Hanya Yanagihara, image thanks to NPR.org

Secret:  Librarian Nancy Fort, bibliophile, admits to reading some of her books via e-book. Her reasons, follow . . .

One of the best things about being a Librarian is the chance to read new releases as they come into the library. I usually keep my eye on the New York Times Bestseller List but I believe A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara came to my attention because it was a National Book Award finalist and a contender for several other prizes this year. I put a request for the electronic version of this book through the library catalog and didn’t have to wait too long before it became available. I am glad I requested the e-book as the physical book is 736 pages, which I was unaware of at the time. This might have turned me off from the book as I read Goldfinch by Donna Tartt earlier this year and found it very unsatisfying for the amount of time it took me to read it. However, I was blissfully unaware of this fact (not all e-books have page numbers) and was soon completely absorbed by the story and characters that I barely noticed I had read only 23% of the book.

A Little Life is not an easy book to read. The storytelling is wonderful but the main character suffers extreme mental and physical abuse that the author does not shy away from presenting. Some parts of the book were so disturbing they made my stomach turn. I found myself rooting for this character and hoping that despite it all he could find a way to live happily and at peace with himself. He is supported by a network of friends who do everything in their power to make him see the good in himself. It really is a wonderful story about friendship and the power of love. I highly recommend the book…although check out the e-book if you can to give your arms a break!