Cuckoo's Calling

J.K. Rowling. That sneaky Brit. She went all covert on us and published as Robert Galbraith, and I get it Miss Rowling. Sometimes you want people to assess your work, not based on what you’ve already done. The Cuckoo’s Calling was getting great reviews before the world knew J.K. Rowling was the writer, and for good reason. Now I could make some references to Rowling’s Harry Potter series, but I’m going to respect her new book, which could turn into a series for what it is: different than her other writing.

Cormoran Strike is a down on his luck ex-military private investigator. He is struggling with debt, just got out of a relationship, living in his office, and his amputated leg is causing him pain. At the moment his sole client is a woman spying on her husband, not exactly riveting or well-paid work. Then Robin, the new secretary sent by a temp agency, shows up along with an old friend’s brother, John. Robin turns out to be an expensive blessing in disguise and soon becomes Strike’s daily human contact and a fantastic secretary. Then there’s John, a wealthy lawyer, who shows up at Strike’s office with a new case and a pocket full of money. Lula Landry, the famous super model, committed suicide not too long ago, and John, her brother, thinks there’s foul play and insists on having Strike re-investigate. What follows is a who’s who of London. Strike maneuvers his way through the bold and beautiful seeking the truth to who pushed Lula Landry over her balcony.

Rowling wrote a number of compelling characters with great back stories. Strike was a likable character with some skeletons in his closet, a messy family, and a strong work ethic. Robin is one of the first characters introduced to us. She is newly engaged, peppy, smart, and clever. Although working for Strike is supposed to be temporary, she finds herself yearning to stay on and learn the PI trade. Strike and Robin are characters I look forward to reading more about in the future.

A lot of suspects are put on the chopping block throughout the investigation. Strike keeps his cards close, so I was never sure who the killer was. Rowling kept her audience guessing by presenting new evidence, rehashing old evidence, and interviewing witnesses and friends. I enjoyed hearing about Strike stalking around London to seek out testimony. The book deals a lot with the idea of celebrity and the problems Lula had to deal with as a super model. Trusting people was hard because even her “friends” sold her secrets. Then there is the paparazzi who stalk her, fans who think they know her, and a dysfunctional family. Rowling must know a lot about this world and it was interesting to get a small peak inside a life of luxury and the costs it comes at.

I’m not a detective mystery reader, but I enjoyed this novel. The two things I have to say against it are too much detail, and too stuck in the past. The author had paragraphs that made me think “I would just cut this out if I were her editor. That’s completely unnecessary”. I’d skip over sentences and just keep moving. Now since I don’t usually read detective mysteries like this, I don’t know what is typical. This novel was stuck in the past a lot. Strike’s investigating a potential murder meaning he dredges up the past through people’s evidence as to what happened when Lula Landry died. On top of that, however, he reminisced about his newly ended relationship, he thought about the war and his time in the military. Although it was making progress forward, I kept hoping for new events to keep the book from back sliding.

Altogether, I found the book engaging and I very much wanted to hear more about Strike and figure out who the killer was. If you’re a fan of this book or want more like it, try these novels:

• Case Histories by Kate Atkinson. A British PI investigates three separate cold cases and discovers tangled family histories and startling connections.
• The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler. Philip Marlowe’s beautiful new client gets him caught up in the dangerous world of Hollywood.
• Tonight I Said Goodbye by  Michael Koryta. The wife and daughter of an alleged suicide victim go missing. Now PI Lincoln Perry and Joe Pritchard must pursue the truth and hope to find the family.

Pride and Prejudice Reread

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is my go to favorite book. How many times are you asked “what’s your favorite book?” as soon as you pronounce that reading is one of your favorite hobbies? Probably a lot. Well over the years I've adopted P&P as my favorite, whether out of convenience, true love, or literary popularity, I've never been quite sure. Although I absolutely love Jane Austen, it was about time for a rereading of my favorite on top of it being my pick for the Bicentenary Challenge!

First let me go through what I get when I tell people Pride and Prejudice is my favorite:

• “Ugh that’s boring”
• “Huh. So what do you want for an appetizer?”
• “God I hated that book. It’s so boring and the language is so old.”
• “I've never read it.”
• “That is such a good book. Now let’s talk about it and all its merits!”
• “I hated it because it was hard for me to write a paper about.” (this actually was a reaction I got)

Am I a snob? Yeah a little. Maybe by saying P&P is one of my favorites reflects my snobbery. For those who did not enjoy Jane Austen or thought Pride and Prejudice was boring, I understand! If you have reasons for backing up your dislike, awesome! That’s fine. Not everyone needs to like what I like and yes, Austen’s writing is 200 years old, and so it’s dated. Love stories are not everyone’s cup of tea, but what I truly adore about Austen is that the novel is so much more than a quaint story of a beloved character getting what and who she deserves. There’s a reason we still read it.

Well hopefully, my dear reader, you know the story of Jane Austen’s most popular work Pride and Prejudice, but let me refresh you. Elizabeth Bennet is the daughter of a gentleman with a silly mother and three silly younger sisters. Luckily, she has an older sister who is sweet as pie and a beloved confidant, Jane. Jane falls for the new rich guy, Mr. Bingley, who moves in next door. Bingley has a very rich friend, Mr. Darcy, who is snobby and condescending. Bingley goes away leaving Jane heartbroken and not too long after, Elizabeth runs into Darcy. Darcy proposes and is refused, because of misunderstood intentions and bad information.  However, through explanation and time, Elizabeth begins to favor him. In the end, Darcy reforms as does Elizabeth and he ends up proposing again. Bingley comes back and marries Jane. La di da, almost everyone is happy!

My rereading of my favorite book reasserted that I adore this novel. I read a list about books that are red flags if people claim them as a favorite and women who say P&P is their favorite are overly romantic and just want to turn the rich snobby guy into their white knight. Maybe, but there’s so much more to it than that very shallow reading. Here’s my list of reasons to love Austen or at least appreciate her.

• Jane Austen is a sociologist/psychologist. She writes characters better than any other author I've encountered. There’s a seamless quality to her description of who a character is, what their motivations are, where they come from, and how they mingle in society.
• As historical fodder, Austen is remarkable. While reading, you understand how society, class, and money played a role in the lives of Regency era people. These books give an understanding of a different time period.
• And yet, Austen did not pigeon hole herself by only being relevant to one era. She didn't give much detail about politics, war, or happenings during the era, so the stories are easily transferable to modern culture.
• Her stories are timeless with themes that are still relevant today such as forgiveness, prejudice, love, duty, honor, slacking morals, and reputation.

This time around, I was more aware of the growing affection Elizabeth felt for Darcy. My one complaint in the past was that in the end it just seems like Lizzy and Darcy are thrown together and she suddenly forgives him. In my rereading, I saw as her feelings developed and how her prejudice against him dropped. Their coupling then did not feel abrupt, instead I longed for him to go to her sooner and for her to say something. Also this time, it took me a number of chapters to be completely absorbed in the book. I understand it starts off as dry reading, but once you get past the first few chapters, and the foolish Mr. Collins shows up, you get sucked in.

Sorry for the length of this post, but my favorite book deserves some recognition. If you’ve never read it, well you should, but it’s not necessary, unless you want to be my friend (friendship with me is very rigorous). If you've read it, awesome! Let’s talk sometime. If you didn’t like it, well your opinion is invalid and you’re an imbecile. I’m kidding! You probably just have no tasteJ

Happy reading, dear reader! 

English Refugees and Bees

Little Be by Chris Cleave is the story of two women from two different worlds who end up colliding through a tragic incident. Little Bee is a young woman who is in an immigration detention center outside of London, England. Originally from Nigeria, she fled from her mother country because of men who murdered her family, only to find herself detained in another uncomfortable circumstance. Sarah is a British magazine editor who happened to be with her husband on a beach in Nigeria when Little Bee and her sister ran across her path. The story picks up in England a couple years later. Little Bee is just getting out of jail, and Sarah’s husband has just committed suicide. In each other, these two women find a comrade. Sarah and Little Bee struggle with the past horror they both went through and look to a future where they can both be freed from the pain of what was inflicted upon them.

On the back of the book, there is very little description given as to what the plot of the story is. “Once you have read it, you’ll want to tell your friends about it. When you do, please don’t tell them what happens. The magic is in how the story unfolds.” That is the quotation from the back cover and it is a letdown. This is a great marketing technique to make readers want to know the mystery behind the story, but all in all, this was not a Sixth Sense kind of novel where you cannot give away the ending or ruin the story. Like many novels, you are not given the full story at the beginning, it unfolds for you. 

What makes this novel think it is so special that readers must be forewarned not to talk about it with those who haven’t read it? If its only special feature is that you don’t know the major plot point prior to reading it, it’s a pretty pathetic novel.

The novel is split between the voice of Little Bee and Sarah. I found myself rolling my eyes during Little Bee’s chapters. The writing is well done, but the things the author has Little Bee say and think are a little out there. It was over the top. Sarah is practical, but Little Bee is more of a dreamer, which makes sense when you find out the meaning of her real name.

I didn't particularly like the characters and I wasn't a fan of the story. I liked where the story was starting to go at the end, but then was disappointed by the vague ending.

If you are into immigration issues and refugees, then this is a book that may interest you. For me, it didn't do anything. It brought to light that yes, we have issues with immigrants and this young woman’s story was tragic, but I just wasn't interested. Maybe that makes me like everyone else who overlook real world problems, but this is my fun reading time, damn it! I’m allowed to overlook problems when I need an escape. 

Another Paranormal YA Romance

Cassandra Clare takes on her first YA novel with a series called “The Mortal Instruments”. Book One is City of Bones. You can tell this is a first novel. The crappy side of YA literature shines through in this attempt at writing.

I’m being harsh? Perhaps. But I’m tired of crap being pedaled off as Young Adult literature. It seems all authors have to do these days is come up with a paranormal romance plot, add a mysterious boy and a girl who discovers an alternate world she never knew existed, and BOOM! You got yourself a best seller. Why are they selling and so popular then if they’re crap, you ask? Well it’s because they’re compelling. You want to know what’s going to happen. They’re world building and that creates a mystery of what these other people, this other world, is like. So even though I found myself rolling my eyes while reading this book, I kept going because I had to hear the ending.

Clary is a fifteen year old whose world has just flipped on its side. She sees a murder of something not human by three teens who no one else can see except herself. Then a day later, her mother is kidnapped and Clary is attacked by a demon. Suddenly, her eyes are opened to a world that was hidden to her from birth: the world of the Clave, Shadowhunters who are descended from angels to protect humans from demons. She meets Jace, a mysterious Shadowhunter with golden locks, who brings her into his world and helps her find her mother, who has been stolen by Valentine, a Nazi-esque ex-Shadowhunter.

Ok I’ll start with the good, so you don’t think I’m a one sided bitch. The plot is a rich one, kind of Constantine-esque (the movie with Keanu Reeves). I wanted to read the book when I found out it is being made into a movie. There’s a lot to build on in this plot: God versus Satan, the ultimate good versus evil, creepy and frightening creatures, and a world that encompasses so many aspects of the supernatural. This is a plot that keeps moving and keeps you interested. I completely understand why the book is popular.

Now the bad!! Goody goody, there’s so much to say. First I need to go with the characters. I didn’t feel attracted or sympathetic with any of them. They were so 2D. There was nothing that felt real about them.  As in a lot of YA novels, their emotions were so overly dramatic and their characteristics were stereotypical. The mysterious, hot guy who tries to shut out the world until the main character comes around. O wait he’s sarcastic. Who would have guessed!? The girl who’s artistic and doesn’t feel like she really belongs…because she doesn’t! Wow. Revolutionary!  The main guy, Jace, is the mysterious warrior man, but upon meeting Clary, our main character, he just starts telling her about this secret world. REALLY!!?? If he’s so secretive why is he doling out this information to a complete stranger? It feels like it’s going against the character’s personality and against the underworld society.

The plot. Warning, I’m going to spoil the plot here so STOP reading if you do not want to hear it. Clare, the author, stole from Star Wars! She took that whole Luke and Leia plot line and put it in her book along with the whole evil father part. First, dude, you can’t just steal stuff from Star Wars and then crap on it. Not Cool. Second, what is up with incest as a plot line these days? Creepy. O and Clare completely cops out on the religion aspect of the story. Obviously if there are demons, there is a demon leader, i.e. Satan, and if there is a Hell and a Satan, then there is a Heaven and angels (Newton’s Law). I mean the Shadowhunters are supposedly descended from angels, but Clare denies the existence of one God. Instead, Jace doesn’t know if he believes in God and no one actually knows if angels exist. Come on Clare! If you’re going to write a book that’s essentially about angels and demons, you got to adopt some sort of overarching belief. I don’t care if it’s the Flying Spaghetti Monster and his beer volcano, but there needs to be a heaven and a hell, thus rulers of both.

The writing. The story is narrated from Clary’s perspective. She is the main character, and as the reader, you’re discovering everything at the same time she is. That makes sense. I got angry when out of the blue, one chapter was partially written from Jace’s perspective. Then back to Clary’s. You can’t just throw that in out of nowhere! Come on! The writing was juvenile. He said, she said. Discovering characters' names, personalities, and plot points in the most obvious of ways. There was no artistry here.

I’ll give Clare props for putting out a bestselling first novel, but that’s about it. My coworker tells me Clare’s “Infernal Devices” series is much better, and after giving myself some time away from this genre, I think I’ll give her other series a read. I know many people love this series. People also enjoy bathroom humor. It has its audience, but it’s certainly not polished or thoughtful.

This was a very long review. Sorry, I just needed to get that venom out of my system and onto the internet. You’re welcome world!

Casual Vacancy

O my dear friends. How very much I want to tell you how much I loved JK Rowling’s new book The Casual Vacancy, but alas I never finished it. Rowling, as I’m sure you all know, is the author of the Harry Potter series. Rowling wanted to venture outside of the children/teen book sphere to a new arena…ADULTS! Thus she wrote her first adult book The Casual Vacancy.

 The town of Pagford recently lost of member of its council. Barry Fairbrother died leaving the town in shock at his untimely departure and a spot open on the council. Pagford, supposedly a lovely little town, is now undergoing a war with itself. Who will get the spot on the council and change the fates of Pagford?

 What I expected was something sort of cutesy. A small town life with some cranky neighbors shaking their fists at each other, but still baking pies for the neighborhood bake sale. O no, no. Silly me. Rowling is a real writer. Although I did not finish the book, I can tell you that she holds strong and proves that she can certainly make the leap from children’s to adults’.

 Pagford is thought of as an idyllic hamlet by some of the people who live there. It’s tucked away behind hills and has a monastery to boast of. But the town is divided. Real life has intruded on the picturesque surroundings and low cost housing developments have driven in some not so savory new neighbors. There are those on the council who want nothing more than to kick out these loafers and see their town restored to its former glory. Yet others, like the late Barry Fairbrother, don’t want to kick out a whole set of people just because they don’t meet certain standards. The story is complicated and Rowling outlines, underlines, and sheds light on her characters in all their glory and ugliness. Rowling shows the humanness of these people and gives the reader an almost objective look at the lives of the townies. Rowling does not back off from the ugly aspects of life and the human psyche. No one is a saint because there are no saints in life. People can be mean and bad, even if they have a smiling face and friendly demeanor.

 I did not get through this book because it is a tedious read. Capping in at 512 pages, the book was not picking up for me after the first 100 pages, so I decided to let it go to patrons who were waiting for it. I like a book that is character-driven, but that felt like all this book was, driven by characters. Nothing else was happening. Maybe it picks up, but I hit my wall and backed away. Again, if you like character driven books and you’re not afraid to put some time in and be confronted with reality, please, please, please read this (then tell me what happens).

 Sorry to disappoint with a non-fully read review, but I still wanted to state my opinion on the piece.

Always Blame the Husband..."Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn

On their five year anniversary, Nick Dunne’s wife, Amy, goes missing. The police are phoned and Nick cooperates with them as much as he can, but his lack of emotion about his wife’s disappearance seems a bit fishy. Coinciding with Nick’s account of the disappearance, Amy’s diary tells the story of the couple’s meeting, engagement, and marriage. At the end, Amy does not paint a pretty picture of their marriage. What really comes into play is the reaction from the media and how quickly they blame Nick and jump on top of the coverage. This book tells the story of a couple who seemed so perfect for each other, but had lately fallen into dire straits and a husband who cannot seem to tell the truth and is suspected of his wife’s murder.

The chapters in Gone Girl alternate between narrating from Nick or Amy’s perspective, so the reader hears both sides of the story, but one must question if the narrator is a reliable source. Split into three sections, the book frustrated me in the first and densest section. Nick comes off as cold, unfeeling, and an ass. Amy seems intelligent and likeable if not a little stuck up. Their relationship was falling to pieces according to Nick’s discussion of it, and Amy’s diary paints a picture of Nick as miserly and threatening towards the end. This is a toxic relationship and it was difficult to read. I hated the first section because the way it depicted marriage made me question if anyone should get married. How well do you really know your partner anyway? Their marriage sucked the life out of me and I dragged my feet through section 1.

However, this book took a turn for me in sections 2 and three. They are shorter and read faster. A lot of action and incident happen within these parts instead of just interior dialogue and relationship building/deconstructing. These sections made the book click together and create a unique and interesting plot. The ending will leave you wondering what will happen in the future and perhaps with a bit of frustration.

This might be a love/hate book, but I didn’t love or hate it (except for the first section, which I did not like). Flynn writes her characters well. You feel what they feel and get frustrated over their actions. The intelligence of them rolls off the page and I enjoyed the level of language they used.

Although not going to become a literary classic, this is an extremely popular book at the moment and like other good books, it sticks with you after you’ve closed the back cover. I’d recommend this to people who enjoy a good suspense story

I DO NOT Want to Read You!

In school, reading books that you don't want to is normal. You're forced to read the same stale classics that your parents read because they're "so relevant and important for our lives!" or at least that's what they tell us. Don't get me wrong, I'm happy most books were force fed to me in school, but recently I got an assignment I dreaded. Read Cormac McCarthy's The Road.

NOOOOOOOOO!!!!! I knew this was a book that was dark and depressing about the end of the world and cannibals. Sounds like a romp in the park, right? It sounded so difficult to read (from an emotional standpoint) that I avoided it like the plague, not even wanting to watch the movie trailer for the film adaptation.

Well I couldn't avoid it any longer. It was for an assignment and, as a soon to be librarian, I need a wide berth in the literary sphere. When I bought it from the book store, one of the workers looked at it and went "O that book. You're going to want something really cheery afterwards." Thanks. That made me feel better. But I picked it up and hesitantly began reading.

The Road is about a father and son traveling across the devastated United States. A catastrophic event occurred and the whole country, maybe the world, is dying. The book starts about five to eight years after the event and it's never explained what happened. The man and his son make their way across roads and highways that are covered in ash trying to survive and avoid the bad guys: cannibals. It is a fight to find food and the pair has to be cautious on the open road and avoid other people. They can't trust anybody. Not that there are many people left anyway. This is a story about a father and son surviving. The boy is young, I pictured him to be about seven. It's about a father doing the best for a son who is an alien in a world that no longer exists.

The writing is brilliant. Simple, yet surreal at points. When something happened, it just happened without drama before and whatever needed to be done was done. In this way it felt realistic. Just like in real life, there's not always a warning before something happens and you just have to deal with it.

There are no chapters, but the text is broken up into paragraphs, which were typically about half a page. It read quickly and was compelling. Although not much changes throughout the book, you're always on the edge of your seat waiting to see what will happen. The tone is devastating and haunting.

I finished this book and threw it across my room. I felt anxious, frustrated, and depressed. I couldn't concentrate on anything and had to call a friend and talk out my problems before I felt able to move on with my life. When asked if I liked it, I didn't know what to say. It was difficult to read because of the depressing content, but it was so well written and I wanted to continue reading when I started. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how good it really was. If a book can elicit this kind of emotional reaction from me, then it's doing something right. Being able to draw out strong emotions from an audience through literary writing is not an easy task. For me to feel a cornucopia of emotions after reading is quite a feat and I tip my cap to Mr. McCarthy.

A coworker told me that forums he's read about this book usually have men praising it, while women have my reaction or just plain hate it. This is an interesting point and something to ponder about the difference between the man and woman mentality and the controversies surrounding this book.

Another great thing about the book is that there is so much the audience doesn't know. It leaves much to the imagination and it has given people things to talk about and argue over. What does the characters' road map look like? Where did they start and where are they heading? What happened to the world? What do you think the father did? McCarthy knows what he's doing by leaving out information.

My challenge to you is to read The Road. It is a book that sticks. Maybe you'll hate it, but it will stay with you and I promise you will react to this one.

Antisocial Never Looked So Good

I gave into the buzz. After at least a year of hearing how awesome the books in the late Stieg Larsson's Millennium series are I relented and picked up the first book "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". As silly as it is, I usually hesitate when it comes to bestsellers. My snobby bibliophile comes out and up goes my nose. "These plebeians don't know what good writing really is. They're all just drawn to the latest sexed book, thrown together in a rush and hardly edited [all said in my Brahman accent]." Who is this monster? O yeah, it's me. Time to set aside my ugly self and try this international bestseller.

Well if you're one of the few who have yet to read this book, let me give you a drive-by summary. Mikael Blomkvist, a financial investigatory journalist, was recently convicted of libel. Lisbeth Salandar is a misunderstood, antisocial young woman who has a penchant for investigating/researching people and a desire to solve her own problems. Mikael is hired by the old CEO of a huge corporation to solve a mystery and soon Salandar and Mikael partner up to figure this thing out. There is so much more to the story and so many other angles, but I don't want to give anything away. The weaving together of stories is intricate. The main characters are interesting, especially Salandar, a girl so unlike anyone I've ever met or would even look twice at.

Overall it was a fun book. Fantastic beach read! The writing is good, and the story is rich. Again, Salandar is a compelling character, who I want to see more from. You never know what this character will do or if you'll ever hear her full story, which makes me want to see more from her. After all the hype, I was a smidgen disappointed. Let me stress, ONLY A SMIDGEN. Still a great read, especially as far as 'who done its' go. I guess I just expected a lot because I heard so much about the book. It's not a book I will rave about to others or name as a favorite, but I see why people really like it and all in all I liked the book and will probably end up reading the remaining two in the series. Who knows, maybe I will write love blogs to "The Girl Who Played with Fire" and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest". Only time will tell.

The World IN an Oyster Shell.

There are situations in life that change a person's outlook, demeanor, attitude, and values. Of late I've been having silent, and sometimes out loud (though I don't like to admit it) discussions with myself. What changes a person? When is that change overbearing or the situation that caused said change not worth the outcome? When is it ok to stop yourself from experiencing something in order to keep yourself from getting hurt? O la vie. The book "Room" has added to my interior monologue and has hit home with greater force than expected.

In order to tell you about "Room" by Emma Donoghue, I have to dance around the whole thing, create similes, and eventually tell you just to read the damned book! It's got that whole "Sixth Sense" thing going on. I don't want to spoil any of it, but the main experience of this book is in the reading.

The book is written in first person narration from the point of view of a five year old named Jack. He and his mother live in Room. I know what you're thinking, 'Kristin, you're missing the article in front of the word room and room is not a proper noun'. Well first, get off your  high horse and second it is to Jack. Jack sees things differently than the average 5 year old because he has never been outside of Room. To him, the objects in the room he and Ma occupy are like people. The TV does not show real things, it's all fake. There is no world to Jack outside of Room.

Imagine the 'Allegory of the Cave', that annoying philosophical concept Plato put in place, as who Jack is and what his world consists of. Instead of shadows on walls, Jack has people in the TV. Outside of the cave, Plato's people see what real trees look like instead of just the shadows. As marvellous as that concept seems, to really see something for the first time both physically and cognitively, think of how confusing it would be. Donoghue dives into this concept and the story of a brilliant little boy and his world, thoughts, and emotions in "Room".

After reading this book I figure what changes me (people, situations, relationships) is so minuscule and insignificant in the grand scheme of things. There are others out there going through situations that will scar them for life, doing things my egocentric self cannot imagine, and having to learn to live in a world I take for granted.

The only concern I have about this book is that it will date itself quickly. Donoghue references popular kids shows and songs throughout the book. Ten years down the line, people may not know what those references mean. It is such a good read that it is tragic to think of it being outdated in a few decades.

The writing is phenomenal and this book makes for a quick read. Please pick it up. By page 2 you will be hooked.

A Beautiful Novel

The Help was perhaps one of the best books I've read in a while. It's taken from three different perspectives and seamlessly woven together. The story takes place in Jackson, Mississippi 1962. Skeeter, who has just graduated from college is scorned by her mother for not having her MRS, but she wants to become a writer. Aibileen is an older black maid who works for a white family. Minnie is a fiery black woman who works as a maid, but has crossed the wrong white lady. Their lives tangle together when Skeeter decides to share their side of the story; what it's like to be a black maid working for a white family.

Kathyrn Stockett did a phenomenal job writing this book. She captured the helplessness, heartbreak, anxiety, joy, and frustration of the characters. Her writing recalled my own hurts and it felt like she had taken the words that I couldn't form for myself and written them down in this book.

I actually listened to this book on tape, which I always think is cheating in a way. After hearing this read to me, I will never think that again. It actually made all the difference having it read to me. The dialog is written in southern dialect, so it's easier to say the words out loud anyway. With three perspectives, it helped having three different readers. I would highly recommend listening to this book, or just reading it for that matter. The story was rich and I could not stop listening. I thought I would only listen to it in the car, but I found myself popping it into my DVD player and just sitting and staring off, imagining what was happening.

O and for those of you who like reading books before they are raped by the silver screen, you may want to give this one a read pretty soon.