Monthly Archives: July 2013

Fightest by Taylor Griggs

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From Crux today …

Jackie Lea Sommers's avatarCrux Literary Journal

When Fightest first went to live with the Rochelles, the quiet almost drove her mad.  For Fightest, sixteen years in the city had made the sirens, traffic, and street fights sound like a lullaby, and when it was replaced by the quiet hum of the window AC unit and the sound of the June bugs careening into the porch light, her pulse skyrocketed.  She would have snuck out if not for the aforementioned air conditioner plugging up the window.

And, of course, for Lou, who was sleeping beside her, though she had her own room next door.

“Please don’t mess things up this time,” Lou had begged from Fightest’s doorway that night. She was standing in the doorway wearing pajamas, a pair of old gym shorts and a tiny tanktop without a bra.

“Put some clothes on,” Fightest hissed.  “What if Mr. Rochelle sees you walking around like a…

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Book-to-Movie Adaptations!

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme over at The Broke and the Bookish.  Today’s topic is

TOP TEN BEST/WORST MOVIE ADAPTATIONS.

However, I’m changing it a little.  Below are my TOP FIVE MOVIE ADAPTATIONS and my TOP FIVE PLEASE-GOD-LET-THEM-BE-AMAZING MOVIE ADAPTATIONS.

MY FAVORITES:

5. Where the Red Fern Grows | Classic!!

4. Anne of Green Gables | Megan Follows is Anne Shirley to me.

3. Prisoner of Azkaban | The first Potter movie to really hit the nail on the head.

2. Deathly Hallows 1 & 2 | Cinematic dreams.  I had so much fun at the midnight showings of these!

1. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe | A well-done adaptation of a favorite book.

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MY PLEASE-GOD-LET-THEM-BE AMAZING ADAPTATIONS:

5. The Magician’s Nephew | To my knowledge, this one has not yet been confirmed.  But I NEED it.

4. The Night Circus | This is going to be a sensory masterpiece.  David Heyman is producing!

3. The Book Thief | Released on my 32nd birthday!!

2. The Fault in Our Stars | Nervous about the casting choices for this, but trying to have faith.

1. Jellicoe Road | This is currently the most important adaptation to me.  It basically ALL hinges on whom they cast for Jonah Griggs.

What are your favorites and soon-to-be-favorites?

A Metaphor for Obsessive-Compulsives

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A new friend came over to my apartment the other week, and we got to talking about Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy, and I shared a metaphor with her that I’d like to share with you now.

We put out fires, but what we need to do is shoot the arsonist.

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The problem with attempting to “solve” an OC’s obsession is that, as soon as it’s solved, a new obsession will take its place.  In that way, you’re only putting out fires, not dealing with the root issue, which is an inability to handle uncertainty.  For years and years, I watched my obsessions hop from one thing to the next.  My compulsions– and even my talk therapy sometimes– were shortsightedly stamping out the flames in one corner of my mind while OCD set a new fire in another corner.

How can you possibly manage to keep up that way?  It’s not sustainable.

That’s why I agree with so many of the OCD experts in this country that the best way to fight OCD is with Exposure and Response Prevention therapy.  ERP is so very different from most standard therapies.  In it, obsessive-compulsives are exposed to a trigger that prompts in them deep anxiety; then they are not allowed to respond with an anxiety-easing compulsion.  Instead, they are forced to sit in that discomfort.  Doing this repeatedly actually re-wires the obsessive-compulsive’s brain in a way that they learn to live with uncertainty and their quality of life improves dramatically.

It’s been four years since I turned my attention from the bonfires to the disorder that was setting them.

It’s been a good four years.

Wendy Darling

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WENDY DARLING

You know it would have never worked.

Still, you remember his wild eyes
the night he showed you London
in a way you’d never seen.

The stars meant things to him,
especially the second to the right.

And you wanted him to love you
enough to leave, but you didn’t
love him enough
to stay.

The ground feels cold—
but solid—
beneath your quiet feet.

Wendy and Peter

 

The Truth About Rule-Keeping: It Doesn’t Bring Life.

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Freedom2

 

I was an obsessive-compulsive in bondage to rule-keeping– but freedom came through Christ.  People get this wrong all the time.  Christianity is not about what you do or don’t do– it’s about what Christ did.

Also from Galatians 3, emphasis mine:

And that means that anyone who tries to live by his own effort, independent of God, is doomed to failure. Scripture backs this up: “Utterly cursed is every person who fails to carry out every detail written in the Book of the law.”

The obvious impossibility of carrying out such a moral program should make it plain that no one can sustain a relationship with God that way. The person who lives in right relationship with God does it by embracing what God arranges for him. Doing things for God is the opposite of entering into what God does for you. Habakkuk had it right: “The person who believes God, is set right by God—and that’s the real life.” Rule-keeping does not naturally evolve into living by faith, but only perpetuates itself in more and more rule-keeping, a fact observed in Scripture: “The one who does these things [rule-keeping] continues to live by them.”

And from Galatians 5:

Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.

I am emphatic about this. The moment any one of you submits to circumcision* or any other rule-keeping system, at that same moment Christ’s hard-won gift of freedom is squandered. I repeat my warning: The person who accepts the ways of circumcision trades all the advantages of the free life in Christ for the obligations of the slave life of the law.

I suspect you would never intend this, but this is what happens. When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love.

Rule-keeping is impossible, and so many obsessive-compulsives know that– but can’t seem to quit trying.  Grace is the name of the game now, not laws.

*For those of you unfamiliar with the way the author is using this, he is referring to it as a rule-keeping, religious obligation.

Music & Me

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I’m a guest blogger today at Hardcovers and Heroines!  To read my thoughts on the incredible value of a local writing group, click here!

Random 5 Friday is a weekly meme over at A Rural Journal.

Today I want to tell you about my relationship with music.

1. I was voted “Most Musical” of my senior class because I was a hardcore band nerd and played trumpet from 5th grade till graduation.  I wanted to play the drums but wasn’t allowed because I am missing the very tips of two of my fingers on my left hand.  (Surprise!)  But I think all along I had more of a brass heart. 🙂

I knew everyone would want to see, so I'm posting this pic of my left hand. I took about one million shots, but no matter what my hand looked chubby. I am, indeed, that pale, however. :-)

I knew everyone would want to see, so I’m posting this pic of my left hand. I took about one million shots, but no matter what, my hand looked chubby. I am, indeed, that pale, however. 🙂

2. I get wildly addicted songs and can listen to them on repeat for months.

3. Jazz band was my favorite to play in, but I was always terrified of improv jazz solos.  (We OCs don’t like uncertainty, ha!)

4. When I’m writing a particular scene, I often create a playlist to match the mood of the scene.  Creating the playlist usually takes longer than the writing.  Doh!

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5. I really like to write to lyrics-less soundtrack music since it’s not as distracting.  I particularly enjoy Nicholas Hooper, Alexandre Desplat, and Harry Gregson-Williams.

Jackie’s Favorite YA Books

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Ahhh, YA lit!  So near and dear to my heart!  There are so many books I could recommend, but let’s start with these:

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
This book is seriously one of the best-written young adult books I have ever read.  In my life.  Period.  I love so many things about this book: the language, the characters, the structure, the humor.  It gets a 10 out of 10 from me.
Must-read: anyone who loves YA or a clever, quirky romance that is not at all cliche

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
Okay, I suppose I should just be upfront and say that everything Melina Marchetta writes is fantastic.  She’s definitely my favorite YA author right now.  Saving Francesca is about Frankie Spinelli the year she and a handful of other girls (none of them her friends) begin attending a previously all-boys school.  She’s trying to navigate a school of boys who don’t want the girls there, girls she doesn’t want to become friends with, and her mother’s mental breakdown.  The characters are incredible.
Must-read: anyone who loves character-driven stories, fans of nerdy-but-hot Italian boys (i.e. the Will Trombal Experience/Extravaganza)
Bonus: this book has a sequel– The Piper’s Son— set five years down the road!

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
TIME’s 2012 book of the year!  This YA book will make you laugh and cry and think.  It’s a cancer book– but not one of those cancer books.
Must-read: people who love YA, philosophy, and incredible characters

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
Prior to the start of this book, Lennie’s sister Bailey has died unexpectedly.  Now Lennie is trying to navigate her grief all while falling in love for the first time.  This book is full of Lennie’s short poems, and they– along with the rest of the novel– are startling beautiful.
Must-read: people who are aching for a literary-quality YA novel, anyone with a beloved sister

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
A Printz honor book narrated by Death himself, this is “just a small story really, about, among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist fighter, and quite a lot of thievery.”  I love books that are about the joy of words– and it’s even better when you mix in unforgettable characters and gorgeous writing full of incredible imagery.
Must-read: YA lovers, people who love words, anyone interested in Nazi Germany and the Holocaust

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
The story of Puck and Sean, both set to ride the bloodthirsty water horses in the Scorpio Races.  I’m not sure I’ve read anything quite like this before; it is laced with an incredible raw savagery, making it an instant favorite for me.
Must-read: anyone who loves horses, readers ready for wild, tribal-drum-pounding YA

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
This is the very first book that made me cry.  The classic book of a boy and his two hunting dogs.
Must-read: animal lovers, anyone who loves a tear-jerker

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
A delicious tale of first love between the two titular characters, the writing in this book has an outstanding and unique voice.  I love the characters of Eleanor and Park, and I love the way that Rowell can make your brain about explode when they hold each other’s hand.
Must-read: fans of the contemporary genre, readers who love great imagery, quirky characters, and a sweet romance

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Like so many others, the hype around this series intimidated me into not reading them for years.  I’m so glad that I finally did!  This is one of my favorite series– seven separate stories that really tell just one about a boy wizard fighting against evil.
Must-read: fans of epic fantasy, anyone who wants to have their mind blown by creativity

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
A story about a homeschooler joining public school for the first time, this book is full of quirkiness and whimsy.  A brilliant novel about being different.
Must-read: misfits, anyone who loves a misfit
Bonus: This book also has a sequel!

Also, here a couple middle grade (MG) suggestions!

Bridge to Terabithia by Kathleen Patterson
The story of two young friends who create their own make-believe world.  This book is a classic, and unless you have a heart made of cement and broken glass, you will cry.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
I can’t say too much about this story because I don’t want to give anything away, but it is brilliant, one of those books that ties up all loose ends so perfectly in such a satsifying way.  I highly recommend this book– I read it when I was 30 and loved it!  Great voice.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis|
These are classics!  I seriously cannot get enough of them– I read them over and over and over and love them every single time.  I am just finishing up the series for the first time this year, and– no joke– after book 7 is over, I will start again on book 1.

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
Classic tale of a pet pig and his spider friend who is trying to save him from slaughter.  Lovely.

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