Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
This has to be one of the strangest books I have read. The premise of reincarnation is not a new but the story of Ursula Todd truly is a unique one. Ursula Todd is born on a snowy night in London in 1910. This is the story of her many lives and deaths. I say deaths because how she dies is just as important and how she lived. She is truly a unique and strong character. Ursula dies and is reborn so many times you need a score card to keep up but it is not until she enters adulthood that we really get to know the character. Each time she dies and comes back she changes something in her life and we see how different choices have different outcomes. Some of the ways she dies are brutal but the most disturbing part of the book was her life during WW II. It was brutal and the horrors she endured left nothing to the imagination.
This book is beautifully written but can be confusing at times. Do I recommend it? Yes but it is not for everyone.
The One I Left Behind by Jennifer McMahon
Thirteen year old Reggie is a little awkward and is struggling to build a relationship with a mother who has no interest in her daughter's life. This is only the beginning of her problems. A serial killer has come to her hometown leaving a severed hand as a calling card and a posed body for the police to find 4 days later. As Reggie tries to find her way, her mother falls victim to the killer but her body is never found. Jump ahead a couple of decades and successful Regina gets a phone call, her mother has been found and is living in a homeless shelter but she is dying of cancer. Regina puts her life on hold to take care of her. Unfortunately for Regina her mom is not the only one to re-enter her life, the serial killer is back and Regina's mom and best friend are in the cross hairs. She only has 4 days to find the killer and save them both.
This was a great book. It had lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing.
Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore A Novel by Robin Sloan
Clay Jannon is a web designer in San Francisco, or at least he was before the recession, now he work the night shift at Mr. P's bookstore. This is no ordinary bookstore and it doesn't take Clay long to realize something is definitely different about the place. There are very few customers and the ones who do come in treat it more like a library than a store, borrowing and not buying the books, per instructions of Mr. Penumbra. Upon further investigation Clay learns they are part of a secret society trying to decode a 500 year old book to find the secret of immortality. Clay recruits some of his techy friends to try and decode the book. It is high-tech vs no-tech full of unexpected twists and turns.
This book reminded me of National Treasure crossed with the Da Vinci Code. Do I think everyone will like this book? No, but I did. If you are a techy and like to read adventure and suspense then this is the book for you.
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
