This was a fun cute story with fun cute people. Well written so that I couldn't put it down and enjoyed every page. Love reading about old people since I am now old LOL

I really enjoyed this book's look at mental illness and trauma. It was written with such empathy. I loved the unexpected friendships and twists and turns in the story.

This was a surprisingly good read. The truth is I didn't love Atlas Shrugged the book, and the movie wasn't my favorite either. However, they way they center this book on one man instead of two or several people, and that one man being framed as basically psychotic only to find out even he missed parts of his own life makes it compelling.

Eugene "Geno" Miles, a cantankerous curmudgeon claiming a century-plus life (and a reincarnation as Oscar Wilde's cat), lives oiut his remaining days in Los Angeles home for the elderly. His facade, however, begins to crumble under the care of Angel, a young man who listens to Geno's fantastical tales of past lives and his eternal search for his lost love.

Fueled by Angel's unwavering attention, Geno's stories blur the lines between delusion, trauma, and a hint of the supernatural. But it's the growing bond between these unlikely friends, not the truth of Geno's claims, that anchors this surprisingly engaging novel.

"Again and Again" is a testament to the transformative power of connection. It's a funny, sad and thoughtful tale that I read in just a few sittings. If you love an unreliable narrator, it doesn't get much better than this.

I grabbed this book at first for the cover and then the synopsis drew me in. I struggled with the wide range of genres, however I thought this book was moving and uplifting. A happy surprise!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. I really loved this book and it's probably due to the character of Geno, a patient in a nursing home, who comes across as crotchety a lot of the time. He ends up connecting with one of the nursing assistants and the two build a sort of unlikely friendship. What’s different about this story (versus others that have a similar premise) is that Geno begins to share things with Angel (the nursing assistant) about his past that at first she doesn’t even remotely believe, but as time goes by, as unlikely and impossible as these events seem, she begins to think there may be truth to them. Read this book if you enjoy thinking, “What if?”

This book sounded intriguing, but it just didn’t impress me. The characters and the way it’s told got confusing at times and a bit tedious..

Eugene Miles is a lonely, curmudgeonly nursing home resident in his mid-nineties. Or, if he is to be believed, he is much older than that, having lived multiple lifetimes dating back to Medieval Spain. When he befriends Angel, a new nursing home assistant, he begins to open up, telling him stories from his many lives. But as more information comes to light, we learn that Eugene might not always have been telling the truth. But then again, how much do we really know one another?

I found myself fully engaged in Eugene’s story while reading this book. I could picture him in his room, hear him telling his stories to Angel. You will question how much you believe his tales as the story goes on. As is often the case, things aren’t always what they seem. And too often they are worse than they seem. But his story was told so beautifully and honestly, I didn’t want to put it down.

I picked this book because I loved "Small World" by this author. Unfortunately, this one missed the mark for me. Big time. The ending somehow felt rushed and also like the story should have gone on longer.

This story is about a man, Eugene, who thinks he has lived through several centuries through reincarnation. Having fallen love with a beautiful woman, Gaya, during his very first life, he continues to search for her through the centuries.

However, at the beginning of the book, Eugene is a 92-year-old man living in present day in an elder care home. As he begins to tell Angel, one of the carers at the home, the stories of his past lives, he and Angel become good buddies and make a difference in each other’s lives.

The book goes back and forth between Eugene’s past lives and his current life, and it is all very interesting, but did the past lives really happen? Many people have tried to figure this out but mostly they just think he’s crazy. But how can he prove it? And what will happen at the end of this life? Will he ever find Gaya?

This book was intriguing but it was just okay for me. I felt it left too many loose ends, and overall didn’t hold my attention as much as I would have liked. I have enjoyed several of Jonathan Evison’s books in the past, but I didn’t feel like this was his best one.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Jonathan Evison, and Dutton for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

This one sounded really interesting but I found it very slow moving and hard to get into. I liked the premise of a 1000 year old man whose at the end of his life finally looking back and facing his regrets unfortunately I just couldn't get invested in the main character or the story and ended up DNFing at only 25%. This just wasn't the one for me. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

I am a sucker for those books about elderly people having surprising adventures towards the end of their lives. I loved The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and the One Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared and The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot. So, needless to say, I jumped on this one. Again and Again follows Eugene Miles who at the age of 92 (or 105 depending on who you ask) is at his retirement home nearing the end of his long life. Just how long? Well Eugene claims he has lived several past lives totaling 1,100 years and he remembers them all. The bond he forms with nurse and former gang member Angel is really touching and the recounting of his past lives is so vivid and fluid. As it went on I was totally sucked in and couldn't wait to see how the whole thing wrapped up. First time I've read anything by Jonathan Evison. Was not disappointed. Characters great, story engaging, and not that hard to follow even though it has past and present storylines.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher's for this Advanced Readers Copy of Again and Again by Jonathan Evison!

I'm a huge fan of Jonathan Evison. He is one the few writers out that rarely disappoints with his writing. His latest Again and Again is one of his most beautiful books. It's an absolutely gorgeous story about a man names Eugene Miles. He claims throughout the story to be over a thousand years old. You hears stories form his past life and the when he is in the present he is at an old age home and befriends a man named Angel. As the novel progresses he meets doctors who believe and don't believe that he lived past lives as a cat, a man living in early Spain amongst other personalities. As the story infolds you also hear about this life and his past ones and you try to figure out if he is telling the truth or is he delsuional and dealing with trauma. It's such a compelling book and you really love all the chararters that are introduced (even the bad ones!) I highly recommned you reading this book for the experience of what it would be like to lives past lives. I think we all feel that way at least once in our lives. . If this is your first Jonathan Evison book the good news is like I said before you can literally pick any of his other books and enjoy them just as much. I was sad to see the book end because Eugene was a great character but like him there is time for all things to end and hopefully begin again, and that will be in waiting for the next Jonathan Evison novel!!! Thank you to #dutton and #netgalley for the ARC. Gonna be in my top 10 of 2023!

Eugene is an old man who says he has lived seven lifetimes and over a thousand years, one of those lifetimes as a cat. Now in a nursing home, he retells his stories to the man who cleans his room. We learn of his past and current lives and his struggle to find the woman he loves across time. In the process he bonds with his cleaner and discovers secrets of his own life. This novel was a quick read for me and each chapter left you wanting more of the story. While the overall feel of the book is kindness and love, it does contain some scenes of abuse and torture. The ending was, to my taste, a bit to sappy, but this is meant to be a story of redemption and they often end that way. A lovely story.

Centenarian Eugene Miles is living out his days at a desert retirement home, reading books and completing puzzles. A friendly custodian named Angel, a reformed LA gang member, breaks through Eugene’s walls and gets him to talk about his life.

Or, in this case, “lives.”

But unlike everyone else, Angel listens…and believes. Believes that Eugene lived as a beggar and thief in Moorish Spain in the tenth century. Believes he lived (and died) as an island-hopping young girl in Polynesia. Believes he was reincarnated as a Victorian-era cat belonging to a poet named Oscar. And, Angel believes that Gaya, the girl with whom he fell in love in Seville, fell in love with him again in a new life and new body over a thousand years later.

Quite the concept, this dip into multiple lives. Evison shares Eugene’s tales with the intricacy of having been there. Each vignette about Eugene’s past lives is accurate and textured. The characters are real, and the situations are exciting and interesting. They’re content-filled, action-packed flashbacks, always something to see or do.

Eugene makes for a solid everyman, a relatable protagonist, true to Evison’s tendencies. In all those past lives, he’s never been a king or titan of industry. If anything, he’s had to scramble for everything. First, fighting to eat and stay alive in Moorish Spain; then, trying to get Oscar’s attention; then, convincing Gladys that she must be Gaya. His voice wavers between casual and formal in a way I found confusing, but I just leaned into it after a while. He makes a good narrator, keeping it focused and visual, not too in his head.

The supporting cast also takes on that Evison touch: everyday people with deep sensibilities. Angel is tough, kind, and itching for a chance to do some good. His relationship with Eugene is redemptive and sweet. Wayne turns out to be something more than just an annoying psychologist (the Life-Saver sucking would drive me nuts, too). And Gladys’ life course really drives the latter half of the book. She gave the story a good infusion of romance and meaning.

The middle-novel twist is more subtle than advertised, but it jolted my beliefs. I wasn’t sure about the novel’s direction for a bit, but what happens to Eugene explained a lot and brought things back to earth. His stories became more believable (hint-hint), easier to understand, more relatable. I liked him better after that. I wish there'd been more intimacy, more chemistry in the love story, and the time-shifting really rattled my brain, making me grateful for each return to present-day. But the robust character development overshadows that.

My daughter and I just finished Tuck Everlasting (and now she’s been warned by her teacher: don’t blab to the other kids). They’ve been discussing the pros and cons of immortality, with some hilarious answers (“you’ll be floating in space forever after the world explodes,” said a classmate). I told her about Eugene, and though she’s intrigued, she maintains her position: living multiple lives is a mixed blessing at best.

So, Evison’s attempt at giving an immortal soul to his MC is a good one. Realistic for its genre, tender when it needs to be, complex and detailed throughout. It doesn’t think too much of itself and keeps the focus on what’s most important: connection and love. I’m a lifelong admirer of this author, and congratulations to him for infusing his work with a little everlasting magic.

Thank you to Dutton Press and NetGalley for the honor of an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

“Again and Again” by Jonathan Evison is one of the most creative, inspiring and thought provoking books I have ever read! It’s about an elderly gentleman living the end of his life in a senior living facility insisting on having lived many past lives. He is befriended by a caregiver and thus we enter his life’s story which will captivate and hold your attention throughout every chapter. As the puzzle of his life enfolds I found myself so absorbed I was praying that the story wouldn’t end. Ultimately, this is a story about the true power of love and how you need to latch onto it no matter how many traumatic difficulties we each face during our lives. This is a brilliant book and I highly recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley,, PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, and the author for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A sweet premise but this novel was a bit too sentimental for me to get into. I didn’t finish this one. Perhaps I’ll pick it up again another time.

Again and Again is another fascinating novel by Jonathan Evison. No matter your age, connections with others and love are key. The main character, Eugene, has many past identities and lives. Or are they pure invention? We meet him in the final stages of his “present life”. It is a compelling read which has been thoughtfully and carefully constructed to engage the reader.

At its core, this is a story about love. From the publisher- "Eugene “Geno” Miles is living out his final days in a nursing home, bored, curmudgeonly, and struggling to connect with his new nursing assistant, Angel, who is understandably skeptical of Geno’s insistence on having lived not just one life but many—all the way back to medieval Spain, where, as a petty thief, he first lucked upon true love only to lose it, and spend the next thousand years trying to recapture it."

I didn't want to try and summarize it myself because it just felt too complex for me to get it right. I loved this book. The language was just wonderful and the story really captivated me. I was drawn in and couldn't stop reading. I kept going back and forth wondering what to believe. But by the end, I found it didn't really matter. The story was just about love and how hard it is to find and keep and nurture. And that love is really the most important thing in life. It didn't really matter what parts of Geno's story were true and which ones weren't.

As with "Small World" I would love to keep reading about some of these characters and seeing what they do next. It's so nice that Evison doesn't tie everything up so tight that you can't imagine a future for the characters.

Thank you @netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy.