"The Help" by Kathryn Stockett

I just finished reading "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett and loved it!  It is the first book published by this author and I love the way she writes.  I heard that this is going to be made into a movie very soon and it is easy to see why.  

This book takes place in the early 1960's and was written as if from the point of view of three different women, one, Miss Skeeter, is a white woman who feels more out of place with the friends she grew up with that she would in a completely new place, two, Aibileen, a black woman who has accepted what she thinks is her place in life and that she is growing old and just can't change things and three, Minny, a younger black woman who thinks that change must be coming for the south.  "The Help" is set in the times of segregation when Martin Luther King, Jr. goes on his famous march and change is definitely taking place throughout the country.
I loved how well I got to know the three main characters and to see how close they grew and how many of the people in Jackson, Mississippi had intertwining stories in ways you didn't necessarily see coming.  Of course, since I know that this is going to be made into a movie I tried to picture who I thought would be perfect for the characters, here's what I think:

Miss Skeeter - Maggie Gyllenhaal
Aibileen - Oprah Winfrey
Minny - Monique
Leroy - Cuba Gooding, Jr.
Constantine - Holly Berry
Elizabeth Leefolt - Kirsten Dunst
Hilly Holbrook - Anna Kendrick
Stuart Witworth - Ryan Phillippe
Celia Foote - Scarlet Johannsen

Read it for yourself and see what you think!  It's a fast book and you won't want to put it down.

Gaylyn's Designs on Etsy!

I've now set up my shop on Etsy, and just posted my first four items for sale.  My shop is called Gaylyn's Designs, of course and I specialize in sewn, knitted and crocheted pieces.

My first items are drawstring bags and zipper pouches.  I use drawstring bags while knitting and crocheting my other projects.  They are nice because they protect your work and they are easy to identify pick up and take-along anywhere.  I use my zipper pouches for taking along my craft notions, such as scissors, needles, stitch markers, tape measure and all.  This way my crafting tools are always handy!  I love the cute fabrics that help me remember which project is in which.

These can also make great reusable gift bags.  Those who receive them can use them for travel or their own crafting!

Check out my shop, I will be posting more for sale in the coming weeks!

"South of Broad" by Pat Conroy

I just finished "South of Broad," the first book I've read by Pat Conroy.  I loved it!  It takes place in Charleston, SC, hence the name, referring to Broad Street in the city itself.  I chose this book because we were taking a trip to Charleston this past month and reading a book referring to many of the places there made me feel like I knew the city already myself.  


This was a sweeping novel that takes place over a 20 year time period starting in the summer of 1969.  You come to know a group of misfit high school seniors as told from the perspective of one of them, Leo King.  Leo is an endearing every man type of character that allows all readers to relate to him and see how he can have such varying relationships with his group of very close friends.  This story involves many story-lines crucial to time itself, ie racial integration and the AIDS epidemic.  The story itself ends in the summer of 1989 when Hurricane Hugo ravaged Charleston and it becomes a key part of the novel. 


I would highly recommend this book, I can guarantee you will be hooked within the first few pages and it has many twists and turns which you won't even see coming.  You will get to know the characters so well it will be a story you don't want to end.  I think I've found a new favorite author!