"Like Water for Chocolate"...The Book And The Movie

A while ago I read Like Water for Chocolate.  I really liked it, but it's one of the strangest books I've ever read.  Last night I had the opportunity to watch a movie version of the book.  I liked it as well, but I found it just as strange as the book.

Source:  Goodreads

I found the movie version on Netflix.  It's in Spanish but subtitled.  If you've never read the book or watched the movie and are looking for something different, give both a try.

My Thoughts On "Keeper of the Doves"

Source:  Goodreads

The last time I was at the library with my daughter we were browsing through the books when I came across Keeper of the Doves.  I fell in love with the cover immediately, so I checked it out.  It's a sweet little story about a young girl named Amen, living in the late 1800's, trying to find her place in a family of five girls, and the secrets families sometimes keep.

This little book is just 128 pages, so it was a fast easy read.  I enjoyed the story and would definitely recommend it to elementary aged girls.

My Thoughts On Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

Source:  Goodreads

Everyone calls Cecilia Rose Honeycutt, CeeCee.  She is a sad little girl living in Ohio with her mentally unstable mother and a father who would rather be anywhere but home with his family.  She is left alone to deal with her mom's illness.  As her mother loses grip on reality, CeeCee struggles to stay sane as her mom wanders the streets in prom dresses, red high heels, and tiaras.  CeeCee's only comfort lies in the books she reads and her elderly neighbor Mrs. Odell.  When a horrible tragedy strikes, CeeCee is forced to move to Savannah, Georgia to live with an aunt she never even knew existed.  There she meets a group of women that will change her life.

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt is full of southern hospitality.  From the big houses to the magnolia trees, you can almost see Savannah as you read this book.  The setting and the mood are done so well, and it's full of lovable characters.  CeeCee is such a broken little girl, but at her core she's sweet and wants to be loved so badly.

  

Like birds coming to roost in a favorite tree, we filed down the hallway and into the kitchen, settling comfortably in our places.  It was a moment so perfect I wished I could stop time.  I thought about how we all had Life Books--Mrs. Odell, Aunt Tootie, Oletta and me--and how someone, somewhere, had seen fit to write our names on one another's pages.

                                                                         --CeeCee from Saving CeeCee Honeycutt



I really enjoyed this book!  It's hard to believe that this is Kentucky author, Beth Hoffman's first novel.  She did an awesome job.  The way each character speaks, the things they eat, the clothes they wear, even the weather--it all just seems authentic.  I would definitely recommend this book, especially to those who enjoy southern fiction.

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt is the last book I read for Southern Fiction in September as part of The Cupcakes Wars Reading Challenge hosted by Brenda at Curling Up With A Good Book.

I Finally Watched It!

I have been putting off watching The Help for a long time because I wanted to read the book first.  I finally read the book in September, and my daughter and I watched the movie over the weekend.  We both loved it.  It was funny and sad, infuriating and inspiring all at the same time.  It also opened the door to some important conversations with my 9 year old daughter.

I know the movie is some different from the book, and not nearly as detailed, but I thought they did a good job with it.

My Thoughts On "Into the Free"

Source:  Goodreads

Into the Free is about Millie, a young girl living in Mississippi during the depression.  She lives with her depressed and mentally unstable mother and has an abusive father who seems to only come home to beat her mother.  She spends her young life hiding from her father and picking up the pieces of her broken mother, but she longs to be free...free of fear, free of sadness, free of loneliness.  Her only friends are her elderly neighbor, Sloth and a gum tree she names Sweetie.  When Sloth dies she feels like she's all alone until she meets a young gypsy boy named River and she finally feels like there's hope.  But when the unthinkable happens she if forced to face the world truly alone and she will learn just how strong she is.

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Although this book is sad and at times hard to read, it is beautifully written, and I truly enjoyed the story.  Millie is such a lovable character.  I just wanted to reach into the book and take care of her. She doesn't even realize how brave and strong she really is.  Into the Free is an example of a serious coming of age story.  Watching Millie come into her own made reading the hard parts worth it.  It is a testament to the resilience of children and the human spirit.

I'd recommend this to anyone who likes to read historical fiction, southern fiction, or coming of age stories.

My Thoughts On "Rising Storm" By Kathleen Brooks

Source:  Goodreads

Rising Storm is the second book in Kathleen Brooks' Bluegrass Brothers Series.  It follows Marshall, an elite military man turned hometown sheriff and Katelyn Jacks, an ex-supermodel who worked her way through college and has come back to her grandparents small hometown to start her career as a vet.  Even thought they can't stand each other, they can't seem to avoid each other or the small town gossip mill, and they soon discover they're feelings for one another might not be what they thought they were.  Yet even as they fall in love they are forced to fight for their lives and the lives of innocent dogs when they try to track down a dangerous, illegal, dog fighting ring, and are targeted  by the criminals running it.

Rising Storm is exactly what I expected from Kathleen Brooks.  It's the fifth book I've read by her, and I wasn't disappointed.  Once again we get to visit with the unforgettable characters of Keeneston, Kentucky and have some fun along the way.  Rising Storm is full of humor, romance, and suspense.  I'd recommend it to anyone who loves to read romance with a little suspense thrown in or anyone looking to read something regional.  Although Keeneston is a little over the top idyllic, the book still gives you a snapshot of what a small Kentucky town might be like.

I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

My Thoughts On "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

Source:  Goodreads

I think most everyone has read The Help, and now I have too.  I loved it!  My favorite books to read are those so rich in characters that you just can't figure out who you love the best.  The Help is one of those books.

The Help is set in 1960's Mississippi and follows the lives of three very different women.  Aibileen is a strong black woman who works as a maid and whose strength and faith inspire all around her.  Minny is a spunky black woman, a mother, and a maid who tells it like it is and is the best cook in town.  Skeeter is a privileged young white woman trying to find herself in spite of an overbearing mother, a not so great group of friends, and an environment full of prejudice.  As Skeeter's eyes begin to open to the injustices around her, she teams up with Aibileen and Minny on a project that will not only rock their small town, but change their lives.

Even though I loved this book, I wasn't crazy about the ending.  I was left wanting something more, but I guess every book isn't going to end the way I want.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read southern, historical, or women's fiction.  I've avoided watching the movie until I could read the book, and now I'm excited to watch it.