A Time to Kill by John Grisham

2 summers ago John and I randomly watched the last half of A Time to Kill on TBS in a hotel room in Denver.  I loved the story and really wanted to watch the entire movie.  Then, last summer Sycamore Row by John Grisham was chosen as a book to read for book club.  I loved the book, the characters, and John Grisham’s writing style.  I got sucked in to the story in a way that any good book should do.  I knew at that point that I could really become a fan of John Grisham if I just read more books.  

My book club decided to read A Time To Kill.  One of the regulars of the club highly recommended John Grisham and I knew that I really liked the general story line.  So we decided to read it.  Oh my goodness it was SO good.  The movie is excellent.  But the book is even better!  I loved this book.  It hit on a lot of hot topic issues of the 1980’s South.  And, in light of recent events, hot topic issues today.  It really gets you thinking about how you would react to a very sensitive situation. 

In A Time to Kill, Carl Lee Hailey kills 2 men that have been charged, and admitted to, raping and beating Carl Lee’s 10 year old daughter.  Before the 2 men even go to trial Carl Lee hides in a utility closet of the courthouse and shoots them with an M-16 as they walk past him.  In the process of shooting these men he also shoots a deputy who ends up losing his leg as a result.  Carl Lee at no point denies the fact that he plotted to and did kill these men.  The entire city was outraged by the rape, but now they don’t know how to react to Carl Lee taking the law into his own hands and killing the men responsible for raping and beating his daughter.

On top of it all, Carl Lee is a black man who killed 2 white men in a VERY Southern town in Mississippi.  There are many racists in this town.  There is a very slim chance of Carl Lee getting a fair trial for no other reason than he is black and most of the county is white.  This is where Jake Brigance, Carl Lee’s lawyer, comes in.  He has to figure out a way for Carl Lee to get a fair trial, all while dealing with death threats towards himself, his family, and his employees.  Jake has to come up with a way to defend Carl Lee effectively when Carl Lee at no point wants to deny the fact that he did indeed kill these men.

The story that Grisham tells of Jake’s struggles to defend Carl Lee when all odds are against him is so intriguing.   I couldn’t put the book down (except when I had to because a customer walked in to work. . . work really gets in the way sometimes J ).  I HIGHLY recommend this book to pretty much anyone.  Grisham does use the “n” word a LOT, but it is all in context of the setting of the book.  At the time and place the book was set, a LOT of people used it and didn’t see anything wrong with it.  If you are offended by it, I would not read this because it is pretty prevalent from page 1.  Other than that it is a GREAT book that everyone should read.  While the book is a bit dated (written in 1989, set in the early 80’s as well)  I think the overall issues the book presents are still relevant in society today.  Would Carl Lee have even gone to trial if he were white?  Should he have taken the law into his own hands?  Should he face the death penalty?  What would you do if your daughter got raped and beat by 2 men, causing her to not be able to have children, especially since these men confessed to their crime?  These are the questions that Grisham makes you ask yourself as you are reading his story.

I would also recommend watching the movie.  It stars Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock, Samuel L Jackson, and Kevin Spacey, just to name a few.  Here is a trailer: 

I am officially a fan of Grisham. I actually went to DI (the local thrift store) and bought pretty much every Grisham book I found.  I am obsessed.  I just hope he doesn’t disappoint me from here on out.

Next up for book club is Ender’s Shadow.  I’ve had this sitting on my bookshelf for a few years now and am excited for an excuse to read it.  I am also reading a book that I borrowed from my little brother: Wings of Fire.  I have to finish it soon because he wants it back to reread.  Also, I am FINALLY almost done rereading Harry Potter.  As usual Netflix got in the way (Pretty Little Liars is ADDICTING).  I started reading them BEFORE my trip to Florida in MARCH!  And I am now almost done with book 6.  Seriously I don’t know why it has taken me this long except for Netflix.  Typically when I reread them I finish in like a week.  Oh well, I own them all so it’s not like I need to be in a hurry to finish them.

Happy Reading!

~Tara

Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson and some ramblings about Harry Potter

I am still playing catch up on some books I’ve read since Christmas.  I don’t know if I will ever catch up, but I’m going to try my best.  The past month or so I’ve been rereading Harry Potter, which I don’t think I need to do a post about, so that should help me catch up.

So here’s another book I REALLY loved:  Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson.  I borrowed this book from my mom at Christmas.  I think I read it in something like 2 days.  It was SO good.

it took me a LONG time to realize what the cover was actually a picture of. It kind of freaked me out a bit when I did, but I got over it.  Yup I scare easily.  Just ask any of my closest friends and family.  They will agree. :)

Christine Lucas suffers from amnesia after an accident.  Her memory completely resets when she goes to sleep. She lives with her husband, a teacher, who takes care of her so that she doesn’t have to live if a facility. She is seeing a doctor who is trying to help her recover her memory.  The doctor encourages her to write in a journal and calls her every day to remind her who he is and to read the journal. Slowly Christine starts to remember bits and pieces of her life with the help of her doctor and eventually her old friend Claire.  Her journal, in which she writes everything she remembers from her past, causes her to start to question the reality she thinks she knows.

I can’t really say much more than that about the book without giving away some major spoilers.  Trust me, this book is intense.  I couldn’t put it down.  There are some plot twists, especially towards the end, that really throw you for a loop.  My only complaint about this book is that it just kind of ends on a somewhat depressing note. I think Watson could have elaborated a little more on the outcome of the novel, especially since it is so good!

Apparently they made a movie based on this book.  The movie trailer looks a lot more intense than the novel actually is.   

I mean, it looks WAY intense, almost like a “scary” movie.  And I don’t watch “scary” movies.  Maybe I will watch this now that I know what the story actually is.  But we’ll see.  I have learned that I respond a lot better to movies based off of books when I watch the movie first.  This way I’m not saying things like “that’s not how it’s supposed to go!” or “Wow, they completely left this very critical part of the story out of the movie!”  So maybe watching the movie now will ruin it for me.  I actually watched The Da Vinci Code while on vacation last week.  The entire time I was saying that.  I’m pretty sure I was driving John crazy.  He kept telling me to appreciate the movie for what it is.  But hey, if they are going to base a movie off the book they better get the crucial details right!

Anyways I think I am almost caught up on my blogging (at least for this blog).  Like I said I’ve been reading Harry Potter over again to get prepared for my trip to Universal Studios.  I really don’t feel it is necessary to blog about those books.  Most people know the basic plot line and I obviously like them if I am reading them again.  And by again I mean for like the 320495773820485372954729034 time.  Ok, maybe not THAT many times, but I read the complete series every time a new book or movie came out, plus I was reading them every summer even if a new book/movie hadn’t been released.  It’s been a couple years since I have read them, but I still think I’ve read the complete series at least 6 or 7 times, if not more.  So I guess we can count this as my blog about Harry Potter.  They are great books. I remember staying up well past a reasonable bed time hour reading them.  I still cry reading the books and watching the movies.  They are brilliant and timeless and I will probably continue to read them until the day I die.  

With that being said, it’s on to the next book.  My book club has chosen The Colour of Magic for our April meetup.  For personal reading I am kind of in a weird place.  I’ve started reading a couple of different books but nothing has really grabbed me lately.  I think I might need to hit up the bookstore and try to find something that sounds interesting.  Until then I get to finish the Harry Potter series.  J

Happy reading!

~Tara

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

I remember when The Da Vinci Code came out in theaters.  It was 2006.  I was dating someone that shall remain nameless. We REALLY liked kissing. . . I mean we were just in high school.  So we went to the movies and “watched” The Da Vinci Code.  It was the middle of the day and the movie had been out for awhile, so the theater wasn’t that busy.  Let’s just say I don’t remember much of what happened during the movie.  Wink wink.  Yup I was one of THOSE high school kids.  But really who wasn’t?  I can’t think of a single person that would say kissing isn’t fun. And when you are young and “in love” you want to be kissing your boyfriend ALL THE TIME.  But I digress.  This post isn’t about making out with my high school boyfriend during a movie.  It’s about the book that movie was based off of.  

I read Angels and Demons earlier in 2014, which I never posted about.  I really enjoyed it so I decided to read The Da Vinci Code.  I’m sure most of you have either read the book or seen the movie.  I’m just WAY behind the times.  If not, here’s a brief summary.

Robert Langdon is a symbologist that works at Harvard.  While out on a business trip in Paris, he is called in to help with a murder case.  A well known and respected Louvre Museum curator is found murdered with his body posed as the Vitruvian Man.  Langdon, along with Sophie Neveu, a cryptologist, work to figure out who is behind the murders.  This is made difficult because some of the police believe Langdon is actually responsible for the murder.  While trying to uncover who killed the curator, Langdon and Neveu find themselves on a journey to also find the Holy Grail.

This isn’t the BEST summary of the book, but it is hard to give a summary without giving away so many important details.  This book really leaves readers on the edge of their seats.  Even though I “saw” the movie before reading the book, I didn’t remember all of the details that really make this an excellent book.   It was definitely a page turner.  Again this isn’t the type of book I would normally pick up on my own.  I knew that the movie had intrigued me a bit (obviously not more than my boyfriend though ;) ) but had forgotten about it amongst all of my other books. John’s dad is a Dan Brown fan, and after reading another book John’s dad liked (Timeline), I decided to give Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code a try.  I’m really glad I did.  If you haven’t read it, GO READ IT NOW.  I’m glad I decided to read it instead of taking the easy way out and just watching the movie.  But now I want to go back and see what I missed J.

Here’s a trailer for the movie.  Yes it does feature Tom Hanks and Gandalf.  And yes I do refer to that actor as Gandalf and not his actual name.  Ian whose-it. . . haha.

I’m really enjoying branching out and reading books I wouldn’t normally pick up.  It’s opening a whole new world to me, which I am really enjoying.   Yes there are more posts to come, probably later today.  It’s a slow day at work after all.

The Martian by Andy Weir

Wow it’s been a while since I’ve posted about my latest readings. . . Whoops!  Don’t worry, I have been reading.  And reading a lot for that matter.  First off, let’s talk about my book club reading of The Martian by Andy Weir.  

The Martian is about an astronaut, Mark Watney, who gets stranded on Mars after a wind storm forces his team to evacuate. With no way to communicate with his team or NASA back on earth, Mark has to rely on his brains and his sense of humor to survive until a rescue mission can be arranged.  Initially, both his team and NASA thought Mark dead, but after telescope pictures captured Mark and his temporary home, they all do whatever they can to help Mark survive.  Eventually communication is set up and Mark is able to work with NASA to arrange for his rescue.  With many bumps along the way, Mark’s rescue and survival is put into question. Readers are left on the edge of their seat until the very end of the book.

I didn’t think I was going to enjoy this book.  It is definitely not something I would EVER pick up on my own.  Man am I glad we chose this book though!  I really loved it.  Even though I didn’t understand every little detail of his survival (it is pretty Science-based) I was able to enjoy it.  Andy Weir is very good at making even the most complex, science-y scenarios relatable for all.  The sense of humor Weir gave Mark really makes the book.  If Mark had been given any other personality I think the book would have been boring and hard to read.  Because Mark was able to make jokes and make the most of his horrible situation, the book was enjoyable and fun. 

Good news for me and anyone else that has read and loved this book. They are turning it into a movie, set to release November of this year.  While typically I like books way better than movies, I think seeing how Hollywood portrays Mars and the different scenarios Mark finds himself in will be very interesting.  I’m definitely going to see this, maybe even with the book club.  Bonus, Matt Damon is playing Mark Watney.  Man  do I love me some Matt Damon J  There are actually some other big names set to play in the movie.  Check it out on IMDB.

There are more posts to come!  I’ve read a decent amount of books since the last time I posted.

Until next time,

Tara

The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly

I finished this book!!  It took me a lot longer than it should have to finish this, especially since I really liked it.  As I have previously said, I had a bad habit of leaving this book at work over the weekend and choosing Netflix over reading.  But this book deserved more than that.  I actually finished it about a week and a half ago, but life gets really busy right before Christmas and I'm just getting the chance to blog about it.

The Little Women Letters is about the descendents of Jo from Little Women.  I don't know if I have said it recently, but Little Women is my favorite book of all time. And Jo is my favorite character in Little Women.  I found The Little Women Letters in the bargain rack of Barnes and Noble and figured a book about the descendents of Jo March would be worth my time. 

The book is about 3 sisters, Emma, Lulu, and Sophie.  They live in England with their American born mother (a direct descendant of Jo) and their English born father.  The sisters are pretty typical sisters (at least in my opinion, having 2 sisters of my own).  One day at Sunday brunch, Fee, the mother, asks Lulu to look in the attic for some family recipes.  Lulu never finds the recipes, but instead stumbles across letters written between the March sisters.  Donnelly uses these letters as a framework for the rest of the novel.

A bit about the characters.  Emma is the oldest sister. She is in the middle of planning her wedding. She has a bit of a brush with celebrity and struggles to balance her life with a desire to have a few of the "finer" things in life.  Her experiences are very similar to Meg's in The Little Women.

Lulu, the middle sister, is struggling to find her place in the world. She hasn't found the love of her life like Emma has and hasn't found something she is passionate about like her little sister Sophie.  She relates to Jo in a lot of ways.

Sophie, the youngest, is an aspiring actress.  She desires to be on the stages of London.  She is the "pretty" one of the family, much like Amy.

One thing that I wasn't sure of before reading this book but really ended up loving was the letters themselves.  I didn't know if Donnelly would be able to capture the essence of Louisa May Alcott's writing to get the right feel of the letters.  Donnelly actually does a great job, making it seem like Alcott almost left behind a secret stash of letters to be used at a later date to expand on the story of the March sisters.  One of my favorite aspects of this story was the fact that Jo wrote letters to Beth after Beth passed away.  One of the reasons why I have always loved Jo is because she writes to express her feelings.  It just made sense to me that Jo would continue to write letters to Beth after Beth has left this world.

This book was excellent.  I'm glad I decided to take a chance and pick up this book.  I tend to shy away from novels that are written as a continuation of novels written by other authors because it is hard for me to believe that the essence of the original book will carry on.  I think the reason this novel worked so well is because it wasn't written specifically about the March sisters but about their descendants.  Donnelly was able to capture what Alcott captured so many years ago: the relationship of sisters.  That relationship is the same now as it was a hundred years ago.