What I Read: April

Here are some more simple reviews of what I read last month:

I needed a quick, fun read and Sparkly Green Earrings: Catching the Light at Every Turn by Melanie Shankle fit the bill for me. She is a popular blogger, and this book is her memoir of motherhood. It's filled with lots of little cute stories, and had me laughing out loud a few times.

I decided to re-read The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I read it once a few years ago, and I have watched the movie a bazillion times. Well, a lot anyways. :) I love the movie, it's one of my favorites. It's set in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960s and tells the story of women that come together to write a book about the experiences of colored women who work for white families. Each chapter in the book takes turns being voiced from each of these women's perspective. There is one quote from the book that stands out to me..."Wasn't that the point of the book? For women to realize, We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought." That is the essence of this story, and that's why I like it. The book has a few crude parts, I am a sensitive reader and am pretty picky in what I choose, so I'm mentioning them here in my review. But I still enjoyed reading this book. I will say though, in this instance I think I actually like the movie more than the book.

I read Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain for a book group. This book discusses in general the personality type of extroverts verses introverts and brings up the point of how introverts have become undervalued in our society. It goes on to illustrate the qualities introverts have and the contributions they make. She includes a lot of research and case studies, which I found very fascinating. I liked reading this book. Sometimes personality books can get a little too detailed or analytical for me, but I didn't feel that when reading this. I don't consider myself an introvert, but there are many people in my life who are (my husband for example) and I gained a lot of new insights while also having some things reaffirmed. One overall idea from this book that I loved is that you can succeed in life while staying true to the person you are.

The BFG by Roald Dahl is one of the books I read with my eight-year-old.  I have read other Roald Dahl books, but I had not ever read this one, believe it or not. We both enjoyed this story about a little girl that meets a giant who refuses to eat people like all the other giants, and how they team up to capture the giants and save other humans from being eaten. A fun read, especially for kids.

So, have you read any of these books? Any other favorites you have read lately?