Hot Seat Question #3

Welcome to the Hot Seat! Each week, I give you a situation to ponder. Some will be silly (this is me, afterall). Some will be serious. Some will be though-provoking (but not many... I mean come on. You know I can only go so deep). I am going to give you several possible responses and you can choose one, or of course, leave your own. It's just a fun little social experiment and a way for us all to get to know each other.

Now, here is your third scenario:

You and your 13 year old daughter are attending the high school football game. You notice a large group of girls harrassing another girl in the stands. They are calling her names, pushing her and pulling her hair. The abused girl is just hanging her head in shame. You want to say something. Your daughter begs you not to. She says the mean girls will just turn their attention on her from now on. You want to step in and help the poor girl, but how can you throw your own child into the line of fire?

What do you do?

a. Stand up, cup your hands around your mouth and scream, "Hey you little witches! Leave that girl alone and go back to lookin' skanky over by the boy's locker room where you belong."

b. Look around you and ask that someone else steps in . It's not your problem, but you do feel for the girl. You're not about to make your child a target. Maybe someone else will do it for you.

c. Approach the young girl being tormented and ask if she wants to sit with you and your daughter. Mean girls be damned.. you will teach your child to be compassionate.

d. Everyone gets picked on some time in their lives. It's a rite of passage. It will toughen the girl up in the long run.

Also, check out HOT SEAT QUESTION#1 AND QUESTION #2

#18 American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld

I recommended this book to our book group, Girls with Books, because I had heard so much hype about it. It was touted as a "fictional account of Laura Bush's life". Curtis Sittenfeld had taken certain real aspects of the former first lady's life and created a novel around them, including a horrific accident that occured in her teen years and her marriage to a very controversial president. The rest is said to be pure fiction. But that's kind of hard to swallow. As I read the book, it felt like a autobiography. I had to keep reminding myself that this is not Laura Bush narrating the story, but the imagined character of Alice Blackwell. I could feel myself, at times, commiserating with the real Laura Bush and at other times, hating her. But the book is not about Laura Bush! Such a hard concept to wrap my head around and to be honest, I am still struggling with that. Sittenfeld wrote a very controversial book, in any case.

When I turned the last page, I thought.. "I hate this book." And then a few minutes later, I felt I loved it. I struggled with my personal opinions of the Bush presidency affecting my opinion. Once I was able to put my political views aside and look at the book for what it was, fiction, I decided that I really enjoyed it. When you allow yourself to remember that is not about the real Bush family, and it is not about politics, but about a fictional woman's life and choices,it becomes a great book. Alice Blackwell felt very real, and her story was interesting to me. I did not understand or agree with many of her actions, or better yet, her refusal to act, but she was intriguing.

If you are able to set aside your political views and see the book as a work of fiction, I think you will enjoy it. Curtis Sittenfeld is a an amazing author. If you have not read her previous books, Prep and The Man of My Dreams, you are missing out. They are not as controversial, but just as well written.

New Book Blog....

Cammie at Life in the House of No Sleep and I have started a new book blog! We will be posting book reviews and recommendations, new release alerts, and book discussions! I would love to get a monthly group read going eventually too. I am still going to post my book reviews here as well.

Do you love books? Do you want to be a contributer?? Email me if you want to be a contributer!

The new blog is called Girls with Books. Check us out... and remember we are in our very first stages and construction is ongoing!! Come to the site and become a follower to be notified when we really get going!!