'The Help' tells the story of black maids working for white families in the South during the Civil Rights movement.
Heading to the shore for the official last weekend of summer? Don’t forget to pack your sunscreen — and a great book. With the help of a few literature-loving celebrities, we selected four juicy reads. All are New York Times bestsellers that are available in paperback or ebook format, so they won’t take up much room in your tote.
Celeb: Trisha Yearwood
Beach Read: The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Putnam Adult, 2009)
Background: Set in the Deep South at the dawn of the Civil Rights movement in 1962, this riveting novel tells the story of three black women who work as maids for white families and the young writer who writes about them and the racism they face. Filming on the movie version starring Emma Stone, Cicely Tyson, Allison Janney, Bryce Dallas Howard and Sissy Spacek is now underway in Mississippi.
Celeb: Jane Leeves
Beach Read: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, 2009)
Background: The first book in Swedish author Larsson’s thriller trilogy introduces heroine Lisbeth Salander, an übertalented computer hacker who aids journalist Mikael Blomkvist in investigating a murder within a powerful, dysfunctional, secret-filled family. Its second screen adaptation (a Swedish version was released last year) starring Daniel Craig, Stellan Skarsgård and newcomer Rooney Mara as Lisbeth will hit theaters late next year.
Celeb: Judy Greer
Beach Read: Some Girls: My Life in a Harem by Jillian Lauren (Plume, 2010)
Background: How does a middle-class girl from suburban New Jersey wind up in the harem of a zillionaire prince? Greer’s book club ate up this juicy memoir about the 18 months Lauren spent in Borneo as a modern-day concubine in the service of Prince Jefri, the brother of the Sultan of Brunei. More than the titillating story of a party girl in a fantasy world, it’s also about a woman’s journey of self-discovery.
Celeb: Wendie Malick
Beach Read: Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin (Penguin Books, 2007)
Background: Subtitled One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace … One School at a Time, this true story follows Mortenson’s herculean efforts to build schools in isolated villages in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It’s an inspirational testament to what one person can accomplish with passion, determination, persistence and the will to make a difference in the world.
For more ideas, check out “The Best Beach Reads” in VIVmag’s July/August issue. And tell us: What’s the best book you’ve read this summer?
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