Leaving Paradise

It's been awhile since I've posted anything note worthy about the books that I've been reading. To be honest, during the summer months the only things that I read really are just adult brain candy, but now that the school year has begun again, it is time that I got serious about what I was reading again.

The book that I have started off my year with is Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles. It is a beautiful love story that doesn't begin or end in the same way that we are all used to.
Here's what Barnes & Noble had to say:

Feeling like outsiders since Caleb Becker's drunken car accident left Maggie Armstrong a cripple, Caleb and Maggie end up finding comfort and strength from a surprising source: each other.

It is a great story that grips you from the beginning and refuses to let you go. I can't wait to get into Return to Paradise, the second installment of this story, which picks up about a year after where Leaving Paradise ends.

Week 4 - Compare and Contrast of Main Characters - 4.28.11

John

16 year old boy
Special powers
Alien from another planet
Small group of friends
Hated by the QB
Lives in a small town in Ohio
Has money, but it's in a trust and doesn't actually spend much


Frankie

15 DAYS old girl
“monster” created from parts
Mint green skin
Really into fashion and material pocessions

Similarities

Both have “powers”
Both are not human
Neither are very popular

A Book By Any Other Name - Week 2: April 4-April 8

Review the book description found on the back cover of your book. Using the information, and this information alone, construct two alternate titles for the book that appeal to you.Pick one of the two titles and create a catch phrase and movie poster. Describe (using language that will explain what you are talking about so that we can "see" it) the movie poster to sell the new titled novel.

As I continue to read I am Number Four by Pitticus Lore, I am finding it rather difficult to answer this question in all honesty because I am reading this book on my Nook and I don't actually have a back of a cover. Luckily, I was able to find an image of the back cover on Barnesandnoble.com. Talk about problem solving.

The back cover of the book is actually already pretty cool, so I'm trying really hard to think of alternative titles, but this is what I've come up with so far:
Alternative title #1 - Among You (catch phrase - "You you may not see us, but we see you")
Alternative title #2 - In Plain Sight (catch phrase - "We remain hidden, but we will save you").

I can't decide which title I prefer over the other, but I believe that my idea for a cover will work for either title. My new design would be black with an almost metallic sheen to it (probably printed on glossy paper). There would be a picture of the Earth as if viewed from outer space. A human hand would be on either side of the sphere, as though the hands were balancing the Earth in between them without actually touching it. The hands would look human, but there would be a more golden gleem to them, as if they were glowing from the inside out. Over the top of the Earth, you would see the faint impression of a nose and then a hood covering the rest of the face. The hood would have a silver tint to it, to make it barely set off from the black. You wouldn't be able to make out the rest of the visage, only the nose and maybe the lips, so you really couldn't tell if the face was male or female or even if it were truly human. The lettering for the title would be in crimson red to give it a more ominous feel and the catch phrase would be in gold to pull in the golden sheen from the hands and face.

Actually, based off of what I described above, I think that the second title, In Plain Sight, would be the best title for this type of poster.

Week 1: 3.17.11 - What I'm reading now...

Give the title, author, publisher, copyright date, genre (how do you know the genre -from the back of the book, title page, text?), a description of the cover of the book, and the main character(s) that you have met so far and on what page you first met them. Use complete sentences and ensure that you have proficient mechanics.


Right now, I am reading I am Number Four by Pitticus Lore, which was published in August 2010 by HarperCollins Publishers. The genre of this book is Science Fiction, although they (being the author and the publishers) are trying to pass it off as a real book to serve as a warning to the human race about aliens bent on destroying Earth. I know this because of the author's biography which reads as follows:

Pittacus Lore is Lorien's ruling Elder. He has been on Earth for the last twelve years, preparing for the war that will decide Earth's fate. His whereabouts are unknown.

The cover of the book is a gradient moving from dark orange to bright orange with a sort of bright yellow symbol in the middle. Words on the cover read "Three are dead. I am number four." I found this to be a little interesting, but to be honest, I might not have chosen to read the book based off of the cover because it really isn't that interesting of a cover (see the picture).

I'm about half way through the book at this point (I'm trying to finish it and another book, Angelology, at the same time so that I can continue to make my way through the stacks of books that are next to my bed) so I've met a good many of the characters at this point. For now, I'll make a list of the main characters and where I met them:
- John is the main character, the Lorian Garde who is starting to gain his Legacies to help save his race. He is the narrator of the story and begins the book.
- Henri is the Guardian assigned to watch over John while they are on Earth. I met Henri on page 7.