LORD OF THE FLIES

Lord of the Flies takes place on an Island. Although we don't get to know where, the author describes it in details. He says that it has a jungle at one end, and at the opposite side is the lagoon where the boys go to bathe and where they first meet after the crash. Not far away, there is a mountain where it was decided to a fire would stay lit in hope of rescue.

I've now read the first 4 chapters and the story starts on the island after the plane crashed. There are no adult survivors, only a group of boys from a boarding school. Ralph and Piggy are introduced to the reader as they meet in the lagoon. Piggy finds a conch shell and shows Ralph how to make how to make a noise with it. Ralph uses this to call the other boys and have a meeting, setting down rules that they have to follow while they're on the Island. Ralph was declared as the ruler and Jack and the other choir boys went hunting for something to eat.

Some of the younger childrene believed that they saw a beast. This beast scares all of the younger children and most of the older children as well. They all decided that they needed a fire to survive on the Island and used Piggy's glasses to start it.

Later on, a ship passed by the Island but the signal fire was out and this was because of Jack's irresponsibility. He argues with Ralph, not taking the blame for it. He says that hunting is more important, and that it was not his fault that the fire had gone out.

The main-characters we meet in the beginning are: Ralph, Piggy and Jack.

Piggy is a chubby boy with glasses and a typical victim of teasing, but he is the most intelligent and moralistic of all the boys. He quickly becomes bestfriends with Ralph and finds out that he can express his views through him. Piggy is an intellectual boy who lacks social skills, he is an outsider.

Ralph is the boy who is elected to be the leader of the boys. He tries to keep his head cold. Ralph says that they have to stick to rules if they shall survive. He is a very good leaders and more mature than the others. His maturity is shown in his decisions. He makes the boys start bulding shelters and make a fire so ships can see it when they pass. Ralph has also a boyish way to act, he chooses people he likes and sticks with them.

Jack is a real dirtbag who always talks about how proud he is for being English. He is the leader of the hunters, and in charge of the food. He is a psychological mess, and starts to resist the small society and wants to destroy the system which Ralph created.

A day at school, a terrorist attack, an interegation and a lot more in 25 pages?!

Yes that’s right. This book covers that and a lot more, a little bit too much to my taste.
The book starts of quite good, a normal boy that is going to school. A very strict school. With still keeping in mind that the book is set some years in the future. Our main characters name is Marcus. He is a guy with both his social and intellectual skills well intact. He is what you can call a computer geek, or a "haxor" as his own people would call him. The start of the book is quite amusing. He is at school and has the typical problems with school ( mind dead teachers and that sort of stuff). The school is very high-tech when it comes to security but Marcus is a rebellion. He refuses to bend over to the schools surveillance and security system.

I love the book until the terrorist attack comes. There is a most likely a nuclear bomb that has gone of and Marcus and his fellow playmates in the game Haraitu Fun Madness, is being arrested and interrogated. But once this happens i find to book trying to be more than it really is. I feel that the author has so much knowledge in a wide specter of things, and that he is trying to put them in all around the book. This makes the book a bit to, i don’t know, full. It’s a bit to much things happening and a bit to much information about different happenings. Like when he is hacking into the schools network (in detail, like telling real programs that work), or when he is making a too dramatic speech about his rights as a American citizen.

All in all, i find the book interesting still. But its fading off quite fast. So either this book needs to change a bit, or else this is going to be a stressful book to read!

XOXO Munter

A start to my blogging career

So far the book is interesting. However I think that they describe how things are and what they do a lot in this book and that makes the book a bit boring sometimes. Zzzzz. “The Secret Life of Bees” begins with Lily’s discovery of bees in her bedroom. And she thinks these bees are quite interesting. Lily doesn’t have a mom, and she doesn’t like her father T-Ray as she calls him. The first chapters in the book are primarily about Lily and her thoughts. We get an impression that she has a cold father, who does not show much emotion. I often feel sorry for Lily when we read. It does not seem like she has it very well. This book is the first interesting English book I have ever read. (No I don’t read a lot). I am looking forward to the next chapters; I think it will come some “surprises”. So my question is; what do you think will happen to Lily further on in this book? Will she ever be happy?

Creepers?

I forgot to ask a question I would like to know the answer of. What are "the creepers"? I think it might be insects, or maybe even snakes, I'm not sure. Does anybody know?

On Wednesday I wrote how I appreciated how the author describes the setting very detailed. Well, now it has started to bother me. In one page there might be a couple of lines that are not describing the nature, the sounds, the beach or other things that become a little boring to read about after a while. In a different book alot could have happened in 3 chapters, but not in this book. That is why there is not that much to say about the first chapters.

Anyhow, the boys have been on the island for a while now, and they have still not been rescued. Even though we don't get to know exactly how long, I would say that in the beginning of chapter 3, they've been there for a about 3 weeks or so. How long do you guys think they've been there for in chapter 3? I think you can tell by the descrption of the boys, and how far they have come with building stuff on the island.

There has happened a few exciting things in the book so far though. We get to know more about the monsters, or "the beasties". It seems like the younger boys are convinced that there are beasts and snakes on the island, and supposedly one of them saw a snake. The older boys, Jack, Simon and Ralph denies this though. I think they're afraid of the thought that this island may not be the paradise that they want it to be.

A Complicated and Boring Existence

I have now read the first nine chapters. This part of the book is about life for the poor in Paris (in the 1920's). The plot revolves around the experiences of the narrator who lives in a shabby +hotel+, the Hôtel des Trois Moineaux, in Rue Du Coq D'OR (a street). The narrator is an Englishman, and the book is written in first person, but “I” is not named. It's a semi-autobiography in the sense that it represents parts of the authors own life (Orwell/Blair), although events are somewhat altered and fictional.

The physical descriptions of the slums are fairly detailed, from the almost frequent mention of bugs in various rooms to the dirty walls of the +hotel+. According to the narrator, the area in which he first lives in is “quite a representative Paris slum.” Early on, the “spirit” of the Rue Du Coq D'OR street is described, this could be the beginnings of what seems to be a more psychological approach, later expanded. Some characters are introduced, including the “patronne” (manager/owner) of the Trois Moineaux, Madame F., but more obscure and less central characters are also mentioned in anecdotes. The narrator tries to demonstrate the diversity of people living in the area, and not just that there are shopkeepers and pawnshops etc. Strange personalities are described, some more “curious” than others.

The chapters basically portray a constant struggle to get enough money to buy food, pay for the rent and so on; a struggle for the most basic/fundamental material needs. The narrator knows himself “down and out” as he calls it, and feels “relief” because of this. He now tolerates the “dogs” of society, he has “reached them.” Eventually the narrator is in a very difficult financial situation, and seeks help from his Russian ex-officer friend Boris, but is fairly disappointed and surprised when he finds out that Boris is in a worse situation than himself. In addition, the narrator wasted precious money when he bought a pack of “Gaulois Bleu” (presumably cigarettes) for “two francs fifty” before meeting Boris. The Russian lives with a Jew who seems to owe Boris money, he therefore provides shelter and two francs a day for him (to be used for food). Boris dislikes the Jew, he seems to be fairly anti-Semitic. The Russian appears to be much more experienced in fighting poverty, he has contacts etc., I get the feeling that the narrator is somewhat of an observer, just trying on poverty temporarily. Neither of them have a substantial income, and their lives can now be described as one desperate job hunt. They walk several kilometers looking for work, underfed, tired, and often there is no reward. Boris is also limp and has problems with his back.

Poverty is “complicated” the narrator tells us; the social implications of a reduced income must be concealed, elaborate plans/schemes are made to avoid paying the rent, a job might depend on having red cheeks and not looking too pale (as a result of bad living conditions). So much can go wrong. The narrator finds that he is not afraid in poverty, but mostly bored. He also argues that “within certain limits”, having less money can lead to less worry; one does not think about the future, merely the next day. After many failed attempts, the protagonist is finally promised a job; he is to become a “plongeur” in two weeks, and with this position comes the possibility of being promoted to a lavatory attendant.

Chap 1-3, the secret life of bees

I choose to write a bit about courage since all the characters and chapters have been described already. My reasons to bring up courage, is that it is something relevant during this story we are reading. The books characters shows it often trough the story, and the characters we get to know most in the 3 first chapters are Lily and Rosaleen.

Lily is the main character in the story, she is 14 years old and she is white.- At least in contrast to Rosaleen. Rosaleen is the maid and nanny in the house where Lily lived with T Ray, and - She is black.

Lily and Rosaleen have build up quite a relationship between them during the time they have had together. They are both alone in a way. As we are told in the book Rosaleen live al by herself, and her mother is also dead just as Lily’s. On the other hand T Ray was not really there for Lily either, not in a positive way at least. The shortcomings of both of them, have given them strength, and will continue to strengthen them in their development as we will see more and more of trough the story. They have already taken a step to become independent, to gain courage to stand up for them selves and be responsible for their own opinions and decisions.

What my point is, is that although it seems that they are so completely different, they have learned to relate to each other. They both need to be part of something. They both have a courage which grows daily. When I look at the whole of what I've read so far, it requires pretty much courage for a black person, specially a black woman, to stand up and defy the white people who look at you as nothing, as it requires to take of and run away from home on your own when you are 14 years old in the hope of a better life.

I started to read this book, being a little sceptic because I was afraid it would be such an unserious “chicflick”, but as it seems I’m pretty satisfied with the book, it got my attention and it actually has some good point of views shining trough the story.

Little Brother chapter 1-4

After reading the first 10 or so pages of this book, I really regret chosing it.

It seemed very boring... All he did was walk around talking about how to hide from cameras and the school management, and disguise programs on his computer that he was not allowed to use.

Then he talked about different game genres for several pages: ARGs, LARPs, Tabletop RPGs and everything! Then they had to put a book in the microwave owen, which was kind of strange and just took a long time to read.

The huge turning point came in the end of chapter 2; as Marcus and his friends are out ARGing.

They are out finding the next clue on Harajuku Fun Madness, which is a very strange game, when something really, really bad happens. Marcus first reckognizes it as a erthquake, though it turns out it is really a bomb sat off by terrorists. At that point the book suddenly became really exciting.

I actually had a hard time putting the book away in my hesitation to find out who kidnaps them, and I was a bit shocked to find out it was Homeland Security!

I have to say I was wrong about this book, it was not a bad choice. One thing came to my attention when the Homeland Security Agent started talking about being at the wrong place at the wrong time. I don't think it was a coincidence that he was where he was when the bomb went off. He just followed the co-ordinations given to him the Harajuku Fin Madness; do you think they sent the players there for a reason? Something fishy is going on...

Secret Life of Bees

The first chapter is mainly about Lily's thoughts about her father she lives with and the loss of her mother. She lost her mother when she was only four years old, and Lily blames herself for this. After this, T. Ray treated her like shit. Rosaleen is working in the house of Lily and T. Ray, where she cleans, cooks and is Lily’s “stand-in-mom”.
One day when Lily and Rosaleen is heading to town, Rosaleen gets beaten up by two men. She is sent to hospital, and Lily wants to save her so they run away together. Lily wants to find her mother and the travel to the city of Tiburon where she hopes she can find out who her mother really was. This is the beginning of a beautiful story of a girl and her eager to find her mother.
I think the book was very catchy and I read all the 66 pages in one day. I cant wait to finish it!

Introduction - Lord of the Flies

I have been reading Lord of the Flies and till now it hasn’t been the most interesting book. I find it a bit difficult to understand and there are a lot of descriptions in the first two chapters. The book starts in medias res and we don’t get to know why they have landed on this island, or who they really are. Ralph is the first character we meet, and he becomes their leader when he gathers everyone on the platform for a meeting. It’s by blowing in the conch he gets everyone gathered. It’s only boys on the island, and the youngest are as young as 6 years old. The second character we meet is a boy called piggy, he’s a fat little boy with glasses that the other ones like to humble. On the meeting there is another boy who stands out, his name is Jack and he is the choirs’ leader. He wants to be leader for the boys, but they all voted for Ralph except from the choir who voted for Jack. Jack becomes the leader of the hunters, which are the boys from the choir.
Their number one priority is to get rescued. No one knows where they are because they had no make an emergency landing, so they lit a fire hoping that boats sailing past will see the smoke and come rescue them.

Charakters and setting

These are the main characters in Lord of the Flies:

Ralph: “Ralph the fair boy” is one of the older boys and he gets elected to be the leader of the boys. He acts like a leader and he probably gets it from his dad who is an officer. Ralph seems like a good leader and he is more mature than the rest. (Even though his a little rude to Piggy).
Piggy: Piggy is a fat boy with glasses and a perfect victim of mockery. He has asthma. But I actually think he is the most intelligent and moralistic than all the other boys on the island. Piggy is an orphan who was brought up by his aout, he constantly talks about her and his old way of life.
Jack: Jack is a tall readhead and the leader of a group of choirboys, he wants to be the leader of the whole island, and I think he is maybe a little jealous of Ralph. Instead he becomes the leader of the "hunters". He is a bully.

Well, these are the boys who are written the most about. There are maybe 20 more and they are in the age from five to twelve years old. The setting takes place on a tropical deserted island. We don’t know what island it is, but the author describes the island in details. It has a jungle at one end, with a rocky mountain above it. On the opposite side there is a lagoon where the boys bathe and where they first met after the crash. Near, there is a platform where they make a fire, so that boats or other people can see the smoke their making.

The author also tell us that the boys are on their way back home from bordingschool and the story takes place during the first year of the cold war, atomic age. Their parents back home in Britain is probably dead…All the adults on the plane died, so did the pilot, so it’s up to the little boys to figure out what to do…

Ralph and Piggy are introduced when they meet in the lagoon. Piggy finds a conch shell and shows Ralph how to make a noise with it. Ralph uses this to call the other boys and have a meeting, setting down rules that they would live by for the remainder of their stay on the island.

T-Ray, Lilly and Lilly's mom. One big happy family?

Reading the secret life of bees, I can't help to not feel sympathy for Lilly. The pain, loneliness and guilt she feels is terrible. I also get the feeling that she's lonely and wants T-Ray to care about her. Somehow, I can't imagine Lilly killing her mother. For some reason, it doesn't make sense to me. I think T-Ray might have something to do with the killing. Lilly was only four years at the time, and doesn't really remember what happened.

When it comes to Lilly's mother my impression is that she was a beautiful woman. However, I can't help to wonder why she packed the day she died? Maybe she was leaving T-Ray, even Lilly? Who knows? Did T-Ray and Lilly's mom have a good marriage? Because I can't imagine they did, basted on my impression about T-Ray. I also wounder about the picture Lilly found "Tiburon, SC" ??? What is her mother trying to tell Lilly?

I think Lilly's mom is trying to tell her something, and it irritates me that I have absolutely no clue what it could be? Will we ever find out in the book? And most importantly, will Lilly ever heal after her mothers death?

Why I chose the book "Lord of the Flies"

I decided to read this book, because I would not choose this kind of book if I had the opportunity to pick a book of my choice. Thats why I wanted to read this one, to see if I would still like it. I think this book might teach me a thing or two about human nature, and people in general.

After reading the first couple of chapters I have noticed that the author William Golding describes the setting, as well as the characters, beautifully. I appreciate it when the author of a book makes it easy for the reader to imagine and picture for themselves, what the author wanted them to, while reading. He does use some words that are very british, which I am not too familiar with.

My favorite character so far has to be Piggy. I think the other boys underestimate him, and his intelligence. During the first chapters he is not as respected as the character called Ralph, because Ralph has the ability to speak for himself with great belief in what he is talking about. I do think that Piggy will be recognized for his intelligence later on in the book.

I have to admit that I think the first chapters were pretty boring, but I'm at a point in the book where I think something exciting is about to happen. I'm just going to have to keep reading and find out!

T.Ray

T.Ray in my opinion is a mystical, but also very interesting man.
We don't get to know much about him at all, and I find that good, because it keeps me interested and eager to find out more. However, it's kind of annoying, because I'm so curious to find out why he acts like he does. I am positive there is a reason behind his behaviour.

My theories are that maybe he's hiding something when it comes to the killing of Lily's mom. Perhaps he was actually the one who did it, and has been blaming it on Lily for all this time. Another theory is that he's just heartbroken after what happened to Lily's mom, or maybe Lily really did kill her mother, and T.Ray doesn't feel that he can forgive him.

I have many thoughts on this, but what do you guys think?

The first two chapters

I decided to read”The lord of the flies” because that was the only book I have heard about, and I had no clue about the other books. I also think that “The lord of the flies” has an interesting theme and I can learn something of this book. To me it’s very important that I get some new impressions after finishing a book and I think this book will. I am very excited to read in class because I am a person that loves to read and I wished I could read more than I do, and this project gives me the opportunity.

After reading the 2 first chapters I got to know some of the characters. The main person Ralph seems very sensible, smart and a natural leader. The other boys seem to look up to him and give him respect. They nominate him as the leader. Ralph get to know a fat boy called “Piggy” who gets very attached to him. Piggy is different from the others because he looks fat and wears classes; something the other boys finds amusing. There is another boy who is really dominant and his name is Jack. It seems like he doesn’t like Piggy and Ralph that much because they took control over the situation. Ralph noticed that Jack got irritating and said to him that he could be the leader of the hunter group. Jack has some forcible thoughts, which I think will be vital later in the book.

Martha Whites

Can anyone tell me what Martha Whites are? It playes a big part in the book, and I am curious to find out what it really is...

Rosaleen, the magnificent nanny

Rosaleen

My first impression of Rosaleen was that she was a proud and strict woman. She stands up for her rights whenever she can and she wont apoligize for the color of her skin. Rosaleen is a proud African American woman aware of her rights, she knew that she really wasn't that different from the white population.

Rosaleen is a big woman without a religion, but I do believe she believes in some sort of higher power. Her skin is black as night with friendly eyes. Rosaleen is a good woman, with a big heart. She might seem hard at times, but we have to keep in mind, she has been through a lot in her years with the racism and segregation.

Rosaleen is Lily's nanny and she has cared for her since she was a little child. Rosaleen might be strict towards Lily sometimes, but you can read between the lines that her love for Lily is great. Rosaleen cares for Lily with the care that she needs. Lily has no mom and Lily doesn't consider Rosaleen as her mom, but as her very good friend. Rosaleen doesn't feel inferior with Lily, she is just a regular lady taking care of a hurt, confused and abused child, whom she loves endlessly. Rosaleen might not know how to deal or show to Lily her love for her sometimes, but she does her best.

Lord of the Flies, Chapter 1,2,3 !!

Chapter 1:

The first chapter of the novel confirms that the boys have survived a plane crash, all adults and pilots are died. And they are left on their own now. The first two characters meet, Piggy and Ralph. Piggy is a fat boy who suffers asthma, he cant swin and run, wear glasses, and are outsider among the boys. Ralph is the oldest boy and is a calm character, and he is elected to be a leader of the group. Those two differs from each other in several ways. Ralph is enjoying the new world and pleasure, like swiming, playing on the shore. Piggy decline to swin and run, while Ralph is having fun, Piggy find a conch shell in a lagoon. Piggy who cant breathe in , instructs ralph to blow in the shell so it makes sound. And the sounds Attract other survives, who came up, among them : twins Sam and Eric and Jack. Other Boys from the chapter is Simon. Ralph choose jack and Simon as his exploring companions. The reason he choose thoose two may be , Jack is a aggresive guy, with satanic style and also who leads his own choir. Simon seems to be more beast, if we go back to when he said : it is just a dead pilot! Maybe Ralph choose them because they are aggresive characters, and will get need for them if something happens. The island is described as "boat-shaped" bordered by rocks and containing both lagoon and forest areas. The characters who appears firts is Ralph and piggy, who climbes out of the plane. And later on when they find a shell and breathe in it,the other boys allso appears. A windbreaker is a coat. Gib. And Addis stand for Gibraltar and Addis Ababa, refueling station the plane stopped before crashing.

Chapter 2: Fire On the Mountain

The group gives full attention to Ralph. Ralph blow the conch of shell to call the boys for meeting. He explains them that they are on Island. And now they need to survive somehow. Ralph announce that they will have rules, not only in meeting but also in day life, all kids have to raise their hands as in school, to speak one at time. And there will be punishment to breaking them.Piggys glasses enables them to start a fire on the mountain when the sun raises, by hoping the smoke will signal to passing ships. The fire that the boys build is a symbol for their rescue and returning home. Even though its nature destructive can it be used for good.

Chapter 3

Jack and Ralph isbeing drawn in seperate obsessions, Ralph want the shelter to be done, Jack want to hunt and make more meat. And here the disscussion appear. Jack have frightened away the pig without killing it and he returns back where the other boy is constructing the shelter. Ralph is working hard on the shelter. Ralph is complaining that that the other boys is not working,everything they do is spending their time on bathing and eating. But, Jack says that he is doing a hard work on hunting to make some food. Jack tells ralph that he is a chief and should order to make them work harder (p.51). Then Ralph says,that even if he make a meeting, the group will agree in 5 minutes and work, but after that just dissappeare. Jack explains that the group is hingry. Ralph tell Jack that his group would bring some meat from the forest, and should hunting rather than swiming. But Jack explains that he has a little control over his hunters, and he has been working hard himself to Kill a pig, and Jack is not ready to kill yet.

Ralph and Jack is on the way to the mountain to look at the fire leaving Simon behind.Simon just stay behind and wandering alone in the forest. Simon is a small skinny boy, hes chin pointed , and bright eyes(p.57). He find the fruit trees, pick them up and gives to the boys. He finds a open space and look wheter he is alone, this open space contains fruit,aromatic bushes etc.

Lord of the flies :)

I chose to read Lord of the Flies mainly because this was the easiest book to get a hold of. The book was a bit slow in the beginning, but as I got further into the book it got more interesting. The author, William Golding, is great at describing the situation, the characters and the nature.
In the beginning of the book we meet Ralph and an overweight boy called "Piggy". After a while we also meet Jack Merridew and his choir, when Ralph blows in something called a conch. There are a lot more young boys at this deserted island, but these are the main characters we have gotten to know so far.
As I said the story takes place in a deserted island, with no adult supervision. The boys need to find a way to survive on their own. 3 of the boys claimed to the top of the mountain to get a look at the entire Island. Later all of the boys gathered in the forest and let a fire so that if a boat or a plane went by they would see the smoke. The overweight boy called "Piggy" is kind of left out. He is not really a part of the group and is constantly bullied. Jack and Ralph is the leaders.
I look forward to see how the story ends and if they get off the Island. I also hope the book will tell me what happened on the plane and why it crashed.

- Siri

Lily

Since Birte had a nice summary of chapter one, two and three. I decided to write more about the main character in the three first chapters. (I know that Birte also did this btw)
Lilly is a fourteen-year-old white girl bourn in 1950. When she was four the book tells that she accidentally killed her mother, and she feels guilty about. Along with her abusive father, T. Ray, she lives on a peach farm in rural South Carolina. She lives pretty isolated from the out side world. Lilly doesn’t have a lot of friends either, and the only person that once cared for her is dead. In a way she is very close to her dead mother, and thinks of her as her guardian angel, watching over and loving her from beyond. Lily loves and trusts Rosaleen, a black housekeeper who basically raise her, and Lily has dreams about Rosaleen being her mother. What distinguishes Lily from other people (from that time period) is that she sees beyond skin color.
Lily’s have some possessions that are very important for her and that a few things of her mother’s she found in her father’s attic: a picture of Deborah, a wooden picture of a black Mary, and a pair of white gloves.

My view on The secret life of bees

As I turned to page 66 this evning, I have to say im really impressed! Impressed because the book caught my attention, and im actually really into it.
I've read a few books before, but the only ones I've really liked are the Harry Potter books.

Lily Owens story is really interesting, and after a few pages I was already into it! I think the theme of the book is good too. Reading about racism back in the days is kind of shocking. Even though I already knew the conditions were really bad back then, its still kind of suprising to read about it.

By the way there is a word im wondering about: grits... I've searched it up, but what does it mean in this book exactly? :)

I think the story is getting exiting when Lily is on her way to the jail/ hospital. I'm suprised how Lily at the age of fourteen is so independent and determinded( I dont know how to spell it). She desides to save Rosaleen, all by her self! She is really brave!

I'll write more later. =)

My opinions and questions so far...

I'm now on page 66, and so far I think the book is allright. Nothing more, nothing less. It's an easily read book. The language is fairly simple, and the story doesn't seem very intricate either.

One of the topics in the book is obviously segregation and racism in the 1960s. I think this gives the book more depth and makes it more interesting.


A few questions have come to mind while reading these pages.
Some of my questions are:

*Why is T.Ray so angry? Has he always been like that? Was he different before, and if so; what happened?

*Is it true that Lily's mom was going to leave both her and T.Ray, or is T.Ray lying?

*What were T.Ray and Lily's mom fighting about? I'm not sure if this will be revealed, or if it's significant in the story at all, but I am curious.

*What was her mother like? Not sure if we ever get to know that either, but I haven't developed an image of how i picture the mother, so knowing a little bit more about her would be nice. That would perhaps also explain a little bit about her and T.Ray's relationship.

I hope that by reading a bit more, I'll figure out some of this.

When it comes to how I picture the characters, I have quite a clear image of how they all look.
T.Ray is a bit tall, he's not particularly fat, but very robust and strong. He has dark blonde hair, and for some reason I picture him wearing suspenders (?).

Rosaleen is a generous, round lady with a big heart. Both her hair and her skin is black, and she's not very tall. She also has a very kind face.

Lily, I picture being skinny, a bit tall with dark blonde, fuzzy hair.

So far, I do not regret my choice, even though it's not the most exciting book I've ever read. But I'm only on page 66, so it might pick up as the story progresses.

Lord of the flies

I have choose to read the book "Lord of the flies" beacuase this was the book I thought would be most entertaining to read. Actual I wanted to read "The secret life of bees" first. But since it took so long time to get it and that I've had to pay for it, I choose Lord of the flies.

I have read the two first chapthers in the book. So far I think it is a good book, I think that it was mabye a little bit slow in the beginning, but it got better.
So far in the book the British schoolboys have found each other on this desert Island after their plane crashed. The first two boys we get to meet are Ralph and the overweight boy who is called "Piggy" because this was his nickname.
There are no adult survivors, only the kids.
They had to vote for a chief for the group, one who could have the responsebility. Both Ralph and Jack where two boys who would like to have the control and be the one in charge. After everyone hade used their vote it was Ralph that got the most of them. But Jack was going to be chief for the choir, beacause he was the leader for them before they ended up at this place. Jack decided the choir to be the hunters of the group.

After the kids hade chosen a headman they decided to climb to the top of the mountian. Where they could make a fire, so when someone passed by with a boat or a plane they would see the smoke for the fire.
Now I haven't read any longer.
So now I will continue reading and see how it goes with the boys.

The Secret Life Of Bees

I've choose to read about the secret life of bees because I find the story very sweet but at the same time sad. It's a lovable story and even though it is a long time ago the story is easy to relate too when it comes to mystery, longing, love, hate, confusion, family and friends.
At first I only heard about the movie however when I saw the cover of the movie on a book I asked around and there were a lot of my friends who had read the book.
I wanted to read the book myself still I never got the time to do so because of different reasons and I have a list of other books I want to read so I never got the time to read this one.
Another reason to why I chose this book is because I find this one the most exiting, the reviews are also good (a New York time bestseller!) witch is another good reason to read the book.

Now that I've started to read the book I must say it lives up to all my expectations, at first we get to meet Lily Owens who is 14 years old with an angry and abusive father called T.Ray and a Rosaleen who is Lily's nanny and the only mother figure she got since her mother died when she was 4 years old. Her mothers name was Deborah, the story tells us about her death and how Lily was the one shooting when the gun fell down on the floor while Deborah and T.Ray were fighting because Deborah was leaving T.Ray. The death of her mother left a big hole in her heart as it would have done to any child when a parent is lost. Still the loss of her mother effects the 14 year old girl she has become, she doesn't have friends because she doesn't have fashionable clothes and no one to teach her the "white" girl manners like how to walk, sit with your ankles right on a chair, get into a car, pour tea, shave your legs etc. these thing aren't something that Rosaleen could teach her because she is a slave and didn't grow up with these manners.
Her father witch is mean and abusive toward her doesn't tell her much about her mother and is angry most of the time leaving her with no one to talk to except Rosaleen, still Lily doesn't give up hope when it comes to her dad. For her birthday she wishes for a bracelet but again her father lets her down when he ignores her.
Later on in the book we are informed that on the July second 1964 the president of the United States signed the Civil Rights Act and this makes Rosaleen wanting to vote. One day Lily and Rosaleen go to town after telling T.Ray that they were going to buy some sanitary supplies. When they get to town some white men stopped them starting to say mean things to Rosaleen about how fat and black she is. Later on while discussing Rosaleen gets angry so she poor the snuff jug with black spit on one of the man's shoe, after she refuse to clean his shoe they beat her up witch in the end leaves her arrested and in jail. Lily witch was in shock leaves after getting home to take Rosaleen with her and run away to Tiburon and to start a better life.
In chapter three Rosaleen and Lily gets to a town where they are about to buy some food when Lily notice the jars with the black virgin Mary on. They ask the owner of the shop where the honey was made, the man tells them about August Boatwright who is the owner of the house where the honey is made.

Cant wait for the rest, so far I like the book very much and ill keep updating on the blog (:

Little Brother

I have chosen to read the book 'Little Brother'.

It sounded like an interesting book when Tor presented it to us.

I have never heard of the book before, I had actually the only book I've ever heard of is Lord of the Flies, though I did not know what it was about. It was a three mans race between Lord of the Flies, because it's famous, The Secres Life of Bees, because it was free and Little Brother because it sounded quite interesting. In the end, even though I had to read from the computer, I chosed Little Brother because it seemed like an interesting book. Hope I made the right decision!

Summary Chapter 1:

Lily is a 14 year old girl who longs for love and adventure. She lives with her father on a peach farm in South Carolina where segregation and racism stood strong amongst the inhabitants. She had no mother; her mother was shot when she was 4 supposedly by Lily herself. Lily wasn't popular with the other kids at school, and had no friends. She tried to fit in, but her old clothes just weren't good enough to make an impression on the other kids. Lily had an obsession with bees and could hear them in her room at night. The first chapter is just a description of her life. Living with T Ray wasn’t easy for Lily; he was a mean father who had the most terrible ways of punishment. Her nanny, Rosaleen was the only person who showed any care for Lily. Rosaleen might seem strict, but we can read between the lines that she loves Lily almost like her own daughter.

Summary Chapter 2:

Rosaleen and Lily get in some trouble walking into town one day. Rosaleen was going to town to sign up for voting and Lily tagged along. Some white men got annoyed when they found out what Rosaleen was going into town for and they started harassing her. Rosaleen spit on the man’s shoes and the police came to arrest her. She got abused violently by the white men, both on the street and in jail. Lily went home, but came back for Rosaleen. Together they ran away to Tibourn for to start a better life.

Summary Chapter 3:

Rosaleen and Lily wakes up and immediately start walking into town for food and to find the place where the black Virgin Mary was made. They finally reach town and Lily buys food for the two of them. In the store she sees the picture of the black Virgin Mary on a glass of honey. She asks where it was made and receives an address. Rosaleen and Lily start walking to the house owned by a miss August Boatwright... wonder what might happen next!

Why I Chose the Secret Life of Bees

Once while I was watching


























































































Once while I was watching the Opera show, a new movie with Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and Dakota Fanning called the Secret life of bees caught my eye. The movie was about how the blacks were treated in the 1950s. About love, prejudice, segregation and hate. The movie made an impact on me, and I wanted to watch the movie. However when my teacher suggested the book, there was no doubt what book I would choose. xoxo Hannah

Lord of the flies

I have chosen to read the book Lord of the flies. I didn’t know much about the book, rather nothing to be honest, but it was the only one we could get from school in book size. I’m not a fan of reading of the computer so Little Brother was not an option and I didn’t want to buy any book. I prefer reading at home, because then I’m much more concentrated then I am at school, and I get to choose when I want to read.

I’m not a fan of blogging but I’ll give it a try, and it might be interesting sharing thoughts and opinions :)

Lord Of The Flies

At the very first start i wanted to read "Secret Life Of Bees", but since I acctually hate chickflicks, this didnt seem like the right book for me. So I did some research on each book on the internet, and I found out that the book I'll read is Lord of the flies by William Golding. I've heard it's a good book and movie, and some of my friends recommended it to me. They even had the book on the school library, so I didnt have to wast my money on a cliché! Hoho (not insulting enyone I hope), a little blood never hurted anyone.

I don't like reading at school, because I can't concentrate when there's many people around me, I'll just start talking and irritate people. Hoho. I think the best Idea for me is just to stay home and read during class :-) But I guess this is not an option.

Yours truely Mira

hoho

The Secret Life of Bees

I chose to read the book "Secret Life o Bees" because Stina was going to read it. I had not heard anything about the book and therefore had no expectations for it. I've read a few pages in it and it seems like a good book and I look forward to reading more. :):):):):)

Lord of the flies

I have choosen that book, because it seems to be most interesting of all books. Especcially when its about kids who are left on their own on the desert island. I read some articles about the book before i got it, so I really falled into it. It most be a great book and i look forward to see what happens in the book. How they survive and make a life on Island. It reminds me on Robinson who lived on the Island in 20+ years and constructed houses and made a life, it is one of my favourite books, so now i look forward to read this one. I got the book on the friday, and i will start reading once i get home.

:)

The Secret Life of Bees

I have chosen to read the book "The Secret Life of Bees" because I found it the most interesting of all the other books. The bookseller was quick to send the book, got it last Wednesday! The day after my order. Hooray for them. However I've started to read it, and I think that it seems exciting. Have also read a bit about it on the internet, and it seems as if everyone loves it. That is very good. I hope to read some in school but also at home before I go to bed.
Looking forward to see what happens in the book further on.
:)

Blotting my selfe

The reason why choose this book is because i couldn’t find any other book that would be more interesting. In other words, this was not a book i choose because i wanted to read it but because there was nothing better. I’m not going to say that the books are not good, but to make me a reader of a book, you have to catch my interest at the second i lay my eyes on it. But i guess this will become a bit challenging, because it’s a book with a lot of new words and expressions. I hope there will be a lot of reading individually. This is the best way for me, at least, to read a book. When it comes to the blogging i am not quite sure. I think it’s a smart solution, but there might be a lot of problems down the road. But I’ll try to do my best and make an effort in the group. I feel it’s becoming too little private to blog about something, this is my personal ideas and thoughts that is splattered all over the internet, and once its typed, you lose all your rights and ownership.

The theme makes me interested but it’s only a start, or even more a begning to an start. The fact that the book is recommended for “teens” in the age between 10 and 12 scares me. Good luck!

But we will see, I’ve been wrong before and it wouldn’t surprise me if it happened again.

Got to start reading it soon: P

I have spent some time reading reviews about the book “the secret life of bees” by Sue Monk Kidd, and it’s highly recommended by a lot of people. Some of my friends have also read it, and speak well about it. My fist impression of the book is good, and I’m looking forward to read it.

I would like to read it at school as much as possible, but reading before I go to bed is good to.

As some of you know, I spent my last year in Colorado, and in that occasion I wrote a blog, so that my family and friends could read about my life there. Some of my friends also went to USA, and everyone wrote blogs. Therefore I’m familiar with reading blogs to, and I find it very interesting. It will be nice to read about other people’s reflections and thoughts about the book.

Why

I choose Down and Out in Paris in London by George Orwell mainly because i find Orwell to be an interesting writer. I have read 1984 and some of his thoughts on other subjects, and although he is mostly known for criticizing a totalitarian society, he also wrote about issues in contemporary democracies. I think it will be interesting to read his depiction of poverty, and perhaps an implicit critique of contemporary society in the context of the lower classes. The book is also a "semi-autobiography", and Orwell being interesting, it will probably be worth reading.

Lord of the flies

Yo!

I chose to read "the lord of the flies" because it sounds more interesting than the others. To be honest I don't really like to read at all...I've never read a book in my life, it just doesn't interest me. Anyways, i hope that during this period i'll start liking it and maybe continue to read :)

Martine

Hello!

I chose the book "The secret life of bees" because I was supposed to read it in America and I heard great things about it. I have seen the movie and it was amazing, so the book must be good too. The theme of the book interested me, off course I have not read it but I have heard that the topic of the book involves racism, and the african americans way of life back then.

I cant wait to start reading it!

Birte Hansen

Second Entry: The First Chapters - setting, characters and reflections

It is still not too late to post your first entry with reflections on why you chose the novel you did, but hurry.

This week (week 47) your post should deal with the first chapters of the book.

The Secret Life of Bees: Chapter 1 - 3
Down and Out in Paris and London: Chapter 1 - 8
Little Brother: Chapter 1 - 4
Lord of the Flies: Chapter 1 - 2

Focus on setting and characters. Try to come up with some questions, keywords and thoughts on the first chapters in the Etherpad as well (link to the right). I will post a few ideas just to get you going. You might want to implement some of your own or the other student's Etherpad-thoughts in you blog entry as well. Creativity will be rewarded! Link to other interesting websites.

Remember to state your sources, both in the Etherpad and here.

Little Brother

I have choosen to read the book "Little Brother". The reason for choosing little brother is because it seemed like the most interesting book. I considered reading "Lord of the flies", although it sounds interesting, I just thought that it would be better to read little brother.

I guess it will be fun.

Hussam

The secret life of bees

I have chosen to read "The secret life of bees" because it is the book among these four I have heard the most about. After what I've heard, the book seems promising and I look forward to reading it.
To read the book will become okey for me, because I usually tend to read some in my spare time already. I prefer to read alone or when I'm home.
blogging is something I've never done before, so this could be interesting:)

Nadia

The Secret Life of Bees

The novel I've chosen is "The Secret Life of Bees". It's not that I think the other novels are boring or anything, it's just that I want to read the book the way I read every other book, instead of reading it on the computer. Also, I've read "Lord of the Flies" before, so that wasn't an option. Therefore "The Secret Life of Bees" is my choice. I actually do look forward to reading it. People I've talked to, who read it, tell me that it's a good, easily read book, and by reading a little about it, I think it looks like an OK book, so I'll give it a go!

When I read, I usually do it at home, so for me, having to read at home, isn't a problem. But I understand if people want to read it at school instead, and that's fine by me.

Last year, my class was chosen to blog about the election, so I've blogged before. But blogging about a book, is new to me. I think it'll be fun reading everyone else's posts and how they experience the book they're reading, especially the ones reading the same book as me.

Marie

I'm reading......

I'm going to read 'The secret life of bees' by Sue Monk Kidd. It seems like an interesting book, it is based on a true story and it has been a New York Times bestseller. The book has also been adapted into film.

:)

lord of the flies :)

I want to read lord of the flies because I don't want to buy any book, because I am broke.

Secret life of bees

I want to read the secret life of bees.

secret life of bees

A long time ago I saw the movie; The Secret life of Bees, therfore I choose to read it aswell.

Your first post

As soon as you get access to writing posts here, you are going to make an entry on why you chose the novel have chosen. Also include some reflections on your prefereces when it comes to reading (together, alone, at school , at home etc.) and how you feel about blogging about it ;)

In addition to a post, you will also comment on at least one other post.

Welcome to this Blog

In this blog you will post reflections and comments on the novel you have chosen to read, and also comment on other students' posts.

We will start reading our novels in two weeks (week 47), so get a copy of the novel you have chosen now.

The novels you can choose to read, are

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (Buy here or here but do hurry!)


Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell (Download here or buy here)


Little Brother by Cory Doctorow (Download here or buy here)


Lord of the Flies by William Golding (Buy here or borrow at school)


Remember to answer the survey on It's Learning on which novel you will be reading!