The Lovely Bones - International Bookring
13 journalers for this copy...
When we first meet Susie Salmon, she is already in heaven. As she looks down from this strange new place, she tells us, in the fresh and spirited voice of a fourteen-year-old girl, a tale that is both haunting and full of hope.In the weeks following her death, Susie watches life continuing without her-her school friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her family holding out hope that she'll be found, her killer trying to cover his tracks. As months pass without leads, Susie sees her parents' marriage being contorted by loss, her sister hardening herself in an effort to stay strong, and her little brother trying to grasp the meaning of the work gone.
And she explores the place called heaven. It looks a lot like her school playground, with the good kind of swing sets. There are counselors to help newcomers adjust and friends to room with. Everything she ever wanted appears as soon as she thinks of it--except the thing she wants most: to be back with the people she loved on Earth.
With compassion, longing, and a growing understanding, Susie sees her loved ones pass through grief and begin to mend. Her father embarks on a risky quest to ensnare her killer. Her sister undertakes a feat of remarkable daring. And the boy Susie cared for moves on, only to find himself at the center of a miraculous event.
The Lovely Bones is luminous and astonishing, a novel that builds out of grief the most hopeful of stories. In the hands of a brilliant new writer, this story of the worst thing a family can face is transformed into a suspenseful and even funny novel about love, memory, joy, heaven, and healing.
I remember hearing an interview with the author on NPR back last summer, and vowed to read the book (but didn't write it down; I was driving) and forgot about the book after that. Until, of course, I joined BookCrossing and saw that it was on Cliff's Top 5 Books. I put it on my wishlist, and again forgot about it. Then, while on my birthday shopping spree, I picked it up. I've started a bookray for it now. However, I have some other books that need to be read first, so my husband gets it first.
The Lovely Bones is an interesting book. When AngelKitty gave it to me, I asked her what genre it fit into.
Funny thing is, it doesn't fit into any. It's a romance, it's a suspence novel, it's spiritual/fantasy/speculative fiction, and it's one of those (slightly annoying) "Adolecent Growth" books.
And, despite all of that, the book is still pretty darn good. The author makes valid points about relationships and the nature of loss, as well as the nature of love. The story is gripping, and flows nicely.
*Puts it on AngelKitty's "To Read" pile.*
Funny thing is, it doesn't fit into any. It's a romance, it's a suspence novel, it's spiritual/fantasy/speculative fiction, and it's one of those (slightly annoying) "Adolecent Growth" books.
And, despite all of that, the book is still pretty darn good. The author makes valid points about relationships and the nature of loss, as well as the nature of love. The story is gripping, and flows nicely.
*Puts it on AngelKitty's "To Read" pile.*
I really enjoyed this book. It reads a lot like a journal, actually. My favorite part was the description of Heaven. Usually, you hear about either everybody together in one place or your own personal space. Instead, Alice Sebold paints a picture of a more fluid heaven, where your world can overlap with others. Whatever you want your heaven to be, there you are, and whoever else shares your desire to be there is, too. They appear and disappear as they decide they want to be somewhere else, and Susie even has a "roommate" of a sort.I also find it interesting that the concept of Heaven is presented without any talk of God(s) or religion. It's just taken on faith that you go to heaven (note the lowercase "h", as in the book) when you die and that you can linger to watch, even knowing the thoughts of those reemaining on earth.
The one thing that really annoyed me: (you have to highlight to read this, because it's a spoiler) When Susie gets to come back to earth for a short while in a human body, she makes absolutely no attempt to tell anyone where her body is, or where her murderer is. I can understand not wanting to chase him down herself, but you think she could at least mention it to Ray; write it down or something. After all, mere seconds before, Susie heard Ruth and Ray wondering where her body was (right before it's going to be filled and pretty much unrecoverable for a long, long, time). Sorry, that's probably my work talking, at least in part (dispatcher for police, fire, and rescue in a small city), but it's just a pet peeve of mine.
Received this from AngelKitty on July 8, and have been working my way through it. I've only got 50 or so pages left, and it's really good! Like AngelKitty, I find Alice Sebold's concept of heaven as overlapping experiences interesting. The more I read about it, the more I hope that is really what my heaven will be like. As soon as I finish this, it's off to Nelle, next on the bookring.
Off in the post to Nelle tomorrow. Fabulous book!
I just returned from a holiday to Cape Breton Island and PEI so just received this book. I'm looking forward to reading it. Sounds a little different from the average story! Thanks for sending it Macdonv.
Due to the popularity of this book, I bought another copy and divided it into a US/Canada bookring and an international bookring.
babyimran in Malaysia
Leanne345 in UK (did not respond to PMs, was moved down the list
Please PM the next name in the list when you get the book so that they have time to reply and you can get the book moving ASAP. If they haven't responded after 3 days or so, skip them and the next person in the ray can try again when they are done.
International Bookring
babyimran in Malaysia
Leanne345 in UK (did not respond to PMs, was moved down the list
Please PM the next name in the list when you get the book so that they have time to reply and you can get the book moving ASAP. If they haven't responded after 3 days or so, skip them and the next person in the ray can try again when they are done.
I thought this was an amazing book! The way the story is told is quite unique.
I suspect it would be comforting to parents who have lost a child to accept this concept of life after death. The author's insight into family relationships is phenomenal and makes the story very realistic.
I will mail it off to Boutish in Quebec tomorrow. Enjoy!
I suspect it would be comforting to parents who have lost a child to accept this concept of life after death. The author's insight into family relationships is phenomenal and makes the story very realistic.
I will mail it off to Boutish in Quebec tomorrow. Enjoy!
I just received the book today! Thanks. I'm gonna start reading ASAP to let the ring rolling!
I sent the book back last week. Sorry for the delay but I've been really busy lately.
I really liked this book it was really inspiring. Sad and fun at the same time. I really liked the way it was written. Thanks for organizing this ray!
I really liked this book it was really inspiring. Sad and fun at the same time. I really liked the way it was written. Thanks for organizing this ray!
Journal Entry 11 by Arina from Lisboa - City, Lisboa (cidade) Portugal on Thursday, September 25, 2003
Got it, thanks a lot! Hope to send it on it's way real soon.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It's difficult to express what i felt by reading it. I kept imagining what Susie's family must have felt during those days when they still had a little hope of finding her alive, and what Susie felt up in her heaven, looking at those she was forced to leave behind, longing to be with them or at least to let them know that she would always be with them, that she was ok inspite of everything. A story about loss and how time and love helps us mend our broken hearts when tragidy calls, that made me cry, laugh and hope that one day i get to have a heaven like Susie had...
Time to leave my hands and off to the next one...
Time to leave my hands and off to the next one...
I received the book today, and I'll try to read it as soon as I can. Thanks AngelKitty for sharing it and thanks Arina for forwarding me the book!
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4th January 2004
I really loved this book. I must admit that isn't my kind of literature, but the story really stucks you to it. Susie is a lovely girl and we watch, with her, from heaven, the day-by-day of her family and loved ones after her death. We listen to her doubts, to the doubts of the ones in Earth and the missing that all feel.
This book brings us some confort to our way of facing death: there isn't a end, but a heaven for every one of us, with all the things that you cherish most. And showes how the loss of a loved one can change a hole family, because the loss changes the way we see our selves.
The story is really touching.
Sending it tomorrow to Tintti in Finland. Enjoy!
Thanks so much AngelKitty for the Bookring!
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4th January 2004
I really loved this book. I must admit that isn't my kind of literature, but the story really stucks you to it. Susie is a lovely girl and we watch, with her, from heaven, the day-by-day of her family and loved ones after her death. We listen to her doubts, to the doubts of the ones in Earth and the missing that all feel.
This book brings us some confort to our way of facing death: there isn't a end, but a heaven for every one of us, with all the things that you cherish most. And showes how the loss of a loved one can change a hole family, because the loss changes the way we see our selves.
The story is really touching.
Sending it tomorrow to Tintti in Finland. Enjoy!
Thanks so much AngelKitty for the Bookring!
I received this book yesterday. Thanks!
(VinylDoll, your postcard was fantastic!)
(VinylDoll, your postcard was fantastic!)
A wonderful book. I loved it, and was really hooked by the story. It's so beautiful and touching, sad but still comforting. Very well written and life-like. I could feel what the characters in the book were feeling and I felt like I knew them personally. And I cried a lot.
At first I was also annoyed by the same thing as AngelKitty, but then the whole episode was so beautifully described that it didn't really matter.
The book gave me a warm and trusting feeling: bad things happen, but we can survive. All you need is love.
Sending the book to Lukutoukka soon.
At first I was also annoyed by the same thing as AngelKitty, but then the whole episode was so beautifully described that it didn't really matter.
The book gave me a warm and trusting feeling: bad things happen, but we can survive. All you need is love.
Sending the book to Lukutoukka soon.
Journal Entry 16 by Lukutoukka from Tampere, Pirkanmaa / Birkaland Finland on Friday, January 16, 2004
I received the book today. Thanks, Tintti!
Journal Entry 17 by Lukutoukka from Tampere, Pirkanmaa / Birkaland Finland on Wednesday, February 11, 2004
Despite the subject, first I assumed this book was aimed for teenaged readers. I don't mean to offend anybody and there's nothing wrong with books for teenagers, it was just the image I got, probably based on the cover picture and the age of the main character. :)
However, soon I noticed I had been wrong. "The Lovely Bones" is for anyone, and it's so sad, beautiful and true. The characters are very real. It was also a somewhat personal read, though the circumstances were different from my life. One of my brothers will be young forever, always the 14-year-old boy I remember, no matter how old I get.
Soon Susie can tell her story to next reader.
However, soon I noticed I had been wrong. "The Lovely Bones" is for anyone, and it's so sad, beautiful and true. The characters are very real. It was also a somewhat personal read, though the circumstances were different from my life. One of my brothers will be young forever, always the 14-year-old boy I remember, no matter how old I get.
Soon Susie can tell her story to next reader.
Journal Entry 18 by Lukutoukka from Tampere, Pirkanmaa / Birkaland Finland on Friday, February 20, 2004
Sent to MaaikeB. Sorry for the delay. I hope you'll like the book, MaaikeB! :)
I've been looking forward to reading this book for a long, long time. I heard so much about it. Unfortunately, three bookrings arrived on my doorstep at the same time. I'll try to hurry and hope to read it soon. Thanks lukutoukka for sending it to me and thanks, Angelkitty, for sharing it.
The book was all that I expected and hoped it would be. I loved it. The idea of heaven as described in this book was highly original. Thanks AngelKitty for starting this ray!
Orage just arrived at our place and she had "the Lovely Bones" in tow...grin...
something new to read for me...yay!!
something new to read for me...yay!!
As much as I would've liked to read this book, I just couldn't find the time to read it...I was so excited when it arrived, but then things went wild and I could not get to it...I'm giving it to ferengie today who is next on the list and will try to get on a bookring for it again later when things have calmed down a bit...
Darn, I read the book and started remodeling my office at home...and somehow it got on the pile with my own books...it just now turned up again as I started to sort my books by author again...
It's a great and touching story, once you have started reading it somehow takes ahold of you and you're not able to put the book down again...
It's a great and touching story, once you have started reading it somehow takes ahold of you and you're not able to put the book down again...
Released 19 yrs ago (8/31/2004 UTC) at
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
sent to babyimran
sent to babyimran
Journal Entry 25 by babyimran from Kajang, Sultanate of Selangor (Shah Alam) Malaysia on Friday, September 10, 2004
AngelKitty, I have received the book from Ferengi. More from me once I finish reading A Question of Blood (another bookring).Oct. 10 - It gives the first-hand experience of murdered victim way up in heaven. Following the lives of her family and friends to see their progress and hopefully in the end her murder is solved.
My favourite quotations :
1. The first line of the book : My name was Salmon, like the fish, first name Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973.
2. ‘When the dead are done with the living,’ Franny said to me, ‘the living can go on to other things.’
3. To let Lindsey and Buckey become more close to the father – being the first born always be the one with Dad, sharing his love for building ships in bottles.
4. We stood (Susie and Buckley) – the dead child and the living – on either side of my father, both wanting the same thing. To have him to ourselves forever. To please us both was an impossibility. … ‘Please don’t let Daddy die, Susie’, he whispered. ‘I need him.’
5. Happy + Frightened = Churned
6. He was reminded of her impatience and her curiosity – two traits that had both made and kept them friends.
7. These were the lovely bones that had grown around my absence: the connections – sometimes tenuous, sometimes made at great cost, but often magnificent – that happened after I was gone. And I began to see things in a way that let me hold the world without me in it.
8. They kept sharing when they felt me. Being together, thinking and talking about the dead, became a perfectly normal part of their life.
AngelKitty - about the part which you did not like, I liked it the way it is. It is so romantic that she spent the time alone with Ray with no other thoughts in mind.
Journal Entry 26 by babyimran from Kajang, Sultanate of Selangor (Shah Alam) Malaysia on Wednesday, November 10, 2004
The host of the bookring is kind enough to let the book circulate further. In response to this, I have send out PMs to all those who have the book in their wishlist. Unfortunately, I have a very small ring as below. Please send off the books to the next person on the list (the first person will return the book for me to send it off to its journey).1. cheekycat
2. Potbelly
3. stetar
4. berthamason
5. ms-attitude-ca
6. krackergrl
7. chromatographer
