Books Turned into Upcoming Movies

I totally love it when books I have read turn into movies. I am one of those people that would rather read the book first, and then watch the movie. Once I have seen it as a movie I have no desire to read the book. I think the reasoning is because when I am first reading a book, I imagine what the characters will look like, and what their environments look like, and then the movie just confirms if what I imagined was correct or not.

There are some great books that are being turned into movies and being released this year, and the ones I am very excited to go see are:

Water for Elephants (April 2011) -- Just read this last month, and could not put it down. You can find my review here.

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Something Borrowed (June 2011) -- I am currently reading this book and so far it's pretty good. I just learned that it was being turned into a movie, so I totally had to check it out at the library as soon as I heard!

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The Help (August 2011) -- This was one of my favorite books that I read last year, and possibly one of my favorites of all times (or at least in a close running, I can never just pick one!). You can find my review here.

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Any good movies you are looking to see, or books to read? I am always looking for recommendations.

Book Review: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels

A week ago Sunday I decided to pick up The Pioneer Woman's new book Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. I had been debating on just getting this book from the library, since I had heard mixed reviews, but when I heard that I had the chance to meet her, I just had to get the book so I could get her to sign it.

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I started reading it on Sunday, and I think I probably read about half of it that afternoon within a couple of hours. It was so good, and very much like her writing style on  her blog, which I love. It was like sitting down with one of your good girlfriends with a cup of coffee and gossiping about your love life. I totally couldn't put it down, and even debating skipping work one day to finish it. Really I would never do that, but for about a half a min, I did debate it. Of course I had to finish the book within the week before the book signing that following Saturday. I totally wanted to tell her how much I loved her book, but got nervous, and managed to say "Hi" and "thank you!"

Some of the critics made comments about her writing style, but come on, we never expected it to be a literary masterpiece. It's a memior, and it totally follows her writing style on her blog, which makes it even more personable.

The first part of the book I guess is on her blog. So are many of her recipes in her cookbook, but I still wanted to buy it. I would much rather carry around a book than my laptop, so it didn't bother me that much of the content was the same. I actually never read her story on her blog, so it was all  new to me.

If you are looking for a cute love story that is an easy read, I highly recommend picking this up. It just made me all warm and happy to hear her story. It also totally made me want to fall in love with a cowboy. I think I fell in love with Marlboro Man before the book was over. Totally ready it if you get a chance!

Book Review: Ape House (Chapters 26 - Epilogue)

We have finally finished Ape House over at Book Beginnings and Bookends. I don’t want to spoil the book for those who have not read it (although some of my answers below might, so spoiler alert!!), so I’ll just keep to answering the questions this time.

1. How would you describe the relationship between John and Isabel?

Although I was expecting it to get more personal, it seemed very professional to me. I think Isabel really respects John as a journalist, and trusted that he would write her story the respectable way, not like Cat and the some of the other reporters. I think it says a lot when she trusts him even though he is currently working for a tabloid newspaper.

2. What was your reaction to finding out Peter's role in the explosion and capture of the apes?

I honestly had no idea he would be involved with the explosion. I had a feeling he was involved with the sale of the Apes when he was discussing what happened to the Apes back with Isabel in the hospital. He was acting funny that day, so I assumed he was involved with the sale somehow. Who knew he would go so far as potentially harming them for money. How guilty he must have felt seeing his fiancé just traumatized and hurt. I can’t believe he really thought she would go back to him. I am glad she got rid of him so quickly.

3. Both John and Amanda ended up achieving their professional goals. Amanda ended up getting pregnant and John is excited about having a baby. Do you think this is the end to their problems? Can John and Amanda be happy?

I am not sure if it will solve all of their problems. I think there are still some issues deep down that they are going to need to resolve before being completely happy. There seems to be some trust issues on both parts and Amanda is still going to have self esteem issues (especially after having a baby). I hope for both of them, and the new baby, that they are able to resolve things.

4. What did you find to be the most intriguing about the bonobos?

I almost cried when the one bonobo was trying to communicate with Isabel when the other bonobo was in labor. And then when they reunited with her at the end, it was all so sweet. I think the communication aspect was most intriguing to me.

5. Which character did you enjoy reading about the most?

I enjoyed following John the most. Hearing about his successes and struggles in the journalism industry seemed to be the most interesting for me, especially when he was at that hotel dealing with all the crazy guests.

6. Was the ending what you expected? Did things resolve the way you thought they would?

Yes, the ending was what I expected for the most part. I kind of expected more to happen between John and Isabel, but I am glad that it didn’t happen, and he ended up still with Amanda. I thought the ending was cut a little short. When Amanda was accusing John of cheating, it just seemed like that issue was a really big one, and it was resolved rather quickly. I mean she went days thinking he was cheating, and with a quick explanation she had forgiven him and they were making out??? I mean good for them for resolving conflict that quickly, but didn’t seem real to me.

7. And finally, any overall thoughts or feelings that these questions haven't addressed? How would you rate this book for others? Any part that you loved? Anything you hated? SHARE!

I didn’t have high expectations for this book. I think some of the reviews led me to believe it wasn’t going to be as good. Plus, after reading Water for Elephants, I didn’t think she would be able to top that book. Now I don’t think she necessarily topped that book, but this was far better than I expected. When I read the description, I really didn’t get what the main story was about. I felt like they kept going on about her research, and I didn’t expect the whole reality tv to fit in anywhere. It was a very good read though, and I would totally recommend it.

Book Review: Ape House (Chapters 13 - 25)

This week at Book Beginnings and Bookends, we are answering questions from chapters 13 – 25 of Ape House.

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This book is getting really good. I had heard mixed reviews about this book, and too many people were comparing it to Gruen’s first book Water for Elephants, so I didn’t have huge expectations for this book, but I have been pleasantly surprised that it is so good!

So during these chapters, we find out the Apes were actually purchased by this guy who is big in the porn industry. He basically is using them for a reality show called “Ape House” which is broadcast over the Internet and via satellite tv. The apes are recorded 24 hours a day, and you see them doing whatever they want to do. They can order food and other items via a computer, and they pretty much have the freedom to do whatever they want to do, they are just confined to this house like structure.

At first you think they have it pretty good, they can get whatever food they want, and they have a pretty big space to hang out in, and at least they are not in cages. But you quickly see that they are not getting the care they need. They aren’t eating nutritious foods because the apes are just ordering whatever they want (and like kids, they want fast food and candy). Their house is also getting really dirty and is not being cleaned, so there are some sanitary concerns.

Isabel has obviously figured out where they are now, and she is doing whatever she can to try and get them out of there. And John, after quitting his job and moving to LA to be with his wife, has landed a job at a tabloid magazine, and is now being sent off to cover the ape story from a reality perspective. Isabel and John haven’t met up yet, but you can see that they are going to end up running into each other, and I am sure they will work together to try and free the apes.

1. Would you watch or be tempted to watch a show like Ape House?

I might watch it at first to see what the buzz is all about, but I am not going to pay a subscription to watch something like this. At first I thought the apes had it pretty good, but I am now seeing that these tv executives do not have their best interest at heart and that these apes, although they think they have it good, aren’t really getting taken care of like they should. It reminds me of putting a bunch of kids in a house without parents and letting them go wild.

2. Do you think John did the right thing by quitting his job and moving to L.A.?

Yes, I think he did the right thing by being with his wife and letting her pursue her dreams for once. He wasn’t getting the respect at his job back in Philly, so it was probably the best thing. I think he did it more out of jealousy though, so maybe the intentions weren’t the best, but I am glad they are together (for a while at least).

3. We haven't seen a whole lot of Isabel in this section, but what do you think of Peter now that we know more about him?

I am thinking Peter had more to do with the apes being sold than we thought (and maybe the explosion also). There is definitely something fishy going on with that guy, but I still can’t figure it all out. I am so glad Isabel is rid of him.

4. Can John turn the ape story for the tabloid into something he is proud of? Is he getting a little bit of redemption by being assigned to his dream story again even if it is for a tabloid?

I am sure he will do more with the story than just write a typical tabloid article. I so want him to get a prize winning story and not that Cat chick. I can’t stand her. I hope he does something great just to get back at her.

5. Have your thoughts on John and Amanda's marriage changed since last week? Where do you see their marriage headed?

Right now I think their marriage has issues, but I think they are holding it more together than I expected. I really hope John helps Amanda get her 2nd book published. I think that would really help their marriage if she can get her career back on track, which will really help her self esteem. I think leaving her in LA with all these people criticizing her is really not going to help matters.

6. What do you think will end up happening to the apes?

I really hope that John and Isabel will help get them out of the Ape House and get them into the care of someone who will have their best interest at heart. I am so surprised that these extreme activists are not trying to bomb the Ape House. I mean they now know where the apes are also. Maybe the porn executive was behind the bombing also, who knows.

Book Club Review: Ape House (Chapters 1 - 12)

I was so excited for the book club Book Beginnings and Bookends to start back up in February. The book we are reading this month is Ape House by Sara Gruen. I had just finished her previous book Water for Elephants, which was amazing, see my review here, so I was excited to start her new book. So far it has been great, and I can't put it down, but I am trying to stick to the reading schedule so it is easier to post the questions and not spoil anything for the other readers.

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So to give you a little background on the book, the book starts out with this reporter, John, for the Philadelphia Inquirer visiting The Great Ape Language Lab to see what they are currently doing with these bonobos (a great ape). It is amazing because these bonobos can speak in american sign language and have a two-way conversation, and were so much like humans. They liked M&Ms, and toys and to play games. They also built relationships with not only themselves, but their human friends as well.

After John returns home, an explosion goes off at the lab, and one of the lead scientists, Isabel, gets hurt, and the whole lab is just destroyed. The bonobos do escape unharmed, but they are scared and hiding in the trees outside the lab, and won't get down. We soon find that this was done by extreme animal rights activists and that they are threatening not only those working in the lab, but the president and others at the University of Kansas where this lab is located.

Right after the explosion takes place, John is flown back to the lab to research what had happened and get the story for the paper. One of his co-workers, who is very competitive and seems like a b$*ch, goes out there also, and starts getting sneaky, and getting more info than John, so John is quickly sent back home. I am curious to see how he gets back out there to break the case and find out really what happened, but I guess we will have to see what happens.

Questions:

1. What was your initial reaction to the idea of a language lab with bonobos who are capable of having conversations with humans?

I thought this was very interesting and was amazed at what the bonobos could do. I thought it was so cool to hear about them having conversations and building relationships with humans. I was even more excited to hear this part was based on a true story and that the author had actually witnessed it, not just a made up part of the story.

2. Isabel said early in the book that the apes know they’re apes and know that humans are humans, but they don’t see any superiority with either…What do you think the major difference is between the two?

Obviously I think the apes are a little more naïve than humans are. They don’t understand the stresses and the situations of the world that humans go through. They probably do not see superiority because they would not know any better.

3. What are your thoughts on John and his feelings towards Isabel? How do you think their relationship will play out?

I am curious to see what happens with the two of them. I think they both are in slightly rocky relationships, so depending on how close they get to each other throughout the book, this could possibly cause their current relationships to break up, or at the very least struggle.

4. How do you think Isabel will respond to the apes being taken?

Well she certainly flipped out when she found out, which was understandable. I have a feeling she is going to try and find the apes, and figure out how to get them out of wherever they are.

5. Do you think Celia is part of the team that ambushed the learning center?

I sure hope not, but at this point who knows. I feel like Isabel really trusts her, and I don’t want to see her get hurt anymore than she is, so I hope that Celia doesn’t do anything to hurt her.

6. What are your thoughts on John and his relationship with Amanda?

For some reason I really like John and Amanda together, but I am not sure why. So right now I don’t want them to break up, but I have a feeling they are going to have some struggles throughout the story. Amanda has issues with self esteem, and John seems to have trust issues. I just wish John would find a way to help Amanda with her issues. I think he needs to step it up and be more of a man. I was really disappointed when he didn’t go after her that night she broke the news about the job in LA. He just stood there and ate the food she prepared, and didn’t comfort her. I understand he was upset, but she was so proud and he totally burst her bubble about her good news. I was proud of him the way he helped her deal with her parents and how he just took off with her to Kansas while her parents stood there in the driveway completely confused.

Book Review: Water For Elephants

So my second book of the year/month was Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants. The book club "Book Beginnings and Bookends" is getting ready to read her next book, Ape House, but I wanted to read this book first since I heard amazing things about it (although her next book is not a sequel, I still wanted to read it).

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This book was amazing, and I think I read it in a couple of days because I could not put it down (it helped I traveled all day Fri, so I had plenty of reading time).

The book is a story about a man's (Jacob) time working for a circus. It starts out with the man currently (about 90 years old in a nursing home), and he starts remembering his time working at the circus because the circus is coming to town and is starting to set up across from the nursing home.

You feel so bad for the man because he is still kicking at his old age (or at least trying despite his legs not working in partnership with him), and he gets treated like he is almost dead (or a child a least) at the nursing home. Oh what he would give for a good decent meal with butter and cream and all the things they think are too bad for him. Instead he gets pureed food and jello all day long. There is one nurse who is very kind to him, and sneaks him real fruit!

The book goes back and forth between his time in the present (nursing home), and his time working for the circus. I believe he is probably dreaming during the chapters of his time at the circus. Jacob ends up getting a job at the circus, after jumping board the circus train one night when running away because both of his parents have just died and he has no where to go.

Jacob ends up getting a job as the circus vet (since he had just almost finished college to become a vet -- he ended up missing his final exam because he was too torn up about his parents' death). Because he is a vet, the story really focuses on the animals, which can be amazing but heartbreaking at times when you hear how they are treated.

His time at the circus is amazing, and raw and sometimes brutal at times in how they treat the employees. It's interesting to hear the politics of the circus and how the "performers" vs the "workers" are treated so differently. You totally get swept away when reading this book, and totally feel like you are right there, working for the circus.

I loved this book, and am looking forward to reading Ape House next. I am nervous because the reviews say it is not as good, but I am going to try and keep an open mind. Right now though I am trying to finish Firefly Lane (which I started a few months ago and am halfway through), and will then start Ape House. The book club is picking back up in February, so if you are interested, check out "Book Beginnings and Bookends."

Book Review: Spoken from the Heart by Laura Bush

I finally finished my first book of the new year! I have been interested in reading Laura Bush’s Spoken from the Heart, and began it shortly after the new year.

This book was amazing. I had heard mixed reviews, but was engaged from start to finish. This book is a memoir of Laura’s life both before and during her time in the White House. The beginning of the book starts when she is very little, and her biggest dream in life was to have a brother or sister. She would wish on the stars in the sky that she could have a sibling. Her mother had many miscarriages, but Laura would always remain an only child.

The book moves through her life growing up in Midland, TX, then through her college days at Southern Methodist University in Dallas Texas, where she earned her bachelor’s in education, and through graduate school at University of Texas at Austin, where she earned her master’s in Library Science. Laura first took a job teaching 2nd grade, but then after getting her master’s, worked in a school library.

Laura married George when she was 33 years old, and had her own struggles getting pregnant, but then was fortunate to have twin girls Jenna and Barbara. The story then goes on through George running and winning the position as governor of TX, her times visiting the White House when George senior was Vice President and then President, to finally her husband’s time running for and winning the presidency.

I think what fascinated me most was hearing through her eyes the story of September 11, 2001. It was amazing to hear about all of the threats and things that were never announced to the general public. It was also interesting to hear about her travels to amazing places, meeting amazing leaders of the world, and hearing about all of the great things that she did while in office. Laura focused a lot of her time on education and reading, and it was interesting because during her second term, she wanted to focus on the youth, especially boys because she felt that girls have gotten so much attention in the last decade, and that the boys were starting to lack in education.

There were lots more interesting things about this book, and I highly recommend that no matter your political position, it’s a great book to read. Laura really doesn’t get into politics, but focuses more on the events that have happened during her life.

Up next I am reading Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. I am only on the 3rd chapter, but so far I am loving it!

Books for 2011

There are a ton of books on my "To Read" list on Goodreads.com. My goal for 2011 is to read 20 books. Below are just a few that I am looking to read this year:

American Wife -- by Curtis Sittenfeld

Spoken from the Heart -- by Laura Bush (just started this and so far loving it!)

Nanny Returns -- Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus (loved The Nanny Diaries)

Uncharted Territori -- Tori Spelling (have loved all of her books so far!)

Fly Away Home -- Jennifer Weiner (one of my fav writers!)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo -- Stieg Larsson

Savannah Breeze -- Mary Kay Andrews

Friday Night Knitting Club -- Kate Jacobs

If You Were Here -- Jen Lancaster (looking forward to this coming out in May! Love her books!)

Also, I am joining Life Meg's Mingle Monday today, so check it out!

Mrs. Miracle (Book/Movie Review)

One of my favorite Christmas movies/books is Debbie Macomber's Mrs. Miracle.

Last year the movie debuted on Hallmark Channel. I loved it so much, my brother got me the book for Christmas.

The storyline is about a man (Seth) who has lost his wife and is trying to raise their twin boys. The boys are a handful, and they keep going through housekeepers/nannies. After their last housekeeper/nanny has quit, and Seth thinks things are going to fall apart, an older woman shows up at their door. Her name is Mrs. Merkle and she states she was sent to them as the new housekeeper/nanny.

Mrs. Merkle quickly goes to work and sets the boys and the household straight. The boys love her, and start calling her Mrs. Miracle because she can make miracles happen.

During the story, Seth meet's Reba. Reba owns a travel agency, and she is having problems of her own trying to cope with how her sister ruined her engagement 4 years ago. She ends up helping with the church christmas program, where she meet's Seth and his boys. They quickly fall for each other, and you find out that Mrs. Miracle is behind the whole set up.

The book is a little more indepth than the movie. The book introduces more storylines and characters such as Seth's parents. I loved both the book and the movie, and although I usually like to read the book before watching the movie, it was kind of interesting to watch the movie, and then read the extra storylines in the book. I was afraid they were going to be exactly the same, and since I just watched the movie again last weekend, when I was reading the book this week I was afraid I would be a little bored, but I wasn't.

This year Call Me Mrs. Miracle was debuted on the Hallmark Channel as the follow up to Mrs. Miracle. It is also available as the book as well. I have the movie recorded on my DVR and will probably watch it this weekend and then try and pick up the book later this week.

I highly recommend if you come across the movie to check it out. It's a great family movie and I think what I love best about it is it totally reminds me of Mary Poppins, which is one of my favorite childhood Disney movies.

Book Review: Foul Play

Last weekend I read the book Foul Play, by Janet Evanovich. It was one of those really cute romantic comedy type books (aka chick lit), and was a very quick read. I was able to finish it within a couple of hours over the weekend.

Amy, a local celebrity known for playing a clown on a local children's show, is fired and quickly replaced by a dancing chicken. Shortly after her firing she meets Jake, the town’s vet, who is not only handsome, but very respectful among the community. She meets him in the grocery store (after basically trashing the store as she is very clumsy) and when she finds out she has forgotten her wallet and locked her keys in the car, Jake steps in and saves the day by purchasing her groceries and then taking her home.

The two have instant chemistry, and Amy tries to fight it from the very start. She doesn't trust Jake, and isn't ready to fall into a relationship. Because she doesn't have a job, Jake offers her a job as a receptionist (mostly so he can spend more time with her) at his vet office, and she takes it (but only because she needs something in order to survive, not because he is hot or anything).

A week after her firing, the dancing chicken (who stole Amy's job), becomes very sick and is brought into the vet's office. The next day the chicken comes up missing, and Amy is to blame because the chicken had stolen her job. It didn’t help that she showed up the next day to work with homemade chicken soup.

For the remainder of the book, Jake and Amy go on a quest to find out what really happened to the chicken so that they can clear Amy's name. She becomes somewhat of a joke around town as a chicken killer who eats her prey. It gets so bad that Jake actually starts losing patients at his vet’s office because owners are afraid that their pets will come up missing also.

This book is a little silly at times, but it is a cute love story, and I really did get interested in finding out what happened to the chicken. If you are looking for a quick rainy day read, check it out.

Book Club: Commencement Part 2

For the Book Beginnings and Bookends book club, we read the book Commencement. We split up our discussion of the book into 2 parts because the book itself was split into 2 parts. Below are my answers to the discussion questions for the 2nd part.




1. What parts of the book could you most relate to? Least relate to?

In the 2nd half of the book, I think I related to Celia’s life the most. I am single, and am in the process of figuring out my life, so I totally got where she was coming from. The character I related to the least was April. Although I do think because of her character this book really opened my eyes, I just don’t see why anyone would want to put their life at jeopardy like that. There was probably a better way to get their issues across that wasn’t illegal or didn’t put their life in danger.

2. If the author were to write another novel that followed one of the girls onto her next step of life, which one would you want it to be about? Whose story would you want to follow more of?

I really wanted to find out what happened to Bree. Did she go back to Lara? Did she reconcile with her family? I also think a book about Celia would be interesting, especially if it focused on her career and the dating scene in NYC.

3. What surprised you most about this book?

Although I totally saw what April and Ronnie were up to about half way through the 2nd part, I guess I was surprised at the abrupt ending. It left a lot of things up in the air, and unresolved for me. I would have liked the book to have had maybe another chapter where the girls are 6 months down the road or something like that. Did April go to jail? Did Bree go back with Lara? Did Celia become an author? Is Sally enjoying motherhood? Are the girls still close? Lots of questions were running through my mind at the end of the book.

4. Which character did you look forward to reading about the most?

I think I enjoyed reading about Celia and Bree, especially after Bree moved in with Celia in her NYC apartment. I also did want to know what happened to April, especially since she was practically MIA for the majority of the 2nd part.

5. Did the book meet your expectations?

I totally enjoyed this book, and it did meet my expectations. I didn’t realize it would have so much women’s rights involved, but I feel like this did open my eyes to some things that I just never really thought about. Although this was a big part of the book, it was the girls’ relationships that shone the most for me.

I am having a great time with this book club, and can’t wait to see what the next book is going to be.

Book Club (Part One: Commencement)

The newest book we are reading for the book club Book Beginnings and Bookends is Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan. I do have to say that I was very excited that we were reading this book. At one point it looked like we were going with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and I do want to read that book at some point, but I really wanted to read this book, so I am super excited it got picked.

This book is based on the story of 4 girls (Sally, Celia, Bree and April) who are all very different, but became very good friends while attending college together at Smith College (which is a real college by the way; a private liberal arts college for women located in Northampton, Massachusetts) The book is broken up into 2 sections: Spring 2006 and Spring 2007, and we split up the reading based on the 2 parts.

So the first set of questions will be based around part 1. This part bounces back and forth between what is currently happening in the Spring of 2006, which is 4 years from when they graduated, and the girls experiences while attending Smith College, beginning with the first day they met on campus.

Currently, Sally is getting married in the Quad on campus, and the other 3 girls are traveling to Northampton to attend the wedding. Each chapter is based on one of the girls, and you really get to know their personalities and their story. The book is great because it shows how these 4 completely different personalities really rely on each other and become each other’s families.

I haven’t started to read the 2nd section yet, so I really have no idea how the 2nd part is going to relate to the 1st part, but it looks like it is going to take place 1 year from Sally’s wedding. I totally don’t want to ruin the book for anyone, so I’ll leave my description on the book right there.

Questions to Part 1:

1. Which girl do you identify the most with?

It’s funny because I don’t believe I relate to just one character. I think I am a combination of Bree and Sally based on different times in my life. I totally do not relate to April, but I do respect what she is doing for women. I would say that when I went off to college (a long time ago..ha!) I would have totally related to Bree. She seemed to be very naive when she first went off to college, and completely and totally in love with her high school sweetheart, which she finds out later is not the one for her . I feel like that was kind of me at that point in time, naïve, young and stupidly in love.

Right now, I think I relate more to Sally as she is right now. She’s in a relationship, she’s happy and is looking forward to getting married. Her friends can’t relate because they are not in the same place, and Sally sometimes feels guilty that she is so happy. She also struggles between wanting to be a married woman vs what people think she should be which is a strong woman who is going to make a name for herself, not getting married and settling down. I am not getting married, but I am in a relationship, and have a career that is finally taking off. I do want to get married and have a family, but at the same time I do struggle with the decision of what may then happen to my career. Can I have it all? I also have some friends who over the years we have just grown apart and are totally in different places now. It’s hard because I am ready to settle down, and they are still trying to figure themselves out.

2. If you're a college student or graduate, what similarities or differences do you see between this story to your own college experience?

I went to a non-traditional college and lived in an apartment off campus on my own, so unfortunately I didn’t get the traditional college experience of living in dorms. I think I do see similarities of how naïve I was back then, and how much I grew up in college. I do enjoy reading about their college experience because it gives me a little taste of what I missed back then.

3. Which girl do you think has changed the most since her time in college? In what ways has she changed?

I think they have all changed somewhat. I think that Sally now knows what she wants out of life, which is to be married to the love of her life. I think she is starting to find peace also with what’s happened with her mother. April seems to be going down the same path that she was in college wanting to help less fortunate women, but she seems so much more extreme than she was in college. Celia seems to be a little lost to me. I feel like she needs to figure her life out and what she wants out of her career in NYC, and I would love for her to meet a nice guy. Bree seems to be trying to prove a point with her lesbian relationship and that she is a strong woman, but she doesn’t seem happy. I hope she figures out what will make her happy in her life, and that she mends the relationship with her family.

Book Club: The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes (Chapters 50 - 71)

So this is the last week for the book The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes over at Book Beginnings and Bookends. I wasn’t sure about this book at first since I had never heard of this author, but I ended up loving the book. I actually finished the book last Monday night right after I posted my responses because I couldn’t wait to see how it ended. I don’t want to completely ruin the book, so I think I’ll just stick to answering the questions this week. Hopefully they won’t ruin the ending.

1. At the end we find out Tim was sending Cory money because he thought she could be his daughter since he was having an affair with Genevieve. Did you see this coming?

I totally didn’t see this coming. I figured he was just feeling guilty. I couldn’t believe he was having an affair with Genevieve, and then had the nerve to kidnap her. I am assuming he knew she was pregnant from the start and she was apparently angry at him after the comment she made to CeeCee about him being a womanizer. He probably broke her heart as well.

2. By the end of the story, what were your feelings about Eve? How had they changed since the beginning?

I did feel bad for her. I kept thinking there is no way this woman is going to survive jail. Yes it is horrible that she took Cory, and Cory’s real family has missed all these years of being with her, but at the same time, Eve totally turned around her life and she did raise Cory the best she could given the circumstances.

3. Were you happy with the way President Russell treated Cory?

No, it wouldn’t have been how I would have preferred he treated her, but I don’t think he really knew better. He is one of those fathers that believe spending money on their children will buy their love, and I am sure he did this to his other daughter as well. It really didn’t surprise me.

4. If you were in Cory's shoes and had just found out all of this about the woman who raised you and who you believed to be your mother, how would you react? Would you forgive?

Oh my, I can’t imagine how I would feel. I am sure I would react the same way. It would be hard to forgive, but at the same time, Eve did give Cory a pretty good life. Cory had completely mixed emotions, and I totally understand why. I am glad the book ended the way it did though. I think Cory did the right thing.

5. In your mind, how does this story end? Do they all live happily ever after? Does Cory go on having relationships with her old family and her new family?

I hope they all live happily ever after. I am not sure if the two families will end up getting along or spending any time together. I am sure that Cory’s birth family has some pretty strong feelings about the family that raised her. I do hope that Cory gets to know her birth family and that her birth father starts to learn that money isn’t going to buy her love.

6. How do you think Cory has changed throughout the story? Have your feelings about her changed?

I totally think Cory has grown up a lot throughout the story. I was especially happy to see how she treated Eve at the end of the story. I think that throughout the whole process, which had to be tough, she did the right thing by forgiving Eve. It took a lot to do that, and really showed how much she has grown through all of this. I was also super happy she dumped Ken. He was a total jackass!

And if you are interested in joining the book club over at Book Beginnings and Bookends, we will be starting a new book soon. Right now there is a poll going on and the choices for the next book are:

-- Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

-- Commencement by J. Courtney Sullivan

-- The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Book Club: The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes (Chapters 36 - 50)

This week for the Book Beginnings and Bookends book club, we were assigned chapters 36 – 50. We have only 1 week left, and I can’t wait to finish this book. All kinds of things are starting to happen, and it was hard to put the book down and wait for another week. Some of the highlights from these chapters are:

Cory went away to college, and she actually ended up going to the college back in NC where CeeCee/Eve met Tim, which I think is pretty ironic. At first Eve is freaked out that Cory is going away, but at the same time they have found that the Governor has recently taken the position as the President of the University that Eve and her husband Jack work at in VA, which is even more ironic. Eve feels that although she doesn’t want Cory to go away to college, it is safest for her to be in NC.

While away at college, Cory meets a guy named Ken, and begins spending less time with her family. We find out that Ken starts brainwashing Cory into thinking her mother is bad for her and is too controlling. Of course Cory believes him and her relationship with her mother begins to fall apart.

During this time, Genevieve’s body is found in the woods by the cabin. They start an investigation, and eventually charge Tim with kidnapping and the murder of not only Genevieve, but also her unborn baby, although they cannot find any evidence of the fetus, so as of right now they aren’t even sure if the baby is dead or alive, but they are assuming it is dead.

Eve has been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, and the stress of the investigation is really starting to wear on her body. You can tell she is totally freaked out, and is missing work in order to stay home and watch the investigation and the trial which are televised every day. Jack just thinks she is just obsessed like the rest of the town, but I just keep wondering when he is going to start putting things together and figuring out what is really going on.

To make things even crazier, Cory’s boyfriend Ken is the lead news reporter on the murder story, so he is completely involved in the whole investigation and trial. Why no one has started to see a resemblance between Cory and Vivian (the Governor’s other daughter, and Cory’s sister), is beyond me. In addition to all of this craziness, Cory finds out she is pregnant, and Eve has been trying to give her hints that she needs to be careful about hemorrhaging when giving birth since that is how Genevieve, her mother, died.

Things are getting so good, and next week we will find out how the story really ends. If you haven’t already picked up this book, make sure you do so. I’ll try not and ruin it for everyone, so I might just stick to the discussion questions next week in case anyone does decide to read this book. I highly recommend it!

1. Have your feelings about Tim changed throughout this last section of chapters?

My feelings about Tim haven’t changed too much. I feel a little bad he is getting charged with murder, which he didn’t do, but he did get himself and CeeCee/Eve involved in this and let it get this far, so what should he expect. It amazes me he hasn’t thrown CeeCee/Eve under the bus, especially since I believe he knows where she is since he (or someone) kept sending her money.

2. Do you agree with Cory and her behavior as an adult and her life with Ken? Is she justified in cutting her mother and father out of her life?

I think it was good for her to move away and conquer some of her fears on her own, but cutting her mother and father out of her life was not necessary. Especially now that she is pregnant, it is not fair to keep Grandparents from experiencing their first Grandchild as well as a Grandchild from knowing their Grandparents.

3. At what point do you think Cory decided to spend less time with her mother?

I think things began when Cory started asking questions about her father. I am sure that when Eve start dodging these questions, Cory started to lose trust in her mother. I think that she totally lost all trust in her mother when she met Ken. I believe that Ken helped to brainwash her into thinking her mother wasn’t good for her.

4. What do you think is Eve's biggest fear?

I think right now Eve’s biggest fear is losing Cory. If Cory finds out she did this, I am sure their relationship will completely fall apart. I think she is also in fear of going to jail and disappointing Jack and Dru, but I think losing Cory would hurt her the most.

5. When the story about Genevieve's body came out, what would you have done if you were Eve? Just sat back and watched things unfold? Come forward? Would you tell Jack?

I can’t understand why she won’t at least tell Jack. It has to be so hard to keep all of this to herself and not tell anyone. You can tell she is quickly falling apart over this. And why doesn’t Jack start to pick up that something is wrong?

6. Do you think Eve should tell Jack and confess? Why?

She definitely needs to tell Jack. She can’t keep this inside and he could possibly help her come forward and clean up this mess.

Book Club: The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes (Chapters 21 - 35)

This week for the Book Beginnings and Bookends book club, we were assigned chapters 21 – 35.

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This section of the book continues with CeeCee, who is now Eve, building her new life. Marian, the woman Eve is living with, somehow produces a high school transcript and SAT scores, allowing Eve to go to college to study Psychology. She also gets a job working at an adolescent halfway house.

Eve meets a guy named Jack, and they begin dating. Jack is so much different than Tim, he is responsible, compassionate and just an all around nice guy. They don't even have sex until they had been dating for around 4 months (unlike almost immediately with Tim). The only thing Eve is concerned about is that Jack likes to joke and have fun, and she is afraid he is not going to ever get serious. It doesn't concern her too much and he eventually proposes to her. This happens after Eve explains to Jack that she had an emotional conversation with Cory about Cory’s father (which Eve tells Cory he died in a motorcycle accident). Jack says he was looking for a romantic and dramatic way to do this, but couldn't wait any longer and was wondering if he could be Cory's father and Eve's husband.

Eve and Jack get married, Jack adopts Cory and they both graduate from college, with Eve continuing to work part time at the halfway house and Jack working as a high school drama teacher. They both eventually go back to graduate school and both land jobs at the college, Jack working in the Drama department and Eve working as a counselor in the Counseling and Psychological department.

A couple really big things happen in this section of the book. First, Cory is starting to have socialization issues at school. I am sure this is due to the fact that Eve is very careful about her, due to their past, which she cannot discuss with anyone. Jack decides it would be best if Cory had a little brother or sister. Eve is worried because everyone thinks that she has been pregnant before, and how is she going to explain this. Somehow she gets around it, and they have a little girl named Dru. This whole section got me so nervous she was going to be figured out, especially during the delivery, but it all just kind of worked out. In a way, it kind of built me up to thinking something dramatic was going to happen and I kept quickly reading to see what would happen, especially at each doctor’s visit. And then when Eve was in labor, the nurse mentioned it was her first pregnancy, and Eve looked at Jack and said “I guess they messed up my chart” and he totally believed it. Kind of a let down in a weird twisted way.

The second thing is that she finds out the real story behind why Tim's sister is in prison for murder. Tim told Eve (when she was CeeCee), that his sister was raped by a photographer who had been invited to their house to photograph their gardens and then killed him. This is how he justified his plan stating she was emotional, not in her right mind, and had been wronged by the photographer. But Eve found out that really she killed a woman photographer and her 13-year older daughter after breaking in and stealing $50,000 worth of jewelry to buy drugs. We also find out that his sister was eventually executed. After finding this out, Eve can finally move on and forget about Tim. Thank goodness!

The third thing is that Eve keeps getting anonymous packages in the mail with money in them and a note saying "For the baby." She is figuring this is probably from Tim, but can’t really be sure. In the beginning the packages contain a couple hundred dollars, and then eventually the amount of money starts getting larger. One day she received a package and Jack was the one to get the mail. He questioned it, and finally Eve had to tell him about it. She told Jack that she wasn’t sure who it was from, and that she had received these packages a couple times a year, ever since Cory was born. She said she figured they might be from Cory’s father’s family, but she couldn’t be sure. He totally believed her, which I figured he would question it even more, but he didn’t. Eve says she has been saving the money for Cory for her future, and they move on and never really discuss it again, which I thought to be a little strange.

Discussion Questions:

1. Do you think Tim is the one sending the money?

I am assuming Tim is sending the money. The only other people who know about the baby is Naomi and Forrest, but I am not sure why they would feel obligated to send her money. If it is Tim, I am sure it is because he feels guilty for what he has done to not only CeeCee/Eve, but also the baby.

2. So far, there's been a lot of discussion on CeeCee/Eve and her choices. What choice(s) would you make differently from her?

I think she has made good choices in trying to get her life back in order. Getting a job, going to college, raising Cory the best she can. The only choice that I would have made that would have been different was to not get in that situation in the first place.

3. What do you like about Jack? Are there things about him that you don't like?

I really like Jack. I think he respects Eve and treats her right. I think he is a little naive and it shocks me he doesn't ask more questions about some of the strange things that happen, like where did she get all that money? It shocked me he wasn't more curious about that.

4. What are the differences between CeeCee/Eve's relationship with Tim and Eve's relationship with Jack?

I think they are both more responsible, and it's good they were taking it slow. I loved how Jack asked to be Cory's father first, and then Eve's husband. I thought it was so sweet that he put her little girl first. I didn't think he was going to get serious with her until that moment, and then I knew they would be together forever. I just feel sorry that he has no idea the lies that Eve is keeping from him.

5. Do you think Eve is to blame for Cory's fears? What could she do, specifically, to help Cory feel like less of an outsider?

I do think she has caused these fears with Cory. I keep waiting for Cory to remember something about that horrible night, but I am sure that is probably impossible, she was too young. I do think though that Eve is so worried that she will either lose Cory, or be found out, so she is doing everything possible to keep Cory hidden and safe. I think that having a sister did help some, but I think she needs to find ways to help her make friends. Maybe she should have hosted some sleepovers at Cory's house. Get her comfortable with these girls in her own home. I am excited to see how Cory does at Darby. It looks like maybe that is the best thing for her.

6. Do you think Eve appropriately answered Cory's questions about her father? Do you think Cory will question her father more as she grows older?

I think when she put a name to the guy, it opened a whole new can of worms. What if Cory tries to investigate this guy and finds out he is made up. Maybe not now, but when she gets older, she might try and get in touch with his family.

Eat Pray Love Book and Movie Review

I just finished the book Eat Pray Love, and then also saw the movie yesterday. I love to read books before watching them if they have been converted to a movie. Usually I like the book more, but sometimes I do enjoy the movie more.

For Eat Pray Love, I had mixed feelings about the book, and liked the movie slightly better. The beginning of the book starts with Liz already in Italy, and then goes back and forth explaining how she got there. The beginning of the movie actually starts with her in Bali, on an assignment for work, where she meets with a medicine man about her unhappy marriage. He gives her a little insight on what’s to happen in the next six months to a year, and tells her she will come back to Bali to help him with his English.

This all happens in the book also, but I think what I liked best about the movie was that the story was pretty straight forward, where the book seemed to jump around a little in the beginning. In both, Liz finally has this revelation after praying to God one night on the bathroom floor, asks her husband for a divorce, and decides to take a year long journey with 4 months in Italy, 4 months in India and 4 months in Indonesia.

In the movie, the divorce seems to come a little easier. Yes her husband is fighting it, but in the book it seems to be a much longer process. The one part I was actually looking forward to seeing, which was in the book but didn’t make it in the movie, was where she was in the car with her friend Iva, complaining about this never ending divorce, when she finally said, I wish I could write a petition to God to end this divorce. Iva said to her, why not go ahead and do it. So Liz begins writing a letter to God and when she is finished Iva says to her “I would sign it.” So then Liz starts naming people she knows who would sign it, and Iva says “They just did.” So they both start rattling names of people who would sign it saying “My parents just signed it” and then going into people they don’t even know like “Bill and Hillary Clinton just signed it.” For some reason this part just made me laugh, especially when shortly after this Liz gets a call from her lawyer that her now ex-husband just signed the papers and that Liz is officially divorced. Just shows how great God can be when you believe.

In the movie, I think I enjoyed the Italy section the best. I especially enjoyed the friendship Liz made with a Swedish girl named Sophie. My favorite part of the movie was when they were trying on new jeans because they had both eaten so much pasta in Italy they now both had muffin tops! So they had to get fat girl jeans. It was comical watching them trying to zip up each other’s jeans in the dressing room.

Although I didn’t hate it, the India section was my least favorite section in both the movie and the book. It was not as exciting for me and a little long and boring. I really enjoyed the friendship she built with Richard from Texas in this section. I pictured him a little different in the book than what he turned out to be in the movie. I pictured a guy resembling a cowboy, but he didn’t really seem like he was from Texas to me in the movie, and I didn’t think he had that much of an accent either. He seemed a little harsher in the movie than in the book, and I think I enjoyed him more in the book.

The Indonesia section was my favorite in the book, although I did enjoy it in the movie as well, but I enjoyed the book better. In this section, Liz meets and falls for a guy named Felipe from Brazil. In the book, he was this very wildly romantic guy who totally falls for Liz. Of course she is a little skeptic because of her divorce, and he tells her he doesn’t care if she doesn’t love him back, and even if she leaves him at the end of this journey, he doesn’t care because he will always love her. In the movie, Felipe has some caution to him because he has been divorced as well (he was divorced in the book as well), and he eventually tells her she needs to love him back or the relationship will be over. This kind of disappointed me because I just loved this wildly romantic Felipe from the book.

Also in the Indonesia section, Liz meets a friend named Wayan, a traditional Balinese healer who owns a small medical clinic. Liz stops by to see her when she has a cut that won’t heal and Wayan quickly heals her with her mix of herbs. They quickly become great friends. What I love about Wayan is that she is a great friend to Liz and isn’t afraid to talk about all kinds of things. I loved her talks about healing couples with their sex problems. She is not embarrassed to talk about some of her crazy practices for healing people, especially men and their problems with their “bananas.” They don’t really discuss this in the movie, which I think would have been pretty comical. Also, in both the book and the movie, Wayan is very poor and is about to lose her shop and home because her rent keeps going up and she cannot afford it. Liz ends up raising money to help her buy a home. Wayan is very grateful, but in the book, she is very hesitant to purchase a home and she keeps coming up with excuses on why she can’t buy this property or that one. You begin to think she is going to take advantage of Liz and run away with all of this money that Liz has raised (although thankfully she doesn’t). In the movie, Wayan quickly buys a piece of land and begins to build a home. I figured the movie was already long enough and didn’t need this drawn out story of them trying to convince Wayan to buy something.

Overall, there were some parts of the book that I didn’t care for. I really enjoyed hearing about all the different relationships Liz has built during her journey. There were some parts where she was trying to figure herself out and kept rambling on and on, and I didn’t care much for that. There was one part in Italy where she was having a discussion with this depression character and another where she is writing letters to what you assume is God, and he is writing back to her through herself (if that makes sense), and you figure she has a ton of crazy things going on in her head, but it all gets kind of confusing and a little boring. I kept finding myself quickly skimming over those parts. The nice thing about this book is that each of the 3 sections is divided into 36 chapters, which adds up to 108. This represent the 108 beads of a japa malas which was the inspiration for the rosary for the Europeans. Each of these chapters was pretty short, so it was easy to skim over parts that weren’t that interesting because they were very short.

Overall I was happy to have read the book and watched the movie. I think I might want to see the movie again to see if I have missed anything, but will probably wait until it comes out at Red Box where I can rent it for a dollar. The book took me a little longer to get through, which surprised me, and I have heard mixed reviews about both the movie and the book. I wouldn’t say that either of them were my favorite book/movie of all times, but they weren’t awful. I would say watch the movie at the very least, maybe rent it. Anyone else like or dislike the book/movie?

Book Club: The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes (Chapters 11 - 20)

This week for the Book Beginnings and Bookends book club, we were assigned chapters 11 – 20. I am trying really hard to stick with only reading what is assigned each week because I am also trying to read another book as well, but I am finding that I am really starting to get into the book, so it’s hard to put it down when I am finished with the assigned chapters. It’s also a really quick read, and I can read the 10 chapters in about 2 nights. I think if I allowed myself, I could finish the whole book in 2 days, but for now we will stick with the assigned chapters.

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In this section of the book, the kid-napping takes place. Things seem to go as planned. The boys end up capturing the governor’s wife (Genevieve) and bring her back to the cabin in the woods where CeeCee is hiding out. The only glitch in their plan, and it’s a big one, is that Genevieve is pregnant, and I mean ready to pop pregnant.

The boys take off to begin negotiations, and shortly after, Genevieve starts to feel contractions. At first CeeCee thinks she is just doing this to try and get away, but then the baby starts coming, and she is coming fast. CeeCee begins to think how she can get this woman to a hospital, but isn’t even sure where she is in the woods and how to get out of there, let alone whether or not if there is a hospital nearby. Genevieve tells CeeCee she is going to have to help her deliver the baby, so CeeCee begins making preparations for the baby to come.

The baby is delivered rather quickly and she seems to be in perfect health. Genevieve on the other hand, had complications with her first child with hemorrhaging, and seemed to be having these same complications as well. She warned CeeCee if she started to pass out she will need to massage her belly where her uterus is. CeeCee tries her best, but Genevieve dies shortly after the baby is born.

CeeCee has no idea what to do, and debates just dropping the baby off at the hospital, but then again, has no idea where a hospital is. She goes back to Naomi’s house to get help. Naomi tells her she must get out of here and go into hiding, and she begins making plans for CeeCee to go into hiding, along with the baby. Naomi’s husband Forrest goes back to clean up the cabin and to bury Genevieve, and Naomi starts getting together the paperwork to get CeeCee and the new baby a new identity so they can go “underground.” CeeCee stays with Naomi and Forrest for probably about a day or so. They help teach her how to take care of the baby, and set her up with all the supplies she will need to take the trip from NC to Virginia where her new home will be.

CeeCee leaves for Virginia and has this great plan to drop off the baby at the governor’s house with a note that this is his baby. She attempts to do so, but there are too many police around so she just heads on to Virginia to begin her new life.

CeeCee is now Eve and the baby is now Corrine (Cory). They stay with a woman named Marian who is an older woman who has helped a few women in the past. She is a daycare worker and offers to watch Cory while CeeCee/Eve attempts to get a job. The rest of this section is about Eve and Marian getting along, and Eve beginning her new life. Eve still misses Tim, and wonders what is going on with the case, and if he will ever come find her. Marian tells her she needs to forget about Tim, that there is no way he will ever be able to come find her because it would be too dangerous for him, Eve, the baby and even Marian.

The discussion questions for this week are:

1. Where do you think Tim and Marty are at this point in the story?

I think they are probably in hiding trying to negotiate with the governor, but after they found out that Genevieve had died, who knows what they are up to. I have no idea if they are even in the same state anymore, let alone the same town.

2. What were your thoughts as CeeCee was helping Genevieve deliver her baby?

At first I thought Genevieve was faking the contractions. I figured this was her strategy to get CeeCee to get her out of there. But then when the baby started to come, I thought oh no, what is CeeCee going to do?! I kept reading on very quickly so I could see what happens. I don’t know what I would have done in CeeCee’s shoes. She was in a tough situation because I know she wanted to do what was best for both the baby and Genevieve, but I don’t think she knew what to do. She had no idea how to get them to a hospital, and obviously had no idea how to deliver a baby.

3. After Genevieve died, what would you have done with her baby if you had been in CeeCee's shoes?

This is tough. I would like to think I would find a way to return the baby, even if it meant turning myself in. I don’t think I could live with the guilt, but at the same time you feel bad because CeeCee’s life is just starting, and the consequences of getting involved with Tim may ruin her life if she turns herself in.

4. Why do you think CeeCee/Eve is still holding onto hope that Tim will come for her?

She is only 16, and this is her first love, so of course she is holding on to the hope that Tim will come after her to save her. When we are young, we all dream of our prince charming coming in on their white horse to save us (of course sometimes I still dream that now), until we get our heart broken a few times that is.

5. How do you think Eve will establish her new identity in Virginia?

I think she is going to have to completely start over and it is going to be hard to remember the new life she now has to live. It broke my heart though that she has to lose the letters from her mother.

6. What do you think of CeeCee/Eve now after she has gone through with the kidnapping, the delivery of the baby, the escape, and the relocation?

I feel bad for CeeCee, although she did get herself wrapped up in this whole plan. She is just so young and I kind of believe she didn’t really know better. I guess I was shocked at how easy it was for CeeCee to get a new identity and how quickly she was able to find a place to hide out. It’s like they have this whole underground system. I feel really bad for baby Cory because she will never know who her real parents are. I think that is what makes me sad about the most.

Book Club: The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes (Chapters 1 - 10)

Recently I joined a book club over at Book Beginnings and Bookends! We are reading the book "The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes" by Diane Chamberlain and today is our first day to post about the first 10 chapters of the book.

Just to give everyone a little background on the book, the main story is about this 16-year old girl CeeCee, who lost her mother when she was 12 years old to breast cancer and is now living in a boarding house. She is working as a waitress and is barely getting by. One of her regular customers is this college guy named Tim. He comes in every day and CeeCee thinks he is “beautiful” and that he is possibly interested in her but then quickly second guesses it and thinks he is obviously out of her league. Tim eventually invites her on a date to go to the movies

A few days after their first date, where CeeCee explains to Tim that she would love to go to college, but is not sure how she can afford it, she receives an envelope with $5,000 cash. She eventually finds out that this is from Tim, no strings attached, and it is to help her go to college. They start spending more time together, and CeeCee begins falling in love with Tim. She even loses her virginity to him.

After the first few dates Tim opens up about his family and tells CeeCee that his sister is in prison for murder. She was actually raped by the gardener and then killed him, but because she couldn’t keep her story straight, she was found guilty of murder and is currently on death row. Tim tells CeeCee about this organization called SCAPE (Stop Capital Punishment Everywhere) and later asks her to become involved in their plan to kidnap the Governor’s wife in order to convince him to commute his sister’s sentence. At first CeeCee is not sure she wants to be involved, but eventually says she will do it. The rest of the first 10 chapters is about them putting together their plan for the kidnap. CeeCee is in charge of watching over the Governor’s wife while the negotiations are taking place.

As part of the book club, there will be discussion questions each week. My answers to the discussion questions are:

1. What is your first impression of Tim?

At first I thought that he thought she was a cute girl and probably wanted what every other college guy wanted, to sleep with her. After she lost her virginity to him and he continued to be interested in her, you realized that maybe he really did want more, but after you realized his plan, you began to have second thoughts about his intentions.

2. If you were in CeeCee’s position, would you be willing to help your boyfriend in the way that she is willing to help Tim?

This is hard because I am so much older than CeeCee now, so it’s hard to say what I would or would not do at that age. I don’t think I would be involved in something illegal such as their plan, but I can see how young love makes you do stupid things for people (been there, done that!).

3. Why do you think CeeCee is so eager to please Tim?

I think it’s probably a combination of losing her mother at such a young age, and going through the foster system. But it probably also has to do with the fact that this is her first love, and she is very naïve.

4. Who do you think has it harder Tim? Or CeeCee?

This is hard to answer also. I think they both have had it tough, but I think maybe Tim because he is not as naïve. They say what you don’t know, can’t hurt you, and I think that Tim has gone though some things that has jaded his life, and maybe CeeCee is still too naïve to realize some things.

5. What character traits about CeeCee stuck out the most in these first ten chapters?

I think she is very loyal and very nurturing. This is probably a combination of her being so young, because of losing her mother and of course because she is female =)

6. Do you think CeeCee is as mature as she seems?

I think she is probably a little more mature than someone her own age because of the situations she has been put in, but I don’t think she is mature enough to know that the decision she is making to help out Tim is not a good decision.

Check back next Monday for the second ten chapters, and check out the Book Beginnings and Bookends blog for even more discussion about the book.

Blog Changes and Sweet Valley Teaser

Hope everyone had a great weekend! I had a great time in Asheville, NC on Thurs and Fri, and loved the Biltmore Estate!! I’ll post pictures later in the week once I have had a chance to go through them, so check back in a few days.

I am making a few changes to my blog, so if things look a little different over the next week that is why. I am trying to freshen things up a little, and figure out where I want this blog to go. Still trying to figure out this whole HTML design thing, so hopefully things don't start looking crazy, but if they do, I'm probably just messing with things.

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So did anyone read the Sweet Valley Twins or the Sweet Valley High books back when you were younger? Well, the girls are coming back, 10 years later, in the series Sweet Valley Confidential. The new series comes out in March 2011, but you can sign up to receive the first chapter now on the Sweet Valley Confidential website.

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I downloaded the 1st chapter, and thought I would share all that I know. Elizabeth is now 27 years old, single and living in NYC. She is writing for Show Survey, which is a ratings guide for Off-Broadway shows. She is apparently fighting with Jessica, who you assume is still living on the West Coast, and won’t return any of her calls. She is all alone in NYC, brokenhearted (Was it Todd?), ticked at her sister (Did she cheat with Todd?), and her only best friend is Bruce Patman (What?? The arrogant guy from high school??).

The first chapter is only about Elizabeth, so who knows if it will switch off between the two girls, or if it will only focus on her (assuming it won’t). This first chapter was definitely a teaser chapter, and gives only a tiny bit info, so I guess we will have to wait until March to see what happens.

The Help Book Review

While traveling earlier this week, I was able to finish reading The Help. I really enjoyed this book so much and highly recommend it.

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This book is based in Jackson, Mississippi back in the 50's/60's and is all about segregation. There are really 2 groups of characters in this book -- the white ladies, and the African American house maids. The book goes into discussing the details of their lives -- how the white ladies live and how the house maids live.

The book's main story is about one of the white ladies, who is fresh out of college, returns home and decides she wants to be a writer. Although she lands a job at the local paper writing cleaning advice columns (which is ironic because she has never cleaned a day in her life), she longs to write something of more importance.

After finding out her mother's house maid, who basically raised her as a baby up until she went off to college, was fired, and is nowhere to be found, she started questioning segregation and why the white men and women think the African American men and women are so dirty and diseased and how they needed to be separated from the white folk.

The white writer decides she wants to write a book about house maids working for the white ladies, and she reaches out to some maids to help her tell their story. One of the maids decides to help her out and then they eventually recruit other house maids to tell their story as well.

Not to give away too much, but this book was an emotional ride for me. I truly connected with some of these characters, which is my favorite part about reading. There were moments where I laughed, wanted to cry, and got just plain mad at these white ladies.

Besides their stupidity and ignorance on the differences between whites and African Americans, I think the thing that bothered me the most was how some of the children were really raised by their house maids. One character didn't really act like she even wanted her child. When her maid wasn't around she was like "what do I do with this child??"

I think the parts that I liked best were when the white writer lady and the house maids started to form friendships and pulled together to form this sort of revolution by writing this book. I also really liked how some of the house maids had great stories to tell about their white ladies. Even though it wasn't publicized, the white families really became good friends with their house maids, helped them out when they were in trouble, and even sometimes considered them family.

The end of the book was a little shocking to me, and kind of made me a little angry, but you get the idea that even though it doesn't share what happens to some of the characters, you believe they are all going to be ok, and everything worked out as it should have.

This was probably one of my favorite books, and as I mentioned before, I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for an emotional story that you can really connect with.