The Comedians Wife

The Comedians Wife
If it's good luck when it rains on your wedding day, what does it mean if a hurricane blows through?

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

"Little Bee"-Our Book Club pick of the month!



In an attempt to make myself feel smarter, and improve the quality of my brain, I decided to start a book club.  To be perfectly honest, I really just wanted an excuse to have my friends over and drink wine.  What ended up happening, was a Oprah ah ha moment. Reading is AMAZING!  Who knew!  I have truly been engrossed in the last two books we’ve read and can't wait to keep going. My inner nerd is on it's way out.


Two months ago if you would have told me a book would replace my hour with  “The housewives of New Jersey.”  I would have told you to go take a hike.  (After all, it is the most exciting hour on television, well since the Jersey Shore.) But now,  now I can’t  seem to put my books down.  I plow through them like the September issue of Vogue.  I can’t get enough.  I have been moved to tears, brought to an audible laughter alone in my bed, and in our latest book, “Little Bee”, by Chris Cleave, inspired to actually look up words I do not know the meaning of. Then try and use them in a sentence.    Usually I just skip over the foreign words  I don't understand and make my own  words up  to fit in the unfamiliar spot.

In the past two months I have become a 50 year old black maid in the heart of Jackson, Mississippi, circa 1962, thanks to   “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett.  And now, a 16-year-old Nigerian girl, in what has to be one of the most special books I have ever read, “Little Bee”, by Chris Cleave. 

The phrase “Never judge a book by its cover,” rings true in this book.  It’s pretty book jacket, and sweet title are deceiving to say the least. Without giving too much away, the story revolves around a 16-year-old Nigerian girl, who is both captivating and inspirational. Her name is Little Bee.   Little Bee’s life is entangled, by accident, with the life of another woman, Sarah.  Sarah has just had something terrible happen to her, and is grappling to keep her self together and her head above water.  Sarah and Little Bee knew each other briefly under an unspeakable circumstance that lingers through out the book.  The awareness that something horrific has happened is present, and holds onto you during the book.  This horrific scene doesn’t actually take place till much later in the story, therefore I felt myself reading this book, white knuckled, with one eye open, terrified to find out if what I was thinking happened, happened!  It’s brilliant!  I wish I could remember one of the big words I had to look up right now. Brilliant doesn't do it justice.   

On the softer side of this book, is a character named Charlie, who is Sarah’s three-year-old son.  He refuses to take off his Batman costume and will not respond if you call him Charlie.  He is Batman! Or as Charlie puts it, “I is Batman.”  I loved everything about him.
My own superhero!


To end this blog I would like to say how very aware I am, that this is no New York Times review, and I am certainly no New York Times reviewer.  Let’s face it, I thought, “Confessions of a Shopaholic,” was riveting and the “Twilight” series should win a Pulitzer.  "Little Bee" though, "Little Bee," is captivating and I would highly recommend it to everyone! All 19 of my followers!


Get to reading people. It's awesome.

(If your face is swollen from the severe beatings of life, smile and pretend to me a fat man.----Nigerian proverb)


Oh and the picture posted is what I will be bringing to book club tonight. After each book we all bring something to the group (food or drink related) inspired by the book!


Because I had no idea what Nigerian food really was I went with Batman Cookies!

1 comment:

  1. I am intrigued. I shall be checking this book out. BTW, I love the batman cookies!

    ReplyDelete