You know how a familiar smell or a certain song can take you right back to a certain time in your life? Transport you back to where you were living or to whom you were dating. Well that's how books are for me. When I grab a certain novel from my shelf and look at the cover or read the first few words, certain memories are triggered. Sometimes flashes of happy thoughts and images come to mind. And other times, I remember sad experiences. But good times or bad, this means the book made a lasting impression on me. And that's one of the most important things a good book will do.
Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch is a book I've written about before. But it's a novel worth mentioning again because I have such vivid memories of discovering it in Barnes and Noble. It was the cover that first caught my eye as it sat on the new fiction shelf downstairs. The year was 2008 and I was living in Long Beach and missing my long distance boyfriend (now husband) and I'd go to Barnes and Noble to escape from thinking aobut it. Allison's book was not only a fantastic read but a welcome distraction from such a hard time in my life. Another thing I love about really good books. They help you forget- if only for a little while- even the most painful things. Read chapter one here.
In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner was a book that came along at the perfect time. The year was 2002 and I was going through a tough time. I'd recently broken up with a long-term on again, off again boyfriend and threw myself into the dating world much too soon, which turned out to be a total disaster. My BFF, Liz, brought me a bottle of something strong and this novel. Because when we were feeling low, well, we drank and we read! And this story about sisters and friendship and insecurity and family was a welcome distraction from the hard time I was going through. I remember reading it and not thinking of my own life for hours at a time. And when I finished it, I felt better and more empowered. And ending up meeting Mr. Right Now shortly thereafter. Read the first chapter here.
I was in another particularly low place when I first read Eat, Pray, Love. I'd just broken up with another boyfriend and was at a total loss. (Are you seeing a pattern here?) I wondered if I'd ever find someone. If I'd ever get married. What I was doing wrong to keep attracting the same type of man. And when I read this memoir, I was able to figure out a lot of things about myself in relationships. I related to much of what Gilbert went through and was finally able to break my pattern of dating men afraid of commitment. (See Time of My Life above.) And when I've re-read this book, I'm don't mind remembering the hard time I went through because reading this book made me stronger and ultimately led me to finding my husband. Read an exerpt here. 
