This by definition is not an autobiography. Elliot Schubert focuses on family relationships as he tells snippets about his family, his marriage, and life growing up in Chicago. Readers will be able to empathize with the mixture of gentle humor and heart wrenching stories.

I received this book through a LibraryThing giveaway. Although encouraged, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. ( )

This book is a quick read, but the humor and descriptive writing keep you interested all the way through. It is a combination of about 30 short stories told from the author's viewpoint about his life experiences. It deals with discrimination and acceptance. The story about the depressed bird was one of my favorite. It is lighthearted and full of substance at the same time. I finished thinking that Mr. Schubert is someone I would like to meet. ( )

I received this book through Librarything. I really wasn't sure what to expect from this book but took a chance at it being good. I was wrong it was great. Time changes for us all and this was so real. The stories made you want to be there. I am a genealogy freak and I could see my grandparents or parents in the stories. They were that good. Everyone can find one story that shows them something about what their family might have gone though. I will and have recommended it to others. Love it... ( )

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Time of Our Lives: Memories and Fantasies of a Blissful Nonagenarian. Not only does the reader share Elliot Schubert's memories of an amazing life, but one also feels like they are on a first person travel tour through ninety years of history. Instead of historical fiction which I love, I was exposed to historical fact which was presented in a most appealing way.

Schubert described his his desire to serve his country against those whose goal was the destruction of the American way of life. He was conflicted about placing himself in the direct line of fire and detested violence. He chose to put his misgivings aside and defended his country in the Navy. (page 64)

The author shared his struggle with confronting his father's illness. He described his father in these words. "The thirty pounds he had lost left his face gaunt, cheeks and eyes sunken. His head was covered by a short, gray stubble. His clothes hung on a boy frame as he staggered around the apartment, using the furniture to maintain his balance." Schubert empathized with ". . . this irritable, impatient, and irrational man who had grown old overnight". (page 100)

One of Schubert's stories tells of his close relationship with his Aunt Rose. She suffered from anorexia during a time when it wasn't well-known. It was also a time when the ravages of secondhand smoke were rarely in the public eye. Rose was described as a ". . . woman who survived on a steady diet of love, kindness, and beauty. . . . " (page 110) This book was written with so much empathy and compassion.

Many readers will identify with the author's description of parents who existed in a marriage filled with many conflicts. After his dad's death his mom ". . . murmured, 'I wish your father was still here.'" (page 106) This emotion though unimaginable was common in marriages of the past and is common in long-lasting marriages today. I was amazed throughout the book at Schubert's emotional intelligence considering the fact he had a PhD in chemistry and worked in that field for thirty-five years.

Animal lovers will be touched by the vignettes of Sari the cockatiel. (pages 134-142)

The Time of Our Lives is one of those quick reads because the reader doesn't want to put it down. I recommend it highly! ( )

I think it's a wonderful book and I love that it's a collection of stories. The first one has to be my favorite out of the collection. It's beautifully written. But as far as the rest. I can relate to some of the feelings they've experienced, even at being only 23. I love the reliving of old stories, it reminds me of when my grandmother would tell stories. There's something home-y about this book. I'd definitely reccomend reading it!