Booked

       In 2013, Edward Snowden was the source for major leaks, or whistleblowing, about the US government's surveillance of civilians. These actions and their impact have been portrayed in many forms, most notably the documentary Citizenfour , the movie Snowden  (based on the book The Snowden Files ), and more recently, Snowden's own autobiography  Permanent Record .     In Permanent Record,  he tells his story of watching the internet evolve and the difference of it from before and after 9/11. He went on to work for the CIA and NSA. There, he would realize the extent that the government can watch over citizens. In Citizenfour , he recalls being able to see a live stream of a drone's view following people from their houses.  Immediately after releasing Permanent Record , the US filed a lawsuit against the book for breaking non-disclosure agreements. The case was ruled in favor of the government so the earnings of the book would go to the...

It's funny how quickly a life can change in just mere seconds. It seemed like just moments ago Amari was playing with her brother now his lifeless body lay in her arms. They welcomed the strange men into their village with laughter and joy and all they were met with was death and destruction. Her parents were killed in the blink of an eye, Her village consumed in flames, and her life changed forever.  Copper Sun is a spine shivering novel about 15 year old Amari who must navigate her way through the horrors of slavery. She must leave her past behind and never look back in order to survive her future. Throughout the book Amaris mental and physical strength is tested. She can never lose hope, even the people around her lose theirs. Even when the last withering flame from her past is extinguished she must never yearn for the past, a life she will never know again. Copper Sun by Sharon M. Draper is a book that you feel in your heart, it sends shivers through your entire body, and plant...

1984 has been on my reading list a long time, but only recently did I decide to read it, and I regret not doing so sooner. It's a classic for a reason. The novel is a vision of the future, a warning not to let the world become a nightmare. Here are my thoughts on it. 1984 is narrated by Winston, a member of the communist party which controls Oceania. Winston secretly despises the Party and their rule, but can't say or do anything suggesting his disloyalty else he be taken and killed by the Thought Police. The Thought Police monitor members of the Party with telescreens that see and hear everything that goes on nearby them. Winston writes a diary to record his thoughts and feelings about the Party. He hopes that one day in the future, things will be different, and people will have the right to truth and freedom.  As the novel progresses, Winston starts rebelling further against the Party, meeting people who show him what life should be like. 1984  has a slow start, which was pr...

     If you've ever smelled me, you know that I'm something of a human. And as a human child who enjoys human things like reading and fingers, I'm here to tell you why your opinions are wrong. As such, this list should not be taken as a gentle guideline for some books that I personally really enjoyed and thought impacted the genre, but should rather be seen as high truth, as my words from atop the ivory tower are ultimate gospel. Number 3: Neuromancer      A world of neon and fog cements this outstanding work by William Gibson into a view of a future eerily similar to the present. For a book written 40 years ago, when the World Wide Web wasn't even publicly available, it gets a shocking number of things right. Megacorporations have a chokehold on the economy, swaying consumers with digital probes. The story follows a hacker who, after a mafia attack irreperably damaged his nervous system, is no longer able to access the digital world- the one thing he crav...