Thursday, August 25, 2011

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time



 
Book menu for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

ISBN of edition I read: 1400032717 (trade paperback)

Food mentioned in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time:
French fries, 9
Hot raspberry milkshake, 19, 70
Coco Pops, 19
Lemonade, 19
Dr. Pepper, 19
Spaghetti and tomato sauce, 28
Lemon and orange squash, 41
Battenberg cake, 4
Tea, 40
   Earl Grey, 86
   Red Zinger, 201
Biscuits (cookies), 41
   Chocolate biscuits, 93
Baked beans, broccoli, ham, 48, 96
Licorice laces, 54, 66, 124, 128, 199
Jaffa cakes, 54
Milky Bar, 66, 124, 208
Gobi Aloo Sag, 6, 200
Quiche, 76
Blackberry and apple crumble, 76
Ham, lettuce, tomato sandwiches, 85
Plaice and chips, 86
Apple pie and ice cream, 86
Apples, 96
Sausage, eggs, fried bread, 96
Strawberry milkshake, 128, 200-201
Smarties candy, 115
Clementines, 124, 128
Pink wafer biscuits, 124, 128, 199
Custard creams, 135, 168
Orange juice, 135, 168
Snickers bar, 178
Mango smoothies, 199

Books mentioned in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time:
Sherlock Holmes / Arthur Conan Doyle, 25, 132
   "The Hound of the Baskervilles", 5, 69, 71
   "The Boscombe Valley Mystery", 131
Heart of Darkness / Joseph Conrad, 52
The Masqueraders / Georgette Heyer, 77
Chaos / James Gleick, 96
The Cost of Discipleship / Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 212-213
Diana: Her True Story / Andrew Morton, 213

Music mentioned in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time:
Best Of Doc Watson , 25, 131, 135

Television mentioned in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time:
Blue Planet, 79, 210

Movies mentioned in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time :
Star Trek: The Next Generation , 118
Blade Runner, 198 

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Thursday, August 18, 2011

Eldest

 
Book Menu for Eldest by Christopher Paolini

ISBN of edition I read: 037582670X

This is the second book in Paolini's Inheritance series. It is pure high fantasy and pure adventure!

Food mentioned in Eldest:
Jerky, 43, 429, 578
Mead, 50, 110
Raspberries, 69
Meat pies, 107
Fruit, 107
Honey cakes and raspberry preserves, 107, 223
Sourdough bread, 131
Bread with soft cheese, 183
Mulled cider mixed with mead, 232
Seedcakes, 242
Bread and hazelnut butter, 346, 441
Pastries, 489
Apricot brandy, 489
Biscuits and dried apples, 566

Music mentioned in Eldest :
Harps and lutes, 51, 459
Reed Pipe, 168, 232, 300
Harps, 232, 459

Great vocabulary in Eldest :
vassal, 24
gregarious, 34
inebriated, 51
boisterously, 51
insensate, 52
ethereal, 56, 113
equanimity, 61, 129
abeyance, 71
placate, 72
crenulated, 74, 574
chortled, 76
fortuitous, 76
ruminations, 85
lambent, 85
soporific, 96
immutable, 99
harbingers, 102
frippery, 103
surreptitiously, 104, 289
ponderously, 114
elucidated, 115
contentious, 121, 603
ostracized, 122
tenacious, 133
abated, 133
inexorable, 133
undulating, 141, 436, 468, 577
impunity, 145
deferential, 153
   deference, 258
fecund, 160
lithe, 168
panoply, 170
acquiesce, 178
carapace, 195
attenuated, 198
verdant, 200, 219
aphorisms, 200
depravities, 202
abdicated, 203, 219
ephemeral, 203
reciprocate, 204
susurration, 212
imperious, 224
languid, 224
diaphonous, 239
raiment, 242
sinous, 277
escarpment, 278
impugn, 279, 478
askance, 283
beleaguered, 291
tumultuous, 298
taciturn, 298
precipitous, 299
mellifluous, 300
bemused, 308
bulbous, 311
jocular, 312
sardonic, 313
wended, 315
embrasure, 314
dolorous, 320, 366
ablutions, 341, 370
ameliorated, 344
acuity, 344
detritus, 355, 449
redolent, 372
derisive, 372
deign, 372
impregnable, 378, 482
quailed, 386
bandy, 394
temerity, 394
promontory, 403
pestilence, 404
ululation, 416
untenable, 427, 600
trundled, 431
eyrie, 431
ubiquitous, 436
iridescent, 467
vociferous, 476
prodigious, 507
acrimonious, 527
obsidian, 559
precipitous, 559
provender, 579
turgid, 581, 623
circumspect, 586
irrevocable, 596
rapacious, 604
adamantine, 606
musculature, 607
alacrity, 614
mephitic, 623
resplendent, 657

Discussion questions for Eldest :
What does this fantasy fiction novel have in common with other fantasy books you've read?  How does it differ from them?

What do you think will happen in the third book?

What did you think of the map?  Did you refer to it?

What are Eragon's biggest weaknesses?

What goals did Eragon set out to accomplish but failed at?

Which was your favorite race?  (Dwarves, elves, men, urgals, dragons?)

What do you think was the most valuable thing Eragon learned?  Roran?

Discuss the book's cover and title.


Libraries mentioned in Eldest :
page 465: Islanzadi raised one pale had. "Your work shall be added to the great library in Tialdari Hall, Eragon-finiarel, so that all who wish can appreciate. Though your poem is allegory, I believe that it has helped many of us to better understand the hardships you have face since Saphira's egg appeared to you...

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Promise Me

 
Book Menu for Promise Me by Harlan Coben

ISBN of edition I read 0525949496 (hardcover)

Food mentioned in Promise Me :
Chicken Kiev, 25
Yoo-hoo, 39, 190
Coffee, 60, 66, 211, 215, 232
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, 66
Sloppy joes, 72
Tea, 92
Roast beef, 118
Toasted Almond Fudge, 127
Beef jerky, 130-1
Doughnuts, 153
Kung Pao Chicken, 350
Grilled cheese sandwich, 350
Pizza, 359

Books/Authors mentioned in Promise Me :
Nicholas Sparks, 46

Harry Potter / J.K. Rowling, 191
A Separate Peace / John Knowles, 213

Movies mentioned in Promise Me :
The Graduate, 72 

Television shows mentioned in Promise Me :
Antiques Roadshow, 39
Wheel of Fortune, 40
American Idol, 146
I Dream of Jeannie, 164

Plays mentioned in Promise Me :
Fiddler on the Roof, 13

Magazines mentioned in Promise Me :
Sports Illustrated, 9
People Magazine, 27
The New York Times Book Review, 132

Music mentioned in Promise Me :
Jimi Hendrix, 134
Keith Richards, 134
Eric Clapton, 134
Nils Lofgren, 134
Buck Dharma, 134
Aimee Mann, 134
Prince, 140
   "Little Red Corvette
"Message in a Bottle" / The Police, 146
The Beatles, 146
"We Built This City on Rock-n-Roll" / Jefferson Starship, 168
"Gravity" / Alejandro Escovedo, 248
Coldplay, 253
Supertramp, 273
Green Day, 296
Killers, 306

Discussion questions for Promise Me :
What do you think the author has to say about the teen years?
How did you feel about Edna Skylar's philosophy of helping only the innocent, rather than everyone?






Thursday, August 4, 2011

The Perks of Being a Wallflower



 
Book Menu for The The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

ISBN of edition I read: (paperback)

Food mentioned in The Perks of Being a Wallflower
French fries, 3, 143
McDonald's, 3, 120
Tuna, 11
Chinese chicken salad, 14
Pumpkin pie, 20
Orange, 29
Nachos, 29
Diet Coke, 29
Potato chips, 31
Twinkies, 34,50
Brownies, 34
Milkshake, 35
Tacos, 55
Pringles, 67
Jello, 94
Tea, 106
Cherry Garcia ice cream, 114
Pizza, 114, 157
Club Sandwiches, 134
Salisbury steak, 150
Grape Kool-Aid, 167,
Champagne, 171, 186
Pancakes and bacon, 176
Ginger ale, 180
Ice cream, 186
Apple juice, 186
Pigs in a blanket, 191
Ho-Ho's, 196
Bacon and eggs, 204

Books/Authors mentioned in The Perks of Being a Wallflower:
To Kill a Mockingbird / Harper Lee, 9, 11, 13, 14, 133, 193
F. Scott Fitzgerald
   This Side of Paradise, 20, 105, 193
   The Great Gatsby, 63, 174, 193
Peter Pan / J.M. Barrie, 28, 46
A Separate Peace / John Knowles, 63
The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk / Randy Shilts, 64
Anne Rice, 68
The Catcher in the Rye / J. D. Salinger, 75, 80, 92, 193
Henry David Thoreau, 189
   Walden, 83, 120, 128, 131, 193, 209
On the Road / Jack Kerouac, 103, 106, 165, 193
Naked Lunch / William S. Burroughs, 107, 111, 165, 169, 193
ee cummings, 132, 143, 137, 193
Hamlet / William Shakespeare, 134, 193
The Stranger / Albert Camus, 149, 164, 169, 193
The Fountainhead / Ayn Rand, 165, 166, 167, 169, 174, 180, 193

Music mentioned in The Perks of Being a Wallflower :
Asleep / The Smiths , 10, 93
Blackbird, 37
MLK, 37
Landslide, 37
Pink Floyd , 43
The Village People , 61
Blondie, 61
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" / Nirvana
List on page 61-62
"Something" /The Beatles , 68
Nirvana, 104
John Lennon, 104
Jim Morrison, 104
The Slits , 125
Billie Holiday , 125, 129, 173
White Album, 135
"Broken Wings" / Mr. Mister , 158

Movies mentioned in The Perks of Being a Wallflower :
It's A Wonderful Life,76, 86
The Producers, 109
Reds, 114
The Graduate, 164
Harold and Maude, 164
My Life as a Dog, 164
Dead Poets Society, 164
The Unbelievable Truth, 165
Night of the Living Dead, 193
The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 47, 104, 109, 134, 147, 154, 174

Television mentioned in The Perks of Being a Wallflower:
Saturday Night Live, 15, 89
The Love Boat, 15
Fantasy Island, 15
M*A*S*H, 15, 78, 80, 104

Magazines mentioned in The Perks of Being a Wallflower:
Good Housekeeping, 15
Cosmopolitan, 15

Libraries mentioned in The Perks of Being a Wallflower:
Page 17:  "I went to the library to look up the figures, and I found out that the episode we watched is the highest watched anything of television (MASH) history, which I find amazing because it felt like just the five of us."

Pages 64-65: "I went to the library when Patrick told me [Harvey Milk] was gay, and I did some research because I honestly didn't know much about it...."

Page 77: "My dad doesn't read books too much anymore because he listens to books on cassette tapes on the way to work, and he gets them free from the library."

Page 101: "I went to the library and checked out a book because I was getting scared."

Discussion questions for The Perks of Being a Wallflower :
Is Charlie "wiser than his years"?

Is the any significance to the poem on pages 70-73?  How does it relate to the story?

What are the sister and brother's names?

Who do you think Charlie is writing to? What purpose do the letters serve?

Why or why wouldn't you recommend this book to a friend?

Would you want Bill as a teacher?

What do you think of the title? Fitting?  What ARE the perks?

Describe "feeling infinite" from page 213

What do you think is Charlie's bravest moment?

What do you think is the right age/reading/grade level for this book?

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