I'm sad, wanna cuddle?

Astrid & Veronika by Linda Olsson

Veronika, a young writer, escapes the pain of recent life events to Sweden. She moves into a rental home next door to Astrid, an elderly recluse where the unlikely friendship blossoms over the course of 9 months. Slowly they both open up and trust each other with their deepest secrets. This is a thought provoking, tear jerking, joyful and remorseful story from the heart that takes real life circumstances (and sometimes not so real) and puts them down on paper. I can’t even imagine the pain that has come from these women’s experiences and watching the healing take place as they reveal their hearts to each other was a special event to watch.

Veronika speaks of memories and how she feels that she can only remember the bad things that happen instead of the good and the bad. It was funny to me that Veronika states that her mother always told her that she didn’t have a good memory. The funny part to me was that people who have bad memories never realize it themselves, but they have to be lead to it. They also have a hard time admitting it because what they do remember is clear enough to them. I admit that I am a person that believes I have a great memory and am told by almost everyone that I don’t. I have recently pondered why this is so, and I have concluded that I have an excellent long term memory, but my short term memory is horrendous! I can relate to Veronika on this matter!

*Spoiler Alert* Throughout the story the author regularly speaks of the idea of “not lasting.” Every situation that is good in both of the characters there is a thought behind it that it cannot last. When Astrid had her little girl, she spoke of it not lasting, how can your relationship with your baby not last? Well, if you kill your baby, it won’t last. I was very confused why she did that by the way. Same idea is present with Veronika and her lover. It can’t last, and then he died.

Foreshadowing is sewn throughout the story. Veronika speaks of the sea being her enemy before we even know anything about her story. She speaks of always hating it, but knowing that the love of her life loved it, she wanted to be near him and he wanted to be in the ocean. Things didn’t fare well with them.

First question, was, what was with the cuddling? Second question, did Astrid kill herself? Third question, was Veronika happy for Astrid in the end? This book was very odd and intriguing at the same time. I probably would have never heard of it if it wasn’t for book club. It was an interesting read, I wouldn’t say I recommend it, but I wouldn’t say it’s the worst book I’ve ever read either. So, have you read it? Do you want to?

"We are two people. Not that much seperates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought."

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This is a story about three women, different in every way, age, race, and social standings, but they are working together with one goal in mind, equality. A book about writing a controversial book in the middle of a racial war, the unity of this bond is the story of The Help.

When I first started reading The Help, I posted on facebook that I was reading this book. I wanted to know which of my friends had read it or wanted to. I was astounded by how many comments that post received and how many people had read or wanted to read the book, or wanted to see the movie when it came out. I also received a wall post from my cousin Mary Catherine prompting me to ask my dad about the maid she and her 5 siblings had while growing up. From that wall post, I asked my dad about Tine and he told me the story of the broken crystal lamp. My dad was born late in life to my grandmother. His oldest sibling, Clint was 25 when my dad was born and was already married with one child. I grew up playing with my second cousins who were my age and I did not understand that their parents were my first cousins and not aunts and uncles. I didn’t understand as a child why my cousins called my Uncle Clint grandpa, he was uncle to me and my brothers. I loved going to Aunt Martha and Uncle Clint’s house, there was always something to do. Either we would play with my second cousins or play down in the basement, but we always knew to stay out of Uncle Clint’s way. He was always kind, but he expected children to be respectful and to always say “sir or ma’am” and be obedient. Dad would always lecture us on the way down to Warren, AR where my aunt and uncle lived about minding our manners and behaving ourselves, and don’t be loud or break anything. So, the story is that my dad, being so young, would go play with his nieces and nephews during family events. When I asked him about the story my cousin Mary Catherine told me to ask him about, I found out that my dad, a non-trouble-maker from birth accidently broke a lamp shade. He was following the other kids down the stairs and swinging over the stair banister, when he swung his leg over, down came the crystal lamp. Tine saved the day and replaced the broken lamp shade without my Uncle Clint finding out. I can only imagine what punishment Tine saved my dad from. Dad also told me that either Uncle Clint or Aunt Martha would go to the “black part of town” pick Tine up and bring her to the house at about 6am, then she would work all day, and then they would take her back home around 6 or 7pm that night. He also told me some other fun stories about how Tine would take care of the kids and protect them from getting in trouble from their dad. While reading The Help, I can almost picture what my aunt and uncle’s house looked like.

I personally enjoyed how many important events took place during the course of the book. From the beginning of the zip code for mailing items with the post office, to the assassination of the President Kennedy, many events that have shaped America took place over these very few years. The author paid much attention to detail and I appreciated Stockett’s inclusion of those events. On the Civil Rights movement, it’s interesting how just 40 to 50 years has made such an amazing difference in the equality of people in America, if you would have asked my Uncle Clink in 1964 if we would have a black man in the white house, what do you think he would have said? I’m not saying it’s equal or anywhere close to perfect, it’s just changed a lot because of the people who stood up for their rights.

As a southern woman, it was very natural for me to pick up on Minny or Aibelene’s accent. I saw an almost immediate decline in my accent and grammar while reading The Help. I found myself saying “ain’t” which is not a word that I ever use. I also found myself using words completely incorrect. Is and was, were not used when they were supposed to be and I know that I sounded crazy and uneducated. Of course I already have an inclination to speak incorrectly because I’m southern and I am around some really crazy accents on a daily basis working with the public of East Texas and Arkansas.

So, what did you think? Did you read the book? See the movie? What did you think? Do you have any stories about your family in the 60’s?

How does this story end for Sam, Grace, Cole and Isabel?

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

The end of a series is always bitter sweet. I feel like I’m saying goodbye to a sweet friendship that I have come to love over the time that it takes to read the books. I started with Shiver, not knowing anything about it, except that the literary blogging world was going insane talking about it. Every blogger was reading it and loving it. So I picked it up, then I waited for Linger, when it came out, again all the rage on the blogosphere, then I waited again, finally Forever is here.

Grace has now been a wolf for two months. Two months that Sam has not been a wolf. Sam has been under investigation for Grace’s disappearance and maybe even murder. Sam has been walking around trying to act like nothing is wrong, when everyone he has ever known and loved is now a wolf in the woods outside his adopted father’s home. Sam is displaced and going through all of these trials without Grace and Beck. He has Cole, the suicidal rock star who spends all of his waking hours trying to be like his dad the scientist and find a cure for the werewolf issue. Even though Sam did not shift for the first time in 10ish years, he is still is not living without Grace.

Of course this is a book that you have to remove all logic and just read. There is no infection that is acting like malaria and makes you turn into a wolf during the cold months of the year. But, if you can look past that, this is a great story. One of love, passion, friendship, and a world of asking questions even when it hurts and it’s hard to hear the answer.

I have heard many people say that they did not enjoy this book or even the one preceding it (Linger) as much as Shiver the original book. I can appreciate their comments and as a lover of books and literature, I will have to respectfully disagree. The magic of the first book was something of another world. It was magical, it was moving, and it had a beautiful ending. The second book still had the magic, but it didn’t have that spark that the first did because Sam and Grace were already in love and that was what was so great about Shiver, the love story. Now here comes Linger it’s all about figuring out what’s going on, what’s causing this and how can we stop it. Grace has had some of Sam, now she wants it all, marriage, family, everything. I can see why Shiver was everyone’s favorite, but Linger had some great stuff in it and Forever was a great end to the story. The way I see it is that I love these characters. Sam, Grace, Isabel, and Cole all of them have a special place in my heart and I think that is why I have nothing bad thing to say about the books, it’s because I love these fictional friends.

Stiefvater has a way with words that I have been in awe of since Shiver. She uses analogies like they are a long-time friend of hers and they don’t even mind being used by her because of their special relationship. One of my favorite lines is about the middle of the book. Grace has recently shifted back to human and she wakes in Sam’s bedroom before him for the first time ever. She walks to the basement with the coffee pot and looks around Beck’s library and just visually takes in the room. She sees the tidy shelves of books and guesses that there must be over one thousand books in the library and in her head she makes this comment. “I wanted a library like this by the time I was Beck’s age. Not THIS library. A cave of words that I’d made myself. I didn’t know if that would be possible now.” I just think the way Stiefvater words this idea is so beautiful. A cave of words that I’d made myself. It’s a true enough statement. I love inheriting books, but my most precious books are the ones that speak to me and maybe no one else likes them or reads them, but for this time and this place in my life, I loved these words and this book and it spoke volumes to me. I can see what Grace dreams of, a library of her own that she has put together. Love it!

As discussed in the previous Shiver blogs, these books are very emotional for me. I have rolled my eyes, laughed, and cried with every one of the characters. This series takes you on such a rollercoaster ride of emotion in such a short time that I hang on every word.

Well I guess that is the end of this blog. Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. What did you think of the ending? What do you think happened if there would have been one more chapter?