Rose, Rosie and The Rosie Effect/Project

I recently purchased an audio recording of Graeme Simsion's 'The Rosie Project' read by Dan O'Grady when I was looking for Simsion's other book 'The Rosie Effect', which the bookstore didn't have on the day I was there.
'The Rosie Project' is the first book of the two, so it made sense to read, or in this case listen to it, before buying 'The Rosie Effect'.

'The Rosie Effect' sitting on a
Bangalow bookshelf with 'Kevin'

I had remembered seeing 'The Rosie Effect' sitting on the same shelf as the book, 'We Need to Talk About Kevin' in a Bangalow bookstore on the same day I bought the paper featuring Ruby Rose on the front page of a Sydney newspaper, which I wrote about in this post titled -
My Ruby Rose and the Giant Peach Synch

I also notice that there was a book by a guy named Anthony Quinn sitting above 'The Rosie Effect' book in the photo above of the Bangalow bookshop, which reminded me of my Anthony Quinn post -
Triumph as the Painting by Anthony Quinn Returns
Although not the same Anthony Quinn who wrote Curtain Call.

So, because I had never seen the book 'The Rosie Effect' until that day in Bangalow when I saw the Ruby Rose newspaper article, I thought this might be a sign that I should read this book, even though I don't like romantic comedy type books.

The day I came across 'The Rosie Project' audio book I had been reading an article from the above Flow magazine, so the image of the guy riding the bike struck me as another reason to go with the flow and buy the audio book.
And I'm glad that I did, because this story is bloody funny and while it is a rom/com it has a unique way of telling a relationship story through the main character's way of seeing the world.

I also found it synchy that in 'The Rosie Project' the main character buys Jackson Browne's 'Running on Empty' CD, because I was thinking of downloading that album onto my iPod, so I had a good selection of driving music for my road trip to Canberra in April and because I'm seeing Jackson Browne this Sunday play live at Bluesfest. 

Here is the passage from 'The Rosie Project'-
"The radio would be as distracting as podcasts, so I decided to purchase my first CD since the Bach experiment. 
The service station just short of the New South Wales border had a limited selection but I recognised a few albums from my father’s collection. 
I settled on Jackson Browne’s Running on Empty. 
With the repeat button on, it became the soundtrack to my driving and reflections over three days. 
Unlike many people, I am very comfortable with repetition. 
It was probably fortunate that I was driving alone."
I found this passage above also weird because I'll be driving alone next April to that very same New South Wales/Victorian border (that I have never been to in my life before) the character buys the Running on Empty CD from.
I had planned on visiting the highest spot in Australia (Mount Kosciuszko) and driving into Victoria, an Australian state that I have never set foot in, even though I've lived in Australia all my life, when I drive down to visit my youngest son who lives in Canberra.

View of Mount Kosciuszko from the east

I joke that once I reach the top of Mount Kosciuszko it will be all downhill from here on for me, much like the Bangalow Billy-cart derby day where I first saw the Rosie book:-)
The author never states why specifically the main character chooses Jackson Browne's 'Running on Empty', but I suspect it is because one of the songs listed on the album is called 'Rosie';-)

'Rosie' (Browne, Donald Miller) – 3:37 Recorded backstage (9/1/77) "in the big rehearsal room", Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY

I will definitely be buying The Rosie Effect now after all of these weird synchs.
And I highly recommend 'The Rosie Project' for anyone wanting a good read or listen, one that I'll be listening to again in the near future for sure, as it is a great meditation on the weirdness of human romance and life in general. 
 “Humans often fail to see what is close to them and obvious to others.”
― Graeme Simsion, The Rosie Project

 “You can’t go through life not listening to music.”
― Graeme Simsion, The Rosie Project

I also thought it funny that another cover for 'The Rosie Project' has a picture of a lobster on the cover, as it reminds me of another post I wrote, about seeing the movie 'The Lobster'. 
Spectre, The Lobster and 4:20

 “And how could I be sure that other people were not doing the same—playing the game to be accepted but suspecting all the time that they were different?”
― Graeme Simsion, The Rosie Project

Update
I see that Jennifer Lawrence dropped out of 'The Rosie Project', but I don't think that would have worked out with her in the role of Rosie.
Jennifer Lawrence drops The Rosie Project
My suggestion would to be to get someone like Chris Hemsworth to play the dorky Dan and get a local Australian actor like Libby Munro to play Rosie.

I think that would work better, as the movie would be aimed more at the female audience anyway, so the lead male needs to be the draw for audiences and someone like Chris has shown he likes to do comical/romantic roles.
I got the idea of Chris Hemsworth as Dan when I heard he was at Bluesfest on Good Friday and Easter Saturday.
Easter Saturday at Bluesfest 2016

Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky
at the Byron Bay Bluesfest on Friday

Someone like Libby Munro would make a good Rosie and keep the Australian flavour to the story, too, I feel.
I think you need an actress who is a little more "grounded" than Jennifer Lawrence to play Rosie;-)
Libby Munro: A Grounded Actress with High Skies Ahead of Her

Libby as Vanda in the QTC 2013
play "Venus in Fur"

And sticking with the Bluesfest news.

Jackson Browne playing the
Crossroads stage Easter Sunday, 2016

I wrote about seeing Jackson Browne play 'Running on Empty' on Easter Sunday in Byron Bay at this link -

Easter Sunday at Bluesfest 2016