The Help.

I know I'm about 100 years late in this but..... I finally read The Help.

I remember when it came out last summer and how big the craze was. It was all I heard about for a while and I've definitely had it on my reading list since then. But other books came into my possession, time passed and it still hadn't been crossed off. Then the movie came out and I couldn't see that without reading the book first, obviously.

The book was just as good as everyone had said, and therefore, as good as I had anticipated. I had a hard time putting it down to be honest. I just wanted to find out what was going to happen next and I couldn't get enough of the stories. I also thought that it was interesting that it was told from various viewpoints, especially since those viewpoints are so distinct and individual. That said, I thought they flowed quite well together and they were sewn together with excellent and flowing writing. The writing itself was very accessible and engaging. As were the characters. The characters were so well fleshed out that they came right off the page and became real life.

Because of that, The Help this book made me angry a lot of the time. As someone who doesn't really understand inequality- whether its sex, skin color, religion, whatever- it's frustrating to experience such blatant and deep founded inequality and racism. I understand of course that that's just how it was in those times and they didn't know or didn't choose to know better. But I appreciate that I had such a strong response because that means the writing was successful. It didn't fall flat and because of that, I'm sure many people aside from myself had strong reactions.

Although I'm another 100 years late in telling you, I enjoyed the movie as well. I thought it was a successful portrayal of the book and it was exciting to see the characters brought to life.

Jen Lancaster, in person.

If you're a book nerd like me then getting to meet one of your favorite authors in person is always a big thrill.


Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending my second (!) Jen Lancaster book signing for her new novel, If You Were Here.

This is Lancaster's first work of fiction, which is quite exciting. I'm totally obsessed with her memoirs and couldn't wait to my my hands on this book. Luckily, my sister pre-ordered me a copy for my birthday (Thanks, sis!) and I got it just in time for the event.

Even getting to the Barnes and Noble the better part of an hour early, it was still standing room only left. The crowds had already formed to hear Lancaster read, answer questions and get books signed. My friend Jen and I patiently waited, discussing all things Jen Lancaster: previous books and the parts we loved, how Lancaster might make her entrance (we hoped pumping her fists like Rocky to “Eye of the Tiger”....no luck), and what we thought the new novel was going to be like.

Then the time came, Lancaster came to the podium as the crowd snaked all around the upstairs of Barnes and Noble cheered. She started off reading an excerpt from If You Were Here that had everyone laughing out loud at her trademark humor and wit. There's certainly no lacking of Lancaster's voice in her characters. With that excerpt, anyone who hadn't read the book yet (Jen and I included) couldn't wait to see what else was in store. Following the reading Lancaster answered questions from the audience about her pets, what she misses about the city and other things book related.

Lancaster's just as funny in person as she is in her writing and it always a pleasure getting to hear her speak. After a quick coffee break, it was time to get our books signed. Jen and I stepped into the line winding around various book shelves displaying titles from all things gardening to parenting, spirituality and all things in between. We spent out time waiting entertaining ourselves discussing random book titles and reading through a book of useless information (example: people, on average, laugh about 13 times per day.) Finally, it was almost our turn. We briefly discussed what we should talk about while getting our books signs and then we were. Lancaster was friendly and open as she signed out books and posed for a picture. It was a fantastically fun evening and I've since made my way over halfway through If You Were Here. So far I'll say it's everything I hoped it would be.

Lifelines.

Among the many things I love about books and reading is that sometimes you come across something where the author can express in words exactly what you are thinking or feeling in way you couldn't figure out how to do.

I find this happens to me especially at times when I am going through something life changing. Whether is meeting someone or breaking up with someone, making career changes or exploring new adventures I always happen to stumble across a book expressing my exact sentiments that I couldn't find the words for. And when this happens, these stories become life lines- something to hold on through as you figure your way through. It keeps you grounded and serves as a reference point to which you can look back for inspiration, courage or remembrance.

When I find books like this I hold on to them and find that I reread them over again when I am faced with a situation similar to the one that latched my onto the story in the first place.

One of my favorites is a book by Alison Pace called Through Thick and Thin. It tells the story of two sisters, Meredith and Stephanie who lead completely opposite lives. They both bond and separate because of dieting and they try to deal with the issues of their lives while trying to lose weight. At one point Meredith adopts a dog and decides to try a dog yoga, or doga if you will, class. As Meredith struggles through poses her teacher says something so simple, yet so brilliant. "Try easy," he says. What a revelation! And this can be applied to so many things in life. I recall the scene from this book constantly when something is giving me trouble. I'll take a moment and repeat: try easy. I think we have a tendency to make thing far more complicated than they may actually need to be. We get ourselves all worked up into a frenzied, stressed out state of madness until we can't see which way is up. If we take a moment, breathe, and try easy things just might turn around.

Another book I turn to constantly because it's so full of wisdom that I learn something new every time is Eat, Pray, Love. Elizabeth Gilbert offers such insightful views on so many important aspects of life: love, relationships, self discovery, work... to name a few. I tend to turn back to Eat, Pray, Love after things turn sour in my love life. I see a lot of similarities between myself and Gilbert in the way we behave in relationships (as I'm sure many women and maybe even some men do too.) It's nice to turn back to this book and rereard Gilbert's comforting words, like wrapping myself in my coziest blanket and settling in for the period of "getting over it" or "moving on."

Another book I've mentioned here that offers some great advice is Cathy Kelly's Past Secrets. In it Maggie suffers a devastating breakup after discovering her boyfriend's been cheating. Her friend suggests getting back at him, making him suffer and other sorts of revenge. Instead of giving in Maggie says, "I'm trying to put myself in the happy Zen state where the only true revenge is living my own life well." And it's true. You can't look anything but fabulous and confident when you are living your best life to its fullest potential. Instead of worrying about him (or her if the case may be) you focus on you. You make you better and you sink your teeth into carpe diem.

Most recently I've been reading Now and Then by Jacqueline Sheehan. It's been an interesting read so far. I've been enjoying it but I'm only half way through so I don't have an official opinion yet. Anyway, While I reading before bed last night I came across a great droplet of wisdom. The main character Anna is thinking about her situation (which is that she and her nephew have time traveled back to Ireland 1844 and don't know how to get back) and she realizes: she could endure the most excruciating circumstances as long as she knew there was an end. Similarly Anna thinks that "surely she can do anything for a few days." We as people don't do well with any sort of uncomfort. Pain. Confusion. Anxiety. Helplessness.  But we forget it's only temporary. Those feelings don't last forever. I know for me, when I'm in the middle of something, I feel like it's never going to be any other way. When I'm in it, I can't see that proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. But as cliche as it is, it's there. The feelings fade back, time makes it better and it ends.

World Book Day!

Happy World Book Day everyone!

Today, March 3, is world book day, and in honor of that, I believe it's time to update about the books I've been reading.

I got a whole stack of books for Christmas this year and since then I have been reading through them quicker than  I can write about them. So far I've enjoyed them all which is always a pleasure. I've gotten lost in many different worlds, the stories keeping me drawn to the pages so I can't put the book down.

Most recently (just yesterday in fact) I finished The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks. The Guardian tells the story of Julie, a recently widowed, small town hairdresser. After the death of her husband, she receives a special gift from him he set up in advance to ease her through her grief, a great dane puppy Julie names Singer. Singer becomes more than just a pet, but a friend who is a little bit like a person. Julie is also best friends with her ex-husband's best friend Mike (who's also in love with Julie). After a couple of dates with a hair client, Richard, Julie figures it's not going to work out and realizes that Mike was who she was meant to be with after all. Things don't go quite as planned and take a scary turn, Julie and Mike fearing for their lives and their relationship.

I was just glued to this book. Sparks does a good job of balancing the thriller aspect with the love story she while I was cheering on Mike and Julie, I was also right there, afraid for them while they fought for their life together. Their story is sweet and touching. Mike's love for Julie is honest and unwavering, and it's always refreshing to see (or read about...) a man so devoted to his love. I found myself just waiting for Julie to come to realization that her feelings we mutual and when they finally get together I gave them a little cheer.

Unfortunately Richard turns out to be nothing like anyone expected, becoming obsessively scary and increasingly dangerous. The deeper into the story I got, the harder it became to put the book down. It was literally a thrill and I wanted to get through each detail, needing to know more and more until my eyes were literally burning with exhaustion and I had to put the book down.

The Guardian is certainly unlike a traditional romance novel but the love story, after everything, stays in the foreground and offers a little something for lovers of romance, thrill and Nicholas Sparks.

Review: Once in a Lifetime

In the small town is Ardagh, Ireland rests a successful and popular department store, Kenny's. Many lives of the people in this town revolve around Kenny's. They own it, are married to the owner, work there, have relatives who are employed there or have some other connection. These connections run deep through the town, connecting not only the people to the store, but the people to each other.

In Cathy Kelly's novel, Once in a Lifetime, she introduces fascinating characters with wonderful, albeit sometimes heartbreaking, stories to tell. Although probably considered chick lit Once in a Lifetime takes twists and turns that are unexpected and take the characters in directions that allow them to become fully realized and more relatable.

Stories start out typically enough, following patterns you would assume. Not to say that's a bad thing, they are enjoyable and captivating stories on their own. Yet at a certain point each story takes an unexpected turn and I found myself unable to put the book down for wanting to find out more details. The depths these stories go to is fascinating and they become real. It's not all fluff and sugar, but real problems are dealt with and I think that's something people can really relate to.

Aside from wonderfully twisting stories, the characters are widely diverse and as a result, they really have space to grow. They take their roots in certain stock characters (the strange old woman, the powerful working mom/wife, the cast off daughter, etc) but the grow from their and take on their own forms. Mainly female lead characters, they are all strong woman in their own ways and it's enjoyable reading about them maneuvering through their lives.

I thoroughly enjoyed Once in a Lifetime and appreciate that Cathy Kelly kept me intrigued from the moment I opened the novel to when I closed the back cover.

525,600 minutes

Happy new year!

I hope that everyone had a fabulous holiday season complete with too much food, time spent with family and friends, and of course plenty of good reads.

2010 was an interesting year for me full of a lot of ups and downs. Not my best year, but I suppose also not my worst. I began this blog in the middle of 2010, after much thought and deliberation on just what I should blog about and how to actually bring it all to fruition. It's been a great pleasure being able to share my insights and my favorite books with others and I look forward to much more of that with the new year.

That being said, I start the new year armed with a multitude of new books to jump into. As an avid reader who comes from a family of family avid readers (read: my mother) I was gifted a handful of books for Christmas, which I am delighted about particularly because some are by a favorite author and they all sound wonderful in their own ways.

What I received was Once in a Lifetime by Cathy Kelly, who's also the author of Past Secrets, which I loved. I also got City Dog and If Andy Warhol had a Girlfriend by Alison Pace, a favorite author of mine, and Style A to Zoe by Rachel Zoe. I die for Rachel Zoe and think she's a-mazing.

I am currently still reading The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. It's quite long and so it's taken me some time to get through but I am loving it. It's a real page turner full of wildly fascinating facts, interesting potential conspiracy theories and unusual adventure. I have a hard time putting it down and stepping away because I'm so captivated by Robert Langdon (the main character) and the events as they unfold. I want to stay glued to my seat and take it all in. I'm about halfway through as it is now and I have a strong suspicion it won't be too much longer before I hit the back cover.

So here's to 2011. May it be filled with love and light and loads of new stories to discover.

December: Read a New Book Month

I know I'm a little late in saying so, but December is "read a new book month."

I love this. I love that there's a month dedicated to people discovering new books to enjoy (or maybe not enjoy but you'll never know unless you crack open the cover, right?). I love reading is being promoted, because in some ways, it seems like a long lost hobby. I meet a lot of people that just don't read for pleasure, and it's so sad for me. there's nothing better sometimes than diving into a new story, getting lost in the characters and the plot points and getting a little escape especially during the crazy holiday season.

So in honor of Read a New Book Month I am reading a new book. I'm reading The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown, author of Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons.

I read Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons in high school but I remember that I loved them. For a while Da Vinci Code was my favorite book. Brown's writing is instantly attention grabbing and his historic knowledge of symbolism and mysticism is fascinating.

 

So over Thanksgiving when my aunt offered to lend me and my mom some books I quickly grabbed The Lost Symbol. I've started it and so far it's been everything I'd hoped for. I was instantly pulled into the plot and was excited to revisit Robert Langdon, the main character from Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons who's also the main character in this book. I'm not very far in yet but I can already foresee the adventures that are to come and the interesting facts I will inevitably learn.

Now to you- are you reading any new books right now? Are you enjoying them? What are you reading?

Also a challenge- if you know someone who loves to read or even someone who doesn't- share a book with them so they too can partake in both the holiday spirit and the spirit of read a new book month.

Turning the tables.

Enough me about me and my thoughts for a second.

Let's talk about you.

What are you reading right now? Are you liking it or not so much?

Have you heard of any good reads you can't wait to start?

What are you favorite types of books to read? Do you tend to stick to that type/genre/etc or do you like to branch out once in a while?

Considerate Writing and Reading

I was recently reading a post on ProBlogger.net and I came across this quote: "Communicating through a computer makes it very tempting to say things that we would not say in person." 

This could not be a more true statement and something I had just been thinking about. As I write my blogs, it always runs through my mind when choosing my wording or when I'm not sure if I should say something. As an writer, there's the notion of artistic license that gives me the freedom to say whatever I think or feel without having to censor my words. But then I think, "Should I censor this? Should I let my thoughts run free or should I consider something before I put it out there for all to read?" And typically, it's the latter that wins out. First, because if I said every thought that came into my head, my posts probably wouldn't make any sense as my mind tends to run pretty random. And second, sometimes, even though a thought pops into my head, I realize that maybe it doesn't need to be stated. Maybe it could be construed as offensive. Maybe it includes language I've deemed unnecessary. But whatever the case may be, it's better that the thought just stay in my head.

As the ProBlogger post said, it's so easy to say something on the computer, like with this blog, than it is in person. Because, there's no direct contact, a buffer is created between what's being said and who it's being said to. Or in the case, who's reading it. I try to always be conscious of this and never write anything I wouldn't say to someone if I was telling them my story in person. I think this is important to because it means that each word holds more meaning than if I just slapped my every musing up here. If a writer takes the time to consider their words first and really think about what they're saying, something truly meaningful and personal can be created. That's what I try to do here. Offer up my personal insights in a sincere way in the hopes that I will connect with those who read. 


My last thought on this matter is that thoughtful writing causes the reader to then consider what they've read because of that connection, and they become affected by the material. Like me with the Problogger article, I took away that quote and spent a good deal of time mulling it over. It was honest writing that I was able to connect with because it left a real impression.

Rereads and RENT

I like reading books over again for the same reason I like to watch movies again and again. Because it's like meeting up with an old friend. There's a certain comfort that comes from revisiting a story; it's familiar and it feels comfortable. Maybe some parts you forgot and you get to rediscover. Other parts continue to excite you just like the first time you read them. And still others begin to make sense in new ways each time you return. You get to catch up, as if you're chatting over coffee with a friend from the past, get reacquainted and learn what's new.

I recently reread Anthony Rapp's memoir Without You. I first read this book my freshman year in college, following the wake of release of the movie version of RENT. Anthony Rapp, in case you didn't know, originated the role of Mark Cohen in Jonathan Larson's rock opera, RENT. A show that went from a workshop performance to a sold-out, long-running Broadway phenomenon.

I first discovered RENT through its music. Being a theatre kid in high school, I was always coming across the CDs for various shows. I grew to love the music and then was privileged enough to see the live show as a birthday present. By the time the movie came out, I was a full blown Renthead (what they call RENT fans). So when I found out one of the stars had written a memoir about his life and RENT, I had to get my hands on it. I remember sitting in my dorm room or on the quad on sunny, May days relishing in Rapp's writing. It was fascinating, especially after seeing the movie version oh, about 100 times, to get an insider perspective of the show.

It's been about four years since I first cracked open the book binding of Without You, which wasreleased in 2006. Flash forward to now and me having run out of something to read. I've taken to perusing my sister's bookshelf when I run out of thing to read on my own, andstumbled across her copy of this memoir. I picked it up and considered it. Since my first reading, I had the privilege of seeing both Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal (Broadway's original Roger Davis) reprise their roles on the stage for a touring company. Not only that, but my life has changed in many, many ways and I was intrigued to see how reading Without You now would affect me.

I was still awed by Rapp's personal journeys as well as the journey of RENT. But I was also able to better relate to the subject of loss and the grieving period that must be allowed. In different ways, I've survived more loss than I had prior (of course, as it's a part of growing up and growing stronger) so I connected more strongly with Rapp as he suffered. But I excited to reread through my favorite parts. Some parts I didn't remember, so I got to experience a whole new reaction. It's always nice to travel back every once in a while to revisit the oldies but goodies and interweave them in with the new and fresh.

Impulses

I had the day off of work today. Instead of sitting on my butt being lazy I decided to take the opportunity to do a little city exploring. On my typical bus route I always pass by this used book store and have been meaning to go in for weeks. With a whole, sunny day ahead of me I figured it was the perfect time to venture in.

Even before walking into Bookleggers, I perused the "on sale" book carts outside. With the sun on my back, I glanced through a vast array of titles and authors. Some I recognized and others I'd never heard it. It's always interesting to me to see what people choose to write about and where stories seem to occur.

After making a selection, I wandered inside. Immediately I was hit with the familiar smell of old books. It's a little bit of a strange smell, an acquired taste if you will, but there's something comforting in it. It's the smell of knowing you can lost in a story, become suddenly and without warning transported to anywhere else and getting fully invested in the lives of the characters. It's like walking into your grandma's house or the house of an old friend, kind of enveloping you in a bear hug and welcoming you in. With that, I wandered around the isles checking out what Bookleggers had to offer.

As I sorted through the fiction section I began to think about what types of books I'm generally pulled to and what my book impulses are. With so many titles gracing the shelves, it's an almost overwhelming experience to figure out what's for you. Typically I gravitate towards anything to do with animals. I am a serious animal lover and because of that, anything with an animal on the cover or in the title, I will at least check out because I impulsively lean towards them. That said, I left the store with two books about dogs- The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst and Dog Years by Mark Doty. One if fiction and one is a memoir. They sound like amazing stories to get lost in so I will keep you posted.