Before I Go To Sleep

Before I Go To Sleep

S J Watson

This was recommended to me by a colleague at Waterstone's. I borrowed her proof copy, then purchased a (signed, first edition) copy as soon as it was released. 'Before I Go To Sleep' has been one of the biggest novels of 2011, and is another debut novel from an extremely talented writer. S J Watson is a graduate from the Faber Academy Writing Course, and it obviously worked well for him! (If someone would like to pay for a place for me, I would be happy to accept their generosity)

'Before I Go To Sleep' tells the tale of Christine, an amnesiac, who wakes up every morning to discover she is 20 years older than she thinks she is. That she has forgotten everything of the previous 20 years of her life, and that she will almost certainly never regain these memories. Christine will be spending the rest of her life waking up to discover that she is not who she thinks she is. Luckily, her husband is loving and patient, prepared to help her and support her. Things could be worse. Then she discovers the diary in which she has been secretly documenting her life, and hiding it from her husband. Is her husband the loving man he seems to be, or is he a more sinister character?

'Before I Go To Sleep' is categorised as a crime/thriller novel, so crime fans will love it, but for those who are wary of the genre this is a brilliant book to start with. The novel is well structured, and the characters are convincing.

Read it, it's awesome.

Buy it here from www.waterstones.com or from your local bookshop.

The Night Circus

The Night Circus

Erin Morgenstern

This is one of the best debut novels I have ever read. (Possibly, even, the best debut novel that I will ever read) Erin Morgenstern's first foray into fiction is a decadent, delicious tale of a circus. This is a circus which only ever appears at night, and arrives with no warning. It is a circus like no other.

Part love story, part magical adventure, this novel twists and turns bringing new surprises at every corner. It is richly written, combining a well composed plot with dramatic descriptions and convincing characters. It is a beguiling and evocative tale, which introduces you to a world that you will never want to leave. Although set in the late nineteenth century it is somehow a very modern tale, with even the antiquities embellished lovingly with magic. 

'The Night Circus' has been compared to Harry Potter, which I personally feel is rather unfair on 'The Night Circus'. (Don't get me wrong, I love Harry Potter) 'The Night Circus' is so much more than Harry Potter. Where magic in Harry Potter is commonplace, and, almost dreary, the magic in 'The Night Circus' is utterly stunning. Furthermore, in 'The Night Circus', anyone who can afford the admission fee is welcome to enter the parallel universe where you can enter a tent and see the whole world change. 

In case you can't tell, I loved this book. I haven't felt so involved and invested in a story for a very long time, and I would thoroughly recommend it to everybody. I have tried to avoid revealing the plot, simply because I think you should discover it through the book itself, rather than through my half-hearted attempts to demonstrate the brilliance of this novel.

This novel isn't released until the 15/09/2011 but I would suggest that you preorder it from here www.waterstones.com or your local bookstore.

Many thanks to Random House for the proof copy.