In order to really enjoy my precious reading time, though, I had to have just the right match for the weekend. I didn't want a collection of stories (which is what I read previously because my reading time was so limited), and I didn't want...well, it's hard to describe. I didn't really know what I wanted, but I knew what I didn't want. I do believe certain kinds of books attract us at different times. I just didn't know how true this was until this past week when I began looking for a book to start before I went in to my weekend.
You see, no matter what I read for pleasure, I couldn't get my work brain to shut-up. I have been so immersed in my job, I couldn't get my mind to turn off from it. I picked up three different books to try to start them and, while I'm sure they were probably perfectly good books, they did not pull me in enough to give my work brain a break. My mind kept drifting back to my job. This is not a good thing. Too much work and not enough pleasure reading makes me a dull girl...and a cranky one.
But then,...I found a book that was just what I wanted, and I could finish it in a weekend! :)
Every Day by David Leviathan proved to be the remedy for my overactive mind. I loved it. While it is listed as a young adult book and the main character is sixteen, it has a lot of deep meaning that I feel would be lost on most young adults. It is written with the wisdom of someone who has lived many lives.You see, the main character, "A", wakes up as someone different every day. It is all he has ever known, and he doesn't know what he is or why he is this way. He has learned to live the way he does and tries to disturb people's lives as little as possible while he is them for just one day. He learns a great deal, he knows humans well and reads them well, and his life is like one big lesson in humanity until one day...he becomes a boy who has a girlfriend. There is a spark. Something different. A connection to another human being he has never felt before. And, thus, the conflict begins...
It's a very interesting story, quite enjoyable, and with a perspective that is very unique. It's about something more than a teenage boy liking a girl. Much more. It's about trust and knowing who you are and understanding the most important thing about yourself and about others.
I liked the book enough that when I was done with it, I found there was a prequel, of sorts, on my Kindle. It was just a novella (45 pages), but I wasn't quite ready to let go of A yet, so I read that, too. I'm glad I did.
I really liked the concept of the book. I read the notes in the back afterwards where Leviathan talked about pitching the idea for the book to his friends. Come to find out, Leviathan is friends with John Green (who I blogged about previously) and Green had teased him that if he didn't write the story, Green would. It's just a good story,...and a good lesson.I liked it. I just...really liked it. I'm sitting here now, smiling about it. I've moved on to another book already, but I still have fond memories of A in my heart. :)
There are some good quotes in this book, but here is one of my favorites:
