Characters: Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood by Abby McDonald

Characters: Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood by Abby McDonald

Juliana Discher Bell 3 

            In this novel, there are two main characters. They are Hallie and Grace Weston. Although the girls are related by blood, they are totally different personality wise. Hallie is the older sister and is a freshman in college and Grace is a junior in high school.

            Hallie is an overdramatic wannabe actor who likes to make everything in life a huge scene. She doesn't think logically and takes things for granted. A quote describing her is "Now she couldn't even afford the basic necessities, like ice-blended coffees, let alone a cute dress." To Grace, this is very frustrating and she is constantly trying to control Hallie's antics. Hallie takes her father's death especially hard and she loses it for a little while. When she comes back into touch with reality she realizes that her family was out of money and they would be forced to move in with their Uncle. For Hallie, this was a perfect reason to breakdown. Once they get settled in, she starts to calm down. Her life changes dramatically when she is swept off of her feet by a new lover, Dakota. Although Hallie becomes a little more mature over the course of the text, the drama never leaves her.

            Grace is a level-headed, very intelligent young woman. She is always thinking realistically and trying to help her mother and Hallie whose heads are in the clouds. She is forced to make decisions that someone her age shouldn't have to make. One example of this, is when she was trying to decide on a house for them to move into after they are in poverty. "'We only have a couple of weeks left,' she reminded them. 'I circled some apartments to check out. You can call the realtor tomorrow.'" Grace is a dynamic character because throughout the novel she changes. She puts more emphasis on her love life and relaxes a little more.

          

Theme and Summary: Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood by Abby McDonald

Theme and Summary: Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood by Abby McDonald

Juliana Discher Bell 3

            The book that I am reading right now is titled Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood by Abby McDonald. It is the story of sisters Hallie and Grace Weston who have contrasting personalities. Hallie, the older sister  thinks the world is her stage for her to act and Grace is always trying to keep her sister in check. Their father passes away unexpectedly and the two girls and their mother are forced to live life on their own. They have to move in with their Uncle Auggie and start a new life.The girls have trouble adjusting to their new life at first.
            The theme of the story is that one should not let a tragic event, such as the death of a family member, negatively impact the rest of the one's life; they need to move forward and accept it. I believe this to be the theme because the story starts out describing the funeral of Hallie and Grace's father. A quote from the text is "'John was taken from us too soon,' the priest murmured up in front. Grace's old sister, Hallie, let out a wretched sob." This excerpt was from the funeral while everyone was devastated about their loss. Later on in the story when the girls move in with their Uncle, Grace has a hard time making new friends and letting go of her perfect, old life. Another quote from the text is "'Grace! Come on, you need to try. You're a month into the semester already, and you haven't hung out with anyone!'"  This shows how Grace wasn't moving forward or accepting the loss of her father. Eventually when both of the girls realize that  their father isn't going to come back, they moved on and embrace their new home. Each of them made new friends and feel at home.
            A summary of the chapter I last read is Hallie is out at a party and she meets a guy named Dakota. He is unlike any other boy she has met before. He is gorgeous physically and has an amazing personality to match. Not to mention he is a guitarist in a band. Hallie is swept off of her feet and thinks she has found the one. A quote from the chapter is "She knew with utter certainty-he was the man she'd been waiting for her whole life." The chapter ends with Dakota and Hallie planning to meet again.

Book Recommendation: Most Talkative by Andy Cohen

Book Recommendation: Most Talkative by Andy Cohen

Juliana Discher Bell 3

            The book that I just finished reading and would like recommend is called Most Talkative by Andy Cohen. It is an autobiography about Cohen's life. It talks about how he ended up with his current job as the host of the hit Bravo tv show Watch What Happens Live. The first part of the book is about his job as intern for NBC and about his struggle to come out to his parents and friends about his homosexuality. The next part of the book is about his journey to become more in television than just a morning television reporter. The final part of the book is about him catching a big break when working for Bravo. Throughout the book, Cohen goes through a rollercoaster of ups and downs. Through his troubles he became stronger and is molded  into the person he is today. The theme of the story is to go for your dreams and don't let anything or anyone get in your way.
            I enjoyed this book because it is different than what I typically read. I am not that into nonfiction, specifically autobiographies so it was refreshing. Also, I am a big fan of Andy Cohen because I enjoy watching his show WWHL with my mom. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking to read a genre they don't normally read and enjoys pop culture. Cohen tells countless humorous tales and touching ones too, so the book is full of variety. I would rate it an 8/10 so I would definitely say to pick up this book and give it a read!

Andy Cohen Talking about Book Video

Analysis: "How to Fake it Til You Make it Professionally" by Your Coffee Break

Analysis: "How to Fake it Til You Make it Professionally" by Your Coffee Break

Juliana Discher Bell 3

            I read an article entitled "How to Fake it Til You Make it Professionally" by the online magazine, Your Coffee Break. Basically, this article was about how imitating having confidence can allow you to go farther in the work field and in life general. The author starts out by describing a day when she felt chaos from being unorganized and not put together. She describes how she was "stuffing her phone, wallet, and breakfast into her purse and putting on her makeup in the back of the cab." Next she proceeds to describes a series of tips and steps on how to fake it til you make it in the business world. Finally, she talks about how if you follow her advice you will be more prepared and ready to start your day.
            After reading this article, I felt very informed and educated. I can infer that the author once felt like she was not well put together and realized she needed to make changes. The setting of the article is at the office and beforehand when one is at home. The imagery in the beginning when she is describing a rough morning she experienced helps to draw the reader in and become more interested in reading the rest of the article. The type of conflict is internal because the author is saying how she was unorganized and how this was negatively affecting her life. The theme of this article is that in order to be successful as a worker, one should be prepared beforehand and stay informed on current events.

Article: http://www.levoleague.com/articles/career-advice/fake-it-till-you-make-it





Reading Skills: Most Talkative by Andy Cohen

Reading Skills: Most Talkative by Andy Cohen

Juliana Discher Bell 3

            The book that I am currently reading is titled Most Talkative: Stories from the Front Lines of Pop Culture. It is an autobiography by television executive and host Andy Cohen. It tells how he began his career working as a news reporter for NBC and about living life in the closet, hidden from family and friends.

            As I get to the end of the book, I predict that Cohen will talk about how he caught his big break working for the tv network, Bravo. I think the book will say this because he is now a big part of the channel, so that would something crucial to mention. I also predict that he will talk about how much he has changed since he was a kid. I think he will talk about how society has changed in general and become more tolerant of people who are homosexual.

            I have questions  about the content that I would like to ask Cohen if I could. Who was his biggest inspiration throughout his life? What made him realize that a career in television would be right for him? What does he think his life would be like today if he kept his homosexuality a secret? I also have a question about the layout of the book. I wonder why he didn't talk more about his elementary and high school days, but focused on telling about when he was in his 20's.

            A text-to-world connection is that Andy has to contemplate whether or not to come out of the closet. Many people in the world have had to to make this decision as well. A quote from the story is "I knew if I didn't tell somebody my secret soon, it would build up inside of me and I would explode." A text-to-text connection is between the book Will Grayson, Will Grayson. The main character Will realizes that he is gay but doesn't know if he should tell people and come out about it. A quote from this book is "That's what the voices in your head are for, to get you through the silent parts. But if only there was somebody to talk with." This is very similar to what Cohen went through as a teenager. A text-to-self connection is that I have experienced the same feeling of uncertainty about my future that Andy experienced. We both were unsure about our careers and what our quality of life would be like. Another text-to-self connection is that Andy had always been interested in journal and broadcasting and I have similar interests. I consider having a career in it or being apart of the news network at my high school. A quote from most talkative is, "Ever since the day I first watched television, I knew that was what I wanted to do."

           If you would like to see more information about Andy Cohen, click this link -> Andy Cohen Bio

Characters: Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

Characters: Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

Juliana Discher Bell 3

            The novel I am reading right now is Safe Haven. Basically this book is about a woman named Katie who is trying to restart her life after escaping from her abusive husband, Kevin. It takes place mostly in Southport, North Carolina where Katie has escaped to and transitions back to her previous home where Kevin lives. While Katie is in Southport she meets a man who changes her life named Alex. The story is told in third person omniscient.
            The main character in the story is Katie. Katie is a 27-year-old trying to start a new life. She married young and thought she had found the man of her dreams, but he ended up physically and mentally abusing her. She couldn't handle it anymore so she ran away to the tiny town of Southport where she worked as waitress. Katie is very secretive and reserved at first, but after meeting the kind people in her new home, she opens up.  Katie is a dynamic character because she changes immensely throughout the book. One quote about Katie is, “Deep in her heart, she wasn't sure she deserved to be happy, nor did she believe that she was worthy of someone who seemed...normal.” This quote shows that even after she had left Kevin, she still suffered the effects of his abuse. She had some self loathing and questioned whether she deserved to be happy.
           Another character in the story is Alex. Alex is a widowed father with two sweet kids, Josh and Kristen. Alex's wife passed away years before, and he wasn't sure he would ever love again, until he met Katie. He thought she was beautiful and a truly kindhearted person.  He also realized that she was great with his kids and very motherly around them. Alex is very intelligent and puts the pieces together of Katie's domestic abuse before she tells him.
           Katie and Alex both change each other's lives for the better. After meeting one another and getting familiar, they opened both of their hearts up even when they thought they never would find love for a second time. A quote to describe their relationship is “‎When she looked up at him, it was suddenly easy for her to imagine that her fears were pointless. That he would love her no matter what she told him, and that he was the kind of man who loved her already and would love her forever.” Alex helped Katie get over her fears and Katie helped Alex have a complete family again.

If you would like to read more information on the type of abuse Katie endured in the book, feel free to click on the link here -> Domestic Violence and Abuse Link