Review-ish: the five people you meet in heaven

By Mitch Albom

This book is like nothing I've ever read. It's swirly whirly in its imagery. The lessons are important. I cried about five times (one for each person), at least. The ending was definitely not what I expected. I didn't feel like the book just dropped at the end and left me hanging either. It is a complete story. That's rare in a novel, I have found.

I'm terrible at reviewing books. But this is one I think people should read. It does not mean you have to believe in heaven or that people are going to heaven. It's about the meaning of life in a way. Like this old man thought his life meant nothing. He learned that wasn't even the beginning of the truth. He learned how he had affected other people's lives in such intimate and life-changing ways and vice versa. That we are all connected.

It might sound kind of "hippy dippy" but it's just a lovely book.

A few of my favorite quotes:

"No life is a waste. The only time we waste is the time we spend thinking we are alone."

"Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you're not really losing it. You're just passing it on to someone else."

"Lost love is still love."

OK, but seriously, if you haven't read this book, go and read it. I don't think anyone will regret that choice. Even if you think its premise is silly. It might be. Maybe we are not going to heaven. I never said I believed that. The author acknowledges that he may not believe that either. That's really not the point of this story.