colleen stinchcombe

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

I picked this up at my local bookstore on a whim before a recent trip back to Boulder, CO. I started it on the plane, put it aside, and kept reading when I had a chance. I think that’s part of what’s wonderful about this book – I felt compelled to read it but not consumed by it, at least not in the way that the main character of this book, Ruth, is compelled by Nao’s diary. The all-consuming, can’t-think-of-anything-else kind of read.

The other thing I liked about this book? It’s equal parts a mystery, a writer’s musings and a buddhist’s musings. The author herself is a Zen Buddhist priest, which somehow made me even more invested in the book.

If you’re in the mood for a mystery-meditation, this is it. A young adult-focused fiction about choosing death and the things that make people weak and strong and the importance of the current moment. It’s a wonderful pool-side read or before-bed read or a weekend read. It’s casual but not vapid. Try it.