Who Among Us? Mario Benedetti

The premise of this is not so original; two teenage boys and one girl who are friends, the girl marries one of the boys but all three somehow feel she has married the wrong man. Written mainly from the point of view of the husband, but with a part from each of them, Benedetti skilfully unmasks true feelings, thereby revealing personalities, flaws and the tragedies in ordinary lives. 

The Lagoon and other Stories, Joseph Conrad

Satisfying, mysterious or enigmatic short stories set in a romantic old-world. Full of ideas of travel or belonging and moods of places. 

Beloved, Toni Morrison

More magical // undefinable than I had thought.

Skipping backwards and forwards in time and though the supernatural

Slow reveals but doesn't feel like a plot device, slower and more natural

Like memory or poetry, clear senses but difficult to describe or sometimes picture // put your finger on exactly what's happening

All encompassing, themes made clear through stories within stories and lives within lives.

Normal People, Sally Rooney

I loved following the couple in this book. It is a little similar to Just Kids in that the relationship at the centre of the novel runs too deep to be defined. We meet Connell and Marianne as they finish high school, and follow them until some years into university. For sure Rooney doesn't avoid all the teenage or relationship tropes, but the novel feels fresh and realistic. I found it always compelling and never frustrating, which it so easily could have been. The characters are thoroughly drawn and you feel the story continues beyond the last page.

Just Kids, Patti Smith

I am in awe of Patti Smith and had been looking forward to reading this for a while. It didn't disappoint and I couldn't have anticipated just how inspiring the book would be; the drive to make and think and read and be aware of culture past and present, is contagious.

I learnt of Patti Smith through her music and Robert Mapplethorpe through his photographs, and it was fascinating to read about both of them before they had started doing what they are so known for. It is certainly accessible to someone who has never heard of either of them, it is a compelling look at life, art making and a relationship which is/was undefinable; the boxes of friend, boyfriend, partner are all too small and sterile to describe Patti and Robert.

Bonjour Tristesse, Françoise Sagan

This is a tiny book, it must be short but doesn't feel so. It takes place over one summer; the teenager Cécile, her Dad and his lover are having a wonderful time pleasing themselves in a house by the sea, but there is a change which Cécile has a strong reaction to.
In atmosphere and tone it reminds me of The Great Gatsby and The Enchanted April even though they are both somewhat different. It has a sense of impending doom but also a light touch, as the narrator, despite being the orchestrator of the events, is morally detached. She is frivolous, selfish and seems to have very little moral compass. She is however charismatic and pragmatic, and the reader is tempted to give her the benefit of the doubt, perhaps the detachment is a self preservation tool, she is only a teenager after all. It's as if she is just finding out that her actions can affect the real world. That she can affect what happens to the adults around her. Compelling and enveloping.

The Swimming Pool Library, Alan Hollinghurst

I'm not sure if this is a realistic or idealistic portrayal of gay life. Our protagonist, Will, certainly seems like a fantasy of who some people might like to be, privileged, monied, beautiful and irresistible with the self confidence to match.It is a window into another way of life, we wouldn't want to be in his world but it is a fascinating one. We have sympathy with Will but it's friend that we actually like, the friendship is like a verification of Will for the reader. A chance encounter sets off a chain of events which begin to shake his confidence when his safety, status and family are challenged.
Strange in terms of time, it feels like it is taking place in the 30's with the talk of the aristocracy and dining at the club, strange jolts in the moments where it is clear we're actually in the 1980's.

Big Sky, Kate Atkinson

This is a great detective novel. It's full of characters and threaded with interconnecting stories and so took a bit of effort to remember who everyone was in the beginning. Seemed written with TV in mind.

By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept, Elizabeth Smart

Unlike anything else I have read, poetic, heart-wrenching and pathetic all together. 

Anaïs Nin, A Spy in the House of Love

In A Spy in the House of Love Nin looks at the idea that different (romantic) relationships bring out or satisfy different parts of our personalities. It's not clear if this woman is adapting herself to the men, or looking for different things in each of them, maybe a little of both. It's a look at roles, dynamics and ideals or hopes in relationships. It is relatable and seems years ahead of its time. 

Raynor Winn, The Salt Path

The Salt Path is the true story of a husband and wife who become homeless almost simultaneously as the husband receives a terminal illness diagnosis. Without a better plan, they decide to walk the 630 mile South West Coast Path, wild camping on the way. 

It is a gripping read, the emotional and physical difficulty apparent in the writing, which is shot through with beautiful observations and musings. There are small kindnesses and some thoughtless unkindnesses, coupled with the fact that the two protagonists are not, and not portrayed as, 'perfect' but struggling and human. Threading through the book is the incredibly strong and loving bond between Winn and her husband, and the fear that they will lose each other. 

Mario Vargas Llosa, The Way to Paradise

I really was not a fan of this book, it dramatises the life of Paul Gauguin and his grandmother, Flora Tristan. They both had interesting lives, but the interweaving of the stories and the way it is written means the book is often confusing and convoluted or over-detailed. Added to the fact that often neither Gauguin nor Tristan are people I could empathise with, the novel is tedious.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Heather Morris

Harrowing, remarkable story which seems faithfully and sensitively told. Reads like a Hollywood movie but not to the detriment of the story. Some sentences which read like little flourishes, too clunky and unnecessary, especially given the subject matter.

Death and the Penguin, Andrey Kurkov

Bleak, atmospheric and quietly funny. Viktor has a pet penguin, which he got from the zoo when they were giving away animals they couldn't feed. He also has a job writing obituaries for people who are not yet dead. It's an intriguing story, a 'mafia' story far removed from fast paced US films. It seems like a much more 'realistic' portrayal of the someone's life if they got caught up in professional criminal plots. Viktor is intriguing too, seemingly frozen and unfeeling, but still he makes an intriguing character, and one we want to  succeed.

Confabulations, John Berger

I was expecting this to be a academic or heavy going, in actual fact it is a complete delight. A collection of thoughts and musings where Berger chats his way through experiences and ideas. Universal themes and somehow mystical, makes you think of the connectedness of things and people/s.

Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton

Desperate and lonely novel set in a bleak New England winter. Ethan Frome is trapped on his failing land with a spiteful and bitter wife and Mattie, the wife's cousin, whom Frome adores.

The Glass-Blowers, Daphne Du Maurier

Sophie Duval, nee Busson, takes us through the recent history of her family, against the backdrop of the French Revolution. It's a cinematic close family drama, based on Du Maurier's own french heritage.
The continuity of family characters is well drawn, with traits popping up through generations. Sophie herself is a reliable, moderate narrator who, the reader can see, turns out to be so similar to the mother she loved and admired.
It feels modern in its description of the radical politics of the time, how people were swayed by hearsay and rumour, how fear and discontent drives radical ideas and how quickly the 'right/good' side changes.
It can feel a little contrived at times and the 'mystery' partly expected from Du Maurier is revealed at the beginning, with the novel going back to fill in the gaps. Clearly a personal novel for Du Maurier, though for sure not one of her best it's an enjoyable read.

Peter Mayle, A Year in Provence

I flew through this, it's incredibly readable,I've always loved reading about people who have moved abroad. There is no particular narrative, it is what is says on the tin; Mayle describes a year in Provence, shortly after he and his wife bought a house near the Luberon. Mayle tells us of the locals, the perils and delights of the locals, the weather and most importantly the food, wine and olive oil. There also seem to be a lot of similarities with Catalunya, which made it relatable.

Tenth of December, George Saunders

Completely beautifully written short stories, full, surprising and often futuristic or surreal. Enjoyably pointing out failings and cruelties in personalities and societies. Very American.

Daisy Jones & The Six, Taylor Jenkins Reid

Very satisfying and bewitching book, telling the story of a fictional band's rise and hit album. It is written like a transcript of a documentary film and is very cinematic. It has all the obvious story lines of a rock and roll band, but it does manage to cut under the usual tropes and tell a few heartfelt love stories. 

Caesar's Last Breath, Sam Kean

Kean gets across his passion for the science of gasses and their story of discovery throughout history. Super interesting, great balance between human, relatable anecdotes, facts and numbers (which make very little sense to me). It's one that cries out to be re-read so I can remember more of it.

The Sealwoman's Gift, Sally Magnusson

This was a good story, a re imagining of a historical incident in which 400 Icelanders were captured and taken into slavery in Algiers in the 1600s. Lots of things seem improbable and then turn out to have been true. It has a strong sense of place, both in Iceland and in Algiers. A brilliant portrait of people's different ways of reacting to being torn away from lives and loves. How people adapt to circumstances and build lives with whatever they are given. Levels of resilience.

I'm not sure what I thought of the writing though, it was a little stilted and try-hard and a little bit like chick lit (lots to read into re. why that makes it less worthy - because female?) I much preferred the way the afterword was written, very engaging and made me think that  a first draft might have read better.

Let Us Now Praise Famous Gardens, Vita Sackville-West

I bought a small collection of these gorgeous editions in a Bristol charity shop a few years ago and am just getting round to reading them. Mostly bought for their beauty and the range of cosy and very British themes, they are lovely snapshots in time. 

This one is a collection of Sackville-West's gardening columns for The Observer, which she wrote for 15 years. It is certainly from a different time, there is one entry 40 years to the day before I was born, nevertheless it is a lovely read, full of gardening advice as well as snapshots of the writer's triumphs, failures and imaginings, and descriptions of her neighbours' gardens, or those she has seen. It's all very light-hearted and friendly in tone and is definitely something to read if you've just acquired a garden and need some inspiration. I'm lamenting the lack of space on my balcony for a quince or almond tree.

The Stranger in the Woods, Michael Finkel

The Stranger in the Woods of the title is a man, Christopher Knight, who disappeared into the woods in Maine, USA in his 20's and lived in complete solitude for around 20 years. He lived in close proximity to a number of summer cabins, and some all-year-round residents in a small town and survived by breaking into cabins and stealing supplies. Finkel is a journalist intrigued by Knight who corresponded with him and visited him in prison. 

It is a fascinating read and Finkel does a good job of telling Knight's story whilst tying it in with historical accounts of hermits and research on isolation. He tries his best not to romanticise Knight and to give the residents who were burgled for years a say, though I'm not entirely sure he's impartial. It makes for uncomfortable reading towards the end of the book, where Knight and his family repeatedly tell Finkel to leave him alone, before he eventually does. 

Cat's Cradle, Kurt Vonnegut

As with so many books, not what I was expecting, both funnier and didn't actually make me laugh, reminded me of A Brave New World in tone. Terrifying and damning and absurd, entertaining. 

The Year of Magical Thinking, Joan Didion

A phenomenal book, lucid, disjointed, personal and universal. It is incredible that Didion could write so well, honestly and clearly about such a loss. Must re-read. 

The Accidental Further Adventures of the Hundred Year Old Man, Jonas Jonasson

This was everything I expected from a follow on from The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared. It's quirky, unexpected, joyful and silly, though I didn't enjoy it so much as I did the first one. It's a little less rich, there was less of the back story of Allen's life, and it was more of a known entity.

Saturday, Ian McEwan

Saturday is one Saturday in February 2003 seen through the eyes of Henry Perowne. Perowne is an affluent, experienced neurosurgeon living in central London with his wife and son. On this Saturday his father in law and daughter are coming from their respective homes in France for dinner, a family reunion. 

I found it fascinating to be in the head of Perowne; there are revelations and events on this Saturday which are dramatic but part of the Saturday is spent running errands and playing a game of squash with a colleague. McEwan captures trains of thought the everyday and minutiae really well. 

Perowne strikes a balance between being an understandable, known type of person and an individual, he isn't a grotesque. An artful, slick novel commenting on everything; family, society, politics, relationships, masculinity and London.