Maria Celeste Conde

Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini The story, as I learned from the reports, was themed with guilt and redemption which was prominently shown throughout the novel. It also centered on friendship and how this friendship turned into betrayal. This novel is multigenerational which explains why the relationship between parent and child and the manifest of complexities and contradictions became the general feeling and setting of the story.

Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom Relationships are a big theme in the book. The relationship (past and present) between orrie and itch, between orrie and his caregivers, between orrie and his family, and between itch and his brother all play a big part in the story. !s he reflects back on his life, orrie reali"es he purpose was to educate and he does it until the day he dies. This pushes itch to reali"e he is fulfilling his purpose in life (#ournalism). I learned a lot from the report like how important it is to find your reason for living, your goal, the things that make you who you are and push you to live each day and how your relationship with people could change and bend so many things about you may it be positively or negatively. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas I have not yet read this book so it was a bit hard to decipher the meaning and essence of this novel. $ut through the reporter, I have had a glimpse of the meaning of this book. Revenge is everywhere in The %ount of onte %risto. &o matter what the situation, no matter who is speaking, it lurks in the corners, propelling the story forward. !t the end of the report, we have to ask ourselves, as 'dmond asks himself, if we(re satisfied with the way things turn out. )as the revenge worthwhile* )as it really #ustified* )as it all 'dmond hoped it would be* Chinese Cinderalla by Adeline Yen Mah $ased from the title, this book was very cultural and that enough had a big part of understanding the connection of the %hinese culture and the story of %inderalla. It is actually a true story of an unwanted child (as I have learned, she was the author herself). The main character was emotionally abuse though the

physical acts were certainly brutali"ing and even inhumane, the violations that lingered the longest and did the most damage to her was the demorali"ing and emotional abuse that she was forced to live throughout her life. ost of this mistreatment was at the hands of her self+centered and cruel stepmother who the children called &iang. Thus, giving #ustice to the theme of %inderella cross %hinese woman. 'lse )here by ,abrielle -evin This story was very interesting since the protagonist, .i""ie, was the one who died by accident. The story revolves around death and the grief and effects of loss to the family and the people of the diseased. Though it seems very unlikely and bi"arre that we(d get a chance to hang out here on earth when we die (as I believe that we(d be else where ++ heaven), I became reflective of the death of .i""ie and how she tried to overcome the fact that she was already dead. &o one wants to be dead. &o one wants to accept death so fully. aybe that(s what the author was really trying to say ++ that we are all afraid to die and when it comes, we cling so much to the ground that we(d end up grieving for our own death. The .ittle /rince by !ntoine de 0aint+'xupery The .ittle /rince exposes the ignorance that accompanies an incomplete and narrow+minded perspective. In the report, I reali"ed that this story is about finding the importance of looking beneath the surface to find the real truth and meaning of a thing. In other words, thinknig outside the box and thinking deeply and relfecting about everything around us. Throughout his book, 0aint+'xup1ry emphasi"es the importance of looking beneath the surface to find true beauty in even common things. I think that was the most essential message that the book wanted to portray. 2f course, I am only basing these from the reporter(s presentation and I would love to read about it if time permits.

The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom I have read this novel before. The report and my point of view had a contradition so I would like to use my own perspective and explain what I learned in the Time 3eeper. The story was very narrative and simple. itch !lbom had this knack for going back and forth ++ present and past. I dont mind it though since it gave a more lasting impact on me that way. The book is all about how people view time, use time and wanted time to serve them (e.g. people wanting time to go slower or4and faster). !s far as the story goes, the plot of The Time 3eeper is rather simple and straightforward. The book is a moderni"ed version of a %arpe 5iem (many teens now know this idea as 672.28 + 7ou 2nly .ive 2nce)

story. This is not the best %arpe 5iem story I9ve read but it sure is memorable. 'verything about this book is all summed up to %arp 5iem. The #ourney of my readings was fun though. !s usual, kudos to itch !lbom.

Loo in! "or Alas a by #ohn $reen !side from itch !lbom, :aruki urakami and 5avid .evithan, ;ohn ,reen is one of the most talented writer in this century. This novel of his is all about <inding Individuality or as we also call it, the search for the self. There is also the hint of angst such as the way social pressure works and how teenagers learn to love and to fall out of love. It(s a bit of a typical teenage novel but ;ohn ,reen is a writer with an artistic and contemporary talent that brings out the themese like= there is more to life and more to any person than can be experienced or known. <or a teenage story, it(s pretty deep. <or a person who has read this book, I could clearly say that it(s a good book for >coming of age> and dealing with depression and guilt and even death.