It is a truth that book lovers and boozehounds hold dear: nothing pairs better with wine than a great book! Welcome back to Boozy Book Club, where we celebrate this match made in heaven. (If you missed the first installment, go here).
I read Maybe in Another Life, the third novel from super talented young author Taylor Jenkins Reid (her fourth book, One True Loves, is out now) a while ago, but this romantic ‘what if?’ story was on my mind as I was preparing to get married this month.
Maybe in Another Life centers on aimless twenty-nine year old Hannah Martin. Hannah moves back to her hometown of Los Angeles to crash in her bestie Gabby’s guestroom while she figures out what to do next. They go out to a bar one night and run into Hannah’s high school boyfriend, Ethan. From that point, the book follows two concurrent storylines: one in which Hannah goes home with Ethan that night, one in which she heads home with Gabby. Quickly, these parallel universes develop into radically different stories with large-scale consequences for Hannah, as well as the people around her.
Like all of Taylor’s books, this one uses a love story to explore huge questions such as: Is anything meant to be? How much in our life is determined by chance? Soulmates, yay or nah? Perfect for some boozy philosophizing!
Wine Pairing:
Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc, in honor of Hannah’s serious sweet tooth
Discussion Questions for a Civilized Evening
1. The book starts off with Hannah wondering if she should get back together her ex is the right thing to do. But is it ever a good idea to get back together with an ex? What do you think?
2. Is it possible that “the one” could end up being “the one that got away”? Do you have one who got away? What happened?
3. The book hinges on something called the Multiverse Theory, in which all possible outcomes are lived out concurrently (science, y’all!). What do you think about this? Does this seem possible? What do you think parallel universe you is up to right now?
4. One of the primary questions that Maybe in an Another Life tackles is whether or not things are meant to be. Do we all have an inalterable destiny? Is there one person out there who is your true love? Is your life determined by chance or the hand of fate? Discuss.
5. Hannah’s first night in L.A. turns out to be massive turning point for her, with one decision taking her life in two very different directions. What was your biggest turning point? Is there a moment you wonder about?