2024 the best sci fi books review

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(as of Dec 01, 2024 08:42:16 UTC - Details)

The #1 New York Times bestselling WORLDWIDE phenomenon

Winner of the Goodreads Choice Award for Fiction | A Good Morning America Book Club Pick | Independent (London) Ten Best Books of the Year

"A feel-good book guaranteed to lift your spirits."—The Washington Post

The dazzling reader-favorite about the choices that go into a life well lived, from the acclaimed author of How To Stop Time and The Comfort Book.

Don’t miss Matt Haig’s latest instant New York Times besteller, The Life Impossible, available now

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?

In The Midnight Library, Matt Haig's enchanting blockbuster novel, Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place.

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Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books (May 9, 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0525559493
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0525559498
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.07 x 0.81 x 7.73 inches
Reviewer: imaloserdude
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Full of philosophical aphorisms & lots of Easter eggs & ideas about happiness and choices and life
Review: So many options can be pursued when evaluating a book. Did the author create believable and consistent characters? Did the author manufacture vivid scenes and detailed locations? Did the author include Easter eggs for the reader to find, anagrams of names (like in the Series of Unfortunate Events) or a play on words or an alliteration or metaphors or similes or puns? Did the author include references to real world events or people or places that the reader can connect to? Did the author explore a familiar concept in a new way? Did the author give the characters words to say that connect with the reader and their view of life? Did the author overuse actual dialogue or internal monologue to explain the story instead of relying upon actual action.There are so many options for the reviewer, just as there are so many options for the main character in this book. Nora Seed finds herself in a library at the stroke of midnight, with lots of books around her and a librarian from her childhood, Mrs. Elm. Each book represents a different version of Nora’s life, a life of joys and sorrows, people and places, events and tragedies that spawned from a single choice, a decision, or in the case of this girl so full of regrets, something that didn’t happen because she didn’t make that choice.Of course, there is the root life, the life that Nora remembers living, a life full of disappointments and settling, that led to her attempted suicide and her visits to the Midnight Library. A moment in between, where she isn’t alive and in her body yet she isn’t dead (with the finality that means for self and others). And there are all of those other lives that she now gets to explore, lives where she doesn’t remember any of that Nora’s life, but finds herself plopped there with a kid yet no memory of this child, or as a wife with no memory of sleeping with her husband, or as a glaciologist with no memory of what such a scientist knows, or as a pop star with no memory of the words to popular songs, or as a pub owner with no memory of what to do when closing. Lives, but without the memories that led her there.An interesting thread running throughout the book is that of Hugo, another slider who explores his own lives. Hugo and Nora meet up several times, though find that the other isn’t what they want and each chooses to go back to their own terminal, hers a library and his a video store. I expected them to meet up at the end, as they had such a powerful connection through their sliding, both aware of themselves and of others, but no. it wasn’t to be. I’m not disappointed, just wondering if such a possibility exists, and if I will get this chance one day. And I wonder how Hugo arrived at this point, if his was also a suicide, and if it only happened to suicides or lives so filled with regrets.A question I still have is about the character of Mrs. Elm (for Nora) or the uncle (for Hugo) and the place where these shamans or guides or facilitators resided. Both sliders found themselves in an in-between place with a familiar character as the trusted one, not someone who used them but someone who in real life helped them find their own way. A good person. An older person who helped at a pivotal time in their life. I find it cool that the author (Matt Haig) crafted a god-like character, not one who superimposes her/his will on you but one who is limited in what they can do by the physics of the world (a library or a video store) they are trapped in. Not all-powerful. Not desiring worship. Not governed by human impulses (power and sex). But a personal god whose sole interest was in the needs and wants of a single person, a much better concept (to me) than the invented gods of the modern world that seem interested in humanity as a whole (and worship and knee-bending and blind obedience and all of that stupidity). If we could wipe away all of the old gods and create a new god for each person today, this would be the kind of god I would like to think about. Though there is that question about universality, and whether everything we think and feel isn’t just arising from our own experiences, including all of this god-talk.I enjoyed finding things in this book. Like the title, on page 31. And the name of the band, a variation of the Kurt Vonnegut classic, Slaughterhouse Five. And the name of the music shop that sounds like the idea behind all of the lived lives in this book, String Theory. And the references to Bedford and Pottersville, connecting readers to the classic movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life”. And life-fright being similar to stage-fright. And the role of chess in the book, from its beginning to its end, something that used to be a major part of my own life as an educator. And glitches in the library that stemmed from Nora thinking differently about death than she did in her root life. And I had to look up “grasshopper suicide”, because the character told me to, and how many forms of life there are (almost nine million), and Frank Ocean (“Moon River” was awesome).Another interesting concept is that of time. Time doesn’t pass for Nora in the real world as she pulls out numerous books from the library shelves, some exploring for a few minutes, others for hours or days or months. Yet the clock never moves past 12:00 in slide after slide, life after life, universe after universe, until her thinking changes in such a way that she no longer regrets the choices she made in her root life. And then the clock starts ticking and Mrs. Elm warns her that she must do just one thing in order to survive, pick that one book, and, wait, I don’t want to spoil it for you, but it gets to 00:03:48.If you want to know what happens to Nora, then read this book. It is really good and worth your time. And if you are the philosophical type (as I am), then keep a notepad and pen nearby so that you can write down the interesting thoughts and ideas that flow from the mind of Nora Seed, the questions she ponders, the truths she shares with the world. And I will end on a final thought, one found on page 137, about life and what it is: “…acres of disappointment and monotony and hurts and rivalries but with flashes of wonder and beauty.” Something to think about.

Reviewer: joshuanimmo89
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: What Life Do You Want?
Review: The synopsis of this book and the buzz surrounding it made me want to read it and see what all the fuss was about. I'm definitely glad I did! It's such an interesting concept and handled very well by Haig. What could have been a convoluted, confusing attempt at fantasy was clearly written and extremely effective in it's storytelling.Was it a little too feel-goody? A little too message-y and cliche in it's message? Sure. But is there really anything wrong with a feel good, happy ending to a novel? Does the ending have to be depressing to be effective? I don't think so. I think the ending was the perfect result for the story I read, and I appreciated the author going in that direction.

Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A Thought-Provoking Journey Through Possibilities
Review: "The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig is a captivating and thought-provoking read that I couldn’t put down! The premise of the book—exploring the infinite possibilities of life through a library filled with alternate versions of one’s life—intrigued me from the start.The main character, Nora, finds herself in a unique situation where she can choose different lives based on the decisions she could have made. Haig beautifully weaves themes of regret, hope, and the importance of our choices, making it relatable and deeply moving. I found myself reflecting on my own life choices and the paths I could have taken, which made the reading experience even more engaging.The writing style is accessible and engaging, with a perfect balance of humor and poignancy. Each chapter left me eager to see where Nora’s journey would take her next. The emotional depth of the story resonated with me long after I turned the last page.This book is a must-read for anyone who has ever wondered about the "what ifs" in life. It's not just a story about choices; it's a reminder to appreciate the life we have. Highly recommend!

Reviewer: Patty
Rating: 3.0 out of 5 stars
Title: good but slow
Review: This is great book with a great message about the value of taking advantage of your time in this life and holding on to hope and letting go of disappointments but it’s slow and the messaging a bit repetitive. Overall it’s worth the read.

Reviewer: M on Amazon
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Enjoyable read
Review: I enjoyed the premise and I was interested in the main character. I suspected it would end in a predictable scenario but along the way I hoped it would continue on the course it was at a particular stage. Yet that remained a possibility even when it didn't. I liked the writing and will be reading the second most popular book by this author, The Midnight Library being the most highly regarded by far.I wasn't familiar with Matt Haig and decided to read this book having searched around for something highly rated that sounded interesting. By the time I had completed the book I would have bet it was written by a woman. I did not refresh my memory of the author and unlike a physical book you have to go out of your way to see the cover and author's name when reading on a kindle. So apparently Matt is not a pen name used by a woman. So much for that notion.

Reviewer: Akitalarry
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Good read
Review: I really enjoyed the Midnight Library. It was fun to live all the lives that Nora did and to think about what the future might hold. My only exception is that it is a bit simplistic, especially at the end. You tend to know all along what the ending will be. Nevertheless, it is a good read and I would recommend it.

Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Sometimes it just works
Review: Wonderful store right to the end. Its full of life's little lessons. This guy can spin a web. I will be reading this again one day and all his other books as well.

Reviewer: Jessica Wright
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: From the first few pages, I couldn't put this book down. I walked around the house bumping into walls as I went around my daily routine hungrily reading at the same time. It's so good! It reminds us that there aren't necessarily good or bad choices in life, there are just choices and each path would invariably bring its own joys and struggles.After reading it I gave it to several friends who echoed my enthusiasm for the book. He's a gifted story teller.

Reviewer: Cecilia
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Me encantó!!! Muy fácil de leer. En 8 días lo terminé. Es una buena historia. Va por pequeños capítulos. Es inglés británico. Muy lindo y bastante recomendable.

Reviewer: Andressa
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Gostei bastante e me vi na protagonista. Não sou diagnosticada com depressão, mas sei que tenho muita ansiedade e depois de muitas mortes em minha família, o mundo se tornou ainda mais sem sentido para mim e fico me perguntando se minha vida não seria melhor se eu tivesse feito outras escolhas. Gostei de ver ela vivendo diversas vidas. Diferente dela, no entanto, agora estou terminando minha faculdade e estou pensando no que fazer da vida, porque sinto que errei feio na faculdade, estou há 10 anos e foram 10 anos sem muitos avanços em minha vida, sinto que se tivesse escolhido outra faculdade mais fácil para mim, teria terminado bem mais rápido. Mas é isso, e agora estou com pavor de escolher o caminho errado de novo, e também com pavor de, assim como na faculdade, não ter coragem de desistir e acabar em algo que não me deixa feliz de novo. Mas é isso, me vi na personagem porque tenho essa de ficar me imaginando em mil cenários diferentes, mas acabo achando que em todos serei infeliz. Mas ótima leitura, o final não foi surpreendente, mas foi de aquecer o coração.

Reviewer: Camy
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Libro che mi è stato consigliato e che mi ha ricordato un po' la serie Being Erica. Lettura scorrevole e piacevole, finale intuibile ma significativo.

Reviewer: Paulina
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: i regret i cant read it again