Awakened P.C. Cast & Kristen Cast Chapter 10

   In this chapter, Zoey walks down to meet stark down by the beach. She hopes to get him to shoot from his bow and arrow again, but he is very hesitant. Her plan is to have him "teach" her how to play archery. Stark catches on to her plan, and he calls her out on it. Zoey realizes that the reason he doesn't want to play is because he's afraid that he will hit his target, which is was the goddess' gift to him.Eventually, he ends up shooting the arrow and he feels much better after. He conquers his fear and finally feels whole again. "I've missed it,' he said, speaking so softly I had to strain to hear him. ' I don't really feel right if I don't stay connected to my bow." (Pg. 103)
   While I was reading, I was happy that Stark finally decided to use his bow again. When he refused to use it, I thought he was being a bit ridiculous. His gift to be able to shoot at any target and always hit it right where he wants to do, was a gift from Nyx (the goddess). No matter what happened, I don't think that he should have stopped using his gift. He can control it, and without his gift, he isn't fully himself. Now that he is using his gift to his fully abilities, he can be the best warrior that he is capable of being to Zoey.

I connect this to myself because this is how I feel about singing. When I was younger, I used to sing all the time. When we went to church, I was the last one singing. But, one day when I was riding in the car with my dad and step-mom, I was singing a Mariah Carey song and they started to laugh. They claim that they were laughing because I was so cute, I was only four, but I thought they were laughing because they thought I was a bad singer. Since then, I don't use my true singing voice around them. They only people I feel comfortable singing around are my mom, my sister Shawna, my grandma, my brother Marcus and my youngest brother Ryan. My fear of humiliating myself has made me stop using the gift that God gave me. I know i'm a good singer, i'm just afraid to show it. I hope that one day, I can overcome my stage fright, and sing to my dad. Hopefully, the advice on this website really works http://www.ehow.com/how_7136_overcome-stage-fright.html.

  

Awakened P.C. Cast & Kristen Cast Chapter 9

   In this chapter, Zoey and Sgiach, the High Priestess of the Isle of Sky, have a talk about possibly having Zoey stay on the Isle forever. After they discuss the possibility of having Zoey and her friends move to the Isle of Skye permanently, Sgiach has Zoey call all of the affinities (air, water, spirit, earth, and fire) to her. They appear in the form of intangible fairies, but when Zoey's blood is sprinkled on their skin, they start to develop flesh for a little while. Zoey and the fairies dance for a while until she is asked to go help Stark find his gift again with the bow and arrow. " I looked from Seoras to Sgiach. They were right. I felt it in my gut. Stark couldn't hide from the gifts Nyx had given him any more than I could deny my connection to the five elements."(Pg. 95)
   While I was reading, I wondered about how Zoey could leave her friends to deal with her problems. Her staying on the Isle of Skye, in my opinion, is extremely selfish of her. She should be trying to get back to her friends and fight the darkness while keeping them safe. That may seem like a lot to do, especially for only one person, but it's not as if she has to fight the battle alone. Her friends would gladly help her and they would happy to see her safe and whole again. To me, it just seems as if she is running away from her problems and you can only run for so long until they catch up with you.
   I connect this to the world, because I think that everyone has problems that they don't want to deal with. But, just because you may have these problems, doesn't mean you can just avoid them. It would make you feel a lot better if you would just face the issue and get it over with. The outcome, is never as bad as your head twists it to be. The website that I found, helps people talk about what's bothering them. It's really not healthy to keep everything inside http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Talking_about_your_problems_can_help?open.
   Talk it out!

Awakened P.C. Cast & Kristen Cast Chapter 8

   In this chapter, Zoey Redbird's friends find out that she doesn't plan to come back to the academy soon. They are all in a meeting when they hear a loud noise and run outside to the quad to find out what has happened. They soon realize that Jack, Damien's boyfriend, has died. Zoey's best friend, Stevie Rae, suspects that Neferet, an evil High Priestess, has killed Jack. Feeling like she is one of the only ones that knows the truth about what happened to Jack, she makes a vow. She decides that she is going to persuade Zoey into coming back to the school, because she believes that Zoey is the only one that could help her bust Neferet. "She killed him. I don't know how, and I can't prove it right now, but she did. Then, as quickly as that thought formed, another come on it's heels: Zoey would believe me. She'd help me figure out  how to expose Neferet. Zoey has to come back. " (pg. 84)
   While I was reading this chapter, a lot of questions were on my mind. I wondered why everyone at the school was acting so openly towards Neferet. After all, she did let out Kalona, a consort that fell down to earth because of his disobedience. Everyone was treating her as if she was still such a great leader, when in reality, she had let them down.
  I connect this to our world today because, like this book, we have so many leaders that pretend to be on our side. Not only presidents, just leaders in general. We look to some celebrities and idol them, and then we find out about them cheating on their spouses, or doing cocaine. For example, Charlie Sheen, many people loved his show Two and a Half Men, at least, I know I did, and then we find out about all of his dirty laundry. It's just rather disgraceful how our society is seen today http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2011/03/14/2011-03-14_charlie_sheen_having_trouble_finding_porn_star_capri_anderson_to_serve_her_extor.html.
   In this short life that we are given, we have to learn how to live our lives to the fullest. How we portray ourselves is how we will be seen. We should just remember that in our everyday lives, we are a role models to someone.
  And please, never end up like him.

Awakened - P.C. Cast & Kristen Cast Chapters 1-8

   Awakened is the 8th book in the House of Night series. These books are about a girl who is turned into a vampire and her quest in dealing with her changes, her love interests, and the evil that lies within the House of Night school.
   In chapters one through eight, the book is basically just giving us a refresher of what happened in the last book. Zoey Redbird, the main character, is away at the Isle of Skye with her warrior and two friends. She has recently awakened from her unconscious state. WHile unconscious she was in the other world, in which she was trying to find herself, when she comes back, she decides that she wants to say at the Isle of Skye for a little while. But, she can't stay for too long because she knows that no matter how long she stays at the Island, the mess that is waiting for her will still be there. "You mean I can stay here?'
   "For as long as you wish. I know what it is to feel the world press too tightly around. Here, as you said, the world is only allowed to enter at my command - and mostly I command it to stay away"
   "What about the fight against darkness and evil and what not?"
   "It will be there when you return." (pg.19)
   This book makes me think about the world because we can't run away from our problems. No matter what, whatever you are dealing with will still be right where you left it, waiting for you. The website, http://www.vipassana.com/meditation/mindfulness_in_plain_english_12.php , helps people cope with their problems in a healthy way, instead of having them avoid or run away from them.
   While I'm reading this book, I get really pulled into it. The relationships are so diverse and the issues are fictional, but yet have some truth to them. I highly recommend this series.
 

Handle With Care - Jodi Picoult

   Handle with care is about a mother that is suing for wrongful birth of her child Willow, who has Osteogensis Imperfecta. This means that her bones are extremely fragile and by simply falling down, Willow could break her hip.  ( This is a child with Osteogenesis Imperfecta).

   When I read this book, I couldn't put it down. The way the mother feels towards the child is just so full of love and yet regret for what she was doing. She thought of her daughter as strong, even when all evidence pointed to her being weak. "Willow, I whispered, the name that you father and I had agreed on. I had had to convince him. I won't call her that, he said. They weep. But I wanted to give you a prophecy to carry with you, the name of a tree that bends instead of breaking." ( Pg. 5)

   Everything about this book was great. The switching point of views, the author's writing style, and the message behind the story. Throughout the book, Charlotte, the mother of Willow, separates from her husband, and her best friend because of the lawsuit. She gains so many enemies, but throughout it all, it doesn't matter to her because she knows that the money she is going to win will help her daughter in the future. If i was in Charlotte's position, I don't know if I would be able to sue for wrongful birth. On one hand, the money you would be getting would help sufficiently in the future, but I don't think I would be able to handle all the negativity that went along with it. But, then again, a special needs child is very expensive. I guess you have to be put in that position to know what you're going to do. I also wondered about how many other kids might have OI and found this website : http://www.oif.org/site/.
   When I reached the end of this book, I balled my eyes out. But, it wasn't because of the fact that Willow dies, it's because of how beautifully the author explains Charlotte's feeling and how the family dealt with Willow's death. " I don't have the money anymore.It was yours after all. I slipped the check into the silk lining of the coffin when I kissed you goodbye for the last time. Here are the things I know for sure: when you think you're right, you are most likely wrong. Things that break - be they bones, hearts, or promises - can be put back together but will never really be whole. And, in spite of that I said, you can miss a person you've never known. I learn this over and over again, every day I spend without you." (Pg.475)
   In every few chapters or so, Charlotte puts in a recipe, she's a chef, that somehow relates to the book. In the last chapter, the recipe is for Willow's Sabayon with Clouds. She explains why the dessert is so special to her. "The outcome of this recipe is a work of art, if you can make it through the complicated preparation. Above all else: handle everything with care. This dessert, like you, is gone before you know it. This dessert, like you, if impossibly sweet. This dessert fills me, when I miss you the most." (Pg. 477) This title means so much more than the obvious. Learning to treat everything with care, is a life ,lesson that everyone will learn. You never know when someone, or something is going to be gone forever. Cherish what you have, while you have it.
P.S. This book was AWESOME!