AKA: An Ingenious Excuse To Get Your Book Club Together More Often
For our Rebel Book Club this month my ladies and I have chosen, Water For Elephants. Yes, we know, the book originally came out in 2006 and many of us have already read it but we have an ulterior motive. In April, the movie Water For Elephants was released, based on the bestseller by Sara Gruen. When I brought up the idea of reading the book, seeing the movie together and then meeting later to discuss, well, the vote was almost unanimous. More girl time? Yes, please!
Hollywood doesn’t always do a book justice. In fact, I have friends who are adamant about never watching a movie based on a novel because the characters rarely live up to the images they’ve created in their minds. Although I can’t imagine anyone being disappointed with Vivian Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara. But I digress.
As excited as we are about watching Reese Witherspoon (a blonde Malena Lott look-alike) strut around in sequins and Robert Pattinson as a non blood-sucking Jacob Jankowski, we’re positively giddy about the movie premiere of another NY Times bestseller, The Help.
Shut the front door, you say? I will not. In case you haven’t heard, the brilliant debut novel by Kathryn Stockett comes to life in August. 
The novel, tied with Saving CeeCee Honeycutt as our favorite of 2010, is set in Mississippi in the 1960s. The story follows newly graduated college student, “Skeeter” Phelan as she sets out to give a voice to the black nannies and maids, the forgotten women of the south. With an A-list cast like Allison Janney, Cicely Tyson, Sissy Spacek and Octavia Spencer as the sassy Minny Jackson, I’m hopeful the movie will be as poignant and moving as the book. I’m taking tissues just in case. You can watch a trailer for The Help below.
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi809278745/
The books and movies alone are entertaining but when shared with a group of lit sisters they’re like Goobers and popcorn, absolutely delicious. I adore the ladies in my book club. Getting to see them twice in one month is a rarity. A delightful rarity.
I had the pleasure of meeting Beth Hoffman on her book tour for Saving CeeCee Honeycutt. During the audience Q&A,an excited reader asked if she had been approached for a movie deal. She has. Before you get all squeally like we did, Beth said no. . . for now. 
I understand why authors want to hold their novels close and protect them for awhile, but Beth, when you decide to let Hollywood have their way with your creation, we’ll be there to watch.
