It seems like much of October was spent trying to find something really good to read. I won't even bother to name the books I started and discarded. I did finally end up with a couple of decent books, and one that I can highly recommend.
The Good Patient, by Kristen Duisberg, was quite intriguing. A young woman tries to outwit her psychotherapist, but in the end comes to finally understand herself.
Grace Notes, by Charlotte Vale Allen, features a battered wife who escapes her prison, and becomes a noted writer on the subject. She begins an email dialogue with one of her fans, who appears to be in danger. But who is really in danger? Enough said. This wasn't a great book, but it kept me entertained.
Readers of Sue Miller's novels know her to be very adept with family themes. Lost in the Forest has all of the depth and layering that we expect from this author. It is a sad book in many ways, but any parent, or anyone who has ever been a child (yes, that's all of us) will recognize the ways in which it is all too easy to get lost in the shuffle of life, even for a little while. Eva's second husband is killed suddenly, and in her grief she loses track of her children's lives. It doesn't hurt the oldest and the youngest, but Daisy in the middle takes a different path to get what she needs. This is one that stays with you.
Currently I am halfway though Forever, by Pete Hamill. So far, so good.
