The Help

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was our February book club book.  Oh, how I loved this book. It takes place in the time of Martin Luther King, Jr.  I have read about this period of time, but never from a black maid's perspective. 

The book takes place in the south at a time where white families were cared for by black maids.  Not only did they take care of cooking the meals and cleaning the house, they helped (and mostly) raise their employer's children as well.  It was a time when black people were required to use separate entrances, use a black bathroom, etc.  I was very moved by this book and gave me an entirely new view of how they must have felt living through this and how strong their faith was that things would eventually change.

Great book!!!!!

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you are looking for a good writer, this is the one!  The writing style of this book is what keeps you coming back.  The setting of the story takes place on an old farm, which makes you fall in love with this story.  Throughout the book, I could picture in my mind what the farm looked like and the sense of peace that existed there. 

The main character is either Edgar, a mute boy, or his dog, Almondine.  The author makes you fall in love with Almondine.  She is loving, faithful, compassionate, and Edgar's protector.  The book is not only about Edgars life, but about a series of events that take place that makes Edgar forced to make heavy decisions about the direction of his life and the safety of his family.

The book is intertwined with story after story.  Loved it!

She's Come Undone

She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is our January book club selection and what a book!  This is actually the second time around for me.  I read this book for the first time when I was in my third year at college.  I remember enjoying it, but thinking the main character, Dolores, was whack!  Reading it the second time, I felt like I really didn't remember the last two sections of the book at all, so it was like reading it for the first time.  And Dolores, well she didn't seem so whack afterall, well kind of!

The book captures the life of Dolores from the time she is around 12 up until she is 40.  Being in my 30's reading the book this time around, I felt like I could better relate to Dolores and all she went through in her life.  Dolores was the product of a divorced family, which many of us are.  However, Dolores sprials out of control and is put into difficult situations in which she isn't equipped to deal with.  To be honest, I don't really care for Dolores from the time she is 17 until she is about 24.  After that point, I get her and I want her to do well.  It's almost as if she becomes a different person.  It is such an empowering time and a time of self discovery.  As young adolescents, we certainly become self absorbed and feel like we can conquer the world, don't we?  I find it amazing that there are times in our life when we feel lost and depleted, then something just clicks and we get our act together and our life takes a completely different path.  This book is about accepting our journey and who we become along the way.  I highly recommend this book.  Great read.

Finding Noel: A Novel

Finding Noel: A Novel by Richard Paul Evans

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So I have to say that this book was quite different from my previous entry.  I enjoyed the book, but it had a lot of heart ache and redeeming qualities to it.  The book is about a man named Mark who falls on hard times.  He keeps falling down time after time and then meets an angel out of no where.  He meets Macy.  Their meeting is somewhat a chance meeting and he helps Macy to discover who she is and coming to grips with her past and where she came from.  Is their such thing as fate or destiny?  That's what this book is about.  For a Christmas book, it seemed like there was an awful lot of death, but I guess death brings closure and that's what the author was wanting.  I liked it and do agree that certain people come into our lives at certain times.  Some stay in our lives and others don't.  At Christmas time, we do look back on our lives and remember those lost, but not forgotten.

The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror, Version 2.0

The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror, Version 2.0 by Christopher Moore

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In one word: hilarious!!  This was the third Christopher Moore book I have read and it certainly didn't disappoint.  If you love those emotional and sappy Christmas books, this is definitely not for you.  This is the Author's Warning:  "If you're buying this book as a gift for your grandma or a kid, you should be aware tht it contains cusswords as well as tasteful depections of cannibalism and people in their forties having sex.  Don't blame me.  I told you."  Yep, that about sums it up.

The story takes place in sunny Pine Cove, California.  Pine Cove is a small town where everyone knows everyone.  Seems like the town is made up mostly of lunatics.  A little boy witnesses Santa being killed and makes a wish to have Santa alive again so that he can have a good Christmas.  The "stupidest" angel visits Pine Cove in order to grant the boy his wish and it all goes wrong . . . . I enjoyed the many laughs and actually enjoyed the zombies (I think my best friend's love for zombies is wearing off on me).  The book was funny, witty, and crude.  A Christmas story like no other!!

Sworn to Silence

Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Who doesn't love a good thriller? This was a gift given to me.  I love thrillers and after reading them, I always ask myself why I don't read more of them.  This thriller takes place in an amish community and is the story involving the chief of police, who is also a banned amish member.  It had some really good twists and turns, AND I didn't see the ending coming.  I liked it.  It was a good read and wasn't predictable as many of them are.

Olive Kitteridge: A Novel in Stories

Olive Kitteridge: A Novel in Stories by Elizabeth Strout

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Ugh! I'll be honest, this book was simply frustrating. The book is made up of short stories revolving around the life of Olive Kitteridge, who isn't the most pleasant woman to begin with. The stories don't seem to tie together, except for the fact that they are all depressing in some way.  Someone is either dying or having something tragic happening to them throughout each story.  It was really hard for me to continue reading it.  Perhaps I am just more accustomed to reading novels, rather than a bunch of stories. 

Unfortunately, it was a gift I gave my friend for her birthday.  How sad is that?  Sorry Becky!!