The Help - Kathryn Stockett

What a wonderful book! I thoroughly enjoyed reading Kathryn Stockett's debut novel, The Help. Its 1962 and we are introduced into the lives of Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter, three strong female characters who choose to make a difference in their lives and others by creating a book that tells the truth. Aibileen and Minny are two strong Black women working in the homes of the affluent white women of Jackson, Mississippi. They are entrusted with the chores of raising the children and cleaning the house. Aibileen has raised 17 children during her lifetime of working as a maid and each child has held a special place in her heart. Minny, on the other hand, finds it hard to maintain a job because of her inability to keep quiet when her bosses insult her. Skeeter, is white and just graduated from college and should be looking for a spouse (according to her mother), but finds herself distancing herself from her friends at the junior league due to their racist attitudes (especially when her best friend decides to create an issue regarding toilets - she believes that every home should have a separate toilet for the staff, because Black people carry diseases) and her desire for something different out of life. When Skeeter becomes Mrs. Myrna for the local paper and requires Aibileen's help for the articles, she begins to get to know Aibileen a bit better and winds up teaming up with her to work on an independent project. Skeeter and Aibileen, with the help of Minny and ten other maids, write a book that provides an inside look at the lives of Black maids in Jackson, Mississippi. Skeeter changes certain details in the book, like the true location and the identities of the maids and their employers, however, suspicion is rife, when a television show posits how closely the book, Help, resembles some of the local people in Jackson, Mississippi. As a result of these suspicions, some maids are fired from their jobs, or incarcerated under false accusations. Aibileen is fired from her job, but finds herself feeling freer then she has ever felt. Minny winds up leaving her husband for good (after he threatens to kill her - she has endured a marriage that involved domestic violence) and takes her children with her to her sister's home. Skeeter finds a job in New York and finally feels as if her life is about to truly begin. Each woman experiences so much in this book and finds some sort of peace by the end. Its an uplifting book and the ways in which Stockett deals with such serious issues such as, racism, civil rights, domestic violence, and sexism, really showcase her talent as a writer. The writing itself was excellent; I enjoyed the history of the time period, along with the memories each woman shared about their experiences working as a maid, growing up in the south, and their hopes and fears of what was to become of them once their stories were read by all. Each character was wonderfully drawn out and easily accessible, that it was impossible not to fall in love with Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter. I found myself cheering for them in their differing endeavors, which all seemed to be quite similar in the end - hoping for a better future. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to delve into the past and learn about a time when civil rights were emerging onto the scene in a huge way and how three women were capable of creating so much hope for so many people. Its wonderful when fiction can border on the real and leave such a lasting impression on its reader. One of my favorite reads of this year. Can't wait for Stockett to write her next book, as I'm sure that whatever it is will be well written and quite compelling. Happy reading!!

WOMEN UNBOUND - Start of challenge meme!

Alright, so to kick off this challenge there is a meme to respond to. Here it goes:

WOMEN UNBOUND Start of Challenge Meme:

1. What does feminism mean to you? Does it have to do with the work sphere? The social sphere? How you dress? How you act?

Feminism is an ongoing movement that focuses on improving the social status of women (equality between men and women), educating the world on the inequalities between men and women and the ways in which these inequalities can be addressed, establishing more rights for women to become equal partners to men in every arena (academic, political, social, economic, etc.). I think that feminism does have to do with the work sphere, the social sphere, the way we dress and they ways in which we act (social behavior, customs, cultures, gestures, language, etc.). In fact I believe that it affects every aspect of our livelihood (to some degree).

2. Do you consider yourself a feminist? Why or why not?

Yes, I do consider myself a feminist, because I believe in the feminist movement's agenda to work on establishing more rights for women, and raising awareness of the many issues women face on a daily basis, along with helping to secure equal rights for women in every area of their lives (specifically, political, social, work, economic).

3. What do you consider the biggest obstacle women face in the world today? Has that obstacle changed over time, or does it basically remain the same?

Inequality within the political, academic, work, social and economic arenas. Over time, there have been some slight changes, but at the end of the day, women are still being paid less than men and are still being overlooked for promotions because of their gender.

Okay, so those are my answers to the meme. I'm looking forward to figuring out which books to read for this challenge. Happy Reading!

WOMEN UNBOUND: A Reading Challenge

I just found out about this interesting challenge called, Women Unbound.
Basically, it is a challenge devoted to reading texts, both fiction and non-fiction, that are related to the concept of 'Women's Studies'. As a women's studies major I am most definitely interested in this challenge and think its a wonderful way to get more people interested in writings that focus on the culture of women and their roles within society.

Here are the details for the challenge:

The challenge runs from November 1, 2009-November 30, 2010, but you may join in the fun whenever you wish! Participants are encouraged to read nonfiction and fiction books related to the rather broad idea of ‘women’s studies.’ The definition according to Merriam-Webster is,

"the multidisciplinary study of the social status and societal contributions of women and the relationship between power and gender".

For nonfiction, this would include books on feminism, history books focused on women, biographies of women, memoirs (or travelogues) by women, essays by women and cultural books focused on women (body image, motherhood, etc.). The topics I’ve listed aren’t meant to be exhaustive; if you come across a nonfiction book whose subject is female-related, it counts! Of course, if you’re not sure you can always ask about it in a comment. And if you need some ideas for specific books, check out the ‘Reading Lists’ page.

It’s trickier to say what is applicable as fiction. Obviously, any classic fiction written by a feminist is applicable. But where do we go from there? To speak generally, if the book takes a thoughtful look at the place of women in society, it will probably count. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to explain in your review why you chose this for the challenge and its connection to women’s studies. Once again, if you need some specific ideas, check out the ‘Reading Lists’ page.

One quick note about author gender. There isn’t a rule if a book’s written by a woman it counts and if by a man it doesn’t count. I firmly believe that men can be feminists and that not all women are feminists. As long as the book adheres to the definition of women’s studies I’ve shared above, it counts.

Interested in participating? Great! There are three levels you can choose as a reader (you can count books for other challenges as well):

• Philogynist: read at least two books, including at least one nonfiction one.
• Bluestocking: read at least five books, including at least two nonfiction ones.
• Suffragette: read at least eight books, including at least three nonfiction ones.

You can sign up for this challenge over at Women Unbound.

For any other questions regarding this challenge head on over to Women Unbound.

I don't have a list yet, but I am going to read at least 8 books for this challenge. So, I guess I'll be participating at the Suffragette level. Here's to some great reading!!

Love Walked In - Marisa de los Santos

This book is lovely. Just lovely. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the lives of Cornelia, Teo, and Clare. Their characters are engaging and easy to connect with and fully fleshed out so that you feel as if you've known them for quite some time. The writing is splendid - I just loved the way in which the author described the clothing, cooking, and cafe in such terms that you could imagine each of these items so clearly. I laughed out loud at the banter between Cornelia and her best friends Teo and Linny; and I cried my heart out when I read about how much pain Clare was in without her mother. Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos is one of those books that you can't help but fall in love with. Upon first glance you imagine this book to be a chick lit type of novel, and perhaps to some extent it is (Cornelia and Martin, Martin and Viviana, Teo and Ollie, Cornelia and Teo, Linny and Hayes), but there is more depth to it than a typical chick lit novel. The story itself unfolds rather simply, which is quite nice. You almost expect to know the outcome and in a way you do know what is going to happen, but you don't get the entire ending right; which I think is great. We have Cornelia Brown, manager of Cafe Dora, who hits it off with Martin Grace and finds herself soon in a lukewarm love affair. Enter Clare Grace, Martin's daughter (whom Cornelia knows nothing about), and Viviana (Clare's mother and Martin's ex-wife) into the picture. We find ourselves learning about Clare and her fear that her mother is slowly going crazy. Each chapter alternates between Clare and Cornelia's perspective of what is happening to them and around them, which I think played out quite nicely in developing the storyline along. As Martin and Cornelia's relationship progresses we learn that Cornelia is not in love with Martin; and we learn that Clare's mother has left her on the side of the road and driven off, leaving Clare to fend for herself. At work one day Cornelia turns to find Martin standing before her with Clare, who suddenly begins to cry. Cornelia rushes to Clare's side and immediately begins to care for her. And so the story moves forward with Cornelia discovering more and more that she really does not know Martin; with Clare realizing that she is not alone and has Cornelia and Teo in her corner; with Teo and Cornelia realizing that they are more than just family; and with the return of Viviana, Clare's MIA mother. I could tell you the end and all the details surrounding each character, but I don't want to reveal anything else. I want you to read this book when you get a chance. Borrow it, buy it, or mooch it - but definitely read it! And now I am off to read some Wodehouse - The Code of the Woosters! Happy reading!!

The Lace Reader - Brunonia Barry

I'm confused. Its been a few hours since I finished The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry and I am still mulling it over, because I'm not quite sure what really happened in the story. And to be frank, I'm not sure whether or not I liked the book. There were times when I was reading it that I became more and more interested in seeing where the story was going, but then something would happen that would throw me off a bit and then I wasn't really sure I wanted to know what would happen next. The writing itself was good, but I'll be honest and admit that I didn't care much for the excerpts from The Lace Reading Guide that were included at the beginning of each chapter. The plot itself is a bit puzzling because of the way it unfolds, although I do think that from the beginning we have some suspicion as to what really happened in certain storylines. At the beginning of the book we are introduced to the main protagonist, Towner Whitney (aka Sophya), who declares herself to be a liar and a bit of a crazy woman; thereby assuring the reader not to take what Towner claims to be truth to heart. And so the story begins with the disappearance of Eva, Towner's unofficial mother who has cared for her and Beezer (Towner's brother?) since the day their mother May decided to live on Yellow Dog Island. Upon her return home, Towner is forced to deal with her past and her family and everything that she ran away from. From domestic violence to issues with insanity, the author touches upon numerous topics that connect with each other in so many ways. The characters utilize the art of reading lace as a means to learn about the past and future, which I found to be a useful plot device. However, there was not much I really enjoyed about the book. Towards the end when the truth was revealed I wasn't surprised by it, so much as I was disappointed with it. This is definitely not a book I would recommend to friends. All in all, another book to cross off of my list for the Clear Your Shelves Challenge. Here's to hoping the next book I read is a good one. Happy reading!!

The Tenth Circle - Jodi Picoult

I finally finished reading The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult and boy am I glad it is over with! I've always thought that Picoult's books are either hit or miss and this book proves to be a huge MISS! What we have is a book that deals with date rape, a father/daughter relationship, identity issues, infidelity, friendship and loyalty and so much more packed into a mishmash of flashbacks, comic book pages, and the revelation of what happened to Jason Underhill (the rapist). All of these topics alone make for a great novel, but Picoult just does not seem to get the recipe right. Its hard to describe what exactly she gets wrong in the story. The writing is good and the idea of inserting Daniel's comic, Wildclaw, into the book seems an interesting move - however I found it to be annoying and distracting. And no I didn't comb through the comic to find out what the hidden message is (apparently Picoult inserted a hidden message throughout the comic and you can go to her site to find out if you are right). As for the characters - what a disappointment! I found them to be trite and completely unsympathetic and therefore I could not muster an ounce of interest in any of them. I honestly had to make myself finish the book and even then I had to skim over the comics and some sections of the book that just bored me.
I don't really even care to talk about the book anymore, but I suppose I should provide some sort of summary, so here goes: Trixie Stone is date raped at a friend's party and the only people that believe her, are her parents. The entire town believes that Jason Underhill is innocent and that Trixie cried rape because she regretted having sex with Jason. Her parents, David and Laura, are having marital problems of their own - Laura has been having an affair with one of her graduate students. The cops believe that Jason is innocent, but continue to investigate the rape case, until Jason is found dead beneath a bridge. At first glance it appears to have been a suicide, but the more evidence that appears, it is soon apparent that Jason Underhill was not alone at the bridge and that someone pushed him over. David admits to fighting with Jason the night of his death, but does not confess to murder. Trixie is tired of everything going on at home so she runs away to Alaska (where David is originally from). Laura and David slowly begin to communicate again and find themselves searching for their daughter and praying she is safe. The detectives decide to follow the parents, believing they will be lead them to Trixie (whom they now believe to be behind Jason's murder). In Alaska, David confronts his past and is reunited with his family. The police arrest Trixie for Jason's murder and David confesses to the murder. Laura also confesses to the murder. In the end we find out that Laura was on the bridge that night and that Jason fell over the bridge and she tried to help him up, but wound up letting go of his hand. The end.
Okay, so that is over with. The only benefit from reading the Picoult book is that I can use it to cross another one off of the Clear Off Your Shelves reading challenge and the Fall/Winter Challenge - so, yay me!! Now, I can finish reading The Lace Reader. I still haven't finished S&S&Sea Monsters or In The Woods - truthfully, I'm just not into them at the moment, so, I suppose I will finish them whenever I get to them again. As for the 100 Mile Fitness Challenge - lets just say that I am a tad behind on my miles. I'm hoping to make them up this week!!
Ta for now and Happy Reading!!!

100 Mile Fitness Challenge

The 100 Mile Fitness Challenge!! I literally just read about this today and have decided to join up because I really need to start some sort of exercise regimen. I have been walking a bit in the mornings, but I think this will help motivate me to keep on walking and stop sleeping in! Trish at http://100milefitness.blogspot.com/ is hosting this challenge. Here are the details: The goal for the challenge is to exercise for "100 miles" in three months.

Here’s how it works:
In order to complete this Challenge, you will need to “travel” 100 miles from October 1st through December 31st.

Here's how you calculate your mileage:
*Running or walking 1 mile outside or on a treadmill equals 1 mile.

*15 minutes of other workouts equals 1 mile (elliptical, swimming, weight lifting, workout video, workout classes, etc.).

A few "workout" stipulations:
“Workouts” only include activities specifically done for the purpose of exercise. Shopping, house cleaning, walking to and from the parking lot, and other day to day activities should not be included.

Partial miles travelled on different days cannot be combined. For example, if you run 1.25 miles on one day, and .75 mile on another day, that does not equal 2 miles. It counts as 1 mile.

Minutes accumulated on two different days cannot be combined. For example, if you workout 10 minutes one day and 5 minutes the next day, that does not combine to equal a mile.

1 mile on the bike does not equal 1 mile, etc. Only walking/running is mile for mile. Otherwise it would be too easy, huh?

So, those are the details and any questions you may have can be answered at 100 Mile Fitness Challenge!

Sign up at: 100 Mile Fitness Challenge!

I know I'm a bit behind on this challenge but I am ready to start walking and catch up!