Books: September and October Reads

My Sister's Secret by Tracy Buchanan

A quick read, about an obsession with underwater forests which is passed down through a family. I loved how the threads of the story interlinked. 

The Wayward Bus by John Steinbeck 

This is a strange, character study of the passengers on a bus heading toward Mexico to which occur a series of mishaps. I couldn't exactly say that I enjoyed it, but the writing is very arresting.

A Life Discarded: 148 diaries found in a skip by Alexander Masters

I listened to this non-fiction book which was also narrated by the author. What a fascinating story behind finding the diaries and the lengths that the author goes to to discover more about the diarist whilst at the same time, not wanting to find out too much. I really enjoyed this and was delighted with the ending.

Hot Milk by Deborah Levy

Another book that I really enjoyed. Sofia is accompanying her mother for treatment for a mysterious illness to a Spanish resort. She has become enslaved to her mother's whims but embarks belatedly on discovering her own freedom in her adult life when she meets an intriguing German girl.

Tony and Susan by Austin Wright

This was recently made into a film called Nocturnal Animals with Jake Gyllenhal and Amy Adams. Of the two, I actually prefer the novel. It is a novel within a novel, and the one contained within is horribly disturbing.

Ten Days in the Hills by Jane Smiley 

I haven't read anything by Jane Smiley in about 15 years. This wasn't one of her better ones. An eclectic group of friends and family spend ten days in the hills shortly after the start of the Iraq war. The narrative rotates from one couple to another with some frank sexual scenes [made for quite an embarrassing moment when winding the window down to swipe into the car park as I was listening on my commute] and is interspersed with opinions about films and war.