"Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine" by Gail Honeyman

Synopsis:

A stunning debut about a girl who has learned how to survive – but not how to live.

Eleanor Oliphant leads a simple life. She wears the same clothes to work every day, eats the same meal deal for lunch every day and buys the same two bottles of vodka to drink every weekend.

Eleanor Oliphant is fine. Nothing is missing from her carefully timetabled life. Except sometimes, everything.

No one’s ever told Eleanor life should be better than fine. But with a simple act of kindness she’s about to realize exactly how much better than fine life can be.

Review:

I was really excited to read this book when I heard about it on BookTube.  It's very different from anything I've read.  I found the first-person narrative startling because of the jarring, blunt way Eleanor revealed shocking tidbits as part of a general statement.  You never knew when she would surprise you with some piece of her dark past.  You never knew what she would say next and it takes the course of the novel for her to slowly reveal who she is.  And despite thinking you know what's coming at the end, there is a final twist I didn't see coming at all.

I enjoyed the cast of characters, with the exception of her mother.  I very much dislike reading books with horribly vile characters because I find it uncomfortable and upsetting.  However, this one was worth it.  It made me more grateful for the people I have in my own life.

It's a somewhat-slow paced novel that kept me wanting to know what was going to happen.  Some of the situations Eleanor recounts struck a little too close to home for me but it made me feel like I wasn't the only person to experience them.  

In the beginning, Eleanor speaks very much like an outsider, almost like an alien, but she does grow in her language while growing as a person.  I loved her personality and her turns of phrase.

Here are some of my favourite quotes:

Regarding "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte:

Pilot is there too, the handsome, soulful-eyed hound.  If the book has one failing, it's that there is insufficient mention of Pilot.  You can't have too much dog in a book.

Regarding the horrible use of improper grammar in texting:

I steeled myself as best I could, and, with teeth gritted, using only one finger I typed: C U there E.

 Regarding Spongebob Squarepants:

A semi-human bath sponge with protruding front teeth!  On sale as if it were something completely unremarkable!  For my entire life, people have said that I'm strange, but really, when I see things like this, I realize that I'm actually relatively normal.

Regarding having pets:

But love is love; animals, people.  It's unconditional, and it's both the easiest and the hardest thing in the world.

I am glad I read this book and will most likely reread it in the future just so I can absorb more of it.

Read on,
Paula

P.S. I received this book for free from the publisher for review consideration. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Goodreads Reading Challenge

I completed my Goodreads reading challenge today!  Luckily the year is not over yet and I plan to read more during my holidays.  Because of my reader's block earlier this year, my Goodreads reading challenge was set at a measly 50 books, compared to the 130 I read last year.  I haven't decided yet whether or not I will participate in the challenge again next year.  There are two articles from BookRiot: one for participating and one against participating in the challenge.  Both have very valid points.  I, too, feel pressure when I'm behind or when I fail to reach my goal (only 130 of 150 last year).  My original goal for this year was again 150 but the longer my reader's block lingered the less achievable that goal seemed to be.  So I lowered it to a more manageable 50 and even then I've only just managed to complete it.  Also, I made a point of reading less Amazon ebooks.  Since most of the ones I read last year were more like short stories than actual novels, it didn't seem right to count them towards my reading challenge even if I was actually reading.  I guess it's all about our own self-imposed rules or lack thereof.  As Jessica Pryde wrote in her article about NOT participating: "The challenge was exacerbated by the guilt that I had so many books in the house, both paper and electronic, and felt that I needed to push through them".  I have this problem, too.  I recently culled my library of titles I knew I would never read.  And yet I still have hundreds of books I do want to read.  I have even more ebooks stored away to work my way through.  I have plenty of reading material and not enough time.  Between my reader's block and becoming a pet owner for the first time, I feel like my reading time is even rarer than it was before.  I lament how little reading I have done this year.  Even though I have read some great books.

Read on,
Paula

BTT: Interactive?

BTT: Interactive? (from Booking Through Thursday)

With the advent (and growing popularity) of eBooks, I’m seeing more and more articles about how much “better” they can be, because they have the option to be interactive … videos, music, glossaries … all sorts of little extra goodies to help “enhance” your reading experience, rather like listening to the Director’s commentary on a DVD of your favorite movie.

How do you feel about that possibility? Does it excite you in a cutting-edge kind of way? Or does it chill you to the bone because that’s not what reading is ABOUT?

I've been reading the complete Sherlock Holmes stories.  I own a massive trade paperback version but, because I want to keep it in mint condition, I am only reading it when I am at home and reading it in ebook version when away from home.  For me, the best feature ever about ebooks is the dictionary function that allows me to get a definition of words I don't know.  This is particularly beneficial when reading older fiction such as Arthur Conan Doyle, Jane Austen, etc.  Unfortunately, it does not work for foreign languages in my iBooks app on my iPhone4.

I am one of those people who reads both print books and ebooks.  I like ebooks for their portability and my ability to have a huge stack of books on my phone.  But I love holding a print book in my hand.  I love the artistry of the covers that some of my ebooks don't have.  I am not one-or-the-other.  As long as I am reading, I don't care what format.  Even listening to someone read to you (audiobook) still counts as reading.  Your brain has absorbed the information just the same.  Who cares how you read as long as you do it?

Read on,
Paula

Getting out of my reading slump *fingers crossed*

Listening to book-related podcasts is always good for boosting my mood.  I almost always find a title that either I want to read or I think patrons of the libraries I work at would be interested in.  My current reading slump included not listening to book podcasts.  Yesterday I listened to 13 back episodes of Books on the Nightstand, two episodes of The Readers, and a few of Dear Book Nerd and BookRiot.  And they have fired up my interest in reading again.  One of the BOTNS episodes talks about book slumps and I feel better now.  Until I heard that episode, I felt guilty and uncomfortable about being in a book slump.  Especially because I work in two libraries and therefore surrounded by twice as much reading material.  And somehow, I forgot about the iBooks app on my iPhone that I have loaded with 68 books.  And then there is still my home library with books I haven't read yet.  I have plenty of material to read.  The problem is that where I used to automatically pick up my book and read for hours, I have not been doing that for a while.  I still want to read, I just haven't been.  But hopefully that won't be for long.

Read on,
Paula

BTT: How many?

How many? (from Booking Through Thursday)

1. How many books do you read in a week? Month? Year?

2. What's the best book or series you've read so far this year?

3. What's the worst book you read this year? Did you finish it?

How many books I read fluctuates based on the length of the book I'm reading, how much I like it, and how much free time I have.  So far, last year was a record-breaking year for me.  According to Goodreads, I read 242 books last year.  Granted, last year I was reading a lot of ebooks, which tend to be more novellas and short stories than full-length novels and non-fiction books.  This year, I'm not reading as many ebooks and am trying to read from my own library.  So far, the latter is not working out well, unless you count reading books I've newly bought.  Goodreads has a reading challenge where you set your own goal for the year.  This year my goal is 150...not as high as last year but reasonably attainable (I read 124 in 2011).  It's fun to see the little gauge on the challenge creep closer to the end.  Whether I'm successful or not, I know that I won't do it again.  I find it too stressful, especially because Goodreads tells you if you are ahead or behind schedule.  I'm currently behind schedule even though I was ahead of schedule for most of the year.  Now I'm getting anxious.  And now that I'm working more hours at work, I have less free time than last year for reading.

I have a tie for the best (fiction) book I've read so far this year.  "Dust and Shadow" by Lyndsay Faye versus "Up and Down" by Terry Fallis.  I just can't make up my mind yet.  Both have their strong qualities that make it hard for me to pick just one.  But the best (non-fiction) book I've read this year is "The Unapologetic Fat Girl's Guide To Exercise and Other Incendiary Acts" by Hanne Blank.  I highly recommend it to anyone who is overweight, no matter how fit you already are.  (Yes,  you can be both fat and fit!)

I would have to say that "The Boy in the Dress" by David Walliams is the worst book I've read this year.  I did finish it but I was intensely disappointed.  You can read the un-review I wrote about it.  Basically, it was nothing like what I expected.

Read on,
Paula

Ebook happy dance

It took two years but my BlackBerry Curve 9300 is finally compatible with my library's OverDrive software.  As long as the books I download are epubs, I can read them.  I did a happy dance yesterday when it all worked out...despite my phone model being on the incompatible list.  But considering the size of the screen on my phone, I'll do my searching on my computer instead of wasting my monthly bandwidth limit on searching for titles that may or may not be available.

Yes, yet another way for me to access more books.  Dangerous...

Read on,
Paula

Guilty pleasures

My Goodreads and Shelfari lists tell me I've read just over 200 titles.  But if I were to add all my guilty pleasures titles, it would probably be closer to 250.  Part of this is because of the erotic short stories that Amazon offers for free.  A single girl needs a little fluffy romance/hot sexy erotic story every now and then but I admit I've been overindulging in the last month or two.  But I'm grateful for it because it has lead me to a genre I never tried before and have since discovered how much I love it.  Male-male romance.  There, I said it.  I'm not male so this truly is a "guilty" pleasure.  But I'm drawn to it because of two things: (1) being female, I am not trying to see myself in any of the characters and (2) they're not as cheesy as male-female romance.  Sure, some of the more erotic ones have proved to be a little heartless and cold (aka fuck 'em and forget 'em).  But the romantic ones make me happy in a way a male-female romance never has.  I feel genuinely happy for the happily-ever-after couple(s) in a platonic way.  Usually the male-female romances involve marriage and babies (neither of which are for me).

So far, these are my favourites:
*Luscious Love - Zach Sweets
*First Impressions - Josephine Myles
*Chalk Butterfly: The Complete Trilogy - Audra Red

I read the Fifty Shades of Grey series and they were okay.  Even before I heard it to be true, I was comparing them to Twilight.  But I am not a submissive female and I have a hard time enjoying books about male domination.  However, the same is not true of gay male domination.  Without the female gender involved, my feminist side relaxes.  I am not emotionally involved and find it easier to see how some people can enjoy being dominated.  Any male commandingly telling a female what to do raises my hackles; not so when he does it to another male.  But please don't get the opinion that I have no sympathy for submissive men.  I have a lot of it.  I wouldn't mind being in a relationship with one myself.  I have had gay male friends in the past (there aren't any to be had in my current tiny town) and believe that homosexuality is not the aberration that others would have you believe.

Through 'The Readers' podcast, I found out about the Green Carnation Prize, a prize in the UK celebrating LGBT literature.  Thanks to their lists and 'The Best of Gay Romance' list on Goodreads, I've found a few more titles I'm interested in reading.

Here are a few titles I'm eager to read:
*There But For The - Ali Smith
*Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller
*Strange Case of the Composer and His Judge - Patricia Duncker

This is one guilty pleasure I don't ever plan to give up.  I'm grateful to find there is so much more LGBT fiction out there than I thought.  I look forward to reading more and more of it!

Read on,
Paula

Reading goal for 2013

Considering how many books I own (239) and how many of them I have yet to read (102), I've decided to read my own books in 2013.  My original goal was to read only books I own in 2013.  But then I actually counted how many I had and realized that it's not enough to sustain a full year's worth of reading.  As of the beginning of December of this year, I've read 203 books and the year isn't over yet.  So I will dedicate as much of 2013 as it takes to read all of the unread books I own and then I will continue on with books from my to-read list.  Looking through my bookshelves, I've already identified a few I want to read first...I just have to figure out the actual order by January 1, 2013.  In case you are interested to know, the titles I'm most eager to read are:

*People of the Book - Geraldine Brooks

*Iterations - Robert J. Sawyer

*100 Cupboards - N.D. Wilson

*Musicophilia - Oliver Sacks

*Inseparable - Emma Donoghue

*Ruined By Reading - Lynne Sharon Schwartz

I've also decided that I will also read any unread ebooks that I've already downloaded.  Any ebooks I download in 2013 will be filed away into a 2013 file until I've finished reading what I already own.  Some of the ebook titles I'm eager to read are:

*Rebellion (Matthew Hawkwood #4) - James McGee

*Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebeccca Skloot

*Bachelor Girl - Betsy Israel

*most of the Rogue Angel series - Alex Archer

*Nature Principle - Richard Louv

I don't usually set myself any reading challenges but I got this idea from an episode of The Readers podcast.  I'll let you know how it works out.

Read on,

Paula

Book abuse and free ebooks

Inside a book donated to a library I work at I found a note.  In pen was written "Hi Linda, Thank you for the lend of your book, Brenda".  If a friend of mine were to write me a note inside my book in pen, they wouldn't be my friend for long.  That is the sort of property damage that I find inexcusable.

I recently discovered a fabulous blog that offers the download of free ebooks.  The process is a bit complicated for the non-computer-savvy and the impatient.  But I've gotten some of the books from my to-read list from it.

These days, I'm having different media/ideas/topics colliding in my life.  Today, for example, I am listening to the "Stress" episode of Radiolab, which touches on the same topics that I am reading about in "When The Body Says No" by Gabor Mate.

Read on,
Paula

E-readers versus physical books

I once wrote an opinion piece regarding the so-called "death of books".  In it, I compared book formats to music formats (vinyl, 8-track tapes, cassettes, CDs, and digital).  Just like music formats, the old ones never completely go away.  Just look at how vinyl records are making a comeback.  I feel the same can be said for books.  Despite the raging popularity of e-readers, printed books will never go out of style.  There will always be people who prefer one over the other.  For me, I'm an unofficial fence-sitter.  Actually, I play for both sides.  I prefer to read physical books except in situations where physical books are an inconvenience.  And that, I think, is the main reason for the popularity of e-readers: convenience.  I recently discovered a blog called Bookfessions.  One of them aptly conveys why I play both sides: "Those who don't travel will never understand how fabulous ereaders are. How else could I take 500 books with me on an airplane?"  This is true for me too.  During the christmas holidays this year, I will be spending a week away from home (and away from my books).  This includes two 4-hour flights.  Thankfully, it also includes a day of bookstore-hopping.  Having an e-reader means ALWAYS (and I do mean always) having reading material at hand.  That is why I say yes to e-readers.  But I will only buy physical books.  I personally will never pay for a digital version of a book regardless of how much less they cost than a physical book.  If I'm spending money on books, I want something that can sit on my bookshelf, not something I can accidentally erase.  I feel the same way about digital music.  If it is easy to accidentally make it gone, I don't want to pay for it.  Therefore I'm grateful for the plethora of free ebooks available to me.  But you can usually find me reading a physical book.  I think there should be no argument whatsoever about which format is better.  Because none are better; they are just better for your personal lifestyle.  People who would never pick up a physical book are now reading on e-readers.  And that's a good thing.  I am disheartened by bookstores that are closing due to poor sales but I have hope for the future.  I believe that people will still be buying physical books for years and decades to come, regardless of the current digital media craze.  That's my opinion anyway.

Also from Bookfessions: "A lot of people don't like ereaders, but I think they're amazing. They make it so much easier to read under the covers when I'm supposed to be asleep."  I personally discovered this ability in September with the Day/Night settings on my e-reader.

Edited to add: Here is the most eloquent, well-written article about the whole topic I have ever read.  I think I'll print a copy for safekeeping.


Read on,
Paula

New to ebooks

I have a BlackBerry Curve 9300.  Unfortunately, my library's ebooks from Overdrive are not compatible with my model.  I keep my fingers crossed for someday.  Until then, I have managed to find an app (called Buku Reader, $1.99) that allows me to read epub books.  I read all five of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series on it.  I am now basking in the constant availability of reading material without having to worry that I will somehow ruin the physical library books that I read.  Most trade and paperback books get scrunched and deformed from me carrying them in my backpack, therefore I try to read hardcover as often as possible.

Today I downloaded "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens (which I intend to read during my christmas holidays...I like being prepared), "High Fidelity" by Nick Hornby (I've seen the movie, now I want to read the book), and "Devil in the White City" by Eric Larson (a title recommended by a coworker).  I also have books by Mary Roach, David Sedaris, and Malcolm Gladwell already loaded.  I currently have 13 titles loaded and hope to increase it.  I will be travelling during the christmas holidays and don't wish to be stuck without any reading material.  Nine of the thirteen titles are on my "to read" list and the others are incidental finds.

Although I'm enjoying reading on my BlackBerry, there are drawbacks.  People might think it's the small screen but I'm personally fine with that.  Actually, it's the way the text is converted either from the file or in the app.  There is one font and one font only.  This means I'll have to read "Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter" in print because it switches from 'I' to 'he' so often and I can't keep it straight without the differentiation in text.  Also, sometimes there is no break between paragraphs and/or chapters.  It ain't great but it'll do.  It feeds my craving for constant reading access without having to spend large sums of money.  A friend recently bought a Kobo and I helped her figure out how to load it.  All the talk about Kobos, Kindles, and Sony Readers has me intrigued but not enough yet to actually purchase one.  At least with my BlackBerry, I have it with me at all times anyway.

Do you have/use an ebook reader?  If so, what kind and are you happy with it?  Do you still read print books?  Do you have a preference?  Personally, I like both.

Read on,

Paula