Tuesday, April 13, 2010

the help

Sunday afternoon I had a rare day to myself. Instead of cleaning or doing any of the things I coulda-shoulda-woulda do, I sat in a cozy chair sipping sweet tea, nibbling little treats and reading this...
I started it on Friday night and I was hooked immediately. I just finished it yesterday and I wish I'd gone slower because now I miss it. It's one of those kinds of reads where you're stuck between wanting to read it constantly and wanting to make it last and last. So good.

And now I'm looking for another good read...got any suggestions?

29 comments:

Ingrid said...

Oh, Amy,
I loved the Help too! I've recommended it to my sister and best friend and they felt the same way as you do! Two recent reads of mine have been, Shanghai Girls by Lisa See and Under this Unbroken Sky by Shandi Mitchell. There's nothing like a good book. Good for you for indulging- there'll always be laundry to do.

meleen said...

amy,

i'll have to check your book out. have you read...The Glass Castle by
Jeannette Walls? it came out a couple of years ago....i could not put it down!!! i was amazed with every page i turned!!!

happy spring!
meleen

suepigott said...

eat, pray, love. very good.
sacred hearts by sarah dunant.
all of the Dan Brown books.
and another one (which of course i cannot remember teh title)about a man who lives in the far east and builds schools..there is a bit of childhood learnings..etc. ugh. sorry to confuse.

the others are great.
love your blog!!
sue

Valerie said...

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt! Same thing -- you'll want it to last and last and you'll wish you could move to Savannah and have all the lovely ladies in your life from the book. :)

Evelyn said...

I enjoyed this book as well. I just finished up John Grisham's new short stories book and it was very good.

Birds of a Feather said...

hi amy ~

i loved this book too! it was my book club read a couple months ago and i baked a caramel cake - yum! anyway, you may like "the gift of an ordinary day" i'm just starting it, but it already seems like a book that just wraps around you.

xo heidi

Keri Tate said...

I just finished The Help as well. It was recommended by my best friend, so I gave it a whirl. I read it straight through in a little over a day - I did take a couple of breaks for sustenance. I, too, was hooked from the beginning and miss it. I'm thinking about re-reading it soon, since I loved it so much. I'll be looking for any recommendations as well. I am reading a biography of Abraham Lincoln right now, but will need a novel soo. Thanks for sharing Amy.

Jill said...

I almost ordered that book last night on Amazon, and then got sidetracked with some other books I've been wanting to read! I'm hearing more and more about that book-- now I wish that I had ordered it!
Hugs,
Jill

Signs and Salvage said...

OH...I just LOVED The Help!! On my all time top ten Favorite List now!! I wanted it to last longer...and have thought about those characters ever since. Great Book. I read at least a book a week. It is so hard to find good ones...BUT I have read LOTS of good ones this year...here is my list:

The Reliable Wife

Prayers For Sale

The Day The Falls Stood Still

Half Broke Horses (the next book by the Glass Castle Author)

The Girl Who Chased the Moon

The House at Riverton(kind of a sleeper at first...but gets good)

If you look at my BLOG...there is a link for my Shelfari Shelf. Have you used this site??? IT is so cool...a virtual shelf that you can share with friends. I love being able to see what my friends have read and loved!

Thank you for your post today:) You have tapped into one of my obsessions!!

Take Care,

Kristin

sassy said...

your gardening pot post a while back got me in a garden rut-all I read are garden how to books now! check out my blog for a pot give away-you and A would love watching beans sprout( a great math/science lesson too!)

Stevie said...

Sorry I don't have any book suggestions. Just parenting books trying to expand my knowledge in that area. Anywho, Josh and I are coming to Leesburg for the Flower Festival this weekend! My sis lives there. I am SO excited to visit the Cottage Gals!!! Any other place you'd recommend? We've never been in "downtown" Leesburg/historic district except for one time getting lost going to Woodbridge and I have a picture of a pink home/shop(?) LOL.

Anonymous said...

I too enjoyed The Help, it was a fun read.
I just read The Shadow of the Wind. It was a real page turner with really great storytelling.
Another one I loved this year that I reccomend to everyone is Prayers For Sale by Sandra Dallas. I loved the strong female voices. Completely different but reminded me of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan. It's a strange comparison but read it and see what you think

Erin said...

I think you'd like Quaker Summer by Lisa Samson. I've loved a lot of her books, actually.

Kris and Evie said...

I loved The Help, too. And like you, put aside many tasks to enjoy it. I just finished Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet -- loved it.

Kris

Unknown said...

Hi Amy! I'm always looking for worthwhile books. I'll have to check out The Help. I just completed Dear John by Nicolas Sparks and loved it. My sister is anxious for me to read True Colors because she just finished it and can't wait to have someone to talk to about it. So that would be my #1 recommendation right now.

Kristine said...

Loved The Help! I talked in a southern accent for days after reading it :) On my to read list:

Little Bee
The Girl Who Played with Fire

carolhammontree said...

If you haven't read GILEAD by Marianne Robinson, you must. Brilliant writing and wonderful story.

Thimbleanna said...

I LOVED The Help! You've received some great suggestions. Have you read The Guernsey Literary and Potatoe Peel Pie Society?

Gina said...

Ooohhhhh! Couldn't put it down. Had to stay up until 2:30 a.m. to finish and cried my little eyes out. I liked The Guernsey Literary etc, too. Also, a very good nonfiction book out now--The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Absolutely fascinating. Another page turner.

Angelica Bays, TygrLilies.blogspot.com said...

Loved, loved, loved that book!
Ho about ater for Elephants? read that yet?

Angelica Bays, TygrLilies.blogspot.com said...

LOL, "WATER for Elephants', I mean. ;o)

Lisa Super said...

I will have to pick that one up on my next book run. I recently finished "The Reliable Wife", and I liked it. I LOVED "Water For Elephants".

Amy M. said...

THE HELP was probably my favorite read of last year. I cried buckets!!!

I agree with your other readers. I think you would like any book by Sarah Addison Allen. Her latest is the GIRL WHO CHASED THE MOON. She is sort of a Southern Fiction crossed with Magical Realism writer. I also agree with your reader who recommended QUAKER SUMMER. It is a great Christian fiction book that doesn't feel like Christian fiction.

-Amy
Crafting by Candlelight

and

Life by Candlelight (my 7-year-old book blog)

Molly said...

You need to read The Crowning Glory of Calla Lilly Ponder, the character is so me!! Loved it!!
~~Molly P

Linda Jo said...

I'm having foot surgery on Thursday and The Help is waiting by the sofa for me to start!!! I am so excited!I've been trying to find time to read it and now I'll have plenty...I'll do as you said and savor it slowly. I highly recommend Snow Flower & The Secret Fan by Lisa See. It's in my Top 10. You would love it....and they actually do a round robin embroidery on one another's fans. Go get it now.

made-and-found said...

OMG-I love this book its so all consuming and I was loathe to put it down.It's soooo horible when you reach the end -it's lke saying goodbye to an old friend.Have you read the secret life of bees?Its fab too.Amne x

Cute Beams said...

It took me 2 months to read this book. I would only allow my self a few pages a day. I just wanted to savor it! What a great read! Glad you enjoyed it.

BJ Lantz said...

"The Help" is on my "pick up at the library when it is in" list. Looking forward to it.

The Time Traveler's Wife (Audrey Neffenegger) and her latest, Her Fearful Symmetry.

I'll second "A Reliable Wife" (can't recall author at the moment)

Drowning Ruth by Christine Shwarz

Just about anything written by Alice Hoffman

BJ Lantz said...

One more -

The Crimson Petal & the White by Michael Faber

One of the most well written books I've ever read. It is wicked thick, but I never wanted it to end.