Before I Go To Sleep
by S J Watson
First published in Great Britain in 2011.
Imagine if every morning when you woke up you had no idea who you were, where you were or how you got there. This is the reality that Christine faces every day since she had an accident that left her with memory problems. Most things she learns while awake become forgotten as she sleeps.
Before I Go To Sleep is a brilliant thriller about Christine's day to day life as she tries to come to terms with her accident with the help of her husband Ben, and her doctor. She keeps a journal to try to jog her memory and has photographs and notes all over the house, and each morning Ben has to calm her down and show her scrapbooks of their life together. As the story progresses there is an underlying feeling of unease and then a great twist hits that I did not see coming. It does end on a bit of a cliff hanger, but it fits with the story and allows readers to decide what they think would happen next, which I actually liked in this case.
Christine is a forty-seven year old, but can only remember being in her early twenties. Although I have not been in Christine's situation, she was written well and I felt a connection to her. She is desperate, upset, angry and strong throughout the story, which was all very realistic and how I imagined I would feel.
I felt sorry for her husband, Ben, as every day he has to explain about his life with Christine to her and allow her to be scared and confused. He deals so well with it, though you can tell it affects him too.
The story is easy to read and a definite page turner; I felt myself reading increasingly feverishly at one point when Christine reads her journal. S J Watson's writing is exciting, detailed and doesn't skimp on the thrill factor. I was also glad that the story didn't have Christine as a together, strong character who is getting on with her life despite her adversities. As uplifting as those stories can be, in Christine's situation I know I would be panicking, and therefore felt the emotions were much more realistic.
Reading this book made me really think about and appreciate the importance of memories and how they shape us. I couldn't imagine not being able to remember whole chunks of my life, especially if this included major events such as getting married, as in Christine's case. It made me realise how vulnerable you are without your memories, with Christine having to rely on Ben and her doctor to explain her life to her.
This would be a great holiday read, but I can't promise you'll be able to put it down!
As an extra bonus, the Black Swan edition I have has some great 'reading group' questions at the end.
Wednesday 28 May 2014
Tuesday 20 May 2014
The Night Circus
The Night Circus
by Erin Morgenstern
First published in Great Britain in 2011.
This book is wonderful. It is magical. It is mysterious. It entices you into a dream world and wraps you in its secrets.
The first time I read this book I was enthralled with the language and imagery. The characters were so well written that they stayed with me long after I finished reading. I know that sounds like such a cliché but I honestly don't think it happens all that often.
The story is set in the late nineteenth century, and centres around a circus which appears with no warning and only opens at night. It becomes an international sensation, with people travelling to visit it. Behind the scenes are a group of performers, including contortionists and magicians. Two of these magicians are Celia and Marco. Magically tied to each other before they even know of the others existence, each is trained by a mentor in the magical arts. Their mentors are playing a game, the circus is their playing field and Celia and Marco their pawns. Although on the surface the circus is a wondrous surprise, the game takes a sinister turn as it becomes clear that there can only be one winner.
The book intersperses chapters from different characters points of view with chapters written in the second person. These place the reader in the story as a visitor to the circus and makes you feel as though you are meeting the people in each chapter. Rather than following a straighforward structure, the plot switches between times, characters and places. This fits well with the idea of the circus being an endless group of circles of tents and winding paths; I felt as if I were wandering through the story, at times rather dreamily and with a page-turning urgency at others.
Celia and Marco are becoming two of my favourite literary characters. Individually they are intriguing, but together they are a fierce power couple to be reckoned with. Without giving too much away, yes there is a love story here, but it is so beautifully written that I would dare anyone not to champion them.
Herr Thiessen is a seemingly small character who grows with the story, and is one I was particularly drawn to. He is a clockmaker who makes the circus's amazing clock and becomes a 'revêur', a follower of the circus. I imagined myself to be friends with him if I were in the story.
Like the visitors to the circus, each time I read this book I find myself drawn to a different aspect of it. If you want a brilliantly told story with a magical aspect then add this to your bookcase.
by Erin Morgenstern
First published in Great Britain in 2011.
This book is wonderful. It is magical. It is mysterious. It entices you into a dream world and wraps you in its secrets.
The first time I read this book I was enthralled with the language and imagery. The characters were so well written that they stayed with me long after I finished reading. I know that sounds like such a cliché but I honestly don't think it happens all that often.
The story is set in the late nineteenth century, and centres around a circus which appears with no warning and only opens at night. It becomes an international sensation, with people travelling to visit it. Behind the scenes are a group of performers, including contortionists and magicians. Two of these magicians are Celia and Marco. Magically tied to each other before they even know of the others existence, each is trained by a mentor in the magical arts. Their mentors are playing a game, the circus is their playing field and Celia and Marco their pawns. Although on the surface the circus is a wondrous surprise, the game takes a sinister turn as it becomes clear that there can only be one winner.
The book intersperses chapters from different characters points of view with chapters written in the second person. These place the reader in the story as a visitor to the circus and makes you feel as though you are meeting the people in each chapter. Rather than following a straighforward structure, the plot switches between times, characters and places. This fits well with the idea of the circus being an endless group of circles of tents and winding paths; I felt as if I were wandering through the story, at times rather dreamily and with a page-turning urgency at others.
Celia and Marco are becoming two of my favourite literary characters. Individually they are intriguing, but together they are a fierce power couple to be reckoned with. Without giving too much away, yes there is a love story here, but it is so beautifully written that I would dare anyone not to champion them.
Herr Thiessen is a seemingly small character who grows with the story, and is one I was particularly drawn to. He is a clockmaker who makes the circus's amazing clock and becomes a 'revêur', a follower of the circus. I imagined myself to be friends with him if I were in the story.
Like the visitors to the circus, each time I read this book I find myself drawn to a different aspect of it. If you want a brilliantly told story with a magical aspect then add this to your bookcase.
Wednesday 14 May 2014
The Little Old Lady Who Broke All The Rules
The Little Old Lady Who Broke All The Rules
by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg
First published in Great Britain in 2014.
The Little Old Lady Who Broke All The Rules caught my eye because of the bright purple cover. The illustration of a 'little old lady' with a zimmer frame piqued my interest and upon reading the blurb, I bought the book.
79 year old Martha Andersson lives at a care home but dreams of escaping the plasticky meals and strict early bedtimes. Along with her four friends - who call themselves the League Of Pensioners (I love this name) - she comes up with a plan to get them all arrested and put in prison, where they know they will be more comfortable and better looked after than in their cost-cutting care home. Thus begins the friends embark on adventures to art galleries, hotels, prisons, banks and cruise ships. The story is a lighthearted, funny and at times touching look at how the older generation live in our modern world.
Martha is a strong character who cares deeply about her friends. She reminded me of my grandma with her adventurous spirit and straight-talking attitude. As the ringleader she regularly holds meetings in her room with her friends and shares her secret stash of cloudberry liqueur.
Brains, so nicknamed for his ingenuity, is an older gentleman who becomes close to Martha. I really enjoyed reading their relationship, as it slowly developed. It was not rushed or corny, rather it was sweet and believable.
The three others, Christina, Rake and Anna-Greta all play their parts in the story convincingly. I particularly liked Anna-Greta, who uses the internet for online shopping and banking, much to the surprise and confusion of the others.
Plot-wise, I felt the story began strongly, and I was reading eagerly, until about two thirds of the way through. It then lost its pace a bit for me, but got back on track for a great ending. It did make me think about getting old and imagine what I'll be like - hopefully a part of my grandma's spirit will come out in me.
The story was a funny one but with a slightly serious undertone. It may have been a bit of a joke in the book that the Swedish prison was comfier than the care home, but it did make me think about the care we give our elderly. Although the story was set in Sweden it translated well and there was nothing which only Swedish readers would understand - infact a lot of the time I forgot it wasn't set in England.
I laughed, I cried and I thought about life - what more could you want from a book? For a sweet, funny look at growing old disgracefully, read this and look forward to old age.
by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg
First published in Great Britain in 2014.
The Little Old Lady Who Broke All The Rules caught my eye because of the bright purple cover. The illustration of a 'little old lady' with a zimmer frame piqued my interest and upon reading the blurb, I bought the book.
79 year old Martha Andersson lives at a care home but dreams of escaping the plasticky meals and strict early bedtimes. Along with her four friends - who call themselves the League Of Pensioners (I love this name) - she comes up with a plan to get them all arrested and put in prison, where they know they will be more comfortable and better looked after than in their cost-cutting care home. Thus begins the friends embark on adventures to art galleries, hotels, prisons, banks and cruise ships. The story is a lighthearted, funny and at times touching look at how the older generation live in our modern world.
Martha is a strong character who cares deeply about her friends. She reminded me of my grandma with her adventurous spirit and straight-talking attitude. As the ringleader she regularly holds meetings in her room with her friends and shares her secret stash of cloudberry liqueur.
Brains, so nicknamed for his ingenuity, is an older gentleman who becomes close to Martha. I really enjoyed reading their relationship, as it slowly developed. It was not rushed or corny, rather it was sweet and believable.
The three others, Christina, Rake and Anna-Greta all play their parts in the story convincingly. I particularly liked Anna-Greta, who uses the internet for online shopping and banking, much to the surprise and confusion of the others.
Plot-wise, I felt the story began strongly, and I was reading eagerly, until about two thirds of the way through. It then lost its pace a bit for me, but got back on track for a great ending. It did make me think about getting old and imagine what I'll be like - hopefully a part of my grandma's spirit will come out in me.
The story was a funny one but with a slightly serious undertone. It may have been a bit of a joke in the book that the Swedish prison was comfier than the care home, but it did make me think about the care we give our elderly. Although the story was set in Sweden it translated well and there was nothing which only Swedish readers would understand - infact a lot of the time I forgot it wasn't set in England.
I laughed, I cried and I thought about life - what more could you want from a book? For a sweet, funny look at growing old disgracefully, read this and look forward to old age.
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