A stolen life by Jaycee Dugard
This was an incredible story and I'm so glad that Jaycee had the courage to write it. It is amazing how she writes in such detail of her time in captivity with her kidnappers. It was almost like a fictional story, as her life seems like such an impossibility. Unfortunately, it is possible, and everyone needs to hear her story. I did not find this book as difficult to read as I had anticipated. It was so compelling I could barely put it down and read the whole thing in 2 days. Her style of narrating the past and interjecting her current reflections on what happened is quite genius. This story does touch on the misery that her kidnapper subjected her to but most of the book is about her feelings in captivity and how it affected her thought process. I cried at the part when she was reunited with her mom. How wonderful that her mother never gave up hope. I'm amazed at how far Jaycee has come along as an individual and as a writer in such a short period of time with only a 5th grade education. Her poise during her ordeal is just inspiring. I highly recommend this read!
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The Help is one of those books that has been hyped up like you wouldn't believe as soon as it was published. So, naturally, I put it off for years waiting to see if the hype died down. It didn't (what with the movie coming out soon and everything), so I talked myself into reading it telling myself "Maybe this book absolutely deserves the hype" while not really believing it. I am now kicking myself repeatedly for putting this amazing book on hold for so long. I absolutely loved The Help. I am still in awe of Stockett's story-telling gift and this incredible tale of three amazing women in Jackson, Mississippi in the early days of the US Civil Rights Movement. The Help follows fresh-out-of-college Skeeter, who returns home from Ole Miss only to feel disillusioned by the life she comes back to; Aibileen, a black maid, who loves and raises a white child but is searching for something more; and Minny, who is Aibileen's best friend and who just must speak her mind. All of the characters are so revealing and believable, and the story is full of humor, poignancy, and humanity. The Help is an unputdownable, stunning debut novel, and a must-read for all who love a good story.
Summer and the City: A Carrie Diaries Novel by Candace Bushnell
After reading a few more serious toned books, I wanted a change of pace with some good old chick-lit. Summer and the City is Candace Busnell's follow-up to last year's, The Carrie Diaries. It's a prequel of sorts to Sex and the City. I really liked The Carrie Diaries and I thought this was even better. In Summer and the City, we are taken on Carrie's whirlwind adventures in her new city, New York. In true Carrie style, when she arrives in New York, things do not go as planned. Her adventurous life leads us to meet the girls she becomes lifelong friends with: Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte. Every Sex and the City fan has known these characters for such a long time, but we hadn't experienced their beginnings together until this book. If you are looking for a fun, entertaining and lighthearted book to read this summer you need to pick up Summer and the City.
Uncharted TerriTORI by Tori Spelling
This is the 3rd installment of Tori Spelling's collection of short stories. I have enjoyed this one as much as the first two,
STORItelling and
Mommywood. If you are expecting a Pullitzer Prize winning novel you are going to be sorely disappointed, but if you are looking for a light hearted beach read you are good to go! I love how honest she is about herself, but what I love even more is her ability to relate to you just like she's a regular person or even your best girlfriend, through her writing. She is a great author who, just like the rest of us, is just trying to figure out the best path in life. While her problems may be different, this book has the ability to demonstrate that we all have our own unique struggles and challenges in life.
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