As much as I can’t believe it’s already December, I love this time of year. Christmas time is so magical; I love walking around looking at all the lights. And it seems more okay to snuggle up with a blanket and hot chocolate and read. Plus I can use the fireplace!
Unfortunately I didn’t get as much personal reading done as I would have liked in November. It was the end of my semester at school, so I had several large assignments to focus on. And then I caught a cold, so I couldn’t bring myself to write this post.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
This is one of those books that you love but it’s weird to admit liking because it deals with a heavy topic. However, I feel it handles everything pretty lightly. This is a long read, but an easy one. It’s 1962 in Mississippi, Aibileen is working as a black maid in a white household. She’s always taken orders and done her work without any issues, but she can’t hold in her frustrations anymore. It’s frustrating watching the women in the families she works for ignore their babies and treat the black maids poorly.
Aibileen’s best friend Minny has always been sassy, until circumstances put her in a situation where she needs to watch what she says. Then there’s Skeeter, a white woman who has just returned from college and is looking for a job in journalism. Together, the three of them work together to share .
This novel is full of every stereotypical character, from the loud, sassy, angry black women to the disrespectful, condescending racist white women. You hate some of the characters and you get frustrated with others. There are lots of dark secrets and emotional moments, so it’s an interesting read. I really liked it because it’s light and easy to read. It’s definitely worth a read. 4/5 stars
Buy it here!
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
One of my all time favorite books (and movies), I was so pleased to see this on my reading list for one of my classes. Elizabeth Bennet is one of five sisters living in England in the early 19th century. Life was very different then; women had far fewer rights than today, so people treated marriage as a business deal. They looked to better their social status or financial situation by marrying up.
Then comes Elizabeth Bennet. She is unwilling to spend the duration of her life with a man she does not love. Even when Mr. Collins, the man to inherit their family estate when their father passes away, proposes to Elizabeth and guarantees the future of Elizabeth and her sisters. She rejects his offer, knowing she would not be happy with him. Infuriating her mother, Elizabeth is steadfast in her convictions of putting her emotions over her social status.
When she first meets the arrogant Mr. Darcy, she detests him. She finds him proud and arrogant while he finds her family an embarrassment that displays a lack of propriety. But as fate repeatedly brings them together and truths are exposed, opinions begin to change.
It is a truth universally acknowledge, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
Can you tell I studied this book? It’s one of my absolute favorites. And I absolutely love the movie. If you’ve never read the book, or seen the movie (I love Kiera Knightley so I like that version), I highly recommend reading and watching it. 5/5 stars!
Buy it here!
That’s all for this month! At least all that’s worth really mentioning. I read a few other books that I reviewed on Goodreads, so follow me there if you want to stay up to date with all of my reads. One of them I couldn’t finish because it was just nonsensical rambling. Also, Erin announced the categories for the next Book Challenge by Erin! Join the Facebook group and join the challenge!
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