We have all thought about what we would do differently if we had our life to live over again, but have we really thought through the implications? We think about what we could gain but have we truly thought about what we could lose? And what if we had to live our life over, and over, and over? Could we handle it? Replay is a brilliant book about time wasted and time gained and how we manage what very little time we have. The style is fresh and easy to read and the characters inspire empathy. I found this book hard to put down. Even those who are not fans of the fantasy genre ought to enjoy this book. ( )

A man dies in 1988... and wakes up in 1963 at the age of eighteen. A simple, perhaps well-trod premise, but Ken Grimwood carries it off fantastically. Though I found the book a little uninvolving at first-- Jeff's emotional state at finding himself in 1963 wasn't very well communicated-- it rapidly picked up and soon become outright engrossing; I zipped through this thing in just over a day. What Jeff finds out is that even when you do things differently, they're not necessarily any better, even if you are rich. A trite lesson perhaps, but it doesn't feel that way when you're reading, such is Grimwood's ability in pulling it off. You really do feel dissatisfied when Jeff does, and happy when Jeff does. He keeps on reaching 1988, dying again, and finding himself in 1963 again, and every time he tries things a little bit or a lot bit differently. In the end, I think he's searching for companionship; it's what sets his worthwhile replays apart from the less rewarding ones, whatever form it takes. The ending is unexpected (though I feel like it shouldn't've been), but strong. A very good book on the whole, with much to recommend it.

http://spwebdesign.livejournal.com/56... ( )

Not normally being a fan of science fiction or fantasy, I was attracted to this by the synopis I read of the plot. A man dies in his forties but wakes back up in his college dorm, given a chance to relive his life again. He uses the knowledge he learned the first time around to succeed where he'd previously failed, and then he reaches the same age as before and the cycle begins again. I loved this idea - it gave me so much to think about. The explanation for why it was happening parts didn't interest me quite so much as the concept of "replaying". ( )