July 18, 2011
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Homework Assignment 6/27
Class, I have to say I am quite pleased with your recent assignment. You all get a gold star and 100% and a smiley face sticker. You will also be given money for the school store where you can buy Cheetos because we all know that the best way to reward academic success isn’t praise, it’s junk food.
Rob_of_the_Sky, I thought I told you to go to the principal’s office. Get that finger out of your nose and get to the office.
Here’s your next assignment:
Make sure you clearly state the books and how they impacted you. You may say something like “Fight Club” impacted me because it taught me to think that not everything is as it seems. Good luck and get to work.
My books:
1. “Fight Club” by Chuck Palahniuk I saw the movie first and then read the book. It was an awesome adaptation; I think the best book to movie adaptation ever. After I read “Fight Club” I became addicted to Palahniuk. I have read all his material. “Fight Club” isn’t my favorite book but it did introduce me to one of the best current American authors.2. “Kick Me” by Paul Feig This guy was one of the creators of Freaks and Geeks and a few of the storylines from that TV show came straight from Feig’s life. I remember reading this book when I was teaching and thought, “God, this kid was bullied” but the funny thing is, he never really complained. He made something of himself. I love Feig’s other book “Superstud”.
3. “Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream” by H.G. Bissinger I love football and this book pretty much captures my love for football. There was a movie based upon this book and of course the greatest TV show of all time is based upon this book. I loved reading this book when I was coaching football although I never had any of the problems that occur in this book.
4. “Fahrenheit 451″ by Ray Bradbury I remember reading this book in high school and the teacher who assigned it tiptoed around the political aspect so it felt weird but I cam to that conclusion on my own. It really moved me and
5. The Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder The first time I was introduced to these books was when I was in 1st grade and out teacher read them aloud to the class. The books aren’t what you’d call literary classics but the ease in reading makes them memorable. Even though Wilder isn’t the greatest writer in the world, her descriptive writing is what brought me back to these books. She was writing for her blind sister to make her remember those past vibrant colors.
Comments (28)
Can I go to the principal’s office with ROB OF THE SKY!!!!!!!!!!!!
????
the dog ate my….homework =)
homecoming by cynthia voigt - it opened my eyes to reality in a child’s world. i was fairly young when i read it (between 9-11) and it’s about homeless children trying to find the only relative they know. i found myself more aware of the world, especially the darker parts after this book.
the fat girl by marilyn sachs - this book put an interesting spin on teenage relationships. the novel is about a fat girl who likes a cute, popular guy. he can’t stand her because of her appearance but he becomes kind of obsessed with making fun of her. they end up dating and she loses tons of weight due to her new confidence but because she is being noticed more, her boyfriend gets jealous and is obsessed into making her what he wants.
little women by louisa may alcott
- it was one of my first novels of significant size, and it was amazing. it wasn’t too deep but it’s bomb.
great gatsby by f. scott fitzgerald
- i LOVE this book. it is so cool, it’s so interesting to look back on the jazz age and all the characters and so unique and flawed so eloquently. i love the realistic interactions and corrupt relationships in the novel too.
to kill a mockingbird by harper lee
- it’s so controversial and it’s amazingly good. it touches upon very important topics such as rape and racism and is well-written and VERY interesting.
If you change the stakes and exclude the Gold Stars, I’ll consider continued participation.
1. Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is literally my favorite book in the entire world. I usually have trouble deciding favorites, but this book talks directly to you as the reader in letter form, gives you insight into a troubled kid starting high school (with a similar personality to my own.) It makes me cry every time. Those days when I don’t want to do anything and am just unhappy, I immediately turn to this book (unless, like now, someone else is borrowing it.)
2. The Host by Stephenie Meyer. Everyone thinks immediately of the Twilight series when they hear her name, but I think of the Host. She’s not the greatest writer, and Twilight isn’t the most original (it is based off of other books, so clearly…) but the Host gives a sci-fi example of a future society and how it would work if it were entirely peaceful, and humans were taken over by “souls” (aliens) who are entirely peaceful. It also shows the few humans left coexisting with a “soul.”
3. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult. It proves, well, that there are different sides to every story. It’s not always so cut-and-dry right and wrong.
4. Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen. A girl and her best friend go through a lot together, and she ends up in kind of an abusive relationship, and has to learn how to rely on herself instead of other people (which I guess I still kind of need to be better at.)
5. Impulse by Ellen Hopkins. All of Ellen’s books are written in poetry form, some concrete poems, some just free form, all extremely well written. The entire book is surrounding the lives of five teens in a group home after attempting suicide. It gave me even more insight into what I already knew my best friend had gone through in several group homes after her attempted suicide, BPD (which, at the time, my sister’s mother had been diagnosed with and recently so has she), depression and anxiety which my best friend has, and several other disorders.
This was, quite possibly, the HARDEST decision ever. Really.
I’ve had MANY MANY books impact me as an adult…too many to name here.
SO…the 5 I’m going to name are from my childhood…I read these between the ages of 7-12 and they were in essence life-changing, for me.
1. The Little House on the Prairie Books: These books gave me a way of “escape”. They took to me to another time and place. I could be Laura Ingalls, for while, and not me. (I always felt like I was born in the wrong time and place in history. I always felt like I didn’t fit in. And these books took me to a place I felt comfortable.)
2. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn: This book dealt with poverty and alcoholism…and 11 year old Francie Nolan taught me about tenacity, determination, trying to rise above my circumstances, and so much more.
3. To Kill a Mockingbird: Scott Finch was THE FIRST character from a book that I TOTALLY related to! She and I were so much alike it was amazing. If you read this book or watch the movie…when you see Scott, you are seeing me as a little girl. Scott helped me to feel less alone. She taught me about acceptance, “walking around in another person’s shoes”, that life can be ugly, but you don’t have to be mean and ugly, too, to stand up for “mockingbirds”, ETC. She asked a lot of questions and I have always have asked a lot of questions, too.
4. A Wrinkle in Time: Meg Murry felt like an outcast and struggled to accept herself and her appearance. I related to this as a little girl. The theme of the triumph of good over evil gave me hope. And this book helped me to see that my wild imagination was okay.
5. The Outsiders: This book impacted me in MANY ways…to better understand my growing up very poor, that “family” isn’t always people who are blood relatives, that you can find ways to “stay gold” even amongst the crap, you shouldn’t judge people by outward appearance, economics, etc. That on the inside we are all pretty much the same in need of the same things. That we should be about accepting and helping each other on this journey of life.
HUGS!
Hmmm…tricky…
1. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King, (because I can’t pick just one of the books): Impacted my life because it moved me into a place where I don’t think I’ve ever felt characters so real that they became a part of me.
2. The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon: Impacted my life because reading this book made me lust, with total envy, to be a better writer.
3. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Ultimate Edition, by Douglas Adams: Impacted my life with so much joy and humor that I always return to it for comfort and laughs when I really need it badly.
4. The Great Brain series, by John D. Fitzgerald: Impacted my life because reading those books is literally the happiest childhood memory I have.
5. The Watchmen, by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and John Higgins: Impacted my life because it is a piece of such genius that it is the perfect arguement for why comic books and graphic novels are a valid and often intelligent artform when I encounter people who think that comics are just kids stuff and immature.
Some people probably haven’t even read 5 books. And books that’s impacted my life in which I go out thinking differently and behave differently? Not many.
I get my books from the library, if one turns out to be really, really good and re-readable in my opinion then I go and buy it. That being said, all my books are packed away waiting for my move, but I’ll go from memory. :)
1. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte – Showed me not to pay attention to societal standards and follow my own heart.
2. Ain’t Nobody’s Business If You Do; The Absurdity Of Consensual Crimes In A Free Society by Peter McWilliams – Opened mind to why consensual crimes should not be illegal and sparked my ongoing passion for Constitutional Law.
3. Real Murders by Charlaine Harris – Showed me that some romance novels are worth reading and led me to the True Blood series.
4. Stiff: The Curious Lives Of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach – Opened my eyes to the many possibilities of contributing to science after I’m dead.
5. Homer’s Odyssey by Gwen Cooper – Made me realize I need to at least slightly curb my empathy for cats, lest I end up the crazy cat lady, lol.
this is great … I will do the next one for sure…my mind is a blur…
I can list 5 books I really like, but not so much say how they’ve impacted me/my life…
I just came by to see what other people said. Get the names of some good books I should read.
HUGS!
Anne of Green Gables-Showed me that having an imagination is a good thing.
My Sisters Keeper-Sometimes you have to hurt people to do the right thing.
I love a lot of books, but I really don’t read them to have them impact me but to go to another place. :]
Lord of the Flies – I am fairly certain that I can now successfully hunt a wild pig with a sharpened stick.
Harry the Dirty Dog – It was the first book I ever read on my own.
The Bible – I have gleaned tremendous insights as to the nature of man and our place in time.
Grey’s Anatomy – I have been able to sucessfully diagnose and treat a variety of injuries by simply referencing the diagrams and texts.
The Handbook of Physics and Chemistry – Without it I wouldn’t have been able to transmorgify myself from a little boy into a wild green raging hulking manimal.
First off The Bible. I just think it has some uncanny way of working on your bodies brain chemistry. I actually feel different after reading any part of it.
Dr. Seuss’s Red Fish Blue Fish. I remember my dad reading it to me. It makes me happy to think about it because it reminds me that my daddy loves me. lol such simple things.
The book of horses. My best friend from kindergarten up to 4th grade and I had imaginary horses. We used this book to name them, what kind, etc. I still have a list of them all in this same book. reminds me of good times and one insane kids fantasy of owning a herd of horses (that also talked).
Not sure if any other books influenced me. I have some favorites but none that actually pushed me in any direction or other.
1. “Der kleine Trompeter”, because it was the first book that moved me.
2. “Gone with the wind” – the first long book I read and enjoyed.
3. “The thorn birds” – a wonderful story.
4. “Buddenbrooks”, a book I couldn’t stop reading once I got over the complicated writing style of Thomas Mann.
5. “The importance of being earnest”, the first book I read in English.
6. Almost every other book I read, because reading is often an adventure for the mind.
1. “Wasted” by Marya Hornbecker inspired me to try and recover from severely disordered eating behaviors. Her story was so honest and her struggle so raw, I felt like if she could do it I could too.
2. “Flow” by MihalyiCsikszentmihalyi. It’s a book about learning to put yourself in situations where there is high-challenge and high-rewards, to find that thing that makes you feel like everything flows naturally and is exactly as it should be. This book, and the first person I discussed it with outside of school, are the reasons I pursue my dreams.
3. “The Cloud of Unknowing” is a book about asceticism. Essentially it is a handbook for leading a contemplative life. Whether or not I believe in God at any particular moment (yeah, I’m still wrestling that one out) it’s a great reminder of how to meditate, and accept that I don’t have to know all the answers to be content with the questions.
4. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, the fictionalized memoirs of an intersexed (hermaphroditic) individual struggling to accept himself by sousing out his familial history. In a lot of ways, his story is my story–the particulars may be different, but the need to understand where we fit in the long genetic chain that culminates in us is the same.
5. Running With Scissors by Augusten Burroughs taught me to see my experience as unique and valuable, even in the midst of a series of serious dysfunctional relationships and situations.
I’ll have to think about this one.
I liked getting to read about your 5 choices! I’ve read three of those…I’ll have to look for the other two. I especially would like to read your #2.
@AdamsWomanFell - ”Kick Me” is great. I am so upset that my library system doesn’t have it. Somehow in my last move it must have been put into storage and I don’t want to go out to my unit and sort through box after box looking for it. Maybe I’ll buy a new copy but then I’ll have to buy a new copy of “Superstud”. His accounts of gym class are quite hilarious and the story of his first kiss and taste of beer.
I don’t know that I can name five. In no particular order:
– George H. Smith, Atheism: The Case Against God. = I read this in 2005 when I was still an agnostic. HOLY SHIT. A lot of people talk about Dawkins and Hitchens, and yes, they’re great. But, maybe because it was my first book of this sort, the impact it had on me was Earth-shattering. Here was a man who was able to parse down big philosophical issues into understandable language, and swiftly and mercilessly DISMANTLE theism, and especially Christianity. He went into Christianity like a hyena on steroids would go into a fresh carcass. I was an atheist before I even finished it.
– Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark = This man made me love skepticism like an English lit major loves Shakespeare. He’s so eloquent, and so passionate in his case for skepticism.
– Anton Lavey, The Satanic Bible = The first half is a delicious diatribe against Christianity. I’ve read two more of his books, which would be everything that was published in his lifetime (written by him.) I just love his humor, his crudeness, and his sharp wit.
@In_Reason_I_Trust - I read portions of The Satanic Bible for a religion class and this will seem pretty weird but some things I took away from it are that a lot of modern day Christians are more Satanist than Christian. I see a lot of the religious right following LaVey and not Christ. It’s just the me first attitude so many Christians possess which goes against everything Christ taught. I got brow-beaten by a minister because I mentioned how the early Christians practiced communism. “We can’t let these children know that communism works.”
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton – This was one of the first books that I read that got me into reading. I was 14 at the time and felt alone, like no one understood what I was going through, but the book made me realize that someone did understand. Ponyboy felt misunderstood, too, and like he didn’t belong. After reading the book I felt not so alone anymore, I knew that the author who wrote it completely understood how someone my age feels. This is the book that also got me into writing.
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones – This book has a wonderful story and most of the time seems pretty light-hearted, but underneath it all, it is pretty deep. This book impacted me so much. I started writing again because of this book and it made me realize that I really love fantasy. Howl’s Moving Castle may seem like a simple fantasy book, but it is so much more than that. The one main character, Sophie Hatter is the character I can really relate to. She worries about a lot of things, like not being successful and other things. It’s a really wonderful book that changed my life.
I’m sure I could list more, but it would make the comment way too long lol
@godfatherofgreenbay - Yes, you’re right. Lavey makes the very valid point that a lot of Christians are nothing but guilt-ridden hypocrites. Turn the other cheek? Try finding one that lives by that, or most any other idea promulgated by Jesus in the bible. Lavey correctly states that they’re behaving like Satanists, and professing the opposite.
Just the other day I had a bit of an argument with a guy I’ve known for a bit. We were in a bar, and since he’s a musician and asked “what’s going on?” I said I’ve been recording my songs. He eventually asked me about my lyrics. When I mentioned that I attacked religion…OH BOY! The funny thing is that in between our little talks, he had been virtually groping his “girlfriend.” Another patron jokingly said “Hey, I’ll get you some viagra, and go get a room.” The *woman* said, “oh, he don’t need any of that, right baby?” So, this guy is fornicating like a mofo. I knew he was nailing another woman a few months before. For the life of me, I don’t know how they reconcile that in their minds. Either they cherry-pick and just discard the rules they don’t like, or…I don’t know.
Sorry for the tome, but that was a perfect example of what we’re talking about.
Hmmm 5 books that had an impact on my life…
1. “Oh The Places You’ll Go” by Dr. Seuss. I got this as a graduation gift from the girls in my sorority. Honestly Dr. Seuss knows his shit. You go through good times and bad times after you graduate but along the way you have some fun. Surprisingly accurate about life after graduation.
2.”Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me” by the victims of Chelsea Handler. Helps you realize that the key to a perfect lie is believing in the lie yourself.
3. Twilight series by not for the reasons you think! It just goes to show that anyone who has some kind of shitty dream can sit down at a computer, type that shit out, and make millions of dollars! Woohoo for the untalented!
4. “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austin. Impacted me by showing me that you shouldn’t always base people off of first impressions. I’m bad at talking to people I don’t know. But after we’ve hung out a few times I open up. Also, I’m waiting for my Darcy.
5. “Harry Potter” series by J.K. Rowling. Gave me novels that I wanted to read as a child and each new book grew up with me. I felt excited for each book to come out and felt sad as I got closer to the end of each book. Love these books cause they helped further my love for reading.
@In_Reason_I_Trust - exactly, when I was in my uber-conservative college everyone just preached fire and brimstone against gays and how they are basically subhuman but then when Britney Spears and Madonna kiss on some MTV awards show it’s “OH MY GOD THAT IS THE HOTTEST THING EVER!” That is gay activity but apparently it’s OK. They would also go against how gays have so much sex and say that the average gay man has 1200 partners in a lifetime (I’d love to know where people got that number) but then there would be a fantasy dating league where guys who were married or engaged would select single guys and get points via what happened on their dates. Hey, they had to be honest because they were studying for the ministry, right?
1. Be like water by Joseph Cardillo: It is a book based on philosophy found in martial arts, with a focus on living in the moment, and how in life with effortless effort.
2. Book of Secrets by Osho: A book on Tantra relating the divine play of Shakti and Shiva, and the philosophical wisdom it contains as interpreted by Spiritual Guru Osho. Also known as “112 Keys to the Mystery Within” referring to the 112 methods, or meditations if you will, found within the book.
3. The Complete Idiot’s guide to World Religions by Brandon Toropov and Father Luke Buckles: The name pretty much says what it is about.
4. Instant self-hypnosis by Forbes Robbins Blair: Not the best book on the subject but did help with the key concepts of Self Hypnosis and help spur my own research into this area of self programming.
5. Initiation into Hermetics by Franz Bardon:
The books above have had a profound impact on my sense of spirituality and how I live my life. They, in combination with many other books on philosophy, and spirituality have shaped who I have become and the spirituality I have developed for myself in many ways.
I am very thankful to all your team for sharing such inspirational information.
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