Housekeeping - Marilynne Robinson

Written with the same understated and yet resonant style as the other novel of hers that I've read, Gilead, this was a captivating and strange story of orphan girls choosing either a 'normal' life following social conventions or preserving their one remaining family connection, to their eccentric drifter aunt. Deserved to be read more slowly and carefully than I found time for!

The Language of Others - Clare Morrall

Beautifully engaging tale about the life of a woman learning to connect with other people, with twin narratives about her past as an awkward girl whose only emotional release was her passion for music, and her present as a mother slowly coming to understand her relationships with those around her. I found this very positive and enjoyable.

Something to Tell You - Hanif Kureishi

A rather large book filled with not-quite-likable characters which more than proves the point that "psychoanalysis doesn't make people behave better, nor does it make them morally good. It may well make them more of a nuisance, more argumentative, more demanding, more aware of their desire and less likely to accept the dominion of others". Well, all apart from the awareness bit - one of the things that I found frustrating about this was how the central narrator (a psychotherapist) never seemed to find satisfaction in the places he looked for it...