A little help on my resolutions...

I don't exactly know what made me pick up My Sister's Keeper in the bookstore some 2 or 3 years ago. Most likely, I was wandering somewhat aimlessly around Border's, browsing the new releases and best sellers. Before I found Jodi Picoult and came to love her, I had no rhyme or reason to choosing a book. Depending on my mood you could find me anywhere, from self help to fiction to music - even cooking.

Upon risk of sounding dramatic, I dare to say that reading My Sister's Keeper was a literary awakening for me. Everything about the book spoke to me. I couldn't put it down. Each morning on the train, I was so disappointed when we pulled into Suburban Station and I had to put it away. I couldn't wait to get back on and open it again.

I was, and continue to be, mesmerized by Picoult's language, her prose, her descriptions. Every sentence she writes paints you a tiny portrait of the thought behind it. Almost every line has this amazing dual meaning - it is truly how I aspire to write. She has inspired me more than any other author ever has.

The topics of her novels center around complex human relationships (are there any other kind?), involve a moral issue and follow a legal matter through the course of the book. The story usually ends with the verdict of said trial being revealed.

Picoult's novels are written from many points of view - of almost all of the major characters. The plot thickens and she spins this web of conversations, hidden meanings, revelations and discoveries. If I am reading one of her books, the strangest thing happens to me. I begin to think, on a daily basis, like one of her characters, and in turn, like Picoult, the mastermind behind the fictional beings. I move through the day and envision my thoughts in the pages of a novel - which, in turn, inspires me to write.

So here I am, trying to put one of my New Year's Resolutions into practice by writing a little something each day. Another resolution is reading more, the two go hand in hand so easily. I just finished A Perfect Match (which I started on the plane to Graceland) and this morning started Mercy. Hopefully, by filling my brain with her work, I will get to and stay in a place of inspiration and ideas. Bare with me as I might stumble onto some mundane topics and, as always, feel free to comment!