Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson

 

Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson – 432 p.

 

Amnesiac Christine must reconstruct her memory each day. Her only close contacts seem to be her loving husband and her supportive doctor. With help, she manages to keep a secret journal, in which she’s written “Don’t trust [spoiler]”. The tension ratchets up as she begins to retain some flashes of previous events, and works desperately to figure out the truth of her life. This novel is kind of a cross between the movies 50 First Dates and Memento. You won’t be able to go to sleep until you’ve finished it!

The Leaving by Tara Altebrando

The Leaving by Tara Altebrando - 423 pages

Eleven years ago, six kindergartners disappeared on the first day of school.
No one knows what happened to them.  The only clues were a man carrying wrapping paper and a comment one of the kids made that she was "going to the leaving".

Now, five of the kids have come back. 
They still don't know what happened as none of the kids have memories of their time away.  They were simply dropped off at a playground with maps to their homes.

Who took them?  Where have them been?  And where is the sixth kid?

This was a very strange book.  It used spacial blocking, highlighted fonts, and symbols throughout the book to help tell the story.  To be honest, I found it more annoying than adding anything to the story.  Still, the mystery was interesting and kept me reading to the end of the book.

The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron

The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron - 406 pages

Nadia lives in the city of Canaan which is structured and regimented to keep the citizens safe from the wild outside its walls.  Each day everybody writes in their books their lives -- their family, their friends, their loves, their jobs, everything.  For every twelve years comes the Forgetting when they will lose all their memories.  They won't know their family members, their friends, their jobs, or even themselves.  They'll have to start over knowing nothing except what they read in their books as no one will remember anything from before  -- no one but Nadia.

This was a great book.  I had a hard time putting it down until I was finished.  It kept you guessing and surprised by the revelations that came throughout the story.  I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

The Girl With the Make-Believe Husband by Julia Quinn

The Girl With the Make-Believe Husband by Julia Quinn - 374 pages
A Bridgerton Prequel

Cecilia Harcourt travels to America when she receives notice that her brother has been injured in the fighting.  However, when she arrives she can't find her brother.  Instead she finds his best friend Edward in a coma.  She lies, saying she is his wife, so that she can care for him.  When Edward awakes he has lost three months of memories and while he has no recollection of their marriage he does remember their correspondence.  What will happen when he discovers the truth?

This is the second prequel to the popular Bridgerton series even though this book has no real connection with the Bridgerton family.  Still, I enjoyed the book and finished it in one sitting.

The Girl from the Sea by Shalini Boland

The Girl from the Sea by Shalini Boland - 306 pages

I'm a sucker for an interesting cover so that's what drew me to this psychological thriller.  A woman washes up on the beach with no memory of who she is and who she can trust.  Soon a man claiming to be her boyfriend shows up at the hospital and leads her back into a life that appears to be hers but how can she truly know what is real and what is just what she is being told.  This is an interesting examination of memory and its role in shaping how we see ourselves and are seen by others.  Plotwise some of the twists are fairly well telegraphed but there's enough other intrigue to keep the reader guessing most of the way. 

Conjured by Sarah Durst

Conjured by Sarah Durst  358 pages

Eve has a new home, a new face, and a new name - but no memories of her past. She's been told that she's in a witness protection program. That she escaped a dangerous magic-wielding serial killer who still hunts her. The only thing she knows for sure is that there is something horrifying in her memories the people hiding her want to access - and there is nothing they won't say - or do - to her to get her to remember.

At night she dreams of a tattered carnival tent and buttons being sewn into her skin. But during the day, she shelves books at the local library, trying to not let anyone know that she can do things - things like change the color of her eyes or walk through walls. When she does use her strange powers, she blacks out and is drawn into terrifying visions, returning to find that days or weeks have passed - and she's lost all short-term memories. Eve must find out who and what she really is before the killer finds her - but the truth may be more dangerous than anyone could have ever imagined.

Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan - 521 pages
Heroes of Olympus, book 2

I decided to re-read this book before I read Mark of Athena and House of Hades.  I'm glad I did as there were parts of the story I did not remember.  I really enjoyed the Lightning Thief series.  However, I think the Heroes of Olympus books are even better.  They seem to be more nuanced than the original series books.

As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott

As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott - 269 pages

Ava wakes up not knowing where she is, who the other people around her are, or even who she is.  She can not remember anything except strange dreams about sitting in an attic listening to someone in an apartment below her. 
So starts a very unusual story about a girl who doesn't know which world is real.  Is it the world she's woken up in where she recognizes the faces of her mother and friends but not the people themselves.  Or the world she dreams about that is filled with fear of breaking the rules.
Then Morgan shows up - a boy that does not exist in her new world, only in the world of her dreams.  And he wants her to come with him back home.
This was a very strange book.  It's been on my list of books to read for a couple of years.  Unfortunately, I didn't really like the book.  The story seemed contrived and forced.  Not a book I'll recommend.

The Vow by Kim and Krickitt Carpenter

The Vow by Kim & Krickitt Carpenter, 183 pages.        

A very touching love story about Kim and Krickitt's courtship and how shortly after their wedding during their first Thanksgiving trip together to visit her family, tragedy strikes.  When Kim becomes ill during the car ride, Krickitt takes over the driving.  Not seeing a slowed truck in front of her tragedy follows.  The couple is rushed to emergency along with their other passenger.  Krickitt is in the worst shape and not expected to make it through the night. When she has to be airlifted to another hospital, Kim is left behind with his own injuries not able to travel with his wife.  Eventually, Kim makes it to his wife but frightfully she does not recogonize him, although she recognizes her family and friends.  Kim is devastated, but doe not give up.  Althougth, she has no recollection of who he is, Kim is there daily for her thereapy.  It is a long rode to recovery but eventually Krickitt lets KIm back into her heart.  An amazing story of true love that has a happy ending.

Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan - 384 pgs
The Heroes of Olympus, Book 2

Percy just barely made it to the Roman camp for demigods when he is sent off on a quest.  He has only a few days to kill a giant and make it back to camp.  Along the way he'll discover who he is and why he was sent to the Roman camp. 

I listened to the audio version of this book.  The narrator was quite good at distinguishing between characters.  An enjoyable listen.