January 2010 Book Choice

First of all I can't believe it's almost January. Sorry for not letting you know what the book is sooner.

Second of all the book is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mariann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. It's 274 pages. It's a compilation of letters written back and forth between all the characters. Guernsey is an island in the English Channel and the other characters live mostly in London just after the end of World War II.

It's a fun, quick read. I've already read it and I chose it so I can catch up on the last TWO books that I've missed!

I will be posting conversation questions and comments the first week in January.

I heart you all.

Merry Christmas!

And the Winner is....

First of all, speaking of "The winner is..." I watched a few minutes of the American Music Awards last night and I honestly was laughing. It has become comical to me that celebrities think they are SO cool and SO important. For reals. JZ, do you really need to wear sunglasses all the time? even when you are in a dark theater? Lady Gaga, who dresses you? you look like a freak and your songs are terrible, as in morally terrible. Jennifer Lopez, your performance was ridiculous. Okay, I just thought it was hilarious.

The book for December is....The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This book has received a lot of praise and has been a best seller. For those reasons, I hope it isn't too difficult to get at the library for those of you who plan to check it out. When I first heard about this book I didn't think the plot sounded all that interesting, but I've heard so many people (with good reading taste) talk about how interesting this book is, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

Here is a brief summary:

Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When her sister is chosen by lottery, Katniss steps up to go in her place.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Manipulation

I finished Ender's Game last night. Overall, I really liked the book, althoug I felt like it dragged a little bit in the middle. The theme that stood out to me, was manipulation. Ender's entire life was manipulated; the fact that he was born at all as a third child, his confrontation with Stilson, getting him to go to Battle School, shaping his relationship with his peers, and the list could go on and on. The interesting thing was that Ender was always very aware that he was being manipulated and that everything that was happening to him was part of the adults' plan for him, yet he continued to play their games. I think he didn't resist because he didn't know what kind of life he'd be living if he wasn't at battle school; he didn't know any other life. Part of me is disgusted with the adults in the book for being so manipulative and partially taking away Ender's agency, but the other part of me is impressed that they were so successful at predicting his actions and where they could lead him. In the end, I felt sad for Ender. His life was not his own for the first eleven years of his life and then once the final battle was over, he still couldn't live a normal life, he was just left hanging. Good pick Randi! I've always wanted to read this book.

Who's Next?

Who chooses the book for December?

ender

Well, I think Cami has a great idea about posting questions about books we're reading. I think it's a good thing to do to keep our minds fresh as we have all been out of a school a while now. So, here's a question about Ender's Game:

Why does Orson Scott Card use a young boy as the protagonist in a book about a great war between humanity and aliens?

I am flying through this book because I really like and one of the things that keeps going through my head is a sympathy for these young children. As I read I find myself forgetting how young Ender is...6 when he goes to Battle school! I mean, six! And then he will remind us or he'll have a birthday and I'll remember how little he really is. I think it is smart and interesting of Card to use children in this novel because I feel like the children represent humanity in it's purest, most vulnerable form. Children are easily molded; easily taught. So, when they get to school, they are manipulated into machines. "Society"--or Battle School--changes them. Wow, I am thinking about a lot of things from Freud class I took at BYU-I, but I'll spare you that drivel on here. Anyway, children from the womb are pure and perfect. Society changes them. I'm not sure I answered the question. Hmm, I'm still thinking.
What do you think?

Commentary on the Religious Undertones of Dracula

I don't know if it's because I'm Mormon, for whom religion is life, but I found myself noticing the religious undertones as they related to the sexual undertones. First of all, I really didn't see that many sexual undertones. However, I found myself mourning for the misunderstood doctrines of Christ.
If Dracula's bite represents sexual relations, then it really should be considered rape. These women did not invite them into their homes; nor did they have control to say no. Yet, despite this, they were considered lost to God as if they had voluntarily broken His law. A similar scenario occurs in Tess of the D'Urbervilles. She is considered unclean because she was raped; and the sad thing is that they believe there is no hope.
I just want to sit these people down and explain the power of repentance. I want them to understand that even if they had chosen to sin, they could still change through the redeeming love of Jesus Christ.
The men kept mourning Mina's situation, but since she never indulged in the things that were tempting to her, as a vampire, there was nothing to mourn. She should never have had the mark on her forehead because God was always with her.

Logistics

I love having this book club and I'm so proud of us for keeping it going for over a year now!! I was in D.C. last weekend with Debbie and Kim, and we were discussing our love for the book club. However, we have two suggestions that might make it even better (maybe there were more, but I can only remember two).

Suggestion #1: More discussion of the books. Obviously, our separation makes it difficult to discuss the books, but we are all smart people and I'm sure we can think of some solutions. Some ideas are a conference call, having the host (person who chose the book) post questions throughout the month or maybe at the end of the month and we can all respond to them, ????? I'm sure there are lot of other things but I can't think of any right now. Do you guys have any suggestions? My preference would be to NOT do a conference call. I used to think that was a good idea, but we live in a total of three different time zones and it gets complicated. I also like to be forced to write my thoughts. Not being a student anymore, I have found that my writing skills are suffering and I'd appreciate the opportunity to work on them.

Suggestions #2: It would be nice if we chose books at least one month in advance so we have time to either buy it or check it out from the library. I think this will increase the likelihood that we all finish the book by the end of the month. An example of this would be announcing December's book on Nov. 1st.

What do you all think of these ideas? Does anyone have anything else they would like to change or add? Who is choosing the book for December? I think it is Anjanette's turn, if she is still participating. How do you spell her name? I know I always get it wrong.

book for november

Ok, so for November I have chosen Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.
I am usually not really into science fiction, but this is one of my Sister-in-law's favorite book so I figured we should give it a try. The summary sounds pretty interesting. And, some people are interested in this, Card is LDS. I also read a short story by him in one of my literature classes in college and loved it, so this should be good. Here is a plot summary for you:

In the novel's opening, the government selects Andrew "Ender" Wiggin for training at the elite Battle School. At Battle School, the commander Hyrum Graff publicly recognizes Ender as the most intelligent attendee. This acknowledgment causes other students to resent Ender, isolating him from most of the other children. Ender soon ranks among the school's elite child soldiers, eventually achieving the school's top rank. Even after his success the other children continue to ostracize him. Ender attempts to escape his isolation and frustration in various ways, but experiences little comfort until he receives a letter from his older sister Valentine, reminding him of his reasons for attending Battle School in the first place.

The Battle School brass soon promote him to commander of a new army in the school's zero-gravity wargame league. He molds his young soldiers into an undefeated team, despite working with an inexperienced army. Ender's army implements innovative tactics, abolishing old methods like the use of formations in the battle room.

The Battle School administration promotes Ender to Command School ahead of schedule. In command school, and under the tutelage of Mazer Rackham, the legendary hero of the Formic wars, Ender plays a game very similar to the Battle Room, where he commands ships in a 3-D space battle simulator. His subordinate officers are fellow students advanced early from the battle school who later become known as "Ender's jeesh." Each day the games become increasingly grueling, and Ender is slowly worn down to exhaustion. Waking and sleeping blend together as Ender nearly loses his sanity, though still maintaining his military innovation and leadership.

Ender's "final exam" consists of a scenario where bugger ships outnumber Ender's fleet a thousand to one near a planetary mass. Ender orders the use of a special weapon, the Molecular Disruption Device, against the planet itself, destroying the simulated planet and all ships in orbit. Ender makes this decision knowing that it is expressly against the respectable rules of the game, hoping that his teachers will find his ruthlessness unacceptable, remove him from command, and allow him to return home.

Soon after Ender's destruction of the "simulated" Formic fleet, Rackham tells him that all the simulations were real battles taking place in Formic space. After Ender realizes that he is responsible for the destruction of an entire race, the guilt of the genocide sends him into a coma.

When Ender recovers, his sister Valentine explains that he will not be allowed to return to earth because his special skills are too dangerous to fall under the control of his feared brother Peter. He is made Governor of the first human colony on a Bugger world and they leave together on the first colony ship. While scouting out locations for future cities, Ender discovers a message from the Formics—expressed in the form of terrain matching that of the key fantasy game Ender played while in school—that leads him to an unborn Formic queen who can communicate with him through a psychic link. She explains that her race was initially unaware that humans were sentient creatures. The Formic defeat in the Second Invasion awakened them to humanity's true nature, and they resolved not to attack Earth again. With direct communication impossible between the species, the only connection they were able make was with Ender's dreaming mind, but he did not know he was fighting a war.

Ender realizes that the Formics left this one Queen for Ender to find, forgive and take to a new home. Leaving out the fact that one 'Bugger' still lives, Ender writes a book in the Queens voice under the pseudonym "Speaker for the Dead" entitled The Hive Queen, wherein he tells the story of the Formic race.

And, I want to talk about Dracula soon, so when I finish my last few pages, I'm going to write something about it. Love that book!

Draculizzle

Kim, I'm so glad you picked this book.
I LOVE IT.
It took me a while to get into it and I'll probably still be reading it into November, but I love it. I'm only on like page 100 and I'm really excited to see how all of these little stories tie together. Plus, no one tell me, but what the heck happened to Jonathan? Ahh, I can't wait to find out!!

Minimum Wage

I just finished the book for September and I liked it. It took a little while to get into it, but once I did, I couldn't put it down! There are a few things I was thinking about though:

I don't really care for Barbara. A lot of the times I feel like even in living this life, she still feels superior to these people. I mean, there was an entire paragraph about obese people at Wal-Mart. And the paragraph was rude! Really rude, I thought. I understand that this was meant as an honest experiment with no sugar coating or anything like that, but sometimes I felt like Barbara was really judgmental.

At the same time, it was interesting to read about how her relationships developed with her co-workers. I was especially thinking about her relationship with the people she worked with at Merry Maids. She seemed to genuinely care about the pregnant girl and her health. It is interesting to see how different people relate to co-workers. A lot of minimum wage jobs like the ones she had have people in them who are not interested in forging relationships with people they work with. Their job is just a way to make money, not a way to find social interaction outside the home. The only thing these people bond over is a dislike for the management or other employees. But Barbara seemed to want these relationships, even if her fellow employees were not interested.

It is crazy to think that someone in these times could live off of $7 and hour. When I was at BYUI I worked at a furniture store for $6 and hour. $6! I had other income, so it didn't affect me, but I can't imagine how anyone who had to could survive off of that little pay. And to go to school would mean time off and less pay. So it's a vicious cycle of being stuck in lowing paying jobs. It's hard to climb out of that without help. And the help the Government is giving may not be enough...but that's a different discussion for a different kind of blog.

Tis the Season

I’m not really sure it’s my turn to choose the book, but since Cami gave her approval I’ve decided to be in charge of October’s book :)

Since Halloween is just around the corner I thought it would be appropriate to learn a little more about one of its well-known characters:


Not just any old sparkly vampire; we’re going for authentic: Bram Stoker’s Dracula

Interesting

Just finished the book. The story didn't quite grab me like I hoped, but it was interesting. We (I) usually think of disparities in people's living conditions as a result of laziness or government handouts, but its crazy to think that many of the poor are working very hard, usually putting in more hours than most and living in terrible conditions. I liked her commentary at the end about how public services in other countries make up for the low wages moreso than in the US. What were all of your thoughts?

September

Hi gals, how are you all? I talked with Randi yesterday and we weren't really sure who is next in line to choose...I don't think Jenny has chosen and Camille has chosen twice. Anywho, I had a book in mind for my turn so I'll just pick for September. Here's what I want us to read:

I think it sounds super interesting and it comes recommended by my sister and a co-worker. Apparently a woman attempts to live on minimum wage and it talks about the disparities between rich and poor. Its a quick read, 221 pages so I hope you enjoy it. And I would definitely be up for another conference call. Randi and I had fun talking about Gilead. I miss you all and sincerely hope you're doing well!

Conference call or what?

So I know it's my month to pick the book so does that make me in charge of the conference call organization? I'm just going to throw out a time here and hope that it works for all the people on both sides of the country and me still living in the middle. The middle is Utah to me, because really, who lives in the actual middle of the country? I know people do, I just don't know any of them.

Please RSVP for a book club conference call at 6:00 Mountain Standard Time

Sorry but I'm going to make you all do your own math instead of listing the different time zones here, which probably would have been easier than typing this long old sentence. I think I'm just stalling until Micah gets home...

Also, Cami - how do we do a conference call with this many people? I only know how to do a 3 way call on my phone.

I have some topics of discussion in mind for Julie and Julia, which I hated by the way - sorry about the lame pick - and Gilead as well.

Even if we don't talk about the book(s) I still think it would be REALLY fun to all talk at once and listen at once so even if you haven't read the book, RSVP

6:00 MST

Conference Call??

Hey friends. How many of you are interested in setting up a free conference call to talk about this month's book? We would have to find a time we are all available. Maybe a Sunday evening or something. Leave a comment if you are interested and give your input for when you might like to have it (ex: sunday evenings, saturday mornings, etc).

The Help: Better Late Than Never

I finished reading "the help" several weeks ago, but I've been kind of busy and without the internet. Camille mentioned something about me living in Jackson, and honestly, I don't remember much since I was only 3-6 years old. However, this book did make me realize that when people talk about how there is still a lot of racism in the south, that they are right. In the past, whenever I have heard people talk about racism in the U.S. I always think they are exaggerating. In my head I'm thinking "come on people! That was a long time ago! Most people think differently now!" But as I read this book I thought about those young housewives in the 1960's who had black women working in their homes and who were themselves probably raised by their black maids. I thought about the fact that if those women were in their 20's during the 1960's that means they are in their 60's now! That is like my mom's age and that isn't very old. It made me realize that the people who grew up in the south during times of segregation are still pretty young. I'm sure they have tried their best to overcome their feelings of superiority to black people, but you can't just magically undo 20 plus years of life experience. So of course racism is still a huge issue in the south.
On to my next thought, which I hope nobody finds offensive. As I was reading I kept wondering what I would have done if I were one of those girls who was raised in the south during that time. Would I feel that black people were inferior? Would I have a maid? Would I treat them badly? I want so badly to believe that I would not, but it started me thinking about how we adopt the culture and mindsets we are raised in. And all of us are living a good example of that as members of the church. Now, I realize that this is different because we have all gained for ourselves personal testimonies of the gospel and we aren't just blindly following. But at the same time, my guess is that not many of us SERIOUSLY doubted the truths we were taught growing up; we are pretty willing to believe what our parents have taught us all of our lives. I feel like for me especially, I was (and still am) never the type of person to question what I'd been taught from my parents. For that reason, I doubt that I would be the Skeeter type, even though I want so badly to be compared to the 'good' person in the book. I don't want to be one of those crazy stupid girls, but you never know. And recent events have people outside of the church comparing us to racists. As members of the church and many other good, moral people campaigned for proposition 8 in California, we were compared to people like the women in "The Help". I however, strongly disagree with the comparison, but we can't be blind to the fact that other people think there is not a difference. Some people believe that we are discriminating and hateful. So those are just a couple of thoughts I had while reading the book. Overall I LOVED it. If you will notice, my book choices have followed a theme: the South. I didn't even mean for that to happen, but I guess I am a southerner now. Camille, I'm also wondering why the part with the naked man was included; it just kind of popped out of nowhere. Love you all!

........

I don't know if anybody approved the book change or not, but I've read almost half of Julie and Julia and I'm totally disappointed! I don't think I can handle reading any more of these completely self absorbed and narcissistic bloggers' books. Why can't they get over themselves?

I really like the idea of the book and I suspect and really hope that the movie is better. I think it has great potential as a movie.

I like hearing about food and the recipes, etc. But I DO NOT CARE ABOUT THIS GIRL'S LIFE!

She swears a whole lot and writes about sex a whole lot. I always wish that somehow the Dad in The Hiding Place could have taught the whole world about sex. Do you remember the analogy he used about carrying a heavy suit case on a trip but that his daughter was not yet strong enough to carry the load so he told her that he would carry it until she was strong enough. Julie Powell doesn't care how heavy the load is and she doesn't mind telling anybody else all about it.

Does anybody else hear me on the self absorbed blogger subject, or is that just me who is completely bugged by those people?

I am hopeful because within the last couple of pages I read Julie wrote, "So that night I made my New Year's resolution, better late than never: To Get Over My Damned Self." See? She swears all the time.

Also, sometimes I wonder if these people bother me so much because I am like them....

Has anyone else started reading the book yet? Either of them? I have a lot more to say, but I don't want to give anything away.

Also, what do you guys think about scheduling a group g-chat session to talk about this book? I know it would be crazy to follow, but I think it would be fun.

We're progressive, right?

So, I got the book Gilead and I like it, but I also REALLY want to read Julie and Julia before I see the movie, so I'm making a radical decision and I'm changing my choice. It is August 1st so I hope I don't cause too much trouble for anyone who bought the book already.

It's available on paperback now and I'm going to buy it tomorrow.

Is that okay with you guys? I'm still going to read Gilead, just after I'm done reading Julie & Julia.

Ahem...

I'm really excited about announcing the book for August and I'm doing it early because I think those who are going to have already finished The Help (that was really enjoyable and I still find myself trying to make time to go read it).

I had 2 books in mind that I really want to read. The Founding Brothers and Maria Montessori: Her Life and Work.

We are reading neither.

I chose The Gilead by Marilynne Robinson based on Molly Rowan's recommendation. It sounds like just the story I'm in the mood for - fathers, faith, truth, .....
It won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2005. Here is a lengthy description of the book.

Books such as these take time, and thought, and a certain kind of genius. There are no invidious comparisons to be made. Robinson's books are unalike in every way but one: the same incisive thought and careful prose illuminate both.

The narrator, John Ames, is 76, a preacher who has lived almost all of his life in Gilead, Iowa. He is writing a letter to his almost seven-year-old son, the blessing of his second marriage. It is a summing-up, an apologia, a consideration of his life. Robinson takes the story away from being simply the reminiscences of one man and moves it into the realm of a meditation on fathers and children, particularly sons, on faith, and on the imperfectability of man.

The reason for the letter is Ames's failing health. He wants to leave an account of himself for this son who will never really know him. His greatest regret is that he hasn't much to leave them, in worldly terms. "Your mother told you I'm writing your begats, and you seemed very pleased with the idea. Well, then. What should I record for you?" In the course of the narrative, John Ames records himself, inside and out, in a meditative style. Robinson's prose asks the reader to slow down to the pace of an old man in Gilead, Iowa, in 1956. Ames writes of his father and grandfather, estranged over his grandfather's departure for Kansas to march for abolition and his father's lifelong pacifism. The tension between them, their love for each other and their inability to bridge the chasm of their beliefs is a constant source of rumination for John Ames. Fathers and sons.

The other constant in the book is Ames's friendship since childhood with "old Boughton," a Presbyterian minister. Boughton, father of many children, favors his son, named John Ames Boughton, above all others. Ames must constantly monitor his tendency to be envious of Boughton's bounteous family; his first wife died in childbirth and the baby died almost immediately after her. Jack Boughton is a ne'er-do-well, Ames knows it and strives to love him as he knows he should. Jack arrives in Gilead after a long absence, full of charm and mischief, causing Ames to wonder what influence he might have on Ames's young wife and son when Ames dies.

These are the things that Ames tells his son about: his ancestors, the nature of love and friendship, the part that faith and prayer play in every life and an awareness of one's own culpability. There is also reconciliation without resignation, self-awareness without deprecation, abundant good humor, philosophical queries--Jack asks, "'Do you ever wonder why American Christianity seems to wait for the real thinking to be done elsewhere?'"--and an ongoing sense of childlike wonder at the beauty and variety of God's world.

In Marilynne Robinson's hands, there is a balm in Gilead, as the old spiritual tells us. --Valerie Ryan

I loved this book!

I finally got to finish it yesterday. These days I only like to read if I can spend at least an hour at a time doing it so it took a while to find those hour blocks, but once I found them it didn't take very many for me to finish. I LOVED reading this book!

I can't wait to see it as a movie. For some reason I thought about the whole time I read.

Also, Randi - do you really think that Elizabeth was the worst villain in the book? I thought Hilly was the nastiest. I guess I kind of saw Elizabeth as some kind of a victim of Hilly. I mean don't get me wrong, we all make our own choices, but she was just trying to make Hilly think she was cool. And Hilly knew it. She knew that about everyone and she manipulated them. That's why I think she was the worst.

I can't wait to hear what Cami has to say about it having lived in Jackson. I mean I know she was young, but I'm sure it became part of her family culture.

Also, I'm not sure about that part at Celia's with the naked man in the yard. Maybe it was because I read that part when I only had 10 minutes to read so it was kind of choppy for me. It seemed like all of a sudden there was this terrible thing that a black and white woman were sharing and overcame together, but it just seemed kind of out of the blue. Anybody else?

Hmmm, what else.... I wondered a lot which character I would have identified with had I been born a white girl in Jackson, Mississippi at that time. Now, without a doubt I would be some version of Skeeter, but I always wonder how strong I could be if that's what I grew up in. Anybody else?

I love you all. Good work with all the amazing things you're doing in your lives right now.

Is it my turn to choose next?

it makes my insides hurt

I just got The Help in the mail yesterday and I read a ton of it. I love this book, Cami. Good choice. There are a few things I really like. First of all, the writing in this book is really great. A few parts I particularly enjoyed so far are:

"If chocolate was a sound, it would've been Constantine's voice singing. If singing was a color, it would've been the color of chocolate" (pg. 67) This is beautiful.

"I want to yell so loud that Baby Girl can hear me that dirty ain't a color, disease ain't the negro side of town. I want to stop that moment from coming--and it come in ever white child's life--when they start to think that colored folks ain't as good as whites" (pg. 96) This, to me, is one of the most important themes in this book. Stockett did a good job of summing it up in one little sentence. She is blending all of the colors together and showing the reader that dirty isn't a color. I mean, Elizabeth Leefolt is the dirtiest, most evil one in this book and she's probably as white as they come.

The other thing I wanted to say is that it is hard for me to read the parts about Elizabeth and Mae Mobley. Something I have learned from personal experience is that children act how you label them. A little boy in my family was called "bad" for most of his toddler years. He was labeled "bad" or "disobedient" everytime he didn't make the best choice, or he made a mistake. Consequently, he started to act "bad" all the time. He acted out based on what people were already calling him. Mae Mobley is constantly being berated and spanked by her mother, and she is TWO YEARS OLD! For heaven's sake, two years old. It breaks my heart to read about her mama swatting her all the time and that her mama won't look at her or hug her. Those things are crucial.
So, now that I have a daughter, I try to make sure I don't label her with negative labels, or labels at all I guess. I don't like to say "good girl, Gracie" because I want her to know that her decisions are good and or that she accomplished something good. I want her to know that she is smart, she is kind, she is creative, she is important. I don't like good or bad. I want HER to be the one to label herself, her and her Heavenly Father. I will NEVER say she is "bad." That is so detrimental.
I love that Aibeleen starts telling Mae Mobley, "you are a smart girl, you are a kind girl." I hope as the book goes on that this will prove positive for Mae Mo and that she will start to feel her self worth as she gets older, even if her mother never changes.

July? It is already July?

Seriously, where does time go? Anjanette is kind of busy these days with that super cute baby, so I am going to choose the book for July. Drum roll please.....



"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. Some of Tim's family has been reading this book recently and they have really like it so I thought I'd give it a shot. Here is a brief synopsis of the story:

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.

P.S. I am half way through the book "These Is My Words" by Nancy Turner and it is really, really good. There is a sappy love story in it too, so I know Kim would like it. :)

we will never know

What happened to Kathleen Wade? Unfortunately, we will never know. Now, at first, I was upset that we would never really find out what happened to Kathy-or what happened to John for that matter- but by the end of the book, I liked that aspect. I liked that we, as readers, were able to decide for ourselves what we think happened. I'm not sure what I believe. Did John kill her? I think that is a HUGE possibility. I mean, the Rasmussen's say it all the time, "he didn't kill her; he was crazy about her," but, to me, it's not about his love for her. John Wade was obviously more than a little disturbed and traumatized. There is no doubt in my mind that he deeply cared for Kathy. Loved her? Sure. So, if he did kill her, I'm pretty sure he would not even remember. Or, being the great sorcerer that he is, he would just block it out.

"Is this another one of your tricks, Gob?"
"Not my trick, Michael.....my ILLUSION."

So, despite all the language and the weirdness, I ended up liking this book.

Weird

So
1. This book is much weirder than the other one I read by O'Brien. However, despite the obviously strange themes, I still think O'Brien is a grrrreat writer. I mean, Wade is crazy and, well, traumatized severely, but O'Brien makes me want to keep reading.

2. I am kind of annoyed that we might never figure out what happened to his wife. That kind of bugs me.

3. Sorry about the language. Wow, sorry.

4. So I like it. It's weird, but it makes you think. Going through a traumatic experience is life-changing. It changes not only who you are, but how you think and how you view and experience the world. But I think Wade's problems began long before Vietnam, when his dad hung himself. That would definitely change things to say the least. I feel bad for him. He loves his wife to an almost dangerous level, but he has this underlying need for approval and validation that takes him to the edge of sanity. What a scary way to live your life.

Book for June

So my last year of college up here at UAA I took a short story class that I really loved. We read a book called The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. It was short stories that were all tied together and related and were about his experiences serving in Vietnam. When I bought that book I payed $40 for it because that's the only copy they had. I was pretty mad that it was that expensive but I figured I would just sell it back after the semester. Well, I loved the book so much I kept it and it's pretty cool because it's a first edition. Anyway, this is the book for June: In the Lake of the Woods. Here is a little synopsis:

1994 If you thought you knew "Tim O'Brien" after reading his last novel, now he tells you that it could all be illusion. The hero of this novel, John Wade, thinks he has erased his presence at the My Lai massacre. It isn't part of the stories he tells his wife or a part of his senate campaign. When the truth comes out, his wife finds out she doesn't know the man she married.

"ITL" received the James Fenimore Cooper Prize from the Society of American Historians and was named best novel of the year by Time magazine.

I haven't read this book or heard much of it until now, I just think it sounds interesting and I LOVE Tim O'Brien. Also, they made it into a Hallmark Hall of Fame cheesy movie, so it shouldn't be too offensive content-wise. So, there it is. I'm off to Hawaii tonight so I'm going to the bookstore to buy this for the trip. Meanwhile, I really liked Rebecca, but I did not like the ending. Though, it was pretty dramatic that Manderley burned. Bummer. Anyway, enjoy friends.

"Get confident stupid."

That's the title of one of the Simpson's character's self help/how to dvd series or something like that. Micah and I talk about it all the time - how you can't just make people do or be something they aren't. It's not to say that they can't change. It's just that you can't make them change.

I've thought about that a million times reading this book. The no name girl was so infuriating to me because she would have all these fantasies in her head planning what she would do or say or want and then she would say "okay" to the exact opposite of what she had planned. Lame.

Also I thought about the idea of her changing a lot. Carlie got some good counsel lately: Exercise your confidence as you would your body. I mean, in this book she kind of conquered her shyness and fear of Mrs. Danvers, but it was really only because of circumstances outside of her control.
In real life you can't count on a good plot twist to give you the confidence you need. You have to take charge yourself.

Anybody remember my splotchy red neck when I get nervous? I still totally get it sometimes, I just don't care that it's there and I don't let it distract from the task at hand. I don't let it debilitate me, but it definitely still happens sometimes. Now mostly when I embarrassed, not nervous. I think that having a baby with more than 10 people in the room helped me be a lot less embarrassed in life. You should try it :)

I really like Maxims name, in all its forms.

I really think that as far as relationship studies go, I'm not a fan of Maxim and girl. I mean thank goodness it turns out how it does, but I don't like how they got there. I guess I just really think you should tell your husband about things that happen even if the scary dude and Mrs. Danvers said not to. Truthful communication is a recipe for a good relationship. And there was so much she didn't tell him even about her own thoughts and feelings.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I never would have chosen it on my own, but I loved it! I finished it last night and it's been the topic for many good conversations lately. I mean, even just carrying the scandalous looking red book around gets everybody talking.

Thanks Kim!

Randi, I can't wait to hear what's next.

Also, I'm pretty sure I have my next book chosen, but I'm not saying anything until it's my turn.

I love you all.

Love Bee

Ok, so I finally got to the crucial part of the story. And now the movie is coming flooding back to me. How about when she copied that picture for the ball just like Rebecca. Bogus. But, what I like from this part of the story is the character of Beatrice. Actually, I think she is my favorite character.

Beatrice is genuine. She almost reminds me of myself in the way that she does not have the best filtration system in her head. But, she cares about people and does not mean any malice when she says things. I love that she seems genuinely concerned for the narrator even if she did think Rebecca more of a better match for her brother. She likes the narrator and wants her to be happy. She apologizes for her grandmother; she pours her heart out with apologies during the ball. I love Beatrice!

On the other hand, I am still so completely annoyed by the narrator. For heaven's sake, grow a spine. I guess I don't totally understand being really shy, well, because I'm not. But, c'mon. She's going beyond being shy into utter childishness. She gets angry when Max treats her like a child, but she acts like one all the time. He married you and you are now the mistress of the house. So act like it. Who cares if the maids and servants don't like you or think you're stupid. You are paying them. And, really, who wouldn't have fired Ms. Danvers already? Uhh, I would have said, "terminated" the very first day.

Meanwhile, I am attracted to Maxim. For some reason, in my head, he seems so dashing and handsome. Honestly, I keep thinking of Daniel Craig from James Bond. It's nice. But kind of annoying.

And I've picked the book for next month, but I'll let you know next week so as not to jump too far ahead.

Bisous.

Rebecca continued...

First of all, I just want to say I liked this book quite a bit. I liked it enough to finish it in 2 days before the month of May even started. That being said, I found the book to be frustrating until about ¾ of the way through when the author drops a bomb on you and your perspective of the entire situation totally changes. I don’t want to give anything away, but WOW! Didn’t see that coming. But then the last ¼ is frustrating in a different way. So why do I like the book if I was frustrated while reading it? I think I liked it because the author took me for a ride. I fell into every trap she set, but it made reading the book fun.

Most of my frustration was with the main character (whose name you NEVER find out!!!) because she had no ambition and never took any initiative to improve herself, her life, or her relationships. Talk about no back bone! But it did make me think about the fact that in real life there are people just like her and I need to be patient with them. I have a tendency to think that they are in the wrong, when really they are just being true to their personality. Just because I cannot relate to her personality, it doesn’t mean she is wrong, it just means I need to be more sympathetic.

I keep wondering what in the world she did all day. If I were her I would be so excited to plan parties, dinners, learn to ride a horse, hunt, sail, etc. She could have done anything she wanted to do, but she just sat around being lazy. Lame.

I also questioned Max’s love for her, but then the bomb came. Are any of you to the end yet? I really don’t want to spoil it, but maybe I already have. So hurry and read so we can talk about the crazy ending!

rebecca

So this book is a little slow for me, yeah? I think that duMaurier puts in a lot of detailed explanations of things I'm not sure I care about. I'm only on like page 50 or something and I have skimmed more than a few paragraphs. I mean, I'm torn. I like the book. I like the story. I'm just not sure about the writing style I guess. Plus, I really do not enjoy the main character. Uhh, what's her name? I just realized that I don't know. Anyway, she kind of drives me bonkers. She always just like, "uhh, you're so kind," "you want to marry me?""sure, I'll do whatever you want." yikes. It seems like she's been conditioned into acting that way, especially considering what she does for a "living." She gets paid to be this lady's companion? I was a little unsure about that whole situation. It seemed very vague. The sense I got was that she is getting paid to do whatever this lady says and to be sound board for gossip and ridicule. Anyway, this girl kind of bugs me.

On the other hand, I feel a little bad for her because does Max really love her? I'm not sure. He says he does, but I keep thinking about what Ms. Van Hopper (is that her name?) said about how he just hates being alone in that house. This seems very true indeed. He travels around like crazy and is obviously visibly upset by the death of his wife. So does he marry her because he loves her? Or is it to fill a void? I tend to lean towards the void thing. Especially since, in the present day, they seem more like aquaintances and roommates than lovers or spouses.

So, to sum up this weird post....
I like the book.
I think duMaurier is very slow at getting to the point.
Main character girl bugs me.
Max seems like he is very hot. I keep imagining some sort of James Bond type.
The cover of my edition looks like it is a smutty romance novel.

Any thoughts?

May's Book

Debbie is on her way to vacation, so she wanted to get a jump-start of May's book. I was debating between two; The Tipping Point and Rebecca. Because it's almost summer I was in the mood for some easy reading, so Rebecca won.
Here's the plot summary:
The story concerns a woman who marries an English nobleman and returns with him to Manderley, his country estate. There, she finds herself haunted by reminders of his first wife, Rebecca, who died in a boating accident less than a year earlier. In this case, the haunting is psychological, not physical: Rebecca does not appear as a ghost, but her spirit affects nearly everything that takes place at Manderley. The narrator, whose name is never divulged, is left with a growing sense of distrust toward those who loved Rebecca, wondering just how much they resent her for taking Rebecca's place. In the final chapters, the book turns into a detective story, as the principal characters try to reveal or conceal what really happened on the night Rebecca died. (taken from here)

I'd seen the movie a few years ago and thought it was good. I hope you enjoy.

Your thoughts...

A. How is everyone doing with East of Eden?
I thought it was interesting that Steinbeck was the actual narrator and included himself in the story. I also thought it was interesting to see both the good and bad in every character. Other than Samuel Hamilton, I don't know if there was anyone who made all of the correct choices in their lives. It was a constant effort of choosing good and bad.

B. I'm assuming Jenny is a little busy this month, so do you want me to choose a book, or do you want to take a month off?

C. I love you girls! :)

March Book

Hi gals, I think it's my turn to pick the book. Since March is such a lllllooonnnggg month with no holidays, I figured it would be a good month for a little more heafty book. So lets read East of Eden by John Steinbeck. I've always wanted to read it because "experts" say its his best, and I really liked his book Grapes of Wrath...yes, this is taking us back to Junior Year English with Mrs. Boykin. I always get really into Steinbeck's books and I feel like he describes people and situations so well.

I also wanted to comment on the dog book, I actually really liked it! It was interesting to see the kid's thought processes, I felt like I maybe understood just a bit what goes through kid's heads that have mental disabilities (was that the politically correct way to say that?). I also didn't know they drop so many f-bombs in Great Britain...haha. My friend from this mission was from England and said to describe things as "dodgy" if they are shady/sketchy. Anyways, happy reading. And I really love you gals and miss you.

wow.

So I'm on page 65 of the dog book and I really like it. It's so funny that he did a whole chapter about the The Monty Hall Problem. Last year a movie came out called 21 about these kids who would go to Vegas and cheat at Black Jack. Now, at the beginning of the movie, the main character Professor presents this exact problem and, like readers of Parade, you would think it is incorrect, but once Christopher shows you the diagram, you know he is right. It will literally hurt your head to think about this too much. I know because after we saw this movie, Mikey was obsessed with this statistics problem. He thought it was the most interesting thing he had ever learned. In fact, the next day, we went to dinner for his friend's birthday with a bunch of people and Mikey explained and talked about this problem at the table for like and hour. And, the lame thing was, his friend was totally interested too. But his friend didn't believe him until Mikey drew a diagram on a napkin. At Outback. Really. So I read this chapter to Mikey and he liked it. "And that is why [Mikey] like[s] The Monty Hall Problem."

Ta da!!!!!!!

This is totally a shot in the dark, but I want to read this book. I only heard about it from one person. Anyway, no more disclaimers. I'm choosing this book for our book club for February. Hey, it's red too!

Here's one guy's synopsis...

Mark Haddon's bitterly funny debut novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, is a murder mystery of sorts--one told by an autistic version of Adrian Mole. Fifteen-year-old Christopher John Francis Boone is mathematically gifted and socially hopeless, raised in a working-class home by parents who can barely cope with their child's quirks. He takes everything that he sees (or is told) at face value, and is unable to sort out the strange behavior of his elders and peers.

Late one night, Christopher comes across his neighbor's poodle, Wellington, impaled on a garden fork. Wellington's owner finds him cradling her dead dog in his arms, and has him arrested. After spending a night in jail, Christopher resolves--against the objection of his father and neighbors--to discover just who has murdered Wellington. He is encouraged by Siobhan, a social worker at his school, to write a book about his investigations, and the result--quirkily illustrated, with each chapter given its own prime number--is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Haddon's novel is a startling performance. This is the sort of book that could turn condescending, or exploitative, or overly sentimental, or grossly tasteless very easily, but Haddon navigates those dangers with a sureness of touch that is extremely rare among first-time novelists. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is original, clever, and genuinely moving: this one is a must-read. --Jack Illingworth, Amazon.ca

Ready.... set.... go!!!!!! And tell me what you think. -Camille

How about a little book discussion?

So is anyone besides me and Kim reading "Gone With The Wind"? I am really enjoying it, but I just need to vent about how selfish and awful Scarlett is!!! I keep thinking there will be a turning point and she will change, but now I have less than 100 pages until the end, so I don't think its gonna happen. How can she be so self-centered and heartless? But I really like Rhett. I think he is my favorite character and I hope it ends well for him. Any thoughts? Are you liking it? hating it? refusing to read it because it is so freakin' long?

Also...

who is the administrator for this blog? Could you please make it so I get email notification when a comment is made?

THANKS!

Gone with the wind

How is everyone doing with this book? I love reading it, but for some reason this month it's been hard for me to find time to read.

Also the size of the thing was intimidating enough for me to read Cormack McCarthy's The Road before I ever started Gone with the Wind. I don't recommend that book if you are pregnant. It's a post apocalyptic novel that ripped my heart out at the end.

Do the readers want to use February to finish the book? Or do I need to unveil my choice for February? (PS I haven't made my choice yet...)

Happy New Year!

So is it my turn? I have to be honest...I am still working on Little Women, but I did stop long enough to read Skipping Christmas, which I really loved. Have any of you read Gone With The Wind? It is pretty long but I've heard it is really good. Would any of you be interested in reading it? If you'd rather read something shorter I'd be happy to search for a different option.