All for Tori

It's been a long time since I stayed up into the middle of the night

on a school night to finish reading a book! And I don't regret one moment of my late night reading! Nicole Deese is a fantastic storyteller. She tells a story in a way that draws the reader in but doesn't make me feel as if I'm being slapped in the face with it. A part of me wants to call ALL FOR ANNA "simple," but this is not, by any means, a simple story. As I read Tori's story, I felt so connected to her personally. During the last sixteen years, especially the last ten, I have withdrawn into my own world of depression, guilt, and rage. I have avoided family and friends to the degree of missing holidays and family gatherings. Like Tori, I went to counseling and have clawed my way back to a place of joy and peace in God. I honestly cannot wait for Thanksgiving (and Christmas) this year even though the house is going to be packed full to overflowing with family and extended family. For the first time in years, the thought excites me rather than makes me want to run as far away in the opposite direction as possible. I love a story that "simply" states the realities of LIFE without making it overly sappy or sentimental. I felt Tori's pain, her guilt; I also felt her joy in coming back to her faith in the one true Lord and Savior. As a writer-wanna-be myself, I can only hope and pray that my stories are even half as wonderful as Nicole's.

Kristi's little book DREAM....A GUIDE TO GRIEVING GRACEFULLY is well worth the read.  I

have been reading everything I can get my hands on regarding overcoming grief and this one is one that will always stand out among my list of ones I'm glad I read.  Kristi shares from her heart.  Her compassion and desire to see those grieving come to a place of healing is demonstrated on every page in every word.  There is a lot of information that I have read in other texts on grieving, but Kristi has found a way to share that information that is unique, tender, and compassionate.  Thank you, Kristi, for sharing.  

Should I Stay or Should I Go....Choice

If I could, I would give Gayle Forman's book IF I STAY more than 5 little measly stars--so many more.  I stayed up late to read this book (it's 2:00 am) because I just couldn't put it down.  And I can't stop sobbing.  Mia's story is heart-rending, heart-touching, wonderful, terrible, amazing, awful, fantastic, horrific, and just plain and simply WELL WORTH READING.  Forman truly has captured this horrific story in all it's glory and gory detail in a manner that isn't off-putting--it draws the reader in and makes the reader CARE as well as understand Mia's choice and why her choice is truly a difficult one.

I could compare IF I STAY to Jodi Picoult's SING YOU HOME in that both stories show the wonder of music in our lives.

I could compare the love story in IF I STAY to John Green's love story in THE FAULT IN OUR STARS.

I could compare it to Alice Sebold's THE LOVELY BONES.  If I share the why, I might give away a part of the story that you need to read for yourself, so I won't say any more than that....for now.

I would NOT, as the cover of the book does, compare IF I STAY to the TWILIGHT saga.  Fans of TWILIGHT might enjoy this book, but the statement that is on the cover referring so specifically to fans of TWILIGHT infers that there are vampires in the story.  Clarification:  there are NO vampires in this story.  I guess maybe the quote on the cover is referring more to the comparison of the love story between Adam and Mia and Edward and Bella, but other than the fact that both couples fall in love HARD, I don't see any more to compare the two stories.

I wish I had had a soundtrack of the songs mentioned in the book to listen to as I read the book.  Apparently, though I found this out AFTER I finished reading the book, we can download the song playlist if we want from Forman's website: Playlist for IF I STAY

As I've finished the book and started to search for an image of the book to use in my blog, I have also learned that the book is being made into a movie that, according to IMDb, will be released in August of 2014.  Here's a link for the trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2agNeovUjr0

I can't say enough wonderful things about IF I STAY.  I want to talk to someone who has read it so we can cry together and share the powerful emotions that this book invokes.  I can't wait to read everything else written by Forman.

You will cry. That is a guarantee.

I would assume that it speaks volumes to know that I read THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green in less than four and a half hours....I have no words.  There are no words.  You simply have to read it for yourself.

Please, please, please, please read the book before you see the movie.  Please.