Before I created Bucket List Publications, I was a high school English teacher for 8 years and a university student for 7 years before that; my life was littered with books, reading, and writing. I cherished the daily reading time that was built into my class schedule and I loved going to class to discuss a book, new or old. The feel of the pages below my fingers, the look of the written word displayed before me in sentences and paragraphs, and the unlimited world that was created with each new character and setting all came together to drive my passion for reading. I read 100s, maybe 1000s, of books and narrowed my favorite authors down to a handful. Choosing an absolute favorite seemed impossible; with countless genres spanning the history of time, I didn’t think one would rise above the others. Then, one day in class, a student suggested I read “The Five People You Meet in Heaven” by Mitch Albom and a new love for reading flourished. I read all of his books over and over again; I found ways to incorporate them into the high school curriculum; I suggested them to everyone I knew. I had found my favorite author. Filled with inspiration and creativity, his books are a cherished addition to my collection. His new book, “The Time Keeper”, is Albom’s most imaginative novel yet. Regardless if you read regularly or just on occasion, give the gift of time this Christmas and experience the world through Mitch Albom’s eyes.

It’s hard to imagine a world without time, but that’s where Mitch Albom’s “The Time Keeper Begins”. Dor, Father Time, has a story to tell, a story that traces our obsession with clocks and calendars, dates and hours in the day. Dor is obsessed with time and he’s the first person to count and measure it. He becomes Father Time after he is banished to a cave to be bombarded with all of Earth’s pleas, for more minutes, more hours, more years, more time…. The pleas of two people ring out louder than the rest – Sarah, a teenage girl who is about to give up on life, and Victor, the calculating executive who believes he’s found a way to cheat time. The three characters blur the lines of time and teach us the importance of it.

Albom writes, “Man alone measures time… and, because of this, man alone suffers a paralyzing fear that no other creature endures. A fear of time running out.” Like “The Five People You Meet in Heaven”, Albom takes a simple concept and creates a story that is powerful and filled with sadness, thoughtfulness, and ultimate beauty. Albom seems to get what is truly important in life.

One quote resonated with me and and made me reflect on my time: “The true value of time is that you’ve got to make your decisions in each day count, otherwise you could live forever and it won’t make much difference.”

What did you do with your time today?

GIVEAWAY 

Would you like the gift of time this holiday season? Like Bucket List Publications on Facebook and leave a quote about time or like this post and leave a quote about time below. One winner will be selected per day for 5 days. I’ll contact one winner per day, starting on December 18th, and send you “The Time Keeper” in hard cover.

***Limited to North American addresses for shipping purposes***