Book Review: One Day

Even at quite a young age, I loved When Harry Met Sally.  I loved the idea that two people can dance in and out of each others' lives as acquaintances, friends, lovers, and enemies, and maybe, just maybe, end up together.  The easiest way to describe One Day by David Nicholls is to say that it's  a British version of the Nora Ephron modern classic that spans 20 years yet only looks at one day per year of these two star-crossed friends' lives.  But that would be doing this novel a disservice.  One Day is not only a story of two friends, but also the story of how each individual overcomes personal demons and comes into his or her own.  Sometimes the arc of their lives intersect, sometimes they do not.

Emma and Dexter meet on the day of the college graduation in 1988.  They both feel an attraction towards each other, but their lives are quickly moving in two very different directions, so they choose to remain friends instead of embarking on a surely doomed relationship.  Emma, a distinguished scholar, ends up working in a tacky Mexican restaurant for years instead of unleashing the political literary guru inside her.  Is she stuck in this dead-end job because of the recession as she proclaims, or is Emma herself lacking in talent or determination?  Dexter, a mediocre student, launches on a world tour only to fall into a lucrative yet short lived career as a television personality upon his return to England.  Will he remain an overnight sensation or will his hardpartying and womanizing ways be his downfall?  This is only the beginning of each of their lives.  Peppered with nostalgic pop culture references, Emma and Dexter experience 20 years of personal growth, failure, career changes, and life changing events, all while remaining a part of each others' lives.  While a bit archetypal and predictable at times, I found both Em and Dex's journeys to be entertaining, and their interactions so very real. 

Verdict:  One might think that 20 years of will-they or won't-they would get boring, but Nicholls' storytelling device of revealing only the events of July 15 of each year kept me turning pages, often in frustration over a missed encounter or the rabid desire to read more about Em and Dex's sexually frustrating trip to Greece.  Don't expect a stuffy literary masterpiece when you pick up this novel, but do expect to be completely absorbed and invested in the events and outcome of this lifelong friendship.  And if that's not enough to convince you to read, a film version starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess is slated to be released in 2011.

Book Review: The 13th Hour

I've been on a bit of a thriller kick lately, so when I read a review of The 13th Hour by Richard Doetsch that mentioned TIME TRAVEL in addition to suspense, I knew it was a good choice for my next read. 

Although it is a little known fact about me, I have a recent obsession with time travel.  Maybe it was Lost that piqued my interest, but either way I've totally geeked out for the past year or so by reading and watching all alternate reality/time travel paraphenalia that has crossed my path.

This thriller is basically told in reverse.  Main character Nick Quinn is accused of murdering his beloved wife, Julia.  A strange man gives him a mysterious watch that enables him to travel back in time, two hours at a time, to try and not only clear his name, but save his wife's life.  Of course, there was also a catastrophic plane crash in this sleepy New York state town on this fateful day.  As Nick travels back through time he begins to see how his actions can change the future for the better and for the worse.  Will he be able to save his wife and maybe even stop the plane crash?  Or will he cause Julia to die an even more terrifying, grusome death?

Watch out for some cheesy descriptive prose, obvious foreshadowing, and don't expect any elaborate character development.  Do pick up this book if you want to get lost in a world of time travel, betrayal, grand theft, and of course murder.  Overall, a fun read.  I found it fun to predict Nick's next move.  I would recommend it for a rainy day mental escape or a trip to the beach. 

This story has been optioned by New Line Cinema, so look for a movie version in 2011!  I'm seeing Nick's character as Will Smith.  I wonder if he or someone similar will be cast!