Being from the South has its advantages…the food, the family, the weather, the culture. It also has its disadvantages…the amount of time it takes to catch up to the rest of the world. It was through this lens that I made the decision to read this book. I was worried that it would be just another race relations book. I decided early on what my thought were on race relations and I found there were few books that told stories in a way that spoke to my own beliefs on the issue. The first book was To Kill a Mockingbird. I remember reading that book as a young teen and being enthralled. Later on I read a James Patterson book called Alex Cross’s Trial and that book hit me in much the same way. When I first heard about The Help I wasn’t sure it would be a book I was interested in reading. Finally, a friend offered me her copy so I decided it was worth a look. I can honestly say that this was a page turner. I loved the interaction between the household help and the families. The dichotomy of the love and respect they felt for their help with the hate and disgust that they felt for the race that their help was is a phenomenon in human psyche. These people allowed the help to raise their children, clean their sheets, cook their meals and hear all of their family business. What they didn’t allow was for the help to use their inside bathrooms. It is hard for me to imagine a relationship such as this. I grew up in the early 70s and 80s. Life was very different for my generation. This book uses a novel approach to explain the race relations of the 50s and 60s. To me this book is more about love than it is hate. Sure there was hate but first there was love and respect. There are some really funny parts in this book that made me want to cheer for these strong, amazing, intelligent women who cleaned the homes, raised the children and cooked the meals of women who clearly didn’t deserve it.

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I finally got around to reading this one and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Most of you know that Twilight was not my favorite series. I found myself frustrated while reading it and wanting to just be done with. As a result I haven’t touched a vampire book since. Until now. I figured that I had already invested so much time and energy in to reading the series so I might as well see what this one was about. I figured it was a much smaller book so it wouldn’t be that much of an investment.

I actually got to the end of this one and wished that I could read more! The character of Bree Tanner was intriguing. She was everything that Bella Swan is not. Interesting, strong, intelligent and self sufficient. I honestly didn’t even remember her character from the original series but I won’t forget her now. I loved seeing the other side of the coin. It was nice to see a character that used her intelligence and wit to get her what she wanted.

I wonder what it says to young girls that this intelligent, strong, witty girl ends up dead while Bella Swan lives (so to speak) on with her whining and damsel in distress life? I would so much have rather ed Bree survive and see what she could have accomplished. What if Carlisle could have taught her how to withstand the temptation? What if she only hunted animals instead of people? I wish I could have more of this fascinating character.

It got me wondering if there weren’t other characters that could be taken further. What  characters would you like to see Meyer expand upon?

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I am once again a James Patterson fan! I just finished this book last night and I have to say that I really loved it. It only took me 2 days to finish and I had a hard time putting it down.

Trial is truly a departure for James Patterson. I almost felt like I was reading a John Grisham book. This book is not about Alex Cross at all! He isn’t even in this book. It is told as a retelling of a story told by his ancestors and passed down in his family. This is the story of  Alex Cross’s family in the early 1900′s.

The main character of the book is a white lawyer who is sent back from Washington to his childhood home of Eudora, Mississippi at the behest of President Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt has outlawed lynchings and yet he keeps getting reports that they are still happening in large numbers in the small cities of the south. The lawyer, Ben Corbett is sent to document these reports as fact or fiction so that Roosevelt can act on the information.

This book details in uncensored ways the cruelties and discrimination that colored people were experiencing in that time period. It gives you a bird’s eye view of their lives and the utter desperation they felt at not being able to do anything right. If they did something they were lynched, if they didn’t do anything they were lynched, if they were in the wrong place and the wrong time they were lynched. I also like that the author is not merely trying to make a statement about the evil nature of white people. He showed that many of their decisions were not actually based on hate but on fear. They feared that they would lose all that they had to the colored people who had only recently been freed. Most importantly they feared a loss of income by colored men who now would take their jobs. Excusable? Absolutely not! However, it does show another side and doesn’t just assume that people are evil and do bad things because of the hatred in their heart. Another interesting point of view is that of the Ku Klux Klan members in this book. He asserts that they were not merely haters of colored people but of ALL people who they felt had caused harm to them. There is a graphic description of a lynching of a Jewish man who they believe has jilted some of the wealthy women out of money in an attempt to sell them undeeded land in Louisiana.

The biggest part of this that I found interesting and frustrating at the same time is the justice system as depicted in this story. There was no justice for people of color in those days. If you were arrested you were going to jail. They would allow you a trial but it would look nothing like a fair trial and it would end in nothing that even remotely resembles justice. The frustrating part is that it is not so hard to see that this is more truth than fiction. The courts really were partial and they really did dole out their own form of justice.

I have to tell you that there is an unbridled use of an offensive word in this book so if you are easily offended by it’s use then you should avoid this book. I think that it was completely necessary to use it in order to tell this story with any sort of accuracy. I think it was used as it was always used in reality. I think it was not used as a creative word to make the book more interesting or for entertainment shock value. It was merely a fact that had to be included.

I love history and I love crime dramas. This book gave me both. I love that as predictable as I thought it was going to be it still gave me a twist at the very end that I just didn’t expect. I am renewed in my appreciation of James Patterson and his ability to tell a story. This is a must read for Patterson fans and those who have been disheartened by his recent attempts. Enjoy!

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What are you guys reading? I have finally gotten back in to the swing of reading I just ordered several books for the stack. I am really looking forward to some of these books and I think we can have a great discussion about them. Here is what is on my stack and we will be discussing in the next few weeks. If you have read them keep an eye out for the discussions and join in. If you haven’t read them go get them right now so you don’t get left out of the fun!

I have been hearing a lot of amazing things about both the Steig Larsson book and the Anne Rice book so I am very excited to begin those two. I think we will be able to have some amazing discussions on these two books. The other two are James Patterson books I have been wanting to read and I am hoping that they don’t follow the same path as the last Alex Cross books I read. I want James Patterson to impress me with one of these books. Start reading and get your list of questions together and I will see you in the Booknook in the next few weeks!! Enjoy!

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I just finished watching the rebroadcast of the Jimmy Kimmel Live Twilight Show and I had to come right over to discuss it with you guys. First I have to say that I love the sense of humor that all the cast members have. They really made the show enjoyable. I also have to say that I love the addition of all of these new cast members. They are interesting and beautiful and make the movie seem like it has so many more dimensions than just Bella, Edward and Jacob. The bad part? I can’t really stand the attitude of Kristen Stewart. She looks uninvolved and bored the whole show and when asked a question she is sarcastic and sort of demeaning to the fans. She almost seems like she feels too good for the rest of this world. Understand that my watching this comes from a place of not liking Bella in the books and not liking the choice of Kristen Stewart to play the part of Bella. I have said from the beginning I don’t like the way Stephanie Meyer portrays Bella in the books as a desperate damsel in distress. Add to that the fact that Kristen Stewart is no where near the picture of Bella I had in my mind and she just doesn’t fit the storyline to me. I think it just tops my annoyance to see her in interviews and shows and realize she never really answers a question. I know that it is rare for celebrities to want to keep their private lives secret. I also know that it is totally her right to not answer personal questions but she avoids even the most innocent of questions. She answers with sarcasm and a little bit of distaste. She was asked a very innocent question about whether there were any scenes from the book she wished had made the movie that hadn’t and she jokingly replied that she wished she had gotten to cook for Charlie the whole movie. With all of the amazing scenes from the book she could have taken the opportunity to make people even more interested in the books and movies and instead made herself look like an inane idiot. I really like Peter Francinelli. Perhaps it is his maturity that I enjoy but he is witty and interesting and seems to enjoy and appreciate his fans. He is a real star. I also have to say I am impressed with the maturity of Dakota Fanning. You would never guess she was so young. She certainly has a much better presence than Kristen does. So there is my opinion of the show. What did you guys like or dislike about the show? Where there any questions you wished you could ask them?

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Starting on Monday June 21st Burger Kings all around the nation will become over run with teenage girls and hormonal women of all ages. The fast food chain is going to be running a Twilight themed promotion that will give customers a chance to win prizes via scratch off cards. They also are launching an online website with extra features including sneak peeks and games. I have to say that this was a brilliant move on the part of BK. I can’t say that they have been keeping up with the pack in sales in the last few years and their kid’s meal promotions have been lacking to say the least. Amazingly the group of fans that follow Twilight will do ANYTHING to get their fix, even purchase BK food instead of McDonalds. If anything can pull those customers away it is this promotion. Not only will the teen girls be begging their parents for a trip to BK but the moms who love this series will be offering their kids to eat out when they normally wouldn’t. Great idea!!! I can’t wait to see how this thing works for BK and will be amused to see the frenzy this might cause. Enjoy!

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Hello Harry Potter fans! Today was the day and I have heard rumor it was quite a day! The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened today at Universal Studios and some friends have relayed to me that there were waits of hours long just to get in to the HP area! That doesn’t even count the waits to see the attractions or ride the rides. I was watching The Today Show this morning and Al & Ann were airing from US. I have to admit I am a Disney addict and not usually swayed by US attractions but I sure would like to visit one day. They really did this one right this time. It looks amazing and they paid such close attention to the details. They have dining areas that offer HP themed beverages and foods. They have shopping areas that are HP themed. They finally did something that makes this Disney girl wanna see Universal Studios. I can’t wait to hear reviews of the rides and the attractions. The thing I love the most about Disney is that the attractions and rides immerse you in the story that they are based on. Harry Potter is truly an amazing story to try to tell. There is so much magic and make believe that it is easy to imagine all of the terrific ways you can go with this new land. I think perhaps Universal Studio may have taken a page from Walt’s book on imagineering and I can’t wait to one day check out this new land of fantasy.

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It has been quite some time since I read and reviewed the book The Time Traveler’s Wife. If you remember I had a little bit of an issue finishing this book since it didn’t quite keep my attention and it was long and drawn out. However, once I was done with it I really liked the storyline and characters and kept thinking this would make a great mini series. Something that you could draw out all summer long and update their happenings each week. It would be so much more interesting to see what happened at each of their meetings than it was to read about them.

I thought my prayers were answered when I saw they had made a movie about the book. I thought at initial glance that the actors chosen fit well with the vision I had in my mind of what these characters would have looked like. I really thought I was in for a treat. I settled in not long ago and ordered it On Demand and got my popcorn and got ready to be entertained. I was sadly disappointed. It seems this story just doesn’t play out well in a typical movie format either. Too much of the story had to be cut out in order to fit in the time constraints. It made the story seem disjointed and confusing. Instead of seeming like a sweet love of a lifetime over the decades kind of story it plays more as a freak show with his jumping back and forth being the main focus instead of the undying love they shared.

I still think this book could work for television but I think my original idea of it being a mini series or a weekly television program would work so much better. Each weekly show could focus on a different jumping event and the types of feelings and emotions tied to those jumps. They could really hone in on the relationship between Henry and Clare and what effect his jumping has on their relationship. I think I could really enjoy a show like that. What do you guys think? Would you watch? Did you guys see this movie and enjoy it more than I did? Why or why not? I guess the old saying is true…never read the book first! Enjoy!

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Hello Twilight fans!!! I know that most of you are wondering what book I could possibly be talking about. Well it seems that Stephanie Meyer has decided to fill her fan’s thirst for more Twilight without actually doing a sequel to the series. In an act of genius she is instead going to release a book that expands on one of the lesser known characters. Forget Bella Swan now there is Bree Tanner. She is a character from the book Eclipse but now she is going to have her own book. The book is called The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella and it can be pre-ordered at Barnes & Noble now for delivery June 5th. For Twilight fans this will be a way to get a little taste of Twilight but it could be a little bit of a let down since it is really not the same storyline. It will be the opposing view of what happened when Bree and her army try to hunt down Bella and the Cullens. It will be interesting to see if her fans will look at this as a cheap imitation or if they will love it and take whatever Twilight reading they can get. Let me know if you read it. I imagine I will get around to it but I have to say that Twilight isn’t my favorite so it will have to wait for me to finish some other books first. Enjoy!

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Hello Patterson fans! The much anticipated 9th installment in the Women’s Murder Club Series is finally out. I always love this series of Patterson books and find they hold my attention much better than the Alex Cross books have been. I think the fact that there are several main characters help to give the series more interest over the long haul. It isn’t easy to write 9 books about the same subject and still come up with new material that will hold readers attention and not feel redundant. I haven’t read this one yet but I have ordered it so I will be doing a review of it soon. If you haven’t gotten yours yet it is available at many different retail outlets including one of my favorites Barnes & Nobles. Order yours now so we can discuss it in a few weeks! Enjoy!

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