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More Twists and Turns from Jodi Picoult

Today we have something special in store for you, a guest blogger named Deidre! And because today is audio book review day, Deidre has chosen to review an audio book she has recently listened to. Let’s find out what this avid audio book listener has to say!

Posted by our guest blogger, Deidre.

As a Jodi Picoult fan, I was excited to listen to her latest audio book, Sing You Home. The story is about a married couple who get divorced.The wife eventually remarries and wants to use her previously frozen embryos to have a child with her new wife. Yes, you read that correctly. As you can imagine her now born again Christian ex-husband, isn’t pleased about this idea and files a lawsuit to take possession of the embryos.

If you’re a fan of Picoult’s work, you know that she has a very distinct style of writing books with controversial subjects that are written to make you think critically about the subject at hand. While I definitely didn’t agree with or even like all the characters, which I think is partially why Jodi writes such polar opposite characters, it was interesting to see how they progressed and developed throughout the book.

Another thing I like about this audio book is the narration. For anyone who has read physical copies of Jodi’s books, you’ll know that different chapters are typed in a different font to signify a different narrator. In the audio book, there are actually different people narrating the parts of the story from the different characters’ perspective. Having different people narrate accordingly was a really nice feature of this audio book. I’ve also never listened to an audio book that had songs in it. Since the main character is a music therapist, it makes sense, and it’s a nice change of pace.

My favourite part of this book though, was the ending. Jodi takes you on twists and turns throughout the story and you won’t believe it unless you hear it for yourself. Happy Listening!

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Something Borrowed – To See The Movie Or Not To See?

Although I love seeing my favorite characters in books on the big screen, I’m not so sure about the new Something Borrowed movie. Originally written by Emily Giffin I have heard that there are some obvious contrasts between the book and the movie. I enjoyed the book and seeing the characters grow in Something Blue but Kate Hudson playing the role of Darcy? This makes me wonder.

I find that there are always so many important details within a book that are removed in the movie. This is why I always tend to read the book before seeing the movie. But this is probably why I am left disappointed.

Nonetheless, the overall storyline usually stays intact….unless you’ve read and watched My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult. What happened there? They completely changed the ending of the movie? How do films get away with that? As a huge fan of Picoult I was furious. I do not want this to happen again.

That being said, for those who have read Something Borrowed and have watched the film currently in theatres, what did you think? To see or not to see?

For those of you who haven’t read the book (get the audio book here), the story is a complex narrative about a friendship between two women, Darcy and Rachel. Having been best friends since 5th grade, the story opens up with Rachel turning 30. And of course, nothing is what she imagined when she was young. Rachel is the brainy, plain one, whereas Darcy is the one who gets everything she wants, she is beautiful, charismatic and always the life of the party. But one night, Rachel sleeps with Darcy’s fiancé.

At this point, you have no choice, but to continue reading as you are sucked in instantly in the first chapter. And the best part, guess who is Darcy’s Maid of Honor?!

Overall, this was a fun and light hearted read that would be perfect for a great day at the beach. So if you haven’t read it yet, this is a great time to do it. But I’m still not so sure about the movie….

Thoughts? What did you think of the film verses the book?

Just a quick post to let you know the movie version of Jodi Picoult‘s My Sisters Keeper is coming out in just over two weeks and to give you links to watch the trailer (which, actually looks kind of good).

HOWEVER, (yes, I yelled it, you know, for emphasis), the movie version has a different ending from the one Picoult penned in the actual novel.  Which seems odd, considering that the ending Picoult DID write has “one of the great shocker endings of recent fiction” (USA Today).

Picoult said “Having the ending changed would certainly not have been my choice. I wrote the ending very intentionally because I wanted to leave the reader with a certain message. And changing that ending changes that message. However, I am excited to see the movie and to judge it on its strengths.”

Picoult recently posted on her site that she has since seen the movie. “I had the chance to see the movie when I was on tour in LA. Yes – it ends differently from the book. And yes, you’re still going to like it.The acting is phenomenal; the movie is beautifully shot; and I highly recommend investing in Kleenex before you go”

So, though Picoult is giving the movie the proverbial thumbs up,  you need to read the book too. 1) Because it’s good. 2) To pay homage to the author and the real story as she wrote it. 3) I said so.  And really, reason #3 is reason enough.

Change of Heart is best-selling author Jodi Picoult‘s 15th novel and is up for an Audie in the Fiction category. The hardcover version debuted at #1 on the NY Times bestseller list when it came out in March last year.

I’ve read a few of Picoult’s novels, and have enjoyed all of them. This one doesn’t sound like it will disappoint either:

“It’s about a death row inmate, Shay Bourne, an uneducated, marginal man who’s been convicted of a double homicide, who decides that to redeem himself, he must donate his heart post-execution to the sister of his victim – a little girl who needs a heart transplant.”

But, serious matters aside (it is Friday, afterall), perusing Picoult’s site earlier, I found a few things that made me fall in love with her a little. 1) She has 2 donkeys.  2) She has worn the letters off of two consecutive computer keyboards. 3) She listens to Aimee Mann and Wilco. 4) She laughs out loud at Bill Bryson‘s books.  5) The first book she ever read and loved was Where The Wild Things Are. 6) In 2007, she wrote 5 issues of the Wonder Woman comic.

So Jodi, for these 6 reasons, and of course, your writing, I wish you the best at The Audies in May. Me and your donkeys are rooting for you.

See a full list of Jodi Picoult’s audio books here.