Rosie

Rosie by Anne Lamott is a mother-daughter tale that illustrates the struggles and joys of young, single motherhood. Elizabeth and her daughter, Rosie, live near San Francisco. Elizabeth is a beautiful widow who is beginning to realize that she drinks too much and distances herself from others. Rosie is an energetic four-year-old wise beyond her years. Elizabeth and Rosie need each other in more ways than one, and their story is loving, tender, and sometimes even heartbreaking. Read this book if you like mother-daughter stories, if you like chick flicks that aren't trash, or if you enjoy a story that you can relate to. I give it an 8 out of 10.

The Secret Life of Bees

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd is Lily's story. She is a fourteen-year-old girl growing up in 1950s South Carolina with no mother, a mean father, and a terrible guilt riding on her shoulders. When Rosaleen, her black nanny, finds herself in jail, Lily finds a way to free them both while searching for answers about her mother. Their search lands them on a beekeeping farm run by three sisters - August, June, and May. The sisters teach Lily more than she could have imagined including the mystery of the Black Mary, Jesus' mother. Lily knows she can never be the same, and neither will you. Read this book if you love strong women, if you like stories infused with a sense of time and place, or if you've heard about the filming and you want to read the book first. I give it a 9 out of 10.

Seven Daughters and Seven Sons

Seven Daughters and Seven Sons by Barbara Cohen and Bahija Lovejoy is a retelling of a classic Iraqi folktale passed down orally since the eleventh century. The story is about Buran, the daughter of a poor merchant who was "cursed" with having seven daughters. Buran's rich uncle, however, was blessed with having seven sons which means that they are able to go out into the world and successfully bring income back to the family. Buran decides to help her own family by disguising herself as a man and launching on a trip to become a successful merchant. While Buran predicted that she would be absolutely successful in business, she could not have guessed that she would fall in love. However many risks Buran has taken in her life to help her family, she is unwilling to risk losing her friend who could become her lover, so she returns to her family. Read this book if you're interested in classic folktales, if you like fairy tale elements, or if you're interested in Middle Eastern Culture. I give it an 8 out of 10.

Practical Magic

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman is the story of two sisters, Sally and Gillian Owen, who couldn't be more different. When the girls' parents die, the girls must move in with their strange aunts who live in a large, creepy house and meddle in the love lives of women in the town. Sally and Gillian grow up being taunted by the other children in the town for being strange and weird. Everything that goes wrong is always blamed on the Owens' girls. When they get older, spirited and carefree Gillian runs off with a man while practical and sensible Sally stays behind to raise a family. When Sally's husband dies, she takes her two daughters (also very different from each other) to New York in order to allow them to live a normal life. When something terribly wrong happens to her sister, everything that Sally has worked for in New York might be at risk. I picked up this book, because I loved the film so much. I would have to say that the film was better (for once) and the changing of verb tense in the book drove me a little insane (maybe just cause I'm an English major). All-in-all a fun, quick read. Read this book if you like magical realism, if you like stories about sisters, or if you're interested in a quick, fun read. I give it a 6.5 out of 10.

The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur

The Translator by Daoud Hari is the memoir of a translator for reporters traveling into Darfur. From Darfur himself, and a member of the same people that are being slaughtered in the genocide there, Hari experienced the destruction of his own village. Hari hauntingly describes the way people are being slaughtered simply because of who they are. Being educated and speaking three languages, Hari decided to become a translator and used his skills to help many people spread the story of what continues to happen in our world...the thoughtless slaughtering of innocent human beings. Hari's ultimate plea is to open your heart and do what you can to help, beginning with writing your government officials. Read this book if you're interested in world events, if you enjoy reading memoirs, or if you want to learn more about this horrible atrocity that is taking place right now. I give it a 10 out of 10.

Everlost

Everlost by Neal Shusterman is a young adult novel about Nick and Allie, two teenagers who have died and found themselves in the mysterious land of Everlost. Everlost exists on the earth where they once lived, but there are strange rules that they must learn and live by. For example, if they stay in one place for too long, gravity will pull them to the center of the earth. Nick and Allie begin an adventure into this unknown world where nothing is quite what it seems. Read this book if you like science fiction, if you're interested in young adult literature, or if you want to go on an interesting adventure with complex characters. I give it a 7.5 out of 10.

Memoirs of a Geisha

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden is the beautiful story of the life of a Japanese geisha, Sayuri. As the narrator of her own story, Sayuri shares her story as leads to the life of a geisha including all of the hardships, hopes, and happiness that can come along with that life. Sayuri's words are beautiful as she describes how she became a geisha, what it means to be a geisha, and what being a geisha has led her to. What is most surprising about this book is that the author is male and American but that he writes so vividly and accurately through the eyes of a woman in another time and place. In the end, you know Sayuri so well that you are rooting for her so profoundly that you almost wish she could hear your words of advice. Read this book if you want to learn about Japanese culture, if you like books that make you think, or if you love character studies. I give it a 9.5 out of 10.