So I thought I'd start off with telling you about some of my favorite books. In no particular order by the way!
BE WARNED!!!!!!!!! There may be spoilers if you haven't read any of them.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
I honestly couldn't put this book down and read it rather quickly. I loved the characters and often found myself reading the book in a deep southern American accent. Aibileen was a fantastic main character, and I loved her. Minny too, and loved her strength and courage throughout the book.
I knew that racism was a big thing back then, much worse than it is now, but I never realized how bad things were. A black person not being able to walk down a white persons street, the police seemingly not being bothered (or joining in) when a black person was beaten just for looking at a white person, a black maid not being able to use a toilet in the house they worked for.
I have recommended this book many times, and I've not had negative feedback from any of the people who have read it.
Brilliant book which ~I'm sure will stay with me for a long time.
Fried Green Tomatoes at The Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg
I read this book after The Help as I was looking for something similar. And this book hit the spot, big style. I absolutly loved it. I had watched the movie quite a few times a long time ago, much longer before ever reading the book, and liked the film a lot.
The book went into much more depth than the film in my opinion. The characters were well written and really made you understand what they were feeling.
The bit I always remember from the movie is Buddy's death near the start. I always remember it makeing me so sad, and really feeling for Idgie watching her brother die. She loved him very much.
I was rather disappointed in the movie not portraying the relationship between Idgie and Ruth as the book does. As I said, I'd watched the movie a lot when I was younger and knew they had a great friendly relationship. But after reading the book I now know it was much more than that, they were in love. The book, for me, made their relationship a lot deeper, and made a better story. Oh how I wish I had read the book first!!
And how many people have asked me "So what is the meat they are eating at the BBQ later in the book!!!". I always reply with "Just think about it :) "
House Rules By Jodi Picoult
I am a massive Jodi Picoult fan. And House Rules is my favourite of Jodi's books by far.
I think this book has a lot more meaning for me than any other for one reason. I was reading the book while we were thinking that Chloe may have Autism. And reading the book, reading all of Jacob's little quirks, just made things seem more real to me. This, and I will always say this, is the book that made me push forward in getting a help for Chloe.
I liked the story in House Rules. Jodi obviously goes into a lot of research when writing her books, which is well received. I was really into this, and I think I was more interested on seeing how Jacob was going to cope in Jail, and how the legal system can change or adapt to someone who has a condition like this, where they can't bear to be touched, things need to be in order, routine is such a big thing. The best Jodi Picoult novel I have read.
The Green Mile by Stephen King
When People ask me what my all time favorite book is, I have to say The Green Mile.I don't know why, no specific reason other than I loved it, and still do. I remember being rather intimidated by it's size (as I read the full collection in one book), and thinking to myself that I'd probably not finish it, or get bored after the first 50 pages. But I didn't give up, or get bored. In fact, I couldn't put it down! I loved it, and every available chance I had I would pick it up.
The movie is amazing, and again this was another movie I'd seen before reading the book, therefore I often found myself reading in the voice of Tom Hanks in my head! This spoilt it a little for me, but not enough for me not to love the book.I think the book was very heartfelt. Poor John Coffey, Poor Del. There were a lot of sad parts in The Green Mile, and I shed quite a few tears (cried hysterically at the movie!).
The Green Mile is a an amazing story of love, courage, trust, magic and overall friendship. Everyone should read this
Fifty Shades Trilogy by E L James
I know there are a lot of different views on these books, but personally, and I'm not ashamed to say it, I liked them!
For some reason I took to pronouncing Anastasia as Ana-star-zia, not entirely sure why! I liked the relationship between Ana and Christian. Yes I know, he was into some weird stuff, but deep down they loved each other more than anything they'd loved before, and I thought you could feel this throughout the books. You have to read them all though, you can't just read the first one then give up! In my opinion the third was the better one of the three, but from reading the first 50 pages of Fifty Shades of Grey, I was hooked! I loved Christian and his strange sexual habits. I also have a good picture of him in my head, and Alexandar Skarsgard fits the bill completely. I think he would make a fabulous Mr Grey, and I'd let him tie me to the bed any day!
I would say the book was a bit same-y if you know what I mean, and the whole 'I'm going to take you now' from Christian got on my nerves a little. I mean, doesn't a girl like to be surprised now and again! All in all though, I liked them.
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
This is another book I read after The Help and Fried Green Tomatoes, as I think it fits into the same kind of Genre. Loved it, and it's another book which is high on my recommendation list to people.
When reading the start, I remember feeling rather spooked with all the bees flying around Lily's room. The relationship between Lily and Rosaleen was brilliant. The Boatwright sisters August, May and June were great characters too, and I was really sad at Mays death.
Another book which delved deep into the Racism and the Civil rights Movement at the time.
A great book of Loss, Betrayal, Love, Friendship and honour I thought.
The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
A Brilliant and very well written book. The Main character Christopher I think, has Aspergers Syndrome (although Mark Haddon has said that the book is not about Aspergers, but about being an outsider. And you really feel this with Christopher. He knows he is an outsider, but it doesn't matter to him. He says what he feels and thinks, as to him this is the right thing to do.
I loved this book. The part where Christopher hits the police man, made me giggle, because it's true. Funny things in this book, and most of them, when you really think about it, wouldn't make sense at all to someone on the Autistic Spectrum. Idioms they are. This is a good quote:
The word "metaphor" means carrying something from one place to another .
. . and it is when you describe something by using a word for something
that it isn't. This means that the word "metaphor" is a metaphor.
I
think it should be called a lie because a pig is not like a day and
people people do not have skeletons in their cupboards. And when I try
and make a picture of the phrase in my head it just confuses me because
imagining and apple in someone's eye doesn't have anything to do with
liking someone a lot and it makes you forget what the person was talking
about. ”
I loved Curious Incident. I'm glad it was recommended to me by my children's Speech and Language Therapist.
Before I Go To Sleep by S J Watson
I really got on well with this book.To be honest, at first I thought it was gong to be like the Movie '50 First Dates', but was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't.
Bit of a strange one though wasn't it, I mean if you can't trust your Other Half, who the hell can you trust?!
I liked the mystery in the novel, and it really had me thinking and guessing what was going on. I liked the idea of the diary keeping, and I kept willing Christine to find it every day. At one point I remember being really frustrated and shouting "Just go in the wardrobe and find the damn book!!!"
I can never imagine being in this kind of situation, it must be awful getting up every day and not knowing who the person sleeping next to you is, where you are, who the people in these photographs on your bedside table are. And when you add into the mix some lies, deceit, lost friends and a whole load of confusion, well it makes one damn good read!
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
This is one great book.
It made me feel a whole load of emotions while reading it, and I'm so glad I read the book first beofre seeing the movie. The book has much more in it, and the ending was the most memorable ending of any book I've ever read.
I remember feeling so angry at Bruno's father during the book, and at the end my heart absolutely broke into pieces and I sobbed and sobbed. I knew which way the end was going to go, and I could feel the knot in my stomach getting tighter and tighter as I read nearer to the end, my eyes never ever leaving the page. It really did upset me, and I found myself thinking about it afterwards and trying not to cry.
The victory for me in this book was Bruno's father being carted off by The Red Army at the end, he was evil, and he deserved to be the one who...well you know... not Bruno.
I found humor in the book too, how Bruno called the Fuhrer 'The Fury', and Auschwitz 'Out-With'. This made clear the innocence in Bruno, after all he was a child and had no idea what was gong on.
The Friendship between Bruno and Schmuel was beautiful.
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
I read this book at the start of this year, and by gosh is it deep. A totally deep, dark, sad and bleak book, but amazing.
I liked the way the characters didn't have names, only 'the man' and 'the boy'. The book doesn't have chapters either, and is written in a very different way to any other book I've read. This all added to the darkness of the book.
The part where 'the man' shows 'the boy' how to use the gun to commit suicide if anything ever happened, was so sad. After reading this book I remember looking at my children and thinking 'Thank God it's not real'. I can't imagine being in any situation like that.
The book is so well written that it stayed with me for days after, played on my mind. It's strange to say that it's such an amazing book, as it is not happy at all, and I cried a lot reading it. But it really is amazing.
To Kill a Mockingbird By Harper Lee
To Kill a Mockingbird is one of the only 'Classic' books I have ever read, I just don't get the 'classics' for some reason. I think it's the language. But I remember reading this in school, and came home wanting to watch the movie. It is one of my all time favourite movies ever.
Atticus Finch has always been one of my Literary heroes, I mean give him a cape and teach him to fly, and he's save the world.
Every time I think of Boo Radley, I picture Micheal Clarke Duncan who played John Coffey in The Green Mile movie. I'm not sure why, I just do.
Everyone should read To Kill a Mockingbird, and everyone should see the movie too.
