What We're Reading Now...

We're missing a meeting in July because of the Tynwald Bank Holiday, so we've got two different books lined up for our next meeting on Thurs 2 August. Both are debut novels, and they share a central theme of memory.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Howard Fry by Rachel Joyce is about a retired man who learns that a former colleague has cancer. He takes a leap of faith and  walks from one end of the country to the other to visit, instructing his friend Queenie to wait for him. His memories unfurl along the road, triggered by events and chance encounters. Although sadness is part of Howard Fry's journey, there is also humour and a great deal of charm.

Before I Go to Sleep by S J Watson is a psychological thriller which is going to be made into a film directed by Ridley Scott, with Nicole Kidman in the lead role. S J Watson worked in a hospital and was inspired to write this novel about amnesia. Following an accident, Christine loses her memory each time she sleeps, and has to start afresh again every morning. The reader begins to share her confusion and uncertainty as the suspense builds.