Book Review: Survival Lessons by Alice Hoffman

Title: Survival Lessons
Author: Alice Hoffman
Source: LibraryThing

Goodreads Summary:

Fifteen years ago, Alice Hoffman received a diagnosis that changed everything about the life she'd been living. Most significant, aside from the grueling physical ordeal she underwent, was the way it changed how she felt inside and what she thought she ought to be doing with her days. Now she has written the book that she needed to read then. In this honest, wise, and upbeat guide, Alice Hoffman provides a road map for the making of one's life into the very best it can be. As she says, "In many ways I wrote this book to remind myself of the beauty of life, something that's all too easy to overlook during the crisis of illness or loss. There were many times when I forgot about roses and starry nights. I forgot that our lives are made up of equal parts sorrow and joy, and that it's impossible to have one without the other. . . . I wrote to remind myself that in the darkest hour the roses still bloom, the stars still come out at night. And to remind myself that, despite everything that was happening to me, there were still some choices I could make.


My Thoughts:

 I think this book is amazing, and a book that everyone should read, at whatever age and whatever their situation.  It is a book about hope, about living your life to the fullest, taking time for what is important. Taking time for yourself, and to do the things you will always dreamed of doing. I felt so inspired after reading this book, to go out there and do all those things I have been putting off.

A few quotes from the book that I really liked:

"Make time for old friends.  Get a group of your favorite people together and rent a room at a hotel. Order room service, watch movies, dance until the management starts to get complaints from other guests. Go to a spa together or make pizza from scratch."

"Watch every old movie you've always wanted to see. Fall in love with Clark Gable. Watch comedies that involve bridesmaids, pretty women, men at bachelor parties, teenagers and hot tubs, and anything with Bill Murray."

"Don't forget books. What would life be without them? Emily Bronte, Edgar Allen Poe, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Toni Morrison, Jane Austen, William Faulkner. Read the greats - they're great for a reason."

"In my family, a book was a life raft"

I hope that you will read this book, and share it with people you love.  I know that I did.