Book: The Time Traveler's Wife

My sister is mad at me.

About a year ago she lent me a book called, The Time Traveler's Wife. She told me I would probably like it. It was the summer time and I had an hour or so to myself each day while my campers took their swimming lessons. I packed the book in my bag and found a spot in the bleachers overlooking the pool where my 8 year-olds were learning to kick and dive without holding their nose.

The book began slowly. I would have given up on it, but watching someone learn the crawl stroke is tedious enough. So from my perch, I kept at it. And finally, a few chapters in, I was hooked. I was more than hooked. I was cemented, hot-glued, welded, latched, and bonded to that book.

I have to tell you, this book is the new epic love story you've been looking for. Like true love, it's thick, complicated, and confusing. It fills your heart, and makes you believe in the ever after. I have only been writing in this blog about books I'm currently reading, but it's one year later and I still can't stop thinking about this book.

I'm usually a fast reader. If I'm into a book, I can finish it in a day or two. But this one I stretched out as long as I could. I sat on a blanket in the park. I curled up in a chair at Starbucks. I crawled under the covers. I would force myself to shut the pages at a climactic moment, just as a way to ensure I'd still be able to dive into the story tomorrow. It took me 3 months to finish this book. Because I made sure that it did.

So my sister is mad at me. Because she lent me this book a year ago, and I refuse to give it back. "Not yet," I tell her. "Just a little while longer." I like seeing it on my shelf, knowing it's still there.

Ever feel that way about a book before?