Review on Winston's Blog Post, "Eldest"

http://readingbooks2479.blogspot.com/2013/02/eldest.html

     I read Winston's blog post "Eldest" about how the book relates to real life. I feel like this is very true based on his post, about how people sometimes need to do things that they are not necessarily comfortable with doing, for the sake of themselves and/or other. I agree with this statement, because if everyone were to stay in their comfort zone, then nothing would get done. No change generally means no progress.

     I have not read this book, though the post that Winston has written has made me think that it might be a good book for me to read. It reminds me of a lot of fantasy games and movies that I've seen and played, and I can find common threads between this and fantasy books that I have read, such as the Lord of the Rings series and the Hobbit. I can connect the book to my life because I've had to step out of my comfort zone in certain things, especially academics, with the spelling bee.

     I haven't read any other posts by Winston, but this post stood out among the others because it showed a full understanding of the book, and explained very well, with good thoughts on how it ties into the real world. I feel like the post is engaging because though it is rather long, it kept me hooked for the duration of the blog post. It was almost like a story in and of itself!

First Blood by David Morrell

I recently read the book "First Blood" by David Morrell. It is about an ex-military man named John Rambo, who kills a police officer. The entire book is about the chase that ensues due to this. The second main character is a sheriff named Will Teasle who is the person who chases Rambo, and the only person who survives the initial chase. I can relate to Rambo because I've felt closed in (he originally killed the police officer because the jail cell he was supposed to go into reminded him of torture chambers in Congo) and done things that I wasn't sure why I did. I can relate to Teasle because I've wanted revenge before and not known what I was getting myself into (John Rambo, though Teasle doesn't know this until the middle of the book, was actually a Green Beret, who won the Medal of Honor, the best medal in the army).

Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson

I recently read the book "Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life" by James Patterson. It is about a boy named Rafe who starts 6th grade with no friends, a nosy sister, and a mean stepfather. He gets through the year with his imaginary friend Leo, who makes up a game where Rafe tries to break every single rule in the school rule book. Many people influence Rafe throughout the book, namely Leo and Rafe's mother. Some things preventing Rafe from reaching a resolution are that though he's trying to get by, even with tutoring from a classmate he still fails classes. Many of the conflicts are internal, but there are also some external problems. A few of these are the school bully named Miller, Rafe's English teacher named Ms. Donatello, and Rafe's stepfather, who he calls Bear.