Southern Belle Reading Challenge Wrap Up...Man Was It Fun

Southern Belle Reading Challenge
Hosted by Brenda Gail at Curling Up With A Good Book 

Well September is over, and I'm sad to say so is the Southern Belle Reading Challenge.  But I'm glad to report that Brenda says she will host it again next year...Yay!  So if you missed it this year start making your list now. 

This challenge was about all things "southern"...fiction set in the south, non-fiction, cook books, magazines, food, music, festivals, and famous southerners.  Before this challenge I hadn't read all that much southern fiction, but now I have to say that I have a real love for it.  I have found so many good books and authors by participating in this challenge.  Not only did I find lots of new books...I found a new blog that I absolutely love and visit every day.  Brenda did such a great job running this challenge.  Every day she posted a southern topic on her blog, and they were all different.  I learned a lot about the south, and had fun doing it.  I also loved reading all the great comments from others doing the challenge.  I'm always interested in what others are reading.

I read 5 books in the month of September for the Southern Belle Reading Challenge.

Source:  Goodreads

The first book I read for the challenge was The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.  You can read my review HERE.

Source:  Goodreads

 The second book I read for the challenge was My Summer of Southern Discomfort by Stephanie Gayle.  You can read my review HERE.

Source:  Goodreads

 The third book I read for the challenge was Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg.  You can read my review HERE.

Source:  Goodreads

Book number four and perhaps my favorite from the entire challenge was Hissy Fit by Mary Kay Andrews.  I had no idea what to expect from this book, and to be honest I was expecting a shallow girly book.  Boy was i wrong!  This was a deep meaningful book, but fun at the same time.   You can read my review HERE.

Source:  Goodreads

The fifth and final book I read for the challenge was The Southern Belle of Honeysuckle Way by Linda Bruckheimer.  I haven't posted a review yet, but look for it soon!


My goal for the challenge was 4 books.  I met it plus one, so I'm very happy.  The Southern Belle Reading Challenge was lots of fun, and I will definitely be doing it again next September.  Thanks Brenda!!!

And Now The Movie...The Secret Life of Bees

I recently finished reading The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.  I loved it, so of course I wanted to see the movie.

Source:  www.imdb.com

The Secret Life of Bees Movie is rated PG13 and 114 minutes long.  It was released in the U.S.A on October 17,2008.

I really enjoyed this movie, but I have to say that I liked the book better because as always you get more details, thoughts, and emotions in the book.  I think over all, that the movie does a good job conveying the message of the book, and the actors did a beautiful job with the characters.  Of course there were some changes made and some things left out, but that's to be expected.  Even so, I'm so happy that we watched it.

My husband is not a huge reader, but he's always interested in what I'm reading.  If I particularly like a book, I always try to rent the movie version if it's available to give him some idea of what the book was about.  This was the case with The Secret Life of Bees, and he really enjoyed the movie as well.

This Book's Journey: The Secret Life of Bees

I checked out several books from the library in preparation for a reading challenge I'm participating in this month called the "Southern Belle Challenge".  It is hosted by Brenda Gail over at Curling Up With a Good Book.  September is to be a month of all things Southern:  books, magazines, recipes, movies, and lots of sweet tea

Source:  Goodreads

 The Secret Life of Bees  by Sue Monk Kidd is one of the books I check out and the book I chose to kick off the challenge with.  The library's copy of the book was published in 2002 and donated to the library in 2005.  It doesn't say who donated.  It simply says donated.  It isn't in bad condition, but it is obvious it has been read many many times.  Let's just say it's fragile.  When I opened it the first time, I noticed that the first four or five pages have pulled away from the spine of the book.  I think eventually all of the pages will start falling out.  The front cover is starting to come off a tiny bit, and if not for the protective covering the library puts on all their books, this book would have worn out years ago.  I think all of these things are signs of a good book...you can tell it's been read by many many people.  It makes me wonder how many people have read this copy of the book.  What were their lives like on the days they read this book?  What made him or her choose it?

I chose it for 3 reasons:

1.  My sister, Beth, has read it and said I would like it.
2.  It was on a list that Brenda Gail posted...Southern Belle Challenge Book Choices
3.  I have seen the preview for the movie and thought it looked interesting.  I haven't actually seen the movie though, although I'm sure I will soon.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

Source:  http://www.beehives.info/index.php

From the very first words to the last I was hooked.  The Secret Life of Bees is set in 1964 South Carolina.  Lily is a motherless girl with a cruel father.  The only person in the world she has to depend on is her African American nanny, Rosaleen, whom she loves and who loves Lily in return.  When some unexpected events force Lily and Rosaleen to go on the run Lily follows one of the only clues she has regarding her mother, a picture of Mary, mother of Jesus, with the town Tiburon, South Carolina written across the back.  When they get there they are taken in by three black sisters who live in a bright pink house, keep bees, and sell honey.  It's here with these sisters that Lily finally discovers the truth about her past, and it's also the place where she finally finds the Mother she's always yearned for.

August said, "Listen to me now, Lily.  I'm going to tell you something I want you always to remember, all right?"
Her face had grown serious. Intent. Her eyes did not blink.
"All right," I said, and I felt something electric slide down my spine.
"Our Lady is not some magical being out there somewhere, like a fairy godmother.  She's not the statue in the parlor.  She's something inside of you.  Do you understand what I'm telling you?"
"Our Lady is inside of me," I repeated, not sure I did.
"You have to find a mother inside yourself.  We all do.  Even if we already have a mother, we still have to find this part of ourselves inside."

I really loved all the characters in this book.  I loved Rosaleen for her brave in your face honesty.  I could use a little of that myself.  I liked June (one of the sisters) for her stubbornness.  Some people think being stubborn is a bad thing, but I tend to think sometimes being stubborn is a very good thing.  I liked May (one of the sisters) for her innocence, and I loved August (another sister) for her calmness, her failure to judge others, and for her patience.  All of which are things I aspire to be in my own life.  Most of all I loved Lily for just being Lily.  She wasn't whiny or over dramatic.  She was an "it is what it is" kind of girl.  I enjoyed her humor.

Parts of the book made me cry and parts made me laugh.  Sue Monk Kidd did such a great job describing the setting for us.  I could almost feel the heat, smell the grass, and hear the humming of bees.

I know this book has been out for several years, but if like me you missed it somehow, give it a try.  I think you'll be glad you did.

I plan on renting the movie in the very near future!

Half Way Through...

I started reading The Secret Life of Bees last night, and I'm really liking it.  I'm about halfway through, so I hope to finish it today. I'll do a full post when I'm finished.  Check back later!!

Source:  Goodreads

Summary from Goodreads...
Sue Monk Kidd's ravishing debut novel has stolen the hearts of reviewers and readers alike with its strong, assured voice. Set in South Carolina in 1964, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's fierce-hearted "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the town's fiercest racists, Lily decides they should both escape to Tiburon, South Carolina--a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. There they are taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters who introduce Lily to a mesmerizing world of bees, honey, and the Black Madonna who presides over their household. This is a remarkable story about divine female power and the transforming power of love--a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.

Sue Monk Kidd
Source:  Goodreads.

We Went to the Library!

After I picked my daughter up today, we went to the library.  She's been wanting to check out some Goosebumps books, and I wanted to get some books myself.  She ended up getting ten "Goosebumps" books.

A couple days ago I told you about a reading challenge I'm participating in during the month of September.  It's called the "Southern Belle" challenge, and the idea is to read books set in the South.  It is hosted by Brenda Gail at Curling Up With a Good Book.


I got four books from the library today to get me started...


Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg

Source:  www.goodreads.com

The Secret Life of Bees: A Novel by Sue Monk Kidd

Source:  www.goodreads.com

My Summer of Southern Discomfort by Stephanie Gayle

Source:  www.goodreads.com

Hissy Fit by Mary Kay Andrews

Source:  www.goodreads.com