Little Women

Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy are four sisters growing up in America after the Civil War. The novel, 'Little Women', by Louisa May Alcott, is the story of the sisters growing from adolescence into adulthood. Meg is the oldest. She is proper, somewhat vain, a wonderful actress, and dreams of marrying for love and becoming a mother. Jo, the second oldest, is the outspoken tomboy. Jo is unconventional, wild, a dreamer and a writer. Her ambitions are ahead of her time, especially for women. Beth is the third daughter. She is quiet, shy, pensive, and the mediator of the sisters. Everyone she meets feel drawn to her quiet temperament and can't help but love her. She is an animal lover and an exceptional musician. Amy is the youngest. Her dream is to become a famous artist and to travel the world. She has set her sights on marrying for money and leaving her poverty-stricken world behind. Each sister carries with them very different views of the world they live in, but their love for one another is a bond that cannot be broken. 

'Little Women' is a charming, lovely novel. It makes you a part of the story from the beginning and you can't help but feel invested in the lives of these remarkable women. It is beautiful in its simplicity, its morals, and its heart warming tales and adventures of four very different sisters. I started this novel a few years back but never finished it. I am so glad I picked it up again when I had more time to really devout to it. It is an intriguing book and a classic for a reason. 

Go Set a Watchman

'How to Kill a Mockingbird', by Harper Lee, is one of my very, very favorite books, so when I heard that Lee's second book, 'Go Set a Watchman' was published, I was completely ecstatic and could not wait to get my hands on it! Well, I just finished it and I absolutely loved it! It definitely was not what I was expecting it to be, the ending completely threw me for a loop, but I devoured this book. Harper Lee is the Jane Austen of her time- she is able to handle social indecencies with humor and class. The book takes place when  Jean Louise (Scout) is 26 years old and returns home for the summer to visit Atticus. She is living in NYC, going to school, and every time she visits home more and more things change from how she remembered them as a child. She also begins to get an outsiders perspective on her little town, and comes to realize that it may not live up to her childlike fantasies. Scout is growing up, becoming an adult, and with that, she is gaining the ability to think and see things for herself.  My favorite parts of the book were the times when Lee flashed back to Scout and Jem's childhood, giving us even more of their shenanigans- it had me laughing out loud. I, of course, would highly recommend this book!

To Kill A Mockingbird

I just finished the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee for the third time in my life, and I'm telling you, this book never gets old! It is one of the great American classics that everyone needs to experience at least once. Scout is growing up in the South when racial tensions are high and her father is assigned to be the lawyer defending a black man who is accused of raping a white girl. Although this book suggests a serious plot Harper Lee tales the story from a witty and sometimes even comical tone of voice. You can't help but love Scout with all of her crazy antics. This is a page turner and amazing writing. If you haven't read it then I highly recommend doing so at least once in your lifetime. Or at least watch the movie anyway.