Thursday, January 20, 2011

Book Review: Nobody's Baby But Mine

Before I start this review I want to address a question you might be asking yourself You're probably thinking, "Wait, is she really going to review a "romance novel"? Well, the answer is yes. Reviews can be for all sorts of things. Because I don't just read really deep or smart or important books. I like all kinds, and I'm not only going to show certain sides of myself that are cool, or smart, or sophisticated. Because while I'm (of course) all of those things;) I am also...well... a lot of other things, too. So, if this appeals to you, READ it! If not, don't.






Summary:
Genius physics professor Dr. Jane Darlington desperately wants a baby. but finding a father won't be easy. Jane's super-intelligence made her feel like a freak when she was growing up, and she's determined to spare her own child that suffering. Which means she must find someone very special to father her child. Someone very ... well ... *stupid*.

Cal Bonner, the Chicago Stars' legendary quarterback, seems like the perfect choice. But his champion good looks and down-home ways are deceiving. Dr. Jane learns too late that this good ol' boy is a lot smarter than he lets on---and he's not about to be used and abandoned by a brainy, baby-mad schemer.

My Thoughts:
Um...This was sooooo good! I'm not one who usually reads romance novels, however this was neither trashy or cheesy or distasteful. It was such a great story. I loved the characters, especially Cal (Hello!) It was great how at the beginning of the book Jane is described by her neighbor as boring, and had been dumped by her boyfriend because she didn't interest or excite him anymore. But you soon learn that Jane is none of those things. I loved how even at her "late" age in life she got a fresh start and was finally able to be her true self. Someone who was lively, spirited, witty, and sexy. I also loved the fact that she didn't have to work on becoming those things. It was her natural self and Cal just brought it out in her. I loved how they fought with each other. The fights didn't feel uncomfortable or sad and they weren't hurtful when they fought. It was just them being completely themselves and brought out the fierceness in them both. Jane does cross some SERIOUS ethical and moral lines by tricking Cal into getting her pregnant. I'm not condoning that action. However, I have known some women who get so baby hungry that they really get a little bit crazy. It really is something that happens, so I can forgive a normally sensible woman such as Jane convincing herself that tricking a stranger into getting her pregnant could be justifiable.
It was funny and surprising and just GOOOOD.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Book Review: The Help



Summary:
If you've enjoyed the southern charm of Fannie Flagg or The Secret Life of Bees, you'll find The Help a delight. Miss Eugenia Phelan ("Skeeter" to her friends) is a young woman of privilege who enjoys her fellow Junior Leaguers but sometimes finds their ways at odds with her own principles. She plays the part of her station in 1960s Mississippi but can't help feeling dissatisfied with keeping house and acting as recording secretary at league meetings, and yearns for something more.

Minny, Miss Celia, Aibileen, and Yule May are maids employed by Skeeter's friends. Each woman cooks, cleans, and cares for her boss's children, suffering slights and insults silently and sharing household secrets only among themselves. In the wake of the Junior League push to create separate bathrooms for the domestic help within private homes, Skeeter contacts a New York book editor with an idea. Soon she's conducting clandestine meetings with "the help" to capture their stories for publication. It is a daring and foolhardy plan, one certain to endanger not only the positions but the lives of the very women whose stories she transcribes -- as well as her own.

Stockett is a wonderful novelist, and The Help is a charming, thoughtful novel about women finding their voices, and the truths we see when we have the courage to look unflinchingly into the mirror.


My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were written so well, and the subject matter is something that I haven't really thought much about. The characters surprised often me with their depth, intelligence, and the way they behaved.

I couldn't put this book down, read it!