Best Sellers Blog: December 2014

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Blog Post #7: Book 4 Review

Five Reasons Why Louis Zamperini is an Epic Hero

Everyone's seen the trailer for the upcoming movie Unbroken, but do they know the struggle that has been burned into Louie's past? Louie was cast to sea when his plane crashed, but he fought through abusive commanders, harsh winter conditions, bitter punishments, and the unforgettable sight of watching a friend die in the hands of someone that you can't do anything to. However, he is a hero, an epic hero, one that someone doesn't just forget about.

1) He survived a plane crash~ When Louie was in the war as an airman, he was shot down in his plane. He was in the Pacific Ocean drifting on a raft from Hawaii to Japan, where he was taken harshly into a concentration camp for American P.O.W.s. An epic hero is defined as someone who participates in a cyclical quest, and being taken prisoner in Japan after forty two weeks without food is a pretty amazing journey.

2) He survived both Ofuna and Omori~ Ofuna and Omori are extremely strict concentration camps where a man, nicknamed The Bird, tortures and harasses inmates, and that supposedly "filled his sexual desires". Louie was one of his main targets because Louie was successful, like Bird wanted to be. Ofuna and Omori were camps known to kill in large masses, and Louie was one of thousands to survive, and that is important to the overcoming of obstacles.

3) He changed when he came home~ Another characteristic of an epic hero is being significantly changed or transformed when returned. Louie came home to see his mother and father and two sisters, and they thought it would be a good idea to play him the forced telegram the Japanese made him send home. The plan backfired when Louie heard it: he burst into a fit of hysterical screaming, ear-shattering screaming, enough to make you know the horrors he's been through. It shows how different you can be when you hear someone say, "I love you, Mom. I'm safe in Japan and they're treating me great."

4) There was someone who helps him along the way~ Louie was a part of the Superman crew in the air force, where he was a bombardier, but his pilot, Phil, was a fighter and survivor as well. The Omori guards even decided that Phil wouldn't be killed, otherwise Louie would refuse cooperation with them furthermore. Phil was another firm believer that they would survive the plane wreck, after all, he was on the plane with Louie when they crashed.

5) Courage~ It's as simple as the word. Louie was a courageous man. He pushed his captors so far as to making them threaten to shoot him if he dropped a heavy wooden plank on his starved body. They gave up when he wouldn't drop it, clocking him at 37 minutes. If that's not enough, as he was beaten, he begged the guards to hit him harder to prove he wouldn't fall at the commander's feet, which could have gotten him killed. Louie was a symbol of hope for all who were still alive in these camps, pushing them to save themselves when they needed it most.

So, sure there were times when Louie wasn't exactly a hero, like the thefts as a young teenager, but past behind him, he was a very respectful person. He will go down in history, not only as the great Olympian he was, but the strong idol, the amazing hero he was. Louie Zamperini is a hero beyond definition. Beyond words, his heart shows what heroes truly are.

Monday, December 15, 2014

Blog Post #10: Reading Wishlist

1) Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. This book is about a girl who has committed suicide, but has left behind an archive of tapes to specifically blame 13 people for her suicide. I think I'd like this book because I think it's interesting that she decided to call people out on her own suicide, and it's just different from other books, because you know the narrator is dead.

2) Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien would be a good book because it is a fantasy book, and I am very interested in that genre, and people tell me it would best compare to Harry Potter, which I obsess over.

3) Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell would be a good read for me because I can relate. The main character is a girl who is obsessed with one person and spends a lot of time on the computer in solitary, and that's kind of what I do a lot.

4) It's Kind Of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini. I've heard a lot of good and bad opinions of this book, which contradict each other, and I just wan to see what I'd think pf the book. Plus, I really like comedic stories.

5) Looking for Alaska by John Green because Green is a talented writer in my eyes, if not everyone's eyes, and I've read almost every other book written by him, so why not read this one?

6) Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle would be a good read, because I watch the BBC's 'Sherlock', and I enjoy the show very much. I'd like to be able to compare the show to a book. I also really enjoy mysteries.

7) Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell because I've never seen the movie and it was recently ranked best movie of all time, so I want to start to read and see what is recognized as some of the best literature and art.

8) A Time to Kill by John Grisham because I've seen the movie, and it makes me really think about how far we have come in less than 100 years and fighting for equal rights, yet we still aren't all equal. The books that can spark thought into my mind are the ones that deserve to be acknowledged forever.

9) Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare because everyone talks about it, and I like fantasy/Dystopian novels, so this one would appertain to what I like.

10) The Help by Kathryn Stockett because, as mentioned in A Time to Kill, I enjoy books that make me think, and the fact that two black maids and one white girl can change a racist town forever by just writing a book.

I love this book, especially how the author uses flashbacks to trigger certain feelings in the novel. If you like romance, tragedy, and even a touch of humor, you will love this book.