Today we're going to do a little book review, because I've failed to take pictures of the last couple things I made, or simply put off making things. I may soon be crossing off several intangible things on that darn 30x30 list, and if they do I'll be in position to get cracking on some of my pending projects. (I'm also guilty of binging on season 2 of Orange is the New Black this weekend, which I've finally finished and will free up some time.)
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In the meantime, we're talking about Life After Life, by Kate Atkinson.
This book made NPR's 100 Best Books of 2013 list, and consequently was chosen as the March selection for the local public book club that I attend. I knew a couple people who had read it already and they were enthusiastic fans. However I rarely trust the opinions of others when it comes to book recommendations, mostly because my own opinion of any book can change dramatically from one reading to the next. (It took me 3 solid attempts before finally finishing and enjoying Memoirs of a Geisha, the first two times I barely made it past chapter one and thought it was incredibly boring.)
Back to the book at hand. If anyone has tried to explain this book to you by way of recommendation, they probably said that it was a story of reincarnation, where the main character lives longer every time, starting with her dying at birth. Though that is an accurate description, when I heard it I immediately thought - sounds weird and boring. I imagined it would be told from the first person, with the main character narrating her life as an infant. Or recounting it, which never seems plausible and so I don't usually enjoy it. I was delighted to find that this was not the case, and it's actually told in the third person, focussing on her parents and siblings as much as if not more than her, in the beginning.
It won't give the game away to say that the actions taken by the main character have both minor and dramatic impacts on her life and it's trajectory. Much more than the actual content of the story itself, I felt the book gave rise to lots of opportunities to reflect upon the impacts of our decisions, and how one decision we might make no matter what, even if it's a very small decision, and it can form our future significantly. Or a very large decision might not have any lasting consequences.
Along with the other beach reads from last month, I highly suggest giving this book a try. Whether you get it for your Kindle, check it out from the library, or commit to a full purchase, I think it'll be worth your while.
What are you reading? Anything you've been surprised by? Let us know!
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