Replay by Ken Grimwood
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Premise: Jeff Winston dies in 1988 of a heart attack. Then he wakes up in 1963, in college. He keeps going through the cycle, reliving this part of his life over and over, always dying on the same day and waking up. He makes different choices in each “replay,” sometimes changing history.

This book…this book, people! It’s SO GOOD! I first read it when I was like 12, and it’s been a favorite ever since. The main character lives each replay differently – in one replay he tries to save Kennedy from being assassinated, another he wastes by drinking and partying, in another he becomes very rich from investments using his foreknowledge of the future. It’s just so INTERESTING! This was written in 1987, but since it mainly takes place in the 60s and 70s anyway, it’s not really that dated.

Replay apparently won the World Fantasy Award, and I can certainly see why. I decided to reread this when Life After Life by Kate Atkinson was chosen for our book club this month…the premises are similar, though they play out very, very differently. READ THIS BOOK.

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