tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post7888830755488828640..comments2024-03-18T09:46:09.727-04:00Comments on Girlfriends Book Club: The One Book Everyone But Me Has ReadWriter Wenchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16730769794553260336noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-48513048986042598492012-01-15T21:32:30.011-05:002012-01-15T21:32:30.011-05:00Everyone I know loved it. I tried to read it. I ...Everyone I know loved it. I tried to read it. I DNF'd it.Turophilenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-85090651392361914132012-01-12T20:01:17.039-05:002012-01-12T20:01:17.039-05:00Thanks for the shout out, Sarah. You're the be...Thanks for the shout out, Sarah. You're the best! Q (aka Matthew Quick) PS - I have not read THE HELP either.Qhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15958311655398024484noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-65113630145214067752012-01-12T18:58:30.372-05:002012-01-12T18:58:30.372-05:00I read it, wasn't expecting much, and wound up...I read it, wasn't expecting much, and wound up *really* enjoying it!Lauren Baratz-Logstedhttp://www.laurenbaratzlogsted.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-40532733916589335312012-01-12T16:20:48.504-05:002012-01-12T16:20:48.504-05:00It's so fascinating to read the different reac...It's so fascinating to read the different reactions to this book - and to learn I'm not alone in putting off reading it! Thanks, everyone!sarah pekkanenhttp://www.sarahpekkanen.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-28711359535225217212012-01-12T16:19:23.783-05:002012-01-12T16:19:23.783-05:00I think it'll be the same way for me when I re...I think it'll be the same way for me when I read it, Marilyn. A lot of friends with similar reading tastes adored it.sarah pekkanenhttp://www.sarahpekkanen.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-13057963640842900692012-01-12T16:18:47.769-05:002012-01-12T16:18:47.769-05:00I swear I will... someday!I swear I will... someday!sarah pekkanenhttp://www.sarahpekkanen.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-25912548356502628082012-01-12T15:59:31.464-05:002012-01-12T15:59:31.464-05:00WHAT?? Unopened chocolate? Can you please provide ...WHAT?? Unopened chocolate? Can you please provide driving directions to your house asap. I'm just, um, curous.sarah pekkanenhttp://www.sarahpekkanen.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-75065603801718853382012-01-12T14:40:18.788-05:002012-01-12T14:40:18.788-05:00I haven't read it and I'm shying away from...I haven't read it and I'm shying away from doing so. I saw the movie. I suspect it will be like Eat, Pray, Love was for me: a dud. Didn't like that book at all, but found the movie to be reasonably interesting (at least the last two thirds of it).<br /><br />With all the comments I've seen about the writing style and use of dialect in the book, I'm afraid I won't like it at all, and that just might ruin my feelings about the movie which I loved.PatriciaWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04572087157439187319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-72399265750803067532012-01-12T13:48:38.600-05:002012-01-12T13:48:38.600-05:00I'm among those who haven't, and won't...I'm among those who haven't, and won't, read The Help--or see the movie. My reasons are strictly political, but I admire Stockett's connections and tenacity.Jacqueline Lucketthttp://www.jacquelineluckett.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-59640603067248881892012-01-12T12:06:09.923-05:002012-01-12T12:06:09.923-05:00I've got a TBR stack like the Leaning Tower of...I've got a TBR stack like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and I haven't read The Help either -- or many of the hyped books I've got in my collection. But then I've also got a large bar of extra dark Belgian chocolate with nuts, totally untouched, and an unopened pack of French roast coffee. I'm honing my willpower.Mary Witzlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06458299046574564155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-63110207937839190022012-01-12T11:57:58.854-05:002012-01-12T11:57:58.854-05:00i wanted to read "the help," but then i ...i wanted to read "the help," but then i decided to just see the movie, which i haven't done either. i am so behind on a lot of books from the past couple of years, including two by jodi picoult. <br />i agree about "the violets of march." my book club is going to discuss it next month! <br />i read "a pinch of love" when it was called "simply from scratch." it was a sweet story.Melissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06488832373580617482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-24991938866758011862012-01-12T09:16:49.177-05:002012-01-12T09:16:49.177-05:00Sarah, great post. I must confess to being taken i...Sarah, great post. I must confess to being taken in (completely) by The Help. I remember being a girl in Athens, Georgia and my brother almost got beat up for driving our maid home in the front seat of the car. Many of our friends had uniformed maids washing lettuce in their sinks, and I lived on Tara Way, next to Sen. Talmadge's exact replica of Gone With the Wind's Tara. My parents were active in the civil rights movement, and I lived in fear of being "found out," not just as a lib*&%l but also as a Catholic, which were number two on the KKK's list. When I despair now that we've not made progress, I think about that time and ask myself again. Maybe just a little, but slow and steady might just win the race.S. M. Curranhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11115275038465521768noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-65488278840772741742012-01-12T09:14:40.070-05:002012-01-12T09:14:40.070-05:00Sarah, you crack me up! But I know what you mean a...Sarah, you crack me up! But I know what you mean about hype and build up. Lucky for me, like Karin, I read The Help when it first came out. I had no idea it would be a best seller. The title stopped me cold in the bookstore and I had to see what the book was about so I bought it on a fluke. I loved every word of it. I hope you do too! The Violets of March is on my TBR pile (or rather my Kindle!) and I can't wait to get to it :)Maria Geracihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02296473703226019932noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-39155540206054917782012-01-12T09:00:03.076-05:002012-01-12T09:00:03.076-05:00Loved The Help. In fact, I was an early reader. Th...Loved The Help. In fact, I was an early reader. The book had just come out and made 22 on the NY Times List. I saw the author at a book festival and had her sign my book (a first edition). I was so wowed by the book I said to her, "I predict this book will climb to the top of the list and stay there for many weeks." I'd never been more certain about a book in my life. <br /><br />The movie, btw, made me cry and that's rare for me.Karin Gillespiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13526466399023966816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-8278083662529447512012-01-12T08:58:05.118-05:002012-01-12T08:58:05.118-05:00Thanks for this post ... I've read the book an...Thanks for this post ... I've read the book and seen the movie. Both were very entertaining. Being a Southern author, I've had as many rejections and admired Stockett's tenacity. I've had many discussions with African-American friends about the issues surrounding this novel, and these group discussions are always fun, enlightening and sometimes tense. But I was most interested in Alice Walker's (she's from Jackson Mississippi, where the book takes place and so am I) blog post thanks to friend Susan Cushman: http://alicewalkersgarden.com/2011/09/the-help/Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05746848980923855417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-16280334152133257272012-01-12T08:57:17.983-05:002012-01-12T08:57:17.983-05:00I read "The Help" before it went viral a...I read "The Help" before it went viral and I enjoyed it, but there have been a lot of other popular books (like Eat, Pray, Love) that I couldn't even finish because I disliked them so much. I guess I'm thankful that not everyone likes the same thing because then we have such a wonderful selection of different authors and books to choose from. I love picking up a book from an author that I've never heard of and completely falling in love with it to the point where I have to hunt down all of the author's previous books.kjramstackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06159351218324359096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-61951532686676109812012-01-12T08:47:23.734-05:002012-01-12T08:47:23.734-05:00Sarah, ha! I've totally done that before. I ...Sarah, ha! I've totally done that before. I actually read The Help and almost put it down because I couldn't decide if the dialect was racist or not. BUT I will say that I thought the second half of the book was better than the first (sorry, Judy! We must discuss this....), and I'm really happy I read it.<br /><br />Check it out-- it's always a good exercise to read the runaway hits and try to figure out why they took off they way they did.Brenda Janowitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02341902606434073240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-25030052817624735602012-01-12T08:08:58.569-05:002012-01-12T08:08:58.569-05:00Hey Sarah--It took me awhile to read it . . . and ...Hey Sarah--It took me awhile to read it . . . and I didn't love it--One of the "central" points/surprises I just didn't believe. I haven't seen the movie and probably won't. BUt, I too love that the author didn't give up in the face of rejection.<br /><br />By the by, I couldn't stand "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood" either . . . and I've never read any of the Harry Potter books. Or Twilight. Or . . .Judy Merrill Larsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06675069484490433295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-14391075582433300242012-01-12T07:07:48.758-05:002012-01-12T07:07:48.758-05:00Oh, I'm so glad I'm not alone! And very in...Oh, I'm so glad I'm not alone! And very interested to see that there are different opinions on it here!sarah pekkanenhttp://www.sarahpekkanen.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-5106705469088956842012-01-12T05:31:42.961-05:002012-01-12T05:31:42.961-05:00I do understand....so difficult reading a book tha...I do understand....so difficult reading a book that has been hyped and then worrying that we may expect too much from it.<br /><br />I read it when it first came to the UK before it got too popular. <br />carolCarol https://www.blogger.com/profile/14000600761469156146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-59122646656438164122012-01-12T04:07:37.866-05:002012-01-12T04:07:37.866-05:00You're not alone, Sarah. I haven't read Th...You're not alone, Sarah. I haven't read The Help either (or seen the movie). Not sure why--probably because I have a huge TBR stack waiting for me. :)Sara Rosetthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02963383062554754294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-85366439289982131892012-01-12T00:14:01.535-05:002012-01-12T00:14:01.535-05:00Had to buy "The Help" to see what all th...Had to buy "The Help" to see what all the fuss was about, but have to say I wasn't very enamored with it, but more power to the author for having such a big success!Wendy Tokunagahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03529294803049232598noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-30499599849144767142012-01-11T21:37:37.023-05:002012-01-11T21:37:37.023-05:00LOL, Sarah. I resisted it at first, too. It had be...LOL, Sarah. I resisted it at first, too. It had been getting a lot of buzz, but it was still early days when I bought my copy -- just a month after its release -- and even then there were about a thousand Amazon reviews for it! I wasn't sure I'd like it, but a friend's book club chose it for their next meeting and I'd been invited, so I figured I had to read at least some of it... I couldn't put it down. ;).Marilyn Branthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05303846770348840645noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2037419790609319671.post-23113275831363297292012-01-11T21:20:36.302-05:002012-01-11T21:20:36.302-05:00Sarah, I love this post...LOL. Ok, I read The Hel...Sarah, I love this post...LOL. Ok, I read The Help, before the hype, so no pressure. I feel the same way about a lot of other books. I have read both The Violets of March and The Bungalow by Sarah Jio, both beautiful! <br />My advice, read the book, it's worth the wait. XOAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11129662082248482002noreply@blogger.com