A Reflection on Reading and Coping

I have been open about the fact that I have been struggling with being sick, since before this blog was ever created. Part of the reason that I started this blog is that I needed not only an outlet talk to, but I had to transition from being whole to being cracked with an illness that was out of my control. Since I woke up in the most intense pain of my life, it has been over seven year and I can't remember what it was like to be pain free or healthy.
Reading helped me a lot, because I made decisions at sixteen that some people will never have to make. It made the darkness that cloaked me into a tiny ethereal aspect of my life. The reason that this post if being written is the If I Stay trailer came out and I can remember that time that I picked up that book. I was so afraid. I dropped out of high school in October 2008, because my migraines and pain were too much. Most of my body was stressed, which caused more pain to come. I was also starting the year long process of Physical Therapy to learn how to walk again.
I remember begging my mom to take me to Barnes and Noble to get Willow and If I Stay and both were not there. Luckily we went to the Liberty Bay Books and they had it. I devoured it in one sitting and Mia's pain took me away from the reality that I was facing. It allowed me to think about how I was isolating myself, because of the pain that I thought that I earned for not being a better person. Books have a power to bring me back to the moment of reading on the old fake leather couch that my mom gave away ages ago. I remember the tears as I turned the pages and how I slowly fell in love with Adam from Mia's point of view.
Now I don't think about the pain, but the words that I read and the places that they took me. Reading still helps me cope, even though the pain has become more of a dull reminder that I'm imperfect and I don't always feel as strong physically as I am mentally, but I am. This is just a long post to remind me that books stick with me and so that I can post the trailer.

Let me know what you think of the trailer in the comments, if you can type through the tears.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

Source: Publisher
It's been three years since the devastating accident ... three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.
Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Julliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other.
Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.
If I Stay was such a remarkable book, because while the idea was simple. It was developed in such a stunning way that it makes you think about what you would choose. I was so excited for Where She Went when I heard about it. Gayle Forman has such a remarkable way with words and that is part of the reason that I was so excited. The other being that I love these characters. Mia reminded me so much of myself and it was amazing to see how different she was three years later. Adam was amazing. I could feel how heartbroken he was after Mia left him and also found insight into the haunting lyrics that began each chapter. The chapters alternate between the past and the present of Adam and Mia. The glimpse into what happened made me keep on guessing what exactly went wrong. Though their chemistry shines through out the book, and I couldn't question how much they cared for each other. The writing was so raw and emotional that I felt it the whole time. I couldn't stop crying and laughing at times. Where She Went has the same gripping necessitous that If I Stay had. I couldn't stop reading this book.I highly suggest that you read this book as soon as possible. It is a must for anyone that loved If I Stay.

Stop #5- Where She Went tour

I really enjoyed If I Stay and am really excited to be a part of the Where She Went teaser tour. I am sure that you will have a strong desire to read Where She Went after this tour is over.

Attention If I Stay fans: If you will recall, in If I Stay, Adam’s band Shooting Star was up-and-coming. Before the accident, this was a source of tension with Mia, who was trying to decide whether or not to go to Juilliard or to stay with Adam. The accident changed all that and their musical careers seemed like the least of their concerns by the end of the book. If you’ve been wondering what happened to their musical plans, the wait is almost over: New York Times bestselling author Gayle Forman has written a sequel to If I Stay. It’s called Where She Went, and it comes out April 2011, but right now she’s doing a teaser tour to give If I Stay fans the scoop on what they can expect from Mia and Adam’s new chapter.

Teaser Number 5:
5. Did we mention that Adam’s band, Shooting Star, is huge now, and Adam’s a rock star? Well, they are. We are talking national phenomenon huge. Lady Gaga if Lady Gaga-rocked-it-like-Nirvana-huge. Multi-platinum, multi-Grammy huge. And Adam is the front man. The lead man. The one everyone wants. The one who shot the band to superstardom. And if you think this has made Adam happy, you are very wrong.

Penguin is also awesome enough to offer a signed paperback cover of If I Stay to one lucky winner. Just leave a comment with your email, a song that it your current obsession and live in the United States.

Preorder your copy of Where She Went here!
Go and visit the other Where She Went Teaser Tour Stops:
August 19: Persnickety Snark
August 20: Hope’s Bookshelf
August 23: Bookworming in the 21st Century
August 24: The Story Siren
August 25: Sarah’s Random Musings
August 26: The Compulsive Reader
August 27: The Book Scout
August 30: Frenetic Reader
August 31: Book Chic
September 1: Presenting Lenore