It’s Friday – What I am Reading – April 30, 2010

Honolulu by Alan Brennert – After reading Moloka'I, I put Honolulu on my TBR list because I enjoyed it so much. I love the way Mr. Brennert breathes life into a time long since in the past. He is the perfect writer for the historical fiction genre. I quickly find myself attached to his characters, full of desire to know what happens and full of hope that they make it through the troubles to have a happy life. While this novel doesn’t have the shock factor for me that Moloka'I did, it still is full of insight into a time and place I never would have witnessed. I am about halfway through this one and hope to finish it this weekend!

Booking Through Thursday – April 29, 2010

From: http://btt2.wordpress.com/ God* comes to you and tells you that, from this day forward, you may only read ONE type of book–one genre–period, but you get to choose what it is. Classics, Science-Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Cookbooks, History, Business … you can choose, but you only get ONE. What genre do you pick, and why? *Whether you believe in God or not, pretend for the purposes of this discussion that He is real. Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don’t have to go searching for it) in the comments—or if you prefer, leave your answers in the comments themselves

My Response: First, I have to say that I love that they actually included a comment about those who don’t believe in the big man upstairs…it’s a nice acknowledgment of us free thinkers!! Second, this is a really tough question this week!! I am just not sure which genre I would pick as my end-all be-all genre FOREVER! If I had to pick for my reading trends currently, I would pick Historical Fiction. I have been slightly obsessed lately with the genre. For the long haul though, I might have to go with Mystery. Obviously, I would be in a real bind if I had to pick just one genre…because while trying to narrow it down to these two I almost had to resort to rock-paper-scissors because I just couldn’t decide!!

Review - The Help by Kathryn Stockett

From Goodreads.com - Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step. Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone. Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken. Minny, Aibileen’s best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody’s business, but she can’t mind her tongue, so she’s lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own. Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed. In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women—mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends—view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don’t.

My Review – This book was an emotional read for me. Not only is it one of my favorite time periods to read about, the characters found their way into my heart! I was worried that having multiple narrators would make the story disjointed but in fact it actually connected the characters and filled in some of the gaps in the story and reader’s perspective. Aibileen was my favorite character by far. She had such a big heart, even faced with such raw hatred from her white bosses. She loved her white babies and put such hope into them for the future, and really, how could she not? She would be lost in a world without hope for the future, even if the steps were tiny and desperate. The horrible things she had to hear while serving the white families was heartbreaking. It was revolting, that people could think those things and make up such vile stories to drive the fear and discrimination. Yet, those comments were common in that time which is the most disturbing thought to me. This is a fiction novel, but is so close to the truth it makes my heart hurt.

While working on the project that crosses race lines, all three women are faced with threats, danger and fear but persevere because they have to. They just can’t imagine things continuing the way they are. They all find such a level of disgust in the women around them; they just can’t ignore it anymore. Secrets are revealed that repeatedly demonstrate that people are people and that race is nothing more than skin pigmentation. Some are good, some are bad. Some are black, some are white. I think this is a message that needs to be heard loud and clear in this day and age too, which is sad. We are all people!

Finished: April 22, 2010. 2010 Count: 26!

Unintentional Hiatus…

I want to apologize for the unplanned vacation from the blog…Samantha's first birthday was last weekend so we had a full preceding week and a fabulous party weekend! We also had family in from out of town so we spent most of the non-party time with them too. Look for a review coming up and the return of Booking Through Thursday tomorrow! 

On a book related note, Samantha got a few new books for her birthday which made her bookworm parents super happy! She is obsessed with reading books right now to the point she will bring a book to us, climb on our lap and let us read the book to her. This can go on for a half hour or so a few times throughout the day!

Review: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

From goodreads.com: Wuthering Heights", Emily Bronte's only novel, is one of the pinnacles of 19th-century English literature. It's the story of Heathcliff, an orphan who falls in love with a girl above his class, loses her, and devotes the rest of his life to wreaking revenge on her family.

My review: I finally finished this one! That is about the nicest thing I can say for this book. It was full of vile and obnoxious people who think of no one but themselves and wonder why their life is so meaningless and fruitless. I felt so bad for the children that were born into this pitiful cast for they had no chance but to become like their parents. Even from a writing perspective I couldn’t find much to enjoy. The plot jumps around, sometimes a page turn pushes the reader forward 12 years with a very limited view into the happenings during those times and the narration is confusing. But above all, I just couldn’t understand why no one would leave the area to get away from all of the negative past and perpetual drama. It was just all too much for me so much to the point I avoided reading because it was such a downer book!

Finished: April 16, 2010. 2010 Count – 25!!

It's Friday! What I am Reading - April 16, 2010

I am reading - Nothing!!!! :) That means I FINALLY finished Wuthering Heights...as in today. So I am currently sitting her reviewing my wish list on bn.com and checking my goodreads TBR shelf and snooping on my goodreads friends read shelves to find something good to read next. I want to find a book I get lost in...I definitly need to get sucked into a good book after this one!

Booking Through Thursday - April 15, 2010

From: http://btt2.wordpress.com/: In general, do you prefer the beginnings of stories? Or the ends?

My response: I prefer both...I know that's cheating! :) I like the beginning because everything is new and unknown. You are learning about the characters and the story. I like the end because answers are received and the characters have developed to the point they feel like friends!

It’s Friday! What I Am Reading – April 9, 2010

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë – After surprisingly enjoyably finishing Jane Eyre I thought I would give another Bronte sister a chance so I chose Wuthering Heights. The storyline seemed interesting and it was free from Barnes and Noble for my nook!! I love free books!! So far, this isn’t capturing my attention as much as Jane Eyre but I’m not quite sure how much blame the book should shoulder versus the craziness that has been my life this week. This book is lacking the relatable main character, or minor character for that matter. Most of the characters seem to be whiney and bratty, including the adults! Hopefully this will grab me this weekend so I can finish it in the next few days.
 

Booking Through Thursday – April 8, 2010

From: http://btt2.wordpress.com/: Plots? Or Stream-of-Consciousness? Which would you rather read?

For me, I would much rather read plots because I feel I get caught up in the action and suspense more than stream-of-consciousness. Plots seem to flow better for me too.

Review: The Girl Who Played With Fire (Millennium, #2) by Stieg Larsson

From http://www.goodreads.com: The electrifying follow-up to the phenomenal best seller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ("An intelligent, ingeniously plotted, utterly engrossing thriller" –The Washington Post), and this time it is Lisbeth Salander, the troubled, wise-beyond-her-years genius hacker, who is the focus and fierce heart of the story. Mikael Blomkvist—crusading journalist and publisher of the magazine Millennium—has decided to publish a story exposing an extensive sex trafficking operation between Eastern Europe and Sweden, implicating well-known and highly placed members of Swedish society, business, and government. On the eve of publication, the two reporters responsible for the story are brutally murdered. But perhaps more shocking for Blomkvist: the fingerprints found on the murder weapon belong to Lisbeth Salander. Now, as Blomkvist—alone in his belief in her innocence—plunges into his own investigation of the slayings, Salander is drawn into a murderous hunt in which she is the prey, and which compels her to revisit her dark past in an effort to settle with it once and for all

My Review: Wow! This book took the Millennium series somewhere I was not expecting. Not to say it wasn’t suspenseful and interesting but just not at all where I expected it to go. I love the character development in this book. In the first book we find out so much about Mikael and only tidbits about Lisbeth so this was a pleasant surprise to find out more about Lisbeth and her thunderstorm of a past. I really missed the interactions between Lisbeth and Mikael but I loved the determination that Mikael had for finding out the truth and believing in Lisbeth. It is very interesting because they are both such loner’s when it comes to lovers in that they both want their own space. Yet, they are both constantly drawn to each other and just can’t let go of what might be between them. I am very intrigued to see how the final book develops their relationship after the ending of this book!

Finished: April 7, 2010. 2010 count: 24!!

It’s Friday – What I am Reading – April 2, 2010

The Girl Who Played With Fire (Millennium, #2) by Stieg Larsson

This is the second book in the Millennium trilogy and so far is as different and interesting as the first one. Both of these have not been what I expected but still full of suspense. The characters are realistic and completely honest with their shortcomings, especially from a societal standpoint. Blomkvist is unapologetically sleeping with a married woman, and has been for decades. Salander can be brutally blunt and makes no effort to soften her opinions. I am around 200 pages in and the suspense is kicking into high gear! I can't wait to see how everything progresses!

Booking Through Thursday – April 1, 2010

From: http://btt2.wordpress.com/. Since it’s April Fool’s Day, I toyed with different ideas of questions for today.

*Who’s your favorite “fool” of a character, and why?
*What authors have fooled you? By a trick plot twist? By making you think their book was any good when it wasn’t?
*What covers have fooled you into reading books you hated … even though the covers were wonderful?
*What’s the best April Fool’s Day trick you’ve ever seen/heard about/done?

Ultimately, I couldn’t pick … so choose the one you like best. Or answer all of them! Or make up your own.

My Response: What authors have fooled you? By a trick plot twist? By making you think their book was any good when it wasn’t?

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë fooled me big time! I thought this would be a boring and out of date classic but instead it was a beautifully written story of love, independence and drama. The strong pro-woman characters were also an incredible surprise, given the time period it was written. Great book and I wish I would have gotten the guts to read it much earlier!