Tag Book reviews

Seven Novels That I Still Can’t Put Down

Reg Spittle Leave a comment

Looking for a novel with a compelling human angle? Here are seven I enjoyed very much; click on the links to read my brief reviews. I would love to hear your thoughts about any or all of them.

Boy at the Crossroads, by Mary Ford. Conley Ford, 13 years old, can no longer cope with his impoverished life that includes an abusive father. Bad choices on the road are offset by his appearance that makes him look 17. His final crossroad may surprise you.

Camino Club, by Kevin Craig. Six wayward teenagers are sentenced for their crimes. Their punishment–to walk Spain’s Camino de Santiago–delivers them to places they never imagined. I almost finished this in one day, it was such a gripping story.

Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse. Siddhartha is a handsome young Brahman who is wealthy, exceptionally intelligent, and loved. He seems to have it all, but he feels unfulfilled. In this classic, he sets out to find fulfillment.

13 Reasons Why, by Jay Asher. Whether or not you watched the popular Netflix series, this book weaves depression and teen angst with scenes of bullying, rumor-mongering, stalking, lying, and a horrific crime. A teen suicide sets off the intriguing story.

The Humans, by Matt Haig. A sci-fi story by one of the most-read British authors. An alien comes to Earth with a mission to kill, but human nature intercedes–in most cases. A moving story with playful scenes. One of the best books I have read in 2023.

Okay for Now, by Gary D. Schmidt. I loved this book so much that I sent a copy to each of my three adult sons. To be honest, I wished they were kids again and I could read it aloud with them, like I did with countless stories when they were growing up. A coming-of-age story that will tickle your funny bone and touch your heart. Truly an exceptional book.

The Only Way Home, by Jeanette Minniti. It is 1933, the depth of the Great Depression and the low point of 15-year-old Robert’s life. His father has died and his mother seeks ways to feed her five children. They lose their home and move into a tiny house. Robert, like many other older children of the times, makes decisions adults would find daunting.

Matt Haig: Does Extra Time Bring Happiness?

Reg Spittle 2 Comments

Do you ever wish you could slow your body clock? What if you would age just a year for every two years? Would it be even better if you would age just a year for every 15 years? Extra time also comes with a bonus: You would be immune from human illnesses.

Ready to sign up?

Wait a minute. How long before people around you proclaim, “You look so young! How do you do it?” After a few more years, what if people, fearing that you are not normal, pull away from you, even suspect that you are evil personified? Your parents, siblings, wife, children, grow old and die while you age just a few years.

You might enjoy being 18 for 15 years, but would you feel as good about being in your 80s for 150 years? What would happen if you told people the truth?

In Matt Haig’s How to Stop Time, Tom Hazard is a 41-year-old high school history teacher in England whose real life has spanned 439 years. He ages normally until he is 13, when it takes 15 years for him to age to 14. Born in 1581, he works with Shakespeare and sails with Captain Cook.

As much as he is enthralled with technological advances and opportunities to know famous historical figures, Tom harbors regrets and worries about his future, keeping him from enjoying the present most of the time.

Tom tells his story through travels to his past. He knows there are others like him, and they are protected by the Albatross Society, whose leader’s most important rule is to never fall in love. Tom had a wife and daughter many years before, but, now, he falls for a high school French teacher. He must decide whether to push her away or to let go of the restrictions, tell her his secrets, and live in the present. Have four centuries been enough time for him to learn how to be happy?

Haig has been forthcoming about his own mental health struggles. Mental health themes come through in this and two other of his novels I have read, Midnight Library, and The Humans. I recommend all three thought-provoking books.

Matt Haig’s literary fame was boosted when actor/producer Bernard Cumberbatch purchased the film rights to How to Stop Time. Cumberbatch plans to play the lead.