The Help by Kathryn Stockett

 The Help by Kathryn Stockett-451 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Aibileen is a black maid in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, who's always taken orders quietly, but lately she's unable to hold her bitterness back. Her friend Minny has never held her tongue but now must somehow keep secrets about her employer that leave her speechless. White socialite Skeeter just graduated college. She's full of ambition, but without a husband, she's considered a failure. 

Together, these seemingly different women join together to write a tell-all book about work as a black maid in the South, that could forever alter their destinies and the life of a small town...

Thoughts: I've seen the movie, but I hadn't read the book. This is our next book for the Book to Movie Club. It is really good and it makes one think critically about the perspective of others. For a long time after the Civil War and Reconstruction Era (circa 1861-1876), blacks were not seen as equals to whites. This is illustrated by the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1897 which established the separate but equal doctrine (and the "one drop" rule) that perpetuated until the Brown v. Board of Education decision of 1954 and beyond in some areas (such as Mississippi, which is the setting for this book). Can you imagine being told where you can go or where you can sit on the bus? Can you imagine caring for another person's child and becoming close with that child and then moving on and not getting any gratitude? Can you imagine fearing you or someone you love might be hurt or killed for speaking out? Such is the world that Aibilieen, Minny, and the other maids live in and deal with every day. The book and the movie are both good. 

A Time For Mercy by John Grisham

A Time For Mercy by John Grisham-464 pages

My favorite character Jake Brigance is back.  I love to see how his lawyer mind works and how he is all about getting justice.  The story is phenomenal, it has you pulling for the defendant and you are glad that Jake is his lawyer.  He uses his witnesses masterfully. Jakes whole family gets on board at a huge monetary risk.  And there is an extra special surprise at the end.  I am looking forward to seeing Jake in the court room again!  Another excellent novel by John Grisham.  Loved it! 

 

The Guilty by David Baldacci

The Guilty by David Baldacci
(Will Robie #4)
432 pages / 11 hrs, 46 mins

"Will Robie escaped his small Gulf Coast hometown of Cantrell, Mississippi, after high school, severing all personal ties, and never looked back. Not once. Not until...his father, Dan Robie, has been arrested and charged with murder.

"Father and son haven't spoken or seen each other since the day Robie left town. In that time, Dan Robie...has been elected town judge. Despite this, most of Cantrell is aligned against Dan. His guilt is assumed.

"To make matters worse, Dan has refused to do anything to defend himself. When Robie tries to help, his father responds only with anger and defiance. Could Dan really be guilty?

"Unlike the missions Robie undertook in the service of his country, where his target was clearly defined, digging into his father's case only reveals more questions. Robie is drawn into the hidden underside of Cantrell, where he must face the unexpected and possibly deadly consequences of the long-ago choices made by father and son. And this time there may be no escape for either of them."  --from the publisher

I was completely engrossed in this story.  It had a psychological element that added drama to Baldacci's style.  Four out of five stars from me!

Gunslinger by Jeff Pearlman

Gunslinger: The Remarkable, Improbable, Iconic Life of Brett Favre by Jeff Pearlman- 448 pages

This was an interesting, enthralling read. It was hard to put down at times. The Packers are my second favorite NFL team (behind the Chiefs) and I always enjoyed watching Favre play. Pearlman seemingly holds nothing back in this all-encompassing biography of Favre from his birth until now. He lays Favre, the person and Favre, the quarterback out for all to see, flaws included. I didn't know about Favre's one-time addictions to Vicodin and alcohol (and to womanizing). He, seemingly, has matured into a good father and husband since shedding those addictions, though. It was cool to read about Favre's high school days (and the fact that he threw a total of 32! passes his entire high school career) and college days at Southern Miss (including his first game action while still being intoxicated from drinking 18 beers the night before). Overall, this was a great read about a great football player and icon/legend. He will always be remembered for his cannon arm and tendency to improvise (and, often, make ill-advised throws).

Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg

    Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg--336 pages

In Fannie Flagg’s high-spirited first novel, we meet Daisy Fay Harper in the spring of 1952, where she’s “not doing much except sitting around waiting for the sixth grade.” When she leaves Shell Beach, Mississippi, in September 1959, she is packed up and ready for the Miss America Pageant, vowing “I won’t come back until I’m somebody.” But in our hearts she already is.

Sassy and irreverent from the get-go, Daisy Fay takes us on a rollicking journey through her formative years on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. There, at The End of the Road of the South, the family malt shop freezer holds unspeakable things, society maven Mrs. Dot hosts Junior Debutante meetings and shares inspired thoughts for the week (such as “sincerity is as valuable as radium”), and Daisy Fay’s Daddy hatches a quick-cash scheme that involves resurrecting his daughter from the dead in a carefully orchestrated miracle. Along the way, Daisy Fay does a lot of growing up, emerging as one of the most hilarious, appealing, and prized characters in modern fiction.


I have not read a Fannie Flagg I didn't like! This one is no exception. It is written like a diary, so it makes for a quick read! As with all Fannie Flagg novels, there is a great cast of characters.

The Forsaken by Ace Atkins

The Forsaken by Ace Atkins - 384 pages
Quin Colson Book 4

I liked the earlier books in this series and kind of see army veteran Colson as being who Jack Reacher might become if he ever settled down in one spot and had family ties to bind him.  This installment finds Colson as the sheriff of Tibbehah County, Mississippi, a job previously held by his Uncle.  For most of the book Colson and his deputy are dealing with pending charges from the DA regarding a perceived unjust shooting.  Colson gets told that if he pursues a thirty year old case of rape and murder then just maybe those pending charges could be made to go away.  The plot switches back and forth between the present day investigation and the real-time actions at the time of the older crime.  I found the book to be very slow and there wasn't a whole lot of action to advance the overall plot.  It was interesting to get more of Colson's back story and see the truth about his estranged father but it's not the best in the series. 

Sycamore Row, John Grisham

Sycamore Row, John Grisham, 447 pages

Even though I had not read the first in the series; I found that this novel grabs you from the very first page and keeps you guessing until the very end.  The characters and story from the previous novel are covered very well so you are not left guessing where they all fit in.  The older man who is dying from cancer chooses a way to die that is very symbolic.  In the end you see that events that he put in motion three years before, weighed into everything that he did in the last two days of his life. Your emotions will be pulled in and you find yourself rooting for the person named in his handwritten will.  You also see into the racial divide that existed and maybe still does to some extent in the south.

The View From Here by Brian Keith Jackson

The View From Here by Brian Keith Jackson - 229 pages

Anna is pregnant and her husband, JT, doesn't think they can afford or want the aggravation of another child. He insists they will hand over the child to his sister and her husband, who had made his life miserable after the death of their mother.  The story is told as though Anna is talking to her unborn child and through the letters she writes to her childhood friend, Ida Mae.  This was a good story and worth reading.

The Lost Ones by Ace Atkins

The Lost Ones by Ace Atkins - 352 pages
Quinn Colson book 2

Colson is now the newly elected Sheriff of Tibbehah County, Mississippi.  He brings his decade as an Army Ranger to the job which especially hits home when military grade weapons start showing up in the hands of a Mexican cartel.  Colson's childhood friend is tied up in this mess and Colson has to weigh loyalty over duty to reach a resolution.  A baby selling operation is also discovered that ties into the cartel operations which adds a whole other layer of complexity.  This taut mystery is a great one for fans of Lee Child.  

The Ranger by Ace Atkins

The Ranger by Ace Atkins - 368 pages

After years of war Army Ranger Quinn Colson comes home to northeast Mississippi to bury his Uncle, the longtime county sheriff.  Colson is told its a suicide but others suggest it was murder.  An action packed week of investigation leads Colson to confront harsh truths about his Uncle, his childhood heroes, and himself.  Fans of Lee Child's Jack Reacher and Elmore Leonard's Raylan Givens will find Quinn Colson to be cut from the same cloth and equally as enjoyable of a read.