Sunday, 26 May 2019
If I never get back
Author: Darryl Brock
Publisher: New York: Crown Publishers, 1990.
This historical fantasy novel blends a baseball story and time travel fantasy into a baseball fan's epic fantasy. It follows the story of a journalist, Sam Fowler, a troubled alcoholic on the brink of a break down, who finds himself back in the year 1869 as he steps off a train in Ohio. Through this time slip he finds himself apart of the Cincinnati Red stockings baseball team and experiences baseball in its infancy. More to it, he was taken back in time for a special reason— to avenge the death of Colm, his best friend’s relative. Through the stint, Sam gets involved in an 'over-plotted but well sustained' set of instances involving gambling and robbing (Kirkus). A great read for those who are great fans of the reds baseball team or looking to experience a time slip back to the 19th century. Available to read as an ebook.Links
Goodreads reviewCincinnati Red Stockings baseball team biography
Kindred
Author: Octavia Butler
Publisher: Boston, Mass.: Beacon Press, 1988.
Set in the old south, 1819 Maryland, Dana repeatedly travels to the antebellum South to prevent the death of Rufus, a son of a slave-owner who in fact is Dana’s ancestor. Written in the voice of Dana, this bleak and compelling memoir details themes of slavery and interracial relationships. As she travels in time she experiences the harsh realities of life as a slave. One reader described the novel as a great read to 'build empathy and understanding' of the horrors for African American’s living in this particular time period (Goodreads). If you are wanting to read something to open your mind to history of the American experience, this novel will allow you to transport to that time in the Old South. It is also available as an audiobook.
Links
Goodreads review
About the author
Replay
Author: Ken Grimwood
Publisher: New York: Arbor House, 1986.
This fantasy adventure novel is about a 43 year old man named Jeff who dies of a heart attack, but only to awake up in 1963 as an 18 year old at Emory University. Everything seems familiar, but the only thing that has changed is that he remembers his life and what the future holds. In one point of the novel, after living his life differently and marrying for status instead of love, he finds himself miserable and dies again at 43 in which the cycle repeats. Each life, he experiences slightly different versions of world events and the story goes to show how a person can make an impact on the way the world unfolds.One reader mentioned that this novel “will remind you of lost loves and what could have been“ (Goodreads). Touching on themes of fixing time, “this delightful and completely engrossing story will appeal to a wide variety of readers” (Library journal). It is also available as an audio book.
Links
The Rings of Saturn
Author: by W. G. Sebald.
Translated by Michael Hulse
Publisher: New York: New Directions, 1998.
If you are after a
stylistically complex thought provoking read, then ‘The Rings of Saturn’ will
surely satisfy your reading needs. Lyrically written with a reflective tone,
this novel is an account of a traveler’s exploration of Suffolk, England.
Through his travels, he lets his mind wander about memories from his own mind
and history in which he references the 17th-century naturalist and physician, Thomas
Browne. Through his wanders, he lets himself slip in and out of the present
time and thus presenting a series of historical moments that are drenched in
the lands in which he explores. This novel essentially reveals the “inevitable nature of time and change and human
idiosyncrasies” (Goodreads). It is surely a good read for those wanting to
understand how history has shaped the modern world that has forgotten about its
past.
Links
Somewhere in time
Author: Richard Matheson
Publisher: New York: Tor, 1998.
An unconventional love story bound by time, this romantic and melancholy first person narrative is a moving story about a life of an individual with terminal illness. A dying screenwriter, Richard Collier, becomes romantically interested with Elise Mckenna, an actress in the 19th century who he has never met before. He becomes so immersed in his fondness for this actress that his strong connection to Elise draws him back in time to San Diego in 1896. Playing on the idea that reality is what we believe is real, the author highlights how strong desires can turn things in to reality. This magical romance has inspired the movie ‘What Dreams May Come’ true starring Robin Williams and has become an intriguing love story that transcends time and space. Also available as an audiobook.
Links
'What Dreams May Come True' movie trailerThe summerhouse
Author: Jude Deveraux
Publisher: New York: Pocket Books, 2001.
The first title
from the summerhouse series, Deveraux writes a story about 3 ladies who grew up
together. Written in the perspective of each individual character,Ellie a
hopeful artist, Leslie a dancer and Madison a model living in New York. The
story unfolds to reveal realistic and relatable scenarios as they share their life
adversity involving divorce, family problems and career choices. Nineteen years
later, Ellie calls all the ladies back together to summerhouse for a reunion in
Maine to celebrate their 40th birthday. During their visit, they meet with Madame Zoya, a mysterious fortuneteller who could magically take
them back in time. Through this mysterious event, the ladies were able to live
a completely different life. This plot-driven novel makes you question ‘would
you rewrite your past if you had the chance?’. This hopeful novel touches on
themes of bouncing back, second chances and life events. Also available as an ebook.
Links
About the authorTime and time again
Author:Ben Elton
Publisher: New York: Thomas Dunne Books, 2015.
If you could change a time in history, would you do it? This overarching question is the central theme of Elton’s adventure novel. The intricately plotted novel tracks the adventure of an ex-military soldier, Hugh Stanton. After having learnt that time travel was possible—a secretive theory passed down by Sir Issac Newton, and to only be revealed until Christmas Eve 2024,Hugh Stanton, a recruit of trinity scholar learns that it is possible to travel back to 1914. Through this experience, he holds the responsibility to be the savior in preventing WW1 from happening. Written in a compelling and thought-provoking style, it is well-researched and is highly detailed, staying true to its historical setting. Available to read as an ebook.
Goodreads reviewLinks
About the author
WW1 causes
The time traveler’s wife
Author: Audrey Niffennegger
Publisher: San Francisco, CA: MacAdam/Cage Pub, 2002.
Audrey Niffennegger’s first debut novel is a
“highly original” soaring love story that tells the story of a charming librarian, Henry, who is cursed with
the ability to travel through time as he is born with a
condition known as Chrono-Displaced
Person (CDP).With his condition, he finds himself involuntarily travelling to
different time periods of his life where he meets the beautiful Clare Abshire as a
teenager. At this point in time, they become acquainted which sparks the
beginning of their compelling relationship. The problem is that Claire lives
through time in a normal manner while Henry skips in and through time at random
points of his life. Written in the perspectives of Henry and Clare at
different times in their lives, this moving romantic narrative intricately
details the idea of living without time-constraints. A Leisurely paced must read
that maybe interpreted differently across different readers. Readers may also want to watch
the film adaptation of the time traveler’s wife for a different representation of the
same story.
Links
When I fall in love
Author: Lynn Kurland
Publisher: New York, N.Y.: Jove, 2007.
Written in a fast-paced style writing, this
character-driven novel follows the story of a young lady
unlucky in the dating scene who finds herself giving up on the idea of
love. As she was visiting her sister in
England, she stumbles upon a mysterious gateway which takes her 800 years back
in time to the medieval period.There, she falls in love with a knight, Nicholas de
Piaget. The problem is that they are from different time periods. She wants to
go back and he wants her to stay.Will this love fantasy become reality? This funny and heartwarming novel is sure to take readers back to experience the wonderful days of young love in an unlikely setting and point of time.
Links
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)