Jodi is Beautiful

My dear friend and former fellow performer, Dave, always aspired to be a great director.  He even wrote, directed and starred in many of his own short features, some of which won several awards at various film festivals across the country.  All his friends, including me, had no problem believing that Dave would fulfill his dream and one day we'd all sit in a movie theater and see his name up on the screen as the credits rolled.

Then, just a little while later, Dave went to see the movie, "Life is Beautiful."  This is the amazing, award-winning film written, directed, and brilliantly acted by Italian artist Roberto Benigni.  If you haven't yet seen "Life is Beautiful," you really must do yourself an enormous favor and rent it immediately. It's funny, romantic, and heartbreakingly tragic, all in one two hour movie!

Dave thought so, too.  In fact, Dave was so moved by all the elements of "Life is Beautiful" that he said it made him want to stop directing altogether.  He said he could never produce anything as beautifully moving as this film, and instead of inspiring him, it made him want to permanently remove his director's cap in respect.  I confess I couldn't fully comprehend Dave's perspective initially.  The movie was awesome, why didn't it INSPIRE him to do as well, instead of the alternative? Until...

I read my first Jodi Picoult novel.  Upon finishing it, I closed the book, dialed Dave's number and when he answered, I simply stated, "I completely get it!" Jodi Picoult is such a tremendous author, and produces such incredible work, she makes me want to quit writing. There's no way I could ever write so eloquently. Have you ever read one of her books?  Don't, she'll ruin you for LIFE (I'm kidding, of course.  You must rush out this very MINUTE and read her entire, vast library!).

Jodi's books are thoughtful, well-written, thoroughly researched stories that are impossible to put down.  Her characters are always deliciously multi-dimensional.  There is no clear black and white in her tales, she makes you feel empathy for bad guys and hatred of good guys.  Her stories take you everywhere from Amish farms to maximum security prisons, and each location is so impeccably described, you swear there is absolutely no way Jodi didn't grow up in that very place.  Until you read the NEXT book, and the setting is a completely DIFFERENT location, and you think the same thing!

Much to my intense delight, even though each of her novels must require a great deal of research and "delving" into the topic at hand, Jodi still somehow manages to produce a new book every year.  HOW does she do this, you ask?  Well, I can honestly say I HAVE NO EARTHLY IDEA!!!  The woman is clearly a freak!!

I was under the impression that the only authors who publish a book a year are those that write "cookie-cutter" trashy or Harlequin Romance-esque novels.  Hers are neither, but I'm SO glad she is such a machine!  The minute I finish her latest book, I immediately crave the next.

WHY am I telling you all of this?  Well, here's the deal.  Jodi's new book, House Rules, hits the bookshelves TOMORROW (squeee!!). Unbelievably, my local Border's Bookstore is NOT opening at midnight for this monumental event, so I will NOT be able to purchase my copy at the earliest possible minute.  But, I WILL be knocking over the manager as he unlocks said doors an excruciating nine hours later.

I'm telling you this because there's a very good chance that once I purchase my new treasure, I will be off line for a day or so while I DEVOUR Ms. Picoult's latest offering (OK, so I'll be checking in from time to time to see if I have any new comments or followers!).  And there's also a REALLY good chance that when I DO return, I'm going to be really, really depressed that: A.) I've finished the book and have to wait a WHOLE year for the next one to be written, and B.) I will NEVER be worthy enough to shine this woman's writing quill, let alone aspire to someday tell a story like her!

So, in conclusion, I'll probably be a big, hot mess next time I'm here, consider yourself  forewarned!  In the meantime, please feel free to look around my place, read some old posts, and make a comment or two if you like.  You can even use the pretty guest towels, and sit on the good furniture!  Hey, why don't you go pick up a copy of  "Life is Beautiful" while I'm gone?  Dave and I think you'll be glad you did!!

Thanks for Reading!