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.