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Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Tuesday is Book Day!

 Hello all. Hope your day is going well, so far. 

Over here, things are well.  I thought I'd add a book component to the blog. I'm part of a book club with friends, and I read because I enjoy reading. So, I thought Tuesdays would be a great day to make book day. On Tuesdays, I'll share with you the review of a book I've read. It's not going to be an adult book each week. I like to read a book each week, but I don't always have time. Plus, adult books aren't all that's out there. With two kids, I read a lot of kids books, and it's always fun to share good kids book with others.

Today, on this first week, I'm going to tell you about a newer book I just finished (it came out in April): Before I go to Sleep by S. J. Watson.

First, let me share with you the blurb I saw on Amazon that made me want to read the book: "Every day Christine wakes up not knowing where she is. Her memories disappear every time she falls asleep. Her husband, Ben, is a stranger to her, and he's obligated to explain their life together on a daily basis--all the result of a mysterious accident that made Christine an amnesiac. With the encouragement of her doctor, Christine starts a journal to help jog her memory every day. One morning, she opens it and sees that she's written three unexpected and terrifying words: 'Don't trust Ben.'"

So, after reading that, I said to myself, "Wow, I want to read that book."  And I'm glad I did.  The story is beautifully laid out and moves at a good, solid pace. The book starts with Christine waking up one morning, Ben explaining things to her, and then her meeting with the doctor who is trying to help her get her memory back.  


The therapists, whose had her journal to look at, returns it to her. Then Christine goes home, and the next day, after waking and having everything about her life explained to her, she reads her journal.

The reader gets the story laid out through these journal entries. It's fascinating and riveting because you're always trying to figure out why she shouldn't trust Ben. As a person who loves a good mystery, it's a great book because you have to keep reading to figure it out. Watson gives you--the reader--just enough information to keep you guessing and to keep you interested, but never enough to solve the mystery until close to the end of the book. And then even once that mystery is solved, you're still glued to the page, because even more suspense awaits.

It's a really good book, and if you're looking for something good to read, check this one out. It also brings up some interesting ethical dilemmas, too. This is a spoiler, so stop reading now if you hate spoilers. 

Essentially, during the book, Christine remembers giving birth to a child, a son. And, she thinks she shouldn't trust Ben because he didn't tell her about it. But, Ben later tells her their son died, and so he never mentioned it because he wouldn't want to tell her everyday she had a son and the son died and have her grieve over that son every day.  So, it's really interesting some of the issues it raises.

Well, that's it for today's post. 

-Hyattsville Mom

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