The most beautiful book I have read this year and I will most definitely be purchasing a copy when it is published next April 🥹😭 It is written from the perspective of two tortoises who live through centuries on this earth & witness tragedy, joy, love and despair along with the human connections they make along the way. It’s a beautiful tale that can be read in one sitting.

This was one of the best books I've read this year, and I will be purchasing a copy when it's published. The story spans centuries and many events are narrated through the eyes of two tortoises. The people we meet, the lives they live, their desires and their failures, it all just feels so honest and human. The message that I took from the book is twofold:

1. we are all irrelevant, the years we live are practically non-existent in the large scheme of things. small humans going on thinking we matter but ultimately falling short in the grandeur existence of this world.

2. we are all incredibly relevant. our feelings are big, our choices lead to deep irrevocable changes. one small action can change the course of so many people's (and animals') life.

The story in itself is beautiful and creative, but the writing is what stands out to me -- it is truly brilliant. Each character has a unique voice, which is difficult to do in just 150 pages. The prose is succint, charming, and engaging.

One of those books that stays with you for a while.

Religious symbolism, read as an Aesop’s fable, AND had an interesting plot line? I was sold from the start. Michael Bible’s Little Lazarus takes a look at life through the perspectives of two tortoises and their caretakers. Because of the multiple perspectives the story is told from, we see the events unfold in a non-linear format, allowing us to come back to a plot point after receiving more context. The story ends full circle with an epilogue, where we read about the final moments of Little Lazarus and his legacy. Bible’s prose is short and to the point while maintaining its flowery essence, making the story sound like a fable or fairytale. This allowed for a quick read that was so full of meaning but still leaving room for interpretation.

I recommend this book to anyone struggling or going through a period of existential dread. By looking at life just as Lazarus and Little Lazarus did, we can experience every day with a touch of simplicity and comfort. Little Lazarus’s life and final moments teach us to find a reason to smile, whether it be the memory of a person we love or the warm sun hitting our face.

Wow….
From the start, “Little Lazarus” is intoxicating. If you haven’t already guessed from the title….’Little Lazarus’ is a little tortoise.

“Little Lazarus is the story of two clairvoyant tortoises who bear witness to centuries of human suffering”.

This little gem just might be my biggest *surprise* literary-short fiction-novella-book discovery all year.
I had never even heard of Michael Bible, (such a great name and memorable talent)….
….Michael Bible’s name is etched in stone in my brain now forever.
I don’t even remember ever reading a book through CLASH publishing….( thank you very much for trusting me with an advance copy) …
I’m very interested from here on to discover more great reads from CLASH.

It also must be said….the book cover is beautiful….eye catching….*artistically-stunningly-intriguing*…..
It makes me want to touch it ….still does!
open it up…(still does)
I only had the ebook…..
The peek inside was a great unexpected revelation!

So….
When a book is only 154 pages long ….I’m aware of the risks of sharing too much….
So….
My greatest suggestion is to read ‘the blurb’ ….its PERFECT…just enough and not too much —
My friends and book people are going to be blown away by the stories inside that you do discover.
It’s my favorite short story of the year!
Publication date is April 2025.

Teasers….out of context:
“Art is invented. God is invented. Sin is invented along with the technology and forgiveness”.

“Imagine all the possible disasters that will befall the earth in those decades to come. Earthquakes and fires and floods, and the bombs that will fall like rain on the innocent. Use your mind to counter up the worst of it. The pain, the endless death, and the joy and the sorrow And beauty of the earth exacting it revenge for our greed. See in your mind how stunting slow and messy this process will be. The soil drying up for generations and the ice melting, and the rivers overflowing and the earth opening and swallowing those unlucky enough to still be alive.
Now find Little Lazarus among this destruction. He is alive. On the ruins, enduring. Each day finding a little food and water he needs, his home on his back.

One of the best new discoveries all year.
Michael Bible >
….with your eloquent compassionate writing, and your heart-connecting story…..I’m a new fan!
I look forward to reading your next book.

This was a fantastic and heartfelt little book that I didn’t expect to love as much as I did.

Following two tortoises from the beginning to end of the world their stories are mediated through the people who care for and journey with them.

I enjoyed the fragmentation and non-linear nature of the story as we are given different perspectives of the same events throughout. Each perspective felt unique and interesting. The concept of the Seekers was very well done and a clever thread to hold such an expansive narrative together.

I even got all teary at the very end. Lazarus and Little Lazarus will be in my thoughts for a long time yet.

I will definitely be reading Michael Bible’s other works after this one, I loved it!

What a wild ride of a little novel! Michael Bible is one of our greats. What he does here, not only on a story-level, but one a craft-level, how he smoothly manages various perspectives + characters, is staggering. The novel loosely charts the life of Little Lazarus, a tortoise named after another tortoise, and the web of characters who come across him in one way or another. The scope here is magnificent (quite literally starting with the birth of the universe). So good. Thanks to the publisher for the e-galley!