My Sister's Keeper

Yeah

... um, you know, Jodi Picoult, I, I, you know, I think "My Sister's Keeper," I-

Yes.

And then couple other books, uh, I, I read of hers.

So I definitely need to buy less books in the rest of the year so that I can achieve my goal of ending the year with less books on my TBR than I started with on January 1st because I definitely... currently have more than I started with not a lot more but I definitely need to be reading more than I'm buying so with that being said the last thing is my reading plans for October so I definitely want to finish my two current books which is Drive by Kate Stewart and I'm also listening to the audiobook of Hollow Bones, which is Jodi Picoult's latest release, which I'm thoroughly enjoying.

I had no idea that it was kind of like a spinoff companion book to My Sister's Keeper.

So if you also did not know this, do not read her newest one unless you have read My Sister's Keeper because within the first couple chapters, she completely spoils the ending to My Sister's Keeper.

So definitely make sure you read that first.

And then we also have for the local mom's book club, they picked Frozen River by Ariel something.

After losing her mom on 9-11, Molly later becomes Rhode Island's Director of Emergency Preparedness.

Her husband, Jesse, a character from Picoult's My Sister's Keeper, is a polygraph expert laser-focused on lies.

In her 30th page-turner, Picoult hits the couple with a crisis and a shattering revelation, riveting and relentless.

Finally, we have two twisty new thrillers.

She is married to Jesse, who is a polygraph expert.

And fans will recognize Jesse from My Sister's Keeper.

Yes.

Great Easter egg there.

I think some readers and listeners might agree with me that her most recent books are have not been the ones that we've loved the most but I'm really pleased to say that this one is right back on track where she's taken a particular issue and she's writing about it and she's an advocate for it through this story.

It's a continuation in some ways of the book called My Sister's Keeper which is one of her most loved books and it's been on the was on the Whitcalls top 100 for years and years and years It's called My Sister's Keeper.

And she's taken a character from that book and immersed him into this new story.

But it doesn't matter if you didn't read the first one.

Yeah, okay, great, okay.

So, yeah, so you've taken one of your characters who was obviously a teenager in My Sister's Keeper.

And so when I got to that bit, I thought, that's so interesting.

What sort of was the motivation there?

Island.

And I was like, you know what? I'm just going to set this book here.

Why not? And so I was doing this research, and I suddenly thought – You know, My Sister's Keeper was set in Rhode Island, too.

Yeah.

We catch up with her 25 years later.

She is now married to Jesse Fitzgerald, who is a character from My Sister's Keeper, one of my earlier books.

They're having a baby, and she is the head of emergency preparedness and response for the state of Rhode Island.

She basically mitigates disaster so nobody has to feel the way she did growing up.

You know, this is my 30th novel.

It's a big achievement.

And My Sister's Keeper was one of those books that just really resonated with a lot of people.

So many people came to my books through My Sister's Keeper.

So let me read you the author bio, and we'll dive in from there.

Today's guest is the number one New York Times bestselling author of 30 novels, including By Any Name, Mad Honey, co-authored with Jennifer Finney Boylan, Wish You Were Here, The Book of Two Ways, A Spark of Light, Small Great Things, Leaving Time, and My Sister's Keeper.

And with daughter Samantha Van Leer, two young adult novels, Between the Lines and Off the Page.

She lives in New Hampshire with her husband.

But again, you need to be on board with the character to care about the letter and the divorce, et cetera.

So I love building up to that and not necessarily putting it in those opening pages.

Right, so let's talk about revisiting the characters from "My Sister's Keeper." That was just such a lovely surprise.

I squealed when I got there.

Hello, everyone.

Our guest today is Jodi Picoult, the number one New York Times bestselling author of 30 novels with over 63 million books in print and translation in 40 languages.

She's written everything from her breakout novel, My Sister's Keeper, to young adult books co-written with her daughter, to musicals for the stage.

She's also one of the country's most outspoken defenders of the freedom to read.

Her latest book, Hollow Bones, is out now.

Today, we'll talk about researching and writing complex medical and social situations, revisiting beloved characters in new novels, the freedom to read in a tumultuous world, and so much more.

Creative Inspired Alive is a video podcast featuring interviews with amazing authors and leading creativity experts about the creative process, the love of their craft, and of course, their latest books.

Hosted by New York Times bestselling author Evelyn Skye and writer and creativity coach Joanna Phoenix.