Lindsay Detwiler's Blog, page 40
August 30, 2015
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I picked up this book expecting a typical romance or a light chick-lit read. This book, however, turned out to be so much deeper, heart wrenching, and impacting than I could have ever imagined. After reading, I feel heartbroken and emotionally drained, just like the main character. This book isn’t just about love; it’s about reinventing your life, dealing with tragedy, and finding your true passion.
The story follows Louisa Clark, an eccentric twenty-seven-year-old who is quite lost in her life. After losing her job, she ends up taking a job as a caregiver out of desperation. Her charge is a handsome but depressed man named Will, who was in a horrific accident. He is a quadriplegic who is completely devastated by the loss of his once active lifestyle. As Louise helps him through issues, he also helps her overcome her sheltered, small-minded life.
Louise is such a likable character. She is very immature, very messy, and very bold. She isn’t the typical woman whoWill would fall for her. Will, on the other hand, is stoic and from money. He had everything put together and lost it, leading to a bold sense of sarcasm and even a coldness. These differences accent the intrigue of each character. I loved Louisa’s character and found her easy to connect with. I also enjoyed watching her unravel Will’s character. By the middle of the book, you can see the depth of his heart, and it is endearing how much Louisa softens him.
Nonetheless, this book isn’t a predictable, mushy book in any sense of the work. I fully expected for this to be a couple who overcame the odds and found a picture perfect romance. Such is nowhere near the case. This book pulls you in, wraps you in beautiful sentiments and descriptions, and then spits you back out heartbroken. It is tragic and full of heavy, gut-wrenching twists. Moyes goes very deep with this book into the realm of disability, loss, and disappointment. I love that she was realistic in her portrayal of the characters and the subject matter. This is probably her deepest, most impacting book to date.
Me Before You has so many beautiful moments and gorgeous descriptions. I also think the ending was very fitting. I like the perfect balance between beauty and tragedy, laughter and tears. I cannot wait to read the sequel to this book.
Lindsay Detwiler, Voice of Innocence
Oliver Sacks: Awakening Dreams
I heard some sad news on The Today Show this morning; Oliver Sacks has passed away.
I was first introduced to this extraordinary man in college during a class that would forever change my life called The Literature of Health and Healing. In this class, we read about Oliver Sacks and watched the movie Awakenings (which stars Robin Williams as the doctor).
It’s crazy to me that more people don’t know about the epidemic that would forever change Sacks’ career. In the 1920s, a mysterious sleeping sickness called encephalitis lethargica became an epidemic, especially in children. Children would suddenly get a sore throat, which seemed like an average illness. As the weeks would go on, however, the child would deteriorate until the child was in a complete comatose state. There was no known cause of the disease or, more importantly, a cure. The children who survived would be placed in hospitals, usually in insane asylum wings, and forgotten, written off as mentally brain dead.
Enter Oliver Sacks. In the early 1960s, he becomes employed at a hopsital in the Bronx where he finds dozens of the comatose patients. By working with them, he decides that these patients aren’t all lost; he senses that they are still mentally present. Eventually, he gives them L-Dopa, and the patients come to life after being comatose for several decades.
The scariest part of this story? The patients were mentally awake the whole time. They were literally trapped in their physical bodies. What a frightening thing to think about, being trapped for decades, ignored in an insane asylum, forgotten by everyone. Oliver allowed these people to “awake” again, and becomes very close to a man named Leonard. Leonard had lost his childhood and early adult years due to the disease and tries to come to terms with his “new” life.
L-Dopa, sadly, would eventually wear off; the patients would return to their comatose states after just one summer. However, thanks to Oliver Sacks, families were aware that their loved ones were mentally aware and treatment improved. These survivors no longer sat ignored in the hospital. It’s still sad, however, to think about how much they lost, how much time they sat idle.
Sacks would continue working in the neurology field, but I think that the impact he had on the patients in the 1960s was probably his most admirable work. To see a truth no one else could see, to look beyond medicine’s diagnosis and use your heart, that takes guts.
This story also holds a special place in my heart because this was the class that inspired me to write my first novel. It was during this class, talking about people who lost everything in the blink of the eye, that I decided to take my biggest dream from the back burner and start working on it. It was after this class that I started writing Voice of Innocence.
If you want a beautiful movie, check out Awakenings. In the movie, they change Oliver Sack’s name, but the character is still based on his true life. This movie will change the way you think about life and others.
Lindsay Detwiler, Voice of Innocence
August 29, 2015
Last Few Hours to Win Crashing Souls by Cynthia Rodriguez!
Hey guys! You only have a few hours to enter to win Crashing Souls by Cynthia Rodriguez! It’s super simple to enter! Go to http://gvwy.io/r24hfma for the details.
August 28, 2015
Pur Minerals Foundation: Must Have!
So I’ve kicked my makeup buying freeze this past week, that’s for sure. I’ve added three new products to my beauty collection, and I’m happy to say that I love all three! Here’s what’s new in my beauty product hoard.
Pur Minerals 4-in-1 Liquid Veil Spray Foundation
http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod11331051&_requestid=566352
When I first saw this in stores, I thought two things:
it will be just like every other foundation I have– too light, too heavy, too orange, too something
Spray Foundation? Yuck
However, at the time, Ulta was having a buy one, get one free sale, so my mom and I decided to try it on. This foundation is amazing!!! It literally melts into your skin. I apply it by spraying it on my hand and then using a brush to buff it in. It truly gives flawless coverage that isn’t too heavy, but also isn’t greasy looking like some of the BB creams I’ve tried. It gives you a flawless foundation for your makeup. It can be a little messy if you’re not careful; I have sprayed the mirror by accident already. But it is worth it for the coverage. Regular Price: $39
2. Tigi/ Bed Head Foxy Curls
I’ve switched to a wavy hair style/ curly hair style, so this was a must to add to my hair routine. This curl cream goes in when your hair is wet and helps give you body without frizz. OMG, this stuff smells AMAZING!!! It’s kind of a fruity, starburst smell . . . but trust me, this doesn’t do it justice. It smells awesome, and it really does give you perfect curls. $19.99 at Ulta
http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod11331051&_requestid=566352
3. Urban Decay Naked Basics
So I tapped out my money after purchases one and two, so I had to settle for a mini naked palette. But I’ll tell you, now that I’ve tried it, I will be investing in the full one soon! I’ve tried hundreds of eyeshadows, and there really isn’t anything like Urban Decay. It really makes the supermodel eyeshadow look attainable by a regular person. It just makes your eyeshadow look 90X better! This palette is great for everyday. It has a matte look to it, but it definitely has something to it so you don’t look pale. I adore this!
http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?productId=xlsImpprod4890006
Tried anything new lately? Care to share?
August 27, 2015
Meet Author Tevis Shkodra
I’ve said before that the writing community is absolutely amazing. I expected to find other writers to be competitive and maybe even aloof, but I have been so happy to find that I was completely wrong. The writing community is friendly and supportive; I have been able to make some wonderful new friends over the past few months. Today, I will introduce you to an author I just connected with on Goodreads, Tevis Shkodra.
First, I have to say, Tevis, you definitely built up my ego a bit the other day :) Tevis asked me for any advice I might have for him as a new author. It made me feel good that someone was asking me, the girl who basically knew nothing about publishing six months ago, for advice. I mean, I felt like I’ve come a long way from the girl bumbling through the publishing world a few months ago. I felt like, if nothing else, I appear to have it together, which is always a good thing :) Most of all, it’s been awesome to connect with someone who is a new author, since I was there not very long ago.
Below, find info about Tevis Shkodra and his work Symbiosis. I absolutely love his cover; it is beautiful! Read about his works, check out his social media, and buy Symbiosis!
Tevis Shkodra was born on July, 6th 1994 in the small town of Elbasan, in the Eastern-European mediterranean country of Albania. He currently lives in Oakville, ON with his family, and is currently undertaking his Undergraduate Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Business Administration. The inspiration for his first novella Symbiosis arose from his humanitarian travels in Costa Rica, where he worked at an orphanage, and as an English teacher. Other inspirations were his love of dystopian stories, and his family’s past, under a communist regime.
It is often when individuals are consumed with their daily lives, that they miss the camouflaged world beneath their feet. Ohm, a mentally unstable lower-class worker, has always considered himself ‘normal’, yet he always feels as if he lacks a purpose in life. Unlike the others, Ohm is unsatisfied with his life, and sees himself as a small cog in the totalitarian machine overseeing his life. His curious nature leads him to The Brotherhood, a secret organization dedicated to changing the regime. Ohm is caught in the middle of a war he was previously unaware of, and his life now depends on his ability to keep a secret. Symbiosis’ pages practically turn themselves, leaving the readers questioning their own sanity.
Get Symbiosis at:
Twitter: Twitter.com/TevisShkodra
Facebook: Facebook.com/TevisShkodraAuthor
Blog: dystopianauthor.wordpress.com
August 25, 2015
Happy First Day of School!
In my blinding, hot-pink shirt and denim jeans, I glided through the hallways. The first-day-of-the-school-year-exuberance and my new, sparkling sneakers had worn off. I had made it through my first four classes of tenth grade. I was now heading to one of the most dreaded classes of all—art class. For most kids, art was a place of freedom. There were fewer rules, the teacher was typically more relaxed, and there was virtually no homework. For me, however, art class promised the threat of embarrassing injuries and potential failures. Besides lacking creativity, I also greatly lacked any fine motor skills. Last year, I had sliced my finger so deeply on a penknife that I was rushed to the hospital for stitches. Covering everyone’s art projects in blood splatters was not how I wanted to make my first impression.
I walked into the classroom, glancing around at faces I had seen since kindergarten. Ruby’s gleaming lime green headband, sequined and stunning, bounced the fluorescent lights aimlessly about the room. Noah had grown at least two inches this summer, and the giddy girls gathered around him didn’t fail to notice. Everywhere, familiar kids laughed and joked, feeling a fresh sense of social status due to their newfound label as tenth graders. But then my eyes stopped on a new face. I slowly inventoried his body, making note of his chestnut hair, thick and disheveled, and his even deeper brown eyes. Although I didn’t know his name, a sensation fluttered in the pit of my stomach. I hoped that my cornflakes and chocolate milk wouldn’t spew onto the floor (also not a great way to make a good first impression). Some would call the sensation love at first sight. At fifteen years old, I was pretty sure the feeling was just some undigested food matter sloshing in my stomach. All I knew was that I was curious. I listened closely as roll was called and we were given seats. “Jenna Hansinger, Ashley White, Emma Groves…” And then I heard it for the first time. The teacher read the name of the boy who would be present in my life throughout its entirety, if only in memory.
She assigned him the seat next to me.
My fate was sealed then and there.
To read more, check out Voice of Innocence! Click below for details!
WIN a Copy of Crashing Souls!!
Enter to win a copy of Crashing Souls by Cynthia Rodriguez here: http://gvwy.io/r24hfma.
You only have until Saturday to enter :)
I am darkness; what you would consider a thief amongst the living.
I’ve spent time, so much of it that it seems a trifle word to call it, in that gloom being swallowed whole by human grief and human tears.
I am the Angel of Death.
And all was dark until I met a man, searching for a woman.
Given a second chance to find the love of his life, whose soul was placed inside someone else after a tragic accident, a young man finds himself taking over the life of a teenager named Dexter. But there are rules: She will not remember him and he will only have fragmented memories, not knowing anything about the life he has been placed in and barely anything about the life he once lived. He embarks on a journey to right Dex’s wrongs and find the woman whose soul belongs with his, no matter what it takes. Finding her is one thing, loving her and her self-destructive ways is another.
Artful, sharp, and compelling, Crashing Souls explores the permanent mark left behind when two souls crash together.
August 24, 2015
Stirring Emotion Through Lyrics: Why Music Inspires Me as a Writer
When I’m teaching writing, I always start by asking students what the goal of writing is or what is most important. I get a lot of answers, from grammar (laughs :) ) to point of view to information.
But the answer I’m always looking for is: emotion.
I don’t care if you are writing a novel, a poem, or a report about earthworms–your goal better be to stir emotion. The type of emotion isn’t important. The bottom line is that when we read your writing, we need to feel something.
Easier said than done, right? But there’s one place writers can look to see how to effectively incorporate emotion into words–song lyrics.
Think about it. A song writer only has a few minutes, a few stanzas, to convey an idea, a mood, and a feeling. When we think about songs, we are almost always moved to some type of emotion. Whether it’s pain or laughter, sorrow or exuberance, we feel something when we hear a song. A large part of that is because of the lyrics.
This year in my writing class, I’m planning on doing a lesson on song lyrics because I think it drives the point home. I’m going to have kids pick school appropriate song lyrics that speak to them, and then we’re going to explore why. I’m going to start with my own song choice, which “Photograph” by Ed Sheeran. There’s just something about the haunting words that is moving. The symbolization and the simplicity of the repetition just hits a chord within me (no pun intended). The video is adorable as well! Check it out below!
Have you used song lyrics in your writing class? Do you have a song that the lyrics just strike you as emotional? Please share :)
To Teachers, New or Seasoned
To teachers, new or seasoned, as you begin a new year of school:
Know that even if you don’t realize it, you are impacting others every single day.
Even when you feel like you’re scatterbrained and unorganized. When you feel like you can’t keep up with the 8,000 questions asked in the first minutes of class. When your computer freezes and your lesson plan catapults into the land of improv, when you forget the kid’s name in row two. When your class is jumping off the walls because they think there will be a snow day tomorrow. When the kid tells you he doesn’t care about your stupid lesson or that the game you took hours to make. When the parent calls angrily because she thinks you aren’t qualified and aren’t being fair. When you feel like you just can’t go on, like you can’t do this anymore, like you’re not making a difference.
Know that in all of these moments, you are impacting others.
Teaching isn’t a job with instant gratification. You can’t see your impact every day. You might go months without even seeing a glimmer. But somewhere in your classroom, a kid is growing because of you. A student is finding himself or herself, is finding motivation, is realizing he or she can reach for the stars.
Know that it’s okay if your lesson isn’t textbook perfect.
We’re humans, not robots. There will be crazy moments that derail your plans. There will be days when what you put down on paper doesn’t make sense anymore, when you have to go with the flow. There will be moments when an unexpected life lesson becomes way more important than comma lessons or the placement of apostrophes. There will be times when you have to put the textbook down and go with another plan. There will be days when your lesson plan just utterly fails. This doesn’t mean you were a failure. It just means you need to connect in a different way.
Don’t be afraid to let your lessons breathe, to let them be human. Don’t be afraid to fail.
Know that your best is good enough.
You will never know every fact about your content area. You will never handle every situation in the exactly perfect way. You will have days that you feel down, that you feel like you’re just off your game. It’s okay. People don’t realize how exhausting being a good teacher is. The job never ends. There are always ideas of how to be better running through your head. But as long as you’re giving your all, trying your best, and doing what you can to grow, you’re on the right track, no matter what anyone says.
Perfection is unattainable, so don’t exhaust yourself reaching for it. Take some time for yourself, to rejuvenate…and don’t feel guilty about it. You are a person first, a teacher second. Take time to take care of yourself so you can better lead your classroom.
To the teachers, news and seasoned, most of all, remember that our job is about connecting with people. It’s not about test scores or perfection. It’s not about winning awards or class ranking.
It’s about guiding students on their chosen pathways. It’s about reminding students of what is important in life and giving them the tools they need to be their most successful self. It’s about human connections first and foremost. Never forget that.
Have a great year.
Lindsay Detwiler
August 23, 2015
Goodbye to Summer, Part Two
If you’re a teacher, you know that August brings about a difficult transition. Gone are the days of sunshine and reading, socializing and napping. With August comes a switch from sleeping in until eight a.m. to getting up at the crack of dawn. August means saying goodbye to hanging out with friends on any night of the week, of Netflix binging, and of being able to drink water whenever you want (it’s the simple things, everyone!).
Sure, summer as a teacher isn’t all relaxation. We’re busy going to grad classes, lesson planning, and even getting our classrooms ready. Still, the summer affords a calmer, slower paced living than we can ever dream of during the school year.
So today, my last day of summer, is a bittersweet moment. I’m sad to be leaving Henry tomorrow, to not be able to watch the Today Show, to potentially suffer dehydration because I don’t get to pee whenever I want anymore. I’m sad that instead of my evenings consisting of impromptu fun times with friends and trips for ice cream, they will consist of grading papers and lesson planning. I’m sad to exchange my binge reading for rereading books I’m teaching.
But I’m also excited. For teachers, the start of the school year is the same as New Year’s. It’s a chance to start fresh, to be better than last year. It’s a chance to meet new students, to get the opportunity to inspire, to encourage, to motivate. It’s a feeling of “what’s going to happen this year?” What milestones will I face? I do feel ready to get back in front of that classroom and talk about what I love most: books and writing.
It’s been a wonderful summer for me with many great moments. There was the trip to Virginia for my first out of state book signing. There was Ocean City, Daniel Tosh, two zoos. I had my first trip to the spa, Henry’s first baseball game, and a new kitten named Marjorie to add to our cat hoard. I had dozens of books and hours on my deck. I enjoyed talking to readers of my debut novel, including readers from other countries! There were wing offs and small road trips, picnics and parties. I’ve spent time with some great friends and family.
But I know there are things to look forward to with the start of fall. There are birthdays and holidays coming up. There are pumpkin gobs at our town’s pumpkin fest. There are scarves and boots, and some exciting trips planned. Most of all, I now have a second novel that will be released in the near future, which is super exciting! There will be cover reveals and release parties, book signings (hopefully) and the rush of getting another book published.
So yes, I’m feeling a little blue today. But I’m shaking it off. Because I know there are amazing things coming.
Lindsay Detwiler, author
http://www.facebook.com/lindsayanndetwiler
