Book Description: In nineteen minutes, you can mow the front lawn, color your hair, watch a third of a hockey game. In nineteen minutes, you can bake scones or get a tooth filled by a dentist; you can fold laundry for a family of five....In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world, or you can just jump off it. In nineteen minutes, you can get revenge.

Sterling is a small, ordinary New Hampshire town where nothing ever happens -- until the day its complacency is shattered by a shocking act of violence. In the aftermath, the town's residents must not only seek justice in order to begin healing but also come to terms with the role they played in the tragedy. For them, the lines between truth and fiction, right and wrong, insider and outsider have been obscured forever. Josie Cormier, the teenage daughter of the judge sitting on the case, could be the state's best witness, but she can't remember what happened in front of her own eyes. And as the trial progresses, fault lines between the high school and the adult community begin to show, destroying the closest of friendships and families.

Nineteen Minutes is New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult's most raw, honest, and important novel yet. Told with the straightforward style for which she has become known, it asks simple questions that have no easy answers: Can your own child become a mystery to you? What does it mean to be different in our society? Is it ever okay for a victim to strike back? And who -- if anyone -- has the right to judge someone else?

THIS IS A BOOKRAY (Bookray officially complete as of 19SEP09; it is with the last participant, Bookwormess.)
This book is to continue my stalled ray: http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/6187077
I have sent everyone on the list a PM and have moved the bookray details to this journal entry. I thank everyone for their patience while I waited for PMs and journaling on the original bookray. I am placing a small sticker on the cover of the book to indicate it is a bookray - can be removed by last reader. This ray is now underway - as of 22Sep2008.

Members are as follows - member in bold currently has possession of the book:

Bookcrosser Name (State) ~ Will ship to
dvg (NJ) ~ US only
MmeClinton (ME) ~ US only
Rrrcaron (NH) ~ US only
Rebeccaljames (OH) ~ US only
Vzfamily (OH) ~ US only
sunfi (OH) ~ US/Intl
lisabb2 (IA) US only ~asked to be skipped~
Auntmissy (MO) ~ US only
Top-tappser (WA) ~ US/Canada
Nolatari (TX) ~ US only ~asked to be skipped; on another ray list~
Bug2004 (NE, USA) ~ (US) ~asked to be skipped~
cyber-librarian (NC) ~ US/Canada
CollegeLady (CA) ~ International (Big BC Hugs) ~asked to be skipped~
Martjxox (Italy) ~ International (Big BC Hugs) ~PM'd twice; no reply~
Bookwormess (Finland) ~ (Finland/Europe) ~19Sep09 arrived safely; completing the ray.
~END OF RAY~
Twynnie 20JAN09-REMOVED FROM LIST; RCD AS RABCK.

This is how a Book Ray works:
~If you wish to be added to the list, please PM me with your details.
~Please let me know your mailing preferences (US/International).
~We will kick off once we have 5 members.
~You will be sending the book to the person who appears after you in the list, so you need to PM them to get their address!
~It's not a race, but please read and send the book on as speedily as you can, other people are dying to read it too.
~Please journal the book once you have received it (so we all know where it currently is) and again when you have read it (so we know what you thought of it!)
~If you're the last person on the list (i.e., we run out of members) the book may be wild released or traded but I ask you check the journal entries to make certain you are the last on the list.

Wow! This one really grabs at your heartstrings. My emotions and opinions were jumping back and forth throughout this book. Some parts were tough to read because of the subject. It is so relevant to the times, Picoult has picked one of those things which America does not want to discuss and opens it up for discussion in true Picoult style.

I really liked that we got in the mind of Peter, as well as other characters. Many times in these tragic situations everyone is left wondering why they did it. Why didn't anyone spot the signs? Why didn't anyone stop it? Here is something to help you spot it. Read this.

If you are a parent with a kid in school right now, read this book. It may be difficult but it sure is enlightening. If you are a teacher, read this book, take the appropriate steps when you see this stuff happening. If you are a high school student, read this book, take responsibility for the words that hurt others and be kind.

I'm really looking forward to reading all the JEs on this book. This would make an excellent book group read.

I am sending to MmeClinton first thing Monday morning (29Sep08). Hope you enjoy!

This beautiful hardcover just arrived today in Maine, in perfect condition. I am really looking forward to reading it! I have about 100 pages left in my current read, and this will be the next, so I should have it ready to move on in a week or so! Thank you, dvg, for a splendid set up and a lovely book! I will take good care of it!

I stayed up much too late many nights in a row immersed in this tale. Of course I live practically where it takes place, but it resonates in many other ways. Interestingly, just this week I attended a faculty workshop (yes, I am a high school teacher...) by an amazing presenter (Dr. Elizabeth Englander) concerning bullying and cyberbullying, a real eye opener. I was about halfway through the book at that point, so I went up to her afterwords to mention how this book spoke to all the issues she had brought up concerning bullies, eggers, floaters, fitting in or not, etc. She has read the book and gave high praise to Jodi Picoult for doing her research and presenting an extremely accurate picture of this microcosm. The point of the book of course is not the event of the school shooting so much as the various cultures (school, gun, larger society) that contributes to making such a disaster possible and even explicable. I wish all our students could read this as well, but unfortunately (for this idea) there are a few scenes, quite frank, concerning teen sexuality that would make it fairly impossible to suggest as summer reading. This is really too bad, because otherwise some intense conversations could come out of this book. Personally? I felt sad for everbody involved; for parents who were coping as best they could with life as it came to them; for kids who struggle to be accepted even when the popular culture can be so vicious; for teachers who sense undercurrents but who are often far from the loop of what is going on (adults did not intervene when they could have in this book, and yes, sometimes they condone and even admire behavior of students whom they personally like, but if we are honest, we should admit that much bullying is done out of the sight and hearing of teachers at school); for all of our inability to have empathy with individuals who suffer and prefer to label them monsters after the fact. I think humans have great capacity to be good and also great capacity to strike out when hurt and humiliated. We should all be working to improve the world bit by bit in such ways that each individual has better chances to find balance. It isn't black and white out there, and one morality does not fit all. I was very struck by the scientific evidence explaining how PTSD would work in the brain of a teenager who literally has not matured physically (in his brain) to be able to truly premeditate rather than fantasize. Anyway, a fascinating read, which I will now send off to our next reader! Thank you again, dvg, for the book ray and the gorgeous bookmarks! I took one and will send one on!

I received this book in the mail today. I have one to read beforehand, but I'll get to this soon.
Ruth

Oh my God, what a story! I'm still kind of in shock having just turned the last page minutes ago. Jodi Picoult's subject matter never ceases to amaze me. Comparing this post tramatic symptom with battered woman made sense. How much can a human take before they believe they are acting in self defense? How can we as fellow human beings see signs that can prevent these tragedies? This story is going to stay with me for quite some time. Thanks so much for sharing. Sending on to next reader....
Ruth

I received this book today. I am looking forward to reading it. I will get to it as soon as I possibly can. Thank you for sharing.

This is going out to the next person tomorrow. I'm sorry for keeping it for so long. Thank you for sharing.

Received this in the mail last Friday - just now starting it!! THANKS FOR INCLUDING ME IN THE BOOKRING!!!

Wow, what a wonderful and thought provoking book!! Not that anyone would ever condone the act - but that this might open people's eyes to how brutal bullying can be. I used to feel so bad for the kids who were picked on mercilessly, and for what? To make someone else laugh? To make someone else feel better about themselves? It's shameful and I hope that this book will open people's eyes as to how that can ruin lives!

PMing the next person...

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Sending along to the next on the list - ENJOY!!! And again - THANKS for letting me be part of this bookray!!

This arrived one day this week when I was out of town. I'll get to this as soon as I can I have a number of other rings/rays ahead of this one. Thanks dvg for including me and Vzfamily for sending this to me.

9 May 09 - Wow, what a great, tragic, thought-provoking story. I've never read something that had me quite as sympathetic for so many of the characters. This is a story of a boy who is picked on and bullied from the first day of kindergarten until he finally takes matters into his own hands. A twist at the end was very surprising and not what I was expecting. This is the first book I've read by Jodi Picoult, but I will definitely be checking out some of her other works. Thanks for including me in this one and I'll get it on it's way to auntmissy hopefully a little later today.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Just sent out today via Media with DC #03083390000164842522. It should be to MO in the next couple of weeks.

Hey y'all, from J-mo. The book just arrived a couple of days ago, it's in good shape and I have already started reading it. My first impression is that it is typical jodi picoult style. I have read 5 or 6 of her other books and have enjoyed them. She seems to have a way with dealing with hard subjects in a meaningful way. I cant wait to REALLY get into it. I will jot another note when I finish and I hope it doesnt take me too long to finish. Thanks dvg for including me in your ray!

Back again, it took me longer than I wanted (almost a month!!)to read this book but I am glad I finished it. Ms. Picoult was true to form and made a hard subject easier to hear, read and discuss. I love reading her books but she tends to introduce way too many characters and voices at the beginning and it gets me a little confused. But I still enjoy the story once I figure out who is important. I am about to start a auto book called "When I first believed" by Wally lamb which takes on the same subject matter, the characters are teachers at columbine high school during the time when that school shooting takes place. I will take the time to plug Mr. Lamb's books here, if you like Ms. Picoult you will probably like his. "She's come undone" and and "I know this much is true" are about a young overweight girl learning to live in a world prejudice against her and a young man and his twin that has a mental illness. Thanks for including me, the book will go out in the mail on monday!

Rec'd today via the postman. I have one bookray I am currently reading and then I will get to this one. Thank You so much for sharing.

Picoult always tackles subjects that most people don't want to talk about. This one shows how cruel kids can be. The middle school my son went to knows this all to well as the bullies drove one child to suicide while my son was attending. Although my son was a target of some there, he handled it better then most and came away with good friends that he still has 10 years later. I remember being bullied in middle school also(never in highschool). I tried to remember this when counseling my child through those years. I think the whole nation needs to work harder on teaching our kids to respect each others differences. I will continue to read Picoults books, although I don't always find them entertaining, they are very educational when it comes to understanding the human dynamic.


I have contacted the next on this list and she already has received another ring for this book, so I will skip her and move on to the next. Bug2004 has also asked to be skipped. Next..............It will be mailed later this week.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Mailed to the next in line. cyber-librarian

I received this book on 7/20 from top-tapper in WA ... as part of this bookray. I just finished the 2 bookrings I was reading, so this is perfect timing!

c. 2007 -- 455 pages -- Hardcover -- School shootings -- Crimes against High school students -- Women judges -- New Hampshire -- 5 weeks on the USA Today top-10 Bestseller list:
#2 on 3/11/07 and 3/18
#3 on 3/25/07
#9 on 4/15/07
#10 on 4/1/07

I finished reading this book on 8/10. It didn't grab me like Picoult's other books have that I've read. The first half of the book was a good story ... but had me wondering where she was going to go from here. Then the rest just didn't pull me in. I was disappointed ... it was a good read ... but not my high expectations for Jodi Picoult.

I PMed CollegeLady on 8/11 and she told me she already has a copy on 8/15 and wants to be skipped.
I PMed Martjxox on 8/15 and 8/19 and never heard back.
So now I'm sending a PM to Bookwormess on 8/23.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I'm mailing this book today to bookwormess in Finland ... to complete this bookray.

Hiphip, it's here! Sorry it took a bit time, this was waiting for a while in the post office as I was out of town. I have several books in a pile I must read soon, so i'll put this on the bottom. But that probably is ok as the ray ends in me. I'm sure I'll find readers to this in Helsinki after me.

Thanks for mailing this to me cyber-librarian, I noticed it wasn't the cheapest thing.. *bowing*

What a book! I was completely under the spell of this book, felt need to read it anywhere I possibly could, but it still took me few weeks to finish. I really love Picoult's books as she usually handles subjects that are somehow controversial, but she does it in very versatile way - reader can usually relate to many of the characters or feel sympathy for the "bad guy". She also tends o surprise in the end, like in this book I realised in the end that there was a reason why some relations were narrated so thoroughly from the beginning.

I really recommend this book. Have to take it to our local meeting soon, I bet I can persuade someone to read it. :) Thank you for sharing the book!

I received this book today from bookwormess as a surprise, thank you so very much! I haven't read any of Jodi Picoult's books before and I guess I will start with 'My Sister's Keeper' as I got it also but in Finnish. Anyway, thank you again for sharing this book!

I'm so sorry I never read this book. And now I think it's time to let it go and give someone else a chance to read it. I'll release the book to a local library.

KIRJAN LÖYTÄJÄLLE Kiitos, että otit tämän kirjan mukaasi! Ilahdutathan kirjan aiempia lukijoita tekemällä tähän merkinnän, jossa kerrot kirjan löytymisestä. Mikäli luet kirjan, voit halutessasi tehdä uuden merkinnän ja kertoa, mitä pidit lukemastasi. Jatkossa voit pitää kirjan itselläsi tai antaa sen jatkaa matkaansa. Jos innostuit bookcrossing-toiminnasta, käväise sivuston yläreunassa rekisteröitymässä jäseneksi. Jäsenyys on ilmaista! Jos haluat jatkossa seurata tämän kirjan kulkua, kirjaudu käyttäjätunnuksillasi sivustolle ja tee BCID-tunnuksen avulla tähän uusi merkintä. @ Bookcrossingista suomeksi Wikipediassa: http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bookcrossing @ Tietoa BookCrossingista: http://www.bookcrossing.com/information @ Suomenkielinen keskustelufoorumi: http://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/30

Lukuiloa!