Friday Finds - Book Worm

I don't know about you all, but I'm starting to feel the lazy summer months drawing to a close and the rush of the holiday season rapidly approaching. And while I absolutely love fall and the holidays, I find, starting in September, I have less and less time to indulge in the little "me time" things that are so essential to my sanity. 

For me, "me time" generally consists of just about anything where I can have a book in my hand. Pool, beach, couch, car (obviously when I'm not driving), coffee shop....it really doesn't matter.  And so, I thought that, as you hopefully embark on those last summer vacations, I'd share with you some great reads that I've come across this summer that you can hopefully lose yourself in as you relax before the the madness begins...

Usually I avoid those "Must Read" books that everyone else is talking about, mainly because I'm contrary and don't like other people telling me what to do....but, nine times out of ten, once I get over my stubbornness and break down and read those "Must Reads" I love them...go figure right? Well The Help by Kathryn Stockett was no different. I sat down and read this book, all 451 pages of it, in three hours one night. 

Set in Mississippi in 1962, this book, narrated by three different women, focuses on what happens when the Civil Rights Movement begins to infiltrate a small Southern town steeped in the tradition of racism and sexism. Alternatively heart breaking and hilarious, it's an extremely interesting fictional look into what it was like to be a woman, black or white, in the South in the 1960's. This was by far, my favorite book I read all summer!

I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley is a hilarious compilation of essays that explores the challenges of being a twenty-something woman. Crosely covers everything from hiding her childhood toys under the sink to the perils of moving in NYC to the crappiness of entry level jobs to being a bridesmaid for a less-than-good friend. Witty and honest, Cake is totally relateable no matter what age you are.

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah follows two women as they embark on a friendship that spans 30 years and weathers love, loss, and betrayals in only the way true friendship can. The interesting thing about this novel is that neither of the main characters is particularly likeable. Instead of creating a hero and a villain, Hannah instead writes two characters that are startlingly human with their faults and foibles that you will find yourself alternating between wanting to hug or smack upside the head.

Happy reading ya'll!!!