Review: Unfinished Business by Lee Kravitz

Unfinished Business could be a book in what will be an emerging trend in 2010 and 2011: the lay off book.

When Lee Kravitz was laid off from his job as editor of Parade Magazine, he lost part of his identity. He had worked so long and so hard at work that he forgot to be a human being. So he went on a year-long journey to reconnect with people from his past and, as the title suggest, taking care of unfinished business, from telling a favorite teacher “thank you” to finding what happened to a mentally disabled aunt.

It’s a fascinating read, and an example of how anyone’s life can be interesting. It had me looking at some unfinished business in my life, too, and asking who I’d visit or track down if I had a year to do it. My story would be a little bit different (Kravitz, after all, is of the AARP generation), but it could be worth looking into in honor of my 30th birthday, which is happening this year, and the cross-country trip I might make after the big day.

So will this be a trend? The “I lost my job during the great recession so I wrote a book?” Maybe. I’m going to Book Expo America at the end of the month, which is a great way to see what’s next. Who knows. Maybe it’ll be the next “zombie book.”

I know I promised to review that latest Nora Roberts book, but it wasn’t much different than everything else she’s written, and I’m kinda tired (it was that kind of weekend!) Sorry, folks.