Through My Eyes Book Review

Title of the Book: Through My Eyes
Author: Tim Tebow & Nathan Whitaker
Number of Pages: 260 Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Review: Through My Eyes by Tim Tebow and Nathan Whitaker is an autobiography about Tim Tebow's journey from the time he was born in the Philippines to the start of his career in the National Football League. Through My Eyes gives the reader the ability to see Tebow's life how he saw it and shares the feelings that he felt. Through My Eyes starts when Tebow's mom is pregnant with him. It was a rough pregnancy and doctors advised his parents to to have a abortion. The doctors said that if they didn't abort the baby then him mom would be at a high risk of dying in labor. Long story short, Tim Tebow was a miracle baby. The novel then takes you through Tebow's life from his perspective. He shares the things he liked to do as well as the things he did not like to do. Tebow takes you through the recruiting process and how he decided to play for Florida as well as his experience there at Florida. And finally takes you on the path to the draft and his experience going into the NFL. Tebow shares his feelings through the ups and downs and most importantly his life through His perspective.

Through My Eyes is different from other novels and autobiographies because it is very personal and Tebow does a great job expressing his feelings through the use of literary devices. When I read Through My Eyes I felt like I had a personal connection with Tebow and could relate to why he reacted to certain situations for example losing to Ole Miss in the 2008 season in a game they definitely should have won.

Tim Tebow and Nathan Whitaker made the book feel very real. When very positive things happened, I felt good, when big decisions were being made, I felt nervous, and when there were negatives, I felt bad. The tone and language used made the novel feel very real. For example when Tebow was waiting for the announcement of the Heisman trophy winner I could feel my hands start to sweat and my nerves go up.   

The most memorable moments for me were when Tebows had to make a decision where he was going to collage and it literally came down to the last minute or when he was waiting for the announcement of the Hesiman trophy or his reaction to losing to ole miss in the 2008 season. Those moments all had high emotion and seeing how Tebow felt in those particular moments was very memorable.

Through My Eyes is a great book for athletes to read or anyone that need some motivation. It's also a great book for anyone what wants to learn more about Tim Tebow. Through My Eyes is entertaining and inspirational for an audience between the ages of 10-15.    

Say Nothing Review

Title of the Book: Say Nothing

Author: Patrick Radden Keefe

Number of Pages: 348

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Review:

                I’ll wear no convicts uniform,

Nor weekly serve my time

That Britain might 

Brand Ireland’s fight

Eight hundred years of crime (170)

Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe is a history of Ireland in the 1970s and 1980s when religion divided the country. Chaos ensues between the Catholics and the Protestants. The British Army is called in to intervene, but they only make matters worse. The IRA is divided to the Provos and the Stickies with younger members joining each side in order to survive. The Provos mission was to cause damage, but violence is the only message the British Army receives. Families are torn apart by the three groups, their beloved members taken from their homes. “We have a simple message for Gerry Adams and  the IRA: our families have suffered far too much. Please bring this nightmare to an end.” 

          Patrick Radden Keefe’s style of writing causes this book to be unique. He, being a magazine blogger, has a way of making the past seem like fiction. His writing seems to be an action and adventure tale, rather than a non-fiction novel. Patrick Radden Keefe paints a picture that feels like you are present, watching the events unfold before you.  

          Keefe portrays all parts of this story like he lived through each one. His words and sentences are complex, but easily understandable. Keefe makes his reader feel as if they are experiencing the events in person, rather than through a book. 

          One of the more memorable moments in the book is when Hughes was in America, trying to raise money and morale for the armed campaign. One man, an Irish American who was all for the cause, told Hughes that the IRA was “going about the war all wrong.” and should shoot anyone associated with the British army. After stating that Hughes would never allow the IRA to do that due to backlash, the man offers Hughes a briefcase full of money. Hughes wants nothing to do with the man at this point and states that he doesn’t “want [the mans] f****** money.” (p. 210-211)

          Another memorable part in the book is when the Price Sisters decide together that, in order to get what they want, they will follow in Terence MacSwiney’s foot steps and announce a hunger strike. This lead the British prison system to have them force fed, until, 167 days later, it was announced a form of torture.

           I would recommend Say Nothing to anyone who enjoys untold history. This book is good for those who like a sense of adventure and not just a lecturing book. With unexpected turns and twists in the story, Say Nothing is unpredictable. 

When Breath Becomes Air Review

Title of the Book: When Breath Becomes Air
Author: Paul Kalanithi
Number of Pages: 225 Pages
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Review: It will be hard to catch your own breath when streams of tears roll down your cheeks as you turn through the pages of Paul Kalanithi’s When Breath Becomes Air. During his last year of residency as a neurosurgeon, Paul was unexpectedly diagnosed with Stage IV lung cancer. His life, stripped of all the dreams he aspired to accomplish as a neurosurgeon and with his young wife Lucy. Paul has to redefine and rediscover his identity as he forages his path towards death. He ironically chose to become a neurosurgeon to confront the meaning of life while actively engaging with death. Now, Paul experiences life as the dying patient rather than the doctor treating the dying. Paul’s memoir chronicles this painful transformation from doctor to patient and answers his own life long question: what makes life worth living in the face of death? 

When Breath Becomes Air answers the questions that everyone finds themselves asking through the duration of their own life. Paul brings to light in such explicit detail the pain and suffering yet euphoria he experienced during his last years and months of life. He describes his internal and external strife when coming to terms with his disease after his dreams of a future dissolved as quickly as the cancer metastasized within his body. His poetic writing brings the readers closer to his own soul as if he were sitting in the chair across the room telling his story from beginning to end, exposing his raw emotions and in turn exposing some of your own.

What stuck with me was the powerfulness of his death. Paul writes a brief message to his daughter before he dies and thanks her for the “salted joy” she brought to his life during times of unwavering darkness. The happiness can be literally felt through this passage. Paul’s poetic yet descriptive word choice connects this ending with the challenges of his own reidentification. If Paul were to succumb to the cancer and strip him ultimately of his neurosurgery and life aspirations, he would have never been gifted with the life of his daughter. His tone throughout the novel is motivational and thoughtful. His writing motivated his wife Lucy to write about what it was like during the last days of life, up until his final breath. His and Lucy’s writing made it feel as if he were dying right in front of our eyes, yet there was a sense of a peaceful closure to a life that seemly had just begun.

This book is incredible. It allows the reader to experience death in an intimate yet external way, allowing them to question how they make meaning in their own lives. It is a beautiful tale that I would recommend to anyone and everyone.  

The Things They Carried- Jake Germaine
 Tim O'Brien
233
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
 Review:

Tim O’Brien shares with us his incredible experience in, The Things They Carried. In this eye-opening story you feel and see what the people serving in Vietnam went through. Tim O’Brien introduces us to multiple soldiers, and as we follow them in their lives we learn what mental and physical things you carry throughout war. O’Brien informs the reader what war is like most of the time, but also makes sure that the reader knows that war is constantly changing and it is impossible to predict a war. Due to that it shows how incredibly strong each soldier is. We follow O’Brien he is also struggling with the guilt of war and each decision made. Near the end of the story many different stories are told by soldiers. Finally O’Brien explains why he started telling stories and how they helped him.

This book is extremely unique to me. For one I noticed that the entire story is not in chronological order. To me that is very unique because the author is purposely choosing to write it like this. For me it gives me an idea of how war felt for these soldiers. I also found this story unique because the meaning of the book evolves so much from the beginning to the end. I noticed at first “the things they carried” was just meaning all of their physical resources. But by the end the men were also carrying multiple feelings and thoughts. Over all I think this is one of the most hooking and unique stories I have read. Especially knowing that we are getting a peak into the author's actual life.

One of my favorite parts in the story was on the last page of the entire story. I loved when Tim wrote this part “"Well, right now," she said, "I'm not dead. But when I am, it's like ... I don't know, I guess it's like being inside a book that nobody's reading." "A book?" I said. "An old one. It's up on a library shelf, so you're safe and everything, but the book hasn't been checked out for a long, long time. All you can do is wait. Just hope somebody'll pick it up and start reading."” (O’Brien page 232) I love this part of the book specifically because all of this book has lead up to a few simple words. Those words are put together so creatively and the entire meaning to this book is revealed. I love how O’Brien wrote this story and the different writing techniques he used.

I would strongly suggest this book. It is a very hooking book, and I gained so much more empathy for the soldiers and what they carry. It is very fascinating to see how Tim O’Brien a Vietnam war veteran shares his stories. If you like a good story that makes you think very deep and recognize very little details this is the book for you.  

Tuesdays With Morrie- Angelee Rose

Title of the Book: Tuesdays with Morrie Author: Mitch Albom Number of Pages: 199 Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ Review:

Title of the Book: Temple Grandin

Author: Annette Wood

Number of Pages: 224

Rating: ☆☆☆

Review:

You think that from the title it would be about the person itself, an Autobiography of Temple Grandin. But it was not, the first 7 chapters of the book was about Temple Grandin’s life, which is not a lot. There was 59 pages of Temple Grandin’s Life out of 212 pages. The rest of this book covered other topics, like info related to the Slaughter Houses, Autism, Therapy Animals, and other people's lives. This is not what I was expecting from this book, I was expecting to read about Temple Grandin, not the other things.

The way the Author discussed Temple Grandin’s life seemed condensed, and it seemed like the author's life of having a little sister with autism dispersed throughout the book. I would have loved to see more about Temple Grandin’s current life, instead of things that were like years ago in 1970.

It seems like this book also focused on things going on in Kansas. If you know nothing about Temple Grandin, and Autism, then you should read this book. However, if you would like to read more about Temple Grandin’s life, then I would suggest reading books written by Temple Grandin or her mother.

This book was great!!! I got to learn extra info about everything, even though that is not what I hoped. If you do not know anything about Temple Grandin, this is a place to start.

Title of the Book: The Doors of Perception
Author: Aldous Huxley
Number of Pages: 189
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Review:
The Doors of Perception, Aldous Huxley; the book that changed me. As humans, we all have a few things in common, like our physical features and a conscious mind. Something in particular that boggles my mind often is the fact that we were all brought here, without choice and without any knowledge of what happens next. This inquiry motivated me to strengthen my spirituality and to learn more about this life we are given from a perspective that does not include traditional religious ideas. In my research around these ideas, I noticed a common name, Aldous Huxley. I understood his dystopian ideals after reading Brave New World and was also intrigued to learn more about his cognition. These two factors where enough to convince me to read his book The Doors of Perception. After you read this book, you too will question the world around you...in the best way that is. That being said, let me break down Huxley’s masterpiece for you.

To get an idea of what you will be getting into, I’ve put together a brief summary with no spoilers! Huxley makes it clear that his book will elaborate on his psychedelic experience on mescaline. He begins with insight on the drug, its background of scientific study/research, and traditional, religious uses of peyote by the natives of Mexico/American Southwest. This information is really important if you wish to truly understand this book, especially if you have never heard of such a drug. Huxley then goes into his experience after ingesting four tenths of a gram of mescaline. He does an incredible job of balancing the visual and spiritual realm of that he enters, I can’t go into much detail about them. It is vital for you to experience the book in complete candour and ignorance. Finally, his elaboration at the end of the book is almost the most exciting part. As he shares his beliefs and new found perceptions, you may find yourself wishing there was more to read.

Huxley’s book is unique in many ways. Something I find admirable is how he never promotes the use of drugs in his work, as he says he may “throw [light] on such ancient, unsolved riddles as the place of mind in nature and the relationship between brain and consciousness”. This motivated me to write such a review and plant the idea this book in the minds of others. Aldous Huxley is not humble when it comes to showing the world his brilliance, his techniques and vocabulary are challenging yet intriguing to read through. The tone of this book is enthusiastic and critical. A quote that illustrates his uniqueness and the true honesty of Huxley, is from the elaborations after his experience, “Most men and women lead lives at the worst so painful, at the best so monotonous, poor and minited that the urge to escape, the longing to transcend themselves if only for a few moments, is and always has been appetites for the soul”. As new and interesting his experience was, this was my favorite moment in the book. His raw appetite for truth is so earth shaking and vivid.

This book is for individuals looking to expand their domain of perception. As we walk this earth, so many things are unknown. Huxley does an incredible job of opening up the mind and introducing ideas of visionary experience, transcendence, and truth. However, I would recommend this book to only those who are patient and pensive enough to decipher and analyze what Huxley is trying to tell us in his book The Doors of Perception. Aldous Huxley was a wise man, I call myself lucky to hear his story.

Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi

Title of the Book: Survival in Auschwitz
Author: Primo Levi
Number of Pages:185
Rating: ☆☆☆☆



Review:



 Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi, This book is about how the author Primo Survived the mass murder that was caused by Hitler and his ruling during WWII. Mainly on Jews, Hitler disliked them and felt like they were causing the destruction within his country and felt like getting rid of them would help the country in a positive way. Hitler was sending all Jews to concentration camps where they were separated from their wife’s and children. Unfortunately, the children and wives were put into cremators where they were poisoned by gas to death while the strong men or working men would be put to work until they die or get weak and shot by the Germans. This was not a good time for Jews since they were killed on mass numbers because of one’s person’s view on them. This book describes how one’s point of view inside the camp and what had happened throughout the time he was there and how he survived.



Primo was an Italian Chemist that was taken by the Germans since he was a Jew. He was put into a concentration camp like the rest of his fellow people. He was separated from everyone he knew, and he was put to work, for years he had to deal with the harsh environment inside the camp and had to deal with so many things that the Germans were doing to him. Primo was not a strong guy neither he was a weak skinny guy that had to push his weigh on stuff so he can survive. There were many things he had to deal with that he described in his book that is worth reading.



In my opinion, I believe that Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi is a good book to read to get a different person’s point of view on something that has happened in history of the world. It was not a good time for this to be happening, but it gives you an idea on how it was during the time and gives you a point of view of what he had to deal with while in this concentration camp. I believe it was a good read since it provided me with details and events he had to deal with that I didn’t know before since I wasn’t able to see how the camp’s were during the time but he was able to provide great detail on what was happening in the camps and what things they were required to do while they were there and what thoughts were going through their mind during the time. Primo was a friendly guy that was put through a harsh time and he was able to provide us with detail on what happened and give other points of view on how it was during the unforgettable time. Primo was a great guy that was able to achieve the impossible that many were able to do and now he gets to tell his story.

Be Free book review

Title of the Book: Be Free
Author: Jackie Grunlond
Number of Pages: 198
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Review:
Finally, someone, who actually understands what it's like to grow up in a world full of high standards, stereotypes, and things that are just flat out wrong.

Be Free is a book about redeeming yourself. Its about healing your past wounds and rediscovering self love. It's about not having a perfect Instagram feed, but showing your own insecurities. The author Jackie Grunloud goes from getting blacked out every single night, to discovering who God is. Jackie doesn't sugar coat her life or hold anything back. She tells her unfiltered story about a young teenage girl who was just looking for love.

This book is unique, because of how real it is. The author mentions topics she believes people might lash on her, or disagree for how truthful she is being, but does it because she believes if she doesn't talk about it no one else will. In a sense, it's a self-help book, without being one. Its a breath of fresh air. It's a reminder to take a step back and admire your life for what it is, and stop trying to abide by the norms of society. I found this to be extremely unique because no one ever talks about the harsh realities of social media or the pressure other individuals put on each other to be a certain way. This won't be the prettiest book you've ever read, but it'll be the most real book you've ever read.

The authors writing style is very straight forward and to the point. There's no true style; she just writes a story and tells her life for what it is. The tone shifts from a depressing tone, to a casual/formal tone, to an upbeat, happy tone. Her journey is all over the place and will take you on a roller coaster ride full of emotions and realizations.

The most memorable moment I had while reading this book was in the beginning when she was talking about her Instagram feed. She felt it was necessary to portray this perfect lifestyle that "everyone wanted" even though she was experiencing depression, and crying herself to sleep every night. On all aspects of her social media platforms, she looked like she was "living her best life," but in reality, she wasn't. I think most girls in society, including me, can relate to this because everyone always wants someone else to want their life. We spend so much time posing for the perfect picture and creating the perfect caption, so we appear to have it all figured out when we don't. To me, this was a big thing, because all the times I scroll through Instagram thinking I wish my life were as good as some other person, I never took into consideration the propaganda behind every perfect Instagram photo.

I would recommend this book to all female ladies out there, but not so much to the males. This book is geared towards the things girls feel every day- insecurity, imperfectness, and pressure. I don't believe boys will be able to relate to this book or enjoy it. I extra recommend this book to Christian girls, because it does talk a lot about God, and the holy spirit. Even if your not Chrisitan, or have an association with any kind of church, I wouldn't let that discourage you from reading this book. I just personally believe having some background on the Bible, will take this book to the level it took me too.

Title of the Book: In Cold Blood
Author: Truman Capote
 Number of Pages: 343
 Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆


Review:

The novel In Cold Blood begins in the small and quiet town of Holcolm, Kansas before the entire town was turned upside down. Within this safe town in which no one s their doors is the innocent Clutter family that is well-known throughout the town. The Clutter family is an esteemed family that does a tremendous amount for the town and is an exemplary citizen and his family is equally pleasant. This is all about to change in the strange turn of events that transpire throughout the following weeks to the unsuspecting family. Two criminal soon come town with the intentions of robbing the Clutter family and using their weapons to get Mr. Clutter to show them where he keeps all of his money if need be. The way in which the author Truman Capote presents the story is through the eyes of many different people throughout the town. This allows the reader to see the way in which this true story affects the entire town of Holcolm Kansas and the citizens living therein. Dick Hickock is the one who comes up with his “master” plan to help him and his friend Perry Smith rich enough to flee the country and live out the rest of their lives in Mexico.

While in prison for one of Dick’s many crimes he shares a cell with a fellow criminal who used to work at the Clutter family home. Dick soon takes advantage of his cellmates information and learns all about the different aspects of the layout of the Clutter family house and that the Clutters are very wealthy with a lot of lands. Dick’s cellmate also informs him about a safe that Mr. Clutter has in his office in which he keeps no less than 10,000 dollars in at all times. This newfound information prompts Dick to recruit Perry for the heist of the century. The novel continues to follow the lives of Dick and Perry after the crimes that they committed at the Clutter family household. There was no significant source of money to be found in the house but the two men are not discouraged. During this time the true colors of Dick and Perry begin to be shown to the reader. Throughout this part of the novel, Dick is portrayed to be the evil mastermind of their ventures to scam people and steal their money. Perry, on the other hand, seems to be the one with higher emotional intelligence and the one who knows right from wrong.

These two men do not seem to show any signs of empathy throughout the novel or any remorse for what they had done to the poor and unsuspecting Clutter family. Dick continues to purposefully hit dogs and other animals with his car which is a telltale indication of his emotional state and the type of person he is. Meanwhile, in the once quiet town of Holcolm people begin to flee for other parts of the United States. The violent and gruesome events that took place within their small, rural town shook everyone within the town to their core. Of the citizens that did not flee town many people began to lock their doors at night (which they should have been doing in the first place!) and stopped going to social functions. This distrust between neighbors further disturbed the town and changed the atmosphere of the entire area. Investigators and local police were looking for answers and many people suspected that it was someone from Holcolm who disliked the Clutters. The only problem with this theory was that those who knew the Clutters did not know of anyone who did not like the Clutters or wanted harm to come to them. Holcolm was a close-knit community where everyone knew each other. The only two leads that were found at the crime were sets of footprints that were presumed to be the killers.

The two criminals may have gotten away with their crimes if Dick had not told his former cellmate about the details of the crimes that he planned to commit. The former cellmate Willie-Jay soon learns about the crimes that were committed to the Clutter family and he also sees the awards available to anyone who can provide information that leads to the arrest of anyone connected to the robbery and violence towards the Clutters. Willie-Jay’s testimony eventually leads to the capture and confession of the two criminals Dick and Perry. At the end of this vexing true story is a twist that will shock those that read the novel. The revelation at the end of the story proves that not everyone is as they seem and that we must watch our backs.

I would rate this novel a five out of five stars and recommend it to anyone who enjoys forensic sciences and the study of true crime and how police use different phycological methods to capture criminals. This novel was very unique in the way that Capote presented the story. The story that is presented throughout this novel is hard to read but the way in which the author tells the story allows the reader to connect with those in the novel. The insight provided to the reader allows them to understand that although it is evil in the world, there is also an awful lot of good. I feel that light always chances out the darkness and the justice system within our country is a large part of this. All information considered, this novel is an informative and entertaining novel that shows the silver-lining of the bad situations that arise in this hectic world.

Into the Wild Review

Title of the Book: Into the Wild

 Author: Jon Krakauer

Number of Pages: 203

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ 

Review:

Chris McCandless had a good life, he was extremely smart, super athletic, and his parents supported him financially for college. So imagine his family’s confusion when he suddenly disappears “into thin air” (get it?), giving up all his money and possessions to live in the wild.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is a literary non-fiction book that follows the story of mountain man, Chris McCandless. He wandered into the Alaskan wilderness in 1992 and never wandered out. His body was later discovered inside an abandoned school bus by some hunters who had stumbled upon the scene. Throughout the book Krakauer takes experiences that McCandless had while growing up and going through school and compares them to other men who have similar stories, discussing the parallels that all of the stories have. Using these comparisons he tries to dissect what McCandless’s motives were for living in the wild. Krakauer also dips into what makes the wilderness so enticing to make people feel like they need to explore it.

The story of Chris McCandless could have easily fit into one small article, like the one Krakauer wrote for Outside depicting Chris’s adventures through the western side of the United States before he met his inevitable death. But Krakauer was fascinated by his story. This book is very unique because it doesn’t just tell the story of Chris McCandless, but it also includes short stories of Gene Rosellini, a man trying to live off the land like our ancestors, Carl McCunn, a photographer who was left stranded in the wilderness when he forgot to arrange for his trip back from the wild, and Everett Reuss, a mountain man fascinated with the wilderness. When compared to McCandless these men are actually quite similar. Krakauer even shares a story from one of his own adventures, and describes how it relates back to McCandless. This book is a hodgepodge of many different stories woven together perfectly in order to create a whole book that takes the reader through the thoughts of a mountain man. The tone of the book is very mysterious, it’s almost as if Krakauer is trying to solve the mystery of McCandless’s disappearance. 

I personally enjoyed this book a lot even though it wasn’t my favorite genre. It is definitely not a love story or a science fiction story, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries or even adventure stories.