Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Jojo Moyes is a UK author that's stayed under the radar for the most part in the US.  Which is a shame, because she is truly incredible.  Every story she writes pulls at your heart (think a mature Nicholas Sparks) and makes you really think about love and life.

Louisa Clark is a 26 year old woman who lives at home with her parents, works at a bakery, and has been dating her boyfriend Patrick for 7 years.  She leads an overall very ordinary life.  Her family is having a hard time financially and she provides for them, making her paycheck very important.  Her dad has been out of work, her mom is a homemaker, her Grandad lives with them, and her sister Katrina with her son Thomas also live there.  One day she finds out the owner of her bakery is closing his doors and moving to Australia, putting her out of a job.  She looks for work and gets hired as a caretaker for Will Traynor, a quadriplegic who is confined to a wheelchair.  Her work contract is for 6 months, and she essentially just keeps him company as Nathan, another caretaker, handles all of his medical needs.  Will is deeply drawn into himself and very depressed, and she works hard to get him out of his shell.  The story follows them as their very different lives start to become completely intertwined.

I can't say much about the story without giving it away, but I will say about 50% of the way through everything changes.  The reader (and Louisa) find out a piece of information that changes everything, and from that point on it's almost impossible to put down.  The book itself is intended for more mature audiences, as it deals with a lot of tough issues.  Suicide, love, family, and the search for happiness drives this entire book.  It does have a love story that pulls you in, but unlike Nicholas Sparks it's not a PG type story.  I would venture to say, however, that I prefer Jojo Moyes to Nicholas Sparks (I know, blasphemy).  Her writing is just incredible, and she keeps you guessing until LITERALLY the very last page.  I highly recommend this book, it's the BEST book I've read in months.

<3, jacq

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This book has received a LOT of attention from movie buffs and readers alike.  It was top of the New York Time's Bestseller list for weeks and was turned into a movie very quickly.  I was recommended the story by multiple friends, and I've always been interested in Holocaust books, so I checked it out from the library immediately.

The story is about a girl named Liesel, who is adopted by a family outside of Munich, Germany during WWII.  Her Papa is a painter that plays the accordion, and her Mama does washing for the wealthier people in town.  Liesel had stolen a book before she got to their house, and her Papa starts to teach her to read.  Meanwhile, the son of an old friend shows up at their door.  He is a Jew, and he needs a place to hide.  Liesel is busy with school and the Young Hitler club that all children are required to be a part of.  Her best friend is her next door neighbor, Rudy.  He is constantly trying to get her to kiss him, and is famous for painting himself black and running through the town as Jesse Owens.  Death follows them as they make their way through WWII.

The first thing to catch you off guard about the story is the narrator.  The entire story is narrated by Death.  Not only does this give an ominous air to the entire book, but allows you to see things through a completely different perspective.  He is often busy and goes to war zones to collect souls, but he has taken an interest in the book thief (Liesel) and follows her around as well.  He also says things that catch you off guard when talking about people, like "I came for his soul just a few months later" or "I wouldn't collect her soul for years."  At one point in reading the book, you know the fate of many of the characters and you're just waiting for it to happen.  It really pulls you in and makes it hard to stop reading.

I think the movie is going to be great.  The story was great.  One thing that people may not like is the honesty of the story.  This takes place during war time in Germany, so it's not your typical happy ending, everyone gets their way type book.   It's fiction, but the fate of the characters and the lives they lead lend a very non fiction feel to the whole story.  It's not hard to imagine real streets in Germany following the same plot as this story.  While that may deter some people, it certainly adds to the story and keeps your attention.

<3, jacq

Keeper of the Bride by Tess Gerritsen

I've always been a big Tess Gerritsen fan.  This is a book from her early days in her transition to mystery.  She previously wrote romance, and you can see that in her early mystery books.

The story starts with Nina at a church.  It's her wedding day, and she's all dressed to walk down the aisle.  Everything goes wrong though when she is handed a note from her fiance saying "Sorry, I need some time to think."  Naturally she's a mess when she realizes she's been left at the alter.  Everyone leaves and the priest is taking her home when the church explodes.  Sam, the detective from the bomb squad, is the lead investigator.  It doesn't take them long to realize that the bomb was meant to kill Nina, and she's in danger.  Her family isn't much help due to all the strained relations between them, so it falls to Sam to keep her safe.  At the same time, he's trying to figure out who wants her dead, and why these bombs have an identical signature to earlier crimes.

Once the story started it moved at a fast pace, and there were plot twists every few pages.  It definitely keeps the reader interested.  There are really 2 story lines to this book.  The first and more prevalent romantic story line is between Nina and Sam.  Nina starts to fall for Sam, but he pushes her away since he's afraid she just has "white knight" syndrome.  The second story line involves the bombings.  The bomb signature matches that of a previous bomber that's assumed dead.  The detectives work on trying to find out if there's an apprentice, and what the identical bombs mean for Nina.

The book was the high action you expect from Tess Gerritsen, but it definitely had a touch more romance than her more recent books.  That's not necessarily a bad thing, I actually thought it brought more to the story.  But if you're reading this expecting a Rizzoli & Isles type book, you'll be left wanting.  If you are a Sandra Brown fan on the other hand, this is right up your alley.

<3, jacq

Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson

This book was recommended to me by my friend Danielle, and we always have similar reading tastes.  Then I heard it was being made into a movie this year so I had to read it!

Christine wakes up every morning not remembering where she is.  She was in a traumatic accident and her memory no longer works properly.  Sometimes she wakes up as a teenager, sometimes she wakes up as an adult.  She doesn't remember her husband Ben anymore, so he spends every morning explaining the situation to her.  But she can't store any memories so the slate is wiped clean every night.  She discovers a journal she's been writing in at the request of a neuro doctor, and one morning she finds a horrifying note.  All it says is "Don't trust Ben" in her journal, in her handwriting.  She journals every day and tries to get to the bottom of this note, what she meant, and why she should be scared of the man that's taking care of her.

I can see why this book is being made into a movie.  Great plot, plenty of twists, and very suspenseful.  The book moved slowly in some parts which was frustrating, but since the movie tends to shorten the book anyway I think it could be a great adaptation.  In the book, Christine works with Dr. Nash (against Ben's approval) while Ben is at work.  They work on memories, dreams she has, how to help her brain retain memories.  Reading from Christine's point of view is fascinating, because everything is new to her.  Cell phones, television, really any source of modern technology.  Basically, a large child is left every day at home while Ben goes to work.  The premise of the story was great.

Also, the way the story is told was interesting.  In Part 1, Christine wakes up and discovers she's older than she remembers, and can't remember the man next to her in bed.  We learn of the memory lapse, and the accident.  Ben says it's their anniversary and they're going away that weekend, so she needs to pack while she's at work.  Once he leaves, she discovers her journal.  Part 2 is Christine reading the journal.  That's where 80% of the story lies, going through the events of the journal and all the memories/interactions she's had.  Part 3 is Ben coming home and them leaving to go on their anniversary trip.  While you're reading part 2 it's hard to remember (ironically) that this is from a journal and it's not real time.  So when part 3 comes and you realize this reading all took place in one day and they are about to leave, it's a jolt back to the present.  Overall a great book, I highly recommend you read it before the movie comes out!!

<3, jacq