Here’s the roundup of the books I read in September. I will provide a short summary for each book. If you are interested in full reviews, click the paragraph’s titles. Some full reviews haven’t been posted yet, so you can return for them later.
1. The Hearing Trumpet by Leonora Carrington
A surreal apocalyptic fairytale for adults about old ladies in a retirement home. I didn’t like it that much but it had its good moments.
2. Force of Nature by Jane Harper
A good thriller about women on a hike in Australian wilderness. I loved the writing and the descriptions of nature. Most of all I liked the fact that it was a high quality thriller with an unpredictable ending. Full review here.
3. A River of Stars by Vanessa Hua
Meh. That’s all I can say about the book, briefly speaking. A disappointing read that promised some adventures of pregnant women on a run in a foreign country but turned out to be a collection of unrelated reminiscences and memories.
4. The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker
I loved this novel. It uses elements of science fiction to make you think about the way people’s minds work and grow. The book will be published in January 2019.
5. The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell
Oh the almighty Universe how do I EVER explain what this book is like?! I can only say that it’s something huge, uneven, unpredictable and definitely not simple. I liked some moments and hated others. The Old Drift will be published on 21st March 2019. You can now read my full review of the book.
6. Virgil Wander by Leif Enger
If I had to name the best book I read in September, Virgil Wander would get the prize. I liked it the most. Everything is perfect about it: the writing, the story, the characters. I still miss this book and I plan to read it again some time soon just to feel its beauty.
7. April Fool’s Day by Josip Novakovich
A scary, hard, funny and unusual book about a man from ex-Yugoslavia. He lives through the regime and the wars. It’s definitely not a light reading but it’s worthwhile.
8. Checking Out by Nick Spalding
Light, silly, funny at places. If you are looking for something superficial but well written you might like this book. The full review is here.
9. Day of the Accident by Nuala Ellwood
A very well written thriller about a woman after a coma. The twists are not too guessable but the characters behave strangely sometimes. It’s one of very few recent thrillers that I actually liked. The book will be published on 21st February 2019. My full review will also be posted later.
10. The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths
To me this thriller was not what it promised to be. In my opinion it’s not really a gothic thriller. It’s still quite gripping and fast-paced. It’s about lives of teachers and students of a collage where bad things start happening. The book will be published on 1st November.
That was my September list. Have you read any of those? Which one would you like to read? It would be nice to hear from you. Meanwhile I’m off for my October reading. So excited, so many Universes ahead! 🙂
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I haven’t read any of them but the lady in the hearing trumpet sure looks like someone I want to interview. So many good quotes
Oh yes, there are actually more in the book but they are context related so it would be hard to understand them out of the book. I think the author used the book as a chance to show what she thinks about some phenomena in life. There are many deep thoughts, sharp and sudden.
That could very well be. Maybe that also explains why you didn’t like it as much because it’s not really a coherent story in that way maybe
You are right. I didn’t get the feeling that the author was writing for me, or for any reader, more like enjoying herself. From this perspective, the book is actually surprisingly good 🙂
Ah interesting to hear that! Might check it out for when I am in a philosophical mood
Oh, that’s a pity The Stranger Diaries isn’t as Gothic as it sounded, but I’m glad you still found it gripping. I think she’s such a good writer, so I’m always pleased when I see her trying something a little different…
It surely can feel different for you. I’m really looking forward to your review 🙂 I think I might have had too high expectations.