The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Help examines the relationship between African American women working as domestic household help during the 1950s and 1960s. Easily it is a social examination of the relationship between the roles of African American women in positions working as maids in white women's homes. But can easily parallel the domestic servant and privileged class relationship as it had been for centuries. This fictional book includes the social movements of the tumultuous times of the African American sit-ins, to the Freedom Summer (a voting movement to break old class and racial restrictions of African Americans and to help them register to vote) to the Brown vs. The Board of Education Topeka, Kansas (1954). This book is about a woman, Skeeter, who in her search to answer the disappearance of her childhood maid Constantine, teams up with a myriad of African American maids who all tell their life stories and their experiences helping white families in Jackson, Mississippi. Skeeter compiles these stories to produce a book titled Help (of course anonymously written), which becomes a huge secret thought provoking hit throughout the nation transcending racial barriers. The Help is phenomenal! It is well written and is full of humble observance of the lines that should indeed be crossed and poignantly reminds us as women and as people, "We are just two people. Not much separates us. Not nearly as mush as I'd thought." This book instinctively intertwines humor and love; and even a few well doled out instances of humane revenge. (Be careful how you treat those who prepare your food... Especially your favorite pie!)

My rating; 5 out of 5

My Life in France by Julia Child

Last fall I watched Julie and Julie, the movie, and loved the parts of the movie about Julia Child. This book was on my must read list and I picked it up prior to our move in December and while settling into our new house I finished this book My Life in France by Julia Child edited by Alex Prudhomme. It is a wonderful memoir where Julia Child retells her inspiration, life and the challenges of living life following her husband Paul around from various government work assignments from locations in America to France and Germany. If you know me and my life… Julia Child’s situation and quest to do something of her own and to find a passion and friends in various locations is all too similar to of my life right now. Child does this with class while still realizing that it is okay to not like the location you live in, but to live your life anyway! Child’s life and recollections in this memoir are truly inspirational to me. For her to find her calling so relatively late in life is greatly admirable. Thank you Julia Child for sharing your thoughts and ideas relating to your experiences, locations and your passion for cooking. Thank you, both to Julia and Paul Child, for reminding us, “Illegitemus non carborundum” during the trails of our life. As Child concluded this memoir she reminds us, “And thinking back on it now reminds me that the pleasures of the table, and life, are infinite- tojours bon appétit!” I can’t wait to cook several of her recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking (volumes I and II) and From Julia Child’s Kitchen.

My rating: 5 out of 5

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Persuasion by Jane Austen, and perhaps her best book, is about an shy and socially awkward woman (Anne Elliot) with a strong intellect whom is relocated to the city of Bath from the English country side. Anne is put face to face with the Captain Wentworth whom she was persuaded against marrying years prior.

My rating: 4.3 out of 5

This was the last book read with my Norfolk book club! I am going to miss you all!

Current Readings

Quick update: I am currently reading Persuasion by Jane Austen (my book club’s choice) and My Life in France by Julia Child (my personal choice). I like the Austen classic, and by far, it is my favorite Austen book (and I have read several). Julia Child’s memoir is amazing! Child is an inspiring woman with a delightful story to tell! One of these days, I will set up a future reading list on this blog, I have many on my mental future reading list.

A Circle of Quiet by Madeline L'Engle

This is another book chosen by the book club I belong to. I would not have chosen this book by myself, but I am jubilant that someone else did. A Circle of Quiet is the first book in L’ Engle’s The Crosswicks Journal. L’Engle is the well renowned author of at Wrinkle in Time, An Acceptable Time, Many Waters and many other wonderful novels that many of us were likely exposed to as teenagers. A Circle of Quiet is worth reading. This book is full of L’Engle’s reflections, ideas and experiences in Crosswicks, where she spent her summers, and a few reflections of events that shaped her works and career outside of her summers in Crosswicks. It is a journal; and a few spots seemed a little monotonous, but overall this is a good book. I appreciated many of L’Engle’s thoughts and ideas. L’Engle states: “I am going to contradict myself.” I am thankful L’Engle addresses this point, because many of us contradict ourselves without even realizing it; and even fewer of us identify and reflect upon our contradictions. This is one of my favored passages in this book: “To be responsible means precisely what the word implies: to be capable of giving a response…. To refuse to respond is in itself a response. Those of us who write are responsible for the effect of our books. Those who teach, who suggest books to either children or adults, are responsible for their choices. Like it or not, we either add to the darkness of indifference and out-and-out evil which surround us or we light a candle to see by.”

My rating: 3.8 put of 5

Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross

Pope Joan is a wonderful book! Well researched and written. Pope Joan is one of the best books I have read. I highly recommend this to readers who like history and a bit of feminist ambition! I checked this out from the local Norfolk Public Library, however; because I liked this book so much I have purchased my own copy. This story is placed in the middle ages. It follows Joan a brilliant girl who shares her brothers’ education, and is able to rise within the Catholic Church after taking up her brother John’s cloak once he dies. I strongly suggest reading the author’s note in the back of the book before reading this novel. In reading the magazine, Real Simple, I noticed that one reader stated that as a little girl she had dreamed of being the first female pope. After reading that statement, I thought, “Well, you could be the second female pope, but the first openly female pope”. I only wish that I would have read this book before visiting the Rome and Vatican city over two years ago. Woolfolk Cross' deep historical inclusion of the Leonine Wall, the popes, the various buildings, streets and Christian churches within Rome made this book come alive to me. I found myself reading, and saying, Woolfolk Cross must have stood in many of the same places that I myself have stood within the Vatican and its surrounding Rome. The next time I walk along the Roman road the Via Sacra, now known as the Via S. Giovanni, it will have an entirely new meaning to me!

My rating: 5 out of 5.

Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond. Collapse by Jared Diamond.

The renowned geography professor Jared Diamond at UCLA writes both of these books. I read both over a year ago, and I am adding them to this book blog because they are both personal favorites among my book collection.

Guns, Germs and Steel: the Fates of Human Societies explains why certain people groups were able to dominate and expand over other groups. Guns, Germs and Steel gives the reader and introspective view of history and an analytically researched book to draw from. Guns, Germs and Steel should be a mandatory reading for everyone! I found this book very interesting and I truly admire Diamond's academic research and his books!

My rating for Guns, Germs and Steel: 4 out of 5.

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail Or Succeed should also be a required reading for everyone. I found this book very intriguing and full of useful information. I specifically liked the local and national ecological issues that Diamond addresses in this book. This book is a must read and analyzes the decisions that certain societies and nations have taken and how those decisions, or lack thereof, resulted in successes or disaster!

My rating for Collapse: 4.5 out of 5.

To add to my future reading list is The Third Chimpanzee by Jared Diamond!