Will it be YOU?

Katie Carter

JMC 3423-004

Carstarphen

21 April 2014

Start Something That Matters

Blake Mycoskie

212 Pages

Spiegel & Grau Random House Group

Will it be YOU?

            Blake Mycoskie, author of Start Something That Matters and Chief Shoe Giver for TOMS, took a vacation to Argentina and promised himself he would not think about work. During his time there, Mycoskie met a woman who was holding a shoe drive for children in Argentina. She explained the lack of decent shoes in many countries similar to Argentina. After the quick introduction to shoeless children, Mycoskie began to notice the intense need and the many blisters and sores the children had. He brainstormed many ideas for donors but non-profits but he began to think, “Maybe the solution was in entrepreneurship, not charity” (Start Something That Matters 6).

         

http://www.forbes.com/2009/05/28/wendys-snapple-perdue-leadership-cmo-network-hotshots.html                                                                      http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10723236-start-something-that-matters

  TOMS is a company with three different branches: shoes, glasses and coffee. Each branch has a “One for One” solution. Each time a product is purchased, another will be sent to someone in need. Essentially every time someone purchases from TOMS, someone in one of 60 countries is helped. Mycoskie is uniquely qualified to write this book because he began this company and it has become a worldwide trend. He put his business talents and his heart for others together to create an incredible movement.

           

            Mycoskie’s book, Start Something That Matters is uniquely written and easy to follow. It gives a step-by-step breakdown of his journey and ways for others to carry on this same idea. I learned great tips on creating a meaningful company that creates profit but also encourages charitable giving. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to make a difference in this world and leave it better than when they entered it. Mycoskie is a gracious man with a lot to teach the rest of us. It’s an inspiring read with a lesson for all.

The Road: Survival or Redemption?

           

"The Road" a photograph by Addison Alford 

The Road
Cormac McCarthy
287 Pages
Vintage Books
$8.52on Amazon

The Road: Survival or Redemption
By Delaney Harness

     Filled with grey skies and short prose, The Road by Cormac McCarthy glimpses into the post-apocalyptic future of mankind.  A boy and his father head south, traveling a road of bleakness and death where nothing grows, trying to escape the armies of cannibals now taking over.   Told through the terse and cynical eyes of a father, McCarthy manages to capture the heart of humanity and survival all at the same time. The book forces us to look at two essential questions. What does it really mean to be human? How do you stay good in a world full of darkness?

The Road, Directed by John Hillcoat

   Cormac McCarthy is one of the most celebrated authors of the 21^st century. His accolades are many, including a Pulitzer Prize for The Road.  McCarthy was born in Rhode Island, but grew up in Tennessee and later Washington D.C.  He won multiple fellowships, which allowed him to travel and tour Europe. He has written ten novels, including No Country for Old Men and Allthe Pretty Little Horses. He is also an acclaimed screen writer and playwright.

           

     The Road captures the dark side of humanity, and deals a crushing blow to the psyche in a sense of dread and peril. McCarthy questions the depths of survival and the trust between humans. While the novel itself is set post apocalypse, it strikes a chord questioning what has finally brought mankind to the breaking point.

     Pulling the novel into real world contexts, I as a reader could not help but wonder if the next political move our country makes could change the course of human history. I cannot help but think that The Road foreshadows the eventual destruction of the world, as we know it.

     There are no happy endings in The Road. A sense of suffering is carried throughout the novel, and this book is not for the faint of heart. However, this novel is one of the most important books I have read in the last year.  It opened my eyes to the atrocities of the world, and left me with a sense of “what if.”

     The Road is an crucial argument between light and dark. As a testimony of human empathy and compassion, this novel should be on everyone’s list.

My Life Put Into Words

Kiana Moridi// BSA/ Book Review Blog- Confessions of a Shopaholic 

“Confessions of a Shopaholic”

By: Sophie Kinsella

Pages: 348 

Random House Publishing Book

Price: $10.00

My Life Put Into Words

By: Kiana Moridi

Photo by Karen Curtis - Confessions of a Shopaholic

Photo by Devi R - Confessions of a Shopaholic

In the opening scene of this book, the main character, Rebecca Bloomfield is arguing with herself about how much her bill for the month will be. As she is going through the list in her head, large amounts of expenses from retail stores seem to be the majority of her costs. She thinks to herself, "Ok. Don't panic. Don't panic. It's only a VISA bill. It's a piece of paper; a few numbers. I mean, just how scary can a few numbers be?" (1). This sets the tone for the rest of the book. Rebecca is constantly running from her overdue bills, while piling on retail expenses.

In a story about a young fashion lover and retail addict, Rebecca Bloomfield is a 25 year-old journalist who is struggling to pay her bills because of an extreme shopping problem. Working as a struggling journalist, Rebecca’s taste in fashion did not quite match up to her low income-paying career. The impact of this type of fashion coverage is to show readers how a love for fashion can truly become a spending issue. I personally can relate to this issue. I love clothes and fashion, however my budget does not match up to my love of clothes and the finer things in life. 

This book is a great public relations tool. After being published, the book was turned into a movie in 2009, starring Isla Fisher playing Rebecca’s role. This was a great way to get the word out about not only the book, but about the Confessions of a Shopaholic series. Sophie Kinsella was promoted greatly after this movie was produced. 

The writing style of this book is very light, sarcastic and humorous. There is not a time when the reader did not know what was going through Rebecca’s mind. The content is very real; discussing all of the things we all think but sometimes do not say.

After reading this book, I learned that spending money on clothes could genuinely affect one’s finances. I personally have always had issues spending money on unnecessary clothing items. Confessions of a Shopaholic taught me to focus on the important things in life rather than putting my focus on tangible items. 

I would definitely recommend this book to others. This was an extremely fun, light, and humorous read. However, I would only recommend this book to women or those interested in fashion. There were many fashion references throughout this book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1093908/

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9416.Confessions_of_a_Shopaholic

What's up with Jason and Kyra?

“Jason & Kyra”

By: Dana Davidson

352 pages

Jump At the Sun Publishing

What’s Up with Jason and Kyra?
By: Maci Johnson

In a story about love-stricken teenagers, author Dana Davidson takes her readers on a rollercoaster of emotions in her book "Jason & Kyra." The book details the love story of handsome, basketball star, Jason Vincent falling for his smart and shy classmate, Kyra Evans. Jason is a part of Cross High’s elite social scene, while Kyra’s idea of fun is working on her sickle cell research experiment.

The only things the two have in common are their English 3 class…and their newfound love for one another. Many of their peers are confused on why the two are together, which causes small riffs amongst the couple. Will the pair let scandalous whispers and confused stares break up their relationship? Or will they persevere against all odds?

I believe Dana Davidson is MORE than qualified to write this novel. The author is most recognized for her fiction novels centered on teenaged love. In her last fiction novel "Played," Davidson wrote about another teenaged couple that attended the same high school as the characters in "Jason & Kyra."

Her writing style is easygoing and relaxed. Since her audience is targeted to a younger crowd, she is careful of staying away from racy topics and lofty euphemisms. The book is about love in its most simplistic and refreshing state.

I HIGHLY recommend this book. I’ve read it hundreds of times, and I love it more than ever. Davidson's style is amazing, and it is nice to read about requited love without sex or gore. Bravo, Dana Davidson! (Now let’s get a sequel!!)

 

Photo credit: Google images

 

Photo credit: goodreads.com

I Expected More From "Mockingjay"

“Mockingjay”

Suzanne Collins

390 pages

Scholastic Press, New York

$8.07 paperback Amazon.com

I Expected More From Mockingjay

By Chantel White

Katniss Everdeen, one of the victors of the 75^th Annual Hunger Games, is standing in the middle of what used to be District 12. Readers of The Hunger Games trilogy begin the final book,”Mockingjay,” with this ashen image in their minds.

WWW.AMAZON.COM

            Suzanne Collins, the author, is a television writer and novelist and she is best known for this best selling series. The Hunger Games takes place in a nation called Panem. Panem is made up of the wealthy Capitol and twelve poorer districts. As punishment for a past rebellion against the Capitol, each year one boy and one girl from each district are chosen to participate in the games. The “tributes” must fight to the death  and only one victor will win. “Mockingjay” is written from the perspective of 17-year-old Katniss. She must lead the new rebellion against the Capitol and she has to decide whom she trusts and what has to be done while her families lives hang in the balance. The trilogy is riveting and appealing to all age groups and demographics and it showcases Collins’ writing ability. Two movies are currently made inspired by the trilogy and a third is being filmed.

I found the abundance of public relations efforts the book featured throughout the story to be a bit annoying. It felt more like reading about a reality series because of all the hair and makeup crews and taping of “propos,” as the book called them, to show to the districts. I felt that those elements took away from the storyline that the first book developed. Readers go through the journey through her eyes and sees events as she sees them. The writing style is linear but does provide reminders of events that happened in the past. I had hoped that the final book would have fulfilled me more than it did. I felt that there were still questions unanswered or questions that I wanted more details about. Overall, it was a good book and contained good imagery but it did not end the way I wanted it to. Yet, I would recommend the trilogy for others to read because it is an interesting storyline and I couldn’t help but to keep turning the pages because I had to know what happened next. But let’s hope the movie meets my expectations.

WWW.GOOGLE.COM