"Julius Caesar" Book Review

Julius Caesar is a tragedy written about Julius Caesar and the events around his death. This play was very different than anything I have ever read.

Shakespeare has a unique writing style. I find Shakespeare's writing style difficult to read because he used many words that are not used today. I often had to read the side notes or look up what words meant. Also, he uses iambic pentameter. Iambic pentameter makes the speaker sound more formal. Because this is a play, iambic pentameter is a good choice of style.

The main characters in Julius Caesar are Caesar, Brutus, and Mark Antony. These characters are actually people that lived a long time ago. Shakespeare used these people and important events in their life to produce this drama.

Julius Caesar tells the story of Julius Caesar's murder and his killers actions after Caesar's death. Many people, including Brutus, plotted against Caesar and killed him. This backfired on them because a civil war broke out and many of Caesar's killers ended up killing themselves in the end.

The theme of the play is "think before you act." Brutus, and the others that plotted to kill Caesar, thought they would kill him and everything would be okay. They did not think Mark Antony would turn everyone against them.

I did not enjoy this play, so I do not recommend Julius Caesar to anyone that enjoys an easy read. I would recommend this play to anyone that likes Shakespeare's work or enjoys a difficult read.

209 pages

"Water for Elephants" Book Review

When everything you have is taken away from you what do you do? This is what Jacob was thinking the moment he found out his parents were dead.

The setting of this book is in two places. One place is at a circus when Jacob is 23. The other is in a nursing home when Jacob is 93. I have never been to a circus but in this book the author made me feel like I was experiencing everything Jacob was. The vivid details the author used made the reader be with Jacob.

After Jacob finds out his parents are dead, he leaves college. He went to Cornell to be a veterinarian but left right before he was finished. When he left he jumped on a train and decided to go wherever the train took him. This train happened to be a circus train. Jacob now worked for a circus. When people found out he was pretty much a vet, they made him the circus vet. He found himself falling for Marlena. Marlena was one of the circus performers but she was also married to a man with anger issues. August, the animal trainer is Marlena's husband. Marlena performs with a bunch of horses. When her lead horse has to be put down, they buy her an elephant. Uncle Al, the circus owner, told Jacob the elephant was the best there was. But, for a while, she was the stupidest elephant Jacob had ever seen. After a while Jacob realized she was just different.

I really liked the author's style of writing. Even though most of the book is set in the 1930s, she makes the story easy to read.

I recommend this book for anyone that loves a great story that will captivate the reader. I could see that this book would be more of a girl book than a boy book, but there are plenty of qualities boys would like about this book too.

350 pages

Great Leaders

Every group needs a leader. In schools, the leaders are the teachers and principals. In countries, the leaders are the presidents or dictators. Leaders can also be normal people with no power at all. Leaders have many traits that make them a true leader. Leaders always try to do the best thing for their group. Leaders are very strong mentally and are inspirational. Some people I consider to be great leaders are listed below.

1. Jesus-He was a great leader that did everything he could to spread the word of God. He also helped many people along the way.
2. Teachers
3. My parents-They have always been there for me and taught me how to be a good person.
   
4. Mufasa (from Lion King)
5. Abraham Lincoln
6. Bela and Marta Karolyi-They are the coaches of the national gymnastics team and have led the team to many victories.
7. John F. Kennedy
   
8. Martin Luther King Jr.-His speech that led to integration did amazing things for this country.
   
9. Will Shuester (from Glee)- He built up the Glee club from nothing, got them to Sectionals and they won.
   
10. Gandhi
    

Obsessions :)

Everyone has their own obsessions. Sometimes I feel like I have way too many and I probably do, but that does not mean that I can just stop being obsessed.

I am obsessed with Carrie Underwood, just ask Georgia. :) Carrie Underwood is practically my idol. She is absolutely amazing and she has the voice of an angel.

I am also obsessed with the internet. I can entertain myself for hours on the internet. The main sites I visit are facebook, YouTube, the Carrie Underwood fan club (oh yeah, you read right, I am in the official fan club), fanforum, and mylifeisaverage. I know I know, that is a lot of websites to be addicted to but I am trying to break this addiction.

My newest obsession is Glee. Glee is the best TV show I have ever seen, seriously. Glee is about a glee club in Ohio and their rise to fame. Yes, it sounds corny but trust me, the show is amazing!

I am also obsessed with food. I am pretty sure I should weight at least 300 pounds. I am not even joking I eat all the time.

These obsessions along with many others keep me happy. I should probably stop being so obsessed with all of this.

Thankful...

My life is really good so I am thankful for a lot. I am thankful for my family, friends, a house, a job, good health, Jesus, and a whole lot more.

1. I am thankful for my family because they are always there for me. My parents support me in everything I do. They always encourage me to do what is right and I am very thankful for that. My siblings are my friends and they love me no matter what.
2. I am thankful for my friends because they can cheer me up all the time. No matter what kind of day I am having, they lift my spirits and make me happy again.
3. I am thankful for a house with heat. There are many people in this world that are homeless. I have always had a home and I am very grateful. I could not imagine sleeping outside every night.
4. I am thankful for my job. My job is fun and lets me have a way to spend time with cute little kids. Also, my job gets me money and to survive in this world, money is crucial.
5. I am thankful for my health and my family's health. My whole family is happy and healthy. I love to be able to say that, because a lot of people do not have very good health.
6. I am thankful for Jesus. I believe that without Jesus we would not be how we are today. He died for our sins, and gave everyone the opportunity to be forgiven.
7. I am thankful for food. I never go without a meal and I am truly grateful for that. I could not imagine starving.
8. I am thankful for my education. My school has good teachers that teach me a lot. This will prepare me for the future when I am trying to get a job.
9. I am thankful for random acts of kindness. Random acts of kindness are great because I am never expecting them. They make me feel good about myself and boost my self-esteem.
   
10. I am thankful for our soldiers. Everyday our soldiers are putting their life on the line to keep me and everyone else free. Without them America would not be free like we are today.
    

I am thankful for all of this and a whole lot more. I know I am not even scratching the surface on all that I am thankful for.