I'd like you to meet my therapist, Nicholas Sparks

To me, there is nothing better than a story that draws you in, and holds you tight. If the storyteller (or screenwriter) has done their job, you love the story, possibly enough to read or watch it again. If they have done their job well, you become a part of the story, and when the book or movie ends, the kinship you feel with the story and its characters is so deep, that it almost hurts to break the connection. So much so that you will pick up the book or hit play on the remote again and again, just to maintain the connection.

My personal preference is to read the book, then see the movie. I create a movie in my mind when I read the story, and then I compare what my mind created to what has been created on the screen. More often than not, however, I am dissapointed. Every once in a while, I'm surprisingly happy with the efforts the "professionals" have put forth for the masses.

Have you ever heard that sometimes, you just need to cry? My mom tells me this all the time, and I in turn now tell my daughter this. I don't know if it's due to hormones since I had my kids or if it's because I wear my heart on my sleeve, but I cry at the drop of a hat. I mean really, give me a sappy commercial on tv or a song by John Denver, and I am a puddle of mush. And I love a book that can squeeze the tears out of me.

In the last two days, I have had the opportunity to watch both "Dear John" and "The Last Song", both based on books by none other than my personal therpaist, Nicholas Sparks. I haven't gotten the chance to read "Dear John" yet, though it will certainly be on my list to pick up at Half Price Books this weekend. And when I read "The Last Song", I can tell you that it wasn't a pretty sight. We are talking tears, mascara streaming down my face, runny nose and all. Not to mention the cries of anguish as I got near the end of the story. It was wonderful. I can say that I got close to the same results watching both of these movies.

I don't think that there has been a Nicholas Sparks book I haven't enjoyed, and certainly not one that I have managed to finish with dry eyes. The best part of it, I only have to pay him once, when I buy each of his books. I can have hours and hours of therapy virtually for nothing!

Thank you, oh thank you Nicholas Sparks. I may not always pay full price for your efforts, but I get full results each and every time I break the spine.. you have never failed me, and I will always be a loyal reader!