Yearbook- Allyson Braithwaite Condie pg. 151-196

Chapter 16- Ethan Beckett- his Dad moved back to town. He and his Dad weren't on good terms exactly or maybe they were but they just weren't as close as they used to be. He, Andrea, and their little sister Chloe, went to his place for dinner one day and it went well. Seeing his dad and mom living separately as a result of their failed marraige is what caused him to doubt his relationship with Michaela.
Chapter 17- Owen Thomas. He's the son of Mr. Thomas. Julie Reid stayed after class and thanked him for his kindness given the previous situation (her brother killing his mom). Turns out he hadn't known who she was related to because he was so angry when he found out. He even went to the principal and asked to have a replacement teacher so he wouldn't have to teach her. But then he refers to his Morman faith and decides to forgive and accept that she did nothing wrong. Faith. What a handy thing.
Chapter 18- Tyler Cruz. He got his wish to stay in Phoenix for basketball season. He meets a girl named Julie Reid on a bus ride to a field trip. They hit it off really quick and become good friends. They talk about basketball, Arizona and Julie's newfound religion. Now I'm not anti religious at all, in fact I love my faith, but this book is all about Mormanism and nowhere in the description does it warn you that is the sole topic that will be discussed. Oh and some pointless high school drama.
Chapter 19- Avery Matthews interviews Principal Downing on her illness; cancer. She talks of the illness and how she is dealing with it. SHe even says that she plans on returning for the next school year which is a question that everyone wanted the answer to.

Yearbook- Allyson Braithwaite Condie pg. 100-150

Chapter 12 is Julis Reid. She is now best friends with Michaela. Michaela calls her Jewls which is weird for me because I used to call my friend Juls. I still do sometimes. This whole chapter is about the Morman faith. Who would've thought--in the Homestead library. So anyways, Julie asks her mom if she can get baptised into the church but her mom says no. Bummer.
Chapter 13 Andrea Beckett decides she needs to begin peer tutoring in order to complete the requirement of community service for her interview application. She was forced to do training with David Sherman( which she did not mind) and afterwards the two of them went for a run. Maybe they'll end up together. This book is so annoyingly predictable.
Chapter 14 David Sherman AGAIN! jeez. like every other chapter. So he's making reference to Star Wars and Yoda. I have no idea what he's talking about. He asks Andrea on a date and she agrees. They're planning on going to his sisters ballett recital and then dinner. Seems like a kindof awkward first date. Oh well.
Chapter 15.. Michaela Choi. She gets broken up with by Ethan Beckett. He tells her that he feels they are getting too close and too serious so he wants a break. I actually can relate because that's why I broke up with my boyfriend last year. I'm not saying it's not a coward move. It is. But Ethan was scared of getting hurt. So Michaela is confused right. One day the team is on a run. Turns out she'd been running on a stress fracture and suddenly falls with a broken leg. Broken leg and a broken heart. OUCH.

Yearbook- Allyson Braithwaite Condie pg. 53-99

Chapter 7 is Julie Reid. She is the sister of two rowdy brothers who get in trouble all the time. Her brother is the one that killed Mr. Thomas' wife in a car accident. She signs up for choir class and the teacher turns out to be the son of Mr. Thomas. In choir class one day she feels faint and Michaela walks her to the nurse. Michaela then invites her to a church event. She attends a mormon church. I can see where this book is going.
Chapter 8 is David Sherman. It's like a journal entry or something. He's talking about Andrea Beckett and how she's so pretty and so far out of his league and yada yada. He also mentions how she may seem tough but she's actually quite vulnerable as he learned the night of Homecoming. He then goes on to evaluate himself morally and results thinking that he's a pretty good guy. Whatever.
Chapter 9 is Avery Matthews. She's suspended for smoking on campus. So dumb for smoking and more specifically- on school grounds. She asks Mr. Thomas (after she comes back to school) if he could publish one of her depressing poems in the school newspaper. He does.
Chapter 10 is about Anna Beckett. She is Ethan and Andrea's grandma from their Dad's side. Her grandkids bring a Christmas tree to her in her assisted living room and are decorating it when one of them accidentally drops one of their mom's expensive ornaments. The three of them head off to the mall to buy a new one. While they are there Grandmama has a heart to heart with Andrea about (you guessed it) Mormanism.. while Ethan finds the perfect gift for his girl Michaela.
Chapter 11 is David Sherman again. He's complaining about the new girl on the newspaper crew named Avery. They were put together to deliver newspapers to classrooms in a red wagon. They were fighting for the wagon when it fell over the balcony and smashed the school mascot. They walked home together and he invited her to church. She said no.

Yearbook- Allyson Braithwaite Condie Pg. 1-52

I started a new book last night. It's called Yearbook by Allyson Braithwaite Condie. So far, I feel like it's more aimed towards a freshman rather than a junior but oh well. It is written in an interesting format though. Each chapter is the view of a different character and their thoughts, struggles, achievements, ect. Chapter 1 is based on Michaela Choi. She's a junior who loves running on the track team and dreams about her friend who she wishes was more than a friend named Ethan. She practices her morman faith, which is something she shares in common with Ethan. Even though Ethan and she are close friends she stresses over wanting more. Along with that stress, she must write a long paper about herself for her English class. At first, she doesn't know what to write but after getting started, she writes and writes. The day that the paper was due she sneaked a peak at Ethan's paper and noticed her name in a sentance about how he thought she was cute. (again with the freshman kind of literature). The next chapter is about Mr. Thomas. He has three sons, one of which is beginning his first year teaching at the same high school that he's taught at for over thirty years. He is the English teacher that is grading the autobiographies. Mr. Thomas is coping with the death of his wife, who was killed by the wreckless driving of a thoughtless teenager. He's a pretty sad guy. The next chapter is only two pages. It's about Avery Matthews. Avery seems like a trouble child, not focused on school, no motivation for anything, and lacking zest for life. One of the parts stuck out to me. It says, "Better to feel anger than to feel sorrow. Better to feel nothing than to feel sorrow. Better not to feel." I feel sorry for Avery already, seems rather troubled. Chapter 4 is Ethan Beckett's. He's the all-star in track and cross country, and has a great life. He and his cross country team went to state and he won 2nd place in his race which he was very proud of. He and Michaela (he calls her Mikey) are dating now. So, he cheers for her during her race. To me, he seems like he's way caught up in cross country and yada yada nothing to be focusing on anything important. Chapter 5 is of Andrea Beckett's, Ethan's sister. She's the anti-social one. The beautiful one. No one understands her, they just want to be her. (which is totally a stereotype, that doesn't actually happen). She broke up with her boyfriend the day before Homecoming, where she was crowned Homecoming Queen. After she was crowned, David Sherman found her crying in the parking lot. He drove her home and waited in the car for her to stop crying. Maybe there is more to this girl than we all think! haha this book is so dumb. Chapter 6 is about a guy named Tyler Cruz. He lives in Phoenix and his dad just told him that they were packing up their things and moving. He's the star of the basketball team and doesn't want to move because season is just beginning. Upon hearing this angering news, he left the house and drove to the high school, planning on shooting some hoops in the gymnasium. But when he arrived, instead of findind an empty gym, he found some people decorating a float for the parade. He was about to leave when a girl about his age greeted him, and asked him to help. Tyler helped the girl and discovered that he really liked her and they talked about everything. Before they left, she invited him to Noah's Homecoming at their church. So, he agreed and headed home. That's where I'm at right now. Honestly, I'm regretting picking up this book but I have to finish it because if I don't, then I'll never know what happened to these random people. So dumb.

I Feel a Little Jumpy Around You

This one is called "The Clothespin". Here goes: Through the window I see Her, my neighbor. She hangs his shirt. It thunders in the breeze. Clasped by a clothespin Beside her pale dress. Sid by side, they move. The clothespin is all That holds them together. Okday, someone is creepin through the window watching their neighbor and maybe the relationship between the girl and the man who's shirt she's hanging up is shaky.

I Feel a Little Jumpy Around You

This is the very last poem in the book. I'm a little disappointed that I'm done with it. It's called "Travelling Together" by W.S. Merwin. If we are separated I will try to wait for you on your side of things your side of the wall and the water and of the light moving at its own speed even on leaves that we have seen I will wait on one side while a side is there. Maybe the guy is saying that as long as there is hope for their relationship, he'll be on her side. Like as long as there is a side to be on, he'll be on it.

Spring Break!!!!! WV 2011

I went to West Virginia over spring break with my church youth group. :) We went there for Habitat for Humanity to build houses!!! It was so much fun and I don't even almost regret going there instead of somewhere like Florida. Everyone goes to FL. Boring and uncreative. haha just kiddin. But anyways, I learned how to cut 2 by 6's with a saw (which was quite scary- at first), and I layed down plywood for the roof. I'm not scared of heights so I was all good. We all climbed a mountain too and that was really fun! It was actually kindof embarassing haha, because on the mountain hike, I was watching my feet (cos that's just something you have to do to make sure you dont roll an ankle or step on a frog) and I hit my head on a tree. Haha, it's funny now, but it was definetly not funny then. I love every single person that went on the trip too! There were 45 students and 15 adults. The mission trip was faith based which made it that much better. :) Looking forward to next year!