The book here that I am reviewing is “Dracula” by Bram Stoker. Abraham “Bram” Stoker was interested in horror stories because when he was younger he was bed-ridden with an unidentifiable illness that made it impossible to walk. His mother would read horror stories to him. This sickness soon left Bram at the age of 8. Bram Stoker soon went off to Trinity College in Dublin Ireland where he studied mathematics, became an athlete and soccer star. He also became President of the Philosophical Society.

There are a few main characters. Jonathan Harker was the main protagonist and the book starts with him. He was a real estate agent going to Transylvania to consult with a client named Count Dracula, for a house in England. While on his way he keeps getting looks from people… looks like they see a dead man walking. When he gets to the castle weird things start happening to him. The deal is gets made and Jonathan returns to England. When Dracula arrives, weird things start happening all around England. I would go on but divulging anymore information would ruin things.

My opinion is that this book is awesome. I love the book. I personally read it ten times. I believe that it is greatly written book. Bram Stoker is a terrific horror writer. I want to read all his works someday.

Rolling Stone "Just Say Now"- September 2, 2010

 I chose a political article out of the Rolling Stone Magazine called "Just Say Now", written by Ari Berman. Editor and publisher of the Rolling Stone magazine is Jann S. Wenner. Being that millions of us Americans live in California we're all going to be affected by Proposition 19, the initiative to legalize marijuana. With the extreme chances of this bill passing, the divide between our politicians and Senators gets deeper than ever. Although our country has the advantage of producing enough profit to solve our debt in just a couple of years, the controversy continues to segregate our government.

With no reason to wait Richard Lee, founder of Oaksterdam University, commissioned a poll on the proposition. After receiving over half of the vote Richard Lee funded the money for the proposition to have a place on the ballot this November. Many issues have arose but the financial, industrial, and medical advancement is too rewarding for the government to refuse manufacturing this product. With many officials supporting the motion there's still no between when it comes to who is and is not supporting medical marijuana.

Not stop debates, polls, and research results keep this article very educational up until the closing paragraphs. Catching immediate interest whether you support the motion or not, there's no chance you'll finish without having a few personal opinions of your own. Get interested in our political issues while you read about your favorite composers in the "national affairs" section. Be open for change and advancement in our state. Register to vote this year and make your difference.  
   

The Lost Boy by Dave Pelzer

The book I'm going to write about is titled The Lost Boy: A Foster Child's Search for the Love of a Family. The author of the book is David Pelzer. David wrote this book about his childhood. This story takes place in Daly City in 1997, after the previous book, A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive.

The book starts when David is nine years old, running away from home. David ended up at a nearby bar. Although the partons from the bar took care of him, they became worried and called the police. Shortly after the police came David was returned home to his abusive mother. Things started going downhill for David. He became involved with the wrong kind of company. All David really wanted was to hear his mother say "I love you" to him. Will he ever hear these words?

I thought this was a sad book. This book was also written very well. I would recommend this book to any one that loves a happy ending. You can purchase this book here: The Lost Boy: A Foster Child's Search for the Love of a Family .                                                                                                  

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

The book I’m going to tell you about is called The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky. The main character is Charlie, who is obviously a “wallflower” as you can see by the title of the novel. The novel is based on Charlie writing numerous letters to an anonymous person that he does not personally know.


There are multiple literature, film, and music references in this novel, which are mentioned while Charlie are with his friends, by himself, or at school – from his teacher, Bill. The author of this novel, Chbosky, says that J.D. Salinger - author of The Catcher in the Rye – is one of his inspirations. This novel is also named in the story by Charlie’s teacher. Another title named is To Kill a Mockingbird, which is another popular novel. Chbosky’s hometown of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania is also where the story takes place. Chbosky is not only an American novelist, but also a screenwriter and film director.

The novel focuses on adolescence, struggles and experiences with drug use, and exploring sexual tendencies. Charlie is a freshman in high school, and really doesn’t have any friends since his best friend Michael committed suicide in the 8th grade. However, shortly after starting school, he becomes friends with a few seniors while attending a football game. He ends up developing a crush on one of his best friends, Sam. Sam is the sister of Patrick, who is Charlie’s other best friend. Patrick is a homosexual who is secretly dating someone that you definitely would not expect. They take him to his first party, where he gets high for the first time.

Throughout the time period of the story, Charlie’s character matures in different ways. As he struggles through difficult times and experiences multiple different things in his life, he begins to have a better outlook on life itself. His brother is away playing football at college, and he doesn’t have a very good relationship with his sister. His aunt was the closest person to him, but she passed away. As school is coming to an end, Charlie wants as much time with Patrick and Sam as possible.

I would highly recommend this novel to people of all ages, but mostly more of a teenage audience. Since the story is through a fifteen/sixteen year olds perspective, I would say it is more appealing to that generation. This is, honestly, one of my all time favorite novels. So, if you have not read it yet, go to a library or buy it here: The Perks of Being a Wallflower! I can almost guarantee you won’t want to put it down.

Everywhere That Mary Went, by Lisa Scottoline

Review by Sophia Martin

Everywhere That Mary Went is Lisa Scottoline's first mystery novel, and it was nominated for an Edgar Award. Scottoline was a lawyer before she became a novelist, and Everywhere That Mary Went draws on her experience with the profession. If you like stories about lawyers, you'll like this novel. What it does not provide, however, is some of the technical insight that a John Grisham novel might. However, Scottoline's characters make up for this weakness with their charm and believability.

Mary DiNunzio hopes to make partner in the coming year, but her ambitions are colored by nasty phone calls and notes she discovers in her office mail. Someone is stalking Mary, and they seem to know when she comes and goes, as well as where she lives. She doesn't want to believe that this stalker is really a threat to her--with the partners' vote coming up, can she really afford to make a stink with an investigation of her co-workers? Her reluctance to act has terrible consequences, and Mary's life is soon in danger.

I enjoyed this book although I wouldn't say that it was terribly memorable. It was a fun, fluffy read, perfect for relaxing on a vacation. I would recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries, thrillers, and legal fiction.