Fiction Friday

It seems weird to refer to this book as being my top read for the week being that I listened to it via an app called BorrowBox that is linked with my local library, but it is a book nonetheless and I have really enjoyed listening to it…. That book is “What Alice Forgot” by Liane Moriarity.

What Alice forgot was released in 2009, is set in the year 2008 and follows the story of Alice, the main character, who believes it is 10 years earlier after suffering amnesia following a bump to the head. Alice cannot remember her children, her imminent divorce from her husband or even her best friend’s horrific death, instead, when she wakes on the gym floor she believes it is 1998 and that she is pregnant with her first child.

The story follows Alice on a journey of discovery of memories and events that have happened over the past 10 years, some that have happened directly to her and others that have happened to people in her life, including her sister and other family members, as well as Alice’s journey from a nearly 30-year-old to the nearly 40-year-old woman that she has now become, of friendships made and friendships lost, the loss of a relationship and the beginnings of new relationships and of the uncertainty of how events unfolded.

This book was an excellent listen and the story was gripping and I spent much of my time wanting to know what happened next and whether Alice would finally get her memories back. The story also bought up questions about memories and whether, if I was in Alice’s position would I want to regain my memory or would I be happy to forget things.

Have you read or listened to any good books this week? I’d love to hear your recommendations so let me know in the comments!

My Favourite Books

Yesterday was World Book Day is a day to celebrate all thing books, a chance to dress up as our favourite book characters or just a chance to settle down and enjoy a good book, new or old. I didn’t do much in the way of celebrating but it got me thinking about books I have loved over the years, so today I am going to share with you a few books that I have come to know and love and how I found them, in a way, this is a short compilation of my life in books!

The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien. My Uncle bought me this book when I was 8 and although it is considered a “grown-up book” I read it over the course of a few days and really lost myself in the story. I have read it again a few times since and still get lost in it. It was amazing to see the movie of it too!
Malory Towers by Enid Blyton. My Grandma would always buy my brothers and I a book each for Christmas and Birthdays and I remember being around 9 when she gave me the very first book in the series for a Christmas present. On Boxing Day I sat and devoured the book in one go and couldn’t wait for the next! One of the boys in my class was reading the series so we would swap books so we could read the full series without having to spend our pocket money on the next book.
What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge. My Mum bought me these books after I had finished Malory Towers. I used to sneak read these at night, hiding my book under my pillow and then reading by torchlight when my parents had gone to sleep.
Point Horror – Various Authors. When I started High School we had access to a brilliantly stocked library that had fiction books, textbooks and general books. I started reading these with my best friend, we would have sleepovers at her house and read them out loud to each other.
The War of the Worlds and The Time Machine by HG Wells. I read my first HG Wells book as part of my GCSE English lessons in school and fell in love with his writing and story weaving capabilities. I read both in quick succession of each other.
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. I borrowed this book from my college boyfriend, it was a huge, heavy, hardback edition that had the complete story in. I read it over the summer holidays when I was 18 and took it everywhere with me. While most kids my age were watching (I believe) the first-ever Big Brother, I had my nose stuck in the pages of this book.
Others by James Herbert. I was on a school trip to Germany, accompanying my Aunt who was a teacher and I bought this in duty-free to read on the coach as I’m not particularly good at sleeping in moving vehicles and it kept me awake all night, I couldn’t peel myself away from the story and needed to find out what happened in the end!
Dr Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell. I don’t remember how I got into reading Patricia Cornwell’s books but I loved the Dr Kay Scarpetta series and remember waiting outside my local bookshop when a new book of hers was released and being so excited to get my hands on the next book!
Creepers by David Morell. My friend gave me this book as she thought I might enjoy it as I am interested in urban exploration (though I have never had the guts to go!) and she wasn’t wrong! This is still a book I pick up and re-read every few months or so and have currently read it 8 times!

There are lots more books that I could mention but these are the standout ones for me that I remember the most, I’d love to work out a timeline in books one day, starting at the Kathy and Mark books we were taught to read as kids, then the Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl books right up to the books that I read now though I think I may have to wait until I have more free time to work on that! What are some of your all-time favourite books? Let me know in the comments as I’d love to see if I have read them too, if not I may have to add them to my tbr pile!