Because the first thing I wanted to do after reading this story was tell the world about it. 

STORY OF THE YEAR:

"Twenty Thousand Gold Stars: A Novel About an Internet Community" by Dusk Peterson
(Link to the story at author's website)
Recommendation: I will try my best to be concise with because there is simply too much to say about TTGS. Briefly, it is a contemporary story based on reality about the struggles of adults attracted to minors. According to her author's note, Peterson spent three years researching this topic and seeking the heart of what is so often misunderstood and labeled "evil." She writes from the perspective of the so-called child-molesters and brings them to life in their interactions with one another, their struggles to find their place in the world, and their fight to not only survive but to love. No excuses or apologies are made, simply an honest, objective exploration of the human character, and the resulting masterpiece is powerful enough to change my perspective of the world and heartwrenching enough to leave me in sporadic tears for the rest of the week. The varying viewpoints in the story are intelligent, articulate, well-informed, in-depth, and thought-provoking. The characters challenge one another and the reader as well, and the characterizations are so real and human that I cannot help but respect - even love - every one of them (the character Gold Star, especially).

"That's why I hope you'll keep posting here, so that we can learn from your story, just as I've learned from the stories of the boylovers I've met here," says one character on the Internet forums in response to the mother of a child abuse victim. I beg you all to give this story a try, despite the sensitive content, because here is a story about love, about friendship, about forgiveness and acceptance and understanding, and I guarantee it will send your world lurching, as it has mine.

Warning: The subject matter is delicate, to put it lightly. Topics include to varying degrees religion (primarily Christianity), human rights, homosexuality, pedophilia, incest, and suicide.

I've been reading The Alienist by Caleb Carr, which a friend recommended a few years ago, and it's incredible. A psychological crime novel, to put it bluntly, but definitely with a lot more going for it than most modern thrillers. It's well-written, with a distinctive, old-fashioned style very different from, say, James Patterson or John Grisham (whose books I love, don't get me wrong, but their so-called "writing styles" are not ones I would boast of - not meaning to sound so obnoxiously snotty). The bulk of the novel takes place in 1896 New York, as the narrator likes to point out obsessively for some reason, and it's very heavily researched, staying as historically and culturally accurate as possible. Mostly, it has been the plot that's engrossed me for the last few days, intriguing and unique as it is, but I've definitely become attached to many of the characters. 

[SPOILER TO FOLLOW] In fact, I had the wild notion of writing a fanfiction from one of the side character's perspective (I forbid anyone to comment on how wild you think that notion is) and was beginning to plot out her story when I turned the page and - lo and behold, she died. To be honest, I wasn't particularly attached to her character, but she had a close relationship with one of the more major characters whom I was invested in and who was unbelievably devastated by her death. That was the relationship I had wanted to explore in a fanfiction. Reading that main character's resulting anguish brought on my first onslaught of tears for this book, and I had to put the book down, promising myself to finish it tomorrow. Anyway, I've just been kind of devastated myself and wanted to vent a bit - it's a little embarassing how much stories can affect me, and no one else I know suffers this same complex, so livejournal seems like the next best option, unless I feel like talking to myself. So, I'm hoping I can still somehow salvage a fanfiction from the remains of that situation. 

Also, I'm really sorry for being the queen of fickleness when it comes to responding/commenting/etc. I've been a little busy and frustrated lately with applying to Chinese colleges (the bane of my existence! I hate them! I hate them!) amongst other problems, so have abandoned the internet for a little while and will continue to do so. Really sorry for anyone expecting a response!

Question of the Day: Why have camcorders become obsolete? There's no other replacement, and we need them!