My thoughts after reading Landline by Rainbow Rowell, or better known as Are you telling me, you built a time machine … out of a landline?

Landline has been out for about two months, and of course there are reviews out. So I hope is that means I am not giving any spoilers. Or, that my thoughts don’t go off subject too much. 

Can I just say without sounding like I am gushing? There is something about Rainbow’s stories and characters that stay with you after reading her books. Landline is no exception. While her books are fictional, Rainbow writes from the heart and that’s what makes her stories real and believable. To me her stories are so believable I often sigh, laugh, gasp or shut the book because of what is going on in the book. With Landline I almost could not read that last chapter. No laughing. It seriously made me anxious. Would Neal be happy to see Georgie? What if she really did ruin something in her timeline? When the girls run into Georgie’s arms I was thinking okay good no one got erased in the timeline. Then when Neal was still staring at Georgie and not saying anything as he took the girls aside, I was thinking oh no. Then when Neal kisses Georgie, my heart leapt out of joy. Then I realized my brain was not getting oxygen because I had stopped breathing.

I feel a side rant coming on: I am not sure why some people restrict reaction to scenes to just movies. We should be doing that with books, music, theater, everything and anything that is creative. I say when you want to throw a book across the room, or when you want to cry because this song reminds you of a special moment that’s a good thing. Because book you had one job! And movies, I owe you an apology because I do love you, but right now we’re talking about other creative ways to tell a story. I can see how when you’re reading the story there may be some people who would think of Georgie as selfish. But I did not think of her as selfish. I thought of Georgie as just human. Seriously, how many of us go through the day just trying to get through the day. Or, are mentally still at work even when we are home. Or, wondering if the grass is really greener on the other side. (Where does that expression come from? Because I’ve seen Fringe and you know what? I think their grass is actually greener. Darn, Walternate strikes again! Where was I …) It’s just part of everyday stress. Perhaps I am reading (no pun intended) too much into this book, but it made me think that there are too many things left in this world to be taken for granted. 

I like the message this book gives at the end of the day what matters most is family. It also raises the question what would you do for love. And what do you do when you realize, you’re the one who has been not putting in half the work. When you realize you’re the one who is not there even when you are there physically. At certain points of the book Georgie realizes that it is always Neal who goes to her and Neal who supports Georgie no matter what. 

After that last chapter you realize Neal never thought Georgie was difficult. He knew without her, life is not life. That his life began when he first met her. I love how Georgie realizes that Neal was not laughing at something witty she said, or that she was funny. He laughed when he was happy. You think that would have blown my mind. But what really blew my mind is when you (the reader) realize the conversations Georgie had been having with “in the past” Neal on the landline actually happened. Then I thought it’s just like Battlestar Galatica, without the cylons …This has happened before and it will happen again. Then I thought wait, you’re telling me you built a time machine … out of a landline? (Seriously if they try to remake Back to the Future I’ll have no words. I’m looking at you Red Dawn. Yes, I know I have said that about Red Dawn, but I’m sorry it was .. well no words!)

If you are looking for a book that make you question the importance of love. If you ever though yeah it would be nice to go back in time and change a mistake, but why not change your mistakes now. Or, if you believe in the possibility of time travel, Landline is the book for you.

Give Me Back My Story

Disclaimer: I am not a prude.

I wanted to write about something that is not necessarily a pet peeve. Perhaps it might be, I am not sure but I will say it is something that I talk about from time to time. (I want to apologize to my husband in advanced for talking about it again.)

I often ask, why does a good movie or television show have to be interrupted with sexual content? Again, I am not a prude. But can I please have my story back? I’ll give an example. A little while ago my husband and I decided to begin watching Game of Thrones, so we placed the series on hold through our local library. (I highly recommend public libraries folks. They have books, magazines, DVDs, Blu-ray, music galore. And they are free!) 

So we begin watching the show, and we are both like hey this story line is pretty good. Then all of a sudden... private regions. I think we spent seasons 1 and 2 fast forwarding through most of the DVDs. I was, I have to admit pleasantly surprised with how we did not fast forward as much through season 3.

My main point of asking for my story back, is I get the idea. I do not need to see two people being fully intimate to understand what is going on. If I were watching a movie and two people are kissing and then fade to black. It does not take a lot of imagination to figure out what happens behind closed doors, or wherever said place is.

Dude seriously, can you imagine how much of the story you can fit into a television show, or how many more action scenes you could have in a movie if you took out sexual content? In my opinion, it would be pretty sweet. I just like it when a movie focusing on the story and character building verses trying to shock people, or gain viewership. 

Bonus, some story lines would not feel as rushed either. Plus there are plenty of shows where there story line can be super awesome without the story having 98% sexual content in each episode. The Walking Dead, BSG, Star Trek, The Guild, Firefly, Doctor Who, just to name a few.

 

Not to mention how it depicts women. I am not trying to get all soap box here. But why does a strong female lead character have to display that strength through sex. (Side note… Yes, I know, Starbuck in Battlestar (side note to side note. Reimagined BSG, not original.) had… What do the kids call it? Oh yeah sex.) But that was a flaw in her character and we didn’t see skin for minutes on end.) Back to my point. Why can’t smart and funny be displayed as strengths? While we are on the subject, when did society be the ones to determine what beautiful is. Whoever is in said “society.” Societal based beauty is the reason why some little girls think they have to dress a certain way, and sadly pretend they are not smart in school by not raising their hand in class.

To say that I just don’t understand it would be an understatement, but it’s all I can ask because sadly it won’t change. All we can do is hit fast forward, or simply turn off the power button.