Mr. Russell’s Fourth Block Class

Welcome to iRead.  We are excited to hear about the books you all chose to read in Mr. Russell’s class.  To add your post, just click on the comment button under this entry.  It’s that easy!  Mrs. Brundage

Brundage: The King’s Rose by Alisa M. Libby

In this vivid account of the life of Catherine Howard, King Henry VIII’s fourth wife, Catherine tells the story of the blessings and curses of being a queen.  This is a historical fiction account of what her life could have been like.  She is married at the young age of fifteen to the king.  However, by this age she has already experienced a lot and has a lot in her past that she must hide from her husband.  The biggest secret is her love for one of his guards.  She must try to forget this love and focus her attentions on a very aging King Henry.  Her task at hand is to produce the heir that King Henry so longs for.  She fears if she fails her fate will be the same as the queens before her.  However, sometimes in the strive to make everything right people tend to make all the wrong decisions.  Catherine’s life and death show that actions definitely speak louder than words.

I truly enjoyed this book, but I am a big fan of historical fiction novels.  I must admit that after reading this novel the thought of being a queen is not appealing.  When one thinks of being a queen, we often picture great wealth and priviledge.  We don’t picture the life of the women who were chosen to wed  a king who was three times their age, or those who loved another but did not have a choice who they married.  We also never feel the threat of giving birth to a girl instead of a boy.  Yet through the stories such as this one, we can witness what it may have been like to be these fortunate but unlucky girls.

Post by Sarah R.:Lily Dale:Awakening by Wendy Corsi Staub

I decided to read something other then a vampire book, so I picked this one up. It’s about a teenage girl who learns she’s psychic. It starts at her mothers fueral, and her father is trying to get her to go somewhere over the summer. So she chooses to go and visit her grandmother in Lily Dale, which she finds out is a town  full of psychics. I think anyone who wants a new book to read should read this.

Post by Casey H.: Christy Miller (Collection) by Robin Jones Gunn

Hey iReaders I have been reading this book called Christy Miller by Robin Jones Gunn . It is really good. I love it. It is about where this girl goes thru alot of things and just turns to God for it. Also it talks about how she cannot date till she is 16 and how she find a good guy that she wants to go out but she can’t tilll she is 16. Well you should just read it. I love it so much. I cannot wait to read volume 2 because it is going to be good like the first one. A friend told me about it, so now I am telling you.

Post by Nicholas V.: The Lucky One By Nicholas Sparks

A U.S. Marine, Logan Thibault had a picture of a young and beautiful woman smiling.  He was determined to find this girl that he named E. from the initial on the picture.  He travels from Colorado to Hampton, North Carolina where he encounters Elizabeth, a divorced mother with a young son.  He wonders if this is the girl he’s been waiting his whole life to meet.  This book will show you how people can be changed in seconds – like their life depends on it.

Anyone can say great comments of Nicholas Sparks’ books, but this one is the most inspiring I have read of his.  The book taught me that people can be mean in the beginning and then at the end they can change and be nice.  The book taught me that one day I can find true love, but not right away, but maybe ten years from now.  The book was mostly about love, hatred, and forgiveness.

Post by Sarah R.: Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Post by Alexis S.: Venomous by Christopher Kovatin

Hey everyone out there reading this. I wanted to tell you about this book called Venomous by Christopher Kovatin which is amazing. It about a guy who  gets really mad but it goes over normal madness and he call it the Venom. But lately it start to take over him and the last thing he want to do is hurt his girlfriend, friends and family. It’s just really good.

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

Secrets.  Everyone has secrets.  Some secrets are small and not to be bothered with, but some…some secrets are huge.  The type of secret that everyone knows exists, but no one knows the whole tale.  This story is about one of those secrets.  Frankie Landau-Banks is a very clever student at the elite Alabaster Preparatory School.  As a freshman, she was a shadow of her older senior sister, but upon her return for her sophomore year her transformation is quite evident.  Frankie is a knock-out.  Now this would not be such a big deal, but her transformation leads her directly into the arms of Matthew Livingston, the popular, funny senior boy who also happens to be one of the top dog in the very secretive (does it even exist?) Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds.  At first Frankie is flattered to be a part of his world, but when it becomes evident that she is merely arm candy and there is a larger part of his life that he will not share, she quickly becomes determine to unravel his secrets.

When Frankie creates a few secrets of her own, the events of the story begin to flourish.  The members of the Bassets are pulling pranks cleverer than they ever had.  But as Frankie tries to pry into Matthew’s thoughts about the pranks, he remains secretive.  The Alpha dog of the Bassets is receiving all of the glory for the mal-doings, but is he really the mastermind or just the puppy on a very tight leash? Read The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks to discover just how far Frankie will go to be included in a secret world where she was not invited or possibly even wanted.  Will her meddling bring her the glory she longs for or will it just leave her left out of the very group she is trying to be a part of? 

I loved this book!  Frankie is the type of girl I would want to be friends with.  She is clever, funny, determined… The list just goes on.  I love how she is not satisfied to be the pretty girlfriend of the popular guy on campus.  She has a brain and she wants all of those around to know it.  She does not play dumb, and that is one of this characters enduring qualities.  The book is fabulous.  I especially loved all of her made up positive negative words.  It just shows how bright she truly is and how everyone around her is in a fog!  I would highly suggest reading this book!  It is a great story that you will not want to put down!!!

Question from Katelyn K.

Hey readers,

 I am about to finish a really good book and I was just wondering if you have any suggestion’s on another book that might be interesting? I like anything with romance, drama, and with fictional characters those are my favorites so I would appreciate it if you could post a comment on what you think would be best thanks. 

What do you like to read?

Okay iReaders!  Welcome to the club! Here is your first question.  Make sure that you post with only your first name and the first initial of your last name.  Example: SandraB

What do you like to read?  We want to know what  your favorite stories are and why.  Also for fun share a name of a book you despise and tell the group why!  It is always interesting to see what we like and don’t like to read!