Lost and Found... a Book Rediscovered

The search for a book I read during college and a new reading project!

As a lifelong reader, there are specific books that hold a special place in my heart. There are books that remind me of a specific time, books that led me back from a long reading drought, and books that truly encapsulate my reading taste (the rare six-star read!). I usually have no issue recalling them - remembering key plot points and characters, but there is one book that has eluded me for a long time and (spoiler) I finally found it!

The year is 2008

I had just finished my sophomore year of college and I was about to embark on a study abroad program that summer in London. I took out a loan to pay for tuition, housing, and just a little extra for spending money. This meant I couldn’t go on all the weekend excursions with most of the other students, and instead found myself exploring the city on my own.

As an introvert this didn’t bother me one bit! I loved touring the city alone, but about halfway through the summer I was content to slow down and enjoy London, not as a tourist, but instead as a local. I was living steps from Hyde Park and I had the idea to bring a blanket to read and people watch. Now I just needed a book!

What I remember

Here’s where my memory is quite clear… I walked into a Waterstones (basically a British Barnes & Noble) with no TBR list and no notion of what I wanted to read. I went in purely with the intention to browse and find a book that jumped out to me. What a lovely experience, one I need to bring to my present day self!

I remember picking up a book off a table of Waterstones selections, perhaps a “Best of… “ or “Best new….”, the cover drew me in and the synopsis on the back compelled me to purchase it. It had some magical/fantasy elements. Maybe time travel? I remember enjoying the book, but that is where my memory stops. I can’t even clearly remember the cover that led me to pick it up!

Flash forward to 2021

This is the year I returned to the fantasy genre and read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (loved) and The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern (did not love). Something about reading these two books triggered the distant memory of the book I read in London. At the time, I blamed postpartum fog and moved on.

Over the next few years, the mysterious book would come and go from my thoughts. It annoyed me that I couldn’t recall the title. It felt like it was constantly on the tip of my tongue. I kept googling vague keywords (fantasy books with red covers/time travel?) and finally conceded that I would never find it again.

I found it!

I wish this was more exciting, but while scrolling my endless Instagram feed, I came across a very familiar red cover and immediately knew it was THE book:

I let out a squeal and proceeded to purchase a used copy.

Ironically, The End of Mr. Y, is about an extremely rare book that the protagonist, Ariel Manto, has been searching for and finally stumbles across in a secondhand bookstore (sounds familiar😊). The book is thought to be cursed, and anyone who has ever read the book, including the author, has disappeared. From the synopsis on the back cover: “Ariel can’t resist the promise of the book’s history and its pages, and so steps into a thrilling adventure of time, space, love, death, and everything in between.”

Reflections and what’s next..

Currently, I’m about 50 pages in and I’m curious if it will hold up. I know my reading tastes have changed, but, in its own way, this book has stayed with me for 17 years! Is it a bad sign that I couldn’t remember anything significant about it? Perhaps I’m just nostalgic for the exquisite reading experience I had in London.

This reflection has made me wonder about other books I enjoyed during my college years that have since been mostly forgotten.

Naturally, I came up with a list of books that I want to revisit, a fun little reading project to remind myself of the reader I used to be, and see how it speaks to who I am as a reader today.

Stay tuned for a follow-up post sometime in the next few months!

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova - 2005
A young woman uncovers an ancient book containing letters detailing the search for the truth about Vlad the Impaler, more commonly known as Dracula. She sets off on a quest to uncover the truth for herself. I remember this book being long, but enjoyable, with incredible descriptions of Eastern Europe. Perfect armchair travel with a creepy backdrop!

Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk - 2002
I went through a phase of reading Palahniuk’s books in high school and college but this one stands out to me. His books are unique in that they are very dark, often stomach-turning, but also funny and thought-provoking. Lullaby is no different. In this novel, a reporter researching SIDs finds a strange pattern of infant deaths related to the same bedtime story being read.

Geek Love by Katherine Dunn - 1989
I remember borrowing this book from my friend who swore it was her favorite book of all time. I think it’s about a circus, but I really can’t recall anything specific. It’s a classic in the weird lit genre that I now love so dearly, perhaps this is my origin story! I’m avoiding all descriptions of this book because I want to go in blind and be shocked all over again.

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Friend by Christopher Moore - 2002
I think the title says it all, definitely satire, and I remember it was a fun experience. From the publisher setup: The birth of Jesus has been well chronicled, as have his glorious teachings, acts, and divine sacrifice after his thirtieth birthday. But no one knows about the early life of the Son of God, the missing years—except Biff, the Messiah’s best bud, who has been resurrected to tell the story in the divinely hilarious yet heartfelt work.

❓If you were to take on this reading project, what books would make your list? Let us know in the comments!