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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Some books are like mystical creatures. I don’t know the exact numbers but they are rare. Maybe they are even a disappearing kind, although I hope not.

These books make you slow down and think, but not in a boring, obligatory way. You can fly through the book if you want to, but you will be robbing yourself. Alternatively, you can slow down, pay attention to each phrase, savour it and see it unwrap all the treasures it’s been saving for you.

That’s how good Virgil Wander is.

I like how even the name of the book implies some mythology and unusual characters although the book doesn’t sound pompous or overloading. It is deep, but in a very accessible, reader-friendly way.

Virgil Wander is about many different characters inhabiting a small town. Most of them are loveable, not only because they are special but also because of the things they do and say. There’s an old guy who flies kites. There’s a younger man who plunged his car into cold waters. There’s a sheriff whose cat walks with him everywhere like a dog. There’s also a creepy guy who’s charming and polite, but who scared the life out of me every time he appeared in a scene. I do not know how Leif Enger, the author, managed to achieve this effect. Virgil Wander is one of those books I cannot dismantle to see how it’s done, I can only enjoy it.

The book is really funny but not in a circus way. Its humor is genuine, clever and heartwarming.

I loved the book so much I started tweeting about it straight away. I underlined so many phrases, and now I can return and admire them again. Just look at some of them:

“He had the heartening bulk of the aging athlete defeated by pastry”

“my memories of her are more tender than specific”

“He had a close, curious way of observing people. You could mistake it for admiration.”

“Nothing seemed like the right thing to say, so that’s what I said for a while.”

Aren’t these pure treasures? There’s a whole book of them!

Some moments left me wondering, but not in an annoying open-ending kind of way. The book comes as a package: the book itself and all the thoughts that you will be having after you finish it. I can’t wait till 2nd October when Virgil Wander will be out so that you can read it and we can talk about it. I strongly recommend you do read it.

I’m very thankful to Leif Enger for this wonderful book, and to the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.