Chick Lit Plus Blog Tour: Family Pieces

Welcome to my third blog tour post! First of all, THANK YOU to Samantha at Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours for organizing this tour and for Misa Rush for sending me her debut novel to review.

Let's start with the synopsis from Goodreads:

What do you do when your once charmed life falls to pieces?

Karsen Woods' life seems charmed from her hunkalicious boyfriend to her picture-perfect midwestern roots. Away at college, even the necklace she wears serves as a constant connection home - a family tradition created when her grandfather handmade each immediate relative an interlinking charm. Each piece crafted in the shape of a puzzle piece, each one interlinking perfectly together. But when the unexpected death of her mother turns her world upside down, she discovers there is a missing piece of her treasured family tradition and her life as she once knew it may never be the same.

Addison Reynolds resides in her posh Manhattan condominium and wraps her personal identity around running Urbane, the magazine empire built by her father. In a moment of haste, Addison divulges her deepest secret to her closest friend Emily - a secret she never intended to disclose.

Could one choice, one secret, bond two unlikely women forever?

When I started reading this book I honestly wasn't too sure what to expect. Happily, what I found was a book I thoroughly enjoyed and would definitely recommend to others. I will warn you that this post may seem a little disorganized and incomplete. This is because I don't want to give anything away and there are little twists that I don't want to spoil for anyone. Bear with me, please?

Normally I do not like books that start off with two or more characters who don't know each other and have seemingly nothing in common until halfway through the book when they meet. Drives. Me. Nuts. With that being said, I was a little concerned when I realized that the two main characters, Karsen and Addison, had no idea who the other was when the book started. Not to worry though! I knew at page 16 they were somehow connected, figured out how they were connected at page 37, and these hunches were confirmed at page 178. For those of you who have read this book already - were you able to figure out the twists?
You may think that I wouldn't enjoy the book so much if I had the main plot twist sorted out pretty early on. But that actually wasn't the case. I liked that it was predictable but not formulaic. Does that make sense? It was predictable in the fact that there were the typical devices that are found in most chick lit books along with the fact that I had it essentially figured out. However, it wasn't like any chick lit novel I had ever read before. Yes, the twist is found in other stories but it's done in a fresh and unique way in Family Pieces.

The one thing that did bother me was the fact that the two main women, Karsen and Addison, were not as three dimensional as I would have liked. I think this is because there were so many secondary characters that had such a huge impact on the novel and the story's progression - Brad, Hanna, Russell, Jacob, and Emily. There was also James...I won't say anything else about him, except that I had a hunch about how this plot line would go too. I was on fire! Anyway, I liked all the other characters and am so glad they were there but I wish I knew more about Karsen and Addison. The one thing that I really wanted to know was how Karsen went from being in school for science (PS kudos to her! There's no way I could do that. I'll stick with my Bachelor of Arts degree, thank you.) to what she ends up doing at the end of the novel. And I'm not even entirely sure what that is. This little issue with the novel definitely wasn't a deal breaker for me, just something that could have made the book even better.

This novel takes a family and tests them way beyond normal limits in a short period of time. While that had the potential to seem like horribly bad karma, Rush makes it work. There's the massive hit that Karsen takes when she finds out her mother has died, and then it's followed with quick one, two, three punches that keep delivering the hits. What makes this all bearable is the fact that Karsen has such an amazing family system, which is kind of the key to whole novel. A family may start with blood relatives but it can grow to include best friends and even people who start out as complete strangers. I loved that about this book - that everyone had a connection with each other, and such a powerful one, but it was believable. It really makes you take a minute to think about your own family and the people you're so close to and realize how important they are.

Overall, I loved the book. Flew through it because I needed to know what was going to happen but was sad when it was over. Even though there was an epilogue, I still wanted to know how things really worked out for everyone. I suggest you track down this book and read it. You won't be disappointed :)

Please join Chick Lit Plus and Misa on Thursday June 23rd at 6 pm CST (7 pm EST) for a TwitParty! Use the hashtag #CLPMisa to ask your questions and participate!

Stay tuned because I have a guest post from Misa for Tuesday!

A New Challenge!

Here I am on a lovely Sunday afternoon, checking out the various blogs I read, and I got to thinking that I should try and find a new challenge to sign up for, just for kicks. Well, as I'm looking through some posts I happen upon the Vacation Reads Reading Challenge! What are the chances? It's being hosted by Ruby's Reads and Manga Maniac Cafe.

Here's the lowdown: (which, in full disclosure, I copied right from Ruby's site - which is also why the formatting is a little off and the colour won't change for me)

Participant Information: 

• Those who decide to participate in the reading challenge will strive to read six Vacation Reads. Six is the number we've chosen for the challenge, but you can always read more.  
• Anyone can participate, even non-bloggers. Non-bloggers can post their reviews on LibraryThing, Goodreads etc.
• Because of the short time the challenge is going to run, the deadline to join is June 21. The challenge runs from June 21 to September 23.

Qualifying Books:

• Any books in any genre, as long as the setting is somewhere you'd like to visit.
• The setting may be fictional, fantastical, or historical, so long as you explain in your review why you want to "visit" there.

If you're interested make sure you head on over to one of their sites (linked above) to sign up. Now I have to put on my thinking cap and decide where I'd like to travel and which books to read. Ooh, I've got one already! Stay tuned... :)

Just Finished: "Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo"

Ladies and gentlemen, let me present one of my new favourite books...Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo by Heather Wardell. I'll start this rambling and lengthy post with the synopsis from Goodreads:

When Candice's in-laws died in a car accident eight months ago, she lost her husband Ian too. After only two years of marriage their guilt and pain have left them living together but apart. During Ian's month-long trip overseas, Candice plans to decide if her marriage can be saved, but when the first man she ever loved is the new client at work, she wonders what she truly wants from life and love.

When Heather first asked me to review her books a little while ago I poked around her website and found an excerpt from this book. I was hooked. I couldn't stop thinking about the story and the characters and wondering how they got through everything. I had quite a few other books to read but when I finally got around to reading Polar Bear I found that the rest of the novel was just as engaging as the first chapter.

There were so many things that I loved about this novel, so I hope I can remember to touch on all of them. First of all, the characters were fantastic. Each one was well developed and three dimensional. I really felt like I knew them and I wanted to be friends with all of them! And this was a very important thing. I think if I hadn't like the characters, the story would have been harder to take. Sometimes when cheating is at the centre of the plot it can be really hard to read and feel any sympathy or empathy for any of the characters. I felt like I could really understand the reason behind the decisions Candice, Kegan, and Ian were making.

My fave Giffin book!

Since I'm sure some of you don't know who Heather Wardell is (and you need to go educate yourselves right now...ok, finish reading this post, and then go check out all her books), I'm going to compare this novel to one by a well known chick lit author - Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin. A quick snippet from the Goodreads synopsis: This is the story for anyone who has ever wondered: How can I truly love the one I'm with when I can't forget the one who got away? I felt the same way about LTOYW as I did about Polar Bear...I could see why the characters were making their choices. I actually could see their reasoning so well that I knew exactly why they were having a hard time making the so called "right" choice. I'm not always ok with the whole infidelity storyline, just in case you think I am. In fact, I had a very hard time reading Heart of the Matter by Giffin. I was just not ok with Tessa's husband cheating on her (I was, however, amused that Tessa is Dex's sister. Yes, Dex from Something Borrowed). Anyway, slightly off topic now. Long story short - LTOYW and Polar Bear were similar but both were unique to the author and were equally delightful.

If you've been reading my previous posts you may have realized that I love reading Canadian authors and seeing whether they play up or ignore the fact that they are from Canada. Sometimes you have no idea if the characters are in Canada (see my post on Spin) and sometimes a Canadian city is named as the location, but that's it (see Love Struck). And sometimes, like with Polar Bear, you know the characters are in Canada and the reader actually gets to explore the city through the characters. At one point in this novel, Candice and Kegan head to Canada's Wonderland, the theme park in Toronto (technically it's outside Toronto...but when I'm driving south - I live north of T.O. - Wonderland signals the entrance into the dreaded GTA. I'm such a small town girl!). You're wondering where I'm going with this, aren't you? Well, the reason this part of the novel made an impression on me was because I knew what rides Candice and Kegan were on and Wardell didn't name the rides, only described them. I've been to Wonderland a few times and just thought it was so cool that I had been on the same rides the characters were on. Except Drop Tower. That ride just plain terrifies me. Anyway, this excursion by the characters actually prompted me to text my friend and tell her I wanted to go to Wonderland. Needless to say, she was a little confused as to why I was all of a sudden wanting to go :) Read this novel and wonder what the rides look like? Here ya go:
(PS Heather, did I get them all right? There were options for the wood and stand up ones!)


Drop Tower; SkyRider; Wild Beast; Swings of the Century

 Since I follow Heather on Twitter (and you should too! @HeatherWardell) and we are part of the same Chick Lit Challenge hosted by Samantha at Chick Lit Plus, I know that she is an avid reader. Turns out Candice is too, which the following two quotes show:

I was halfway to the door when a new Marian Keyes novel caught my eye. I picked it up to take a look and decided it needed to come hom with me.

Admit it. Many of you have felt exactly the same way at the bookstore.

Larissa stopped dead and gave me a good impression of a woman having a heart attack. "You...not going to Chapters? The world has gone mad!"

Love it. I think I want Candice to be my friend :)

Overall, I loved loved loved this book. Five stars, for sure. I've already told a few friends to read it and plan on making others to read it as well. The characters are amazing, the story flows, and you will not want to put it down.

What's that you say? Now that you've heard me talk about how amazing Heather's book was you want to know where to find all her books? Not to worry, I have you covered. (and, alright, I may be over exaggerating my influence :) Just a bit?) You can find them on Smashwords, Kobo, and Amazon. There may be more but this should be enough to get you started, right? :) I definitely urge you to check out Heather's books. I am looking foward to reading more of hers!

Chick Lit Plus Blog Tour: Love Struck

This is the second book that I've reviewed for a blog tour and I'd like to thank Samantha at CLP Blog Tours and Chantel Simmons for letting me be a part of it! I also want to thank Chantel for the sweet handwritten note that sent with the book :)

As a former bookseller, I had seen Love Struck on the shelves and thought it looked pretty cute - come on, a pink umbrella with hearts on it? How could I not pick it up? But I just never got around to reading it because I wasn't sure if I would like it. When I got the chance to be a part of this blog tour, I thought it was as good a time as any to give it a shot.

Here's the synopsis from Chapters:

In the vein of her popular debut novel, Stuck in Downward Dog, author Chantel Simmons brings us a funny, heartfelt story about losing the perfect life-and finding a real one.

When twenty-seven-year-old image consultant Poppy Ross discovers that her handsome and seemingly devoted husband Parker is having an affair, she is dumbfounded. Before she has chance to confront him, however, he is struck by lightning. When he regains consciousness, he has lost his short-term memory-including that of the affair. Given a chance to erase history and possible save her marriage, Poppy decides to remake herself in the mistress's image, so that Parker might never be tempted to stray again. Her quest to become his perfect woman has disastrous and hilarious results-and might turn out to be the worst thing possible for her marriage.

I have to be honest...I didn't love this book, but, I didn't hate it either. It was still one of those ones that I didn't want to put down because I needed to find out what was going to happen. I think I know why I wasn't a huge fan though, so let me explain that and then I'll give you reasons why other people would probably love this book and why I'd still recommend it.

I found this novel very similar to the Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella. I've read every single Shopaholic book and every time I want to strangle Becky because she's just so dumb when it comes to money. But, I keep reading them because things always turn out in the end. It was the same with Poppy. She decides to try and make herself over to look like the woman she believes is having an affair with her husband. I guess I can get that, but she doesn't even think about the fact that there might be an underlying issue with their marriage. Again, somewhat understandable because no one wants to admit when their relationship isn't as perfect as they'd like it to be, or they think it should be. Even though what Poppy was doing kind of made sense, I was almost constantly annoyed at her for being such a twit. Facebook stalking the mistress? Pretty much anyone would do that. Creating a whole new friend profile because you made up a fake name and profession? Um. A little out there.

I had realized about halfway through the book that I was comparing Poppy to Becky and looking at the similarities between Love Struck and Confessions of a Shopaholic. Then, near the end of the novel, there was one scene in Love Stuck that was just so incredibly similar to Shopaholic. At the end of the book, Poppy gets the chance to go on a morning show and show off her styling skills. The show is live, so of course this is when everything totally blows up for Poppy. For those of you that have read the first in Kinsella's series (or seen the movie), you will know the scene I'm comparing it to. Becky goes on a television show to talk about finance and that is when her debt collector guy (what is he actually called?? Can't for the life of me remember) calls her out as an imposter. I doubt Simmons intentionally wrote a similar scene, and it didn't really bother me at all, I just found it mildly amusing.

I did really like the uniqueness of the situation. I know I haven't read about someone being hit by lightening and not remembering anything from the previous three months. Anyone else? Books about temporary amnesia usually have a really good "journey" in them when the characters realize what is wrong in their lives and work to fix it. This novel was no different, and I think Simmons did a good job and really showing how and why Poppy went through this journey. It wasn't a stretch like some books are - none of Poppy's (or Parker's) fundamental characteristics really changed. Instead, it was more like they changed back to what they were really like when they were first together.

Of course, I also loved that Simmons is Canadian and there were little references that only Canadians would really get. Or maybe, only people who live around Toronto would understand. Right at the beginning of the novel there's a reference to the Blue Jays and later on we learn that Poppy's parents live in Muskoka. Parker actually goes to a baseball game at one point and I had no trouble imagining him sitting in the Skydome (ok, technically it's the Rogers Centre now but I still like to call it the Skydome) and watching the Jays play. It's a little thing but I really enjoy reading Canadian authors and am glad that many more people will be reading this one in the blog tour too. I'm interested to see if anyone comments on the fact that the book is based in Toronto or if anyone even cares.

Like I said, I didn't love this novel but I would recommend it to others, which I know may seem kind of strange. Everyone has different tastes and I liked the general idea of this book, it was just the characters that irked me. (Side-note, I think that is why I didn't like the novel One Day. I wanted to like it, I really did, but I just...couldn't. Anyone else read this book? Please let me know what you thought!) This was your typical chick lit book and I liked the little ways that Simmons made this one different and unique. Overall, I'd probably give this three stars and suggest finding it at a library or borrowing it from a friend. I know there are definitely people who would enjoy this novel and I wouldn't want to turn them off it. Summer's quickly approaching so I'd recommend it for a good beach read :)

Thanks again to Chantel Simmons and Samantha for allowing me to be a part of this blog tour!

Please join Chantel Simmons on Twitter Tuesday, May 31st at 7 pm CST for her TwitParty! Use #CLPChantel to participate!

Something Old. Something New. Something Borrowed! Something Blue?

Just in case you couldn't figure it out from the title of this blog post, I just went to see Something Borrowed on Tuesday. I read this book eons ago and have been looking forward to the adaptation ever since I heard it was being made into a movie. I've been meaning to reread it but I decided to wait until after seeing the movie, otherwise I knew I would be irked with any slight changes or omissions. I'm glad I did because I really enjoyed the movie!

Some observations and notes:

• Kate Hudson was perfection as Darcy. I have to admit that I strongly disliked Darcy when I read Something Borrowed. So much so that I was actually not looking forward to reading Something Blue because it focuses more on her story. I think Kate Hudson was great because everyone loves her, but she can play the gorgeous, self centred, "I'm the best", sassy kind of girl so well that you want to dislike her, but you know there's a good person somewhere inside her. Anyone else feel that way about Darcy and Hudson's portrayal of her? 
• Ginnifer Goodwin was an amazing Rachel. Intelligent girl next door who really has no idea how gorgeous she is. I'm a little sad that we would see less of Goodwin in the sequel because I really liked her as Rachel.
• While Colin Eggelsfield is definitely an attractive guy, I would rather marry John Krasinski (even though he's already taken...that and I have no chance of meeting him!) Humour will win me over almost every time.

They're even wearing a similar suit at the premiere!

• I loved the cameo by Emily Giffin. Those of you who watched it...did you catch it? She was the one sitting on the bench reading Something Blue who is offended when Marcus starts talking about masturbating (and can you blame her? I'd be a little weirded out too!)

• I also appreciated the heads up from Emily Giffin's Twitter that there was an extra little scene after the credits. They set the sequel up perfectly! Kicking yourself for not staying? Go see it again! :)
• Wondering why there's a ? after Something Blue in the title of this post? Giffin's been rallying her fans to make sure they see the movie and get friends and friends of friends to go see Something Borrowed. The more people who see it, the more money the money people make, and that will convince them to make Something Blue!
• I now feel better about my curly hair/straight bangs situation that I have going on. I don't look as good as Goodwin, but hey...I'm ok with that.

• Speaking of hair...there's one scene, quite a pivotal one too, where Rachel leaves the bar and it's pouring rain. Next scene she's getting out of the cab in New York in the same dress...AND HER HAIR IS PERFECT! Nope. Sorry Hollywood, you fail. That never happens to girls with curly hair. Rain = death by poodle head.
• I really want to reread all of Giffin's books this summer. You know, in between all the other books I have to read. I can't wait for her new one to be released!
• I may have embarrassed my sister during the movie...anyone who has read the book would have known what was coming but there was a scene during the movie that almost everyone in the theatre reacted to. And I may or may not have whispered (a little too loudly) "Haven't any of you read the book?!?" Oops. Can I help it if I'm a totally book worshipper and will always read the book before seeing the movie?

Overall, I really enjoyed this movie and will buy it the day it is released on DVD. What did you guys think of it?

No idea what movie I'm talking about? Check out the trailer!

May Chick Lit Review: "Second Time Around"

I was lucky enough to win this (signed!) book from Liz and Lisa over at Chick Lit is Not Dead last September when I commented on their post "What's on Beth Kendrick's Bucket List?". I had read Kendrick's book Nearlyweds the summer of 2009 and absolutely loved it so I decided to try to win Second Time Around. And what do you know? I actually won it! Amazing.

Now that you know how I came across this novel, let me tell you that I loved, loved, loved it. I had a gala event that I was planning for work this past weekend and reading this book was a fantastic escape. I was incredibly stressed out so the fact that I was able to focus on the characters and the story really shows how great this novel was. It was also a particularly delicious experience to read this book while laying in my hotel room bed the morning after the gala - massive weight off my shoulders, a great book, and an incredibly squashy and comfy bed. Heaven.

Here's the synopsis from Chapters:

Every summer, four college friends hold a mini-reunion. They laugh, reminisce, and commiserate about their soul-sucking jobs. Maybe they should have listened to everyone who warned them to study something "practical."

Then an unexpected windfall arrives-one million dollars, to be exact-with the stipulation that they use it to jump-start their new careers. Almost overnight, a professor, a bartender, a copywriter, and an administrative assistant reinvent themselves as a novelist, an event planner, a pastry chef, and a bed-and-breakfast owner. But the changes in their professional roles create unexpected turbulence in their personal lives, and soon the secrets and scandals from their past start to resurface.

For anyone who has ever wondered "What if?," this engaging novel provides a sweet, funny look at friendship, romance, and second chances. 

The synopsis is right...if you've ever wondered what would happened if you had done something differently (and come on, who hasn't?), you'll really enjoy this book. These four friends get the chance to change their lives and, as cliched as this sounds, find happiness. Each of the four women have a chance for a mini do over in their lives when they inherit $250,000 and each of them handles it in different ways. The four friends are the key to this novel so I want to give a little peek into how they deal with their new situations.

Brooke is the sensible one of the bunch who decided to stay in their college town and is working at the alumni office. When the money comes to her she decides to jump right in and do what she's always wanted.

Cait is working as an English professor and is hoping for tenure. She's always wanted to write a novel but even with this money, she can't quite seem to take the chance. Suddenly her situation changes at the college she's teaching at and she finally runs out of excuses.

Jamie is the wild girl who always does what she wants and everyone else be damned. Guys come and go and she seems to be content with her job as a bartender - until her boss refuses her time off and she quits. In typical Jamie fashion, she falls headlong into her dream job when she's visiting Brooke. 

Then there's Anna. She's the only married one of the four but things are not all sunshine and lollipops. She and her husband have been trying for a baby for years and it has finally taken a toll on their marriage. He has to go oversees for work so she decides it's a perfect time to visit with the girls at Brooke's place and it's there she rediscovers her passion for baking.


This book has everything - laughing, crying, loving, fighting, playing, and thinking - and it's all wonderfully woven together. The characters are all well rounded and incredibly likeable. I like that none of the women are perfect because, really, who is? The great thing about having this many different characters is that there's usually one that you can really identify with. In my case it was Cait. I can't quite put my finger on why but hers was the story that I always enjoyed going back to. Not to say that I didn't like reading about the other women, because I did. I actually wanted to be friends with them. And I think that is a key thing. These women have a friendship that all other females envy. Ten years ago they met in college and have stayed in touch ever since. While they may be living in different parts of the country, they still manage to see each other at least once a year and always pick up where they left off. They're doing better than some of my friends and I and we're all (for the most part) in the same province! Hence, the envy.

I also think the setting is key. The four friends are back in their college town, which is a quaint, stereotypical upstate New York college town. For me, this was the kind of place that I always thought of when I thought about going away to university. The cover also helped convey what the setting was going to be like as well. There's nothing like seeing some Muskoka  chairs, one with books on it, surrounded by green space. I think there also may be some sort of deeper meaning behind the setting. Perhaps Kendrick had all the women end up in the same town they went to college in for a reason. I think it might be because that's when things started to change and they began to make "real" decisions for the first time. I may have gone waaaay too deep for this novel, but it's an interesting thought.

I highly recommend this book because it really is everything that chick lit should be. Compelling female characters, great friendship, a little bit of romance, and a journey. Do you really need any more convincing? Find this novel in some way or another and read it. You won't regret it.

Just Finished: "The Help"

As most of you know (or should know if you've 1. been reading this blog for awhile or 2. know me well) I used to work at a bookstore until quite recently. My favourite part of that job was hearing what people were reading, getting recommendations, and suggesting books to customers. Now that I have more time for myself, I am slowly making my way through all the book customers have been recommending for awhile and I'm so glad that I am. The Help was one of those books like Water for Elephants that people had been telling me I need to read ever since it was released in February 2009. I have to say that I honestly had no idea what it was about. The only thing I knew was that it took place in the 1960s or so and involved some African Americans. And that came from the information about the movie adaptation that's currently in production. I can't believe I never even picked up the book to find out what it was so I could better recommend it to customers! *hangs head in shame* Here's the synopsis from Chapters:

Be prepared to meet three unforgettable women:
Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.
Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.
Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.
Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.
In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women-mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends-view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.

Massive synopsis, I know. Sorry! But now you know more than I did when I picked up the book.

Once I got started and figured out what the story was I really didn't think I was going to love it. It's not a time of history that's ever particularly grabbed me before. Happily, the book proved me wrong. I ended up really enjoying this book and I highly recommend it.

My favourite thing about this novel was the fact that there was such great historical detail wrapped up in the most amazing personal stories. The characters were so well rounded and all three women, Aibileen, Minny and Skeeter, had the most unique and fantastic voices. Stockett does a great job of bouncing between stories and it doesn't get confusing at all. She seems to perfectly sense when she should switch to another character to get their perspective on a certain event.

I liked that Stockett had quite the extensive author's note at the end of the novel. I don't have the book with me anymore (supported my local library :) reserving books is a fantastic thing) so I apologize if I get something wrong. She explains why she felt the need to write this story. She grew up in Jackson, Mississippi (where the novel takes place) and had a black maid and this relationship seems to be mirrored in Skeeter's relationship with Constantine. She also talked about how she had many helpful people who made sure her historical details were accurate, and also made sure to mention that there were three things she refused to change even though the timing was incorrect. If you can figure them out, I applaud you...though, in my defense, I was born about 25 years after the book took place... :)

There isn't really anything negative I would say about this book. The only thing I that would have made me like it more would be an ending that is more clear cut. I don't want to give anything away, but I will say that while things do get wrapped up for the most part, there's one character whose life is completely up in the air at the end of the novel. I guess this makes it more realistic, which I can respect, but I enjoy knowing exactly what the characters are doing after the novel is over. Anyone else feel that way?

The movie comes out later this year and I will be going to see it. Or, at least renting it. It's hard to find people who want to see these adaptations with me. Still waiting to see Water for Elephants! I think they have a pretty good cast and am looking forward to seeing how the actors portray these amazing characters.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I think it can appeal to many different types of readers, particularly those who like historical fiction. Has anyone else read The Help? If so, what did you think? If you're looking for a good read, definitely go pick up this book. You won't regret it!