My work book club decided to read this for October. So, rather than us individually try to buy it I went on BookCloseouts.com and ordered them. Even with the postage factored in these were quite a savings ($10.55 each as opposed to $14.00 or more).

This book combines time travel, usually the stuff of science fiction, with a love story. Henry DeTamble has a genetic disorder that causes him to involuntarily travel in time, usually to the past but occasionally to the future. The first time he does it he is five years old and he meets his twenty-four year old self at the Field Museum of Natural History in the middle of the night. Henry grows up, continuing to time travel but managing to graduate university and get a job as a librarian at the Newberry Library. When he is twenty-eight he meets Clare Abshire, a twenty year old art student who comes to the Newberry to do some research. Clare reacts strongly when she meets Henry because Clare has known him since she was six years old. Henry travelled back in time when he was 36 to meet Clare as a 6 year old in a clearing near her home and he continues to visit Clare up to the time she is 18. However, for the 28 year old Henry, Clare is a total stranger. He can tell by her reaction that she is someone important to him so they arrange to meet for dinner. This gives you some idea of the complexity of this book. The characters shift between the present time and their life together to their meetings in the past and sometimes occurrences in the future. It is important to read the passage headings which give the date and the characters’ ages so you are clear as to when the action takes place.

I thought the story was unique and interesting. The main characters are well developed and the problems that result from Henry’s genetic disorder are believable if the disorder is believable. As a long time science fiction reader I don’t have any problem with believing in time travel and the concept of it resulting from a genetic disorder is a new and interesting twist. However, I think that if it was a genetic anomaly there would be more than one person exhibiting it and that does not seem to be the case (or at least it’s not the case until Henry can father a child). That’s one of my quibbles with this book. The other reservation I have about it is the way that Clare’s life seems to be predetermined. I felt like Clare had no real choices about her life and that is sad. Even at the end of the book Clare is waiting for something to happen because Henry told her it would.

Nevertheless, I am glad I read the book and I will recommend it to others. I have lent this book to my sister-in-law and when she is finished with it I will lend it to my sister.

This book has come back to me from my sister-in-law and now it's going to my sister. This is a release for the 2007 Never Judge a Book by its Cover - Week 46 (garage sale items) for the shoes and thermos on the cover.

Picked up at tonight's bookcrossing meeting at Le Garage Cafe.

I've been told to read this many times, so I figured I'd give it a go.
Thanks gypsysmom!

I liked this book a lot.
Parts were tough to read, but only on a personal level. There were also a few moments that were almost crossing some teenager/40 year old man lines, but fit with the context of the story and wasn't quite creepy.

Overall a great read and had me enthralled the whole way through. I'll bring it back to the next meeting to pass on to someone else.

RELEASE NOTES:

Will be released on the Winnipeg Official Bookcrossing Zone bookshelf at tomorrows meet up.

Please join us at 7:00pm to meet local bookcrossers, eat and drink yummy treats, and swap books!

If you've never been before, this will be a great one to be your first! There will be lots of releases to share!

This book will be saved for AdairBear who couldn't make it to the meeting, but would still like a chance to read it before it goes off into the wild.

Passed onto me from my sister, AdairBear, since I was really interested in reading it.

Finished and passed onto the next bookcrosser at the OBCZ meeting this month. It is essentially a love story between two characters, who you get to know quite well, with the added quirk of time travel. It was fairly straight-forward to follow although jumping in time (basically follows Clare as she grows older) - a real talent to keep the story going so well. Sometimes I felt there was a little too much description that didn't add to the story. Also, it isn't as SciFi with respect to the time travel aspect - didn't go into details of his adventures that he might have had, but focused on how he jumped in time around his nearest and dearest. Did he go to Egypt at the time of the Pharaohs, was he in England to visit Queen Elizabeth!? Maybe that is for the sequel or the movie!

Picked this up at a Bookcrossing gathering at the Park Theatre Cafe. It joins my ever growing mountain of "to be read" books.

OK! This book finally made its way to the top of my TBR heap...

Wow! What a story! I wasn't sure if I'd like this book, but it came highly recommended, so I thought I'd give it a try. It's more of a love story than I'd usually read, but it certainly doesn't read like a typical romance. Henry DeTamble is a CDP (Chrono-Displaced Person...don't worry, it all gets explained in the story) who goes through his life not firmly fixed to the "here and now" the way the rest of us are. He meets his wife for the first time when he is 28 and she is 20. She meets him for the first time when he is 36...and she is 6. Hmmm. The story takes us through both of their lives, though not in anything like chronological order. Henry and Claire are not living the same time line, but they live the same experiences. Throughout the book, there were pervasive questions of causality. Over and over, the reader is taken back to events that happened earlier in the book, to see them from a different angle, with more of the story having been revealed. Events/reactions/choices that seemed inexplicable suddenly become inevitable as events unfold. Frequently the author takes us to see the same event more than once, but with different perspectives and points of view.

I really enjoyed this book. Several nights it kept me up much too late, reading "just one more section" until I finally fell asleep with the book still open in my hands. It's been a while since a book gripped me like that. I'm very glad I decided to read this one.

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I passed this book on to a co-worker. She's not sure if it's her kind of book...but she said she'd give it a try, then pass it along to another of our co-workers.

This book was wonderful. At first I was a bit overwhelemed by its length (534 pgs) but it was worth every letter. Wonderfully written and so vivid. I became quite attached to Clare and Henry.
True, I wa snot sure if I would like it, but I loved it and will pass it on and share the love.

I've snagged this book back from my teaching partner to pass along to another friend of mine who expressed interest in reading it when I saw her over the Christmas holidays. I'm not sure when I'll see her next - likely not until February sometime, but I'll pass it along as soon as I can.

I had heard about how good this book was from a friend last summer. I never did get a chance to read it then, but a co-worker gave it to me last week. The title itself sounded interesting, but I didn't think I'd enjoy it as much as I did. In fact, I couldn't put the book down. Obviously this is a sign of a good book! Due to the main character travelling in time, and the way in which he travels (not in chronological sequence), the author does well to keep the reader focused. It is a love story, but with such a unique slant that it would most likely capture a variety of readers. I had heard it was sci-fi, which is not my favorite, however it isn't written in the typical sci-fi fashion. I myself would not classify it as such. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and went through the ups and downs emotionally as I read it. I felt very sad for the two main characters, Henry the time traveller and his wife Clare. Both endure so much, inspite of their deep love for one another. I would be interested in looking for other books written by Niffenegger, she has set a high standard!

CAUGHT IN WINNIPEG MANITOBA CANADA