Tascha said Hot Milk made her think of Mary Gaitskill, only perhaps less complex. I thought of Murakami, because of the slightly surreal atmosphere and writing. A mix between Mary Gaitskill and Murakami should then be absolutely fantastic. Somehow, Hot Milk wasn't absolutely fantastic, though it was good. As I know from experience, summing up the plot makes this book seem lame: a protagonist going through her mid-20's crisis, a controlling, hypochondriac mother, a holiday in Spain, a handful of love/sex affairs. The writing is beautiful, and if one is into surreal writing there are some beautiful scenes that are worth the time in themselves (to avoid spoilers, I'll only say two words: fish theft).