The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Genre: Adult Fiction

Publication Date: Feb 2009

One Word Review: Enlightening

Author Website: www.kathrynstockett.com/stockett-synopsis

GoodReads Synopsis: 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.

Jess's Review: The book that stands out most in my mind as the first book that I realized that books have something to say and not just a story to tell was To Kill a Mockingbird. I read it for the first time in the 9th grade and it has never been dethroned as one of my all time favorite books. As a result of reading that book I have since become fascinated with The South. All aspects of The South interest me; the Civil War, Civil Rights, and some of my heroes are Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. For these reasons it isn't shocking that I adored reading The Help. This book will be with me for a very long time. From the beginning the book drew me in. At first I had reservations about a modern white woman writing a first person narrative of a black maid. However, I found that Stockett was up to the task. The book trades off from 3 different voices; Aibileen, (black maid) Skeeter, (White) and Minny. (black maid) Stockett was able to create 3 distinct voices that I fell in love with. Aibileen was my favorite and it must have been very difficult to write the way a Aibileen spoke . The story had so many layers that it can hardly be categorized as a straightforward story of white on black prejudice. I found that prejudice is maybe the only thing that is color-blind. As people we find all sorts of reasons to hate another person and I feel like she explored this aspect of prejudice. Stockett created touching friendships that looked at the heart and made me appreciate my own girlfriends. It truly was a touching story and by the end I felt like I was friends with Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter. Two things prevented me from giving this book 5 stars. First, there is a part where a naked man threatens one of the characters and it felt superfluous. Although neither was used in excess, my own personal taste prevents me from enjoying course language and taking the Lord's name in vain.

p.s. I just realized my one word review was enlightening. I felt that way because I didn't realize how whites viewed the black maids that served them. I believe there was a very small portion who loved their maids like human beings. I came to realize that some viewed them almost like beloved pets, some simply viewed them necessary, while a few, simply saw them as dirty. In the book it says the line was drawn and people stayed inside the line. Man I hope that has changed!

Bookworm Rating: 4.8

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

Genre: Regency Romance

Publication Date: 1814

Synopsis: Mansfield Park is a study of three families-the Bertrams, the Crawfords, and the Prices-with the isolated figure of the heroine, Fanny Price, at its center. Fanny's quiet passivity, her steadfast loyalty and love for the son of the family who regard her as the poor relation, and who have taken her under their roof, are not appreciated until they are tried against the brilliant and witty Mary and Henry Crawford, the unfortunate consequences of whose influence are felt by everyone. -GoodReads

Jessica’s Review: I was shocked to learn that Fanny Price was Jane Austen's own favorite heroine. At first I could detect nothing that could make her mine. However, as the book progressed I must confess that I fell in love with Fanny. For all her timidity she had an inner strength and she refused to compromise her morals. It reminded me that although someone may be shy or quiet it in no means makes them stupid or weak.

Austen took me on a journey that had me questioning myself of whether I would compromise and marry Mr. Crawford if my alternative would be living with my family in squalor. Of course, Fanny did not and she reaped the reward of being valued by the people that she valued the most.

My one disappointment was that I thought Fanny deserved a better romance and a better hero than Edmund. His was all brotherly feelings until one paragraph summed up that he fell in love for Fanny. I wish that I could have been a witness as he came to realize his feelings for her and act upon them. With that said I do not think that was the point that Austen was going for. It really was an exercise of selfishness contrasted with virtue. A great read that drew me in like only Austen can.

On a side note: I don’t know if it was just my version or if Austen intended to write so many words in italics. It really grated on me. I thought if I had to read one more “she” in italics I was going to barf.

Bookworm Rating: 4

New Moon

My last couple of book reviews have been quite negative and to prove to myself and to you that I do occasionally find things I really like, I'm happy to report that I saw New Moon Saturday morning and I really really liked it. Everyone kept saying, "It's way better than Twilight." and in the back of my mind I was thinking, "That's not that hard." It's not even on the same planet...heck same universe as Twilight. Gone was the weird uncomfortable stares and parts that were glaringly out of place. The movie stuck to the book so closely, with only a few parts that were all out invented. I felt like they moved the story along with good transitions. Bella was likable, Jessica and Mike hilarious, Jacob so adorable, Volturi very scary, and wolves spot on to my imagination. I must say I felt like such a cougar because if the guy that plays Jacob were 12 years older I would run away with him! His shirtless moments were of course my favorites and sadly made Edward look a little on the wimpy side. I'm excited to see what they do with Eclipse which won't be a long wait because it comes out in June 2010.

Splendor by Anna Godbersen

Genre: YA Fiction

Author Website: www.theluxebooks.com

One Word Review: Mediocre

First Line: “Fifty years ago, every American girl wanted to be a European princess.”

Synopsis: “A spring turns into summer, Elizabeth relishes her new role as a young wife, while her sister, Diana, searches for adventure abroad. But when a surprising clue about their father's death comes to light, the Holland girls wonder at what cost a life of splendor comes. Carolina Broad, society's newest darling, fans a flame from her past, oblivious to how it might burn her future. Penelope Schoonmaker is finally Manhattan royalty—but when a real prince visits the city, she covets a title that comes with a crown. Her husband, Henry, bravely went to war, only to discover that his father's rule extends well beyond New York's shores and that fighting for love may prove a losing battle.” -GoodReads

Jess’s Review: If a debutante's greatest fear is that the public will lose interest in her; then her fear became a reality in Splendor. It was only because I was invested in the series that I enjoyed Splendor as much as I did. Frankly, there is not one thing in the book that could not have been accomplished in book three. The book is slow to get going, the story lines tired and predictable and in the end it felt like beating a dead horse. The ending was rushed and left me feeling like the rest of the book was just a filler to get to the last 50 or so pages. Carolina is on the cover of this book and to me she was a peripheral character and not capable to carrying most of the book. Like Kath, I think the series would have been better off as a concise trilogy. Hmm, where have I heard that before? Cough, Cough Stephanie Meyer...ahem. I am very partial to trilogies. I think you must have one heck of a story line to carry more books and keep my interest. However, I'm glad I saw this one through. I liked seeing how each character ended up and that each character seemed to get their just desserts. The series was a fun one and this one was fun as well, just to a much lesser degree. I say the series is definitely worth your time and that Splendor is easy to skim!

Reading Order:

Book One: Luxe

Book Two: Rumors

Book Three: Envy

Book Four: Splendor

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Genre: Adult Fiction

Author Website: www.elizabethgilbert.com

One Word Review: A Waste (I know that is two words)

First Line: “I wish Giovanni would kiss me.”

Synopsis: At the age of thirty-one, Gilbert moved with her husband to the suburbs of New York and began trying to get pregnant, only to realize that she wanted neither a child nor a husband. Three years later, after a protracted divorce, she embarked on a yearlong trip of recovery, with three main stops: Rome, for pleasure (mostly gustatory, with a special emphasis on gelato); an ashram outside of Mumbai, for spiritual searching; and Bali, for “balancing.” These destinations are all on the beaten track, but Gilbert’s exuberance and her self-deprecating humor enliven the proceedings: recalling the first time she attempted to speak directly to God, she says, “It was all I could do to stop myself from saying, ‘I’ve always been a big fan of your work.’

Jess’s Review: I did something I rarely do, but I put this book down about 55 pages in and all I can say is hallelujah. I’ve been seeing this book everywhere so I thought I'd give it a try. Only in American can a self-centered and pathetic woman make the New York Times Bestsellers List by re-telling her so-called life story about being so darned depressed because she lives in a big house in the suburbs with a husband that for some inexplicable reason she just doesn’t love anymore. Picture that sentence written in whinny 4 year old’s voice and you’ll understand the way this book comes across while reading it. I have a solution for Miss Gilbert. Pull yourself off the bathroom floor or whatever other surface you are “sobbing” on and get a life, stop thinking (and writing) about yourself and try helping or serving someone else. Once you’ve done that, write a book that matters and stop inflicting your personal pity party on the American public. I’ve always known the following to be true and this book just drove it home for me: Ingratitude is one of the grossest sins and will leave you helpless and sad. Funny, but also how reading this book will leave you. In all fairness I did only make it 55 pages so if I missed some “a ha” moment that made this book worth the paper it is written on please feel free to call me on the carpet.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Genre: Adult Fiction

Author Website: www.guernseyliterary.com

One Word Review: Delightful

First Line: “We sold over forty copies of the book, which was very pleasant, but much more thrilling from my standpoint was the food.”

Synopsis: January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb….As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Jess’s Review: I can hardly find the words to express how much I enjoyed reading this book. The book is written as a series of letter, which at first I was very leery of, but once I got used to it, I fell in love. I savored reading each letter as if they were my own and when I was finished I literally hugged the book to my chest and sighed. Very cheesy moment, but true nevertheless. The characters were vivid and vibrant, and the story was interesting and moving. The book made me laugh and cry and had me wishing that people wrote more letters. Then I remembered all the great comments we get on Bookworm Nation and it made me feel better! Each of the characters finds solace in the books they have read and in the people they read them with. It’s the first book in a long time that I actually wrote down page numbers so I could go back and copy down the quotes. I’ll share a few with you….just to peek your interest so you’ll read this book…ASAP.

“I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some secret sort of homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers. How delightful if that were true.” p.10

“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad books.” P.53

“Mind you I cannot always make sense of what he [Shakespeare] says, but it will come. It seems to me the less he said, the more beauty he made. Do you know what sentence of his I admire the most? It is, “The bright day is gone, and we are for the dark.” I wish I’d known those words on the day I watched those German troops land….” P.63

A good book can bring people together as friends and I’m honored to call each of you who read this blog…friend!

Retro Friday Review

Retro Friday Review is a weekly meme hosted by Angieville. This focuses on classics, out of print books or just old favorites that don’t get the attention they deserve. This Friday’s review is:

Jane Eyre
by Charolette Bronte

First published: England 1847

Synopsis: Orphaned into the household of her Aunt Reed at Gateshead and subject to the cruel regime at Lowood charity school, Jane Eyre nonetheless emerges unbroken in spirit and integrity. She takes up the post of governess at Thornfield Hall, falls in love with Mr. Rochester, and discovers the impediment to their lawful marriage in a story that transcends melodrama to portray a woman's passionate search for a richer life than that traditionally allowed women in Victorian society.

Jess's Review: The one thing I took away from all the wonderful comments yesterday is that we can all agree that Jane Eyre is a phenomenal book. I really just love Jane's character. She's had a hard life but it hasn't made her bitter. She is kind...even to those who don't deserve it and it makes her more dignified. She makes others around her more likeable. She knows and has confidence in herself. She is guided by her principles and is willing to see them through. She deserves to be happy and in the end she is! Jane Eyre has everything. A strong female character, a passionate love story, mystery, and a moral. What else could a reader ask for? Well, those are the reasons I love Jane Eyre....what about you?

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Author Website: www.carrieryan.com

One Word Review: Disturbing

First Line: "My Mother used to tell me about the Ocean."

Synopsis: In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future - between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

Jess's Review: Overall I liked this book very much. It will never win a Pulitzer prize or anything but it was a quick read that was suspenseful, entertaining, and rather addicting. The book held a lot of promise and I got really involved with the story until about half way through where the book turned from an intriguing mystery where zombies are a device and not a central focus to a full blown zombie book. Fortunately, the story had enough momentum that I didn't care that there were plot holes big enough to drive a moving van through and that the main character Mary becomes less and less likable as she whines and becomes increasingly more selfish. I suspect that Mary has OCD about Ocean, as you can tell in the first line, and it grated on me toward the end. At first I was feeling the heat between her and her love interest Travis, but like most interesting things in this book the author failed to develop it until I was convinced that Travis could only speak one word at a time. The Sisterhood was another fascinating entity that held secrets that were never revealed and that really disappointed me because Sister Tabitha was almost more creepy than the Unconsecrated. I'm asking myself why, with all that going on, did I enjoy it so much? I guess because I jumped when I heard a noise in the house while I was reading it and because I did get some butterflies when I read about Mary and Travis and because I like the writing style where the reader is just as lost as the main character. I just wish that the story could have been developed in such a way that it could have come full circle and answered some of my questions. A fun read, but it could have been much more.

Retro Friday Review

Retro Friday Review is a weekly meme hosted by Angieville. This focuses on classics, out of print books or just old favorites that don’t get the attention they deserve. This Friday’s review is:

The Indian in the Cupboard
Lynne Reid Banks

What could be better than a magic cupboard that turns small toys into living creatures? Omri's big brother has no birthday present for him, so he gives Omri an old medicine cabinet he's found. Although their mother supplies a key, the cabinet still doesn't seem like much of a present. But when an exhausted Omri dumps a plastic toy Indian into the cabinet just before falling asleep, the magic begins. Turn the key once and the toy comes alive; turn it a second time and it's an action figure again.




This book was originally published in 1981. My mom read this to my brother and since I wanted to be exactly like him I listened too. She would read to us before bed and I would snuggle in the covers and get lost in the story. I remember it being a little hard for me to understand but just thinking that my toys could come alive was such a thrilling idea! I remember the cowboy being hilarious for some reason. When I was looking through some old books I realized that I had tucked this book in with my beloved children's books and thought it would be perfect for a retro review. It is a great read. To my delight I also discovered, while writing this review, that there are more books in this series. The whole series will be on my TBR pile for my little ones.



Reading Order:

Book One: The Indian in the Cupboard

Book Two: The Return of the Indian

Book Three: The Secret of the Indian

Book Four: The Mystery of the Cupboard

The Brothers by Chris Stewart

Genre: LDS Adult Fiction

One Word Review: Underwhelming

First Line: Michael, the commander, stood at his window, his huge shoulders barely moving as the shudder passed through his chest.

Synopsis: As Peter read the charges against Lucifer, the enormous chamber remained deadly still. Everyone knew what the charges would be, for there were no more secrets among the children of God, and the evidence was damning, entirely whole, and complete. Satan was indeed in open rebellion. He was seeking not only to destroy the souls of all who would follow, but to bring down and destroy the society of the Father, to take His kingdom and power and glory and claim it all for his own. And because it was evident, and because he no longer denied it, there was no doubt of the outcome of the Council of God. Lucifer had to be defeated, his rebellion disbanded or crushed. He could not be reasoned with. There was no common ground. His followers had to give up their sedition and quit converting God's children to their dark paths or be cast out and expelled from the presence of God. Ammon shivered as he listened to the words Jehovah read. Damned for eternity. Denied their second estate. Cast out, never to be with the Father again. And so it was that the battle with Satan began.

Jess’s Review: I hardly even know where to begin my review. This book's target audience is people who belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I'm unsure on what other religions believe, if anything, about our life before we came to earth. To sum up my church's doctrine we believe we lived in heaven, with God, before our earth life and that Satan rejected Christ and the Plan of Salvation and was cast from Heaven. This book centers around that conflict sometimes referred to as the War in Heaven and is purely a work of fiction.

To be honest The Brothers was a book that just made my head hurt. I can't understand eternity even in a novel. While reading I had a difficult time gaining a sense of time and space. The characters who are supposed to be so connected to one another just seemed to fall flat for me and all in all the book was poorly executed. The prologue and afterword were so strange and it was difficult for me to tie them in with the body of the book. I think I have a bias against male authors, in general, and this book made me realize why. Male authors tend to have little dialogue and what dialogue they have is forced. This could not be more true for this book. The descriptions were long and boring and the characters cheesy. The concept is fascinating however and the book did offer me a new perspective on the pre-mortal life and really got me thinking. I think writing a novel based on something that we know so little about would be challenging and Stewart was on the right track. I think I will give the rest of the series a chance because they take place on earth and although the prologue to The Brothers didn't fit in, it was extremely well written. I think Stewart was bogged down in a difficult subject matter.

Book One: The Brothers
Book Two: Where Angels Fall
Book Three: The Second Son
Book Four: Fury and Light
Book Five: From the End of Heaven
Book Six: Clear as the Moon

Retro Friday Review

Retro Friday Review is a weekly meme hosted by Angieville. This focuses on classics, out of print books or just old favorites that don’t get the attention they deserve. This Friday’s review is:

Harry Potter and Sorcerer's Stone
by JK Rowling

As the story opens, mysterious goings-on ruffle the self-satisfied suburban world of the Dursleys, culminating in a trio of strangers depositing the Dursleys' infant nephew Harry in a basket on their doorstep. After 11 years of disregard and neglect at the hands of his aunt, uncle and their swinish son Dudley, Harry suddenly receives a visit from a giant named Hagrid, who informs Harry that his mother and father were a witch and a wizard, and that he is to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry himself. Most surprising of all, Harry is a legend in the witch world for having survived an attack by the evil sorcerer Voldemort, who killed his parents and left Harry with a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. And so the fun begins, with Harry going off to boarding school like a typical English kid? Only his supplies include a message-carrying owl and a magic wand. There is enchantment, suspense and danger galore (as well as enough creepy creatures to satisfy the most bogeymen-loving readers, and even a magical game of soccerlike Quidditch to entertain sports fans) as Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione plumb the secrets of the forbidden third floor at Hogwarts to battle evil and unravel the mystery behind Harry's scar.

Kath and I joke that we "owe" each other for certain books. I owe Kathy for encouraging me to read Harry Potter. Kath and I met at work and we would often talk about books when we should have been working. The fifth Harry Potter was coming out and Kath told me I had to read the series. I, for some reason, thought they were lame children's books. She finally convinced me and boy do I owe her. Never has a series captivated my interest quite like Harry Potter. I was so obsessed that I took notes on the books to try and figure out how the series would end. The books are magical and nothing is better then passing it down to my son who is finally old enough for me to read this book too. We started last night and I saw Harry Potter for the first time through a child's eye and I'll tell you his eyes were sparkling.

Catching Fire - Jess's Take

Spoiler Alert: The following does contain spoilers.

I know a book is good when I can read it in 2 days when I have three kids and it's a holiday weekend. I could not put this book down and I have the bags under my eyes to show for it. Kath gave a great review of this book but I just felt like I had to put in my two cents...okay more like 50 cents! I don't' know if it's just because I haven't read anything riveting lately, but this book really drew me in. I don't usually like books written in the first person but for some reason it really works in this book and I feel like I AM Katniss. I hope that didn't sound weird. I can just feel her conflict as if they were my own thoughts. Katniss is such a great character. She isn't too idyllic nor too imperfect....she is just real. I like Peeta although he is just a tad too self-sacrificing. I usually find love triangles super annoying but this one is written so well. My take is that Gale is who she should want but doesn't deep down. Peeta seems all wrong for her but is the yin to her yang. I know the yin/yang thing took you back to the 80's but I couldn't resist. I like Gale but I'm not attached to him. I have a feeling that will change in the next book though. He will probably play a more prominent roll. When I found out they were going back to the Hunger Games I worried that it was too formulated. The fact that she could create the fear and intensity a second time was amazing. I'll tell you what, Suzanne Collins is one sick twisted freak to come up with some of that stuff and I loved every minute. The mockingjay's mimicking their loved ones raised the hair on my neck. I liked all the new characters and the mystery of what is going to happen. The cliffhanger killed me. I can't wait for the next one. Has she announced when it is coming out? Kath will know.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith

Genre: Fiction

One Word Review: Silly

First Line: “It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.”

Synopsis: I could write an in-depth synopsis of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, heretofore to be referred to as PPZ, heck I could even copy and paste one from Amazon, but really what is the point? If you have read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice then it is her story with ridiculous zombie parts thrown in here and there to turn this classic into a zombie novel. If you haven’t read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice then please for the love of Pete read it before you waste your time reading PPZ. It’s a classic for a reason people.

Jess’s Review: Due a serious personal problem where I finish books, even if they suck, I read PPZ at the expense of far better reads like Catching Fire. It took me 3 weeks to finish PPZ and finally on Friday night I just hunkered down and pounded it out. My overall impression after reading PPZ is that the author Seth Grahame-Smith has been forced to watch the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice over and over by an overbearing wife, and as his revenge he has inflicted the world with PPZ. I picture him selling his manuscript to his publisher and they look remarkably like Beevis and Butthead and Grahame-Smith is saying, “Well, it is Pride and Prejudice on crack with the best lines stolen from the original author with silly zombies running all over the place.” With his publisher’s response, (Beevis and Butthead) “Huh u…yea yea!?!” How it got to be a New York Times bestseller is beyond me. Maybe he appeals to the men in want of revenge for having to watch the movie too much? I will say that it is pretty silly and does offer some laughs….albeit cheap laughs. I did find that it was funnier when I read it aloud to my husband then when I read it in my head. I would recommend reading it if you are really in need of feeling like a teenage boy who finds boogers funny otherwise I would skip it.

Retro Friday Review: Little Women

Today is Friday and you know what that means! Retro Friday Review. For this review I chose Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I will be thirty this month and if you can believe it, this is the first time I have read this classic novel. This book is a classic for a reason and is full of little gems, usually uttered by Marmee, that make one stop and think. I feel like I could use Marmee as a model for being a good mother. The four sisters in this book really came to life for me and each became as tender to me as my own two sisters. I thought my heart should break when Beth died and I wanted to shake Jo for turning down Laurie. Really now, what was she thinking? Reading this novel made me feel wistful for times past and almost has me turning over a new leaf to only read classics, but since the follow-up to Hunger Games is coming out and since the glowing review Kathy gave Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side I won't be turning over any leaves anytime soon. I would recommend reading Little Women when you are feeling like the world is going to heck and hand-basket and when you want to be studious. It isn't glamorous or particularly exciting but reading it left me better than when I started and you can't ask more than that.

On a sidenote: never read the afterword in the back of Classics written by people who think they are smarter than they really are. I read the afterword of Little Women and it just depressed me. For that reason I won't share any of the things I learned about Louisa and how she felt about Little Women. I will however copy a Good Reads review of Little Women, written by Dottie, who I think hits the nail on the head.

"My copy of this is probably 55 years old -- I've probably read it at least twenty-five times. One of my all-time favorite books. One of my favorite authors ever. Yes, it is old-fashioned -- it was old-fashioned fifty-five years ago. But that is the point pretty much in my opinion. This is a story of times past, of a family which functioned in a particular way in a particular time. This is also a story of what one person in a family might have wished were so all of the time in the family but wasn't. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Only 156 pages in and I'm as thoroughly hooked as always. Something peaceful about this story, speaks to me in a very profound manner. A bit of treacle is apparent but the story's truths are also as apparent as ever."

*reviewd by Jessica

Other Retro Friday Reviews:

Angieville: Arrows of the Queen

See Michelle Read: Echo Company Series

The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale

Mormon housewife Becky Jack is seven months pregnant with her fourth child when she meets celebrity heartthrob Felix Callahan. A few hours, one elevator ride, and one alcohol-free dinner later something has happened, though nothing has happened....It isn't sexual. It isn't even quite love. But soon Felix shows up in Salt Lake City to visit and before they know what's hit them, Felix and Becky are best-friends-talk-on-the-phone, drop-everything-in-an-emergency, laugh-out-loud-at-stupid-jokes best friends. Becky's loving and devoted husband, Mike, is mostly unconcerned. Her children roll their eyes. Her large extended family and neighbors gossip endlessly. But Felix and Becky have something special, something unusual, something that seems from the outside-and sometimes from the inside too-completely impossible to sustain.

This book reminds me of that time I was skiing in Park City and I ran into Robert Pattinson (when he had normal hair) and we became best friends and we called each other "Love" and my husband Tim, who only had a problem with it once, thinks it is great that we talk all the time on the phone and go on overnight excursions together. The Actor and The Housewife is as improbable as the above scenario but somehow Shannon Hale makes the story work and makes it charming. If you don't laugh right out loud at the first chapter then you have no sense of humor, and if you don't cry at least once then go to the doctor and see if he can unplug your tear ducts. I confess to wondering through most of the book where the story was going and for one horrible moment I thought there might be some spousal swinging going on...Mormon style, but thankfully I was just letting my imagination run wild. I do that sometimes. I really held out to the end to declare whether I liked or disliked this book. Hale crafted an ending that really satisfied me and I declare this a good read that I would recommend to anyone.


*Reviewed by Jessica

Princess of the Sword by Lynn Kurland

Kathy previously reviewed this book in March of this year but I have more to say on this book so I hope you won't mind the repetition. The other two books in this series were such fun reads and I was excited for the conclusion. Sadly, like a lot of books I read, this book was in need of a good editor. There was a glut of characters and locations that meant nothing to me. So much so that when characters died or had bad things happen to them I couldn't have cared less! I can sum up the book in the following: Miach and Morgan were tired, they love each other, they are camping, they sneak away from each other, they look/steal spells. This sequence is replayed over and over throughout the book. Once the action was over and the well was closed the book drug on for 3 more chapters and even the epilogue, which should be short, sweet, and tie up all the loose ends, was drawn out and Kurland seemed to want to just keep telling the story. Morgan's character annoyed me because Kurland spent so much time telling us how tough she is only for Morgan to continually fall apart at stupid things, like the fact she can do magic. I wanted to yell, "get over it Morgan you've known you could do magic for 2 books now!" A notable bright spot is Miach's character. I must confess that I have a huge crush on him! He reminded me of Gregory Peck in The Big Country. The Big Country is a western that you should rent tonight if you have never seen it. Miach is a kick butt guy that never has to prove himself to anyone and I was super attracted to his cool confidence. His character really made this book worth it to me.

Christy by Catherine Marshall

When Christy Huddleston leaves a life of privilege and ease to teach in the impoverished Smokey Mountains, her faith is severely tested by her pupils, the love of two men, and the curious customs of the mountain people in her community. Yet she grows to love these people and the simple, fulfilling lifestyle to be found in the heart of God's country. First released in 1967, Christy is based on the life of author Catherine Marshall's mother and was the inspiration for the CBS television series of the same name.

This book is unlike most books that I chose to read. While I was reading Christy it reminded me of all the times that my Grandmother has told me stories about her life and how it is interesting simply because I love her and it is amazing that life was like that not so long ago. While the book does have some very slow parts, particularly in the middle, I found that if I just slowed down and enjoyed the journey and the descriptions that I really enjoyed reading this book. Through the course of the story Christy comes to recognize God's hand in his children's life and begins to realize that he cares for each of us whether we are wealthy and educated or smelly and poor. Life in the mountains of North Carolina at the turn of the 20th century was to this city girl very shocking and in some cases truly turned my stomach. The book is rich with colorful characters and they all become really inspirational in their own way. The love story is neither obvious or compelling and was really the one disappointment for me. The book also ends rather abruptly and left me looking for the last chapter or an epilogue or something to tie it all together. All in all though it was an uplifting read and I feel better for having read it.

*reviewed by Jessica

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

I can't tell you how much I have come to love Youth Fiction. They hardly ever disappoint and I can count on them to be fairly clean and fast-paced. Such is the case with Uglies. It is a science fiction book that centers around a civilization that follows ours where everyone is turned pretty by their 16th birthday. They are told that the differences in appearance is what lead to our (the rusties...because we love metal) demise. Each person at age 12 enters uglyville to await their 16th birthday when they will be given a surgery to make them precisely beautiful and then they will spend the next few years in prettyville. The main character is Talley Youngblood whose best friend has just been changed and she must wait a few more months until she can join him. She discovers during this time that becoming pretty has a cost and that not everyone may want to become pretty.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I found Talley to be realistic but a strong female character. There is enough action to keep it interesting but not too much to make it a typical sci/fi...if you know what I mean. It really got me thinking about appearance and how in some ways, as a society, we are becoming like uglies in a way. Cosmetic surgery is so prevalent among those in Hollywood that regular people are beginning to think they need to be 5'10", 100 lbs, blond with fake big boobs, fake big lips, fake tan, and fake flat forehead to be seen as beautiful. Are we starting to loose what makes us individuals? Or are we discounting what lies within a person? Sorry to get all philosophical on you but these were all questions that came to my mind while I read this book. I really liked the futuristic world that the author created and I was really sucked into it. This is part of a trilogy. I'm currently reading Pretties and the third is called Specials. Great author...great books.

Cybele's Secret by Juliet Marillier

Cybele's Secret is the companion book to Wildwood Dancing. I don't feel like I can properly explain the plot of Cybele's Secret without giving away plot twists in Wildwood Dancing so I'll be brief. This book is told through Paula's perspective. (sister to Jena who narrates Wildwood) Paula travels to Turkey to acquire a religious artifact Cybele's Gift. Paula is a scholar and must solve puzzles and complete a quest to obtain the Gift. She also must choose between two very different men. Ultimately both test her in ways she never expected. Well, I realize that really doesn't give you a good idea of the plot....sorry.

I really enjoyed Cybele's Secret in spite of the fact that it lost much of the magic and whimsical elements from Wildwood. The two books are really quite different and it isn't until the end that it captured the feeling of Wildwood. The love story in Cybele's Secret was much more front and center than in Wildwood and I really enjoyed that part. Overall a really well written book. My only complaint, which is a personal problem, is that I don't enjoy reading about female oppression that was very central to Turkey during this time period. For some reason it just really rubs me the wrong way. It does however add an interesting obstacle that would be hard to achieve another way.

The Reluctant Widow by Georgette Heyer

I must admit first off that I judged this book by it's cover. I was walking by a display at my local library and it caught my eye. I picked it up and on the back it said, "Reading Georgette Heyer is the next best thing to reading Jane Austen." I thought, "Well, I'll be the judge of that!" It turns out that Heyer has written more that 50 novels, the first being published in 1921, and is a well known historical novelist who writes mostly in the regency period. I can see why the comparison has been drawn to Jane Austen. The Reluctant Widow was every bit as witty as anything I have read from Austen but is refreshingly more fast paced. By that I just mean that the plot moved along nicely unlike Austen who sometimes, in my opinion, can get bogged down in description and set-up. Don't get me wrong though...Jane Austen is one of my all time favorite authors and I think that Heyer failed to create such layered characters as Austen.


The Reluctant Widow opens as Elinor Rochdale boards the wrong coach and ends up not at her prospective employer's home but at the estate of Eustance Chevoit, a dissipated and ruined young man on the verge of death. His cousin, Lord Ned Carolyn, persuades Elinor to marry Eustance as a simple business arrangement. By morning, Elinor is a a rich widow, but finds herself in the middle of housebreakers, uninvited guests and murder. I really enjoyed The Reluctant Widow and plan on reading more of Heyer. The characters just plain made me smile and the novel felt like a Jane Austen except without the brain cramp of trying to grasp the meaning of things. I give The Reluctant Widow 4 out of 5 Stars.