Archive for April 7th, 2009
Eric Choi Reading Recommendations
Recommender: John Kim
Book: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
E: What book would you recommend for stuyers to read?
J: I personally liked The Grapes of Wrath but most people don’t like it.
E: Was it a school book?
J: Yeah
E: Which class?
J: Later American
E: What did you like about the book and why did people hate it?
J: I liked how it elucidated the misery of people living through the Great Depression, because, honestly, textbooks only give general facts about the time period, and not the people’s point of view. Some people might dislike the book for the simple fact that it is a lengthy book, and is tedious to read through. Admittedly, some parts of the book may be a bit dry (like the no-dialogue chapters).
E: Do you feel that literary books are more informative than textbooks? Don’t you feel a bias in books like Grapes of Wrath?
J: There is definitely bias present in books like The Grapes of Wrath, as the author is trying to convey to the reader the hardships of the poor during the Depression and placing the blame on higher authoritative figures. Literary books are not necessarily more informative than textbooks; each type of book has its own benefits and shortcomings. A textbook can convey facts and figures in an objective way, not bending to biases. A literary book can pick up where the textbook left off; a literary book, while bias may be present, can better connect the reader to the actual time and event.
E: I see. Since so few people like the book, to whom would you actually recommend it to?
J: i guess it depends on the readers’ prefences. The Grapes of Wrath is a finely written novel, presenting readers with much to analyze in terms of symbolism, plot, characters, etc. I would recommend this book to readers who are willing to “read between the lines.” The length and tediousness of this book makes it difficult to read for pleasure.
E: Compare it to a fruit and why?
J: Maybe it’s like a pomegranate? It has a tough outer shell, but once you crack that and really get into the book, it’s filled with goodness.
Recommender: Charles Choi
Book: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
E: If you can recommend any book to stuy students what would it be?
C: let’s take a look at the few books I have. I’d say Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
E: How many books are you comparing this with, and why is it on top?
C: I guess I’m comparing it to a few. Most are different genres so its hard to compare. Hitchhiker’s Guide has humor, science fiction, and a bit of reality and it borders on absurdness, which I like.
E: What is so absurd about it?
C: If you read the book, you’d know how it’s absurd. If you didn’t, then read it.
E: Have you watched the movie?
C: There was a movie?
E: Haha alright. Imagine it as a movie, would you recommend seeing it?
C: I’d probably read the book first. I can’t really imagine how movies could reenact it without a lot of special effects though.
E: This books sounds nerdy. Who would you recommend to and why?
C: Don’t jump to conclusions but yeah i wouldn’t expect a jock to like it.
E: Is there a close second to the book?
C: I’d say the Sherlock Holmes stories.
Recommender: Jenny Kwun
Book: The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
E: What first lead you to read this book?
J: My favorite author is Oscar Wilde, so as I was reading through his collection, I was bound to read this book.
E: From my understanding, this is a pretty humorous book. Is it so?
J: I wouldn’t say I was “dying from laughter” but it had its humorous parts. I think that it was more cleverly and smartly constructed than most books, so that made it more entertaining.
E: Are there any downsides to this book?
J: No! But being serious, I thought some of the parts were just too ridiculous. It was almost too corny to read.
E: To whom would you recommend this book?
J: Well I think that anyone can benefit from reading Oscar Wilde. And if I had to choose any book by him, it’ll be this one. It was short, entertaining, and enjoyable.
E: Last question: Being an Oscar Wilde fan, what else would you recommend?
The Picture of Dorian Gray!
Recommender: Daniel Park
Book: The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
E: So being a freshman, you probably just came out of middle school. Is there any book from then you’d recommend to stuyers now?
D: I don’t remember many books from then. I think Lord of the Flies really stood out though.
E: What made it so unique?
D: Well the story is about the survival of kids stranded on an island. And being kids, they all reacted in different ways. It showed differences in the level of maturity and even sanity children might have in that situation.
E: So reading the book, do you think you can survive on a stranded island?
D: Hahaha! No, the book is a story, not a survival guide.
E: That’s true. So what is there to learn from reading it?
D: Different reactions of the psyche. And reading the book was enjoyable. You don’t need to learn in order to enjoy it.
E: Alright, so who would you recommend it to?
D: A lot of people probably already read it in junior high. But if they didn’t, they definitely should.
Recommender: (Chose to be Anonymous)
Book: Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
E: So you just saw me interview these people. You know the drill. What book would you recommend?
A: I would say The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka.
E: Isn’t that a depressing book? Why do you like it?
A: I just think it says a lot about life that’s worth reading about. As in life lessons and morals.
E: What kinda lessons do you learn?
A: Stuff about being autonomous versus being uhh like a bug. That was a bad explanation. It’s better if you read it yourself and learn yourself.
E: I see. So I know it involves cockroaches. Is that any reason to be grossed out by the book?
A: No, not at all. Actually, the way the family treats the cockroach may be a bit displeasing, but nothing should keep you from reading the book and cause you to throw up.
E: Alright, so who should read this book?
A: Stuy people especially! Or at least the workaholics.
Questions:
1. What types of people would enjoy this book?
2. Why would they enjoy it?
3. What is the book about?
4. What was your favorite character?
5. What are some of the major themes and motifs present in the book?
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
1. It’s definitely for people who are sci-fi fans, especially if they’re in the mood for something lighthearted and hilarious.
2. The humor is definitely the best part. It’s really random, but at the same time quite sophisticated.
3. It’s very hard to summarize, since there’s never really a single goal or purpose. It’s essentially about this guy named Arthur who has this friend named Ford who saves them both from death when these aliens destroy the Earth to make way for a new intergalactic superhighway.
4. Definitely Ford. He’s basically one of the few people who knows what’s going on, or at least enough not to be an idiot. Also, he’s not a part of this annoying love triangle that occasionally plagues certain parts of the book.
5. There’re definitely no major themes. There might be couple of minor ones, like the cycle of creation and destruction for instance, but even those are a tough case to make.
The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
1. Pretty much people who are kinda into biology and science and don’t mind the text being kinda thick.
2. Well I guess they would kinda be like “this book was made for me” you know? It’s a cool story but at the same time like there’s a lot of scientific detail.
3. Basically it’s about this bacteria strain called Andromeda that this probe from the upper atmosphere found. It’s like this crazy bacteria that can kill people really fast, and these researchers in this top secret lab can’t figure it out, and they basically have to figure it out before it spreads to L.A. and kills everyone.
4. Probably this scientist named Hall. I can’t spoil it, but basically he does something awesome at the end, and he like saves a lot of people.
5. I guess there’s not a whole lot of like, morality stuff in the book. Well, kinda. There’s sort of a theme of like, science overcoming nature or something, but not really.
Metamorphoses by Ovid
1. People who like religion and mythology, especially Roman mythology.
2. It’s a really neat ancient work. It’s kind of an epic, like the Odyssey or the Aeneid, but different because it’s a bunch of different stories instead of one long one.
3. Well, there’s not one story, so it can’t really be summarized. I mean, they range from the creation of the Earth to spats between gods. They’re all tied together, though.
4. Probably Pygmalion. He’s this sculptor who makes carves a statue of a woman that was so beautiful he fell in love with it and Venus made it come to life. It’s a really nice story.
5. As the title sort of implies, the theme of things changing from one thing to another ties all of the stories together. It’s cool to see exactly how change is a part of each story.
1984 by George Orwell
1. Probably anyone who’s interested in political science or science fiction. Or both.
2. The book really explores how a government can abuse technology to limit people’s freedoms, so it hits both of those groups right there.
3. The story is about a guy who’s a member of this political party that has power over all of Oceania, since all of those countries joined together. But he doesn’t really like how the government’s oppressing everyone and controlling every aspect of their lives, and so he slowly he starts trying to figure out how he can join a secret society to help destroy it.
4. I didn’t really like any of the characters, come to think of it. The characters aren’t the interesting part, I think.
5. It’s chock full of all sorts of themes. There’s a lot of stuff related to political science and psychology, like controlling populations by rewriting history and owning the media and stuff.
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
1. Anyone who has an interest in sociology or psychology.
2. Malcolm Gladwell writes really well and he has a lot of interesting points on the subject of social epidemics.
3. It’s a nonfiction book about how social epidemics spread, like certain styles of clothes or crime waves.
4. There aren’t any really any characters, but I did like the story of Bernhard Goetz. He basically was about to get mugged but instead he took out a gun and shot them all. It really is the secret fantasy of anyone who’s ever been mugged before.
5. Yea, the theme is how social epidemics spread. It’s what the book is about, you know.
English Interview Questions:
Books:
Yufei Ge
Title: Bel Canto
Author: Ann Patcher
Genre: Not Sure?
How is this book different from all the other books you have read?
It really suits my tastes. While it is generally strangely romantic and childishly imaginative, there is always a sense of realism. It combines reality and fantasy together quite well and lets the reader dream without feeling too silly.
How does this book relate to your daily life?
It relates a lot in terms of how being a dreamer. We always try and strive for perfection and the ideal even out of the worst situations. We succeed to a certain extent but realistically, everything has it’s shortcomings.
What mood did this book invoke while you were reading it?
I really appreciated the style of writing. It was unbelievably emotional as well as thought provoking. There was a sense of imperfection and flaws coming together in a perfect way that created a magnificent story.
Has this book taught you anything? If so, elaborate.
Not really. It reaffirmed my beliefs.
Why would you recommend this book?
It’s a great style of writing and also how I write my stories. I feel that it brings people down to earth while still allowing lots of room to dream.
Was this book difficult to get through?
Not at all.
What about the book appealed to you?
The style of modern writing was very unique. It focused a lot on the individual in relation to the question of reality too.
Charles Leung
Title: King Lear
Author: William Shakespeare
Genre: classic? British literature?
How is this book different from all the other books you have read?
It explores deep values and contrasts elements to bring out a great tragedy
How does this book relate to your daily life?
Likewise, I learn and reflect from reading this book, which discusses the notion of family and betrayal.
What mood did this book invoke while you were reading it?
This book invoked a dark, thrilling mood; and it was very climactic.
Has this book taught you anything? If so, elaborate.
This book has taught me not to take words at face value
Why would you recommend this book?
Because such a great classic needs to be shared
Was this book difficult to get through?
Not at all. I spent 5 hours reading the entire book.
What about the book appealed to you?
I was always a fan of Shakespeare, and it has inspired many great movies, such as “The Banquet” and “Ran”. Many refer to this book as a great tragedy, and so I picked up the book to read it.
James Gu
Title: Anna Karenina
Author: Leo Tolstoy
Genre: ?
How is this book different from all the other books you have read?
It’s almost 900 pages… It’s a very well written piece of literature.
How does this book relate to your daily life?
It really doesn’t.
What mood did this book invoke while you were reading it?
There’s a flurry of different emotions. Guilt, happiness, melancholy, all different emotions. It’s amazing how Tolstoy manages to pack all these different emotions in a book.
Has this book taught you anything? If so, elaborate.
It really hasn’t taught me anything, in the sense that it’s not a story that was produced to teach you things, like a fable would. However, it has definitely opened my eyes to the world.
Why would you recommend this book?
I think it’s something that people should read. It not only gives an image of how Russia was in the late 19th, but it also shows a different world to the reader. People tend to have this perception that the aristocracy was full of people who were perfect, who were without problems, but in Anna Karenina, Tolstoy showed how the aristocracy faced equal problems that the proletariats faced. In the simplest case of love, there is no separation of the wealthy, the poor, the powerful and the powerless. Yet at the same time, Tolstoy also introduces a concept of right and wrong, but makes it so difficult to tell exactly what’s right and wrong. He might be introducing the concept of a gray area, and presenting the real world, showing that in the world, it’s not just a black and white world, but a mix of everything.
Was this book difficult to get through?
It is difficult to get through because of its length. It’s a little dense.
What about the book appealed to you?
It has always been recommended to me, but it was something that I never picked up. I found it to be an extremely emotional book.
Ben Valkai
Title: I Am Legend
Author: Richard Matheson
Genre: Science Fiction
How is this book different from all the other books you have read?
Of the plethora of science fiction novels that attempt to tantalize the senses, few present the reader with original ideas. Matheson not only creates something unheard of but also does so through revolutionizing a character that is perhaps the mot popular and overused fantasy villain—the vampire. His takes the lone cursed vampire from its castle domain in Transylvania and gives the reader packs of infected monsters that live in the abandoned buildings of New York. Thus, the associations made with vampires are all reversed and yet they maintain their fascinating abilities, making them an entirely different threat.
How does this book relate to your daily life?
The vampires represent adversaries at first because they threaten the last man, Robert Neville’s, life. However, after he is captured he realizes tat in many ways he has been a menace to their society, hunting the vampires by day when they are vulnerable. He allows them to execute him and by doing so reverses the roles; he is the criminal and they represent the majority. In many ways daily life is very similar in that the surroundings dictate your position and status.
What mood did this book invoke while you were reading it?
It was fascinating to observe how the book transformed Robert from a victim of his surroundings into a murderer of innocents.
Has this book taught you anything? If so, elaborate.
Yes, it has taught me that your role is based upon how you fit in with your surroundings and that should your surroundings change the significance of your convictions and beliefs will change. In many ways the biggest problem is that people believe that their judgments of others hold true regardless of how different places these others come from.
Why would you recommend this book?
Yes, it was well written and continually engaged the reader.
Was this book difficult to get through?
No because it was not particularly long and appealed to the reader’s imagination.
What about the book appealed to you?
The ways in which it challenged common conceptions on every level made it into an excellent experience.
Lily Fong
Title: Ball Don’t Lie
Author: Matt de la Pena
Genre: Sports Fiction
How is this book different from all the other books you have read?
It’s a book about sports, and I usually don’t read about sports. I actually know the author; he was my Critical Reading teacher at Mega. o.O
How does this book relate to your daily life?
It reminds me that not everyone is born with a silver spoon, that we have to work for what we want in life.
What mood did this book invoke while you were reading it?
This book invoked a suspenseful mood, because I was always wondering where the author was going with this.
Has this book taught you anything? If so, elaborate.
Not really. Kinda answered this question in the other question.
Why would you recommend this book?
It’s a quick read, and the author has a very captivating and original style.
Was this book difficult to get through?
Not at all.
What about the book appealed to you?
My teacher was cute so I wanted to impress him..? No, I was perhaps infatuated and wanted to know more about him..? .. .. . People read books recommended by other people to get to know them better/have something to talk about/etcetc. o.O
The feelings and experiences that the protagonist encounters easily resonate with a teenage audience. Teenage love, rebellious spirit, longing for a parent’s recognition. The author does not sidestep these feelings that are sometimes hidden away for fear of shame or defamation.
Questions
1)What is your name? What is the title of the book, author, genre? What would you rate the book on a scale of 1 – 10, and why?
2) State one reason as to why this book stands out from the rest and explain.
3) If a person has only 2 minutes left to live, and the only way to cure him/her is if he/she read a good excerpt, what part of the book would you recommend and why?
4) If you could bring any one character to life, who would it be and why? Do you think he/she be detrimental or beneficial to the world.
5) If you could change the title of the book, what would it be and why?
INTERVIEW 1
1)What is your name? What is the title of the book, author, genre? What would you rate the book on a scale of 1 – 10, and why?
My name is Daniel Tsuan. The book I would recommend is Snow Crash by the great Neal Stephenson. This book is science fiction and would no doubt get a 10. Snow Crash proved to be a book that was very inventive as well as enjoyable. Stephenson was able to create a whole new world which I thought would be hard, since many ideas for science fiction has been thought of. It is one of the few books that I actually couldn’t wait to finish, and then felt bad that I rushed through when I did finish.
2) State one reason as to why this book stands out from the rest and explain.
The main reason why this book stands out is because it was very unique. I have read tons of science fiction books throughout my life, and this one proved to be incredibly “new”. The ideas Stephenson introduced was so
3) If a person has only 2 minutes left to live, and the only way to cure him/her is if he/she read a good excerpt, what part of the book would you recommend and why?
I would say the excerpt I would choose, is when Stephenson explains his greatest “invention” in science fiction. The excerpt is about how languages were a bit mysterious, and that in the beginning of time there was one universal language, but it was lost. He also talks about how computer programmers and hackers had their own “language”. He further explains that the main dilemma in the story is that because of their knowledge of this language they are prone to Snow Crash. I thought this excerpt was really good because it was so inventive and in a way it felt like it would really be true. I always wondered how languages were so similar yet different. The idea that languages could have been universal, but also the idea that languages change your brain so that it become different was intriguing.
4) If you could bring any one character to life, who would it be and why? Do you think he/she be detrimental or beneficial to the world.
I would say out of the characters, Y.T definitely should be bought alive. Y.T. is a chick who is a Kourier. Kouriers are basically people who deliver things by riding on a skateboard and harpooning onto cars to get around faster. That itself is already pretty bad ass. But the fact that she is so adventurous and such is why I would choose her. I mean honestly, the world needs more crazy reckless girls.
5) If you could change the title of the book, what would it be and why?
If I could change the title I would make it.. Actually I would leave the title as it is. It isn’t really that I can’t think of a title but more that Snow Crash fits too well. Snow Crash is the name of the virus that causes hacker’s/ programmer’s brains to become dysfunctional. It is the most essential thing in the story and is why it’s the perfect title.
INTERVIEW 2
1)What is your name? What is the title of the book, author, genre? What would you rate the book on a scale of 1 – 10, and why?
HELLO my name is Karen Chin. A fiction novel I recently read that I found particularly interesting was Life of Pi by Yann Martel. If I were to rate this book on a scale of 1-10, I would give it a 10 because it’s an all time favorite novel of mine.
2) State one reason as to why this book stands out from the rest and explain.
One reason Life of Pi stands out from the rest of the novels that I have read is the way in which Martel weaves the story line along a life threatening adventure- all the while conveying to the reader the brutality of loneliness, survival and self individuality.
3) If a person has only 2 minutes left to live, and the only way to cure him/her is if he/she read a good excerpt, what part of the book would you recommend and why?
If I were to cure someone with only 2 minutes to live, I would recommend the excerpt of the book that describes the climax of Pi’s journey spiritually. This excerpt captures intense feelings of self doubt and desperation, all of which Pi overcomes on a little lifeboat in the middle of a vast ocean. The idea of enduring all those feelings and becoming determined to survive, all the while being so alone is an impressive feat, something to keep in mind especially for someone who had just 2 minutes to live.
4) If you could bring any one character to life, who would it be and why? Do you think he/she be detrimental or beneficial to the world.
I would definitely bring Pi to life because his virtuous characteristics are really exemplified by the journey that he has to endure as he is shipwrecked at sea. During his adventure, Pi never loses hope and remains strong willed and courageous as he is determined to survive, even though he is shipwrecked on a lifeboat with a 300 lb Bengali tiger. Bringing him to life would be beneficial to the world as we can all learn to motivate ourselves individually from Pi’s character throughout all the hardships that life will bring to us.
5) If you could change the title of the book, what would it be and why?
I would not change the title of the book because I love how simply it describes the whole novel. The title Life of Pi brilliantly captures the maturation that Pi experiences as Martel tells the story of Pi’s life.
INTERVIEW 3
1)What is your name? What is the title of the book, author, genre? What would you rate the book on a scale of 1 – 10, and why?
My name is Soojin Lee. The title of the book I recommend is The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester. I would definitely rate this book a 10, because it is just the best book ever. To put it simply, I was amazed after I finished the book.
2) State one reason as to why this book stands out from the rest and explain.
Well although it seems typical of Alfred to write about mind readers, at the time it was written it was quite new. But to this day Alfred’s use of mind readers far surpasses many other author’s. He creates a social hierarchy with it and also creates a strong direct dilemma that occurs from these mind readers.
3) If a person has only 2 minutes left to live, and the only way to cure him/her is if he/she read a good excerpt, what part of the book would you recommend and why?
I would recommend the part where Bester explains how Ben Reich creates his plan to destroy and create chaos to this society where crimes do not exist since these mind readers can detect any malicious thoughts before they are done. Ben Reich uses a mind reader to go against this type of protection, and is able to commit a murder with thorough planning. This part was incredibly well written as well as the thoughts and process of the murder itself was ingenious. Sort of makes you wonder how bad of a mind Bester had himself. Haha.
4) If you could bring any one character to life, who would it be and why? Do you think he/she be detrimental or beneficial to the world.
I would want to bring a mind reader to life, but I know it would cause too much problems. But still how awesome would it be if I knew a mind reader. Too bad he’d probably just peek into my mind and that’d kind of be frustrating. Actually really frustrating. So instead I would bring Ben Reich since he is a genius. I mean the world can definitely use another Einstein to solve our energy and economic crisis.
5) If you could change the title of the book, what would it be and why?
I would definitely leave the title. I thought the title was very clever. Only at the end do you find out where the actual term comes from, but before then the demolished man could simply be anything ranging from how Ben Reich may be a demolished man from his corruption to how the demolished man could be the system as a whole and how a weakness was found.
INTERVIEW 4
1)What is your name? What is the title of the book, author, genre? What would you rate the book on a scale of 1 – 10, and why?
Emily Tsuan
Speak by laurie halse anderson
genre: young adult fiction
rated 8/10
2) State one reason as to why this book stands out from the rest and explain.
It talks about a lonely girl that had a bad experience that causes her life to change. it’s realistic.
3) If a person has only 2 minutes left to live, and the only way to cure him/her is if he/she read a good excerpt, what part of the book would you recommend and why?
The part where she gets saved by the girls team and she starts getting friends. it gives a sense of hope.
4) If you could bring any one character to life, who would it be and why? Do you think he/she be detrimental or beneficial to the world.
I would bring to life the main character. because she has a different way of looking at the world. she would be beneficial to the world.
5) If you could change the title of the book, what would it be and why?
I would change it to “stand up” because in hte book if the main character spoke up. maybe that would’ve changed things.
INTERVIEW 5
1)What is your name? What is the title of the book, author, genre? What would you rate the book on a scale of 1 – 10, and why?
Naomi Chun
What Remains by Carole Radziwill.
Non-Fiction
Rating: 8
It’s an incredibly touching novel about a woman who suffers through the deaths of her best friend and her husband’s cousin, John F. Kennedy Jr. while battling with her husband in his fight against cancer. It is filled with her insight on life and makes one realize how short life can be and that every moment presented is a blessing.
2) State one reason as to why this book stands out from the rest and explain.
Non-Fiction books are usually perceived as books that are hard to get through; this book is not one of those books. Ms. Radziwill writes in a manner that lets the reader understand her situation; she makes it seem as if we know the people she is talking about. One can just imagine the relationship she had with her best friend and the pain she had to deal with after her passing.
3) If a person has only 2 minutes left to live, and the only way to cure him/her is if he/she read a good excerpt, what part of the book would you recommend and why?
That person would have to read the first 4 pages of the book. It explains how slim the line between life and death is. Through her writing she questions the exact procedure of her best friend’s death and recalls the three minutes that it took for her death to be final. It’s powerful and emotional but not overly so.
4) If you could bring any one character to life, who would it be and why? Do you think he/she be detrimental or beneficial to the world.
After reading the book, I wish I could bring her husband back to life because after reading the book, all I could say was, “I wish I could find a love as true as theirs was.” She honestly and whole-heartedly loved her husband and the fact that he lost his life to cancer only 3 weeks after her best friend’s death is too painful to imagine.
5) If you could change the title of the book, what would it be and why?
I would not change the title. Cliché answer isn’t it?
1.What book would you recommend?Why?
2.Why did you decide to read this book?
3.What is the main story of this book and which genre does it fall into?
4.Did this book have an impact on your life? If so, then how?
5.Can you relate yourself to any character in this book? If yes, then who?
6.How did you feel about the book while you were reading it? How did you feel after?
Andrew Lo
1. I would recommend ?Winesburg, Ohio, by Sherwood Anderson because it was a good read, and it’s refreshing to read, something that’s not so plot-centric.
2. My teacher told me to.
3. The book falls into more of a anthology-like category, where the author writes about a false town of people, and while it is a novel, the stories are generally unrelated, and there is no specific plot-line.
4. As for impact on my life, I read this book while in a Writers’ Workshop class. My focus was more centered on the wording and writing, as opposed to the story, and so it has impacted my writing style. Winesburg, Ohio is very character centric, and from the book, I have learned many methods to develop character.
5.If I had to relate myself to one specific character, I would say the general protagonist, George Willard, who finds himself walking through this small town America in his own odd coming of age story.
6. I thought the plot free method that Anderson uses in writing this piece did wonders for the read, making it a much lighter read than the average brick shaped novel. I feel like it’s a necessary read for developing writers, and I will definitely recommend it for anybody who enjoys creative writing as a writer or reader.
Andrew Hou
1. I would recommend The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, by Micheal Chabon, because it is a great story.
2. I had to read it for Mr. Labonne’s class.
3. The story is about the lives of comic book writers during World War II and it is a realistic fiction type of book.
4. The story taught me the importance of living without regrets, and told me not to conform.
5. I relate to Joe Kavalier, was the foreigner who didn’t know anything and who made a life for himself.
6. The book was amazing, so intricate so detailed, yet simple, reader can truly connect life experience with elements in the story
Mingching Kam
1. I recommend Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card. I don’t read much but the book is readable and its main character relates to most people.
2. I decided to read it because I was bored waiting for SING to start, and I was at Barnes & Noble with my girlfriend.
3. It’s about a child genius being taken by the government to play war-video games. He becomes an expert at the game and they use him as a general in a war against aliens. This book’s genre falls under the science fiction category.
4. This book has left some impact on my life. It made me question morality. The kid kills over and over again but he doesn’t know about what he is doing. He thinks that all he is doing is pushing buttons.
5. I can relate myself to the main character because I don’t really know if I’m doing anything wrong when I do a wrong deed.
6.When I was reading the book I was interested in it but now, it is just a regular book and I have no emotions towards it.
Shayanta Hasnat
1. I would recommend Life of Pi, by Yann Martel because it has an interesting plot.
2. I decided to read this because a friend recommended me this book.
3. The story is a fantasy adventure and is about a boy who is trapped on a small boat with wild animals and must survive until he reaches land.
?4. The book impacted my life because it made me realize how hard humans cling to their lives and what we are capable of in life and death situations.
5. I can’t really relate myself to any characters in the book because I’ve never been in a situation as life threatening as the one in the story.
6. As I read the book, I felt extremely intrigued and could not put the book down. After reading the book, I was left with a longing for more adventure than the story had concluded itself with.
Kevin Huang
1. I recommend It’s Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life,by Lance Armstrong because it is an inspiring book about one of the greatest man on earth.
2. I was recommended this book by my sister.
3. This book is an autobiography of Lance Armstrong. It is about his life battle and surpassing everyone’s expectations. He went through cancer but still won the Tour de Fence multiple times.
4. This book made me realize that life isn’t easy but there is no reason to give up.
5. I can’t really relate myself to Armstrong because I have not gone through what he has gone through.
6. When reading this book, I felt sympathy for Armstrong when he finds out he gets cancer. His life changes drastically. He can no longer be an athlete and his sources of income all fly away but when he starts getting back on the bike, I felt hopeful and relieved. After the book I feel somewhat inspired.
Book recommendations by Stuyvesant students for Stuyvesant students and readers around the world. Also known as Stuy Bookshelf/Book Box. Submissions are open—click on register below!