Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman #TuesdayBookBlog #amreading #Bookreviews

Eleanor Oliphant is completely Fine is one of those exceptional, unsettling and ultimately uplifting novels a reader never forgets.

It’s a special novel that made me feel a multitude of contradictory and strong emotions; optimism, devastation, shock and joy, but overall enthusiasm and positive energy.

Eleanor is definitely not fine. The reader will walk in her shoes and gradually discover why she’s not fine and what, if anything, she can do about it.

Amazon UK Buy link

Eleanor is a unique and engaging narrator. She’s honest, naive and very lonely, and at the beginning she’s also insensitive and infuriating!

She’s hard-working and efficient, but lacks social skills, because she’s physically and emotionally scarred. There’s a dreadful reason for her detachment from others, which the reader suspects and is very gradually unveiled throughout the compelling narrative.

There are some twists in the story, mainly due to Eleanor’s unpredictable actions and reactions to events, but my main reason for turning the pages avidly was because I cared about Eleanor and hoped she would find a way to recover from her agony and alienation. 

In spite of the traumatic subject matter, it is an optimistic novel of hope, love and second chances. There is a great deal of comic relief, too, and a touching romance.

Eleanor is able to start moving on thanks to the unexpected friendship of a colleague and a wonderful case of serendipity. Sammy is an endearing character who has a short but vital role is Eleanor’s awakening and recovery.

Eleanor and Raymond are unforgettable characters brought to life in a unique and beautifully narrated, heart-wrenching story with an uplifting ending. I can’t stop recommending it to my friends.

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According to Deadline.com Reese Witherspoon’s new company Hello Sunshine has set up to produce Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.

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Blurb

Meet Eleanor Oliphant: She struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she’s thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully timetabled life of avoiding social interactions, where weekends are punctuated by frozen pizza, vodka, and phone chats with Mummy. 

But everything changes when Eleanor meets Raymond, the bumbling and deeply unhygienic IT guy from her office. When she and Raymond together save Sammy, an elderly gentleman who has fallen on the sidewalk, the three become the kinds of friends who rescue one another from the lives of isolation they have each been living. And it is Raymond’s big heart that will ultimately help Eleanor find the way to repair her own profoundly damaged one.

Soon to be a major motion picture produced by Reese Witherspoon, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is the smart, warm, and uplifting story of an out-of-the-ordinary heroine whose deadpan weirdness and unconscious wit make for an irresistible journey as she realizes. . . 

I listened to the audio version, which I really enjoyed, and now I have my paperback copy on my proud bookshelf, ready to be enjoyed all over again, because Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine is a truly wonderful novel to be read and reread.

#AtoZChallenge ‘T is for Three Trees’ #Haiku #NaPoWriMo #PoetryMonth

Tree 1

Tired branches twist

While sun breaks through dangling leaves

Proud tree weeps alone

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Tree 2

Buttercups look up  

Weary olive tree recalls

When it bloomed in spring

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Tree 3

Lofty palm tree sways

Leaves scrape salmon tinged dusk sky

A feast for my eyes

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This year is my fourth AtoZ Challenge. My theme this year is poetry once again. I’ll be writing a haiku a day, but I’m also adding a new hobby to the posts, photography. I will post one of my photos, or a donated photo, every day to accompany my haiku.

This April, I’ll also be sharing my poems and joining another group of poets at National Poetry Writing Month, organised since 2003 by Maureen Thorson. Write 30 poems in 30 days. I’m in! What about you?

Carrot Ranch #FlashFiction ‘Forest Bathing’ #99Words #MondayBlogs

This post was written in response to Charli Mills at Carrot Ranch’s weekly #99 word Flash Fiction Challenge. This week’s prompt is to write a story about forest bathing. You can use the Japanese term, Shinrin Yoku. Check out other entries or take part yourself!

Inspirational Walks

The Verger at Rochester Cathedral heard the author’s cane tapping the cobbled streets below his window. He must be on his way back from his daily, inspirational walk from Gad’s Hill.

Mr. Miles stepped out to greet his old friend. Turk trotted by his master’s side biting a dry branch collected in the woods.

‘A cup of tea, Mr. Dickens?’

‘Not today, Mr. Miles. The seventh instalment of Edwin Drood awaits.’

Miles sighed, watching him trudge up the hill, stopping to peer at the little graveyard under the castle wall where he had expressed his desire to be buried.

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Unfortunately, Charles Dickens died of a stroke before The Mystery of Edwin Drood was finished. Only six instalments were published. Dickens died in June and the seventh, unfinished instalment, would have been published in October 1870.

Neither was he buried at the cemetery at Rochester Cathedral, as had been his wish. Instead, he was buried at Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey, due to the pressure of Arthur Stanley, the Dean, who was searching for a famous writer to boost the prestige of the Abbey.

Turk was his favourite dog, but he died five years before him, so Turk wouldn’t have accompanied Dickens on his last walks.

According to his biographer, Peter Ackroyd, Charles Dickens walked for twelve miles a day, either along the London streets or in the countryside in Rochester, Kent, where he lived. He was usually accompanied by one or more of his many dogs.

He either walked on fact-finding missions for his novels, or for inspiration and tranquility.

Gad’s Hill, where he lived for the last years of his life, is a forty-minute walk from Rochester. Dickens preferred to walk alone because his purpose was to think and create. More information on Dickens walks here.

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I find walking in nature, is invigorating and inspiring, so I do it as often as possible. I often post pictures and poems or thoughts after my #SundayWalks, as I did yesterday, for example.

I’m fortunate enough to live in the country, and like Dickens, the town centre is about a 40 minute walk.

I used to walk with my dogs, but they’ve both passed away. I often walk with my grandchildren and children or my husband. I enjoy walking alone, but I don’t mind being accompanied. Even when I’m chatting with someone, I feel inspired and always take a notebook with me to jot down ideas.

Here’s a picture of a path I often take for my walks.

Here’s recent walk with my grandson, who loves inventing stories on our walks. On this occasion, some sheep had been put out to pasture that afternoon.

Does walking leisurely in a forest or the countryside open your senses and inspire you, too?

#AtoZChallenge ‘S is for #SundayWalks’ #Tanka #PoemADay #PoetryMonth

Sunday Walks

Follow slim footpaths

By the banks of the river,

Breathe moist air. Connect

With the nymph of your childhood,

Refresh heavy thoughts, move on.

I was fortunate enough to take a long, energizing walk with my daughter and grandchildren this morning, along the luscious, verdant path, by the banks of the river.

Memorable moments. 

I hope you had time to take a restoring walk this Sunday.

#AtoZChallenge ‘R is for Rainbow’ #Haiku #NaPoWriMo #PoetryMonth

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Rainbow

Under the rainbow 

Somewhere a wish is granted

Bluebird sings love song

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This year is my fourth AtoZ Challenge. My theme this year is poetry once again. I’ll be writing a haiku a day, but I’m also adding a new hobby to the posts, photography. I will post one of my photos, or a donated photo, every day to accompany my haiku.

This April, I’ll also be sharing my poems and joining another grou of poets at National Poetry Writing Month, organised since 2003 by Maureen Thorson. Write 30 poems in 30 days. I’m in! What about you?

#BookReviews ‘Our House’ by Louise Candlish #amreading @Audible

If you like contemporary, suspenseful and dark domestic thrillers, which take place in London, and you only have time to read one novel, you need to read Our House, straight away.

our house

Blurb

FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE.
When Fi Lawson arrives home to find strangers moving into her house, she is plunged into terror and confusion. She and her husband Bram have owned their home on Trinity Avenue for years and have no intention of selling. How can this other family possibly think the house is theirs? And why has Bram disappeared when she needs him most?

FOR RICHER, FOR POORER.
Bram has made a catastrophic mistake and now he is paying. Unable to see his wife, his children or his home, he has nothing left but to settle scores. As the nightmare takes grip, both Bram and Fi try to make sense of the events that led to a devastating crime. What has he hidden from her – and what has she hidden from him? And will either survive the chilling truth – that there are far worse things you can lose than your house?

TILL DEATH US DO PART.

Our House by Louise Candlish is available here.

My Review

I read the review for  ‘Our House’ on Linda’s Book Bag, two weeks ago, ‘Our House is an absolute corker of a thriller. I didn’t so much read Our House as gulp it down.’ Linda is a brilliant reviewer, and I love suspenseful thrillers, so I decided to read it as soon as possible.

I’ve just finished listening to ‘Our House’ on Audible. You need to know that I started yesterday afternoon at about five and read, intermittently, until the early hours. Fortunately, today is my morning off at work, so I went out for my morning walk and busied myself around the house, listening to the novel, until it was, sadly, over. It was a beautiful morning which strongly contrasts with the dark subject matter of the novel.

Bram and Fiona, in their forties, have recently broken up after sixteen years of marriage, but they have shared custody of their children with a ‘bird’s nest’ arrangement. This means the children live in only one house (Our House), and it’s the parents who take turns living in that house with the children, although never at the same time. In this case, to complicate matters, they also share the flat where they live when they’re not with the children, in order to lessen the financial burden of the separation.

Bram and Fiona get on well, mainly because Fiona is such a kind and thoughtful person. She is too gullible for her own good. On the other hand, while mostly disapproving of Bram’s behaviour, I did grow to feel a tiny bit sorry for him as the novel progressed. I kept thinking ‘get counselling!’, because I’m sure if Bram had received professional help, instead of Bible lecturing from his mother, and too much understanding from his wife, he wouldn’t have been so weak (and pathetic).

Basically the plot revolves around Bram’s disloyal, dishonest, criminal and cowardly actions, and how he just keeps making matters worse, not only for himself, but also for his wife and children.

The plot is cleverly unfolded starting near the end, and going backwards and forwards to gradually disclose the events leading up to the loss of their house and the total disintegration of their lives.

I was completely drawn into the story, which is told from the alternating points of view of Fiona and Bram. I was unable to get the characters and events out of my mind, even after listening to the last line.

The ending is devastating, and yet satisfactory. If there is an underlying moral lesson, or message, in the novel, and for me there is, it’s one I highly support: Face the music. If you mess things up, don’t pretend it didn’t happen, make excuses, or cover it up. Own up, get professional help and sort matters out as quickly as possible. If there’s a price to be paid for what happened, you better do it sooner rather than later.

It was a dark read, because as the novel progressed, it became clear that there was no way out, so the final twist in the ending, on the final page, shocked me at first, until I realised it was the best ending the author could have written.

The audio version was brilliant. I mostly read on my kindle, Scribd or Audible, but I always buy the print versions of my favourite books and I’m getting Our House in hardback for my bookshelf, and reading the rest of Louise Candlin’s books, too!

About Louise Candlish

Louise Candlish

Louise Candlish is the bestselling author of twelve novels, including The Sudden Departure Of The Frasers (2015) and The Swimming Pool (2016). Her new thriller Our House is published in the UK in April 2018 by Simon & Schuster.

Though her stories are about people facing dark dilemmas, Louise tries to get through the day without too much drama of her own. She lives in South London with her husband and daughter and is very attached to her dog Maggie and cat Tilly.

You can find out more on her website or on Facebook

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#AtoZChallenge ‘P is for Pure White’ #Haiku #NaPoWriMo #PoetryMonth

Today I’d like to thank Paul Militaru for this beautiful photo which he recently posted on his blog,  Check out his blog, where you can see all his fabulous photographs.

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Pure White

Pure white daisies smile

Like bridesmaids at a wedding

Dancing while groom waits

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This year is my fourth AtoZ Challenge. My theme this year is poetry once again. I’ll be writing a haiku a day, but I’m also adding a new hobby to the posts, photography. I will post one of my photos, or a donated photo, every day to accompany my haiku.

This April, I’ll also be sharing my poems and joining another group of poets at National Poetry Writing Month, organised since 2003 by Maureen Thorson. Write 30 poems in 30 days. I’m in! What about you?

#AtoZChallenge ‘O is for Ocean’ #Haiku #NaPoWriMo #PoetryMonth

Ocean’s highest peak

Proud remains of Atlantis

Plane soars unimpressed

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The first photo was taken by my cousin Mirta, who lives on the island of Tenerife, where you can find El Teide, a volcano, known as the highest peak in the Atlantic Ocean. I took the second photo from a plane on my way there last year.
Some have identified The Canary Islands as the last visible remains of the mythical Island of Atlantis, an ideal state described by Plato, who reported it was submerged into the Atlantic Ocean by discontent deities.
However there’s a fine line between myth and reality. Many myths have been proved to be real, after all the city of Troy and the Trojan Wars were thought to have been mythical imaginations reported in Homer’s Illiad, until they were discovered by archaeologists in the 1870s. 
Who knows what will be found in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean when technology and finance are available?

My daughter took this picture, much closer to the volcano, a few months ago.

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This year is my fourth AtoZ Challenge. My theme this year is poetry once again. I’ll be writing a haiku a day, but I’m also adding a new hobby to the posts, photography. I will post one of my photos, or a donated photo, every day to accompany my haiku.

This April, I’ll also be sharing my poems and joining another group of poets at National Poetry Writing Month, organised since 2003 by Maureen Thorson. Write 30 poems in 30 days. I’m in! What about you?

#AtoZChallenge ‘N is for New York’ #Haiku #NaPoWriMo #PoetryMonth

This is another photo taken by Gabriela, one of my best friends and colleagues, from One World Trade Center Observatory, when she was visiting New York last summer.
Two Haiku today. I’d say New York deserves some special treatment!
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New York

Sleepless in New York
Sirens, movie scenes, bright lights
Where dreams are made of
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Find Lazarus’ muse
Hidden in concrete jungle
Promised land shines bright

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I found the inspiration for my haiku from Gabriela’s photograph and also from Alicia Keys song ‘Empire State of Mind’, below, and Emma Lazarus poem, ‘The New Colossus’, further down.

I’m devastated that the last time I visited New York was in 2009, and I didn’t have a smart phone, or a good camera, so none of my own photos are good enough to share, but the good news is, I really need to go back and take some photos!

https://youtu.be/oMX1sc3eOTE

Emma Lazarus (1849-1887) poem, ‘The New Colossus’, was cast onto a bronze plaque and mounted inside the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal’s lower level.

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I recently came across hundreds of Haiku about New York, written by ‘New Yorkers’. For National Poetry Month, 2014, The New York Times asked readers to write haiku about the city: three lines of five, seven and five syllables. The response was more than 2,800 submissions in 10 days of fabulous poems, check them out, there are plenty online.

You can also buy a selection in the following book:

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This year is my fourth AtoZ Challenge. My theme this year is poetry once again. I’ll be writing a haiku a day, but I’m also adding a new hobby to the posts, photography. I will post one of my photos, or a donated photo, every day to accompany my haiku.

This April, I’ll also be sharing my poems and joining another group of poets at National Poetry Writing Month, organised since 2003 by Maureen Thorson. Write 30 poems in 30 days. I’m in! What about you?

#SundayWalks ‘Distractions’ #SilentSunday #PoemADay #PoetryMonth

Distractions

Yet I stoop to capture

Every single

Luscious plant, which

Lures me towards its extra

Ordinary shade of yellow. Distracting

Wildflowers enticing me along another path.

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Distractions are highly underrated.

Daily routines, work, commitments, and the demands of everyday life emphasise that I should focus on objectives and make sure I complete my ‘to do list’ without any distractions.

I disagree. I need to make time for myself and cross items off my ‘to be list’ (more on to do and to be lists here).

Walking, observing my surroundings, taking photos of anything which catches my eye, and writing poems, are some of my favourite distractions.

And now, back to my to do list. Monday is only a few hours away!

Which are your favourite distractions?