CLEAR OFF YOUR SHELVES CHALLENGE - COMPLETED

Today was the last day of the 2009 Clear Off Your Shelves Challenge and I can proudly state that I completed this challenge. YAY! Hosted by Swapna over at S. Krishna's Books, this challenge ran from October 1 thru November 30 and basically consisted of reading books that have been sitting on your shelves for the past six months or longer. You had to choose a percentage amount of how many books you would be able to read during the challenge and I chose 40% (so if I read 10 books during Oct. 1 thru Nov. 30, then 4 of those books would make up the 40% and I would have completed the challenge). Here is a list of the books I read during this challenge period:

1. Columbine by Dave Cullen
2. Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles
3. Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult
4. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
5. The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult
6. The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
7. Love Walked In by Marisa De Los Santos
8. The Help by Katharine Stockett

All eight of these books count towards the challenge, which means that I most definitely reached my goal of 40%. So, another challenge down and on to the next one. I've already signed up for the Women Unbound Challenge and I'll be participating in the Woolf In Winter Group Read and I still need to finish reading Ulysses for the Team Ulysses Group Read. And I've heard of a challenge that will be involving Gilmore Girls, a show that I love, which means that I will definitely be participating in that one. Crikey! There are just so many interesting challenges being put together - I can't help it! Plus, I have accumulated more books and new piles are forming all around my desk. Must get back to reading. Hope everyone had a lovely holiday weekend eating lots of yummy turkey - I know I did! Cheers! Happy reading!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Happy Thanksgiving!! I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend with their family and friends. I'm looking forward to my holiday weekend. Eating yummy food with my family and watching New Moon! I can't wait!! As far as the reading goes, well, I have been re-reading all of the Twilight books. I finished Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan and will be reviewing it soon enough. I'm also going through my book cases and deciding which books I want to let go of. I still need to figure out which books I want to read for the Women Unbound Challenge - definitely The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and possibly a book by Woolf. Actually I am going to participate in a group read of four Woolf books (The Waves, Orlando, Mrs. Dalloway and To The Lighthouse), so maybe one of those books can go towards the Women Unbound Challenge. Hmmm. Oh, and I got my Persephone book from my Secret Santa the other day and I'm excited to begin reading that one. In fact, there are so many new books piled around my office that are calling out to be read, so I need to figure out which one to start with first. Anyhow, this post is not very bookish today and I apologize for that. I'll be back on track starting next week. Until then, I wish everyone a very, happy Thanksgiving!! Cheers!!

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!!