Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

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No one’s ever told Eleanor that life should be better than fine.

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.

“If someone asks you how you are, you are meant to say FINE. You are not meant to say that you cried yourself to sleep last night because you hadn't spoken to another person for two consecutive days. FINE is what you say.”

The moment I read the synopsis, I knew that I had to read this book. Eleanor Oliphant is a lot like me - a forever single, socially awkward, office-working adult who is living with depression. While some may not see why I'd enjoy reading about a sad dork like myself, I honestly thought it was rather quite nice not to feel so alone. Representation matters!

I did see some reviews on Goodreads that talked about how mean Eleanor was, but I honestly didn't feel that way about her. True, she was blunt and honest, but I don't feel she ever really meant any harm by how she felt about others. She didn't have much experience with social interaction, and she was raised to think ill of people who didn't meet certain "standards," so I feel that her "meanness" stems more from her naive personality than anything.

It was fun (and often funny!) to see Eleanor transform herself throughout the novel - not just internally, but reading about her purchasing her first computer, or getting her first wax job, or getting her hair cut & styled for the first time and becoming "shiny." Her slowly improving perceptions of Raymond, the "bumbling" IT guy, really made me think about how initial judgments can really keep us from getting to know some great people. I was glad to see her overcome them in the way that she did - over time, rather than all at once.

There were a few turns that this novel took that I was not expecting, and a few that I did, but I won't get into them here. I will say that this was a great depiction of an aspect of depression (everyone's experience is completely different), and I applaud Ms. Honeyman for writing it the way she did. I also appreciate that she had Eleanor realize that there was nothing wrong with going to therapy, and find that it could actually be beneficial to improving your life, rather than something to be ashamed of.

I would honestly give this book 4.5 stars.

Hot Head by Damon Suede

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Where there’s smoke, there’s fire...

Since 9/11, Brooklyn firefighter Griff Muir has wrestled with impossible feelings for his best friend and partner at Ladder 181, Dante Anastagio. Unfortunately, Dante is strictly a ladies’ man, and the FDNY isn’t exactly gay-friendly. For ten years, Griff has hidden his heart in a half-life of public heroics and private anguish.

Griff’s caution and Dante’s cockiness make them an unbeatable team. To protect his buddy, there’s nothing Griff wouldn’t do… until a nearly bankrupt Dante proposes the worst possible solution: HotHead.com, a gay porn website where uniformed hunks get down and dirty. And Dante wants them to appear there—together. Griff may have to guard his heart and live out his darkest fantasies on camera. Can he rescue the man he loves without wrecking their careers, their families, or their friendship?

"...people should not be punished for loving and hoping and holding their hearts open."

This may be the best M/M romance that I've read so far. To be honest, the majority of M/M novels that I've read have been written by women (the only ones that weren't were geared toward a teenage audience, so there weren't any sex scenes), and I must say, it was a verydifferent experience to read an 18+ M/M novel that was actually written by a gay male author. 

The protagonists, Griff Muir and Dante Anastagio, are best friends that work together for the New York City Fire Department in Brooklyn. The story is told in third-person from Griff's point of view, and describes the struggle that Griff goes through with his overpowering attraction towards his straight best friend. Everything about this novel was hot, hot, hot! Plus, I just could not help but picture Kevin McKidd as Griff and Jon Bernthal as Dante - I don't know why (they're just the actors that popped in my head while reading the character descriptions!), but I felt they fit the roles perfectly.

            

I think what I liked best about this novel, however, was the fact that it touched upon the very real subject of hate crimes and assaults towards the gay community. I see a lot of m/m romances which feature characters that are afraid to come out to their friends and family for fear of their response, but not a lot of them actually touch upon the subject quite like this novel does. I also liked that this novel illustrated how gay bars aren't just places for gay men and women to hang out, or for people to find someone to hook up with or date; instead, it showed how they're actually safe havens, where LGBT+ individuals can go without fear of judgement or retaliation. This isn't really how they're depicted in the media.

Anywho, I breezed through this novel quickly, and I was a bit sad when it ended - I wanted more! According to Goodreads, there seems to be a sequel in the works, but I haven't seen any updates or anticipated release information anywhere, so it may be a while before it's released (if it's released). I'm keeping my fingers crossed, though!

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

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Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.

Forty years earlier, a man committed suicide in a stolen car at this farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse on a firework, his death lit a touchpaper and resonated in unimaginable ways. The darkness was unleashed, something scary and thoroughly incomprehensible to a little boy. And Lettie—magical, comforting, wise beyond her years—promised to protect him, no matter what.

A groundbreaking work from a master, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness inside and out. It is a stirring, terrifying, and elegiac fable as delicate as a butterfly's wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark.

Wow. I knew going into this that it was going to be good, due to all of the buzz and positive reviews it had gotten (plus, it's Gaiman), but it wasn't until I picked it up and had begun reading that I knew it would be amazing. The thing about Neil Gaiman is that he is a true weaver of tales - he uses metaphors and language in a way that truly makes his books feel like home. There is a sense of comfort that emanates from his novels in a way that I have never seen before - they are not just books, they are dear friends you never knew you missed. The Ocean at the End of the Lane is no different.

This novel is of the magical realism genre, which is no surprise as everything Gaiman writes has a feel of magic to it. Overall, I'd say that the tone of this novel was reminiscent to that of the movie Stand By Me, as they give off similar feelings of intangible childhood nostalgia, and that sad pang of realization that arrives when you experience that loss of childhood innocence. In other words, this one gave me all the feels.

I know that this review is about as lame it gets, but I fear that anything I have to say about this novel would be sub-par, and wouldn't give it any justice. I don't really know what I can say about this novel, other than READ IT! If you are a true lover of books and stories (which you must be to be visiting a book blog), then you will appreciate a lot of what this book has to offer. Do NOT pass this one up!

Reasons To Stay Alive by Matt Haig

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Like nearly one in five people, Matt Haig suffers from depression. Reasons to Stay Alive is Matt’s inspiring account of how, minute by minute and day by day, he overcame the disease with the help of reading, writing, and the love of his parents and his girlfriend (and now-wife), Andrea. And eventually, he learned to appreciate life all the more for it.

Everyone’s lives are touched by mental illness: if we do not suffer from it ourselves, then we have a friend or loved one who does. Matt’s frankness about his experiences is both inspiring to those who feel daunted by depression and illuminating to those who are mystified by it. Above all, his humor and encouragement never let us lose sight of hope. Speaking as his present self to his former self in the depths of depression, Matt is adamant that the oldest cliché is the truest—there is light at the end of the tunnel. He teaches us to celebrate the small joys and moments of peace that life brings, and reminds us that there are always reasons to stay alive.

"I was scared of the quiet. I was scared, I suppose, of having to slow down and soften the volume. Scared of having nothing but my own mind to listen to."

A bit of a memoir, self-help "guidebook," and analytical "note-to-self" all in one, Reasons To Stay Alive truly lives up to it's title. This book contains an amazing and accurate description of what it is like to struggle with depression and anxiety. I myself struggle with both, however thankfully I have never experienced a panic attack such as the ones the author has been through *knock on wood*. The thing about mental illness, of course, is that you never have two people that share illnesses also share the exact same symptoms, experiences, or feelings. Each story is completely unique, and while the name of the disorder may be the same, not everything that applies to one person will necessarily apply to someone else. 

With this particular memoir, a lot of what Matt went through seemed like it was on another plane of existence from what I go through, but at the same time, I would find myself making exclamations out loud to myself because I would come across words or passages that I completely clicked with, and was excited to see were things that I wasn't alone in feeling. 

I mostly read memoirs to step in the shoes of others and see how people live differently from myself, but it is a refreshing feeling to find myself understanding so much of what an author is trying to convey. Each chapter was short, and was its own story in and of itself, while connecting to give a larger picture of not only what the author has gone through in his depression, but to give a feeling of hope - that no matter how difficult or hopeless you can feel, there can still be moments waiting to occur that will bring you out of the darkness and into the light, and there can still be a better tomorrow.

What I appreciate most, however, is how honest Matt was about how depression is not something to be "overcome" or "defeated" - it is always there, and once you have it, even when you manage to find what brings light and hope into your life, it will still be a part of you. He actually delves into how he has found aspects of his illness to appreciate, stating that if didn't have depression, he may not feel the emotions he feels about certain things as strongly as he does. He also adds that the illness causes you to see things in a different way, affecting every aspect of your thought process and how you perceive things, and that many key people who were known for struggling with depression (such as Robin Williams, Abraham Lincoln, and Angelina Jolie, amongst others) were probably not great "despite" having depression, but most likely because of it. 

I'm not going to delve too much deeper into this, because I honestly can't do this book justice by my review. All I can say is that for an illness that has too much social stigma attached to it due to what basically amounts to a lack of knowledge and/or an inability to accept the unknown, Matt Haig does a phenomenal job of writing about it in a way that would allow anyone unfamiliar with the true nature of the disease to begin gaining a more basic understanding of it. For those who are familiar, or who battle depression on a day-by-day basis, this novel is a beacon of hope (as corny as it sounds) that shows that it is always possible for you to start breathing again, and to have a life that you truly enjoy - if you just hang in there and keep working towards it, eventually you will find your own Reasons To Stay Alive. 

There is always hope.

Thank you, Matt.

{Giveaway + Review} Return Once More by Trisha Leigh

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If you could learn the identity of your one true love—even though you will never meet— would you?

Years have passed since refugees from a ruined earth took to space, eventually settling a new system of planets. Science has not only made the leaps necessary to allow time travel, but the process engineered a strange side effect—predicting your one true love.

If you could save your one true love from an untimely death, would you be able to resist?

Sixteen-year-old Kaia Vespasian is an apprentice to the Historians—a group charged with using time travel to document the triumphs and failures of the past—and she can’t resist a peek at her long-dead soul mate in Ancient Egypt. Before she knows it, she’s broken every rule in the book, and the consequences of getting caught could destroy more than just her new romance.

Or would you have the strength to watch him die?

But when Kaia notices a fellow classmate snooping around in a time where he doesn’t belong, she suspects he has a secret of his own—and the conspiracy she uncovers could threaten the entire universe. If her experience has taught her anything, to changing history means facing the consequences. The Historians trained her to observe and record the past, but Kaia never guessed she might have to protect it— in a race across time to save her only chance at a future.

From the moment that I read the synopsis, I knew that I had to read this book. Thanks to Doctor Who, I have a strong fascination with the idea of time travel, and the consequences that could arise when making changes to the past, no matter how insignificant they may initially seem. In this novel, Kaia Vespasian is on her way to becoming one of the Historians, a group of time travelers in charge of observing and recording historical events in an effort to reflect on mankind's actions and determine what lead to its downfall, so as to prevent history from repeating itself. Of course, along the way Kaia falls in love, encounters her brother's band of renegade space pirates, catches someone tampering with time, and discovers a terrible conspiracy. Definitely non-stop excitement!

Aside from the plot, however, what I loved best was the author's writing. Trisha Leigh is an intelligent writer, and really did a fantastic job at leaving no stone unturned. Just when I feared that there was contradictory information, or plot points that didn't quite make sense, my questions would all be addressed, and the writing would smooth it all out - like when I wondered how on earth so many historians could witness the same events in time without running each other (a question that was of course answered later on in the story). Ms. Leigh seemed to have a reason behind every word she wrote, and took great care to ensure that it all wove together seamlessly for her readers. 

I don't want to give anything away, which is why I am shying from speaking much about the plot in this review, but I feel I must add that a lot of what made this story so enjoyable was the fact that there were so many unexpected twists and turns throughout the novel. By the end of the story, I was so engrossed that I did not want to put it down! It ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, and I am very much looking forward to reading part two, but in the meantime I will most certainly be checking out Ms. Leigh's other series, The Last Year, to tide me over until its release. This one gets 5 out of 5 stars!

My reaction upon reading the final cliffhanger.

Trisha Leigh is a product of the Midwest, which means it’s pop, not soda, garage sales, not tag sales, and you guys as opposed to y’all. Most of the time. She’s been writing seriously for five years now, and has published 4 young adult novels and 4 new adult novels (under her pen name Lyla Payne). Her favorite things, in no particular order, include: reading, Game of Thrones, Hershey’s kisses, reading, her dogs (Yoda and Jilly), summer, movies, reading, Jude Law, coffee, and rewatching WB series from the 90’s-00’s.

Her family is made up of farmers and/or almost rock stars from Iowa, people who numerous, loud, full of love, and the kind of people that make the world better. Trisha tries her best to honor them, and the lessons they’ve taught, through characters and stories—made up, of course, but true enough in their way.

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{Book Review + Giveaway} Hunting Season by Nikki Jefford

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Better to be a hunter, not prey.

Ever since her partner was kidnapped, Aurora Sky has been on a personal mission to get him back. To do that she needs the vampire responsible for destroying her life.

In order to have a snowball’s chance at success, she’ll have to team up with her most loyal friends—including a certain vampire in black with a provoking talent for distraction.

Old cravings aren’t easily quenched, nor past passions. With knowledge comes danger and Aurora is at risk on all sides.

*Book 4 in the 'Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter' series*

It's rare for me to find an indie series that is just so consistently good, but Nikki Jefford's Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter has really taken the cake for me. For those of you reading this review that are not yet familiar with the series, I encourage you to check out my review of book one HERE, though I promise not to give away any major spoilers, nonetheless.

Book Four picks up right where the previous novel left off - so 'right after,' in fact, that I was momentarily disoriented since I hadn't read Book Three in almost a year. I kind of wished there had been a quick run-down of events in the beginning of the book, but I ended up getting sucked-in quickly enough that it soon didn't really matter. The story was just that good. (Background: Some secret government agency has created a group of 'vampire hunters' to free the world of dangerous vamps, and one of their newest recruits discovers that the agency might just be more of a danger than the vampires!)

In this novel, Aurora becomes more sure of herself and her goals, and finally decides where she stands in regards to Noel, Valerie, Fane, Dante, Jared, and Melcher. I really enjoyed seeing her grow over the course of these novels, and was glad to see that she now stands on solid ground in her relationships, both the good ones and the bad. I look forward to reading more about Giselle, too - she seems pretty cool! (Reminder: Giselle is the vamp who kidnapped Dante way back in Book Three, in order to get a hold of Jared, the psychopath responsible for Aurora's driving phobia, amongst other things.)

Anywho, I always find it hard to review sequels without just completely spoiling just about everything, so I think I'll cut this short. I don't really know what I can say, other than please, PLEASE give this series a try if you haven't done so already!!! It has a good premise which is well executed, and is backed by strong, developing characters. I'm sure that those of you who've already started it don't need to be convinced to give Book Four a try, since you'll already have an idea of the awesomeness that is sure to come when continuing the series, so there's no need to get into any nitty-gritty details and ruin things for you! Now, if only there weren't such a cliff-hanger ending! (C'mon, you knew it would happen!!! No real spoilers here, lol.) All I can say is: more, please?

Fun Fact: Looking over my reviews of the previous books, I realized that after Book Two, I began rooting for Dante, but after Book Three, I was equally torn between both Dante and Fane. Well, I can now say that with the release of this book, I have firmly moved onto Team Fane (though Dante is still the shiz!). Wanna find out why my mind had changed so often? Read the books!!!

I actually give this one a solid 4.5 rating, I just don't have a graphic for that :/

Check Out My Reviews of Books One Through Three:

  

Book one is currently FREE at all major online ebook retailers.

Bookaholic, nature girl, and animal lover.

Nikki Jefford is a third generation Alaskan who found paradise in the not-so-tropical San Juan Islands (WA) where she is, once more, neighbors with Canada in a town without a single traffic light.

She married the love of her life, Sebastien, while working as a teaching assistant in France. They reside with their Westie, Cosmo in Friday Harbor.

Loves fictional bad boys and heroines who kick butt.

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Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

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Aristotle is an angry teen with a brother in prison. Dante is a know-it-all who has an unusual way of looking at the world. When the two meet at the swimming pool, they seem to have nothing in common.

But as the loners start spending time together, they discover that they share a special friendship—the kind that changes lives and lasts a lifetime. And it is through this friendship that Ari and Dante will learn the most important truths about themselves and the kind of people they want to be.

I was so excited to find a YA fictional novel that was set in El Paso that I didn't even bother much with the synopsis beforehand - and I'm glad I read it, too, as this is such a beautiful story! As the synopsis describes, this is a novel about the growing friendship between two teenage boys who have always felt like outcasts.

One of the main themes of the novel is the heritage struggle - both Aristotle and Dante come from Mexican-American families, and grew up on the border, but neither feel that they truly fit in with their cultures. Dante doesn't speak Spanish, and doesn't consider himself to be a "real Mexican." He feels alienated from both his family and his culture - part of which is because he has light skin, and the majority of his extended family doesn't speak English. But Aristotle is dark-skinned, speaks Spanish, and still feels the same alienation towards his family and his culture that Dante feels.

Personally, I felt that I could really relate to Dante, because I, too, am a Hispanic El Pasoan who doesn't speak Spanish. It may not seem like a big deal, but growing up on the border I have often felt alienated because of the language barrier, especially since I, too, have family on my mother's side that I can't communicate with unless my mother acts as a translator. 

I especially enjoyed reading about the camaraderie between Aristotle and Dante, however. It was great to see two "outcasts" with totally different personalities (Aristotle was more quiet and reserved, while Dante could charm the hell out of complete strangers) gain so much understanding of each other. I don't want to give any spoilers, but this novel is categorized as a coming-of-age LGBT novel, so I feel I can at least say that it was also very heartwarming to read about their growing relationship, in addition to their growing friendship, without really giving anything away.

I haven't read anything that was set in my hometown before, and it was a nice surprise that the first book I came across with an El Paso setting ended being so touching. This was truly a beautifully written novel and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author!

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

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On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

Wow. I did it. I finally got the chance to see what all the hype was about, and let me say - it certainly lived up. Gone Girl isn't just your everyday, run-of-the-mill mystery novel - there's enough twists and turns to keep readers fully on their toes at all times. Just when you think you know what's going on, everything explodes in your face, and you're left with completely different feelings than what you started out with. All in all, I'd describe it as a suspenseful and emotional roller-coaster of a tale.

Now, I'll admit, when I started reading this I already knew that Ben Affleck had been cast as the lead character, Nick Dunne, so I couldn't help but picture him as the character in my mind. He was just so perfect. It's so easy to picture Ben Affleck as the pretentious, down-in-his-luck asshole of a New York writer, who had once been a lovable small-town mama's boy. But despite his flaws, you just can't help but silently root for him. Perfect casting, right?

At any rate, throughout the majority of the novel, you really have no idea what happened. Every chapter alternates between Nick's point-of-view and his missing wife's old journal entries. You kind of start to have a feel of how these two think, but Nick has such a blasé attitude towards everything that it's difficult to fully tell why he acts the way that he does. I honestly couldn't tell if he murdered his wife or not, and I kept flipping back and forth  on my decision ("Guilty!....Wait...not guilty! I mean, maybe he did it. Or maybe not. NO - burn him at the stake!!! Oh, wait, I'm sorry - that poor, poor bastard.") the whole way through.

I don't want to get into too much detail because it's hard to do without giving away too much. All I can say is that it's best to delve into this book not knowing anything at all, because the real fun in reading this novel is not knowing where it's going to take you next, which is harder if you already have preconceived notions about what's going to happen. GRRRR!!!! Just read it already! Trust me when I say that there is a very good reason that this book remained at the top of the bestseller list for as long as it did. Recommended!

*And if it helps, the only word that popped into my head upon finishing this novel was a simple: "Fuck."