Hello folks- I hope you are beginning the last section in The Opposite of Everyone readalong- hosted by Deep South Magazine. For a full schedule- visit Deep South Magazine (and mark your calendars for March 18th- we Twitter chat with Joshilyn at 2pmEST #southernlit.)
Erin’s notes of part 2 of The Opposite of Everyone are incredibly detailed- so please excuse my notes 🙂
As Erin and I have been emailing each other back and forth about thoughts on The Opposite of Everyone (she’s finished the book and I’m keeping pace with the discussion notes)- I admitted that a Joshilyn Jackson book is not an easy read for me. A flurry of emails were sent back and forth after this admission (and I’m worried that my Southern Lit card will be taken away from me) but I’m going to attempt to explain my thoughts:
Joshilyn does not shy away from hard topics or topics that make you think (like religion) and when I read her books, I feel that I’m being opened to new ideas on topics- and yet, sometimes, the topics are things that I know are out there (like neglected/abandoned children) and my heart gets to hurting when I think about them. Then I begin to shy away from the book because once my heart gets to hurting, I’m not always ready for miss Joshilyn to rip it further. However, I keep on reading her books because the phrasing, the way she makes me think past my naive sunflower ways (aware of the big bad world, but just want to think positive thoughts about life) and for the story- the story that I can eventually sink myself into and enjoy because her words are THAT good.
In the end, I walk a fine line with a Joshilyn Jackson book- it tears me and guts me emotionally and yet, I keep on reading because I need that sometimes.
Ok, now that I’ve brought the room down- let’s move on to happier subjects 🙂
If you’ve been around during a Twitter chat- you know that I love to cast a movie- and yes, Hollywood still hasn’t called me. Sigh. Maybe this time Hollywood will make like Carly Rae Jepsen and Call Me Maybe?
Again, a flurry of emails have happened between me and Erin about the movie cast of The Opposite of Everyone. I had a hard time picturing Paula. She’s a strong character- got to have a strong person playing her.
For the role of Paula: Jennifer Lopez or Jennifer Esposito (the picture of Jennifer E on IMBD is now how I picture Paula when I read her- it’s that hair, I think!)
Birdwine, though, I had no problem picturing. He had a Mark Ruffalo feel (think Now You See Me) with the ruffled hair, the bit of grey, the charm; but you could also tell that Mark could battle demons with the best of them.
However, Erin supported the idea- but questioned would Mark be able to pick Paula up, make her feel like a small woman (I’m paraphrasing- but there is a quote somewhere in chapter 5 about that). Hence, Mark- I’m still loving you- but I’m not quite sure you have the physical requirements for Birdwine. I’m still rooting for you, though.
Erin sent me a link, though, that rocked my world. My Book, The Movie shared a friend’s thoughts on the casting of Birdwine and picked Jeffrey Dean Morgan (you might remember him from Denny on Grey’s Anatomy!) and after some deep dark soul searching- he would probably make the better Birdwine- especially since I caught a look at him in a recent viewing of The Good Wife. See JDM has always been Denny to me- and even though years have passed, in my mind, he’s not changed from Denny. But he’s def Birdwine material. (Side note: In a recent bout of being sick as all get out- Grey’s Anatomy re-runs and laying on the couch with my kitty cat was about all I could handle. It was during the Denny hey-day of re-run times- again, reinforcing my thought that JDM had not changed.)
And just in case you need any more reason to love Birdwine- this quote is going down as swoon-worthy!
If you need to catch up-you’ve got plenty of time. The readalong does not end till March 18th and our notes will live on in the world of the Internet forever and forever! Here is Part 1 Notes from Erin and Part 1 Notes from me.
See you guys on March 18th for the Twitter chat with Joshilyn at 2pmEST #southernlit!
Happy Reading and Bookishly Yours,
T @ Traveling With T
Traveling With T 
Casting Birdwine is tough. I heart Mark Ruffalo all the way, but I’m just not sure he can swing Paula around in the bedroom like she’s become accustomed to.
And Tamara is right about Joshilyn ripping our hearts out. The parts of the book describing Paula’s foster care experience are heartbreaking to read and really do make you think about the larger world out there.
Mark R has the face look, but the body- well, he’s short-ish. The more I think about JDM, the more I think he may be the one Hollywood needs to call (sorry Mark- next time!)
It is heartbreaking when you start thinking about the larger world- even just the smaller part of all the people who want children and can’t have them- and then all the kids who are in foster care just needing someone to love them. Ok, I have to stop. I feel myself caring too much again.