Book Review: The Help

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I would give this book ten stars if I could. I haven't read something that grabbed my attention and held it for over 500 pages (and just over 48 hours straight) in a really long time. I knew going in that I would love it, given its similarities to "The Secret Life of Bees" and "To Kill a Mockingbird" (which is referenced several times in the text). I highly, highly recommend it to anyone -- not just those interested in reading about civil rights or the race riots of the 60s, but anyone who likes reading about intense and unique characters.

Book Review: Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her

Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her by Melanie Rehak

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Fascinating for anyone interested in questions of authorship and the varying identity of characters in the hands of different writers. Not the highest-quality non-fiction writing I've ever seen, but very well-researched. I enjoyed the descriptions of each decade's opportunities for and restrictions on American women just as much as the details of Nancy Drew's history.