Nora has decided she wants to die so she chooses her time but instead of dying she goes to The Midnight Library which is a place between life and death. There are green books on all the shelves as well as the Book of Regrets which is a book of her regrets. Also there is Mrs. Elm, her library teacher from school who turns out to be her guide to the Midnight Library. Nora is given the chance to live other lives which her choices made impossible to live when she was still on earth. She has many choices but which ones will she want to relive? Which ones will she not relive? Are there more lives than we have been told about? Which life does she choose?

This was not what I expected but I enjoyed it throughly. While I liked Nora, she was a bit of a downer at times. As she is living her different lives I felt for her since she was dropped into the lives with no idea where she would end up and she ends up looking crazy each time. I also liked Mrs. Elm. She stayed with Nora at the Midnight Library helping her to choose and guiding her to a life. The secondary characters can be in more than one life but mostly they are in one of her lives and she tries to figure out how they fit in her life

The story is interesting. It relies solely on Nora's choices. She recites philosophers often though the people in her lives have no idea the "real" Nora was into philosophy and it is the "real" Nora we journey with. I liked that we get larger views of her life and mentions of other journeys she has taken without us being aware of those lives. She needs to pick a life or she will be dead.

I wasn't sure which life I wanted her to choose but as Mrs. Elm said "the only way to learn is to live." I was glad to be on the journey with her.

I saw a book club question that compared this to "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie. Let's be honest though: In the world of Christie, this was 100% a clone of Murder On the Orient Express, not None. And it's incredible.

I had a professor who once joked that if you took a concept and put in space, it would be even cooler. That's what we see here. A classic murder mystery set up set in space. The mystery itself was well crafted and I found myself constantly guessing who the murder was and while I wasn't right, I wasn't wrong either and not even mad. That to me is the sign of a well-written mystery. I loved all the characters and didn't want to see any of them erased. I was fascinated with the way Lafferty handled the ethical questions of cloning. It could have ended up REALLY dry but I was fascinated. Maybe it's just the nerd in me. I don't know. My heart was racing to the end and I was definitely satisfied with the ending.

My biggest critique of the book was the pacing could be slow at the times and there were a few areas that felt overly convenient, more so in the beginning of the story. I can't remember any specifics but I do remember a few points where I was like, "of COURSE you did, Maria."

Final rating: 4.5 out of 5. Bebe is my favorite character, hands down.

I'm always suspicious of the so-called popular books that "everyone is reading and loving". It's really nothing but beach trash, or should I say marsh trash. 

The writing is not good - holes all over the place in the plot of the murder. I think the author even confused herself trying to figure out that bus schedule, ha ha!  What was the point of the cat?  How could our lead character be so articulate describing sea shells one minute and the next minute back to a vocabulary of "why dint you come back?"  

Names of major characters bugged me enough I did a little online baby-name research.  Names like Chase, Tate, and Kya were definitely not names given to babies born in the 1940s.  I know I know - it's justified in the book that Kya called herself that when not able to pronounce Catherine.  What?!  Cat, Cathy, even Kitty would be little girl choices before ever dreaming up the exotic Kya. 

I'm supposed to be impressed with the author's nature knowledge and all the descriptiveness of the landscape - but for me it was overkill every time she got in the boat.  I began hoping for a tide to come in and sweep all of it away.

I had to read this for my book club, or I never would have picked it up to read.  We discuss it this week.  

Happy Endings Book Club Boxed Set Books 4-6 by Kylie Gilmore

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


It's always a pleasure to read Kylie Gilmore. With sweet stories that are as moving as the characters are irresistible, it's obvious why she makes up at least half of my favorites list.

Formal Arrangement (Happy Endings Book Club #4) 

The Campbells are a rambunctious clan. Good times, fiery personalities and tons of love are what the Campbells are all about, but beneath all the fun lies some turbulent emotions that need to be worked through. Formal Arrangement is Alex's turn to shine. This single dad has a little girl he adores, a family he loves and guilt that never seems to subside. From a tragic loss to the responsibilities that weigh him down, Alex just can't catch a break. Enter Lauren, nanny extraordinaire. Lauren lightens up his days and fills his heart with an emotion he refuses to acknowledge. Can he let go of the pain of his past to claim his Ms. Right? (5 stars) 


Bad Boy Done Wrong (Happy Endings Book Club #5) 

Looking to chase away the blues? Kylie Gilmore knows just what to do. Bad Boy Done Wrong follows the perfect script to lighten the heart and brighten up any day. Carrie and Zach turn one little mistake into a hugely irresistible romance. The laughs never stop flowing and the love refuses to quit growing anytime the Happy Endings Book Club is involved. Resistance is futile. (5 stars)

Mess With Me (Happy Endings Book Club #6)

The forecast is perfect for a total eclipse of the heart. Mess With Me has everything I've come to expect from Kylie Gilmore. Charming characters, hysterical antics and a whole lot of laughter pave the way to a happy ending. Second chances, surprise romances and the welcome arms of family are instrumental to a heartwarming tale of love and fun. (5 stars)