John Green. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

John Green always writes such vibrant, spunky characters. My heart is full of joy while spending time with his characters. Even though the subject matter is heavier here, I still finished the book with feelings of great pleasure at having spent time with Hazel and Augustus.

Hazel and Augustus are quite the pair. Hazel has terminal cancer that affects her breathing, so she carries an oxygen tank. Augustus is in remission from cancer that caused the loss of his leg. Hazel is afraid to let Augustus get to know her or love her, because she's afraid that she'll die leaving him surrounded in grenade-like destruction.

Augustus can't help himself and charms her into a relationship. Hazel ends up a very willing participant. They both become obsessed with a book that ends rather suddenly. The character has cancer, so they assume that the author made some literary choice to end the book so suddenly, with so many unanswered questions, to symbolize her death. Together they ponder visiting the author in Amsterdam where they will convince him to divulge all the secrets of the characters.

They ponder a variety of subjects. They have such witty, smart and thoughtful conversations. They also deal with tragic events. The humor balances the tragedy beautifully.

All I can really do to convey the beauty of the book is to show you a quote:

While Hazel and her dad are discussing what he believes. He says,

"I believe the universe wants to be noticed. I think the universe is improbably biased toward consciousness, that it rewards intelligence in part because the universe enjoys its elegance being observed. And who am I, living in the middle of history, to tell the universe that it - or my observation of it- is temporary."

I was burning up my Nook with so many highlights! I could give you more, but then I would spoil too much of the plot. Read it yourself, trust me!

It's about love, pain, and living your life in spite of everything. The trailer doesn't give a lot away about the book, but it's beautiful, so I'm posting it anyway. Check out John Green in all his glory here.

GoogleDocs Presentation Software Updates

Many students don't use the presentation software in GoogleDocs, because, frankly, it doesn't have a lot of cool features. But if you're wanting to work on your slideshow from various different computers, it really is the easiest way to go. Also, you can easily embed your slideshow into websites, if you need to show it off.  (Sure you can always use Slideshare to do that, but you have to pay for an account to get rid of some of the ads.)

Well, guess what? Hopefully now the presentation software will be more appealing to you. Google has just added and upgraded a lot of features. For one (often requested by students), they've added a lot more themes to choose from:

For all of the other changes check out the link below the graphic. 

Hopefully, you'll love all the changes!

Google Docs - What's new? via kwout

New Wikipedia Android App

For years students have been told not to use Wikipedia for researching. So you might be surprised by a librarian telling you to use Wikipedia. (Go ahead, I promise, it's okay!) I am more concerned with how you are using it. It's best for an overview of a topic that you aren't familiar with. Then when you go to research in a database, you'll have a better grasp of your topic.

But, my favorite part of a Wikipedia article is the treasure trove of  goodies at the bottom of an article. Don't forget to scroll all the way to the bottom to view the "References" and "Further reading/External Links" sections for a ton of goodies.

Now it's even easier to search Wikipedia, because there is now both an iPhone app AND an Android app.

The iPhone app has been out a while, but now everyone can search the "official" Wikipedia on their phone. Check it out in the Android Market!

Wikipedia - Apps on Android Market via kwout

Beth Revis. A MILLION SUNS

A MILLION SUNS is the sequel to ACROSS THE UNIVERSE. If you haven't read it, then you may want to steer clear of this review, because there will be rampant spoilers. *look away, look away - quick*

We join Elder and Amy right where book one left off. Eldest has been killed, Orion was frozen and Elder has just been told that Godspeed will never land. The engines are no longer working, so it will never get close enough to Centauri-Earth to land. Elder takes over as Eldest, although he wants to continue going by the name "Elder."

Elder and the shippers discuss the engines and the other mechanical problems on the ship. They begin working on solutions. The next major thing Elder does as leader is take everyone off Phydus. This causes major issues, because people can choose to work or not work. They begin making all kinds of decisions. Violence, hunger, murder all begin occurring on the ship for the first time since the plague. Elder is truly tested as a leader. There are even rumblings of revolution.

Amy begins getting clues to a puzzle that seems to lead to another big secret. She and Elder begin uncovering another mystery that may be bigger than they can handle. It seems they will have to make a choice that may mean life or death for the entire population.

I loved the sequel as much as the original. It kept me coming back for the suspense and the mood created by the author. She created such a depressing sense of foreboding that I felt exactly how Amy felt about begin trapped on the ship. Her desperation was palpable.

The suspense of the mystery kept me reading. Big issues are uncovered and it makes you think about how you would handle the choices they're given.

I also enjoyed the growth of Elder's character and the relationship between Elder and Amy.

I highly recommend this series! Unfortunately, we have to wait an entire year for the next book. It's called SHADES OF EARTH. In the meantime, enjoy the website dedicated to the series. It's pretty nifty.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis via kwout

Tomorrow is the Book Festival!

Don't forget to stop by College Park High School for the Montgomery County Teen Book Festival tomorrow! Check out more about the Festival on Facebook:

Montgomery County Teen Book Festival via kwout