If you follow me on Instagram, you’re probably aware I’ve been away in September for three whole weeks. My partner and I visited Canada – we both have family there – and it was a wonderful time. What a holiday means is a LOT more reading and September did not disappoint in terms of quantity but it did, in terms of quality. I finished 10 books in September, and left 1 as a DNF (because life’s too short to read appalling books). Anyhoo, here’s a summary of my reads:
Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty
I read Liane Moriarty’s most recent book, Here One Moment, in the first week of September before I went away. A chunky read at about 500-odd pages, it was a page-turner and thought–provoking read, reminding me of Moriarty of the early days (think Husband’s Secret and Big Little Lies). The book questions determinism versus free will, what would we do if we knew when and how we were going to die, and explores death and grief and love. It had everything I love thinking and talking about as well as Moriarty’s classic observational skills seen in her witty writing.
Catherine Wheel by Liz Evans
A debut psychological suspense novel, Catherine Wheel is about two women who have been with the same man at some point. Except, he is controlling and abusive and has been with both of them. It was a good look into coercive control with some mystery and suspense and a gothic English setting. I enjoyed reading this on the plane to Canada but to be honest, cannot remember much now. I left the copy with my sister to read.
Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor
I read Scrivenor’s debut for book club last year and we all really liked it. Girl Falling however, was a bit of let down compared to Dirt Town. It’s set in the Blue Mountains of NSW but in a fictional town and begins with the partner of our MC falling off the cliff while abseiling. Foul play is suspected and it could be our MC’s best friend. Bit by bit we learn about this friend and their toxic friendship over the years. What I found most frustrating was a scene with extremely unethical behaviour by a psychologist breaking confidentiality – there is no motive for it and it’s infuriating when pop culture – movies or books – do that. I gave my sister the copy and she read it quickly but like me, didn’t enjoy it as much.
The Work by Bri Lee
This was the book I did not finish. It took me 3 days while on holidays, to read 10 chapters. The dialogue was appalling, the main character, Lally, insufferable, and it was just cringe throughout those 10 chapters. I couldn’t do it. It had to go.
Call me Evie by J. P. Pomare
When I’m on holidays, I usually read crime or thrillers in case it hasn’t been evident so far. Pomare’s Call Me Evie had been on my kindle for a while and I’d heard good things. We follow a girl we know is held captive by someone she knows but we don’t. She has trouble with her memory and we are constantly trying to figure out what has happened to her, what is happening to her. I’d like to say I was gripped by this but to be honest, it was okay but not mind-blowing by any means. I found it confusing in some parts and I’m not sure if a thriller is meant to do that.
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
A wedding on a remote island and someone is killed. We don’t know who when the book begins but we find out gradually and suspect everyone on the guest list. Not bad but also, not mind-blowing and unlikely to remain with me but I liked the Agatha Christie-like setting in modern day and enough characters to keep you wondering whodunit and whoisdead.
What I would do to you by Georgia Harper
I went into this debut thinking it was a thriller but turns out, it’s a dystopian novel. In a near future Australia, the death penalty is back at least in Queensland. Except, the victim’s family has to choose what to do to the perpetrator and take action themselves. Our protagonist is Octavia, a psychologist looking for a challenge in her career and she signs up to this program where the victims’ families are mandated to work with a psychologist in the lead up to this and ofter. We follow one family whose 9-year-old daughter was sexually assaulted and killed. Her two mothers and adult brother now need to decide how to punish the perp. I found this concept fascinating and thought-provoking as we deal with the moral and ethical dilemmas ourselves. Harper is a psychologist herself and it comes across as Octavia battles boundaries and ethical dilemmas in ways that Scrivenor’s psychologist did not.
Paul at Home by Michel Rabagilati
Rabagilati is a cartoonist and has his series in French and English. I read this graphic novel in one sitting while in Montreal and found it endearing. The author is Quebecois himself and this particular graphic novel follows Paul in his 50s, battling loneliness and losses.
The Dilemma by B. A. Paris
This probably should’ve been a DNF because it was bad. A thriller (I think) but so painful as I didn’t care for any of the characters. In alternating chapters, we learn the point of view of a husband and wife. Both are keeping a secret from the other about their daughter. But does it drag on and on and on? Yes, yes it does. Like I said, I didn’t care for any of the characters; they felt two-dimensional and lacked substance.
I came all this way to meet you by Jami Attenberg
Something slightly different – a memoir. It was about writing and also how the author’s life shaped her and her writerly self. Attenberg interviews her parents, reflects on her past where she couch-surfed, travelled, did drugs, wrote, made friends, lost others. She takes us through New York and New Orleans, Italy, and Illinois with snippets and writing lessons along the way. I enjoyed it.
The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler
Even though I was away from home, I wasn’t going to forget my year with Tyler. And I didn’t regret it one bit. I finished this book on the flight back to Sydney and loved it. It follows the marriage of Michael and Pauline who meet when they are 21 in 1941. But they couldn’t be more different and what follows is a tumultuous marriage, three children, fights and losses. Tyler again, manages to depict an ordinary family, dysfunctional in its own way. I love getting to know her characters, the families, their motives for behaviours and how they’re shaped. I absolutely adore looking at how this then impacts their relationships and their lives in general.
I’m going to start Sally Rooney’s latest, Intermezzo later tonight – if I can manage to read, that is. I struggle to sleep on planes and even though I probably got about two to three hours, it’s been a long one! Here’s to more books in October.
Tell me what you read in September. What were your highlights and lowlights?
