Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Before I Go To Sleep


Before I Go To Sleep
Author: S.J. Watson
Source: My fellow book club member, Danielle
Days to Read: 10 days 

This was our next book club book chosen by Danielle. I thought when beginning this book that it would along the same lines as Left Neglected where Christine, the main character in Before I Go To Sleep, would wake up each morning not remembering anything about her life and having to learn everything all over again. It was somewhat similar to this with a huge twist near the end of the book.

The book begins with Christine meeting a doctor who claims to be helping her with her memory recovery. He tells her to look in her closet for a journal that she has been writing documenting each day so she can use it as a resource the following day to remember things. Her husband, Ben, patiently explains each morning that she was in a car accident and her memory has been affected. Every morning Christine looks at the photos of herself and Ben that are taped to the bathroom mirror. Each day begins the same with the devastation of not remembering anything that has happened and her discovery of her journal. Christine keeps the journal a secret from Ben and also hides the fact that she is seeing a doctor who is assisting in her recovery. 

Without giving away too much, the pieces start to fall together for Christine and she begins to remember some things on her own. What Ben has been telling her does not seem to add up and she finds herself searching for the true. The last 50 or so pages are thrilling and intense and definitely not what I had expected!!

At our book club meeting everyone said that they had enjoyed this book although no one really LOVED it. We all felt that at times it was confusing trying to piece together what was real and what wasn't. Two of the girls hadn't finished the book and it was quite funny listening to all of us that had finished try to explain the last few crucial parts in the book. All in all we give this book a 7.5! 
Pin It

The Gargoyle




The Gargoyle
Author: Andrew Davidson
Source: My fellow book club member, Danielle
Days to Read: 10 days 

I wanted to branch out and read something a bit different than what I am used to. This actually didn’t turn out to be very different but I did really enjoy it. The Gargoyle is about an unnamed porn-star drug addict who gets in a car accident and is severely burned. While in the burn ward he meets an eccentric and schizophrenic patient, Marianne, who claims to know him.

Throughout his recovery the woman tells him tragic love stories from long ago all the while claiming to know him.  When it comes time for the narrator to leave the rehabilitation centre, Marianne insists that he come and live with her. Marianne explains that she has enough money to cover all his medical expenses. She is a stone carver that makes gargoyle figures that are then sold through her agent.

Marianne and the narrator develop a relationship and Marianne continues to tell him stories from the past. Throughout the book you are wondering whether the stories are about the two of them in their past lives. The book was really good and I liked how you could draw your own conclusions from the stories told by Marianne and the “real life” story of Marianne and the burn victim.



Pin It