Challenge 3: A Book You Pick Solely Because Of The Cover

Ida's book: "My True Love Gave To Me: Twelve Holiday Stories" compiled by Stephanie Perkins (St. Martin's Press) 2014

This challenge was beyond tricky and I have spent so many hours looking through lists of "10 most interesting book covers" and the like. In the end, I decided to compromise: I wanted to read something christmassy for December and went to my local Waterstones to have a look at their display of christmas books. This one caught my eye because it wasn't peddling a Victorian notion of christmas, and the cover felt amazing. I know that's a bit of a weird thing to say, but it is rather soft and I'm a sucker for textured covers, and the purple colour is very pretty (it looks more blue on the picture, but it is purple). It's a collection of YA (young adult) which people normally take to mean teenagers. I don't see why other people shouldn't read YA novels, they might be written from the viewpoint of teenagers, but haven't we all been there once? This collection also happens to feature one of my favourite authors, Rainbow Rowell, so I admit that made the purchase a lot quicker. Hopefully the book will bring lots of christmas spirit to the cold and dark December!

Comments:

I absolutely loved this collection of christmassy stories! There was something for everyone, ghost stories, stories of love and stories of hope, just what you need for this time of year, really. What I also realised was that it was very inclusive and diverse, something that I hadn't noticed was lacking in the other books that I read but which made it refreshingly honest and real in a way. I will definitely be coming back to this book next December!

Challenge 2: A Book That Was Made Into A Movie

Ida's book: "The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window And Disappeared" by Jonas Jonasson (Hesperus Press) 2012

I was very tempted to re-read one of the many books on my book shelf that have subsequently been turned into films, but then I thought, this reading challenge is not just about reading a book every month it is also about reading something you might not have read otherwise.

So I've chosen this book! I've heard good things about it and seeing as it was in the collection of the friends I live with, I took the liberty to borrow it for the month.

Comments:

Well, this one was a bit of a gamble for me, as I'd never really heard about it except in passing. The story itself slowly reveals itself, some chapters take place in the present (2005) and every other chapter dives into the main character, Allan Karlsson, and his unbelievable adventurous life. I say unbelievable, as that is what it is, but after a while you end up just enjoying the wild tales of meeting American presidents, Franco, and Mao. The writing style is quite peculiar, there isn't much dialogue, it's written into the descriptions which is quaint to begin with and then just gets annoying. I did enjoy the story though, and might even take a look at some of the other books by the author.

Challenge 2: A Book That Was Made Into a Movie

Donna's Book: "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett (Fig Tree/Penguin, 2009)

I've been meaning to watch this film ever since one of the students in my 'Black America' history class talked about it during a class discussion.  I still will try to watch the film sometime, but it's a always a good idea to read the book first!

I have a feeling that I will either love this book or give up halfway through.  We shall find out which it is over the next month!

Comments:

And the answer to that question is that I loved it!

This is a truly amazing book and I would recommend it to everyone.  It deals with the sensitive issue of race relations in Mississippi in 1963 but from the point of view of the women, both black and white, who were all, in their own ways, prisoners of the time and place in which they lived.  At times this book is utterly heart-breaking and I could almost taste the terror that the women felt as they prepared to publish their stories.  However, their strength shines through and, without wishing to give away the end or the twists and turns to the plot, ultimately this is a very positive tale.

What is most striking though is the simplicity of the women's stories.  The public image of Civil Rights is of marches, speeches, legislation, sit-ins, grand public events.  What "The Help" shows, though is the way that simple acts of kindness and caring, and touching the heart of a child can also change the world.

Once I started reading The Help, I couldn't put it down and, perhaps the best compliment I can pay is that I want to read MORE.  I want to know more about the lives of these women.

The challenge this month was a book that had been made into a film.  I haven't seen the film yet, and I don't know if I want to.  Can a film do justice to the warmth and depth of the characters that shines through on every one of the book's pages?  I don't know if I want to risk finding out!