Book Bucket List


The Giver by Lois Lowry

   After hearing many of my friends recommend this book to me I was intrigued with the almost post apocalyptic novel. This odd sort of alternate reality is that of one young mans journey through the secrets of his city and the secrets that are kept from the community. The odd nature of this book peaks my interest. This book has one many awards including the Newberry award.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

   I watched this movie with my dad and instantly fell in love with Aticus Finch and little Scout. This beautiful story is heart touching and powerful just in the short summer that it spans. The reading format is somewhat simple but still very powerful and its a book I have wanted to read for a while.

The Five People You Meet In Heaven by Mitch Albom

   When you die you will encounter five people you have effected in your short time on earth. Whether good, bad, or other, you have effected them. When Eddie's life is taken from him in a tragic accident he experiences the phenomena of heaven and these five people. This book both fascinates me and worries me due to its odd perception of heaven. I am eager to read this book though it may be a tough read.

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

   From an intense journey through a series of oxford lectures on the controversy of Christianity sprung C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity. Having won no awards and with no honorable mentions outside of having C.S. Lewis' name I am fully amendable to reading this book.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

   I had started reading this book a few years ago and could not quiet grasp it but was entranced with the story. I hope to return to its pages to finish the tale of a torn society banned from books and knowledge.

The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger

   Described as racy and mesmerizing, this book has been recommended to me by everyone from my brother to the random stranger on the side of the road. Once having looked at the book it seems to be a tale of a young man leaving normalcy to explore the uncharted territories of the dark. I look forward to reading this book and learning the mystery to its awe.

Out Of My Mind  by Sharon M. Draper
   This book is both heartbreaking and uplifting in telling the story of a young girl named Melody. Melody has cerebralpalsy and though she is one of the smartest people of her age, nobody knows it. Melody is constantly dealing with people who treat her like she isn't even human but rather a broken doll that just can't be fixed. I want to read this book because I want to understand the mind of someone different from myself.

Monster by Frank Perretti

   Set in Idaho, Reed Sheldon prepares a servival weekend but little does he know that he and his team will be the hunted. Mrs. Roepecke reccomended this book to me ensureing that it will be absolutly amazing.

   Radical by David Platt

    This book is to remind us how Christians are meant to live in this broken world and how to survive the american dream. Taking up our cross is our purpose and David Platt pushes readers to decide whether or not they can carry the weight only to relize that God carries the weight for us.

Crazy Love by David Nasser

    God is love. He created us to love. So it only makes sense to assume that if we aren't showing love then we aren't showing God. Nasser blows the senses with his jaw dropping book Crazy Love by making readers truely understand the meaning of Agape.

Rebel Without a Cause: Nobody talks to children they just tell them

“Your tearing me apart!”

I’ve heard this quote many times but never could quite understand it until seeing the 1955 film “Rebel Without a Cause”, directed my Nicholas Ray and written by Stewart Stern and Irving Shulman. James  Dean’s tragically ironic role due to his unfortunate death a month before premiering, portrays a disgruntled young man at war with himself due to his father’s “unmanly” behavior.

      His character Jim Stark is a troubled teenager among many whose record for getting into trouble is extensive. He encounters a young man named Plato who, with an unstable quality, follows Jim through his journey throughout the movie. He also meets a young woman by the name of Judy who ,despite his pretty face, has a desperate crave for male attention and fulfills it by attaching  herself to the lead dog in the situation present, which in the beginning is Buzz.  Judy’s thirst for excitement concedes her in egging on Buzz to “deal with” Jim. When an ambush and knife fight is not enough to quench Buzz’s thirst, he challenges Jim to a game of chicken on the edge of a cliff. Buzz unfortunately doesn’t make it as a tragic twist of fate causes his jacket to get hung in the car as it plummets towards the jagged rocks below. Panicked the teens scatter and nobody knows what  to do except Buzz’s  so called friend, Goon, who without hesitation  jumps at the chance to become alpha male. Jim, Plato, and Judy are driven to hide in what turns out to be Plato’s old mansion and are led to believe they are safe until Goon and the boys arrive to “clean up some unfinished business”. Plato finally snaps and in self defense wounds a boy and flees to the planetarium where he is not so cheerfully greeted by a fleet of police cars and armed policemen. Jim and Judy sneak in a try to calmly lead him out, but even though Jim has removed the clip from the gun the police impulsively shoot. Plato doesn’t make it but good does come from his death as Jim’s father finally steps up as a man.

       The three main characters all display serious daddy issues. In Jim’s case, his father just can’t seem to man up and stand up to his somewhat controlling wife who chooses to move instead of facing problems no matter the toll it takes on her family. Judy’s father doesn’t quite know how to treat his “young woman” now that she become a teenager and is giving her the cold shoulder which to her seems like abandonment. As for Plato his parents are just completely out of the picture, choosing to distance themselves as much as possible from him.  All are living in seriously unstable environments and all are desperately seeking stability.

      On surface level this movie is just another teen movie, but when examined a bit closer it shows how no matter the circumstances you’re placed in if you’re really willing you can make a family and life of your own, even if that family are just your friends.  This movie came slightly before its time in the sense that it portrays actual problems that we face but it most definatly was meant to come. Admittedly now day we might not play chicken on cliff edges or keep guns underneath our pillows. But we still have the same restless spirit as they did then and that is what makes it real. Not the events or the action, but the emotions and feelings and desires. That is what makes it real.  

The gravity of Barry

In Dave Barry’s “The Gravity of Skiing” he explains the utter terror of flying down a hill at an unmentionable speed and is actually attempting to enjoy it. His sarcastic and almost scientific voice perfectly characterizes his opinion of skiing.

          When he begins his paradoxical humor shows itself as he states “If I were designing a ski, it would be called 'The Inertia,' and the bottom would be a combination of golf spikes, Crazy Glue and Velcro.” His idea for ski design is completely defeating the point of skiing and sports in general. His idea of a perfect sport is everybody super glued to the floor attempting to get free. He displays his lack of desire for the inevitable adrenaline rush that comes from hurtling down a mountain on small pieces of wood.

Barry’s extensive use of exaggeration is displayed throughout the entire article but is uniquely shown in a few parts such as “My advertisement would be a photo of a skier standing on an extremely steep slope, such as the side of the Chrysler Building, not moving at all, just sticking straight out horizontally, like a gargoyle.” Though some of us wish we could be Tom Cruise in mission impossible, and scale buildings only King Kong has, I doubt anyone will ever wear skis that can accomplish such a feat. But it certainly gets the point across of how much Barry wishes to remain dormant whilst skiing. Barry’s expert craftsmanship at this trade is by no means amateur. This specific characteristic can be found in probably every article written by him, eulogies and all.

Barry also parades his other obvious talent for irony. He somehow portrays excitement over a sport that completely contradicts his preference of staying put” I haven't attempted to ski for years, but recently I decided to take another stab at it. I was hoping they'd done something about the gravity problem.” He later goes on to propose the perfect skis that would be able to keep an entire football team from moving.

Barry is by far one of the most hysterical columnists that I have ever read and with that being said he is also a fantastic writer. He brings life to even the dullest of topics and given the opportunity I image he could easily liven up the most morbid of events. I would defiantly consult him in speaking at my funeral.

kill 'em Crush'em Eat' em raw!

Question one:McMurtry's anecdote builds credibility for his argument because it shows that he truly loves the sport and playing it as a kid he relished the game. But as he aged and as the game became more violent he became aware of the severity of the injuries sustained in the game.

Question two: McMurtry's comparison between war and footballs is not the First of its kind. But it certainly is convincing. It's very easy to see the football field as a battle field . The concept of crushing the enemy is applied to both activities.

Question four: McMurtry makes the comparison between the business world and the football world and how easy traits from one can be used for the other. In the business world it has come down to people who will do anything and step on anyone to be the best even if it means ruining someone's life. That's not exactly a trait you want transferring.

Question seven: of course it's important. People who don't care about football( like me) would completely agree with the argument. As opposed to those go are football fanatics and want to string McMurtry up by hi toes for even considering disapproval towards football. But McMurtry is very respectful and factual is his argument. He gives both sides and defends it well