About a month ago I finished Loop by Karen Akins (review to come at the end of the month) and I was blown away. If you are my friend on Goodreads and you didn’t have Loop on you TBR list I most likely shoved it down your throat gentle nudged you to read it. I was completely crazy about it and I think a lot of you will be too.
Anyway, after I was done I started to think about all of the parallel life books that I love which got me to think of the time travel books that I love. Both seem to go hand in hand when you sit down and think about it. There are a lot of similarities in both types of stories that connect them in a fraternal twin kind of way. Then I got to thinking about how I could celebrate these types of stories because they are my favorite kinds of books. I’m just fascinated by them. So I threw it out on Twitter and I got 9 lovely ladies that responded with interest and from there Parallel Time Loop was born. For the next 10 weekdays one of the lovelies will be guesting on my blog talking about a parallel life or time travel book in their own way. Some did reviews, so have interviews, some just have fun posts. But each of us did use a different book in hopes that one might be new to you.
To kick things off and introduce the participants to all of you I have asked each of them to answer one question (and a lookie-looat the books we are all doing):
In a parallel life, what do you think you would be doing?
Rachel (Hello, Chelly): “In my parallel life I would’ve taken French instead of Spanish in high school, studied abroad for a semester in Paris during college and eventually returned there after I graduated. I would still be a designer and blogger but I’d be doing that from Paris instead of New York/New Jersey. And of course I’d have this gorgeous loft and a boyfriend that looks like Theo James (who I would’ve met on a train traveling from London to Paris, similar to Before Sunrise). A girl can dream!”
Brittany (The Book Addicts Guide): “Hmmmm. In a parallel life, I would have chosen a better major in college and actually pursued a dream (like music, or actually DOING something with my Spanish and not just majoring in “Spanish”). I think that’s the one decision I really regret in life and I would have loved to taken the appropriate steps at the appropriate time to set myself up for a good career.”
Lauren (Love is Not a Triangle): “In my parallel life, I’m a world traveling librarian, because my excellent research skills are in demand everywhere, and that’s totally a thing in my alternate universe. ”
Rachel (Rachel Writes Things): “I love time travel. I think the idea of being able to go to a different period of time and explore it. Look at Outlander for example. I think, if I could time travel I would LOVE to go to the American Revolution. I think I would be BFF with Abigail Adams. Did you know she tried to convince her husband (John Adams, future president) that women should have the right to vote? YUP. Awesome! I also just think the American Revolution is such a huge change in history — American separate from Britain and we almost called the President ‘King’.”
Alexa (Alexa Loves Books): “In a parallel life, I’d instinctively tell you that I would be a professional ballerina. I’d dance on stages all over the world, known for my moving performances, clean line and just the way I express all the emotions with each movement for every role that I take. ”
Emma (Miss Print): “I’m still trying to think of a cool name for the alternate universe version of myself. No matter what she’s called, I’d like to think that version of me is similar to myself but turned up to eleven. And possibly a published author who sometimes rocks pink highlights.”
Lauren (Bookmark Lit): “I always wanted to be an English teacher. In junior year of high school, I took a marketing class and it changed everything. I thought I could make more money and do something I thought was pretty easy. In hindsight, I wish I stuck with my gut. Every day I sit at my desk and wish that I went to school to be a teacher instead. I know it’s not too late to make this change (considering I just finished undergrad in 2013 anyways), but I think that is what I would be doing in my alternate universe. I would have decided to stick with teaching and would be working at a high school somewhere. I guess that’s not a particularly glamorous answer to this question, but it’s a true one!”
Danielle (Love at First Page): “What would I be doing in a parallel life? I feel like I’m going to have a really lame answer compared to everyone else, haha! Umm. Can I go a bit out there? How about – if this sort of thing were at all possible, I’d be like a book hopper. Basically I could live out all my favorite books, and be the female character who gets to fall in love with the gorgeous guy every time. Only, I wouldn’t remember once I moved onto the next book, otherwise I’d feel guilty. DOES THAT EVEN MAKE SENSE? It sounds awesome, at least. So, that’s what I’d do.”
Andi (Andi’s ABCs): “When I was little I always wanted to go to college at UCLA. I have no idea why or where I got the idea but I always said I wanted to go there. Of course as I got older that changed and I went with a more feasible plan. So for my parallel life I would like to think that I would have actually gone and lived in California for college and be on an entirely different coast right now. I’m not sure what I would be doing, maybe some kind of buyer or something, but I know I would be warmer all year round.”
What would you be doing in a parallel life?
*Katie (Polished Page-Turners) is taking part in the “tour” but was unable to answer the question in time due to real life. I’m pretty sure she would be as awesome in a parallel life as she is now!
This was a super cute post and I really enjoyed reading it! I feel like a lot of you, maybe I would have done college differently. I just graduated, and I like that I did Lit and Art, but maybe at a different school. Evansville, Indiana isn’t exactly a dream location. On a beach would have been nice 🙂
Oh wow, I actually almost went to Evansville! It was my second choice school, and I would have studied English and Creative Writing. Instead, I went to a school closer to home, where I had a full scholarship, and studied French and English. I wonder how different my life would be now if I’d gone to Evansville instead.
Yay! Great intro – can’t wait to see what everyone else did for their posts! 🙂
LOVE this. There’s a few books on here on my TBR pile, so I can’t wait to find out more about them. And I’m taking part in sci-fi November, but I’m a newbie to the genre really, and time-travel/parallel universes are part of that genre, so I’ll get inspiration for new reads!
LOL. My comment compared to everyone else’s is hilarious. I should have gone the realistic route, I guess…..
Thanks for hosting, girlfriend! <3
[…] joined in with Andi and some others on a feature called Parallel Time Loop, where we featured our favorite books about time travel and parallel universes. I have been […]