Book Review: The Little Book

This book was so good. I thought since I was totally lazy this weekend, I would share this review from my WordPress blog. It was the first book I read this year, and one of only two books that I've read so far in 2013. Im planning a review of the other very soon. :)
***************************************************** I got a big stack of new books for Christmas.  Since I asked for mostly books and clothes, I would say that Santa granted my wishes!  Choosing which book to start with came down to just grabbing the book on the top of the pile.

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The Little Book by Selden Edwards is a book my friend Brooke shared on her blog, and since she stated that if you like The Time Traveler's Wife, you would like this book, I was sold.

Here's the synopsis from the back cover of the book:

"When Wheeler Burden--banking heir, rock idol, baseball hero, bestselling author--suddenly finds himself dislocated in time from 1988 San Francisco to Vienna in the year 1897, he's arrived at a pivotal moment in history, philosophy, art, and culture.  It is a time when the coming twentieth century looms before the world with great promise and peril, and when Vienna is enjoying its magnificent swan song as the epicenter of modern thought and the seat of European intellectual and political life. 

But what's most important to Wheeler from the earliest moments of his arrival are finding an appropriate set of clothes and discovering the identity of the luminous young woman he encounters early in his stay.  These simple actions set in motion a series of events that will ultimately reveal the incredible truth at the heart of Wheeler's adventure and will illuminate the eccentric Burden family's unrivaled impact on the very course of human history."

I.  LOVED. THIS. BOOK.

First of all, I love the subject of time travel.  The Back to the Future movies are among my favorites, and the book The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger was riveting to me.  (P.S.  Though good, the movie version of The Time Traveler's Wife isn't even CLOSE to as good as the book.)  The thing I love most about the subject is the confusing, yet intriguing, ways that the time traveler impacts the future.

I will be honest.  I wasn't sure I would like the book at first.  When I started reading, I felt that the beginning chapters were...I'm not sure.  Maybe just not what I was expecting.  The story begins with Wheeler's arrival in Vienna.  That threw me off and confused me a bit for some reason.  I suppose I was expecting to learn a little about who he was before being transported back in time.  HOWEVER, I pressed on, and soon I was enthralled as the story began the back-and-forth of Wheeler's situation in Vienna and explaining more about his story from childhood to adulthood.  I loved how many chapters left clues that hinted to things occuring while he is in Vienna.  The story allows you to make predictions, and as the story unfolds, light bulbs start going off in your head.  You get many "Aha!" moments as something you were predicting actually happens.

Amazing.

If you're looking for a book to add to your reading list, I HIGHLY recommend this book.  The good news is that there is a sequel to this book titled The Lost Prince.  I think I'm going to need to find that one soon!