Tuesday, October 14, 2008

ORB #1

First Quarter Outside Reading Book Review
Misery By Stephen King. Penguin Books, 1988 Genre-Realistic Fiction
The setting of this book takes place in Colorado during the winter time. The story is about an author, Paul Sheldon, who is working on publishing his book and when he is finished he starts traveling to New York to have it published. On his way there he crashes in a bank of snow and is found by a lady, Annie Wilkes, who claims she is his biggest fan and is obsessed with him. She used to be a nurse and takes Paul in her house to heal him. Paul realizes soon after that she is crazy and just is capturing him to be with him and have him rewrite his story just to add her in it. When she left the house one time he saw a photo book of her life and realized she was a laid off nurse because she neglected her patients they died. Whenever Annie left Paul would sneak around in his wheel chair. When Annie realized she chopped his foot off with an ax. In the end Paul ended up killing Annie and escaping.
A quote that I really liked from the book was, “There comes a point when the very discussion of pain becomes redundant. No one knows there is pain the size of this in the world. No one. It is like being possessed by demons.” (Pg. 77) I picked this quote from the book because it really describes the point of the book in about three sentences. It is about the pain he endures throughout the book and it pretty much summarizes the whole book.
The author's writing style in this book is a very mysterious type of writing throughout the whole book because you don't really know a lot about the book until you get far into it. At the same time though it is a very suspenseful book and will always keep you at the edge of your seat. This book is like most other Stephen King books because it has a very weird but unique plot and it is suspenseful like his other books but this one wasn't as scary.
I can't pick a particular quote from the book but I can mention a part from the book that matches the authors writing style. When Paul is writing his new story he asks Annie to go to the store to get new paper so he can sneak around when she is gone and get the kitchen knife and the medication she gives him. While he is sneaking around in the house Annie returns to the house and it is a race for Paul to get back to the Bed before Annie gets inside. That was a very suspenseful moment in the book and that is an example of the authors style.
I really like Stephen Kings books but only the believable ones because I hate unrealistic books. I don't particularly like these types of books because I haven't read many but I thought the way he made it suspenseful really kept me into the book the whole time. This story line will stick with me for a long time because it really sticks out to me above any other book I've read and it is unique. Overall I really enjoyed this book and would give it a ten out of ten.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Priced vs. Priceless

Ryan Piquette
9-30-08
B Block

Priced vs. Priceless


All items that you own have a price and a specific value to you but the things we can't put a price on are what really mean the most to us inside like special moments or memories. No one really realizes what they have until later on in life. So why do we take everything for granted? What really makes something special to you?
It sounds like there is thunder surrounding me in every direction but really it is just the drone of the engine. The thought of being 30,000 feet in the air can sometimes frighten you but at the same time thrill you. Normally when this is happening it probably means that we are on our way to Florida. Excitement fills me and I cannot wait to land and finally arrive.
The airport looks familiar to me now after being here so many times before. The familiar people and the familiar atmosphere are all a routine for me now. I always remember the first step outside being the best and feeling the warm dense air hit your skin and at that moment nothing is more relaxing than that. The condo in Florida is not far from the airport and on the way there just looking at the palm trees, ocean and the great sunset make it seem like your in paradise.
The beach is white and the ocean is about 87 degrees about the same as the air temperature. You can sometimes go into the ocean and not come out for hours. We usually spend our days at the beach in the powerful sun making memories and having the greatest ties of our lives.
$300 can get you relaxation and happiness. That is the value of my iPod. Whenever I am having a bad day or something is bothering me I can just listen to my iPod and forget about all my worries. To me it is very relaxing listening to music and it helps me concentrate better. Whenever it is time for homework I listen to my iPod to focus me and inspire me. My mood can also change when listening to music, it depends what kind but I mostly listen to all kinds. With my iPod I can go on the Internet, watch videos, check weather, stocks and much more. It can always help me to get through a bad or boring time like if I'm riding in a car maybe going to Maine or going to the beach or a game or even waiting for something my iPod can entertain me and help the time to go by much faster. I can also use it with my friends or family and use it in the car. It is one of my favorite items in my house and possibly my favorite thing I have. It is also great entertainment and I use it just about every day.
So you could buy your relaxation by buying an iPod or get it by going on a trip to Florida. They are both very fun and will always put you in a good mood no matter what. So I guess you could say that you can get the same thing out of both of them, relaxation. Or they could both be entertaining to you. They also both allow me to drift away and to forget all my worries because of the extreme relaxation they both present.
Even though I just explained how they are very similar they are both very different at the same time. My iPod to me is an item and going to Florida to me is something I do and a memory or thought, so in general they are different things. Ipods can also preform specific tasks which going to Florida can't do. But Florida is also something much larger and more in-general than an iPod. Like I said iPods can relax you but you can't go to and iPod and relax but you can go to Florida and relax at a beach or pool or even in the sun. A moment to me though is worth way more than you could ever price and iPod.