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The Midnight Library: A GMA Book Club Pick: A Novel
Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?
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Community Reviews
This was a nice read. I enjoyed the story overall. At times, I often thought about what it would be like to go back and make a slight change on my path in life, but as the story goes, the grass is not always greener on the other side.
No spoilers here, just a quick thought. I really enjoyed this book. There are a lot of negative reviews based on the fact that the premise isnât a new idea. For me, that was irrelevant. The story telling around a familiar theme was rich and detailed, and the different facets made this a new take. Introspection is a powerful tool and this book inspires just that.
âIt's between life and death where the shelves go on and a book allows you to try on another life via choices and to undo your regrets.â ~Mrs. Elm
You never are going to be satisfied until you get the life you envision from seeing other peopleâs. But what if you can see what your life could have or would have been if all you had to do is to open up a book and then look into it? Will it be any more fulfilling or will it just disappoint you, time and time again? One way to find out. Pick up this book and read it to find out. ;) Joke intended.
Nora Seed is on the verge of suicide. Her life has definitely not turned out the way she envisioned. Once a possible contender for the Olympic swimming team, her dad doesnât care for her and has another family altogether and it doesnât include her, her mother is very ill and later passes away, her cat just died, Nora gets fired because of the loss of her cat causes her to be late. Her boss simply tells her, âNora, youâre simply too gloomy and scaring away my customers.â Just when life couldnât get any worse, she runs into a former bandmate who is still bitter that she is the cause of why they broke up and her brother was in town and didnât bother letting Nora know.
After Nora takes a bunch of pills to commit suicide, Nora is visited by her old school librarian, Mrs. Elm. Together, Nora goes from book to book trying on different lives based on what could have been if she chooses to make certain choices. She is full of regret and poor choices. Through the magic portal of the books, Nora revisits old boyfriends, enters into the continuation of her swimming, fulfills her earliest dream of becoming a glaciologist, continues with her band, a rockstar, the death of her brother, not going to Australia with her best friend, Izzy because her mother got sick, her chance meeting with Hugo who is also page gliding and doing what sheâs doing, and finally, meeting her possible husband and child. She comes with a lot of baggage and regrets. With each choice she makes, there are outcomes and consequences. Can she live with the consequences is the key. Obviously not because thatâs why she kept going from one book to the next.
Finally, Mrs. Elm explains, itâs what you make out of your regrets and come to terms with it and are able to move on. "Keep your head down, keep your stamina, keep swimming."
The Midnight Library
Some of my favorite quotes from this book are:
âIt's between life and death where the shelves go on and a book allows you to try on another life via choices and to undo your regrets.â ~Mrs. Elm
"You don't go to death. Death comes to you." ~Mrs. Elm
"They are portals to the lives you could be living." ~Mrs. Elm
"Book of Regrets" Every regret you ever had, is recorded here. ~Mrs. Elm
âAll new future begins at midnight.â~Mrs. Elm
You can live that life as if you've always been there and the book will never be returned.~Mrs. Elm
"Most gossip is envy in disguise. .. keep swimming." ~Mrs. Elm
-Matt Haig The Midnight Library
You never are going to be satisfied until you get the life you envision from seeing other peopleâs. But what if you can see what your life could have or would have been if all you had to do is to open up a book and then look into it? Will it be any more fulfilling or will it just disappoint you, time and time again? One way to find out. Pick up this book and read it to find out. ;) Joke intended.
Nora Seed is on the verge of suicide. Her life has definitely not turned out the way she envisioned. Once a possible contender for the Olympic swimming team, her dad doesnât care for her and has another family altogether and it doesnât include her, her mother is very ill and later passes away, her cat just died, Nora gets fired because of the loss of her cat causes her to be late. Her boss simply tells her, âNora, youâre simply too gloomy and scaring away my customers.â Just when life couldnât get any worse, she runs into a former bandmate who is still bitter that she is the cause of why they broke up and her brother was in town and didnât bother letting Nora know.
After Nora takes a bunch of pills to commit suicide, Nora is visited by her old school librarian, Mrs. Elm. Together, Nora goes from book to book trying on different lives based on what could have been if she chooses to make certain choices. She is full of regret and poor choices. Through the magic portal of the books, Nora revisits old boyfriends, enters into the continuation of her swimming, fulfills her earliest dream of becoming a glaciologist, continues with her band, a rockstar, the death of her brother, not going to Australia with her best friend, Izzy because her mother got sick, her chance meeting with Hugo who is also page gliding and doing what sheâs doing, and finally, meeting her possible husband and child. She comes with a lot of baggage and regrets. With each choice she makes, there are outcomes and consequences. Can she live with the consequences is the key. Obviously not because thatâs why she kept going from one book to the next.
Finally, Mrs. Elm explains, itâs what you make out of your regrets and come to terms with it and are able to move on. "Keep your head down, keep your stamina, keep swimming."
The Midnight Library
Some of my favorite quotes from this book are:
âIt's between life and death where the shelves go on and a book allows you to try on another life via choices and to undo your regrets.â ~Mrs. Elm
"You don't go to death. Death comes to you." ~Mrs. Elm
"They are portals to the lives you could be living." ~Mrs. Elm
"Book of Regrets" Every regret you ever had, is recorded here. ~Mrs. Elm
âAll new future begins at midnight.â~Mrs. Elm
You can live that life as if you've always been there and the book will never be returned.~Mrs. Elm
"Most gossip is envy in disguise. .. keep swimming." ~Mrs. Elm
-Matt Haig The Midnight Library
Imagine, while on the verge of death, you find yourself in a library. In this library, you'll find books with lives that could have been. This was the situation that Nora found herself in.
I actually enjoyed it. I was so immersed in her lives that I lost myself in them. The concept was interesting and I couldn't wait to find out which life she chose in the end! There were also a lot of meaningful quotes along the way, and I really appreciated them, because they made me think about my own life. This may not be what some are looking for, a self-help book in fiction, however.
Trigger warning for suicide. I'm not too sure if the author handled it well, but one should always use discretion when reading books such as this.
I actually enjoyed it. I was so immersed in her lives that I lost myself in them. The concept was interesting and I couldn't wait to find out which life she chose in the end! There were also a lot of meaningful quotes along the way, and I really appreciated them, because they made me think about my own life. This may not be what some are looking for, a self-help book in fiction, however.
Trigger warning for suicide. I'm not too sure if the author handled it well, but one should always use discretion when reading books such as this.
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