New Reviews up at Amazon!

Thank you to everyone who has read the book and offered up their opinion. I appreciate each and every one.

Paul,

Thanks for the review on GoodReads!

"Lost in Infinity" now on GoodReads

Go check it out, review it if you’ve read it. If you haven’t make sure you mark that you plan to read it. You do plan to read it right?

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13561541-lost-in-infinity

i read, therefore i write: Lost in Infinity by Travis Besecker

Link: i read, therefore i write: Lost in Infinity by Travis Besecker

iwishigotpaidtoread:

On average, how much would you say you sleep?  Have you ever really thought about it?  If you suffer from chronic insomnia like Travis Besecker, you have. 

On your sleepless nights, what keeps you awake?  Worries about money, or how you could have handled a previous interaction better?  Is it ever a fear of infinity, and the vast nothingness that surrounds us and looks down from the night sky?  If you suffer from apeirophobia like Travis Besecker, it is.

Besecker’s new novel, Lost in Infinity is a chronicle of his life-long battle with insomnia and the ugly, and often times, dangerous side effects that can occur due to extreme sleep deprivation.  He tells his story of pain, frustration, and fear of the unknown.  His tale is sad, funny, extremely moving, and also, at times, deeply unsettling.  Besecker is a person that almost everyone can relate to, in one way or another, which makes his story all the more powerful.

Lost in Infinity follows Travis Besecker on a sometimes sporadic timeline from early childhood to the present as he deals with his inability to “sleep like a normal kid,” and his boundless fear. Besecker’s journey takes us to him as a small boy, sitting in the visiting area of a mental institution reminiscent of One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and to the night more than 20 years in the future, when he slams his car into a guardrail after falling asleep at the wheel.  He tells of his well-meaning parents who tried to help a child they loved but didn’t understand.  He explains his constant need to be involved in numerous projects and his fight to succeed at everything he does as an attempt to silence the Shadow Man.

I received and read Lost in Infinity in the same day.  That was in part due to the fact that I had agreed to write this review when I was finished with the novel; I don’t like to keep people waiting.  But mostly, it was due to the fact that I absolutely couldn’t put the book down. 

I don’t want to give away the story of Besecker’s trials but I will give my reaction to it: 

My arms were covered in goose bumps for the duration of the first two chapters, a feeling I described as finding Besecker “eerily relatable.”  There were so many ways in which I felt a kinship to this person I was reading about.  My mind raced with every passing page and my heart pounded with emotion.  There was more than one moment where I wanted to hug this scared and frustrated little boy.  Two-thirds of the way into Besecker’s work, I realized there were probably 20 different ways his story could end, and no matter what path the novel took, I knew it would be the right one.  I don’t think I have ever been so confident of a novel’s genuine goodness since I began reading them at age 7.  Lost in Infinity is a book that I will be returning to for another read many, many more times to come.

I GAB THEREFORE I AM: LOST IN INFINITY Review

Link: I GAB THEREFORE I AM: LOST IN INFINITY Review

iamagabbymom:

A book review by Gabby 

When I purchased this book, I confess I did it more to support a fellow tumblr than for any other reason.  Skimming the premise I deduced that this was not in my normal “comfort zone” of genres.  But, I am passionate about supporting the people I follow, so I pulled up Amazon and ordered a physical copy of the book.  I wanted the author to be rewarded monetarily for his efforts.  

The book came UPS yesterday, and while I was excited, it was more that initial phase for me.  New book.  Uncreased seam.  The smell of the paper.  I started it at lunch and found it interesting.  Very well written.  But I was distracted by life and after reading a chapter or four I set it aside.  

Last night my internet connection flaked out and I was bored.  Picked up the book.  And I was lost.  This is the kind of book that, if i was 12 years old again, I would hide under the covers and read with a flashlight so my parents wouldn’t see the light under my door and realize I was up past my bedtime.  As it is I read until I was reading with one eye open, fighting against the urge to sleep.  and even when I put the book down, my mind wouldn’t stop wondering what would happen next to the character.  I woke up early and should have gone back to sleep, but found my desire to find out what happens was stronger than my desire for rest.  I could not put it down until I finished it.  Racing along to the OMG conclusion…

This to me signifies an excellent book.  When I disappear into it’s pages completely.  I cease to be, and with each page turned I move closer to the conclusion.  I found myself laughing out loud at his comments to his bible school teacher, and conversely torn with sympathy for his endless search for the oblivion of sleep.  Upon reaching the conclusion I was stunned, speechless, and quite frankly in awe.  It all made sense.  Literally a holy shit moment.  I can honestly say it was one of the best reads I have ever had.  

I hope the author continues to write.  I know if he does I will be one of those preordering his next work.  I will wait for it to arrive like a child waiting for a long awaited sequel to a beloved video game.  And I will hide under the covers with my flashlight so that no one will disturb me until I reach it’s conclusion.

Flingin' Poo with the Best Monkey: Lost in Infinity: My Review

Link: Flingin' Poo with the Best Monkey: Lost in Infinity: My Review

pooflinginwiththebestmonkey:

On average, how much would you say you sleep?  Have you ever really thought about it?  If you suffer from chronic insomnia like Travis Besecker, you have. 

On your sleepless nights, what keeps you awake?  Worries about money, or how you could have handled a previous interaction better?  Is it ever a fear of infinity, and the vast nothingness that surrounds us and looks down from the night sky?  If you suffer from apeirophobia like Travis Besecker, it is.

Besecker’s new novel, Lost in Infinity is a chronicle of his life-long battle with insomnia and the ugly, and often times, dangerous side effects that can occur due to extreme sleep deprivation.  He tells his story of pain, frustration, and fear of the unknown.  His tale is sad, funny, extremely moving, and also, at times, deeply unsettling.  Besecker is a person that almost everyone can relate to, in one way or another, which makes his story all the more powerful.

Lost in Infinity follows Travis Besecker on a sometimes sporadic timeline from early childhood to the present as he deals with his inability to “sleep like a normal kid,” and his boundless fear. Besecker’s journey takes us to him as a small boy, sitting in the visiting area of a mental institution reminiscent of One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and to the night more than 20 years in the future, when he slams his car into a guardrail after falling asleep at the wheel.  He tells of his well-meaning parents who tried to help a child they loved but didn’t understand.  He explains his constant need to be involved in numerous projects and his fight to succeed at everything he does as an attempt to silence the Shadow Man.

I received and read Lost in Infinity in the same day.  That was in part due to the fact that I had agreed to write this review when I was finished with the novel; I don’t like to keep people waiting.  But mostly, it was due to the fact that I absolutely couldn’t put the book down. 

I don’t want to give away the story of Besecker’s trials but I will give my reaction to it: 

My arms were covered in goose bumps for the duration of the first two chapters, a feeling I described as finding Besecker “eerily relatable.”  There were so many ways in which I felt a kinship to this person I was reading about.  My mind raced with every passing page and my heart pounded with emotion.  There was more than one moment where I wanted to hug this scared and frustrated little boy.  Two-thirds of the way into Besecker’s work, I realized there were probably 20 different ways his story could end, and no matter what path the novel took, I knew it would be the right one.  I don’t think I have ever been so confident of a novel’s genuine goodness since I began reading them at age 7.  Lost in Infinity is a book that I will be returning to for another read many, many more times to come.

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THANK YOU LAINEY! I love this!