Before I Go To Sleep by S J Watson

First Published: 2012 by Black Swan (London)
Date Started: 16th June 2013
Date Finished: 18th June 2013
Genre: Crime/Thriller
Read For: Casual
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Memory is something Christine Lucas hasn't got. Every time she wakes up, she has no memory of her present life. She has to trust the man she is in the same bed with each time she wakes up, who claims to be her husband, Ben.
This thrilling story follows Christine in her attempt to find out why she has no memory and if she can ever get it back. It's also a story about trust, and when you have no memory who can you really trust?

I absolutely loved reading this book. I like how it is written from her point of view in the present tense and in the past from her diary entries. By reading her diary entries, it allows the reader to see how Christine develops. You get to see how her memory changes and how more and more each day she wants to find out why she has no memory.

The theme of trust is really something that helps to keep the reader engaged. I found myself at times changing back and forth with the characters who I could trust. With Christine having little or no memories of characters, it's engaging to find out who is telling the truth and who is lying. Although she does have flashbacks, the diary entries are the only thing Christine can trust, but at times, she doubts herself as to whether she is telling the truth or making stuff up. The only way she can find out is to follow through and hope for the best.

This is one of the books that you just have to keep on reading. I would highly recommend it to anybody who loves a good book.



*A bonus to this book is that there is going to be a film of it directed by Rowan Joffe and will star Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth, which will hopefully be realised sometime in 2014.

Grace by Grace Coddington

First Published: 2012 by Chatto and Windus (London)
Date Started: 12th June 2013
Date Finished: 16th June 2013
Genre: Autobiography/Memoir
Read For: Casual
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Grace Coddington has always played a massive part in the making of US Vogue magazine. Putting her all into her creative shoots, she helps to make the magazine what it is. Since the documentary, The September Issue, was realised, Grace has become known all over the fashion world. The documentary showed how Grace could be when working, but this book demonstrates who she really is.
From living in wartime Anglesey to being creative director of Vogue, her book tells the fascinating story of how she made it to where she is today.
Filled with funny stories and her own illustrations, this is a book for all fashion lovers all there.

I have no idea how many times I have watched The September Issue. Before I watched the documentary, I had never heard of Grace. When watching it, I loved what she did. I thought her shoots were amazing to look at as if they were a piece of art. She became someone who I looked up to and aspired to be. When I heard about this book, I knew I had to get it.

One of the great things about the book was that it didn't just talk about her work. She talks about her personal life including friendships, romance, and her family. It all builds up to where she is now. Photographs and illustrations help make the book even more fun to read.

Now that I've read the book, I've learned just how amazing Grace really is. Fashion lover or not, she's someone who can be looked up to. She's a hard-working and passionate woman who stands up for what she believes in.