Julius Caesar review

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to be betrayed by everyone you know? Your friends, your enemies, and your piers? Julius Caesar experienced this emotion just seconds before he was assassinated. His friends that he loved so well killed him with envy in their hearts. William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar grips the reader with strong emotions ranging from every end of the spectrum and a malicious plot to kill a beloved leader.

Julius Caesar was a successful political and military leader favored by his fellow Romans. He was loved so well by both plebeians and patricians. He was offered a kingly crown three times by his closest friend, Mark Antony. But, being a true Roman, he refused it all three times. Yet one nobleman, Cassius, became jealous of Caesar. Because he lacked the power and influence to turn Rome against Caesar, Cassius decided to drag Brutus into the fight. Brutus didn't give in so easily, but when Cassius forged letters that appeared to be from fellow Romans, Brutus feels that the only way to preserve the Roman way of life is to kill the person who threatens it--Caesar. When Cassius brings many other noble, honorable men into the plot, it becomes a conspiracy. The conspirators then corner Caesar and when he least expects it...murders him! With Caesar dead, the conspirators begin to cheer and shout "tyranny is dead!" But when Mark Antony makes his speech about Caesar, the feelings towards the conspirators turn from grateful to angry. Cassius and the others soon realize what their envy has caused.

William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar is a gripping story with tales of betrayal on every page. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a book with a good historical basis but an interesting twist on the characters.

Simple Genius review

Have you ever wondered what its like to be a private investigator, knowing top secret information that can be the difference between you solving a murder case or becoming a murder case yourself? In the world of Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, this is a normal occurrence. Sean and Michelle are partner PIs (private investigators) that have near-death experiences regularly. This time, they're called to investigate the murder of Monk Turing, a brilliant mathematician for the genius establishment of Babbage Town. David Baldacci's Simple Genius teased my brain and kept me on the edge of my seat and guessing until the very end.

Sean and Michelle, the two main characters, have been through a lot together. They've gone through near-death experiences and shared top secret information together. One has always been there to back the other up in tight situations. But when Michelle walks into a bar and gets in a fight with a guy twice her size, things start to change. Sean worries deeply about Michelle's well being. After hours of contemplation and a phone call to an old friend, Sean decides to put Michelle in a mental rehabilitation institution. Michelle goes willingly, but after spending time there, begins to notice strange activities going on, with her own healing process to deal with on top of that. Meanwhile, Sean gets a new case to investigate a murder in the small, isolated village of Babbage Town. After a quick overview of the case Sean notices one important detail--the murder took place on CIA property. Because the murder was on government soil, the FBI would be involved. This proves rather troublesome for Sean. When Michelle is "cured" and meets Sean in Babbage Town, she discovers just how strange this case really is.

Aside from Sean and Michelle, there are other important characters in the story. Viggie Turing was Monk Turing's daughter. The problem with Viggie is that she always speaks in code. She's a prodigy when it comes to numbers, but when it comes to dealing with real life problems, she shuts down and does not let anyone inside her mind. She is very important to the story when it comes to solving the case because she has vital information needed. Then there's Horatio Barnes. Horatio is Sean's friend who is a psychologist. He tries to cure Michelle at the rehab, but she leaves before he can finish. So he is put on the case by Sean. He then tries to cure Michelle in Babbage Town while trying to help the case by talking with Viggie. From the CIA, there's Ian Whitfield and his "wife" Valerie Messaline. Ian is the supposed leader of Camp Peary, the CIA camp where the murder took place. Len Rivest is the head of Babbage Town. He was murdered while Sean was in Babbage Town investigating Monk Turing's murder. His murder added more suspicion and confusion to the case. Lastly, there's Champ Pollion. From the beginning of the story, he doesn't seem like a very prominent character. But do not underestimate Mr. Pollion, because he has a very important part in the story.

David Baldacci's Simple Genius is a mesmerizing and entertaining story with an interesting plot, many eccentric characters, and a surprising ending. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery book.

407 pages

Randomness!!

Because I lack a better subject to discuss, I'm blogging about randomness. Everyone knows what randomness is. Every person on this planet will be confronted with it at one point in their life. Some person will come up on the street and say something to you that makes absolutely no sense at all. Perhaps a person will come and give you a random hug. No matter what the act of randomness may be, everyone will experience it at one time or another.

The dictionary definition of randomness is "proceeding, made, or occuring without definite aim, reason, or pattern." This definition is certainly true when it comes to randomness. My little brother, Chris, is one of the most random people I know. He goes down the hallway at school and hugs people that he doesn't know, talks to people that hate him, etc. My little cousin, Calli, is 4 years old and is also very random. I was at her house when her dad, my uncle, came home and said "how was your day, Calli?" She didn't reply for about a minute so he started to walk on. Then she turned to him and yelled "I LIKE PUPPIES!" Best random moment of Calli's ever.

Randomness is so very random that I might even consider it a disease. It seems that it may also be contagious. I believe this because it looks to me that randomness transferrs from one person to another. When you spend a great amount of time around a random person, you too become random. By the way, I like tacos(:

Being Thankful

These are the top ten reasons I am thankful for Thanksgiving:

1. family- I am thankful for my family because they are always there to support me when I need them.


2. friends- I am thankful for my friends because they are always there for me when I'm upset and are always there when I need help.


3. health- I am thankful for my health because I am healthy and alive and don't have any health problems to worry about.


4. NO SCHOOL- I am thankful for Thanksgiving break because there is NO SCHOOL!!


5. T.V.- I am thankful for Thanksgiving break because I get to watch more T.V.!


6. food!- I am thankful for Thanksgiving because of all the yummy food!!


7. sleep- I am thankful for Thanksgiving break becuase I get to sleep in! :D


8. home- I am thankful that I have a home to live and sleep in.


9. games- I am thankful for Thanksgiving break because I can play more games with my brother and sister.


10. BREAK!- I am thankful for Thanksgiving because I get a break from everything!!

Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens review

Sean Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens is a self-help book designed with problems that teens face in mind. In my opinion however, Sean Covey is not a teenager therefore he does not understand the pressures that teens deal with these days. Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens drags through its suggestions to deal with social pressures as well as problems within the teen and gives bad advice.

Habit 3, Put First Things First, is a habit suggested by Sean Covey to help teens take control of their lives and keep them organized. In my personal opinion, the way Sean Covey wrote this habit was not helpful to teens. I, being a teen myself, found this habit hard to follow and apply to my life. I think that Sean Covey is too outdated to understand the issues teens have these days. Teens these days have different ways of making sure that they have all of their assigned tasks done on time. I personally prefer to stay disorganized because it helps me remember everything better.

Sean Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens is an offensive book that attempts to "help" teens control their lives and emotions and I do not recommend this book.

Numbered List

So I was sitting in CBA with Mr. Alen Richardson discussing what I would blog about. We sat at my computer and talked for quite a few minutes about potential blog posts. We came up with many interesting possibilites (okay, so maybe they were all failures), but as many of you know, Alen is a fan of Chuck Norris. As a result of his influencing my decisions, I was going to list Alen's top reasons why Chuck Norris kills people. But then I started thinking hard about this subject, and deemed it inappropriate (partly because I don't want Chuck Norris to come find me...I know he will!). Instead of listing the top reasons why Chuck Norris kills people, I am going to list the top 10 Chuck Norris jokes of all time! So...enjoy!(:

1. Chuck Norris has counted to infinity...twice.
2. Chuck Norris will never have a heart attack. His heart is not nearly foolish enough to attack him.
3. Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding.
4. Chuck Norris can set ants on fire with a magnifying glass. At night.
5. Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door.
6. There is no "ctrl" button on Chuck Norris's computer. Chuck Norris is always in control.
7. Chuck Norris can eat just one Lay's potato chip.
8. Chuck Norris can kill two stones with one bird.
9. Chuck Norris destroyed the periodic table, because he only recognizes the element of surprise.
10. Chuck Norris can sneeze with his eyes open.

So those are the top 10 Chuck Norris jokes, at least according to the author of a how-to website.

The DaVinci Code review

Imagine growing up learning one thing, then all of a sudden, you are told the truth, that you were taught a lie, just as generations of people before you were. This is how Sophie Neveu feels. She was taught growing up that Jesus was immortal, a bachelor, and that the Holy Grail was a chalice that Jesus drank from at the Last Supper. But the night that her grandfather, Jacques Sauniere, is murdered, a long chain of events and codes leads Sophie and her new friend Robert Langdon to a shocking secret. Sophie and Langdon find the legendary keystone of the Priory of Sion, which will lead them to the real Holy Grail, the bones of Mary Magdalene, Jesus’ companion. Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code entertained and teased my brain with many codes and riddles.

The setting of The DaVinci Code is in Europe, and changes to many different areas of Europe throughout the story. The story begins in Paris, France, where Jacques Sauniere is murdered inside the Louvre Museum. From then on, the main characters Sophie and Langdon are sent throughout Europe to many popular, historical locations.

The characters of The DaVinci Code are colorful and diverse. Robert Langdon is a Harvard professor from the United States who is in Paris to give a lecture on symbolism. Interestingly enough, Langdon is a symbologist specializing in pagan symbols and the Sacred Feminine. This fact makes him an important asset to the group who seeks the Holy Grail. Sophie Neveu is the granddaughter of Jacques Sauniere and a cryptologist, which also makes her important to the story. Silas is an Opus Dei monk who participates greatly in corpal mortification, a practice of Opus Dei. Silas is an albino, which makes him quite the interesting character. He is working against Sophie and Langdon. There are many other interesting characters throughout the story that come in and out such as Captain Fache, the Teacher, and Sir Leigh Teabing.

I would recommend The DaVinci Code to anyone who enjoys books with codes and riddles and surprising twists scattered throughout the story.

489 pages

Twilight review

Have you ever been so in love with someone that you would do anything for them? Would you give your life up for them? For Bella Swan, this is the first time she’s felt this way and she would give up her life for Edward…literally. Edward is the guy she’s in love with, but there’s one catch to him. Edward and his family have a deep, dark secret that nobody else in the town knows. Edward and his family are vampires. In order for Bella and Edward to be together, Bella risks her life every single day. Edward could lose control and kill her in the blink of an eye. Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight created a love story inside my head that mesmerized me with shocking twists.

The setting of the story Twilight is in a small town in Washington called Forks. In Forks, it’s almost always cloudy and rainy, perfect weather for a vampire to be out and about. Edward and his family need overcast conditions like this in order to blend in with the rest of the town. In the rare occurrence of a sunny day in Forks, Edward, his “siblings”, and his “parents” conveniently miss school and work to go hiking. In this way, the conditions of the northern part of the country are important to the story.

There are many characters in Twilight that make the story interesting. First off, there are the lovers, Bella and Edward. Bella is from Arizona originally, but moves to Forks with her dad because her mom and stepfather are going on the road. Forks is a big adjustment for an Arizona girl. She is somewhat shy, but when she meets Edward, she becomes completely antisocial unless he is involved. Edward is a vampire who has been living with Carlisle and Esme for a while and they have become parents to him. Edward and Bella fall in love and even though Edward is a vampire, they make their relationship work. James and Victoria are two vampires who don’t agree with Edward and his family’s vegetarian ways. James is a tracker and follows Bella’s scent to try and drink her blood. Victoria is James’s girlfriend and aids James in finding Bella. Other characters such as Esme, Carlisle, Jasper, Alice, Rosalie, and Emmett are Edward’s “family” and they try their best to keep Bella safe from James and Victoria.

I would recommend Twilight to anyone who enjoys a good love story with some action and surprises mixed in with the mushy love tale.

498 pages

The Invisible Man Review

"And that invisible man, Kemp, must now establish a reign of terror." said the Invisible Man. The Invisible Man dreams of a reign of terror, a world that he can control. He realizes the many things that can be accomplished by a man who cannot be seen. H. G. Wells's The Invisible Man confused me with the old timey slang and scientific terms.

The theme of the book The Invisible Man is that greed is bad. The Invisible Man shows greed and hatred towards people and is very rude. In one case of this, the Invisible Man demands many things from Mrs. Hall. In another incident, the Invisible Man demands that a homeless man help him with carrying out his plans. He expects many favors from many people, but the people are tired of being forced to perform tasks for an unseen person. The tone of the book ties in well with the theme because the tone also makes the reader feel sorry for the Invisible Man. That is, until the reader hears of the Invisible Man's intentions.

The main character of this story, who is called by many names, is the Invisible Man. He is also known as the Stranger and Griffin. The Invisible Man has an aggressive personality and gets irritated very easily at people who don't cooperate with him. At the beginning of the book, the Invisible Man was irritated with Mrs. Hall because she continually interrupted his work. Though the Invisible Man frequently asked Mrs. Hall to leave him alone and at least knock before coming in his room. But Mrs. Hall refuses, and this angers the Invisible Man. All of the other characters in the story seem to be against the Invisible Man and his evil plot.

The setting of the book is in the late 1800s, which explains the jargon used throughout the story. It takes place in England, and the Invisible Man changes location many times throughout the story. But the story stays in England the entire time.

The story The Invisible Man captivates the reader with many vivid words that tease the imagination with the impossible. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading books with old English jargon.

The Bar Code Tattoo Review

Imagine a world where everything you did was controlled by a bar code. Your purchases would be paid for with the code, all of your medical information would be right there at hand, literally. In Kayla's futuristic world in 2025, everyone is getting the bar code tattoo on their wrist. When you turn seventeen, you're eligible to get this time saver printed on your skin. But some people, like Kayla, don't want to be known as a code. Just a number to the government. Suzanne Weyn's The Bar Code Tattoo haunted me with its graphic images of what the world would be like if everyone was a code.

The Bar Code Tattoo stresses the importance of individuality. Kayla realizes as the story goes on that she would much rather stand up for what she believed in than follow the crowd and do something she doesn't approve of. The theme is to stand up for what you believe despite what others tell you. In Kayla's case, the government and every other kid in school was telling her to get tattooed. But Kayla knew that she didn't want it and she didn't give in.

The style that the book was written in was easy to follow and very entertaining. The author described everything in a manner that makes the reader visualize the events. Some of the jargon spoken by the characters in the story gives the reader a sense of listening to a conversation between futuristic teenagers. The style that the author writes in is unique because she took the time to come up with slang for the characters to speak. Some of these words and phrases are "stellar!" and "final level!"

The author uses vivid nouns, verbs, and adjectives to aid the reader in visualizing what this futuristic world is like. She describes the characters as cool, futuristic, smart people who are very opinionated and stand up for what they believe in. The author describes the setting as a world with no more paper money, everything controlled by a bar code. The majority of the population goes along with the government's orders. But there are a few who rebel against the law. This is the disorganized world that the readers imagine as they read the book.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a thrilling sci-fi novel. I enjoyed The Bar Code Tattoo because it has everything I look for in a book: a strong-willed character, a good plot, interesting characters throughout the book, and suspense that keeps you turning the page wanting to know what happens next.

250 pages

Pioneer Football!

Another season of football has begun. The field is clean, the bleachers are filled with fans, even the smell of sweaty football players has returned to the field house. But what is it that we love most about this short, 3 to 4 month season?

Perhaps its the thrill of winning a Friday night game. The score is close and nobody knows who will win. The fate of the game lies on the shoulders of those select few who spend their time running, passing, catching, and tackling. The pioneers have the sudden adrenaline rush that only occurs when they know that victory is so close they can taste it. The ball is hiked and the players make a run for the end zone. Just before the ball carrier is tackled, he makes it over the line for another pioneer victory!

Maybe it's the stunning half time shows performed by Arkansas finest dancers and peppiest cheerleaders. The cheerleaders warm up the crowd with their flips, building, and cheers. When the Prancers step out onto the field, the crowd claps. When the music starts and the kicks begin, the crowd goes wild. The kicks reach toward the sky with toes pointed to the stars. The movements are sharp, the turns in perfect posse. The cheerleaders and Prancers entertain the vast amount of Pioneer fans as they await the victory of their boys.

As spoken by Coach Smith himself, there's nothing like a Friday night Pioneer football game to bring the community of Batesville together.