Title of the Book: Author: # of Pages: Star Rating: ☆☆☆ ☆☆

Wyatt Ritz 

Literacy Nonfiction Review

Title of the Book: K2: Triumph and Tragedy
Author: Jim Curran
# of Pages: 206
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Review: 

Most people have heard of many climbers attempting to climb Mount Everest, and how difficult of a mountain that can be to successfully summit.  The mountain that most people have not heard about is K2, a mountain that is the second highest mountain in the world, known in the climbing world as “Savage Mountain”.  Jim Curran, the author of K2: Triumph and Tragedy, was a cameraman that recounts the heroic events that occurred during the summer of 1986 while he was accompanying a British expedition.  It has been known as the one of the greatest tragedies and triumphs in climbing history, where 27 climbers (men and women) reached the summit, but 13 tragically died.  Curran recorded all the events in such a way that he draws the reader to feel what the character is experiencing using visual descriptions, which creates hope in the reader. 

Throughout the book, I became engrossed with each climber’s treacherous journey and decisions they made, like when one climber had to leave their partner behind or else he would die on the mountain.  The parts when they could hear their own breathing as they slowly climbed up the mountain, not making much progress, the lonely feeling one gets when one is exhausted from lack of energy, burning legs and water.  I connected with this book in so many ways, and one moment stands out so clearly, it happened during our last backpacking trip down the Grand Canyon. My sister was walking ahead of us all, when we noticed that she was we walking like the “walking dead” and I ran to help her.  She was in a state of daze and completely red and hot in the face.  We were being so careful in drinking lots of water, but just like the author states in the book, “the margin of error is so slender” when you are climbing up or down, one misguided step could lead to tragedy.

One climber on K2 was so overcome from exhaustion she actually stopped and fell asleep and then proceeded erratically up the mountain. Curran describes these moments so vividly, you can almost feel the cold chill of the wind, and the pain the climbers endure in their tents as they wait out the storm.  The theme of man vs nature is what Curran, repeatedly engages the reader one tragedy and triumph after another. 

If you enjoy the challenge of feeling that you have beaten the odds, this book is for you.

Title of the Book: Angela's Ashes
Author: Frank McCourt
# of Pages: 368
Star Rating: ☆☆☆ ☆


Review:

Angela’s Ashes, written by author Frank McCourt begins by telling the audience about his mom and dad before he was born. Soon after, he is born and begins his journey through life living a typical “miserable Irish Catholic childhood.” He travels through life in Ireland as a boy who struggles with school, home, and friends. His father is an alcoholic, his mom is miserable, and his family are far beyond broke. As the novel proceeds, he explains his hardships, adventures, and decisions. As he grew to be a young man, he made plans to travel to America in hopes of a better tomorrow. He travels and finally makes it to America. However, this glimpse at a possible future is cut short as the book ends before you get to know his future. This book is about Frank McCourt’s path through life from the moment he was born until he makes it to America at the young age of 16.

The idea behind Angela’s Ashes is that of a unique one. Many people have struggled like him, but few have done what he has done before he was even 18. I appreciate his want to share his life and purpose with that of millions across the globe. He shows people what real struggle was and how even he could get away from it and make the best of his unfortunate situation. As I read, I noticed his perspective on his life never sounded as if he was angry at his past. He never seemed to write with hate or malice towards even his father. Even in Section 2, when he is angry about his father spending the money sent for his newborn brother. He never writes it from hate as an adult. It is written about his feelings at that time. Those words were just facts that had been said when he was young. At situations like that I found myself appalled and almost gasping at the things people have done to that family. Other areas, I found myself saddened by all the death. Lastly, all the death also surprised me, because everyone in the novel has experienced it so much that their reactions are that of veterans. It breaks my heart throughout the book.

One loose end I believed was his situation with his absent father Malachy Jr. He never announced what had happened to his horrible father. We know that Angela had slept with Laman and Frank was upset. However, his father was never once talked about. I questioned whether it was because he just did not care enough to know, or he knew but didn’t want to say anything. I believe that loose end might be because it could tie together with his sequel, “Tis.” I believe it stayed very consistent throughout the novel, telling fun stories, then unfortunate events. It slows down as he gets older because he is saving for America and not focusing on anything else.

The consistency is what gives it such a smooth read. It is a novel you can read any time of year, month, week, or day. It is just a memoir about a typical, “Irish Catholic child,” growing up in a tough world. I recommend reading Angela’s Ashes. It makes you think about all the things you take for granted and appreciate the small things. 

Lucas Robbins

Book Title: Into Thin Air

Author: Jon Krakauer

# of Pages: 301 + a prelude and Author’s Note /  Postscript

Rating: ☆☆☆☆

           

            Imagine the cruising altitude of a passenger jet, soaring through the sky at around 30,000 feet. Now imagine being able to feasibly touch said airliner from the ground as it travels over the land. Tucked away in the high plateau of Tibet, a giant waits: Sagarmāthā. Better known to the general public as Mt. Everest, 29029 feet high; otherwise known as the highest point on Earth.

           

            Jon Krakauer begins the story observing the surrounding landscape from the summit of Mt. Everest where all he can see through the ice-ridden goggles is white and grey landscapes and the tumultuous clouds rumbling towards the mountains. Then the reader is taken back to the events leading up to this surrealistic moment. An experienced mountaineer from Seattle who was currently a writer for Outside Magazine lands the opportunity for a fully funded trip to climb Everest with the infamous Rob Hall of New Zealand.

            In 1996, Krakauer climbs back into the saddle of mountaineering and heads across the world to Nepal where the adventure begins. As the weeks leading into the main ascent unravel, a larger theme starts to develop. A theme of greed and ego driven expeditions continually grow throughout the story and hits in full effect when some climbers are just summitting three hours after the given turnaround point with the ominous storm looming just off the side of Everest.

            Krakauer continual use of uncensored detail and tone set the tone for the course of events. From the heart-felt stories that were told in Base Camp to the many near death events, including hypoxia led lies and little oxygen intake memory, that happened further up, one can truly put themselves in the place of Krakauer as he chronicles his climb to the Summit. Through this use, no works of literature can compare to the vast chronicle that is Into Thin Air.

            As long as people are knowingly willing to experience the full might of Everest within two covers, and some semi-graphic content, any reader will find that this account is well worth the read. If not read for the deeper message, then one can still find enjoyment in the retelling of a successful Everest Summit.

Title of the Book: The Last Gunfight: The Real Story of the Shootout at the O.K. Corral- And How it Changed the American West
Author: Jeff Guinn
 # of Pages: 377
Star Rating: ☆☆☆ ☆☆

At one point in time many youngsters wanted to be cowboys. The Last Gunfight by Jeff Guinn brings you into the moment and makes you feel as though you are back in the 1800’s living in the west. Jeff brings the west to life in sharing the account of the O.K. Corral shootout with Wyatt Earp and the cowboys.

The Last Gunfight is one that was written for all people to love. It shares not only the ins and outs of the O.K. Corral gunfight, but it also shares the background of Tombstone and the background of all the people involved in that time period. The author does a remarkable job combining all these great things together to make an outstanding book. After reading this you will know more about the Earp’s as well as all about the west and how life worked back then.

Jeff Guinn being a journalist really shows it through the facts he shares through the book. He shares information that anyone with a quite curious mind would want to know about the time. He has such a great way of presenting himself through his writing. All of it is very sophisticated and doesn’t leave you wondering. Throughout the book you can see just how intelligent this man really is. Through his word choice and all the information he includes. He really knew what he was talking about and made sure we didn’t leave without knowing everything about the old west and the one and only Wyatt Earp.

I found this book one of the most interesting I have ever read. I was hooked throughout the whole book. As I read I could picture every situation and I could almost see myself there with the Earp’s. I have always been a big fan of the old west and Wyatt Earp. This book didn’t disappoint on the cowboy and outlaw excitement. What really made this book so great was the fact that you not only get to read about the main event but you get a background on every person involved. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great book about our American history.

Huck Finn, Mark Twain 8 important quotes

Hunk Finn Wiki

Brittany  Birk

8 important quotes

The book “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, by Mark Twain, is a classic loved by many. There are many very memorable moments, and insightful quotes. The book is centered around Huck, a little white boy is the 1800s. He takes an adventure with a runaway slave to help free him from slavery.

I think that during his adventures Huck feels brave but also uncertain and maybe a little afraid. He could get in a lot of trouble for helping a slave runaway. "We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness. It was kind of solemn, drifting down the big, still river, laying on our backs looking up at the stars, and we didn't ever feel like talking loud, and it warn't often that we laughed — only a little kind of a low chuckle. We had mighty good weather as a general thing, and nothing ever happened to us at all — that night, nor the next, nor the next."(Twain,12). I think if Huck were fully confident in his plan, they would be laughing and having a great time floating down the river. But, there must be some doubt in their minds that silence them. They probably feel lucky to have gotten as far as they have.

Huck than has a wrestle with what he is helping Jim with. Society has taught him that slaves are property and helping a slave runaway is bad. I think deep down Huck knows that it is wrong and Jim deserves to be free. "Conscience says to me 'What had poor Miss Watson done to you, that you could see her nigger go off right under your eyes and never say one single word? What did that poor old woman do to you, that you could treat her so mean?...' I got to feeling so mean and so miserable I most wished I was dead." (Twain,16).  Huck feels that he has stolen Miss Watson's property. But at the same time he doesn't turn Jim in because he knows he doesn't deserve that life.

This is another example where Huck is struggling with what to do. Turn Jim in or help him escape. "What's the use you learning to do right, when it's troublesome to do right and ain't no trouble to do wrong, and the wages is just the same?" (Twain, 16). Huck stumps himself with this question, what's the use of doing the right thing. I think in the end Huck chooses to help Jim, and do what he thinks is the right thing.

Huck is realizing Jim is just like a normal person even though he is a slave. "I do believe he cared just as much for his people as white folks does for their n." (Twain, 23). Just because of the color of one's skin doesn't make them any different. Jim is starting to realize that and wants to help Jim escape from that.

Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Cape Cod: Peninsula, 1996. Print.

Title of the Book: Shatter Silence  Author: Melissa Moore # of Pages: Star Rating: ☆☆☆ ☆☆


Happy Face Killer. The serial murderer who raped women and threw their bodies away. To be more personal, his daughter, Melissa Moore, the little girl who had to live the life of a serial killer's daughter.
In her book, Shattered Silence, Melissa shares her childhood with you and the experiences she had to endure growing up. Melissa shares the heartbreaking stories of moving from place to place, making you feel as if you're moving with her. She shares the hardships of how this can affect a child and her friendships, along with the stages any kid should go through socially. She shares with you the low times of her life by giving you the memoirs of her thoughts. She tells us how she overcame obstacles without much guidance, and also gives us some insight on her siblings lives. We find out how she discovered the secrets of her dad and how she dealt with them and even how she didn't deal with them sometimes. She proceeds to tell us about the good times also and what goals kept her motivated throughout her life.
I personally believe something about this book that gives it a sense of uniqueness is the fact that it's not an autobiography or biography about the serial killer's life but even more of an insight on how it affects the bystanders of his life. The book shows how detrimental our actions can be for the ones around us and I believe that is a lesson we should all know eventually.
Melissa is a little messy and maybe what some would refer to as 'all over the place' but I believe that contributes even more to the lesson of the story. It's a raw reading. It's someone telling their story how they felt it, and that's exactly how the text is written. It's heartfelt and the way Melissa expressed it and wrote it shows you that even more.
Some really memorable moments from the book are when Melissa makes her first move, tearing her little heart in pieces, when she found out about her father's habits, and when she finally decided to deal with all of it and take a step forward in her life! When Melissa moved for the first time it was hard for her. Not only was it far away from home but the living conditions weren't ideal, especially compared to before. Also, when Melissa found out about her dad you can only imagine the process of realizing what was going on and how to cope. Lastly, it was a miracle when events pushed Melissa to honestly face things head on and decide to step forward in her life.
I believe if you're someone who is compassionate, understanding, and hope to understand more situations to be able to help then this book is for you.

Into Thin Air (Jackie Walker)

Title of the Book:  Into Thin Air
Author: Jon Krakauer  # of Pages: 416 Star Rating: ☆☆☆ ☆☆

Entering the “death zone” and breathing only a third of the usual amount of oxygen sounds like a dangerous nightmare to most.  To a select amount of people, it means they are close to completing one of the biggest accomplishments of their life: reaching the summit of Everest.  On May 10, 1996 a tragedy unfolded claiming the lives of eight climbers, making it the deadliest season Everest had seen at that time.

 Jon Krakauer, a journalist on the expedition, gives his own account of what happened when a horrendous storm closed in around them in heartbreaking and eye-opening detail. He was along on the expedition for the purpose of writing an article about the commercialization of Everest, and this is quite an interesting topic explored throughout the book. The personal and thoughtful analysis of every contributing factor, and every stroke of bad luck that lead to the deaths on the mountain make for a moving story. This is definitely a book that builds more and more tension as it progresses, and keeps you interested in what can go wrong next. Krakauer makes his readers aware of everything that goes into an Everest expedition, the deep-seated beliefs surrounding the mountain, and the undeniably real possibility of death on Everest.

The extensive knowledge and facts presented, and elaborated on in footnotes, makes it easy for the reader to understand just how many things can go wrong in mountaineering. This is especially true in attempting to reach a summit of 29,029 feet. The author makes a point of keeping extensive tabs on the time, and specifying when certain events occurred. Not only is this required for an accurate recount of the tragedy, it makes a point of how quickly conditions can make a turn for the worse on the mountain. Many aspects of this story were very much an intriguing, and often alarming, learning experience for me.

I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good adventure book, and especially someone who enjoys reading the real-life adventures and disasters people experience and overcome. I wouldn’t recommend this to those who become impatient with slowly progressing storylines. Slow or not, Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer was a captivating story that provoked a lot of curiosity and thought, and it all takes place on the top of the world.