Book Review | Book Chatter

Miss Hildreth Wore Brown
By Olivia deBelle Byrd
(Morgan James Publishing, Paperback, 9781600377488, May, 2010, 176pp.)

The Short of It:

If you don’t have any Southern friends, you’ll want some after reading this.

The Rest of It:

Is it possible to be a Southern Belle without having ever stepped foot in the South? No, I didn’t think so, but as I was reading, I saw so much of myself in what Ms. Byrd shared. Each story is short…sometimes VERY short, as in one or two pages long, but no matter how short, she injects humor and charm into each one. Anyone who loves all things Southern, will enjoy it and it’s short enough to pick up and enjoy at your leisure.

Some of the topics you’ll find in this collection:

The whole debate over wearing white after Labor Day (anyone in their right mind knows that it’s not done, ever!).
The importance of Chanel No 5, its cost and why you should never tell your husband how much you spend for it.
How having coffee at a coffee gathering is an absolute necessity and not up for discussion.
How Thank You cards have gone to the wayside and why they should make a comeback.

Although this is not typically a book I would have sought out on my own, I must say that I enjoyed it quite a bit. The Girl read some of it over my shoulder and although she’s only seven, she laughed at some of the sayings. Especially when I said them with my version of a Southern accent! I had to fix myself some sweet tea after reading it. It was good too!

So if you love everything Southern or know someone who does, this would be a great little book to pick up.

Source: Sent to me by the author.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Before I Fall
By Lauren Oliver
(HarperCollins, Hardcover, 9780061726804, March 2010, 480pp.)

The Short of It:

Absolutely riveting, from beginning to end.

The Rest of It:

After dying in a car accident, Samantha Kingston is forced to relive her last day a total of seven times. As repetitive as this sounds, each day is slightly different, and with her being a popular high school student, there are lots of choices to make. Some good, some bad and some with horrible consequences.

Realizing that I would be taken through her last day over and over again, I worried that it would be a bit like that movie Groundhog Day, where the main character was forced to repeat his day again and again (I really didn’t like that movie), but Oliver manages to keep it interesting. I could not put it down and sped through it in just a couple of sittings.

Samantha is a popular girl and runs with a fast crowd. There is a lot of drinking, and sex is THE big topic of discussion, but if you are able to put that aside, you’ll see Before I Fall for what it is, an absolutely riveting read about living life to its fullest.

Would I let my daughter read it? The Girl is only seven, but if she were thirteen or fourteen, I’d have no problem with her reading it. It brings up issues that teens face every day: underage drinking, sex, eating disorders, popularity and being different. I don’t think it hurts for young girls to think about these things. In fact, I think it helps them make better decisions in the long run. I think male readers would find value in reading it as well.

That said, once you start this book you will not be able to put it down and although it’s certainly geared towards young adults, older readers will find it just as readable. Highly recommend.

Source: Borrowed