The Help

First on my blog I shall write about the book I am currently half way through. 'The Help' by Kathryn Stockett, this was recently made into a movie, which I did not get the chance to see but I do want to in the future. When I hear a movie is being made from the book I always like to read the book first and then watch the movie, see how they've brought the book to life.

It's set in the 1960's, during the civil rights movements, and follows the life of three women, two coloured women who are maids in white women's homes, as well as a white woman who wants to be a journalist instead of settle for the role of a housewife and mother. She begins to write about the lives of these two coloured ladies, both of which do not feel safe doing so, as physical harm to coloured people was not an un usual occurrence.

The story develops and we see more and more of their lives and the people who fill them, both the sad and the happy, the anger inducing and the tear jerking, moments that add up together to describe the terrible time that was before the civil rights movements, before Martin Luther King Jr, made a mark.

Now too finish up I shall finish the book.

A Few of My Favourite Things

“The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read.”

- Mark Twain

As you may have noticed, most of these books are sequels, and/or I mention more than one novel from each author. When it comes to my reading I do tend to read books by the same author. I like knowing what else they have written and if I enjoyed there writing before, then I surely would again. 

     I am not one of these people who always NEED to finish a book, if it does not interest me then I simple wont finish it. 

Harry Potter Series-J.K.Rowling

 - I can credit the Harry Potter for starting my love of reading and my love of mythical worlds. I'd been given books before but never finished them. HP was different, I saw the first HP movie before I read any of the books, it was in year six and we watched it in class, I asked to borrow my friends copies, and there started a love affair with reading and buying new books. Haven't turned back since, am still collecting new novels and adding them to my collection.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins   

-The Hunger Games renewed my love of books, I'd had a lull in reading good, quality novels, until these books came along and I couldn't get enough. I read them when only two were out and had to suffer and painstakingly long time till the third one came out (I think it was like two months, but still with such a good novel, it felt like years!).

Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult

 -This particular book tackles the issues society had during the first stages of custody battles, where it was quite prejudice towards the mother, even if they were known by their family and friends to be an unfit mother. 'Vanishing Acts' is the story of one father who would not let the system take his daughter and hand her over to her drug abusing mother. Jodi Picoult has a terrific way of making you think about an issue from so many different perspectives, My Sister's Keeper and Picture Perfect are another two of Picoults novel I enjoy.

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory 

 - The White Queen chronicles the life of Elizabeth, a young woman, with no royal blood, becoming the Queen of England. Set during the War of the Roses, it predates the House of Tudors, which famously carries Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth, as well as bloody Mary. These are there predecessors. Being a novel it is not historically accurate, it more so uses the information, and stereotypes of people, that we know of, and creates a story of what may have happened so many years ago. I enjoy these novels by Philippa Gregory for making history exciting.

O'Malley Series by Dee Henderson

 - As much as these books can be slightly corny, I do love a good christian, romantic, mystery novel. It's a series of 6 books, about a group of friends who are family by choice and not by blood and it goes through each story, looking into the lives of each family member, and learning about the life of an orphan, growing up and tackling issues of abandonment and how God plays a part in it all.

Jane Austen

I have not read all the Jane Austen collection, I have just bought the last three that I was missing. I love the language they used back then, and is the deciding factor of me reading them. I'd say Pride and Prejudice would have to be my favourite so far but I am only three books in out of six. Here's to happy reading!

“We read to know we are not alone.”

- C.S. Lewis