The Invention of Wings, by Sue Monk Kidd (Book Review)

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is one of those books that I want to review, but a review can never do it justice. I know this one is touted by the Oprah-reading crowd, and hugely acclaimed. For the most part, I cannot disagree. I loved it.

I've read several of Sue Monk Kidd's books, and this one is my favorite since The Secret Life of Bees. It's a great read that spans many years. About 2/3 of the way through, I thought it sounded like it may have been based on real events. A quick search told me that it was. That made me enjoy the book even more. I loved the historical aspects about the lives of the abolitionist/women's rights activists. I also enjoyed Handful's story, and that of her mother.

I can't really point to anything I didn't like about this book. It just didn't have that something extra that makes me fall in swooning love with the book. That is all that keeps it from getting 5 stars in my book. But it's a wonderful, engaging read and well worth the time.

Audio edition: Great. Loved the readers for both Sarah and Handful.

Content rating: Some disturbing parts, but not too bad. Recommended age: 14+ for violence/disturbing treatment of slaves.



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YA Wednesday: Memorial Book Review: Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers

Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I've been meaning to read this book for years, and I'm so glad I finally did.

It started out a bit slow, but as the book went on, I realized that everything in it was intentional, even that slow start. It was like the war itself, or Perry's experience of it. He wasn't dropped in the middle of the action. His squad was eased into it. At first, not much is happening. He's kind of bored, which left me a little bored. But as tensions build in Vietnam, so do they build in the book. The first time Perry sees someone killed, he's shocked. By the end, the body count is so high you barely notice one person. He's lost so many, he doesn't even mention that first death he witnessed that upset him so much in the beginning. And yet, he never grows complacent, never grows hard to the death surrounding him.

The was this book was laid out was perfect. It starts slow, then builds to more and more dire situations as Perry and PeeWee are forced to confront mortality, their own and that of the enemy, towards the end. The saddest part for me was knowing that even when the book ended, so many were left still fighting, still dying, in Vietnam. There were several parts where I teared up from the intensity of the book. It was so real, I was there, I was in it with them, longing for The World. This book may have started slow, but it grabbed me by the throat about third of the way in and never let go. I loved the characters, all so different and so real. I could feel the intensity of their fear, their boredom, their panic, and especially, their bond with each other. 

A wonderful book. My favorite WDM book so far.

Content: Appropriate for Age 14+. M/F audiences will enjoy.





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Book Review: Sycamore Row by John Grisham

Sycamore Row by John Grisham

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


3.5 stars

Okay, I admit, this is only my second full John Grisham book (I listened to A Time To Kill last year, but found out later that it was the abridged version). I read A Painted House in college and adored it, but courtroom dramas aren't really my area of interest. I read this for a book club.

I have to say, I really enjoyed it (much more than A Time to Kill). I was glad I'd read the first book about Jake Brigance, but it's not necessary before reading this one, though it is mentioned many times in this book. Anyway, this one was slow-building but it got faster and faster towards the climax, where everything was tied together, even the seemingly random threads from the beginning.

I did have some questions about the logic of certain situations, and there were some extraneous bits that were never explained or elaborated that could have used explanation. And there were a few parts that dragged (jury selection...yawn). But overall, it was really interesting. I loved the characters, and having seen the movie "A Time To Kill" several times, I had all the characters pictured in my mind. Just loved Harry Rex in this one, and kind of want to get the unabridged of A Time To Kill now, just so I can get the whole picture. It wasn't nearly as exciting as this one, where everything is fleshed-out and just much more real.

I especially loved the bits of Southern culture that were so expertly done you might not even notice, like the way they always talk about football before bringing up what they really want to talk about. Being a Southern girl myself, I appreciate authentic Southern authors and the subtle touches they bring to their work.



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Review Wednesday: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


3.5 stars



I read the first half of this book and listened to the second half on audio. I liked the parts I read much better. At first, it was a little hard to get into since it's written in dialect. But once I got into it, I really enjoyed reading it. When I listened to it, I just wanted to get it over with, so I'm not sure if I didn't like the reader of if the book just lost my interest.



I thought it was a good exploration of the relationships between women, both the supportive side and the cattiness. I've heard that a lot of people are angry about a white author trying to capture the voice of black women, or they say the book is stereotyped, or that it glosses over a horrible situation. I didn't really feel that way at all. I think it portrays black people in a very positive light, but I never had a maid or knew anyone who did, black or white, so I can't really say if the book is accurate or not. And it certainly does not gloss over racism and give us a happy Mammie figure. I liked all the characters in the book, although Skeeter's parts were somewhat dull compared to the others.



I also didn't know much about the maid culture of Southern families before civil rights, so that was interesting. I'd heard of rich white families having black wet nurses during slavery, but I didn't know so many maids raised white children even in the 1950's and 60's. So the historical aspect of the book interested me.



I liked that this book, unlike so many in women's literature, did not focus on romance. I'd recommend to anyone sick of reading romance novels disguised as something else, and for pretty much all women in general. A good modern historical fiction book.



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