Romeo and Juliet

By Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet is the classic tale of love and loss. Romeo, the prince of the Montague clan, and Juliet, princess of the Capulet clan, fall in love, but their love is forbidden, for their families are mortal enemies.

Luckily, I read a translated copy, in the No-Fear Shakespeare series, because otherwise, it’s close to impossible for the average person to understand the untranslated dialogue, due to Shakepeare's Old English.

Romeo and Juliet is a good book for anyone who enjoys romance, provided you have a copy you can understand. I, however, did not enjoy it. I found the dialogue stiff, but to be fair, it is simply the script for the play.

Julio

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Tuesdays With Morrie is an incredible story of an old man, a young man, and life's greatest lesson-how to live. It tells a story about the author's college sociology professor, Morrie Schwartz. Mitch, the author, loses contact with Morrie, who learns that he has been diagnosed with ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease, a ruthless disease with no known cure. Mitch finds Morrie when Morrie is starred in an episode of 'Nightline,' and he flies across the country to visit Morrie every Tuesday, to discuss the meaning of life.

I learned a lot about life from this book, and it will forever be my all-time favorite memoir. The writing is simple but beautiful, and you will be blown away by the outstanding heartbreak and love in this book. This book is a wonderful contribution to literature for all ages.

Book review by Julio

The Book Thief-B.R.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusack
       
                The Book Thief is a wonderfully woven story of a girl in 1939 Nazi Germany, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. After her brother dies, Liesel Meminger gets sent to live with foster parents, Rosa and Hans Hubermann, who live outside of Munich.
                
                 The country holds its breath, and death has never been busier.  Yet the Hubermanns find the courage to harbour a Jew in their basement. Liesel finds herself stealing books from Nazi book burnings, the mayor's library, anywhere books can be found. With the help of her foster father Hans, Liesel slowly learns to read in a world where books are extremely rare.
               
                 Beautifully written, The Book Thief is a life-changing book of love, loss, tragedy, and kindness. Markus Zusack blends fiction with reality to make a truly incredible book. I would recommend this to any reader, regardless of age or genre interest.

You can find a website about the author here, and if your interested about WWII, you can go here.
Book Review written by Julio.

Book Review: The Mysterious Benedict Society

The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

                         The Mysterious Benedict Society is a mystery/adventure novel about four children who decide to take a mysterious test, only to discover that they have been chosen to infiltrate a shady institution- The Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, or L.I.V.E. Now they must use all of their wits to solve the mystery before time runs out.
                          The Mysterious Benedict Society is an excellent read for any fan of mystery, action, or adventure. The characters are well-developed and funny, the plot is excellent and intruiging, and the peculiar writing fashion has made The Mysterious Benedict Society one of my all-time favorite books.
You can find the author's page here.
By Julio

The Lightning Thief Book Review

The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan


Book Cover



                             The Lightning Thief is about Percy Jackson, a troubled boy who learns that all of the Greek myths are real, and that he is a son of Poseidon. When Zeus' master bolt gets stolen, Zeus blames Percy, and now Percy has a week to find the most powerful weapon in the world, save his mother, and return the bolt to Olympus.



The movie poster



The Lightning Thief is a great read, even if you're not a fan of mythology. Riordan crafts an excellent combination of action and humor, character development, and mystery. The characters are realistic and funny, and the plot keeps you hooked even after you finish the book.

                              Overall, I recommend The Lightning Thief to anyone. The writing is perfectly paced, and you'll find yourself incapable of putting the book down. It's been made into a movie.

By Julio