While you wait for Twice

What would life look like if you had the chance to go back in time and try things again? 

Mitch Albom, author of the widely known memoir Tuesday’s with Morrie, explores the concept of second chances in his newest novel, Twice. When Alfie Logan was 8 years old, he discovered he had the gift of second chances. Alfie is able to redo any moment in time. However, there’s one catch to the gift, no matter the outcome he must accept what happens to him during his second chance.  

Alfie uses this magic to take risks no one else can. He lives life on the edge of danger, then goes back in time to play things safe. Soon he also begins using his second chances in his love life. He uses his first chance to study his crushes, then snaps back in time to sweep them off their feet.  

As you can imagine these do-overs start to get complicated. Get on the holds list to discover all the ways Alfie's life gets tangled and if he can successfully untangle it.

While you wait for Twice, I recommend novels with elements of magical realism, complicated relationships and second chances that drive stories forward in captivating and thought-provoking ways. 

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle 

Ever since Daphne was young, she would find a slip of paper whenever she met a new guy with relationship potential. On each slip would be a time limit that showed Daphne when the relationship would fizzle out. It could be days or it could be months, but she could always count on an end date.

Hugo, Daphne’s current best friend and former boyfriend was one man in a string of potential relationship prospects whose fate was determined by a single slip of paper. He’s also now the only person who knows Daphne’s secret.  

She had accepted her fate expecting to never find the one. Then one night changes everything. On the way to a blind date, Daphne finds the paper she’s used to receiving, but this time it is blank.  

Her blind date, Jake, is the embodiment of the dream man. He’s handsome, hard-working and kind. However, as the relationship develops, Daphne is not sure she’s on the right path. Will she continue living her life as determined by unknown forces or finally start living for herself?

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston 

A change in fate doesn’t always require magical intervention. Sometimes life just hands it to you and it’s up to you to make the most of it.  

Frederick Fife was born with an abundance of kindness in his heart. His care for others was apparent from the start. Now at 82 years old there’s no one left in Fredreick’s life left to care for. To make matters worse, he’s broke and is on the verge of being evicted. 

In a strange stroke of luck, Frederick is mistaken for Bernard Greer, a man missing from a local nursing home. Not wanting to pass up the chance for a warm place to live and a belly full of food, Frederick takes Bernard's place. 

Denise Simms is a middle-aged mom and caregiver at Bernard’s living facility. Her marriage is crumbling and her daughter’s heath is in a concerning state. She’s disappointed in her life is and is lacking joy. 

As Frederick takes over as Bernard, Denise finds a friend in this "new" Bernard. She notices he is more friendly and outgoing. Will Denise and more importantly the authorities figure out this switch? Can Bernard continue to care for others as he pretends to be someone else? 

Second chances can be messy, but sometimes they are the only way to move forward.

The Rainfall Market by You Yeong-Gwang 

Just outside Rainbow Town there is an old, abandoned house that is said to hold power unlike anything else known to the world. If you send a letter to the house describing the misfortunes of your life, you could possibly receive a ticket in return.  

If you then choose to follow the rules and bring the ticket to the house on the first rainy day of the season, you will be granted access to the Rainfall Market. This is a mysterious place that allows you the chance to completely change your life.  

Serin is shocked when she receives a prized ticket. As a lonely woman with no prospects for the future, she decides to take her chance and enter the market in search of a more desirable life. 

The market introduces Serin to Issha, a magical cat companion who ventures onward with Serin as she explores the Rainfall Market shops and tries to determine what she wants her perfect life to look like. Of course there’s a catch to this unexpected opportunity. Serin must decide her future within a week or she will be lost to the Rainfall Market forever.   

This novel leans a little more heavily into the magical elements than Albom’s novel does, but the whimsical approach to second chances is sure to draw you in for a fun and intriguing reading journey. 

Maybe Next Time by Cesca Major 

What if your second chance turned into a third or forth or even a fifth chance? Would you know what to do with each opportunity?  

Monday has come around again and Emma, a London literary agent, is flying out the door. Her to-do list is ever growing. She’s so caught up in work that she doesn’t notice the strain in her relationships with her husband, son and daughter. Even the family dog seems upset. 

After a busy day glued to her phone dealing with social media pings, “emergency” messages from clients and managing her children’s endless activities Emma rushes home for dinner. She's still frantic from the day and her lovely husband, Dan, has had it. They fight and he storms out the door taking the family dog for a walk. Emma quickly realizes why Dan’s so upset. She’s forgotten their anniversary, again.  

It’s too late for apologies because just as Emma remembers, vehicle brakes screech outside and Dan is dead. But when Emma wakes up the next morning, Dan is alive and it’s Monday once again. And again. And again. 

As Emma wakes up each new Monday morning with Dan alive, she desperately tries to change his fate by approaching her day in new ways. Can she change their fate or will things always end the same? 

There's no shortage of novels that explore the magic of second chances, so check one out today while you wait for Twice.