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5 Stars • "The Life Impossible" is a novel by Matt Haig, released in 2024. It follows Grace Winters, a retired math teacher, who inherits a house in Ibiza from a long-lost friend and embarks on a journey of discovery, dealing with themes of grief, new beginnings, and the interplay between magic and reality. ⬇️

I had three 5-star reads in May. The tagged book wins this spot by a hair. Second place tagged below. #12booksof2024 @Andrew65

This author has translated big, philosophical ideas into a magical story that opens the mind. It's mainly centered on connection...to each other, nature, and beyond. The main character (a recent widow in her 70s) seemed to live an ordinary life until the tragic loss of her young son years before. She moved to Ibiza after being gifted a home (from a prior acquaintance), and a strange journey ensues. This book was weird, but interesting.

Matt Haig has such a way with a story, and this one is remarkable. As an author, he can mix emotion with magical realism and present the reader with a tale that strikes a chord every time. He deftly takes issues like aging, grief, guilt, the environment, family, and relationships and creates a story that readers will relate to in a deeply poignant way. Matt Haig's books have a way of hitting close to home no matter what stage of my life.

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Wh- ummm, okay, I acknowledge that if I read this as a teenager I would have been devastated and thrilled and singing it's praises. As a cranky adult however ... I guess I'm honestly hesitant to recommend it to teenagers given some of the content, even if generally, 1/?

Set in Spain during the Inquisition, this is a story about a scullery maid with some small magical abilities. In a desperate effort to improve her life, she allows herself to be swept up in the politics of ambitious men and women who attempt to improve their social positions by exploiting her. She finds unexpected friends, a dark and tortured soul to fall in love with (who can‘t resist that?), and discovers the depths of her magic. Fun read.

12-19-24: My 47th book of 2024! What can I say about Matt Haig…he seems like a genuinely decent human being and his latest shows that. Grace Winters is left a bungalow in Ibiza by an old colleague she hadn‘t spoken to since the 70s. Confused and alone in London she decides to brave the scariness of leaving for parts unknown and arrives to find a quirky cast of characters waiting for her. Including some underwater sea grass. She finds her way. 💖

“Is the mouth of a shark an opportunity?”
“For the shark it is.”

Sofia is her mother‘s caretaker, a thankless job. Her mother says she can‘t feel her feet. They decide to go a clinic in Spain to determine what the medical issue is for her affliction. What follows is time spent following Sofia as she experiences the burgeoning awareness of sensuality, a meeting with an estranged father, and the suggestions of the clinic doctor as he explores how willpower and powerlessness impact us. An impactful read.