Thursday, July 1, 2010

The Nobodies Album Giveaway

ABOUT THIS BOOK


Bestselling novelist Octavia Frost has just completed her latest book—a revolutionary novel in which she has rewritten the last chapters of all her previous books, removing clues about her personal life concealed within, especially a horrific tragedy that befell her family years ago.

On her way to deliver the manuscript to her editor, Octavia reads a news crawl in Times Square and learns that her rock-star son, Milo, has been arrested for murder. Though she and Milo haven’t spoken in years—an estrangement stemming from that tragic day—she drops everything to go to him.

The “last chapters” of Octavia’s novel are layered throughout The Nobodies Album—the scattered puzzle pieces to her and Milo’s dark and troubled past. Did she drive her son to murder? Did Milo murder anyone at all? And what exactly happened all those years ago? As the novel builds to a stunning reveal, Octavia must consider how this story will come to a close.

Universally praised for her candid explorations of the human psyche, Parkhurst delivers an emotionally gripping and resonant mystery about a mother and her son, and about the possibility that one can never truly know another person.

My take
I saw Richard III, a play when I was 21 years old. I was in London at the time with my sister. With all the Shakespeare talk along with the British accents, I understood very little of it.  In fact, I only remember the scattering of the white and red rose petals at the end.  Something about the war of the roses. I was bored throughout.  I left the theater yawning.  Another girl from our group was deeply affected and and kept talking about the beautiful symbolism.

Phht!  Symbolism.  Boring.

I saw Richard III again when I was well into my thirties.  I couldn't believe how much I had missed the first time.

Back to the book, The Nobodies Album.  It takes a certain amount of experience, wisdom, and tragedy to interpret events in a certain way.  It takes experience, wisdom, and tragedy for texture to be added to our own lives and meaning to take shape.  It takes even more experience, wisdom, and tragedy to accept that endings are what they are based on our choices due to our experiences and how we have interpreted them.

In other words, our lives are one big Rorschach test.

Carolyn Parkhurst offered me a rare glimpse into a brilliant writer's brain.  There is constant dialogue, testing, questioning, interpreting and answering.  Sometimes the answers were painfully difficult to swallow as they hit so close to home.  It is so far from my John Dorian (Scrubs) dialogue I constantly have going inside my head.  I'm trying to connect humor.  Octavia, the protagonist, is constantly trying to create meaning.  The truth is, we are all creatures seeking patterns and predictability.

Octavia is rewriting the ending of all 7 of her published novels.  As she narrates her current experience, dropping back to her past to provide a point of reference, it is clear that her stories, as any story, could take many different directions.  The last chapter of each novel is intertwined within the book.

Yet I can't help falling back on my desire to create meaning (based on my own experiences) and question if Octavia, with her name taking on the root of the number 8, is symbolic of her 8th novel, the one not published.

Or perhaps it is Pareidolia.

I was going for witty, but I'm afraid I ended up with merely odd.  Well, I never said I was good with words.  Not ones spoken out loud, anyway.

- Octavia Frost

I have a copy for one of my good - looking readers! If you don't win, remember, you can always get a nose job.

Leave me a comment and include email address.
Extra entries for twitter, facebook, blog link
Let me know if you are a follower.
Extra entry for filling in the blank: I would change the ending of (name book or movie) by . . .

U.S. residents only
No P.O. Boxes
Contest ends July 19th

31 comments:

Carol W. said...

Hope I'm good-enough looking to win a copy of this book!

wolfcarol451(at)gmail(dot)com

Carol W. said...

I follow with Google Friend Connect.

wolfcarol451(at)gmail(dot)com

Carol W. said...

I would change the ending of Charlotte's Web by letting Charlotte live longer so she can enjoy her daughters.

wolfcarol451(at)gmail(dot)com

Amy (ArtsyBookishGal) said...

I know I'm good looking enough to win this contest, and I love the cover of the book.


Amy
artsyrockerchick at aim dot com

Amy (ArtsyBookishGal) said...

Follower!!! Yes, I'm stalking you. Not really.


Amy
artsyrockerchick at aim dot com

CountessLaurie said...

I doubt I am goodlooking enough, but I'll enter anyway, because you can't tell by this little itty bitty blog pic that I am not.

l.moore.j (at) gmail.com

CountessLaurie said...

I am a stalker... truly... or I would stalk you if I didn't live so far away.

CountessLaurie said...

I would change the end of Message In A Bottle by Nicholas Sparks so that they live happily ever after. Because I like Happily Ever After...dang it. Not some stinking ending where someone dies. Grrrrr.

Jenny Bolech said...

Ooo this one sounds interesting! Thanks for the chance to win!

jenny.maurer84 at gmail dot com

Jenny Bolech said...

I'm following your blog on GFC!

jenny.maurer84 at gmail dot com

karenk said...

thanks for the chance to read this fabulous novel :)

karenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com

Elise said...

Sounds like a great book to read!
caliblue7 at gmail dot com

Elise said...

GFC follower
caliblue7 at gmail dot com

Elise said...

I would change the ending of snow flower and the secret fan so that snow flower does not die and lily and snow flower can be friends for many more years.
caliblue7 at gmail dot com

Mama4Real said...

I'm totally intrigued!
julie _ presley 48 at yahoo dot com

Mama4Real said...

Tweeted! /mama4real

Foursons said...

Oh, please pick me for this one! I'm astounded by all your books!

nfmgirl said...

I'd love this book! Please count me in. Thank you!

nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com

nfmgirl said...

Tweet:
http://twitter.com/nfmgirl/status/17978657374

nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com

Benita said...

You have so many terrific giveaways. This is one more. Thanks for the possibility.

bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

Leslie (Under My Apple Tree) said...

I'd like to read this one.

undermyappletree at gmail dot com

~Leslie

Leslie (Under My Apple Tree) said...

I'm a follower thru google friend connect.

undermyappletree at gmail dot com

~Leslie

Leslie (Under My Apple Tree) said...

I linked your giveaway in the sidebar of my blog.

http://undermyappletree.wordpress.com/

undermyappletree at gmail dot com

~Leslie

Julie said...

I have read good things about this novel. Thanks for the chance to win!

knittingandsundries(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

Great Giveaway. I hope i wont have to resort to getting a nose job...lol

I am a relatively old follower : )

bookventuresbookclub AT gmail DOT com

Allison said...

Thanks for having this giveaway!
allisonsbj3(at)gmail(dot)com

Allison said...

Follower

allisonsbj3(at)gmail(dot)com

Allison said...

I would change the ending of Harry Potter by having more of what happens when the characters are adults.

allisonsbj3(at)gmail(dot)com

disneyfanheather said...

I'd love to read this book!
hsemonick at gmail dot com

esther said...

I'd love to win this book.
era54510(at)gmail(dot)com

esther said...

I follow on Google Friend Connect.
era54510(at)gmail(dot)com