#Book #Review: 4 out of 5 stars for Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson @SJ_Watson @PenguinRHUK

TITLE: Before I Go to Sleep

AUTHORS: S.J. Watson

PUBLISHER: Black Swan

PUBLICATION DATE: 2012 (first published April 28, 2011)

FORMAT: Mass Market Paperback
LENGTH: 372 pages

GENRE: Mystery, Thriller

ISBN: 9780552164122

'As I sleep, my mind will erase everything I did today. I will wake up tomorrow as I did this morning. Thinking I'm still a child. Thinking I have a whole lifetime of choice ahead of me ...'

Memories define us.

So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep?

Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love - all forgotten overnight.

And the one person you trust may only be telling you half the story.

Welcome to Christine's life.

MY REVIEW:

The premise of this book is truly terrifying!

Can you imagine waking up each morning and not remember who you are, where you are, or anything about your life? Meet Christine Lucas. She’s 47 years old and married, but she has no recollection of her husband, Ben. Ever since she suffered a serious head injury, her brain has lost the ability to store and retrieve memories. Each day is a blank slate, and there are photos of her with her husband with notes on them to remind her of her life. She only knows what she’s been told, with no way to verify it! She then gets a call from someone claiming to be her doctor, telling her where to locate a journal that she has written herself. He says that he has been treating her but without Ben's knowledge. In her own handwriting, she has recorded her memories and feelings each day but some of the things are in opposition to what Ben has been telling her! Is her doctor really who he says he is? What if her husband isn't telling her the truth? What truth can she trust?

I cannot imagine being Christine. How utterly vulnerable that would leave you! You would be absolutely at the mercy of the people in your life and, without them, you are literally screwed. This book really messed with me on a psychological level. I love my independence and cannot fathom having to rely on someone else for everything. What if the doctor forgot to call one day to remind her of where to find the journal? Reading this at bedtime is even more disturbing because you can’t help thinking what would happen if you couldn’t remember anything when you woke! This is such a good book, and I had a hard time putting it down. If you're looking for a book to relax you and put you to sleep, this isn't it! My body was filled with tension, and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I’m very impressed with this debut and will definitely read more from this author.

I hope the 2014 film adaptation starring Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth is just as good!

MY RATING:

4 stars!! It was really good, and you should put it on your TBR list if you enjoy psychological thrillers!

This book qualifies as:

#27 for my 2017 You Read How Many Books Reading Challenge

#27 for my 2017 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge

#27 for my 2017 Pages Read Challenge

#9 for my Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2017

#9 for my Rock My TBR 2017 Reading Challenge

#23 for my Beat the Backlist Reading Challenge
#21 for my The Backlist Reader Challenge 2017

#23 for my New Author Reading Challenge 2017

#24 for my 2017 New To Me Challenge

#3 for my Keyword Reading Challenge 2017

#2-3 for my 2017 Bookopoly

Bonus #5C for my 2017 Literary Escapes Challenge

#10 for my 2017 Book to Movie Reading Challenge

#8 for my Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge

#6 for my Bookish Bingo Spring 2017

Task #11 for my Goodreads Spring 2017 Seasonal Scavenger Challenge

#7 for my Take Control TBR Challenge

View all my reviews

#Audiobook #Review: 4 out of 5 stars for Breath of Fire by Amanda Bouchet @AuthorABouchet @recordedbooks

TITLE: Breath of Fire

AUTHOR: Amanda Bouchet
NARRATORS: Mia Barron

PUBLISHER: Recorded Books

PUBLICATION DATE: January 3, 2017

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook

LENGTH: 11 hrs and 42 mins

GENRE: Fantasy, Romance

She's destined to destroy the world...

"Cat" Catalia Fisa has been running from her destiny since she could crawl. But now, her newfound loved ones are caught between the shadow of Cat's tortured past and the threat of her world-shattering future. So what's a girl to do when she knows it's her fate to be the harbinger of doom? Everything in her power.

But not if she can help it

Griffin knows Cat is destined to change the world-for the better. As the realms are descending into all-out war, Cat and Griffin must embrace their fate together. Gods willing, they will emerge side-by-side in the heart of their future kingdom...or not at all.

MY REVIEW:

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook for voluntary review consideration.

This is another very enjoyable installment in the Kingmaker Chronicles series!

I absolutely loved A Promise of Fire, and I couldn’t wait to jump back into Bouchet’s fantasy world. She kind of threw me for a loop, because the beginning wasn’t at all what I was expecting! Things were good between Griffin and Cat when the last book left off, but things are rocky at the start with this one! Griffin gives Cat an ultimatum: He wants all of her (including her secrets) or nothing. Then he wrecks their room, including their bed, and storms out. Not to worry, though. They reunite and make up, but Bouchet sure shook things up for me! After that, the drama slowed down. There is a lot of talk and planning relating to the upcoming Agon Games, which takes place every four years. It’s turned into a vicious battle between the tribes, and Griffin and Cat want to compete but show mercy and not fight to the death. With their plan to win the Agon Games, they will be able to enter Castle Tarva without force and take over the Tarvan Royals. For a bit there, I was a little worried that there was too much talk and not enough action! My fears were soon put to rest, and Bouchet’s action that had me so enthralled in A Promise of Fire soon had me under her spell again.

Despite their turbulent start, Cat's and Griffin’s relationship really evolved in this one. Cat’s love for Griffin does make her more vulnerable, and that shows. Don’t get me wrong, she’s still tough and I do like seeing this softer side of her. I love how much Griffin’s family has embraced Cat, and I’m still waiting on pins and needles to find out if Flynn and Jocasta will ever get together! It was nice seeing Cat’s circus family and Griffin’s family join forces in the Agon Games and afterwards.

I am eagerly awaiting the final book in the trilogy, Heart on Fire, which is expected to be released in January 2018.

I also need to say that the artwork for the covers is just stunning! Both of them are gorgeous, and I love how Cat is depicted as the kick-ass warrior that she is. I would buy the books on the basis of the covers alone! 

I can’t imagine anyone other than Mia Barron narrating this series! She does what a good narrator should, which is to bring a book to the next level. I highly recommend listening to this series, because Barron really does the story and characters justice! Here's a sample of the narration:

MY RATING:

4 stars!! I really enjoyed it, and you should put it in your TBR list if you enjoy fantasy romance! Thanks again to Recorded Books for the opportunity to review this audiobook!

This book qualifies as:

#26 for my 2017 You Read How Many Books Reading Challenge

#26 for my 2017 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge

#26 for my 2017 Pages Read Challenge

#15 for my 2017 Audiobook Challenge

#15 for my Audio Books Reading Challenge 2017

#19 for my Women Challenge #5

#7 for my Serious About Series Reading Challenge

#4 for my 2017 New Release Challenge

#21-1 for my 2017 Bookopoly

#3 for my Literary Pickers Challenge

#1 for my Monthly Mix-up Mania

#3 for my 2017 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge

#3 for my The 2017 Witchy Fiction Challenge
#4 for my Flights of Fantasy Reading Challenge 2017
#5 for my 2017 Paranormal Reading Challenge

#4 for my Bookish Bingo Spring 2017

Task #5 for my Goodreads Spring 2017 Seasonal Scavenger Challenge

#1 for my Chapter Break Bingo April 2017

View all my reviews

Waiting On Wednesday: Into the Water by Paula Hawkins @PaulaHWrites @RandomHouseCA @penguincanada #doubledaycanada

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Here is this week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection:

TITLE: Into the Water
AUTHOR: Paula Hawkins
PUBLISHER: Doubleday Canada
EXPECTED PUBLICATION DATE: May 2, 2017
FORMAT: Hardcover
LENGTH: 352 pages
GENRE: Mystery, Thriller
ISBN: 9780385689632

The author of the #1 New York Times bestseller and global phenomenon The Girl on the Train returns with Into the Water, her addictive new novel of psychological suspense.

A single mother turns up dead at the bottom of the river that runs through town. Earlier in the summer, a vulnerable teenage girl met the same fate. They are not the first women lost to these dark waters, but their deaths disturb the river and its history, dredging up secrets long submerged.

Left behind is a lonely fifteen-year-old girl. Parentless and friendless, she now finds herself in the care of her mother’s sister, a fearful stranger who has been dragged back to the place she deliberately ran from—a place to which she vowed she’d never return.

With the same propulsive writing and acute understanding of human instincts that captivated millions of readers around the world in her explosive debut thriller, The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins delivers an urgent, twisting, deeply satisfying read that hinges on the deceptiveness of emotion and memory, as well as the devastating ways that the past can reach a long arm into the present.

Beware a calm surface—you never know what lies beneath.

I know, I know...I'm probably the only person that hasn't read Hawkins' debut, The Girl on the Train. I still need to read it! But that doesn't stop me from wanting to read her new one that's coming out, which sounds just as good!

What are you waiting on? Please leave a comment in the section below. If you participate in this meme, please leave a link so I can visit your blog!

Top Ten Fandoms I'm In #TopTenTuesday

This is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week, they post a new Top Ten list that one of their bloggers will answer. Everyone is welcome to join!

Today's list is:

Top Ten Six Fandoms I'm In

Harry Potter

I actually have only read the first three books (doing them as read-alouds to my kids), but I absolutely love this series!

Black Dagger Brotherhood

I was never a Harlequin girl. I always steered clear of anything marketed as "romance," but I saw other bloggers recommending this series over and over again. I was a bit reluctant to try it, but I figured since I love vampire novels that I would give it a whirl. The Warden introduced me to paranormal romances! And, yes, I love them!

The Walking Dead

I love zombies! The zombie movies of old were the cheesy B flicks that were so bad they were comical. The Walking Dead made zombies scary again! Love it!!! And who doesn't love Daryl?

Supernatural

I love me some Winchester boys! I've always been a fan of urban legends, so this show is definitely right up my alley! Thank goodness for Netflix, so I can binge watch!

Game of Thrones

I jumped on the bandwagon late into the series, since I don't get this television station and it's not on Netflix. My library carries the DVDs and that's how I got hooked!

Dean Koontz

He is probably my hands-down favourite author. His books are an auto-buy for me, and I really need to read my bookshelves because I have a ton of his books that I haven't read yet!

So, what are your favourite fandoms? Please let me know in the comments, or leave me a link to your blog post if you are also participating in the meme!

Chapter Break March Bookish Bingo: Wrap-up Post

This is my Wrap-up Post for the monthly challenge hosted by Julie & Lynn at Chapter Break.

This one was tough!
11/25 SQUARES COMPLETED (with the FREE space)

1. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - Completes three squares: Shelf Love Book, Audiobook, Recommended to you
2. Distress Signals by Catherine Ryan Howard - Completes four squares: Ireland/Irish, Trust/Betrayal, Free book, Travel
3. The Shack by Wm. Paul Young  - Completes one square: God/Demi God/Supreme Being
4. Year of No Clutter by Eve O. Schaub - Completes one square: Changing habits
5. Heist Society by Ally Carter (Heist Society, Book #1)- Completes one square: In a series

That was fun! Thanks for hosting, Julie & Lynn!

March Wrap-up

March didn't pass without illness hitting our household. My younger daughter and I both became sick with the flu, and we were left with nagging coughs that hung on. At least her cough was productive, getting all that phlegm out of her chest. My coughs have been mostly dry, which means they hurt!

As a result of being under the weather, this was my poorest reading month so far in 2017. With Spring Break during the last week of March, I was able to read more often but still below what I normally do.

I finished 7 books this month! Here they are (CLICK ON THE THUMBNAILS TO SEE MY REVIEW):

FROM MY TBR MOUNTAIN

4 stars
[read-a-long]

4 stars

2 stars

3 stars

4 stars

FROM THE LIBRARY

None!

REVIEW COPIES

5 stars

4 stars

Distress Signals was definitely my stand-out favourite read of the month. Before I Go to Sleep was so good, one of those books that's tough to put down!I really enjoyed The Shack, and I saw the movie in the theatre which I loved! I liked The Handmaid's Tale more than I expected, and I'm so glad that I finally got that one off my TBR mountain. 

My least favourite read for February was Compulsion. For a book that's marketed to the Young Adults, there is just way too much foul language. It took away from the story and was completely unnecessary.

I'm pleasantly surprised that I didn't read any library books, and that was totally unplanned. I'm happy to read more of my own books so that I can give them away when I'm done with them and make more room in my bookcases to unpack the boxes of books that I have stashed away.

I discovered seven new authors and one new series (Heist Society), and I'm planning to continue with it.

January Wrap-up: 10 books

[3 shelf-love, 5 library, 2 review]

February Wrap-up: 9 books
[2 shelf-love, 5 library, 2 review]

March Wrap-up: 7 books
[5 shelf-love, 2 review]

Year to date total: 25 books
[10 shelf-love, 10 library, 6 review]

So, how was your March? What was your favourite book? Least favourite? Please let me know in the comments! I'd love to add your favourites to my TBR :)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This weekly meme is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date.

I'm reading: 

Something I won in a Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.

TITLE: The Hatching

SERIES: The Hatching, Book #1
AUTHORS: Ezekiel Boone

PUBLISHER: Random House Canada

PUBLICATION DATE: July 5, 2016

FORMAT: Hardcover
LENGTH: 320 pages

GENRE: Horror

ISBN: 9780345816481

Deep in the jungle of Peru, where so much remains unknown, a black, skittering mass devours an American tourist whole. Thousands of miles away, an FBI agent investigates a fatal plane crash in Minneapolis and makes a gruesome discovery. Unusual seismic patterns register in a Kanpur, India earthquake lab, confounding the scientists there. During the same week, the Chinese government “accidentally” drops a nuclear bomb in an isolated region of its own country. As these incidents begin to sweep the globe, a mysterious package from South America arrives at a Washington, D.C. laboratory. Something wants out.

The world is on the brink of an apocalyptic disaster. An ancient species, long dormant, is now very much awake.

Something from my bookshelf. This is my vintage 1970 edition, which I've kept from my childhood! I'm reading it aloud to my daughter, and our plan is to make our way through the whole series. This is a re-read for me, but I honestly don't remember a thing about it! It read it when I was young.

TITLE: The Marvelous Land of Oz

SERIES: Oz, Book #2
AUTHOR: L. Frank Baum 

PUBLISHER: Scholastic

PUBLICATION DATE: 1970 (first published 1904)

FORMAT: Paperback
LENGTH: 192 pages

GENRE: Children's Fiction, Classics, Fantasy

ISBN: 0590085654

"You'll never bother me again," says Mombi the witch, "once you drink this magic brew."

"What'll it do?" cries poor Tip.

"It will turn you into a marble statue!"

Tip's heart beats wildly.

Can a mere boy escape from a witch's evil power?

But this is Oz -- the marvelous, magical land where anything can happen!

I'm listening to:

Something from my TBR mountain.

TITLE: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

AUTHOR: Robert Louis Stevenson
NARRATORS: Scott Brick

PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio

PUBLICATION DATE: November 8, 2006

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook

LENGTH: 3 hrs and 6 mins

GENRE: Classics, Horror

In September of 1884, Robert Louis Stevenson, then in his mid-thirties, moved with his family to Bournemouth, a resort on the southern coast of England, where in the brief span of 23 months he revised A Child's Garden of Verses and wrote the novels Kidnapped and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

An intriguing combination of fantasy thriller and moral allegory, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde depicts the gripping struggle of two opposing personalities - one essentially good, the other evil - for the soul of one man. Its tingling suspense and intelligent and sensitive portrayal of man's dual nature reveals Stevenson as a writer of great skill and originality, whose power to terrify and move us remains, over a century later, undiminished.

I just finished:

TITLE: Before I Go to Sleep

AUTHORS: S.J. Watson

PUBLISHER: Black Swan

PUBLICATION DATE: 2012 (first published April 28, 2011)

FORMAT: Mass Market Paperback
LENGTH: 372 pages

GENRE: Mystery, Thriller

ISBN: 9780552164122

'As I sleep, my mind will erase everything I did today. I will wake up tomorrow as I did this morning. Thinking I'm still a child. Thinking I have a whole lifetime of choice ahead of me ...'

Memories define us.

So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep?

Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love - all forgotten overnight.

And the one person you trust may only be telling you half the story.

Welcome to Christine's life.

TITLE: Breath of Fire

AUTHOR: Amanda Bouchet
NARRATORS: Mia Barron

PUBLISHER: Recorded Books

PUBLICATION DATE: January 3, 2017

FORMAT: Unabridged audiobook

LENGTH: 11 hrs and 42 mins

GENRE: Fantasy, Romance

She's destined to destroy the world...

"Cat" Catalia Fisa has been running from her destiny since she could crawl. But now, her newfound loved ones are caught between the shadow of Cat's tortured past and the threat of her world-shattering future. So what's a girl to do when she knows it's her fate to be the harbinger of doom? Everything in her power.

But not if she can help it

Griffin knows Cat is destined to change the world-for the better. As the realms are descending into all-out war, Cat and Griffin must embrace their fate together. Gods willing, they will emerge side-by-side in the heart of their future kingdom...or not at all.

What are you reading? Have you read any of these books and, if so, what did you think? Please let me know in the comments and, if you are also participating in this meme, leave me a link to your blog post so that I can stop by!

Stacking The Shelves and Sunday Post

This meme is hosted by Tynga over at Team Tynga's Reviews, which she describes as follows:

"Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!"

Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

Well, back to the grind tomorrow! It was an enjoyable week of Sping Break, taking time off to spend with my kids and to still recover from being sick. We were able to get out and do some fun things and also to enjoy some much-needed downtime. It just went by too fast!

The weather has been just beautiful, and we couldn't have asked for better weather for Spring Break. Everything is melting, we had temps above zero, and it's really looking like Spring is here!!

Waking up to +6 degrees Celsius (that's 42 degrees Fahrenheit) with a high of +13 (that's 55 degrees Fahrenheit) today! Only a bit of snow left in my backyard. The deer are happy to be able to graze again! You can see the flooding in the back left corner and on the right side:

 

If you missed it earlier, I have ARCs to swap. Check out MY POST to see if there's anything there that you'd like to read. If so, please let me know! I'd love to trade with someone. I will be adding to it once I have a chance to dig through boxes and bookshelves.

I bought these audiobooks from Audible at their 2-for-1 sale:

Outrage by T.R. Ragan

(Faith McMann, Book #2)

The Girl You Lost by Kathryn Croft

I received this audiobook gift from Shane:

The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell

Thanks again, Shane!

Recap: Last Week On The Blog

Sunday: Stacking the Shelves and Sunday Post

Monday: It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Monday: Book Review: 4 out of 5 stars for The Shack by Wm. Paul Young

Tuesday: Top Ten Authors That I'd Love To Meet

Tuesday: Book Review: 2 out of 5 stars for Compulsion by Heidi Ayarbe

Wednesday: Waiting On Wednesday: The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano

Wednesday: Audiobook Review: 4 out of 5 stars for Year of No Clutter by Eve O. Schaub

Thursday: Goodreads Winter Seasonal Scavenger Challenge - Skiing: Wrap-up Post

Thursday: Book Review: 3 out of 5 stars for Heist Society by Ally Carter

Saturday: March 2017 Take Control TBR Challenge: Wrap-up Post

What books have you added to your shelves this week? If you are also participating in either of these memes, please leave me the link to your blog post in the comments so that I can come and drool over all your goodies!

March 2017 Take Control TBR Challenge: Wrap-up Post #TakeControlTBR

This challenge was hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reader.

SEVEN BOOKS FINISHED FROM MY TBR MOUNTAIN 

1. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
2. Distress Signals by Catherine Ryan Howard
3. The Shack by Wm. Paul Young
4. Compulsion by Heidi Ayarbe
5. Year of No Clutter by Eve O. Schaub
6. Heist Society by Ally Carter (Heist Society, Book #1)
7. Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson (review will be up on Apr 6th) 

Thanks again for hosting, Kimberly!