Little Women

Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year. And yes, I realize that most people feel the same way, but I would honestly be perfectly happy if every day was Christmas season. I love the lights. I love the music. I love curling up by the fire, drinking hot chocolate and watching It's A Wonderful Life. I love wrapping presents, and I bake enough cookies to feed a small army. I love the smells of cinnamon and pine. And I love taking my copy of Little Women down off my shelf, officially marking the beginning of the Christmas season.
I honestly can't remember the first time I read Little Women or how I started reading it every year, but I have been reading it every Christmas for as long as I can remember. I must have read the Great Illustrated Classic's version when I was 9 or 10, but it wasn't until I was in junior high that I read the original. And I guess I just fell in love.
Each year, I notice things that I never did before. Different quotes stick out to me depending on what is going in my life at the time I read it. I never get tired of it, because I never feel like I am reading the same book. This year was also different, because I read March. After reading so much about the absentee patriarch from Little Women, I felt him where he wasn't. When the girls received his letters, I knew what he was doing and where he was. It gave a story I was so familiar with a whole new depth. That is the best part about re-reading a book so often: it changes every time.
Little Women is like Sex in the City for bookworms. Girls that read it can tell you whether they are a Jo or Meg, or maybe they're an Amy, just as easily as a girl can tell you if she is a Carrie or a Charolette. They are characters that you bond and grow with. As a 10 year old who ran with the boys and needed to be called "Sam", Jo was my absolute favorite. I would sometimes even skip over the parts that weren't about her, and I no matter how many times I read the book I always wanted Laurie to end up with her. Then, as I grew, I became more of an Amy. It was as if one Christmas I picked up this book I had read a thousand times and was suddenly drawn to this character who used to be my least favorite. My miranda. And now, I'm a Meg.
The thing that makes Little Women so special is that it teaches real life lessons that will never be dated or irrelevant. Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy are characters that girls will always be able to relate to and grow with. They learn lessons of humility, honesty, and selflessness. They learn the value of hard work, the importance of family, and to realize their self-worth. Things that every girl should learn, whether it's 1864 or 2014.
It isn't easy finding a book that you are able to read over and over again. You can't just pick one that you like, or that is easy to read. You honestly can't just pick on at all. I think that that epic, life-altering book chooses you. You fall in love. It's feels easy. You just know. And those are the books that make you who are.

Phil Robertson and the Thought Police

I am well aware that I already posted this weeks book this morning, but in light of circumstances I felt the need to write again.
This morning I posted a review of George Orwell's 1984. For those of you that are still unfamiliar with the story, it is a dystopian novel written in 1949 predicting a world in which inhabitants are no longer able live freely. They have lost their freedom of speech, and even the freedom to think. They have no freedom to practice religion, form opinions, or earn an education. They no longer have the freedom to even form their own thoughts. Their every word, action, and emotion is constantly observed by those in power. Their every freedom is obliterated.
I, like many others, found this concept extremely frightening. We have all seen 1984 come and go without any such transformation, but Orwell's concept is not as far fetched as many people may assume.
This morning, I was completely outraged to hear that Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson had been banned from A&E for expressing his beliefs. I find it horrifying that an individual in our society is no longer able to express an opinion without being condemned for it. Many people are aware that the Robertson's are practicing Christians. They are aware that the family has already been under fire for concluding each episode of their show with prayer. And they are aware that gay marriage is not supported in the Christian faith.
This is not an issue of homosexuality. This is about a man who is being attacked and punished for practicing his chosen religion and expressing his beliefs. Regardless of your stance on gay marriage, this should terrify you.
We all argue for the freedom to express ourselves. To protest abortion or to support a woman's choice. To support gay marriage or to believe in a union between a woman and a man. To believe in God, or Allah, or Jesus Christ, or to not believe in a higher power at all. We all want that right. And for one group of people to silence another is a tragedy.
We cannot silence an individual for expressing one opinion and expect to draw the line at another. Maybe Orwell's Oceania still seems like a figment of his imagination, but how long will it be until others are silenced? Until Christians are no longer allowed to express their beliefs anywhere. What religion will be targeted next? And is it possible that it won't stop at religion? How far is too far? Where do we distinguish the line between our free society and the world of 1984, where every mind is engrained with the same beliefs.

1984

Moving along on my list of 100 greatest novels, I read 1984. Unlike most high schoolers, I was nerding out in honors English reading The Odyssey and Jane Eyre while everyone else was reading this, so I never got around to it until now.

Whether or not you ever read this book, I guarantee that you know about it. I'm not sure there is an American over the age of 15 that hasn't. It's a dystopian novel written in 1949 by George Orwell depicting a future world in which the lives and minds of it's inhabitants are entirely controlled by the government. And although the year 1984 has come and gone, the message that the book sends is always relevant. 

I was really excited to read this book. Like I said, although I never read it in high school, everyone knows the importance of Orwell's book. Everyone has heard references to Big Brother, newspeak, and doubtlethink. I was really anxious to be able to form my opinions of the book, and see how I perceived it. 

What I got from 1984 is that it was incredibly scary. What makes it so scary is how realistic it is. It's not frightening in a horror story, murder mystery kind of way, but it's frightening to imagine our comfortable and free world turning into something so rigid and controlled without our knowledge. In a lot of ways it reminded me of stories like The Handmaids Tale, or The Trial. 

I also liked that it didn't change the pre-Oceania history. It references the World Wars and The Great Depression. It was interesting to put myself in George Orwell's position. He wrote this book fresh off the second World War after witnessing the immense mind control of Hitler and saw a world of communism, socialism, and fascism, and saw the possible damage that such intense government rule could create. 

I think that 1984 is a book that everyone should read. It really makes you think how important it is to form your own opinions and to stand up for what you believe. Our country is always at risk of the government slowly gaining too much control when it is in the wrong hands. The telescreens of 1984 were a product of Orwell's imagination, but it is not hard to imagine a world in which we are watched, monitored, and tracked through our TVs, our computers, our cellphones. If for no other reason, it is important for people to read this book in order to stop and think. 

Madame Bovary

Madame Bovary was first published in France in 1856 by Gustave Flaubert. Because of the controversial storyline of an adulterous wife, the book was attacked for obscenity. Flaubert even went to trial and after his acquittal the book became a best seller. It is now considered one of the best novels ever written, and in many ways opened the door for the beginning of the feminist movement. 

It's the story of Emma Bovary, a young woman who is captivated by romance and the finer things in life, but finds herself trapped in a dull marriage. Emma finds her husband dull, dumb, and annoying, and is eventually driven into the arms of others. It really reminded me of Kate Chopin's The Awakening.

Gosh, I don't even know where to begin with this one. I realize that Madame Bovary is on Newsweek's list of top 100 novels for a reason, and I definitely credit Flaubert for challenging the norm and I think that he is an incredible writer. However, I did not like this book one bit. 

I hated Emma. I couldn't help it. I wanted to feel for her, and to understand and like her and I couldn't. I found her incredibly selfish and fickle. She would jump into the arms of any man that showed her attention, without any regard for her husband or child. I thought that she was conceited and immature. She nearly kills herself over a man that was never truly interested in her, and prioritizes riches and romance over her real life. Not only is she incredibly hostile and rude to her adoring husband, but she drives him into bankruptcy by pure stupidity and then doesn't even accept responsibility for her actions. 

Ironically, in this book that was so important to the feminist movement, I felt more for the man. From the beginning, I saw Monsieur Bovary as a kind and genuine man. He was so naive and blinded by his love for Emma that he couldn't see her for what she really was. He kept her on a pedestal and adored her, and I just wanted to shake him and tell him that he deserved better. Can you tell I really didn't like Emma?

And here's the thing. I loved The Awakening. I actually felt for Edna Pontellier. I understood her. I found her relatable, and likable. I didn't find a single redeeming quality in Emma Bovary. Maybe by 1899, Kate Chopin also thought that Emma needed to cool it. 

Despite all my personal feelings about her, I still recommend Madame Bovary. And The Awakening. Like I said, both books were so controversial at the time of their release and made such an impact on women's rights and the feminist movement that I think they are important for every young woman to read. And compare. Form your own opinions of Emma, Edna, and Charles. After all, the best part about reading is that no two people ever read the exact same story. 

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Obviously, school consumed my life more than I imagined these past few months, but the semester is finally officially over, freeing me up to read as much as I possibly can. I have been incredibly motivated to jump right back into my list of 100 greatest novels, starting with The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Now as I said before, I cannot even begin to critique these books, but since I am going to be reading another 75 or so of them, I figured I'd share the experience.
This was a book that I had a little bit of trouble getting into. I actually started it a few months ago and ended up putting it away in favor of Night Road. I think that the main reason it was a little more difficult for me to get interested in was because I have never read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. A childhood of watching Jonathan Taylor Thomas in Tom and Huck helped me get past that.
What I absolutely loved about this book, and what I love about most of the books on this list, is the actual writing of it. The way that Mark Twain was able to write as an uneducated young boy, or a poor slave, was so impressive. The details that he describes, the scenes that he creates, and the adventures that he imagines made if very obvious why he became the great and memorable writer that he did.
The book is also made up of a series of shorter stories, which you could probably guess from "the adventures"of Huckleberry Finn. I didn't. These stories got me through the 334 page book faster, because I was able to finish one chapter or one story in a sitting.
Overall, I really did enjoy this book. There are some on this list that are killers. And I mean, bore-you-to-death kind of killers. Like The History of The Peloponnesian War or The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature. I can't say I'm exactly looking forward to those.
However, I fell in love with Gone With the Wind. I met Mr. Darcy and Boo Radley, and I am currently warming up to a slightly aggravating Madame Bovary.
I do recommend reading Huckleberry Finn. I recommend reading all the books on the list. Even the killers. Even when they are not as fun or easy to breeze through as Nicolas Sparks or 50 Shades, it is much more worthwhile in the end.

We'll Always Have Summer

Maybe it's the change of seasons, or starting a new semester at school, but lately I have been facing extreme writers block. I've been reading plenty, but when I came to putting my thoughts into words I just sat and started at my computer screen.
I also had a hard time getting started with this post because I messed up with this book. I picked it up as a $3 impulse buy, and I realized my mistake pretty quickly. It was a part of a series. And not just a part of the series, but the final book in the series. Oops.
However, I continued reading and it was pretty easy to jump into without having read the other books, so that was a relief.
We'll Always Have Summer is about Isabel Conklin, or Belly, and the men that she loves. Growing up, Belly and the Fisher's shared a summer house, and Belly, her brother Stephen, and Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher were inseparable. When they reached high school, Conrad and Belly fell in love and started a relationship, but when Conrad and Jeremiah's mother died, it reached it's breaking point. Conrad began shutting Belly out and pushing her away. He finally decides that he is no good for her and gives his younger brother, Jeremiah, permission to be with her instead.
A few years later (where We'll Always Have Summer begins), Jeremiah and Belly have been happily dating for two years, and Conrad has moved out to California and cut off most contact with the people he left behind. But Belly's happy world is shattered when she learns that Jeremiah cheated on her. Desperate to fix things and win her back, Jeremiah proposes and Belly agrees to marry him.
As they plan their wedding, Conrad resurfaces to support his brother, and Belly quickly realizes that she still loves him. She then has to choose between the certainty of Jeremiah and the magic of Conrad, before she walks down the aisle.
I thought that this book was cute. It was a very simple read, and would definitely be geared more towards teens and young adults. As usual, I liked that it was relatable. Everyone can relate to Belly's pain and even if not so drastic, everyone has had to make a decision that will alter their life.
I think that the only reason I didn't like this book as much as I would have is because I jumped in so late in the story. And although I picked up on the details of the earlier books, I wasn't able to really get attached to the characters, and that is something that is very important to me.
I suggest you start the series from the beginning, and don't make the same mistake that I did. But I can't pass up a $3 book, and I did enjoy it.

Water For Elephants

I am a sucker for animals. That Sarah McLaughlin commercial has me in tears every time I actually manage to sit through it. And the one with the polar bears floating on the melting icebergs? Forget it.

When it comes to books, it's sometimes the silent creatures that make the best characters. Wilber. Marley. Old Yeller. Black Beauty. Even if you're not an avid reader, these names are ingrained in your heart. In Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants, that character is Rosie. 

If you are like me, you may have already seen the movie before you discovered the book, and are already familiar with the storyline. If you're not, Water for Elephants is the story of a young man who joins up with a traveling train circus in the early 1930's.

During his final days of veterinary school, Jacob Jankowski loses his parents, and everything he has to his name along with them. Facing an uncertain future and on the verge of breakdown, he walks away from his final exams and ends up jumping a train on impulse.

He soon discovers that it is a circus train, and with the help of an old working man and his near veterinary degree, Jacob earns a job working in the menagerie. He begins to learn how things work in the business, and doesn't like what he sees.He does, however, like the shows liberty horse show, or more specifically, the rider. He falls for Marlena almost instantly, despite her being his bosses wife.

Jacob travels with the circus for the summer, befriending a drunk old man and a stubborn dwarf. His relationship with Marlena grows, as does his hate for her violent husband, August. When the circus obtains an elephant named Rosie, Jacob soon sees Augusts true colors.

The story follows Jacob through the ups and downs of this summer. The violence, the passion, the friendships, and the revenge. 

I really liked this movie. I really loved this book. I loved the characters. I loved Camel, the drunk old man who welcomes Jacob into the show. I loved Walter, the cranky dwarf that loves his dog more than anything. I loved Bobo the monkey, and I especially loved Rosie. Her personality and her pain were both so touching and heart wrenching that she became real to me without saying a word.

I loved the historical aspects of the story as well. Centered during prohibition and the Great Depression, the story deals with the poverty and desperation of the people, as well as the painful effects of make-shift alcohol. Also, most of the events in the story are based on real occurances in the traveling circus.

I also loved the way the story is told from a 90 year old Jacob looking back on his life. The moments with elderly Jacob really make you think about all the stories that these people have to tell, and how they are often ignored. It was also so moving to hear him reflect on the early years of his marriage, struggling with babies and making ends meet, knowing that in the end those were the best years of his life.

I loved this book. And not only am I going to re-watch the movie, but I am going to the zoo to see the elephants as well.

Night Road

I love a book that can make me cry. A book that I get so attached to and so involved in that it evokes such true empathy for the characters. Kristen Hannah's Night Road did that over and over again.
Lexi Baill has lived her entire life in foster care, bouncing from family to family while her drug addict mother bounced in and out of prison. Finally, when she is fourteen, her social worker discovers a relative they did not know about. Lexi goes to live with her great aunt Eva in Seattle, WA, and despite their poor financial situation and Lexi's apprehension, she finally feels like she has a family.
Mia and Zach Farraday, on the other hand, have grown up under completely different circumstances. As twins raised by a surgeon father and a helicopter mother, Mia and Zach have known nothing but love, trust, and financial security. Their mother, Jude, has spent their entire lives chaperoning, baking, throwing parties, and providing a wonderful life for her children.
However, high school brings changes for the twins. While Zach has always been outgoing and popular, Mia is shy, awkward, and incredibly alone. That is until she meets Lexi Baill. Lexi befriends Mia and they become inseparable. Relieved that Mia finally has a friend, Jude invites Lexi into their family and begins to love her like a daughter.
At the start of their senior year, Zach and Lexi discover a relationship that they had never had before. Together with Mia, the three of them spend their final year of high school having fun, falling in love, and planning for their futures. But just a few short days before graduation, tragedy strikes. When the kids are involved in a fatal drunk driving accident, life changes for everyone. Night Road follows Jude and the survivors as they grieve, try to heal, and finally, try to forgive.
I thought that this book was phenomenal. From the very beginning, it was easy for me to relate to Mia and Lexi. I know what it is to have such a strong female friendship, and I was constantly placing my best friend and I in their shoes. From singing Disney songs to drinking at a party, their friendship was extremely relatable.
Oddly enough, I was also able to relate to Jude. Although I am not a mother, (if my relationship with my younger brother is any indicator), I am going to be extremely protective when the time comes.
The story was also incredibly heart wrenching. I grew so attached to the characters that parts of it actually broke my heart. When I wasn't reading, I still thought about the book, the characters, and what was going to happen next. The idea of a drunk driving accident is absolutely terrifying, but it's something that we choose not to think about. Night Road forces you to think about it as you place yourself in their situation and realize how quickly your world could shatter.
I also loved how unpredictable the book was. Just by reading the cover I knew that there was going to be an accident and there was going to be death, and I assumed that I would be able to easily predict how it went. I was completely wrong.
I honestly don't think that there is anything that I didn't like about Night Road. There were times that I began to dislike Jude, but even in those instances I thought of her situation and all that she was going through, and I pushed those feelings aside. As I said, the characters were very relatable and they really came to life.
I would absolutely recommend Night Road, and began to before I was even through. It was a fantastic book with an incredible story line, realistic characters, and a great message. It is one of those books that will stay with you even after you've finished.

The Center of Everything

It's hard to believe, but I have been out of high school for 5 years now, and out of junior high for longer than I care to think about. While reading The Center of Everything, it was easy to reminisce and feel like 11 year old me again.

The Center of Everything is about a 10 year old girl growing up in Kerrville, Kansas in the early 80's. Raised by her 26 year old single mother, Evelyn struggles with bullies, poverty, and discovering her place in the world. The Center of Everything follows her from an innocent ten year old, to a temperamental teenager, to a high school graduate leaving for college. 

I really liked this book. I loved the way Laura Moriarty looked at grown up issues through the eyes of a child, from sex and infidelity to religion and politics. The book places Evelynn in the middle of the Reagan presidancy and Iran-Contra, and touches on real historical events as a kid would have experienced them. It was also so easy to relate to Evelyn, even as a child. I remembered having friendship pins stuck on my shoelaces, and running through sprinklers. Like I said, it was like taking a trip down memory lane. You see her reach the age where her view of her mother changes from idolizing to resentful, as every girls does. As Evelyn grows, she continues to be relatable. From having her crush fall for her best friend, to wondering whether or not she is pretty, and facing peer pressure, it was again easy to put myself in her shoes and remember what my life was like at that age. 

For a book that deals with so many dark and depressing issues, Evelyn brought a light to it. She faces bullying, teen pregnancy, abandonment, death, and an illegitimate half-brother born retarded. Through everything, she comes across as a sweet and refreshing character. 

I will definitely recommend The Center of Everything. It is a book that I think anyone, at any age, would enjoy. 

Her Fearful Symmetry

I have mentioned a couple of times now how much I love Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveler's Wife. When I found Her Fearful Symmetry, I figured that I would love it as well.
Her Fearful Symmetry is the story of two generations of twin girls. When Elspeth dies of cancer, she leaves her London flat to her twin sisters twin daughters, Valentina and Julia, whom she had never met. Elspeth and her twin, Edie, have not spoken in nearly 21 years, although they refused to say why.
Valentina and Julia travel to England under two conditions: they live in the flat for at least 1 year, and their parents are not allowed to enter it.
In London, they befriend their neighbors. Robert, who is was Elspeth's boyfriend, and Martin, who suffers from severe OCD. The girls struggle to establish their individuality without hurting their bond, while searching for the truth of what happened between their mother and Elspeth. However, things are soon complicated when they discover that their aunt is still haunting the flat.
I'm not entirely sure how I felt about this book. The writing was fantastic, of course, and it was a very interesting storyline. That said, I found most of the characters very unlikeable. Valentina and Julia seemed needy, co-dependent, and immature. Julia came off spoiled and selfish, and while I liked Valentina a little better, I found her rather stupid. I liked Elspeth fine until the end of the book, and then I hated her. I also thought that the story took a long time to get started. I felt like I read half the book before anything relevant happened. And I found the relationships between the girls and their neighbors to be rather far-fetched.
As much as I disliked the female characters, I liked the males. I thought that Martin was adorable. I also just felt like giving him a hug. And although Robert was less endearing, he came through for me at the end of the book. I also liked that it was unpredictable. Throughout the story, I kept trying to predict what would happen next and hardly ever guessed right. I would never have been able to predict the secret of Elspeth and Edie, and it may have been my favorite thing about the book.
Her Fearful Symmetry was darker than I imagined it would be. Although the storyline was good, there was nothing about the book that made me fall in love. I didn't fall in love with the characters, and it didn't make me cry. If anything, the ending made me angry.
I wouldn't say that I completely disliked the book, but I don't imagine I'll pass it on to my friends. But maybe it was just a little too dark and twisted for my taste.

12 Female Characters Every Woman Should Know

Since I was a little girl, I have been an avid reader. My mom used to call me Belle because my nose was always buried in a book, and I would be completely unaware of the world around me. I read Nancy Drew, Little House on the Prairie, and Great Illustrated Classics. I owe so much of the woman I am today to the characters I met as a girl.

I am a firm believer in strong and independent women. And since Bella Swan is far too so-dependent, and there is something seriously wrong with Anastasia Steele, I decided to create a list of incredible female characters that every girl should know. 

So here they are:

1. Jane Eyre: Jane overcomes so many obstacles in her life, while standing her ground and remaining true to herself. 

2. Anne Shirley: Orphaned at a young age, Anne still has such a beautiful outlook on life and the world around her. She learns from her mistakes, chases her education, maintains her independence, and grows into a kind and beautiful woman. 

3. The March Sisters: Everyone who has read Little Women could tell you if they are a Meg, Joe, Beth, or Amy, and each of the sisters has their valuable qualities. Meg is kind and nurturing, Joe is strong willed and independent, Beth is selfless and Amy grows from a conceited little girl to an educated, caring young woman. As a whole, the March sisters hold their families above all else, and strive to make the best of things no matter what life throws their way. 

4. Sara Crewe: In A Little Princess, Sara remains hopeful after losing everything she has ever known. She is an amazing friend and goes out of her way to boost the spirits of others despite her own feelings. 

5. Nancy Drew: Nancy is fearless. She is strong, determined, and independent. Her books are timeless, and easy to read, making her a perfect role model for younger girls. 

6. Elizabeth Bennett: Obviously. Elizabeth is not afraid to speak her mind. She doesn't apologize for who she is, and she refuses to settle for less than she deserves. 

7. Laura Ingalls: As a little girl, Laura makes mistakes and learns from them. She is a kind and caring girl, but isn't afraid to get dirty and defend her family and friends. 

8. Scarlet O'Hara: Scarlet is tough. She is strong-willed and goes after what she wants. But the best part about Scarlet is they way that she survives. She falls from a plantation princess to a woman without two dimes to rub together. She does what she has to do in order for herself and her family to survive. 

9. Melanie Hamilton: The other incredible woman in Gone With the Wind. Melanie is so kind hearted, but she is also incredibly brave. She nurses sick and dying men, despite not knowing where her own husband is. She remains strong in difficult situations and constantly puts others before herself. 

10. Skeeter Phelan: In The Help, Skeeter stands up for what she believes is right even when it means losing those closest to her. She doesn't see color, she just sees people, and she isn't afraid to challenge the norm and do her part to make a change. 

11. Allie Hamilton: A lot of women on this list are strong and independent, but it is important to also believe in love. Allie follows her heart and finds a love that can conquer anything. And it's important to believe in that. 

12. Anne Frank: Duh. Her diary is something that everyone should read. It is amazing how hopeful and loving she remained throughout her time in hiding."Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart". 

Comeback Love

As I've said before, I have a serious problem when it comes to bookstores. When I went to Barnes & Noble last week, I fully intended to buy one book. That was my limit, then I was cut off. I must have spent an hour browsing the shelves before deciding on the one lucky book I was going to read next. I walked past the non-fiction, biographies, top sellers, and romances and kept my eyes straight ahead until I was safely on the escalator. And then I fell off the wagon. 

In my defense, I fell off at the discounted book section. And, in my defense, the three extra books that I got were all under $5. What kind of person would I be if I walked away from that?

Ironically, Comeback Love was not the book that I originally planned to read, but rather a book that I got at the last minute off the sale shelf. It is the story of a young couple in the 1960's who reconnect nearly 40 years later. I was initially drawn to this story line because I am a firm believer in things being meant to be. However, the book wasn't as mushy, lovey as you would expect. 

Set in the 60's, it deals with a lot of historical aspects. Glenna is a female med student, advocating abortion and Gordon is a pot smoking journalist, covering Vietnam war rallies and Woodstock. The story begins with 2010 Gordon searching for a woman that he has not seen in 35 years, and flashes back to a relationship that they had in their early 20's. Not only did the story deal with their relationship, but it dealt with controversial issues, three generations of war, and family relationships as well. 

There were times that I was concerned about how I was going to feel about this book, because my views are so opposite of the issues reflected by the characters. I was nervous that I was going to find it offensive and form an opinion of the book based on that. However, I loved it. Regardless of my personal political views, it was easy to relate to Glenna and Gordon and understand their lives. 

As I said before, I also truly believe that everything happens for a reason. Time and time again I tell my friends, and myself, that if they are meant to be with someone they will be. Whether it's next week, next year, or twenty years from now. It was nice to root for Gordon and Glenna and believe that two people can come back to each other. The catch line for Comeback Love was "What would you do if you had a second chance with the one that got away?". I think that every reader has someone that comes to mind when asked that question, and it made the story very relatable. 

I definitely recommend Comeback Love, and will no longer feel guilty about grabbing extra books off the sale rack. After all, if I had stuck to my plan I never would have found this one. 

Girls in White Dresses

Like I said before, I find a lot of good book suggestions on Pinterest, which is where I found Jennifer Close's Girls in White Dresses. Like The Awakening, this was another book that was listed in a blog of books every girl should read in her 20s. I was definitely looking forward to reading it, and let me tell you, it was phenomenal. 

I knew after the first two chapters that I had found a new book to add to my list of favorites. I couldn't put it down, and yet I tried to stall because I didn't want to finish it. I don't know the last book that I loved this much. 

It's about a group of girls who move to New York fresh out of college, and follows them through the next 10 years of their lives. They have their bad relationships, crappy jobs, embarrassing parents, and annoying friends, and I don't know that I have ever read a book that was so relatable. Jennifer Close does a fantastic job bringing the girls to life and I found myself believing that they were real people, and if they were we would definitely be friends. 

The way that the girls banter and the situations they get in are funny in a really normal way. Over and over again I would tell my friend stories out of the book, and we would laugh like we knew them and say,"That's totally us". I am not embarrassed to say that I laughed out loud like a creep on more than one occasion. 

I am not exaggerating when I say that I will recommend this to everyone that I know. At one time or another, we have all been with a guy and not known where we stood. We have all had that friend that goes back to the same pompous a-hole over and over again, and we have all had nights of drinking too much wine with the girls and mornings we thought we were dying. Girls in White Dresses puts all of those experience into words. 

It was fantastic, and I was sad when I finished it. This truly, and easily, became one of my favorite books, and it is definitely one that I will read over again. 

A Heart Divided

When I walk in to a bookstore, it's all over. A bookstore is like a black hole for me, and there's no telling when or if I will ever come back out. The bigger the store (and the bigger the bargains), the bigger the chances that I am never coming back. So, in order to be responsible and avoid spending all the money I haven't made yet on books that I will never have time to read, I have gotten in the habit of trying to create a list before I go shopping. This usually consists of browsing Pinterest for good book suggestions, which is where I found A Heart Divided.

I was immediately interested in this book because it's a Hatfield and McCoy type love story. I don't know if anyone else watched The History Channel's Hatfields and McCoy's miniseries last summer, but I thought that it was fantastic. So when I saw this book, it definitely got my attention. 

Like the Hatfields and McCoys, A Heart Divided is based on the lifelong feud of two families, the Caldwells and the Wainwrights. Set in the Rocky Mountains in 1878, it is the story of how the Caldwells daughter and the Wainwright heir fall in love. 

I thought that the book was good. I think that it was a very simple and sweet story, and it made for an easy read. I liked it. I didn't love it. And I can't quiet put my finger on why that is. 

I think that it was somewhat predictable and a little too mushy, lovey, "destined-to-be-together" for my taste. I also kept waiting for that one part of the story that was going to shock me, or grab at my heart and make me cry, and it never came. 

If you are looking for a light, summer read, this is the perfect book. It was definitely a nice story, and I did like it. I guess I was just hoping for more. 

6 Books That Are Better Than The Movie

All books are better than their movie counterpart. I'll say it again. ALL books are better than the movie. But for the sake of this post, I'll narrow it down to 6 movies that have been released in the past 10 years.
Again, in no particular order:

1. My Sister's Keeper
I was genuinely so disappointed in the screen version of this, because the book was so stinkin' good. If you've seen the movie, I'm sure you know how heartbreaking it is, but I'm here to tell you that the book is even more so. What was most disappointing about the movie is that they changed the ENTIRE ending. Which boggles my mind, because the original ending was so moving and so powerful. I cried like a baby. Like, literally cried so much I had to stop reading to blow my nose. The book was that good.

2. The Time Traveler's Wife
I know I already mentioned this as one of my top favorite books, but it fits both lists. The movie was great. I love love love Rachel McAdams, and I think that they did a fantastic job in converting the book  to film. But, as I've said before and will say a hundred times more, the book is always better.

3. Shutter Island
I love scary movies. But we all know how hard it is to find a genuinely SCARY scary movie. This was not one of them. I mean, sure there were scary parts (like the creepy old lady in the yard), but it just wasn't as SCARY as I had expected it to be. The book, on the other hand, was fantastic. As always, it went into so much more detail and the storyline had so much more depth. It was thrilling and suspenseful, and definitely worth the read.

4. P.S. I  Love You
If you're a girl, you've probably seen this movie. And you also probably drooled over Gerard Butler and cried your eyes out over and over again. I loved this movie. It was sad, but often funny at the same time (thanks mostly to Lisa Kudrow and Harry Connick Jr.). I think we all related to the girls getting stuck in the boat on the lake, and have probably all gone a little Miss Haversham a time or two. And God, that scene! "I know what it is, not to feel like you're in the room until he looks at you or touches your hand, or even makes a joke at your expense, just to let everyone know... you're with him. You're his". Break my heart. Obviously, I love this movie. But the book is always better.

5. The Lovely Bones
I don't know what there really is to say about this one, because the movie was not good. It was far too trippy for my liking. And the killer getting struck and killed by an ICICLE? My friends and I replayed that part over and over and couldn't stop laughing. The movie was NOT GOOD. The book was great. The story was easier to follow, and the details were all there. And if you like this book, I also suggest reading Alice Sebold's other book, Lucky. It's her memoir of being brutally assaulted and raped as a college student. Neither are light, happy reads, but both are heart wrenching stories.

6. The Help
I read The Help the summer the movie came out, and I loved it. I saw previews for the movie and decided to break pattern and read the book first, and I'm actually glad that I did. I was pleasantly surprised by the way the book was converted to film, and I think that it is an awesome and important story. It was sad, often funny, and fictionally cast some light on a non-fictional time. It is worth the read, and the watch.

A Game of Thrones

So I am fully aware that I missed a post last week, and it was not for lack of trying. Ever since I finished The Best of Me, I have been mercilessly plowing my way through a book on the complete opposite end of the spectrum: A Game of Thrones.
I am once again going to wave my nerd flag and say that I love HBO's Game of Thrones. A friend got me in to it a few months ago, and I was hooked. No surprise, but I heard that they books were even better than the series. When I went to visit my dad in Tennessee two weeks ago, I decided to start the first of the five books.
In case I haven't made it clear before, books are my life fuel. My cocaine. When I go on a vacation, where most people see beaches and sightseeing, I see endless amounts of uninterrupted time to curl up with a book. The first day I was there I swung by the bookstore, planning to pick up something for the week. One hour and six books later, I was parked on the back porch of the farm, already diving into A Game of Thrones.
I was done for. I literally read almost non-stop. Ask my family. If I had a minute, I was reading. I read on commercials, I read while we set the table. I read with my morning coffee and before I went to bed. Heck, I even read in the bathtub. Despite all that reading, I returned to Chicago only 450 pages into the book. Hence, the missing post.
I think that George R.R. Martin is a genius. I think that he is extremely, unbelievably talented as a writer. Time after time I was blown away by his imagination, and to put it all on paper that skillfully just boggles my mind. In my opinion, you have got to respect and admire this author and these books, regardless of your literary tastes.
It was fantastic.
And mark my words, when I finish my next five books, I will be reading book number 2 in the series.

The Best of Me

So, as I recently confessed, I have a somewhat embarrassing love of Nicholas Sparks books. Contrary to what you may assume, this did not start with The Notebook. The first Nicholas Sparks book I read was actually A Bend In The Road, and it was something my mom had gotten from a garage sale. But I'm not going to lie, I did read The Notebook shortly after.
But anyway, Nicholas Sparks is kind of my guilty pleasure. I've probably read at least ten of his books, although that's probably creeping closer to fifteen. And I have an eerie ability to read the book, and within months it's announced as becoming a movie. Seriously. The Lucky One? Dear John? The Vow? Read them all.
I had a somewhat slow start to this one. Once you read enough of his books, you start to see all the similarities. They're always set in a small town in North Carolina. A man and a woman always fall in love before facing some unforeseen complication. It sometimes starts to feel a little predictable (but God knows I keep reading them anyway). When I started The Best of Me, it felt a lot like The Notebook. Two teenagers fall in love in spite of their differences, and although they fight all the time, they share a once in a lifetime love and yada yada yada. I had my doubts about it for a while, trying to predict what would happen as I went along, but at some point it became nothing like The Notebook. Nothing like any Nicholas Sparks book I've read, and that's saying something.
The Best of Me may very well have just become my favorite. I cried. Twice. Before the epilogue, I took a deep breath and paused. I did that again at the end. It became so much more than a typical mushy love story, which is why I think that I keep reading these books. Like I said, they all seem to start the same, but they always end with this gut wrenching turn of events. At some point, they are no longer predictable at all.
So, yes. I love my Nicholas Sparks books. I'll say it loud and I'll say it proud, and The Best of Me is definitely worth picking up. And if you don't, there's a good chance it'll end up in theaters in a year or so anyway (my money says Valentines Day. Some things are still predictable).

Top 5 Favorite Books

So because I am getting a slow start to my new book, I've been trying to think of something else to write about. I have a ton of rants stored up about many different books, but I figured I'd start with something a little simpler so I don't scare anyone off.
Like I said, I have pretty much been reading non-stop since I first learned how. When I was a kid, I would ride my bike down to the public library and fill my backpack full of Nancy Drew (and everything I needed to know about horses and being a vet, of course). I first picked up Jane Eyre when I was eleven, and after months of renewal after renewal (I actually had to return it and ride my bike back the next day to check it out again. Apparently they only allow a certain number of renewals) I finally finished it almost a year later. My family bought me my own copy for Christmas that year, and I have probably read it at least 5 times since.
So as a life long book worm, I decided to figure out my top 5 favorite books of all time. You know, the desert island type. The 5 books that you would keep if you could only read 5 for the rest of your life. Not an easy thing for a book nerd to do. But after much consideration and many sleepless nights, I composed the following list.

In no particular order:

 1. Anne of Green Gables
This was a book that I didn't even have to consider. It had been on this list from the moment I read it. When I was in 6th grade, my Social Studies teacher saw that I had a Little House on the Prairie book on my desk. He called me over after class and suggested that I read Anne of Green Gables and, as cheesy as it may sound, it might have changed my life. As a kid, you literally step into Anne's imagination. She speaks so poetically and you come to love each character. If you finish the series (like I did) you see her grow from a spacey, scared little girl into an intelligent, strong woman. At 23 years old, this book was on my Christmas list and I finally added it to my personal, permanent library. I cannot stress enough how much I love it. I also fell in love with the movie as well.

2. Little Women.
Again, this was sort of a no brainer. The first time I read it, it was The Great Illustrated Classics version, and I was probably no more than 9 years old. I loved the movie with Susan Serandon and Winona Ryder. When my mom would let my brother and I each pick out a movie from the library, this was always one of them (oddly enough, it was usually my brothers choice..). I was probably 12 or 13 before I read the actual version for the first time, and I fell in love. It had so much more details than the movie or the GIC version, and it made me love the characters even more (I was a Jo then, now I'd have to say I'm a Meg). It's another one of those books that I never get tired of, and I usually try to read it every Christmas.

3. Gone With the Wind.
 This was only recently added to my library, although I have loved the movie forever. I love old movies about as much as I love books. My favorite is Breakfast at Tiffany's (I have yet to read the book out of fear of ruining the movie). I love love love Audrey Hepburn, Lucille Ball, Cary Grant, and of course, Fred and Ginger, but I could go on with that list all day. So anyway, that was the first reason I even watched Gone With the Wind. Gotta love some Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh. I loved the movie. The whole 4 hour, 2 VHS tape, movie. I always planned on reading the book, but it wasn't until I started the top 100 novels of all time that I actually got around to it. Like Anne and Jo, Scarlet and Rhett became so real to me. It was one of those books that you close and feel empty, missing the characters and wondering what they are doing and where they are now.

 4. The Time Travelers Wife
As I said before, I like to read the book AFTER I see the movie. I know that if I like the movie, I'll love the book, but if I love the book, I'm gonna hate the movie. The only time I do that in reverse is with Nicholas Sparks (I love Nicholas Sparks. Call it a guilty pleasure). I loved this movie. I cried like a baby, and I do every time I see it. I know, I know, it's a cheesy love story, but it gets me every time. I read the book right away and, of course, it was even better. The books always have so much more detail and are so much more in depth. Granted, there are some books that I read after the movie (PS. I Love You, My Sister's Keeper) that I love, don't get me wrong, but this was one that just stuck with me. I could read it over and over and I recommend it to everyone I know.

5. True Colors
Coming up with a number 5 book was definitely the hardest. My first 3 were no brainers, I had to put a lot of thought into the 4th, and especially the 5th. There are so many books that I love, and I could recommend them all day, but to narrow it down to one was harder than you might think. I considered the obvious choices, like Pride and Prejudice and The Great Gatsby. I even considered picking my favorite Jodi Picoult or Nicholas Sparks. I stood in front of my book shelves and pondered, racking my brain for the books I've read but do not own, and the one that I kept coming back to was True Colors. I borrowed this book from my friend a few years ago because she knows how much I love horses and thought that I would love the book. I did, and I even ended up passing it on to my mom before returning it. It follows three sisters in their battles of jealousy, betrayal, redemption and love, and again they are characters that I grew attached to (I'm noticing a pattern here). I won't go much more into the story line, but just knowing that it made the cut as the number 5 book should be enough.

The Awakening

After finishing Between the Lines, I was forced to take a reading break to focus on finals. Being a Journalism major, those no longer consist of all night study sessions and 100 question exams, but rather 12 page papers and 10 minute speeches. So basically, I had to give up my reading to do some writing.
When I finally turned in that final paper and ran from the building like my butt was on fire, I got back around to all those books I'd gotten for Christmas and picked up The Awakening by Kate Chopin.
I found The Awakening on a list of books every girl should read in her 20s on Pinterest (where, by the way, I find a ton of awesome books). It is a book that was first published in 1899, but shocked and disturbed society so badly that it was banished for decades. Reading it, it was easy to see why it would have been so disturbing at that time, even though today's reader would hardly blink at what was considered so scandalous.
It's the story of a young wife and mother who feels that she is not living her life for herself. She begins to discover what she wants and the freedom that she craves, but she struggles with society's disapproval.
I think that what keeps this story so popular today, in spite of the cultural differences, is the fact that its so relateable. Sure, as women we no longer have to keep silent and maintain our households and support our husbands in the way they did in 1899, but I think that at one point or another all of us have felt tied down or tried to fit a mold of what others think you should be. Whether that's a high school girl trying to conform to the norm or a business woman trying not to look to masculine, nor too feminine. I think that in one way or another, each of us has felt like Edna Pontellier, and that makes a 100 year old book still relevant today.

Between the Lines

I love Jodi Picoult. The first book of hers that I ever read was, of course, My Sister's Keeper. I know that most people like to read the book before the movie comes out, but I'm the opposite. If I love a book, I'm going to hate the movie, but if I like the movie, I'm going to love the book. Make sense? 

So anyways, I read My Sister's Keeper after the movie came out and I think it started a Jodi Picoult kick for me. I read The Pact and House Rules, and she went on the list of author's I put on my Christmas and birthday lists. Typical nerd, every time my mom asks for a wish list, I google authors I like and pick out some of their books. Which is how I discovered Between the Lines. 

I found this book this past Christmas, and I liked the story line so I added it to my already long list of books. It took me a few months to get around to reading it, because I always manage to have at least five books I want to read at a time. I finally picked it up, and finished it within the week. 

First of all, I found out that Picoult wrote this with her daughter, Samantha Van Leer. Apparently, Van Leer had the idea to write a story about what happens to the characters in a book when the book is closed. Kind of like the Toy Story of books. 

Between the Lines ended up being nothing like I expected. It was such a cool idea to imagine that the characters in a book actually have real lives outside of the one that was written for them. It made me think about Scarlett, and Jo, and Anne at Green Gables and imagine that they were still around even when I wasn't reading their stories. 

As an adult, I enjoyed the book, but it's something young adults would as well. It is a book that I would have liked to read with my mom, and one that I would one day like to read with my daughter. 
It was a very easy read, and it was a very cute story. 

March

I wish that I could remember the first time that I read Little Women. I know I was very young, and it wasn't the original, but the Great Animated Classic's version (loved those!). I read Louisa May Alcott's version in junior high, and I was hooked. Since then, I must have re-read it a hundred times (okay, so probably not a hundred, but enough). If I absolutely had to choose one favorite book, Little Women might be it. My teacher recommended March to me when we were off on a book-loving tangent one day. She said that if I loved Little Women, that I would love March as well. She leant it to me, and here we are.
It's the story of the patriach of the March family. Which in itself is an interesting idea, and something that I'm sure most Little Women fans have not thought much about (myself included). It tells the story of how he met Marmee, and how their family lost their fortune, as well as what Mr. March was doing while Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy were being ingrained into our hearts.
Dealing with the civil war, March also deals with slavery and issues of race. We learn that a young Marmee worked passionately with the underground railroad, and continued this work with her girls. It gave dimension to one of my favorite families, bringing Mr. March, and Marmee, to life and putting a new perspective on Alcotts story. And it made me cry. And we know I'm a sucker for a book that makes me cry.That being said, it also stays true to the original version. Little Women was based so much on Louisa May Alcott's life, and Geraldine Brooks clearly did her research to continue that. The writing is also fantastic. If you're a fan of Little Women, I highly recommend this book. And if for some unexplainable reason you have never read it, I suggest you start there!

I Remember Nothing

 After reading something as heavy as The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, I picked up Nora Ephron's I Remember Nothing. I loved it. I finished it in a day. There were so many things that I liked about it that I kept stopping and making notes for what I wanted to mention. 

1. First off, I liked that it was such a light read. I always have to have a book on my bedside table, and sometimes it's nice to have one that I can just breeze through. I Remember Nothing is just a collection of Nora Ephron's reflections and each one was it's own separate story. 

2. I liked the history of it. I firmly believe that I was born at the wrong time, and I should have been living in the 1940's, 50's, and even the 60's. Nora talks about meeting Eleanor Roosevelt and references Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, Tippi Hedren, Casablanca, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and The Ed Sullivan Show. I loved that.

3. I liked that it was relatable. There is a whole chapter about forgetting someones name, and that awkward moment when you have to introduce them to someone else. She talks about the cowlick on the back of her head, and the fact that she has to google everything. The things that she talks about are things that I relate to, things my mother could relate to, and things my grandmother good relate to. And the best part is, she does it with humor.

4. I liked that it made me think. I am the girl that always has a journal. I think my dad bought me my first one when I was eight years old, and I have been keeping one ever since. When Nora talks about all the things from her youth that she has forgotten, it made me think about all the things that I write about. It made me think about the kind of things that I am going to want to remember and the things that are not going to matter in the long run. 

5. I liked her reflection on Journalism. As a journalism major, I loved reading about her early experiences as a journalist, and what made her want to do it in the first place. She also gave advice, like "Never begin a story with a quote", "Never use anything but 'said'", and "Never put something you really care about into the last paragraph because it will undoubtedly be cut for space". Great advice.

6. It made me cry. At the very end of the book, Nora Ephron reflects upon the things that she will and will not miss when she dies. They are simple lists, but they made me cry. It made me think about the little things that you take for granted, and she showed me to appreciate life while you are living it.  So, yes, I loved this book. I definitely recommend you pick it up, and gaurantee you'll finish it the same day. 

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter

When I thought about starting this blog, I must have thought of a hundred books that I would rather begin with, but here I am posting my first entry about Carson McCuller's The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter. If you start to notice a theme in some of the books that I read, it's because I am attempting to read Newsweek's list of the top 100 novels.
     

 Making my way through the first 15 has been...difficult at times. Gone With the Wind was easy, even if it did take a few months. The History of the Peloponneisian War however, is not something I would say I'm exactly looking forward to. To even begin to review the books on this list was not something I planned on doing. After all, who am I to critique Ernest Hemingway or Mark Twain? But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I don't want to critique them. I want to share them. I want to share my experience, and that means you'll just have to take the good with the bad.
     

 The Heart is a Lonely Hunter was hardly a bad experience for me. It's the story of 5 individuals who in one way or another feel isolated from society. I think that that may have been why it took me a little longer to get in to, because it was so many separate stories. That, and the fact that I thought the girl on the cover was supposed to be Mick (It's not. It's definitely Carson McCullers).
    

Anyway, the book really turned around for me during the tail end of the story. Looking back, I probably should have been able to predict what would happen, but I didn't and when the story reached climax I literally gasped.
 If you attempt to read it, (And personally, I suggest you attempt to read the entire list) be patient. It was definitely worth it in the end.