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Ben Reeves: Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt
Ben Reeves joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about his debut novel, EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTFUL AND NOTHING HURT, which is an instant New York Times bestseller, a #1 Indie Next pick, and a Bookreporter Bets On selection. The book reimagines the Grim Reaper as a compassionate, ordinary man named Travis who spends time with people before they die, exploring themes of life, death, grief and regret. It ultimately makes readers question if they are truly living the life they want and focusing on what matters. The book won the Bath Novel Award in 2024, which launched Ben's publishing journey after 20 years of writing. Ben notes that he is always personally preoccupied with whether or not he is using his time well, and he wanted to unpack that through storytelling — encouraging readers to “wake up” by contemplating mortality. He also explains why he brought two characters to the forefront of the story: a midwife and her daughter. Carol praises the final chapter as the most impactful part of the novel and urges readers to give it a lot of thought. She sees it as the emotional and philosophical culmination of the book's message about living intentionally. Ben also shares that he is working on a new project. Our Latest “Bookreporter Talks To” Interviews: Rachel Beanland: https://youtu.be/6Piw8q7pGkc Lisa Scottolin: https://youtu.be/9MsfXILFZ_Y John Searles: https://youtu.be/LA2gXPoc_zk Jenny Jackson: https://youtu.be/V116A5eBBBE Beatriz Williams: https://youtu.be/d554V2bGHSQ Lori Foster: https://youtu.be/C2xlNPgKjm0 Lisa See: https://youtu.be/5UpTJ_YAnxE Ruta Sepetys: https://youtu.be/Mv9XRWohkjs Kathryn Stockett: https://youtu.be/-mNe-Y9CctQ Susan Patterson: https://youtu.be/jvZjwDq_dUw Our Latest “Bookaccino Live” Book Group Events: Bruce Holsinger: https://youtu.be/wwQjtlPePBQ Wally Lamb: https://youtu.be/-eMtMznKoVE Laura Dave: https://youtu.be/RRWrSjdxyrc Lisa Ridzén: https://youtu.be/dleYdLoh0bY Patrick Ryan: https://youtu.be/keazeWK1lto Lily King: https://youtu.be/_yo2x2ZA0B0 Sign up for newsletters from Bookreporter and Reading Group Guides here: https://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/ FOLLOW US on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter Website: https://www.bookreporter.com Art Credit: Tom Fitzgerald Edited by Jordan Redd Productions  
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