33. This Book Will Save Your Life by A.M. Homes

Richard Novak leads a very lonely life at the beginning of this novel by Homes. A day trader who has made a large sum of money, Richard likes to stay at home, alone, with his noise cancelling headphones on all day. When he thinks he is having a heart attack, and realizes he has no one to turn to in his isolation, he decides to change his life and finally start living life to the fullest. His new journey leads him to a new Malibu beach house (when his L.A. home is disrupted by a sink hole), to meditation retreats, and to a host of new friends – a donut maker, a movie star neighbor who helps Richard save a horse, a housewife he befriends when she emotionally breaks down in the produce aisle, and a reclusive Malibu writer. Most important, Richard finally starts being a father to his teenage son, Ben.

This novel offers readers an accurate depiction of life in L.A. these days. It is also very humorous, with some laugh out loud moments. Richard starts out as a not very likeable character, but slowly develops into a man who readers will be rooting for. A novel of redemption and about changing your life for the better, this was one of the most enjoyable books I have read so far this year.