Journal Entry 1 by midwinter from Tucson, Arizona USA on Monday, October 06, 2003

Journal Entry 2 by Allecia from Albany, Oregon USA on Friday, January 09, 2004

I got this book in a bookring hosted by Midwinter (THANKS!!!) and I just LOVED it. A great story and a wonderful read. Helena and Sams relationship remind me of me and my best friend (soulmate, really). I was touched and moved and cried, and it was just a wonderful story. I am a HUGE 80's music fan, so it was neat to get a glimpse into what life is like for famous pop stars. (I know it's fiction, but I still enjoyed it. She made it real enough for me.) :-)
A real treat to read, and I hope the next person enjoys it as much as I have.

Sincerely,

Lisa
BC=Allecia 

Journal Entry 3 by jenvince from Scottsdale, Arizona USA on Sunday, February 08, 2004

The book arrived yesterday. I have another bookring to finish ahead of it, will then read this and get it to the next person. It looks good! :)  

Journal Entry 4 by jenvince from Scottsdale, Arizona USA on Monday, February 23, 2004

I thought this was a great book. Well-written, loved the sarcasm. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this.

Am mailing to Scout-Finch 2/23. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 5 by SCOUT-FINCH from Sherman Oaks, California USA on Monday, March 01, 2004

Book Ring Karma - I completely stopped signing up for them because of the backlog I was accumulating..relented, signed up for just 2, and they arrive within 2 days of each other..am finishing up a book, this is next in line and will journal as soon as I'm done. 

Journal Entry 6 by SCOUT-FINCH from Sherman Oaks, California USA on Thursday, March 04, 2004

It didn't work for me...guess I like my Bridget Jones's fluffy and slightly flabby, not recovering from tragic, disfiguring accidents partially caused by drug ingestion..maybe I'm getting old, maybe the whole subplot about the friend with cancer (not giving away anything you won't see on the bookjacket) was too hard as my mom is fighting cancer..seems like since my mom got sick I've leaned strongly toward light and easy, and this wasn't it...
As the previous readers all loved it, I'm either a big old curmudgeon or just in the minority. On to
sharalsbooks! 

Journal Entry 7 by sharalsbooks from Chandler, Arizona USA on Friday, March 26, 2004

Received in the mail today. I hope to read it very soon. It sounds really good. 

Journal Entry 8 by sharalsbooks from Chandler, Arizona USA on Friday, April 02, 2004

I found this book enjoyable, what I was able to read. Perhaps it's my mood, but I just couldn't focus on the story. 

Journal Entry 9 by sharalsbooks from Chandler, Arizona USA on Wednesday, April 14, 2004

I sent a second PM to zombiebooker requesting a mailing address today. I never received a response to the first PM, sent on 4/2. 

Journal Entry 10 by sharalsbooks at on Monday, April 26, 2004

Released on Monday, April 26, 2004 at Mailed to a fellow Bookcrosser in n/a, n/a Controlled Releases.

This book is on its way to LaurieS. Happy Reading! 

Journal Entry 11 by BarkLessWagMore from Merrimack, New Hampshire USA on Wednesday, May 05, 2004

Journal Entry 12 by BarkLessWagMore from Merrimack, New Hampshire USA on Monday, May 31, 2004

Journal Entry 13 by BarkLessWagMore from Merrimack, New Hampshire USA on Monday, June 07, 2004

Helena Nicholls was once a successful and well known rock star. Now in her early thirties, her star has faded a bit since her glory days and she’s working as a morning DJ in London and creating quite a buzz with her all-request format highlighting important glimpses into her listeners lives. While Helena’s working life seems to be in order her emotional life is quite another story. After meeting up with a former band member at an awards ceremony Helena is coerced into temporarily mending her woes with a dose of cocaine. This poor choice leads to a horrifyingly stupid and very public accident that leaves her badly disfigured and makes all the tabloids. Her weaselly boss visits her hospital bed with news that he intends to give her plenty of time to heal and that she can come back to work doing the graveyard shift (what a guy, eh?). She’s furious and terribly depressed and comes up with “The Plan”. “The Plan” will be her ultimate goodbye to the world in which she’ll write up a request list of her own. Each song she plays during her final show will remind her of a special memory from her past which she’ll share with her listeners.

This book tackles some weighty subjects; serious illness, imperfect selfish parents and suicidal thoughts but it is also just witty enough to keep one from feeling thoroughly depressed. 30ish Helena is a broken, jaded, lonely and emotionally drained young woman who, being on the road for a good chunk of her life, never took the time to form close friendships outside of her male bandmates and her childhood friend Sam. As she’s recovering from her accident she meets Toby, a cute guy with a young daughter and a comatose wife. Toby and Helena make an immediate connection, becoming fast friends and nearly falling in love (all while Toby’s wife lies helpless just a few doors away). If this were the only version of Helena I’d have put the book away in disgust.

Fortunately, Helena’s life is doled out chapter by chapter (alternating between current day and the past) and we get to know her intimately. We watch her suffer all of life’s little and much larger hurts as she stumbles through life. Helena is easy to relate to as a chubby heartbroken youngster pulled ruthlessly away from her best friend Sam when her parents relocate from London to America. Her awkwardness and desire to fit in are realistically described and are often painfully funny. Eventually Helena finds her own niche in the world as she discovers her passion, bass guitar, and meets up with and becomes bandmates with Justin (an unlikely match since he’s the school hunk and she’s still chubby and thought of as a bit odd). The two begin a band called “Blue Idea” and become incredibly famous but Helena’s life is filled with an impending sense of doom when Sam becomes ill. The band eventually breaks up and when Helena doesn’t quite know what to do with herself and wallows in complete self-despair it is easy to sympathize with her pain and feelings of hopelessness.

Helena’s playlist for the “The Plan” highlights the most important points in her life and once I started I found it extremely difficult to put the book down. “To Be Someone” is often painful to read (I dare you to get through this without wetting a few tissues) but it’s very real and filled with life, emotion and humor. I’m nearly as jaded as Helena (but not nearly as famous!) and very few books move me to tears or laughter these days but this book involved me emotionally from beginning to end and I’m very glad I took the time to read it.
 

Journal Entry 14 by BarkLessWagMore at Bookring in n/a, Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Monday, June 07, 2004

Journal Entry 15 by twinkpuddin from Venice, California USA on Sunday, June 13, 2004

Just got this yesterday! About half way through another book right now, and expect to be able to start this by next week. 

Journal Entry 16 by twinkpuddin from Venice, California USA on Sunday, July 11, 2004

An entertaining read. Helena and Sam's relationship was very touching. But, overall I didn't really connect with the story in a way that I thought I would. At times, it all was a bit contrived.

Thanks midwinter for including me! Have Lorelei03's address and will be getting the book off this week. 

Journal Entry 17 by twinkpuddin at USPS in Bookring, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA on Tuesday, July 13, 2004

Released on Tuesday, July 13, 2004 at USPS in Bookring, postal release USA.

Dropped at the post office this morning. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 18 by Lorelei03 from Flushing, New York USA on Tuesday, July 27, 2004

This was an entertaining read - good train ride material! 

Journal Entry 19 by narfinmagic from Freehold, New Jersey USA on Friday, September 03, 2004

Arrived in today's mail. Thanks for passing it along. Will be next on my TBR list so I can send it off to the next person on the ring as soon as possible. Looks very interesting. 

Journal Entry 20 by narfinmagic from Freehold, New Jersey USA on Friday, September 10, 2004

I really enjoyed having the opportunity to read this book. I loved the development of each character and especially Helena's relationships with Sam and Toby. The story of Helena and Sam moved me to tears a few times through out the story. I related best to this story in terms of the relationships among the characters although the "behind the scenes" look into pop culture was also interesting.

Thank you midwinter for sharing this book with us all. It was well worth reading. I have the address of the next person on the ring and plan to mail it out as soon as I can. Hope everyone else enjoys it as much as I did. 

Journal Entry 21 by Beachlover2003 from Alexandria, Virginia USA on Friday, September 17, 2004

Just received from narfinmagic. I had forgotten I was part of this ring until narfinmagic PM'd me for my address. What a nice surprise! I will read and pass on to the next person. Thanks! 

Journal Entry 22 by Beachlover2003 from Alexandria, Virginia USA on Thursday, September 30, 2004

I too was struck by the intensity of the relationship with Sam, but I also found myself questioning my own ability to embrace my life. I was very moved by this book, not just by what was on the page, but by the lesson: enjoy life, embrace life, recognize how valuable you are. Thanks for including me in this ring. I'm sending out to SpikesMom today. Hope you all enjoy it! 

Journal Entry 23 by WestofMars from Mars, Pennsylvania USA on Monday, October 04, 2004

Holy long list of folk after me, Batman!

This just arrived less than an hour ago and I'm working today but will start reading as soon as I'm done writing my own, sorta similar book. At least for today. 

Journal Entry 24 by WestofMars from Mars, Pennsylvania USA on Saturday, October 09, 2004

Kitch 'N Sync.

I fell on the floor laughing.

Should finish today or this weekend and will write more later, but am not sure really what to add. Love it? No, not 100%. Think it's really really really darn good and am glad Mid thought to include me in this ring? Damn straight. 

Journal Entry 25 by WestofMars from Mars, Pennsylvania USA on Wednesday, October 20, 2004

Whoa. Sorry about the lack of an "I'm finished" entry. The book went off two days ago, headed to Bookczuk.

This book has stayed with me a bit, although not as much as I'd hoped it would. Helena's a neat character, even if I didn't fully understand her all of the time. I love how she learned to live within her new reality; it's such a great lesson to us all.

A few little things have stuck with me the most. One is that I keep wondering how vital Helena's rock-and-roll past is to the story. Could the same set of circumstances (her travelling too much to be with Sam, mainly) have happened if she was a ... salesman for a huge corporation? Or even a small one? In essence, how vital was the music angle? That bugs me; I'd wanted it to be more important to Helena than just the songs that were playing during these events in her life.

However, THAT part of things is horridly true. Ask anyone who takes certain classes with me at the gym; I'm legendary for slipping off into my own little world, where I'm jamming so hard, my spin bike is trembling or where I'm so far gone that although my body's following the weight-lifting routine, it's obvious I'm sitting in Veteran's Stadium, the summer of 2003, enjoying the warm day, Linkin Park onstage, and an air conditioned skybox full of fellow Metallica fans (who got our own private bathroom!) awaiting me at the end of the band's set. Totally true. Totally real.

I just wish that authenticity hadn't been countermanded with stereotypes of the music scene. Not ALL producers are stoners, or stoned all the time, as Voss writes. Yeah, I know, her music biz resume is longer than mine, but boy, did a friend of mine (whose resume is longer than hers) hit the roof when I asked him if that was as much of a stereotype as I suspected. The manager who bilked the band -- why couldn't he have just been a bad manager who had a band succeed on a grand scale despite him?

Overall, though, I'd tell anyone to spend some time with this book. I hope Voss writes more; despite her stereotypes, I'll buy them. And if I see a copy of this for my shelves (let alone the girlfriend of the above friend, whose resume is yet longer), I'll be nabbing it. 

Journal Entry 26 by bookczuk from Charleston, South Carolina USA on Saturday, October 23, 2004

Journal Entry 27 by bookczuk from Charleston, South Carolina USA on Sunday, October 31, 2004

Journal Entry 28 by WarEagle78 from Hoover, Alabama USA on Saturday, November 06, 2004

This book arrived safely in Alabama - I'll journal again when read. I think I'll build the playlist and listen to it in my Rhapsody account... 

Journal Entry 29 by WarEagle78 from Hoover, Alabama USA on Thursday, November 11, 2004

Well - an interesting book. I'm old enough that I knew very few of the songs in Helena's playlist, but I've found and listened to many of them now and have enjoyed them. In fact, I have Ann Peebles' "I Can't Stand the Rain" playing right now.

There's not much to say that the others have not already said. I loved the relationship between Helena and Sam. I also thought that author Voss did her best work with the girls of the book. Not all the females, but the young girls. Ruby is an adorable apparition, and the young Helena and Sam were so beautifully articulated.

To Be Someone is ultimately an readable excursion into fame, friendship, and what's left when that's all gone.

Thanks, midwinter, for sharing! I've PMd for the next address, and will mail as soon as possible when I have it. 

Journal Entry 30 by WarEagle78 from Hoover, Alabama USA on Saturday, November 13, 2004

In mail today to vicki9170.
Thanks again! 

Journal Entry 31 by vicki9170 from Saint Petersburg, Florida USA on Tuesday, November 16, 2004

received today 

Journal Entry 32 by vicki9170 from Saint Petersburg, Florida USA on Thursday, February 17, 2005

starting this one tonight, PM'ing meshe for their addy 

Journal Entry 33 by vicki9170 from Saint Petersburg, Florida USA on Friday, February 18, 2005

meshe asked to be skipped, so PM'ing Jendudley 

Journal Entry 34 by vicki9170 from Saint Petersburg, Florida USA on Saturday, March 05, 2005

there were enjoyable parts to this book, but overall was just fairly depressing...could have been my mood too.....thanks for sharing! 

Journal Entry 35 by jendudley from Edinburg, Texas USA on Saturday, March 19, 2005

Will read over Easter Weekend *at the beach*

YAY! 

Journal Entry 36 by jendudley from Edinburg, Texas USA on Thursday, March 31, 2005

Journal Entry 37 by Suefitz from Saratoga, California USA on Monday, June 06, 2005

Looks great. Have a little more time to read since I got layed off a month ago. 

Journal Entry 38 by midwinter from Tucson, Arizona USA on Tuesday, October 18, 2005

I found another copy of this book to re-start the stalled ring. Please look to http://bookcrossing.com/journal/3369887 to follow the rest of the bookring's journey.

Suefitz - when you're done, please send the original copy back to me.

Happy reading everyone! 

Journal Entry 39 by Suefitz at Bookring in Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Released 6 yrs ago (11/8/2005 UTC) at Bookring in Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Returning home to Midwinter - sorry you had to start the ring over.