The Ten Best Days of My Life

by Adena Halpern

Book Overview

Twenty-nine-year-old Alexandra Dorenfield suddenly finds herself in heaven after an unfortunate encounter with a MINI Cooper. The seventh--and highest--level of heaven to be exact. Her dog, Peaches, is with her; she is reunited with her beloved grandparents; she has the wardrobe of a movie star; and she lives in the house of her dreams next door to a handsome guy. This is heaven But there's a catch. Alex must prove she led a fulfilling existence by...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0452289408
• ISBN13: 9780452289406
• Release Date: May 2008
• Publisher: Plume Books
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

OMG, this is a fabulous read! Love this book!

I just finished this book and it was wonderful. Not only does it have a nice sweet story to it, but it also really makes you think about your own life and the contributions that you have made and the people that truly matter to you. It was also very comforting to think about death in the way of the author's perspective. I am passing this book on to one of my closest friends and I would also recommend this as a nice, easy read to anyone.

The perfect book for me to read today

I just finished The Ten Best Days of My Life, by Adena Halpern and I LOVED it (and I'm not just saying that either). It was the perfect book for me to read today. I've been dealing with my friends losing their 3-yr old daughter and also losing my grandpa - too much! This book helped me feel so much better about moving to the next stage in our existence. Yes, we miss those who pass onto the next life (heaven, in this case). But it was nice to read about everyone in heaven having a great time and that families were together again. None of them wanted any of us left behind to worry about them. They were happy and loving it there. I also liked how Ms. Halpern explained heaven as being different planes (7th heaven is the best heaven; the 4th plane of heaven is where all the great musicians hang out -- not as perfect there, but great music!). It was interesting to see that while Alex wrote about her 10 best days she actually learned more about herself and her life than had she not gone through that test. She realized what really was important in life and in death -- good friends and family. I've been reading some parenting books and this actually touches upon the one theory that I've been reading about lately -- saving your children actually harms them more than it helps them. Everyone must learn to be responsible for their own actions and deal with the consequences themselves. Parents do not help their children by "saving" them from their bad choices. The main character, Alexandra, had to learn that the hard way. She was her parent's "miracle child" and was always treated as a princess. By treating her as such she never learned to behave as a responsible adult until much later in life... and almost too late. I read this in bed one morning. I couldn't put it down. I laughed, I cried and I kept reading. I loved it. Thank you for writing this for me right now, Ms. Halpern. I really needed it and thoroughly enjoyed it.

loved it

The title of this book caught my eye, and I purchased it several days later. I read it in 2 days and wished she'd written 10 more books for me to read! Like talking to a girlfriend I laughed and even surprised myself by crying at the end. It was so uplifting and I just hope she's right! Get this book.

Loved it!

I have to say I read this book in one night and loved every moment of it. There is just something very sweet and re-assuring about the book to know that you will be with the people you love after this life has ended....and then add in the quirkness of the writing makes a great combination!

One of the Ten Best Books of My Life

I was a big fan of Adena Halpern's last book, her memoir "Target Underwear and a Vera Wang Gown," so I was excited to read her new novel. It did not disappoint. At times laugh-out-loud funny and at other times cry your eyes out, this is a wonderful read. (I read it in about two days.) My grandpa died a few months ago, and this book made me feel so much better about where he is now. Thanks, Adena, for this beautiful book.