[dumbestgirlintheworld]

The Help
Starred Review. What perfect timing for this optimistic, uplifting debut novel (and maiden publication of Amy Einhorn's new imprint) set during the nascent civil rights movement in Jackson, Miss., where black women were trusted to raise white children but not to polish the household silver. Eugenia Skeeter Phelan is just home from college in 1962, and, anxious to become a writer, is advised to hone her chops by writing about what disturbs you. The budding social activist begins to collect the stories of the black women on whom the country club sets relies and mistrusts enlisting the help of Aibileen, a maid who's raised 17 children, and Aibileen's best friend Minny, who's found herself unemployed more than a few times after mouthing off to her white employers. The book Skeeter puts together based on their stories is scathing and shocking, bringing pride and hope to the black community, while giving Skeeter the courage to break down her personal boundaries and pursue her dreams. Assured and layered, full of heart and history, this one has bestseller written all over it. (Feb.)

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime
Christopher Boone, the autistic 15-year-old narrator of this revelatory novel, relaxes by groaning and doing math problems in his head, eats red-but not yellow or brown-foods and screams when he is touched. Strange as he may seem, other people are far more of a conundrum to him, for he lacks the intuitive "theory of mind" by which most of us sense what's going on in other people's heads. When his neighbor's poodle is killed and Christopher is falsely accused of the crime, he decides that he will take a page from Sherlock Holmes (one of his favorite characters) and track down the killer. As the mystery leads him to the secrets of his parents' broken marriage and then into an odyssey to find his place in the world, he must fall back on deductive logic to navigate the emotional complexities of a social world that remains a closed book to him. In the hands of first-time novelist Haddon, Christopher is a fascinating case study and, above all, a sympathetic boy: not closed off, as the stereotype would have it, but too open-overwhelmed by sensations, bereft of the filters through which normal people screen their surroundings. Christopher can only make sense of the chaos of stimuli by imposing arbitrary patterns ("4 yellow cars in a row made it a Black Day, which is a day when I don't speak to anyone and sit on my own reading books and don't eat my lunch and Take No Risks"). His literal-minded observations make for a kind of poetic sensibility and a poignant evocation of character. Though Christopher insists, "This will not be a funny book. I cannot tell jokes because I do not understand them," the novel brims with touching, ironic humor. The result is an eye-opening work in a unique and compelling literary voice.

Farenheit 451
In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury's classic, frightening vision of the future, firemen don't put out fires--they start them in order to burn books. Bradbury's vividly painted society holds up the appearance of happiness as the highest goal--a place where trivial information is good, and knowledge and ideas are bad. Fire Captain Beatty explains it this way, "Give the people contests they win by remembering the words to more popular songs.... Don't give them slippery stuff like philosophy or sociology to tie things up with. That way lies melancholy."
Guy Montag is a book-burning fireman undergoing a crisis of faith. His wife spends all day with her television "family," imploring Montag to work harder so that they can afford a fourth TV wall. Their dull, empty life sharply contrasts with that of his next-door neighbor Clarisse, a young girl thrilled by the ideas in books, and more interested in what she can see in the world around her than in the mindless chatter of the tube. When Clarisse disappears mysteriously, Montag is moved to make some changes, and starts hiding books in his home. Eventually, his wife turns him in, and he must answer the call to burn his secret cache of books. After fleeing to avoid arrest, Montag winds up joining an outlaw band of scholars who keep the contents of books in their heads, waiting for the time society will once again need the wisdom of literature.
Bradbury--the author of more than 500 short stories, novels, plays, and poems, including The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man--is the winner of many awards, including the Grand Master Award from the Science Fiction Writers of America. Readers ages 13 to 93 will be swept up in the harrowing suspense of Fahrenheit 451, and no doubt will join the hordes of Bradbury fans worldwide.

[MrsB]

I voted! I voted for the middle one. It sounds really interesting, and I have an autistic cousin.

I have read the other two, and they were wonderful. The first one is one you don't want to end.

[dumbestgirlintheworld]

MrsB, on 25 August 2010 - 12:09 PM, said:

I voted! I voted for the middle one. It sounds really interesting, and I have an autistic cousin.

I have read the other two, and they were wonderful. The first one is one you don't want to end.

The help is really popular. If we find that too many folks have already read it, I can edit the poll with another option.

[xxx]

dumbestgirlintheworld, on 25 August 2010 - 12:21 PM, said:

The help is really popular. If we find that too many folks have already read it, I can edit the poll with another option.

I voted for The Help, and either of the first two would be great to me.

[RaidersRock]

I'll stick to my romance novels

[The General]

How about " The girl that played with fire" by Stieg Larson.

[Super Girl]

I loved The Help. Farenheit 451 is in my to be read pile, my husband tells me it's really good. I thought The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime really sucked. I wanted to like it so much, but it was so awful that I didn't even make it to 100 pages. Life's to short to read bad books!

This post has been edited by Super Girl: 25 August 2010 - 04:24 PM

[dumbestgirlintheworld]

The General, on 25 August 2010 - 02:38 PM, said:

How about " The girl that played with fire" by Stieg Larson.

I've read all 3...my favorite book of all time!!!!

[Monkeytail]

I voted for Fahrenheit 451. One of my absolute favorite books!

[MrsB]

dumbestgirlintheworld, on 25 August 2010 - 05:11 PM, said:

I've read all 3...my favorite book of all time!!!!

All three of those are great. I absolutely love them. I was sad to finish the last one, knowing there will be no more written soley by Stieg Larsson (sp?). I did read that he had a 4th in the series nearly completed when he died, and that his "wife" may finish and publish it. I think that his family is fighting for his estate, however.

[dumbestgirlintheworld]

It looks like The Help will be the first book.

Who all is in for reading? I may even be willing to host a book club meeting at the house at the end of September, if people really participate.

[NewsJunky]

Monkeytail, on 25 August 2010 - 05:15 PM, said:

I voted for Fahrenheit 451. One of my absolute favorite books!

Mine too! I vote for this one!

[dumbestgirlintheworld]

I'm going to leave it open until NOON tomorrow...but, we should go with the majority that's going to PARTICIPATE!

[NewsJunky]

dumbestgirlintheworld, on 25 August 2010 - 08:38 PM, said:

I'm going to leave it open until NOON tomorrow...but, we should go with the majority that's going to PARTICIPATE!

Sorry! I won't be participating so I will delete my vote.

[NC-17]

pick better books.

someone else is already trying to lure me away into their rival book club.

[dumbestgirlintheworld]

I called dibbs. Traitor. Do you have suggestins?

[NC-17]

devil in a red kilt.

This post has been edited by NC-17: 25 August 2010 - 09:36 PM

[NC-17]

also, i want someone to read a confederacy of dunces, so we can discuss it.

also the dewayne series by larry mcmurtry.

[thebookworm]

We are meeting Sept. 16th at the store to discuss The Help. Anyone is welcome to attend, just PM an RSVP, email or call the store if interested in our meeting. Not wanting to step on toes, we already had it scheduled.