Concept was excellent but execution was lacking depth. ( )

“It is easy to mourn the lives we aren’t living” (277). Yes! Absolutely, yes, it’s easy to live with regret and wallow in regret, especially during this midlife season where it seems like all of the big life decisions have been made and what’s left is wondering what could have been. I loved the idea of a midnight library—a magical place that holds millions of lives I could’ve lived. I loved the idea of Nora exploring all of her simultaneous realities, finding the perfect fit, made-to-order life. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could try them on like jeans in a dressing room? I wasn’t surprised that, of course, the only life that fit her was her original life. So while living the possibilities of all of these other lives seems thrilling, in the end, I really love what Nora learns: Live. Live for all the possibilities that your one life offers. It’s hard to predict the things that will make us happy, so that shouldn’t be the goal. Living the hell out of your one life is the goal. Don’t accept life’s disappointments. Don’t settle. Live.

The Midnight Library is about being lost and then discovering possibilities, it’s about feeling like giving up and then finding some small hope, it’s about feeling isolated and alone and then encountering kindness. The Midnight Library is about living a life of taking care of yourself and other people; it’s about loving and being loved in this one life we live. ( )

3.5 stars
To be honest, while reading this book, I couldn't stop comparing it to 'The Five People You Meet In Heaven'. These two books are very similar and they come to the same conclusion as well. I liked 'The Five People' just a little more, but this one is also really heart warming and it made me happy. So if you're looking for a book with positive vibes and a hopeful conclusion, you might want to pick up 'The Midnight Library'. And if you liked this, you might also look up 'The Five People You Meet In Heaven' by Mitch Albom. ( )

Nora has decided she wants to die, but before this end comes, she goes on a visit to the Midnight Library. Actually, she goes there many, many times. She meets her old school librarian, Mrs. Elm, who tells her that she can choose a different life, make a different choice, over and over and over again, just by selecting a different book with Mrs. Elm’s help. If she finds the right life, the one that really makes her happy, she just might get to keep it. But there are no guarantees. This book is quite entertaining and intriguing—who wouldn’t like a “do-over”?—but it gets a bit tedious towards the end. The ending is ambiguous, but then, life is uncertain. Many nice things occur in Nora’s many possible lives; others are not so nice. It’s a creative premise, the writing is good, and the characters are well developed. ( )

We are reading this for our book club.
I would describe it as a cross between "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Quantum Leap". A lonely woman, full of regrets, decides to kill herself. Although it starts out as a very depressing book, it actually got better about 3/4 of the way through. Trying out new lives, she realizes that regrets are just a way of avoiding the possibilities in your current situation. The book ends on a hopeful note. ( )