Before I Die

by Jenny Downham | Teens |
ISBN: 9780385613538 Global Overview for this book
Registered by Frenchnicola of Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on 8/31/2008
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10 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by Frenchnicola from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Sunday, August 31, 2008
i heard about this book on a radio programme, and thought it sounded worth a read. It wasn't quite what i expected, but I apopreciated the straightforward way it looked at the life and death of Tessa, a young terminal cancer sufferer, and her attempt to work her way through a list of things to do before the inevitable. It made me cry at the end, surely a sign of a good book, and makes you think about living life fully.

I'm going to send this book on a ray, PM me if you would like to join.

Ray order:

yayajanuary (Jakarta - post anywhere)
Brujula (France - post anywhere, prefer Europe)
madnad (Spain - post Europe)
becky1979 (BC Birmingham - post anyhere, prefer UK)
turnpages (UK)
300dogs (USA)
ruzena (Finland)

Journal Entry 2 by Frenchnicola at By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Released 15 yrs ago (9/3/2008 UTC) at By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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Posted off to yayajanuary in Indonesia today - bon voyage book!

Journal Entry 3 by yayajanuary from Jakarta, Jakarta Indonesia on Tuesday, September 16, 2008
thanks Frenchnicola :)
I will try read it in a month before sending it to the next person in this ray

Journal Entry 4 by yayajanuary from Jakarta, Jakarta Indonesia on Thursday, October 9, 2008
This is a very emotional book for me, as my mom has a cancer and I have to admit I'm scared to death like what Tess' family feels.

Tess taught me how to be brave in dealing with her dying by making things to do list before she dies. I weep in several pages as I read what Tess wishes really are. I mostly touch
when she writes "some instructions to her family member".

The book taught me to always cherish your loved ones.

PS: my favorite line in the book:
"Bye Tess. Haunt me if you like. I don't mind."

Journal Entry 5 by yayajanuary at Bookring/Bookray, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Canada on Thursday, October 9, 2008

Released 15 yrs ago (10/9/2008 UTC) at Bookring/Bookray, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Canada

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Send to Brujula as the next person in the book ray :)

Journal Entry 6 by Brujula from Valenciennes, Nord-Pas-de-Calais France on Sunday, October 26, 2008
This book arrived nicely in my mailbox yesterday.
Thank you for sending it from so far away!

Journal Entry 7 by Brujula from Valenciennes, Nord-Pas-de-Calais France on Friday, November 21, 2008
A book worth reading. This dying teenager is so full of life! The feelings of this girl, of her relatives, of her friends are very well described or implied. The book feels almost real.
Thank you very much for sharing this.

Journal Entry 8 by Brujula at on Friday, November 28, 2008

Released 15 yrs ago (11/28/2008 UTC) at

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goes on to the next reader, in the Canary Islands

Journal Entry 9 by madnad from Tenerife - Adeje, Santa Cruz de Tenerife Spain on Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Received today from Brujula - thank you! I'll read this book as soon as I've finished my current one:)

Journal Entry 10 by madnad from Tenerife - Adeje, Santa Cruz de Tenerife Spain on Monday, December 8, 2008
I loved this book! I loved Tessa, admiring her strength and bravery and optimism and her way of coping with her terminal illness. I loved the characters and the story-line and yes, the final pages were a real tear-jerker for me. Despite the sadness of the story I had to laugh out loud quite a few times, too. Thanks so much for sharing this!

Journal Entry 11 by madnad from Tenerife - Adeje, Santa Cruz de Tenerife Spain on Friday, December 12, 2008
Sent to becky1979 half an hour ago!

Journal Entry 12 by Becky1979 from Birmingham, West Midlands United Kingdom on Friday, January 2, 2009
I cried most of the way through this book - very moving. Will send it off asap.

Journal Entry 13 by 300dogs from Jackson, New Jersey USA on Friday, January 30, 2009
Arrived safely in New Jersey. I have a few rings ahead of this but will get to it asap. I can't remember what it is about, only that I wanted to read it. I'm looking forward to it.

Journal Entry 14 by 300dogs from Jackson, New Jersey USA on Thursday, April 9, 2009
Wow-what a story and what a brave girl. Having lost my mother to cancer 5 years ago, this book was very emotional for me. The hardest part for me to read was when Philippa was explaining to Tessa "how it will be." The "instructions" for her family really got to me as well. Luckily, all my tear drops have dried from the pages by now!

PS--I don't normally hold onto rings or rays for over two months! Up until last week, I was the last person on the list and let a few rings go ahead of this one. I thought I was going to include it in a "books worth reading" bookbox but then, I got a pm that someone else had joined the ray. It will be mailed this afternoon to ruzena. Thank you Frenchnicola for sharing this book with us all.

Journal Entry 15 by 300dogs at Bookring/Bookray, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Canada on Thursday, April 9, 2009

Released 14 yrs ago (4/9/2009 UTC) at Bookring/Bookray, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Canada

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The ray continues...off to Finland next! Enjoy and keep tissues handy!

Journal Entry 16 by wingruzenawing on Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Thank you, 300dogs and Frenchnicola! Reading soon...

Journal Entry 17 by wingruzenawing on Friday, May 22, 2009
I loved this book! I see it is a YA book, but even if I am rather an OA, I found the book pretty good. The author's style is fresh and brisk, and she finds the essential in her characters. As I wanted to find out what else she has written, I learned that this is her debut novel. But no wonder she writes freshly about young people: "I was an actor working for Tellers Theatre --- a community theatre company based in London. We used improvisation techniques to take stories to young people who wouldn’t normally have access to them --- in prisons, hospitals, young offender’s units, youth clubs and housing estates. It was often terrifying. Yet every day was a grand adventure. I was making stories on my feet. I worked with them for seven years until I had my second son --- I gave up acting and began to write. I used all my acting techniques to do it", she says in an interview.

-ruzena

Thank you Frenchnicola and 300dogs for sharing and sending! Now if you don't mind, I'll lengthen the ray by adding a couple of Finnish readers:

lukutuoli
halonhakkaaja

Journal Entry 18 by wingruzenawing at Hämeenlinna, Kanta-Häme / Egentliga Tavastland Finland on Friday, May 22, 2009

Released 14 yrs ago (5/22/2009 UTC) at Hämeenlinna, Kanta-Häme / Egentliga Tavastland Finland

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Sanatarkkaan "I" :)

Journal Entry 19 by winglukutuoliwing from Tampere, Pirkanmaa / Birkaland Finland on Monday, May 25, 2009
The book arrived with a couple of tissues - I love your humor, ruzena :)) Thanks for the book, I'll pass it to halonhakkaaja after I've read it.

Journal Entry 20 by winglukutuoliwing from Tampere, Pirkanmaa / Birkaland Finland on Friday, May 29, 2009
I was happy that I had a possibility to read the final part of this book alone, the instructions of Tessa for family members were really touching and I really needed the tissues, ruzena sent me. Although the basic tone of this book was sad, there was good humor in this book, too.
It feels great to be healthy and alive after reading this story!

Journal Entry 21 by winglukutuoliwing at Bookring/Bookray, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Canada on Friday, May 29, 2009

Released 14 yrs ago (5/29/2009 UTC) at Bookring/Bookray, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Canada

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This bookray goes next to halonhakkaaja, I'll post the book during this weekend.





Journal Entry 22 by halonhakkaaja from Kuopio, Pohjois-Savo / Norra Savolax Finland on Wednesday, June 3, 2009
The book arrived yesterday by post. Thanks Frenchnicola for sharing this book and thanks Lukutuoli for sending the book and the lovely postcard!

***
Edit 12.9.2010
I read this book already in Februar, but I noticed not until now, that I had forgotten to make a journal entry. The book was very touching.

Journal Entry 23 by halonhakkaaja at Kuopio, Pohjois-Savo / Norra Savolax Finland on Thursday, January 20, 2011

Released 13 yrs ago (1/20/2011 UTC) at Kuopio, Pohjois-Savo / Norra Savolax Finland

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Vapautuu mahdollisesti tänään bc-tapaamisessa.

Journal Entry 24 by Oikku at Kuopio, Pohjois-Savo / Norra Savolax Finland on Saturday, January 22, 2011
Wow, this book sure has found it's way around the Globe!
I got the book from Halonhakkaaja the day before yesterday.

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