The Help - wonderful read. I listened to it on CD from the library, went out and bought the book for my bookshelf. Fantastic. The arc of Skeeter as a fresh college graduate still trying to fit in with her friends and get date the cute guy, gradually growing as she interviews the maids and realizing she can not ever fit in with them and will not bend herself to her boyfriend's life is so beautiful. The growing relationship between Minny and Hilly was so artfully done, the growth of Hilly not fitting into her life and finally accepting that and stop trying to be something different and how she always accepted Minny with friendship, and Minny having to accept that. All the friendships that grew out of such a troubled time, all the people who had to step past what they were, a lovely book. I truly enjoyed it.
The movie was a fair rendition. I appreciated the changes they made to the mother, giving her redemption at the end by backing her daughter. Who couldn't love that scene with Hilly walking up to the house to tell on Skeeter, Skeeter mortified because it would hurt her mother so much, and Hilly, having so selfishly pulled back from her long time friend Skeeter not known how sick her mother became, taken back had how ill her mother was, had Skeeter's mom reprimand her at how terrible Hilly looked, her hair a mess, her face with a cold sore, and Skeeter's mom telling Hilly she really needs to take better care of herself, men don't like a woman looking so disarrayed. The movie did a good job - I can say you can like them both. But don't skip the book.
Eat Pray Love - this was like snuggling up under a blanket by a fire with a cup of coco in your hand. It was so wonderful. I loved it so much. I listened to it on CD read by Elizabeth Gilbert and went out and bought the book. There were moments in it that were so wonderful. She captured me as she explained how she divided the book up enjoying the balance of 3s. There are too many parts for me to pull out all of the moments that made me smile, that made me want to underline or read to someone to list them all here. It was such a warm story showing so many people that she met on her way and showing herself as she went through these different parts of her life. I wish I could describe them but I wouldn't do them justice. It is a lovely read.
I didn't buy the movie, while visually beautiful those moments that were like warm hugs, that were worded so beautifully were not translated well onto film.
However, the book I am trying to get everyone I talk to to read is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows. This book is about an author in England right after WWII and is dealing with rationing and then receives a letter from the Guernsey Islands and realized they were occupied by the Germans during this time, she hadn't realized that. The person who wrote her the letter was in the Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society so she wants to know what that is and how it was named as such. She visits the island, meets the members, keeps in correspondence with her publisher and his sister, both of whom are her long time friends and the whole thing is written in letters - everyone writing to each other. As the reader goes through the letters the story unfolds about the present day and about what happened during the German occupation. The sentences and words that are used in this novel are so wonderful, she tells the story so beautifully. The thing I loved most about this book is I loved the main character for her love. Often, I have read about beautifully people who are greatly loved, and I am not a beautiful person and so I simply feel I fall short. But this book had flawed individuals who were not laughed at, they were greatly loved and treasured by the main character, she was delighted to surround herself with them. This was full of laughter, sweetness, and some tears.
These are just a few of the fiction books I love, later I will write about the fantasy I love.
