to get into scrapes'" (Elliot, 115). I think this is foreshadowing that Eugenie will get into more trouble and eventually get captured by an opposition to the revolution. From this expert I can tell that Eugenie does not think before she acts. Also she is selfish because she is not putting the risk of her family into consideration. A characterization method is being used in this passage and it is, what others think about the character. Based on this I can tell people think Eugenie is a trouble maker but childish because she is not thinking how her actions will affect others.

Ok so I'm sure you guys have all seen this Pictures in your History textbook. For those of you who don't have History this trimester this is the guillotine. I t was invented as a form of execution because it was humane and everyone had an equal death. Death from the guillotine didn't show one person's power, wealth, social class or the lack of.  After getting the perspective that is sentimental to the third estate in class, then getting a view from the aristocrat's side in my book, I wonder which side had more of a cause to the Revolution. In class we all learn that the Third estate rebelled because of unfair conditions. They were tired of producing all the food and paying all the taxes. However in my book the aristocrats think that the third estate was unreasonable. They kept them protected and made sure France had a good army to defend its boarders. I know i don't give you much to go on for the Aristocrats but who do you think had more of an impact in starting the Revolution? The helpless third estate? Or the annoyed aristocrats?

"Leftbanker." Leftbanker. N.p., 24 Feb. 2013. Web. 16 Oct. 2013.

Reading Skills.


I started reading The Pale Assassin and I haven't gotten that far in it because it is really confusing. Some questions I have are does Eugenie's father die? If Eugenie's family is considered an aristocrat then why aren't they scared of the revolution? How does the murderer escape from the party? A prediction I have is Eugenie's father dies, then she hunts down the murderer once he escapes. After trying to find him she realizes she needs help and that propels the story. Well I don't really have any text t self connections but sometimes I feel like I can act like Eugenie because I don't want anyone else's help. A text to text connection I have is this it reminds me of this one book or movie, I forget what, but the protagonist's father dies and they try to avenge his death. Lastly is a text to world connection. In the French Revolution there was a lot of death. I think that this book may be a representation of some people's life during the Revolution.

Book Recommendations



Do you like action packed novels? Well the Pale Assassin is the book for you. I t is about a fourteen-year-old girls who is used to liveing the high life and getting everything she wants. However when the French Revolution breaks out and violence is recurring she has to flee the country. When old enemies meet again Eugenie is the target and is no longer safe. Now being in a big mess of spies, secret agents, murder, lies, and traitors, her only option is survival. I didn't have a big interested reading this book but now that i am it is impossible to stop. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat i was up all night reading it. The only thing i don't like about this book is that it starts off slow and is confusing because you don't know who any of the characters are, but after the first and a half chapters the intensity pick up tremendously. If your looking for a good read thats impossible to put down then I would suggest reading The Pale Assassin.

Tone and Mood Exit Slip



The tone of my novel is serious and the mood is angry, annoyed, and belligerent. I know this because in my book it says, "Cool grassy scents drifted in through the windows, refreshing after the stench of the capital, but the cold-eyed man seated inside was oblivious to them. His mind was on murder"(Elliott 1). Another piece of evidence is "'I shall destroy your family.' And the thought of what he would do made him grind his teeth with pleasure "(Elliott 5). I just started this book a couple days ago so I don't know who the character is and if they influences others. So far the only character we know of is the assassin and his tone was not very persuasive. I know this because the Marquis did not fall for the trick to open the bag of money and count it, which would have lead to his death.

Book Recomendations



If you like suspense, action, mysteries, or science fiction you would love Matched. Matched is about a young girl Cassia about the age of seven-teen, who is told who she is going to marry at a traditional "Match Banquet". She gets paired up with her childhood best friend, Xander. So once you get your match you get a little box, inside that box is a little card and once you plug it into a computer it tells you everything about your match, witch i think is a little creepy. When Cassia puts the card into the computer someones face pops up that isn't Xander's. His name is Ky. She starts to run into Ky more and more as the book goes on, guess what she "falls in love with him". I do not like the romance even though its not a lot. I feel like the author is trying to hard to incorporate a romantic aspect. However I like all the suspense at the end of every chapter, it is defiantly a hard book to put down. Also the society , being so futuristic, is really cool yet annoying with all of the rules. Ally Condie does a really good job describing everything and I can always get a really vivid image from her description. So if you want a good read I would suggest reading Matched.

Questions



So reading this book I have a lot of questions that don't get answered and it kinda of annoys me, I like answers. First what happened to naming your country, the "Society" is not the best name. Second I assume the society in the book used to be like ours, modern day. Now everything is scheduled, organized, and basically there is a very thin line between right and wrong. So the question is why does everything have to be controlled? What form of government do they have? Also what is the purpose of the one hundreds list? The one hundreds list is a list of one hundred songs, or books, or films basically anything. They thought there world was too cluttered so they destroyed everything except for the "one hundred best" of each movie, songs, paintings, etc.

Characters



Cassia never breaks the rules. She is always on time to work, free time, the air train, dinner, and curfew. Cassia is polite, nice, and positive to other characters. Even though she is very shy, she is reasonable and intelligent. The maturity level for Cassia in my opinion is very high for her age however she does not try to act "too cool" for everything. Whenever the reader hears about other characters they all sound the same, intelligent, logical, reasonable, almost lacking a personality, except for one. Ky (which is a character i can't reveal too much) about has a unique way of think and eventually teaches Cassia how to write and other simple skills that are forbidden in the society. Everything is fine and dandy in the "society" until Cassia's Grandfather gives her a poem at the final banquet. The poem Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas in my opinion gives Cassia the rebellious spark. She start questioning everything in her society and wondering if it's right or not. Her new attitude toward everything propels the book in an interesting way creating conflict that didn't use to exist, rebellion.

Recommendations 

I dont like romantic books and when I started reading Matched thats what i thought it would be. However it is more like a book about a girl that is learning how messed up her society is and trying to change it. There are so many stupid rules and I just want to tell the characters that there life is controlled so much that it is creepy, but they don't realize it. I would recommend this book to people that like suspense because there is a cliff hanger at like the end of every chapter! Yes there is a little bit of romance but not so much that it makes you gag. Most of all I'm only on the fifth chapter and I'm already sucked into it. The plot is so interesting, entertaining and it isn't like any other book that I have read. I would rate this book so far about a 9 out of 10 because it is a little frustrating that you don't know what happened that made the society so controlled.

Reading Skills: Matched

When Cassia sees the face of another boy on the screen of her port it surprised me. I predict though that this boy is suppose to be her match because there was such a long delay for her at the banquet, the government must have made a mistake. There are some questions i have about the book though. Like why does the government fell the need to control everything? Or what occurred in the first place that led to all the drastic changes in society? What if the government puts you in a job that you don't like? Why do they decide when you die? These are all questions that i hope get answered in the book soon. I found a text to world connection as Cassia is on her way to second school. "Weed trees, my mother says. Still, she harbors a particular affinity for them because of the seeds, which are small and brown but cloaked in beauty, in these thin white tendrils of cotton" (Condie 28). The excerpt reminds me of Dandelions because they are weeds too and the seeds are brown with little white puffs of fluff around them. All of the government control reminds me of the Hunger Games, because in both societies the government is the deciding factor for everything and it is hard to overthrow it. A text to self connection I have is with Cassia. When ever i get home from a big social event my little siblings and my parents always want to know; did you have fun? Were there lots of people you knew there? Meet any knew friends? Oh did you talk to so and so? basically Im am kind of annoyed and overwhelmed by questions like Cassia.

I finished chapter two in Matched. The chapter begins with the reveal of Cassia's match. He turns out to be Xander which is very fortunate for both families. The rest of the chapter is uneventful and a little boring. As Xander and Cassia ride the air train home Cassia, contemplates how different her relationship. While i am reading her thoughts I notice how intelligent, understanding, and thoughtful she is but is almost lacking a personality beyond that. Her character almost reminds me of a robot, maybe from always strictly abiding by the rules. However Xander is the complete opposite. He has a sarcastic sense of humor and teases his friends a lot. I predict that Cassia wont want to marry her best friend and that will somehow be the root of the conflict. Or the conflict is a couple days after the Match Banquet, the government wont let the two marry because they've known each other all their lives and they cant get married because it goes against the rules? The video I have selected kind of summarizes the first three chapters if you are confused or interested.

I have started reading Matched by Ally Condie. It is about a seventeen year old girl who lives in a futuristic society where the government makes all most all of your decisions for you. They decide who you will marry, where you will work, what you will wear, and when you will die. The main character in my book, Cassia, does not see any problem with the way society is, just like all the other characters in the book. The day of her seventeenth birthday she attends her matching ceremony, a banquet everyone attends after they turned seventeen to see who the will marry. She rides with her best friend Xander who she has known since childhood. The match banquet is a huge event so everyone participating get dressed up for it. ''It is easy to identify those of us being Matched; not only are we younger than all of the others, but we also float along in beautiful dresses and tailored suits while our parents and older siblings walk around in plainclothes, a background against which we bloom" (Condie 9). When it is Cassia's turn to get matched no ones face appears on the screen. The chapter ends as a cliff hanger with the screen staying black.

"Catcher Gone Awry." Catcher Gone Awry. N.p., 6 July 2010. Web. 08 Sept. 2013.

Throughout the whole book, five year old Jack becomes more courageous, understanding, and intelligent. Once he and Ma get rescued from room, the two of them are taken to Cumberland Clinic. From their on he begins to grow and expand his knowledge of the world. When Jack first enters the clinic he was so shy. He rarely spoke or made eye contact with anyone except his mom. Also his vocabulary was really small. Over the story Jack was able to learn how to talk with other people. He became less shy and was able to carry on longer conversations with people. His vocabulary expanded a lot and he learned way more about the world then he already knew. By the end of the boy Jack was a healthy young boy, and you could even tell he had been trapped in a room his whole life. Textual evidence in my book shows how shy Jack was while trying to escape. "I go, 'Help,' but it doesn't come out very loud" (Donoghue 141).I recommend this book to anyone who likes realistic fiction or suspense.

N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Aug. 2013