Angela's Ashes, Frank McCourt

I had been putting off reading this; I expected to be thoroughly depressed as McCourt describes his desperately poor Irish Catholic childhood. It is an eye opener, both to that level of poverty and to catholic guilt in the head of a boy, but I was completely surprised at how addictive it is. McCourt's voice is distinctive, and feels very raw, as if his childhood self is narrating through him.

As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning, Laurie Lee

This follows on from Cider with Rosie, Lee's description of growing up in a village in the 1920s. Here Lee leaves his home and walks to London, and then through Spain. Lee has a casual, compelling way of writing and is a brilliant observer and travelling partner. As with Cider with Rosie it's a fascinating peek into life for people at that time, both fellow travellers and local people. 

Fates and Furies, Lauren Groff

Beautifully written and just keeps getting richer and richer. Groff muses on how we present ourselves to the world and to those we love, how and why that happens, and possible fallout. Based around the marriage of Lotto and Mathilde, in Fates we first learn of Lotto's past and his view of their life Furies tells us Mathilde's view. Mathilde and Lotto haunt each other's stories; Mathilde is a particularly strong presence and can be felt throughout Fates. Groff has drawn the characters unsympathetically, but we also see them through the eyes of each other, with all their love, idolation, indulgence and annoyance.