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The Time Bubble #9
My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday
Imagine living life backwards, one day at a time, from your deathbed to your birth.
When Thomas Scott wakes up in hospital on New Year's Day he has no memory of who he is or why he is there. Racked with pain from a terminal illness, death swiftly follows. When he wakes to find he is alive once more he is confused to discover that it now December 31st. As the days pass it becomes clear that the calendar is running in reverse.
Trying to find some purpose in life, he resolves to find out as much about his own personal history as he can. Learning of the death of his wife and an attack on his daughter, he prepares to make changes in the past to secure their future.
From middle-aged father all the way back to childhood, the passing years present all manner of different challenges as Thomas continues his journey backwards through the early 21st and the late 20th centuries.
This story is the ninth part of an epic series exploring the time travel genre in original and innovative ways. It can be enjoyed standalone or as part of the main series.
When Thomas Scott wakes up in hospital on New Year's Day he has no memory of who he is or why he is there. Racked with pain from a terminal illness, death swiftly follows. When he wakes to find he is alive once more he is confused to discover that it now December 31st. As the days pass it becomes clear that the calendar is running in reverse.
Trying to find some purpose in life, he resolves to find out as much about his own personal history as he can. Learning of the death of his wife and an attack on his daughter, he prepares to make changes in the past to secure their future.
From middle-aged father all the way back to childhood, the passing years present all manner of different challenges as Thomas continues his journey backwards through the early 21st and the late 20th centuries.
This story is the ninth part of an epic series exploring the time travel genre in original and innovative ways. It can be enjoyed standalone or as part of the main series.
247 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 6, 2015
117 people are currently reading
642 people want to read
About the author
Jason Ayres
39 books106 followersJason Ayres fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming a full-time author when he left the corporate world behind and published his first novel in 2014. Since then, he has written twenty more books, delighting readers with his signature mix of humour, engaging characters, and imaginative storytelling.
His character-driven tales focus on ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations—whether travelling to an uncertain future, revisiting their past, or exploring alternate timelines. Blending elements of sci-fi, romance, and everyday life, his stories offer something for everyone, with relatable characters at their heart.
Jason’s latest series, set in the 1980s, follows present-day protagonists who, down on their luck, get a chance to relive a pivotal year from their past. 1980, 1981, and 1982 are available now, with more to come.
Want to know more about Jason? - You can find him at:
https://www.jasonayres.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/TheTimeBubble/
https://twitter.com/TheTimeBubble/
His character-driven tales focus on ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary situations—whether travelling to an uncertain future, revisiting their past, or exploring alternate timelines. Blending elements of sci-fi, romance, and everyday life, his stories offer something for everyone, with relatable characters at their heart.
Jason’s latest series, set in the 1980s, follows present-day protagonists who, down on their luck, get a chance to relive a pivotal year from their past. 1980, 1981, and 1982 are available now, with more to come.
Want to know more about Jason? - You can find him at:
https://www.jasonayres.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/TheTimeBubble/
https://twitter.com/TheTimeBubble/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
October 16, 2015
Having read many books about time travel, I can say with a fair amount of certainty that this is one of the best. It is interesting and unique, and it pulls you in immediately. You accompany Thomas, the protagonist, on a backwards trip through time, yet never does it seem strange to take that route.
The story begins on Thomas's death bed and, instead of his lung cancer getting worse, leading to his inevitable death, he goes in a different direction. Since the author chose to write this in the first person, the reader gets eye-witness details of Thomas's life and also experiences events with him simultaneously.
You will find yourself looking forward to the next time frame in order to piece together what Thomas's life actually was like. It is amazing how well the reader is able to follow events despite the fact that they do not follow the linear Judeo-Christian model of birth-to-death, always able to keep in mind what had preceded the time in which Thomas finds himself. This is an unquestionable testament to the author's talent and expertise.
Mr. Ayres has done a superb job and I look forward to reading his series, "The Time Bubble."
Phyllis Eisenstadt
The story begins on Thomas's death bed and, instead of his lung cancer getting worse, leading to his inevitable death, he goes in a different direction. Since the author chose to write this in the first person, the reader gets eye-witness details of Thomas's life and also experiences events with him simultaneously.
You will find yourself looking forward to the next time frame in order to piece together what Thomas's life actually was like. It is amazing how well the reader is able to follow events despite the fact that they do not follow the linear Judeo-Christian model of birth-to-death, always able to keep in mind what had preceded the time in which Thomas finds himself. This is an unquestionable testament to the author's talent and expertise.
Mr. Ayres has done a superb job and I look forward to reading his series, "The Time Bubble."
Phyllis Eisenstadt
January 28, 2016
What a fun book to read! Makes you think - what would you do if effect preceded cause (AKA you knew what was going to happen before it did). Many every day situations are described in this book - companionship, marriage, having kids, work, tragedy, family and friends, etc. The book is a bit "raw" in places and definitely from a male perspective in life. Ties into his other books (with the same character(s)?) very well. Shows signs of a new developing writer but still very satisfying.
June 1, 2016
Living backwards through time would be an excellent way for an exceptionally lazy person to live their life. The protagonist seems like he might be that person. And also, I think he's a creep.
June 28, 2015
I sped through this book – not because I was in a hurry, but because I felt compelled to. It seized my imagination immediately I began reading it, and I was captivated by the premise. When I first saw the book advertised I was reminded of one of my favourite movies, The Curious case of Benjamin Button. The crucial difference here is that rather than moving forwards in time towards uncharted territory, the hero, Tom Scott, actually experiences himself moving backwards through time, and as a result becoming younger, with all the foreknowledge of his future as he wakes each morning to the day in what was once his past, that he must now live through again. And so it goes, right until the end. But I am saying nothing about that, except that I thought it was a skilful, unexpected, and clever conclusion. That foreknowledge I mentioned, and how to best use it, presents a moral challenge for Tom. He can use it for selfish ends, in the most obvious ways, but those opportunities must be used up by the end of the day he is currently in, as there is no way of paying them backwards into what, for him, is his tomorrow. Confused yet? I found myself being provoked into asking some serious questions of myself as I raced through each chapter. How would I, or any of us, deal with this situation? He has a whole lifetime to get used to it, although as readers we experience that lifetime condensed into the relatively short narrative. Knowing that he can only ‘pay forwards’ into a timeline that he hopes may be altered beyond recognition, he has the chance at various key events in his relived past to make a fundamental difference in his own life, and that of those closest to him. There are moments of touching emotional epiphany, and a significant appearance in the book of a character that shows up in his previous book ‘The Time Bubble’. I developed a fondness for Tom in the course of reading this novel, as he stumbles his way backwards through time, picking up each morning where his past self has placed him, growing progressively younger through his sometimes amusing teen years and on to his childhood. I think it’s a real mastery on the part of Jason Ayres that he has taken an intriguing concept which all sci-fi fans will recognise, and written an intelligent, cohesive story that has left me wanting more. A well-earned 5 stars.
October 25, 2015
The day after he dies, Thomas wakes up to find that he’s alive. If that isn’t extraordinary enough, it’s now the day before he died. Thomas discovers he’s living his life backwards, day by day.
Told in a clear, unfussy narrative, this imaginative and thought-provoking story keeps the reader intrigued throughout. Following Thomas’ back-to-front life, where every hello is a goodbye and every goodbye a hello, is an emotional and cerebral experience.
Thomas’ growing awareness of what he can alter and what he has to accept, and the wry observations on changes in technology through the decades, add depth and humour to the story. Although I recognise why the author provides an explanation for the time travelling (this is a standalone story, but linked to a series), for me this book would work better without it.
As you read you can’t help wonder how the story is going to conclude. I’m happy to say that the ending is perfect.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading something so fresh and different.
Told in a clear, unfussy narrative, this imaginative and thought-provoking story keeps the reader intrigued throughout. Following Thomas’ back-to-front life, where every hello is a goodbye and every goodbye a hello, is an emotional and cerebral experience.
Thomas’ growing awareness of what he can alter and what he has to accept, and the wry observations on changes in technology through the decades, add depth and humour to the story. Although I recognise why the author provides an explanation for the time travelling (this is a standalone story, but linked to a series), for me this book would work better without it.
As you read you can’t help wonder how the story is going to conclude. I’m happy to say that the ending is perfect.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading something so fresh and different.
March 14, 2015
What would you do if your first memory was being on your deathbed and then you find yourself travelling backwards through life one day at a time until the day you are conceived?
What would you decide to change when you find out you can fix the things that have gone wrong in your life?
This is what happens to our hero, Tom, in My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday, the latest instalment in the Time Bubble saga.
As with all Jason Ayres' books it starts off in gentle and chatty style but before you realise it you have suspended disbelief and are hooked until you know the outcome.
If I had a criticism it would be that it was a bit too short and enigmatic but I wouldn't be surprised if we meet Tom again in the next Time Bubble episode and find out why fate dealt him such an unusual hand.
Nice humorous and entertaining read.
What would you decide to change when you find out you can fix the things that have gone wrong in your life?
This is what happens to our hero, Tom, in My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday, the latest instalment in the Time Bubble saga.
As with all Jason Ayres' books it starts off in gentle and chatty style but before you realise it you have suspended disbelief and are hooked until you know the outcome.
If I had a criticism it would be that it was a bit too short and enigmatic but I wouldn't be surprised if we meet Tom again in the next Time Bubble episode and find out why fate dealt him such an unusual hand.
Nice humorous and entertaining read.
October 24, 2022
I love all of the Time Bubble books. This one is really good and well worth 5 stars. I finished this in two days which is very fast for me.
May 20, 2022
I really enjoy this series and I have no idea why I took so long between them other than I just have way too many books in my queue. This is a fun book in that the person is living his life backwards. Every morning he wakes up its the day before. I really enjoyed seeing life changes in reverse and this character shows up in an earlier Time Bubble books so we now get to see his story and a nice visit from a main character from the Time Bubble series also makes a visit.
It was a really light quick read that left me wanting more. If you like time travel books then you should pick this up, if you have not read the earlier books, you could read this on its own. But you will enjoy it more IMO if you start with the first book as there are a couple of references in this book to events from earlier books.
#timetravel
It was a really light quick read that left me wanting more. If you like time travel books then you should pick this up, if you have not read the earlier books, you could read this on its own. But you will enjoy it more IMO if you start with the first book as there are a couple of references in this book to events from earlier books.
#timetravel
March 22, 2017
What would you do if you get a chance to live your life backwards... death to birth? With the second chance, will you fix your earlier mistakes or bound to do new mistakes? What amazed me about the book is the clarity on every small aspect of reverse time travel. I truly wish to be like Tom except the ending part :) Awesome time travel fiction with a great twist!! I can't wait to read the 'Time Bubble'.
October 13, 2015
I loved this book, it was so good. The hero was flawed but so likeable. The story was fantastic as Thomas travels back through time, righting wrongs and managing to adapt from a smart phone to a Nokia brick to no mobile phone at all. The ending is totally unexpected. Read this book!!
February 17, 2016
A pleasant read with an interesting time travel twist. Tom travels backwards a day at a time through his life. We begin at his deathbed and travel back to his birth. I quite enjoyed it and may read more from this author.
January 17, 2018
I thought the idea of this was so interesting and in the beginning it had potential, but then it kind of just went no where.
Too much time spent on sexual experiences (or lack of) and the ending... I was hoping for more.
Too much time spent on sexual experiences (or lack of) and the ending... I was hoping for more.
April 3, 2016
Different book about a man who dies, but then starts to live his life backwards. Interesting concept. Going back and reliving events, making a few changes that have a big impact.
April 17, 2016
Best book read in ages. Poignant,different,stayed with me for months.
January 14, 2020
Stories about people who live their life backward have been done before, but for some reason the back text was too compelling for me to skip this one. It starts a little rough. It's kind of awkward to read about someone's final days and their slowly realizing that they are living their life backward.
After the awkward beginning it's much better! Ayres explores the space pretty thoroughly. Since he's living his life backwards, Thomas doesn't know things he'd learned earlier in his life and has to figure out how to dig them up. Living life backwards also leads to some fundamental shifts. For example, Thomas has no incentive to avoid doing things that have bad consequences because he won't be around to experience them. And yet each new day he's saddled with the consequences of actions he hasn't taken yet, but will. And no matter how many times he finds the mouldy sandwich in his golf bag, it's there again the next day.
Ayres was also good about weaving the consequences into the story. Thomas bumps up against them repeatedly until he finally comes to the day where it turns out yes, he has a reason for taking the action he does. It's fun to read about how he's worried he'll get hungry the day of the big golf tournament, so he packs himself a sandwich, realizes it's the one that has been plaguing him all along, and mentally reminds himself to take it out soon.
The big question is: can you change your past (well, future)? And if so, does it make any difference since it changes a future you will never encounter because you are living your life backwards? I'm not sure the ending answers this or satisfies, but it doesn't significantly detract from the story.
There's a lot of passive voice in this story. A lot of telling, summarizing, and not showing. It's probably necessary because the author has to cover an entire life in one book. I'm impressed that it works as well as it does. I can't figure out: does it work because it's kind of necessary, or does writing about living one's life backwards actually lend itself to passive voice being used?
After the awkward beginning it's much better! Ayres explores the space pretty thoroughly. Since he's living his life backwards, Thomas doesn't know things he'd learned earlier in his life and has to figure out how to dig them up. Living life backwards also leads to some fundamental shifts. For example, Thomas has no incentive to avoid doing things that have bad consequences because he won't be around to experience them. And yet each new day he's saddled with the consequences of actions he hasn't taken yet, but will. And no matter how many times he finds the mouldy sandwich in his golf bag, it's there again the next day.
Ayres was also good about weaving the consequences into the story. Thomas bumps up against them repeatedly until he finally comes to the day where it turns out yes, he has a reason for taking the action he does. It's fun to read about how he's worried he'll get hungry the day of the big golf tournament, so he packs himself a sandwich, realizes it's the one that has been plaguing him all along, and mentally reminds himself to take it out soon.
The big question is: can you change your past (well, future)? And if so, does it make any difference since it changes a future you will never encounter because you are living your life backwards? I'm not sure the ending answers this or satisfies, but it doesn't significantly detract from the story.
There's a lot of passive voice in this story. A lot of telling, summarizing, and not showing. It's probably necessary because the author has to cover an entire life in one book. I'm impressed that it works as well as it does. I can't figure out: does it work because it's kind of necessary, or does writing about living one's life backwards actually lend itself to passive voice being used?
October 8, 2017
For me, there are two important facts about this book. Firstly, I'm very mean about giving out five stars and the story must be very, very good for me to give them. Secondly, I read this book in just two sittings, staying up into the small hours to finish it. This again is unusual for me, since I like my sleep.
My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday, was a definite page-turner for me. Starting with the Epilogue, which confused me at first, I then became engrossed in the life and loves of Thomas Scott, but in reverse. At first I wondered if this was a 'Benjamin Button' story, but Thomas is living the life he's already lived; from a harrowing death to his birth.
I loved the way his memory was vague, therefore many of his experiences were new to him. And these experiences made me laugh at times and also made me gulp with sadness. Some parts were hard to read in their poignancy.
I only have a few doubts. Would a person take up smoking in their forties, even if they'd been through a traumatic experience? Also, would only ten years of heavy smoking bring on lung cancer? If Tom had taken to drink, I would have agreed, since I know from my family history that ten years of heavy drinking can have dire consequences.
But that is all I questioned and besides that, I suspended my belief and enjoyed the story a great deal. The writing was excellent with no sign of a typo. We've all got family that we love and dread to lose and Mr Ayres brought out the feelings, hopes and desires in his characters in a way I could relate to and appreciate.
I'm now thinking of downloading another of his novels, which gives testament to how much I enjoyed his writing.
Highly recommended for those who like time travel stories.
My Tomorrow, Your Yesterday, was a definite page-turner for me. Starting with the Epilogue, which confused me at first, I then became engrossed in the life and loves of Thomas Scott, but in reverse. At first I wondered if this was a 'Benjamin Button' story, but Thomas is living the life he's already lived; from a harrowing death to his birth.
I loved the way his memory was vague, therefore many of his experiences were new to him. And these experiences made me laugh at times and also made me gulp with sadness. Some parts were hard to read in their poignancy.
I only have a few doubts. Would a person take up smoking in their forties, even if they'd been through a traumatic experience? Also, would only ten years of heavy smoking bring on lung cancer? If Tom had taken to drink, I would have agreed, since I know from my family history that ten years of heavy drinking can have dire consequences.
But that is all I questioned and besides that, I suspended my belief and enjoyed the story a great deal. The writing was excellent with no sign of a typo. We've all got family that we love and dread to lose and Mr Ayres brought out the feelings, hopes and desires in his characters in a way I could relate to and appreciate.
I'm now thinking of downloading another of his novels, which gives testament to how much I enjoyed his writing.
Highly recommended for those who like time travel stories.
May 12, 2022
I really liked the premise of this book. It is the story of Thomas Scott, whom we meet as an old man in the hospital with cancer. The story starts with him trying to piece together the puzzle of how he got to where he is and who the people around him are. From there his story progresses back in time. Over the course of his journey, he learns more about himself and is able to make different choices, which he hopes lead to a better future. As Thomas continues his "backwards to birth" journey he continues to meet people from the future for the first and uses his unique gift of traveling backwards to change the course of his future for the better. At some point, he meets one of the characters from another book in the series who is able to give him a glimpse into his "new" future life and how it turns out.
June 21, 2022
Another Good Read!
This book was another very entertaining and interesting time travel novel. I was on the edge of my seat, often reading well through the night and into the morning. However, I have to say, I'm a little unsatisfied with the ending. I hung in there through the entire book - just to see a monumental closing. But I feel it wasn't very good. It was "just okay." I felt the ending was just slapped on at the last minute in order to meet an editor's deadline. Nonetheless, I've enjoyed ALL of the Time Bubble books. I'm hoping the next few are as good (or better) as the previous books.
This book was another very entertaining and interesting time travel novel. I was on the edge of my seat, often reading well through the night and into the morning. However, I have to say, I'm a little unsatisfied with the ending. I hung in there through the entire book - just to see a monumental closing. But I feel it wasn't very good. It was "just okay." I felt the ending was just slapped on at the last minute in order to meet an editor's deadline. Nonetheless, I've enjoyed ALL of the Time Bubble books. I'm hoping the next few are as good (or better) as the previous books.
June 2, 2024
The best in the series yet !
I cannot express how much I loved this book in the series . This is the best one that Jason has written so far ! I am addicted now so am just about to read Happy New Year the next book in the series .
It was fantastic to read about Thomas’s journey backwards into his life and I loved the memories it has invoked being born around the same time myself . A very thought provoking book and I couldn’t put it down . Am off now to continue my reading streak with book 10 !
I cannot express how much I loved this book in the series . This is the best one that Jason has written so far ! I am addicted now so am just about to read Happy New Year the next book in the series .
It was fantastic to read about Thomas’s journey backwards into his life and I loved the memories it has invoked being born around the same time myself . A very thought provoking book and I couldn’t put it down . Am off now to continue my reading streak with book 10 !
June 16, 2021
Quite possibly the best in the series so far
I have to be honest, I wasn't looking forward to this book as it is all about time travelling in reverse for a real bit part character from an earlier book.
But I was wrong. Completely wrong. Jason Ayres just knows how to build a story and keep it going with no filler.
This was superb, one of the best in the series (so far).
And the ending, well......
I have to be honest, I wasn't looking forward to this book as it is all about time travelling in reverse for a real bit part character from an earlier book.
But I was wrong. Completely wrong. Jason Ayres just knows how to build a story and keep it going with no filler.
This was superb, one of the best in the series (so far).
And the ending, well......
July 22, 2022
I enjoyed the first Time Bubble book, didn't enjoy the second. And hoped there would be an improvement if I skipped forward to Book 9.
It's definitely better than Global Cooling, and I enjoyed the concept of a man living backwards through time. Unfortunately, it's very frustrating not to see any impact of the changes he is making to history - the story is as frustrating for the reader as it is for the main character.
It's definitely better than Global Cooling, and I enjoyed the concept of a man living backwards through time. Unfortunately, it's very frustrating not to see any impact of the changes he is making to history - the story is as frustrating for the reader as it is for the main character.
June 27, 2024
What a strange book in the series. We've met Thomas Scott briefly in one of the earlier books but now he's back as the star. I've heard of a story of someone living backwards, I think it's called The Strange Life of Benjamin Button, but I've never read it. I found a few flaws in the presentation but overall it is very enjoyable. The flaw is that he says the day must be reset each night but then he describes all night intervals with prostitutes. Not major but it should have been caught.
June 4, 2017
Not bad.
Not very good either.
It's an entertaining story, done well but the story-telling is a bit simple and like a summary. Very nice story for young readers, I suppose but for grown-ups it can be entertaining as well.
Not very good either.
It's an entertaining story, done well but the story-telling is a bit simple and like a summary. Very nice story for young readers, I suppose but for grown-ups it can be entertaining as well.
December 5, 2017
Excellent premise, very bland execution. I couldn't connect with the character at all, didn't care about anything happening, and eventually was just flipping pages in the hopes it would get somewhere interesting.
If it does ever do so, it was past the 20% mark at which point I just gave up.
If it does ever do so, it was past the 20% mark at which point I just gave up.
December 28, 2017
This feels weak compared to Time's Arrow (Amis), especially at the beginning. If you haven't read Time's Arrow, read this first, then that. That said, it holds up better as it goes along, and the premise is well explored. It's fine, but not great.
May 16, 2017
Didn't keep my interest
December 27, 2017
This was an interesting concept. Unfortunately, that was the only good thing about it.
June 16, 2019
Great story. A must read if you like time travel books! I love the whole series and how the characters all come together.
February 4, 2024
Benjamin Button style of life being lived in reverse. Thought provoking and sad at times. I love that it starts with the Epilogue and ends with the Prologue. A cracking read.
February 4, 2024
This is a clever book. Had me enthralled right from the beginning. A bit of Benjamin Buttons but better.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews