Chances by Jackie Collins

My book is called “Chances” by Jackie Collins-my favorite book writer. In Chances we see the two main characters of the story grow up and change completely just by taking chances. The first main character is Gino which grew up and got beat up by his father, but left in a very young age and started his dangerous life. He started making money by stealing cars and working for the mafia. But what he never forgot is where he came from, and whenever he saw anyone getting abused the same way he was, he would risk his life just to save them. That’s how he got himself so many loyal friends-one of them Costa which if it wasn’t for Gino, he wouldn’t be who he is today. Gino got very rich by investing his money with the help of a very important friend he had. The other main character is Carrie, a beautiful black girl, who got used by her own grandmother after her mother died. Her grandmother and her uncle used her as a prostitute, leaving her to starve, until one day the grandmother died and she had to go in the streets alone and make a living on her own. Whitejack a black man that owned a whorehouse took her and compared to what she used to live like, he gave her heaven. Carrie wanted to make money and be rich and have power, and as she reminded herself all the time- once a whore always a whore- she used her only way to make money even if she was only 14. Then Whitejack started to give her drugs and so she became a drug addict. One night she fainted in a party and Gino saved her by not allowing Whitejack to take her back, Gino kept her in the hospital.

While I was reading today I could very easily picture the huge classy party Gino was invited. Since the party took place in 1928 and I know form American History that during that time, liquor was illegal; I can understand why Gino was the one that imported illegally the liquor for the party hosts-which paid him a lot of money. Carrie was taken by Whitejack to the party with two other whores, so they could give a very entertaining striptease. But Whitejack gave Carrie heroin and cocaine, so when she went up on the stage, she fainted, and instead of laughing like everybody else, Gino took the poor naked girl and took her in one of the bedrooms. He called for a doctor, but he could tell from the marks on her arm that she was a drug addict. The writer used too much imagery on this scene, since it was a turning point for one of our protagonists. Then I could very easily picture Gino putting his coat on her young body to cover her up and taking her to the hospital.

I can connect with Gino in my story, because he cannot stand it when something unfair is going on. I am that way too, if I see something wrong happening to another person I won’t just sit there I will help them or do something. He is such a good man; he helped so many people when they wanted help, either by giving them money, or by simply setting them free. Unfortunately I cannot connect by any other way with my characters, since they do more extreme things and they live through things that thank God I didn’t have to go through.

The part of my book that I have most difficulty connecting with is the fact that all of these characters grew up in poverty and in some horrible situations, but they made it they were strong and they put some goals for themselves and they made it! But I cannot connect myself with most of the book since it’s all about intrigues, gangsters, money, power, sex, and drugs.

What I did that is similar to the characters of the book is that I put high goals for myself. I decided I want to be an A student and I want to get into Harvard and I will work day and night to accomplish my goals. Just like Gino, he decided he wants money and power, since he grew up with nothing, and he made it, he didn’t kill people he didn’t have anything to do with drugs or prostitutes and he never forgot where he came from and how he became who he is today. Also they never put it down, just like I never do!

She definitely uses shifts! The story starts in 1977 and then we go back to 1913 and then we go to 1977 and then again 1913 and then we change year so its 1914 and then 1977..! It’s very confusing-but in the same time it’s not at all! If you pay attention to the story then everything just melts together and the anticipation that you have about what will happen next grows and grows! I love the way she used shifts it’s like getting in a time machine and you see in front of you the character’s life’s and what they are today and what happened for them to become what they are! She also uses imagery! Lots and lots of imagery- she uses enough details to make the book interesting and exciting and not too much to make it boring and slow! There is always in a turning point in both the character’s lives and because of the shifting we get some foreshadowing. The mood of the book is suspense, money and power! And I wouldn’t say she uses hyperboles but maybe for some situations she exaggerates them, but everything makes more sense and there is more suspense.

Hmm… the plot of my story is realistic- I believe. Things are happening to the characters that I think are not so unlike to happen to real people. From what I hear around me, the world is completely messed up! So I wouldn’t be so surprised to hear that some of these stories are true! What I think is not realistic is the power that Gino had to leave from the house and how much he believed in himself that he would eventually make it. I think that if other kids went through Gino’s awful childhood they would be analyzing it for centuries with their psychiatrist! I am just really proud how strong Gino was to go through those things and come out strong and successful!

I would most definitely love to have Gino as my best friend, because I just love love how amazing he is! I admire his success, everything he has started from 0 and now he is a millionaire. He loves his friends and he is very loyal, whenever something happens to them he is there to help- for example one of his friend’s house got burned and his whole family died- as soon as Gino heard what happened he went there and tried to help his friend. I think he is such an amazing character I swear if he was real I would want to marry him! Also I would want to be Carrie’s friend so I could help her and take her away from Whitejack, because it’s such a shame, she is such a beauty and she is so young she is my age and she did things that most people don’t do in their whole lives! I definitely want to save her, she doesn’t deserve these! Her grandmother was an addict and all she ever wanted was not to become like her grandmother and somebody made her. It’s such a shame! I hope that later in the story things will change for her!

I want to think that in the next section I read Carrie will be sent to rehab and that somebody will save her and that she will manage to make money- not by selling her beautiful body. Also I want Gino to get even more successful and I can’t wait for the moment when his daughter Lucky will be born-which I have read already many books about her!

If I could jump in the story right now I would go to the hospital and take Carrie to a very good rehab place for a year or two and then I would built a big mansion for her, help her get stronger and healthier until she can stand on her feet again and give her a billion dollars so she doesn’t have to work again! Also I would give Gino an award for the kindest person on earth because he helped so many people and sometimes he didn’t get a thank you! I would protect him by any enemies trying to destroy him and I would marry him with Carrie!

The bad neighborhoods that Gino and Carrie grew up in remind me “the House on Mango Street” since Esperanza also grows up in a bad neighborhood! And since this book is the first one of the whole series of the Santangelo family (Gino and his daughter Lucky) everything that I’ve read so far about them makes sense, since I can see how they started.

I cannot think of anything in the book that reminds me of my life, unfortunately. Though the writer engages you in the story so much that you feel like you lived those things with the characters, and you felt the things that they did.

Dangerous Kiss by Jackie Collins

My book is called “Dangerous Kiss” by my favorite writer Jackie Collins. This special book consists of four different “books”, but actually they are just continuing our story after 2, 3 or 6 months. Jackie Collins is one of my favorite writers I’ve read already 4 of her books and I just can’t stop reading when I start one of her books! In this book there is so much going on you will get confused when I explain, but it’s worth it! Every page I turn something new happens. So, Lucky Santagello is the main protagonist and the whole book revolves around her and her family. Mary Lou-wife of Lucky’s stepbrother Steven-gets killed and Lucky’s husband gets shot on the arm in a random car-jacking accident. The girl, who shot those two lovely people, is the daughter of the housekeeper of a rich, black and famous comedian. But the girl, Mila wasn’t alone during the car-jacking, with her was Price’s son (the famous comedian) Teddy, who is now accused by the girl that he had killed Mary Lou. Lucky’s goddaughter, Bridgette an extraordinary beauty and a world famous model who would later inherit a tremendous amount of money had been drugged and raped by Carlo, an Italian bastard that ruined her life. He knocked her up and when she went to take revenge, he got her addicted to drugs and married her, keeping her away from everyone that loved her. When she asked him to give her help to stop the heroin since it was harming her baby, he sent her in a very isolated house alone promising that he would bring doctors to help her. That never happened and poor Bridgette lost her baby and went through withdrawal alone, burying her unborn child. Meanwhile now that they caught Mila and they are going in court for the case of the car-jacking, a former lover of Lucky’s husband appears. Lennie (her husband) had been kidnapped many years ago and during all of that time everyone thought he was dead, one night Lucky got really drunk and slept with her best friend, Alex who is until now madly in love with her. They both agreed to keep it a secret since it didn’t matter, but it seems like Lennie had a secret too. He wasn’t dead, he got saved by an Italian young woman whom he slept with and without his knowing left her pregnant. She came back after 5 years to find him with their son that had hearing problems. Lucky’s perfect marriage is now ruined, will she take him back? Bridgette’s best friend, Lina a model too, has now a very romantic relationship with Steven and he can finally laugh again after the tragedy of his wife.

In my book the character that I can mostly connect with is the protagonist, Lucky. She is such a strong, powerful woman, who never puts it down. She does whatever she wants and there is no stopping her. She never asks permission to do anything and she will do whatever she feels like doing and not complain about the consequences. I am exactly like that, when I make a decision even a simple one like ordering something new in a restaurant, I like to decide alone, without other people influencing me. And when I don’t like my decision I just say to myself, you shouldn’t complain and just live with it! Also she is very stubborn and I am stubborn, I hate lies and when people pretend. When she found out about Lennie’s affair with the woman, she felt betrayed and wanted immediately a divorce from him, because he had lied to her that nothing happened with that woman. If I was in her shoes I would do the same, but then later I might have given him a second chance, because I believe that people deserve second chances. And I think this is what she will do, but we will see!
I have no problem understanding the book, since it’s so catchy! But I have a great difficulty connecting with the new Bridgette, because before she was so innocent and hated drugs, never dated guys and just lived a quiet life, passionate about her career. And now she in on drugs, married to a man that takes completely advantage of her, beats her up and makes her think she is a total nothing. Also I have trouble connecting with the whole car-jacking incident and how Steven must feel about his wife’s death. Fortunately no one really close to me has ever died, so I don’t know how that pain feels like, thank you God!
Well all of my characters and their experiences are too extreme for my age and my life until now. The only thing I experienced that a character experienced too, was when Bridgette was all innocent and perfect. Well she hated drugs and I hate them too, and she wouldn’t even take an aspirin, and I used to never take aspirins, but 3 months ago I had to take because I had a terrible stomach ache. And that was the only time I did! I can say also that the way Lucky feels about her father Gino, is the same way I feel about my father! I love him and I always look up to him, asking for his advise and he is always there to support me and teach me something new. That’s exactly how Gino is!
She doesn’t use so many literary features, she uses sometimes metaphors and similes, allusion many times, foreshadowing and colloquial language. But you don’t really notice them, since the book is so realistic and you just get engaged in all of that imagery. She has some very strong skills in describing things, it’s not too much that you get bored of it; she described everything as much as needed for you to be able to visualize everything in your head. Also she sometimes says everything raw, just the way it is, without trying to make it look nice and perfect. She uses colloquial language when black people talk, or when Lina the supermodel talks, and it makes it more interesting getting you more involved with the character.
The plot of my book is kind of realistic. In some cases it’s very realistic, for example, Bridgette getting raped and then hooked up, or when Lina changes from being a wild party animal into a sweet angel when she first met Steven. But in some other cases it’s a bit extreme, like the character’s background, all the killing, the fact that always something new comes up. But that’s what makes it more interesting, the extreme, and the unbelievable.
If it’s possible I would love to be everyone’s best friend. They are all just so unique and interesting characters that I really wish I could have such friends. But of course if I could have Lucky Santagello the main character as my best friend then I will have access to everyone in the story! Lucky is a really extraordinary woman and I would love to have her as my best friend. She is smart, beautiful, outgoing and always fun. She takes good care of her friends and she worries about everyone. Also we would both have so much in common and maybe I could even produce a movie with her!!!
My book is very similar to another book by Collins, “Drop Dead Beautiful”. Lucky Santagello has like a series, but it’s not really a series, I mean you could read any book at any time and still understand what’s going on. First there is “Chances” where Lucky grows up, then “Lucky” which she gets married 3 times, “Lady Boss” which she begins Panther Studios and another one the “Vendetta: Lucky’s Revenge”, where she fights a lifelong enemy. I am planning to own and read all of her books but slowly slowly! “Drop Dead Beautiful” the book that reminds me very much of mine has also Lucky Santagello as the protagonist, but this time everything happens in her own family, her daughter gets kidnapped and everything! Also the way of writing is the same, we get to see everyone’s point of view in the story and that makes it even more exciting!
While I was reading today I could very clearly visualize everything, especially the part where Bridgette is suffering from the drugs while she buries her unborn child in the back of her garden. Also I could picture her alone in that huge haunted house all by herself, weak and frightened. I could picture Steven, Lucky’s brother, finally being happy again with Lina, while he still misses and thinks about his wife every morning he wakes up and before he goes to bed. I could also imagine how Lucky devastated and angry Lucky might be after the heart-breaking news about Lennie’s affair, she refuses to talk to him, doesn’t ever answer her phone and totally avoiding him.
I think in the next section I read Bridgette will get stronger and be able to escape from the house or maybe Lucky’s detective will find her and save her. I think Lucky will forgive Lennie and take the kid as if its her own, and everything will be fine. Alex might marry someone else since he can see he has no chance with Lucky. I think that Steven and Lina will diffidently get married. And I want to believe that Mila will be proven guilty by Lennie, since he was the main witness and Teddy will be free. Oh, and I just hope that Carlo will die, since he did so many mean things all his life, destroying other people.
If I could jump in the story right now I would go to the house where Bridgette is kept, bring her food and medicine, take her to a hospital, then to a rehab clinic, because the bastard Carlo left her alone to get over drugs, and that IMPOSSIBLE! She was addicted for so many years she couldn’t just cut them immediately; it had to be done by experts slowly, since the poor baby was addicted too. I would then take her to my house help her get stronger and healthier be there for her to listen to her and keep her good company, trying mentally to make her stronger too, and then I would report everything to the police so they can find and destroy Carlo. And then when I see that Bridgette is well again, I will help her built her career back up again, find her a new house and be her best friend forever!!! She is such a lovely character, and she went through so much all of her life, her mother was a drug addict that died early, and her father died too, so she was raised up by Lucky! But she deserves the best!

reading log: Lipstick Jungle

Lipstick Jungle
Candace Bushnell
My new book is called “Lipstick Jungle” by Candace Bushnell. This book has been on my shelf for two years now, since my grandmother bought it with a magazine and gave it to me. Bushnell is the author of “Sex and the City” by this we can figure out the style of this book. This summer I watched many American series and one of them was “lipstick jungle”, so when I laid eyes on this book during the weekend I got really excited, because I has so little time to start and read enough of this book to be able to write about it. Therefore I will act as if I know half of the story, so I can talk more about it.
Just like “Sex and the City”, “Lipstick Jungle” talks about three successful, beautiful New York women. Nico O’Neilly, 40 years old, married with her college teacher which is much older than her, and editor in chief of Bonfire magazine. In the book she has a daughter, in the series she doesn’t, but anyway, Nico is successful and beautiful. Nico has a beautiful (not so much) marriage, a lovely daughter and a successful career; what else does a woman want? But Nico isn’t happy at all, she misses passion in her private life, she misses adrenaline, suspense. Everyday is like yesterday and yesterday is like tomorrow. Her life ended up being super-boring! One night at a party that she attended alone, she meets Kirby, a young underwear male model. He falls in love with her and he doesn't hide it that much, giving her his number-which she never calls. He tries to find her number but sadly he couldn't find it. Nico can’t get him out of her thoughts and it’s really hard for her to resist calling him. What’s going to happen when they meet again? Will they be able to resist each other? It looks like love at first sight to me! Wendy Healy president of Parador Pictures, married to loving Shane, has three beautiful children and an extremely perfect life. Her career is very successful and her marriage is as perfect as it could be. Shane took the role of the woman of the house and she has the role of the man that has a career and brings the money for the family (a lot of money). Would Shane stop being the little wife and one day stand up to Wendy and want to work? Lovely Wendy is so beautiful that even her teenager daughter is jealous of her. Would her fear of getting fired ever come true? Victory Ford, a fashion designer with a very successful business, until her spring line goes public and it's a total disaster (for the critics) that ruins her whole career. Victory is single and very successful, she started out from zero and she went up to 100 what will she do down there at 10 again? What does Lyne Bennett, the charming billionaire want a date with her? All of there beautiful successful women have been best friends for a very long time and they will go through everything together.
If I was older I would be able to connect with these women since their in their 40s. I could connect a little bit with Victory, because after the bad critics about her spring line came up, she still believed that it was the best work she ever did and she didn't care about what everybody said. I am like that, I don't care what other people say about me and I will stand up to what I believe and desire no matter what other people say. I can also connect with Nico, a little bit, because later on when she will be in a relationship with Kirby and she will feel like a teenager again, feeling in love for the first time. I can connect to her at this phase of her like (lets forget that she is cheating to her husband) because I am in a great relationship with a guy that I love so much and he respects me and loves me too, the same way Kirby feels about Nico.
I totally get this book, I understand everything and it really helped that I watched the series. The only thing I can’t connect to, is the marriage that Wendy and Nico are in, since I am not married and their success as business women. When I will be in my 40s I will be able to connect with this responsibility that Wendy has to bring money to her family, to be a great mother and a good wife, while battling in work to be as strong as any man could be in her position.
My book is very realistic. This type of women are out there, cheated women, women that cheat on their husbands, women that are unhappy with their perfect life, women that have to survive in a man’s job in a strong position, like a president. Women that go through ups and downs in their career. There women are everywhere in the world, it’s not a story about special cases of women.
I would definitely like to have Wendy and Nico as a friend. I like that they are women on top in their business and they manage to keep what would ideally be a man’s position. I would like to be friends with Wendy and tell her how beautiful she is and how stupid she is that she didn't become a model or an actress. Also I would like to be by her side because she is such a good friend even if it means loosing all that she ever worked for. Nico is such a cool character, I love that woman, and I hate her at the same time! Cheating is the worse thing you could so to yourself and then to the person you love. Its better to walk away if you are not happy anymore. Nico has such a lovely time and she is so excited, happy with Kirby, she feels young again. I am so excited for her that she found someone to love her so much, she is really beautiful.
While I was reading today I could clearly visualize Nico in the back of her limousine feeling depressed about her so called-perfect life, and then suddenly feeling excited and hungry for life as soon as she thinks of Kirby. Since I saw the series, I can pretty much visualize everything, because as far as I am now the series is the same with the book!
Another scene that I could picture clearly was when Wendy woke up one morning, went to have a shower, then wrapped her towel around her body and answered the phone resting her phone on her right shoulder and trying to understand what her assistant was saying. She then went to her office to check her emails. This scene was described in so much detail.
This book reminds me of “Lovers & Players”, “Lethal Seduction”, “Married Lovers”, and “Drop Dead Beautiful” all written by Jackie Collins, one of my favorite writers. She talks about death, love, money, success, business, and gossip which is what the book is about. It also reminds me of the series and the movie “Sex and the City” and of course the same “lipstick jungle” but in a series.
Actually I know what will happen in the next section I read, but anyway! Since I am only on page 55 out of the 391, I will not say about the next section, I will talk about what will happen in general. Victory will start dating Lyne Bennett and she will fall in love with him and he will too! Wendy’s husband, Shane will get an invitation, since he was a guitar player before, to join a band on a tour, he will have a conflict with Wendy about it. Will he go or will Wendy persue him to stay? Nico will go to Kirby’s apartment, and she will have the time of her life. Will she keep her promise and go only once with Kirby? Or will she go again? Kirby made her feel alive again and she deserves it, because her husband is probably also cheating, but lets see!
This book has a lot of imageries, and it helps the reader visualize a lot, and since I saw the series, I feel like I am watching it again when I am reading. It uses similes like: “this was like waving a red flag in front of a bull”pg.20 and, “words kept haunting her like a bad smell” pg.32. The similes are really effective they make it even more realistic and understandable. Also she uses foreshadowing, for example when she was describing Nico’s husband she said “a loving (well, sort of) husband” pg.26. (On the next reading log I will explain what Nico’s husband did to her, the cruel bastard!) Another use of Foreshadowing is when the writer is talking about Wendy’s job it says: “she worried that she would get fired”, we will see later that Wendy does get fired, and we will see why. But I really like the use of similes, imagery, and foreshadowing, they make the story even more interesting!
I talked already a lot about how this book and the characters remind me of my life. Wendy’s house which is full of toys because she has a 6 year-old son and a baby daughter, reminds me of my house, since I have a 3 year old sister!
If I could jump in the book right now, I would take Nico’s place, and I would ask from my husband a divorce and then I would live happily ever after with Kirby. Because I don't find it right for a married couple to cheat on each other and still be together, pretending that everything is okay and great. Also I would like to beat the crap out of Nico’s husband, because you will see next time that what he did was unbelievably MEAN!!!
I really LOVE this book!

Anticipation Guide "The Pearl" Prompts

1. Family is the most important thing in life.

1. I agree with this statement. Family is the most important thins in our lives because they are helping you grow up by giving you the standards that they think are right. They help you become a good person in the society and until you become an adult by supporting you economically and psychologically. Your family will always be there for you to listen to you and advise you. Also their beliefs and way of thinking influences dramatically your way of thinking. Even when we grow up and we have our own family and friends we will always feel connected with our family.

2. Sometimes winning the lottery is a bad thing.

2. I agree that winning the lottery sometimes is a bad thing. For example an alcoholic, drug dealer might win 1 million; well that’s not a good thing. It will make the persons condition even worse. But if a good and decent man not so rich that works all day to feed his kids, then he wins 1 million and he becomes not so interested in his decent job or his family. Then still that’s changing a person’s life into something that’s not so decent. What is anyone going to do with so much money that they didn’t even earn with their sweat? Too much money can change you in a bad way, being greedy, self-centered, and careless.

3. Our lives are ruled by fate. No matter what decisions we take, our lives are already planned for us.

3. I think I agree with this statement. I believe that we all have a destiny and we came here to learn some things, to meet the people we have to meet, and to make the decisions that we should make. But we are not the ones controlling what happens. God has his little plan for us and we are in it no matter what we do. Some decisions are going to change us, but we are suppose to make those decisions, and each time we follow our heart and not our mind or the opposite, well that’s what we were suppose to follow after all. Either if that is our heart or our mind. Some of our actions which are bad for us, are really happening to we could learn something out of it.

Independent Book Selection Reading for 20 mins

part one: (10')

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part two: (10')

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