Thursday, January 9, 2014

1/40 Before I Die

I did it! I finished my first book of the year! Also my first book off of my Sweet Summer Fling list (are you tired about hearing about these? I feel as if I have talked about this a. lot.)

Anyway, since this is the first one, I am going to give my thoughts on it. I will spare you and not do this for all 40 books!

"Tessa has just a few months to live.

Fighting back against hospital visits, endless tests, drugs with excruciating side-effects, Tessa compiles a list. It's her To Do Before I Die list. And number one is sex.

Released from the constraints of 'normal' life, Tessa tastes new experiences to make her feel alive while her failing body struggles to keep up.

Tessa's feelings, her relationships with her father and brother, her estranged mother, her best friend, her new boyfriend, all are painfully crystallized in the precious weeks before Tessa's time finally runs out." -- From Goodreads


I liked this book ok. There were a few things that I didn't like about it that I am not going to get into here, but overall, it was a pleasure to read. Since I am a thirty-something adult, there were some things that I didn't understand since I am not a 16 year-old girl dying. I found that Tessa's list was not a good one. There were things on her list that I felt were selfish and silly. Maybe it was her way of being angry. Her list did get better as the end came closer, but for me it was a little too late.

I enjoyed reading it until the end. I didn't like the way the end was written and was a little confusing. I didn't feel much after I closed the book and set it down. Could have been a better ending.

So, I thought that I would make a list of things I would do if I knew I only had a few months to live.

  • Visit Ireland
  • Spend as much time with my family and friends as I could
  • Climb a mountain
  • Go to the Melting Pot
  • Write letters to each of my family members and close friends to tell them what they mean to me
  • Eat as much of the foods I love as I can
  • Visit the ocean
  • Spend as much time as possible in the mountains
  • Try to meet Reba 
I am sure that if the time came down to it, this list might change, but sitting on my couch, cuddled up, this is what I came up with.

What would you put on your list if you only had a few months left to live?

2 comments:

  1. Love your list! I'm all for spending time in the mountains (as long as it isn't cold...). A friend of mine encouraged me to a list, but one with a twist. More like a "Life's to do" list. Not a bucket list per se. For example, one of the things I put on my list was to crawl into my parents one morning while they were still asleep like when I was a little girl. I did that about a year ago and my heart still gets all melty when I think of that. They scooted right over and pulled me in. *sigh* It was remarkable. So, I'd say, think about things that go beyond the traditional list. Think about the little things. And then go do them now. Live like you were dying...right?

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    1. I love that story! How sweet! Thanks for the reminder that it really should be the little small things instead of the big ones. I think the main character started to realize this as she got closer to the end. Love the ones around you!

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