Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman | Book

I'm still keeping strong with my monthly book goal but in the month of March I have actually managed to squeeze in two which I will explain in my other book review. This book was actually picked by the bf because he got me a giftcard for W H Smith as he knew I was reading more and I asked him to pick a book with it and he suggested this one. Little did he know that actually everyone is reading this book, it was incredibly popular at the time. 

The blurb reads that Eleanor lives a simple life filled with simple routines and she buys two bottles of vodka to drink every weekend, immediately the reader knows something is up, we know that Eleanor is blocking something out but of course we need to read to find out. Gail Honeyman takes you through Eleanor's life in an almost clinical way, Eleanor isn't a person who is open about feelings, she is very black and white and emotion doesn't often come into her everyday life. There were lots of social interactions that just bypass Eleanor completely so we understand that she is a little different. We don't really know much about her past but we are given snippets throughout and learn quite early on that he upbringing wasn't the best and her "mummy" emotionally abuses her daughter over the phone. Eleanor becomes obsessed with a musician in an almost teen girl kind of way but she is a 30 year old woman, so it's a little odd. On the other hand Eleanor in wildly judgmental criticising people for all sorts of reasons but this starts to change when she meets a new colleague called Raymond. Eleanor is an endearing character and whilst she has many personality flaws there is an innocence there because she simply doesn't know any better, there are many "first time" experiences for this character which makes you like her all the more.  

This book was good but I didn't really connect with Eleanor until the "Bad Days" chapters start and that is a good 260 or so pages into the book, for me that's when the book actually starts and had the Bad Days chapter started from the beginning I probably would have enjoyed it more, but that isn't to say I didn't enjoy the novel because I did. You see this raw version of Eleanor which you've never seen before. These chapters have a darkness to them which you know I am always drawn to, I can understand that these chapters could be a little triggering so I would advise if you are likely to be triggered by certain themes be aware of these chapters. There is a twist in the book which I actually didn't expect but it kind of made sense and *spoiler warning* there is a happy(ish) ending which personally I never really like in novels that much because they can feel too forced but this is a nice ending so to speak! 

It's definitely a thought provoking book which makes you consider how small acts of kindness can really impact on other people's lives without you realising. I would definitely recommend this book. 

Have you read this novel?

Good Me, Bad Me by Ali Land | Book

In keeping with my new year goal I am going to write a post on each book I read just so I can keep a record really but also because someone else might like to read it. February's book was Good Me, Bad Me by Ali Land. Which is a fictional story about the daughter of a child serial killer who actually told the police about horrors that she experienced. Milly (Annie) is taken in by a foster family to prepare her for the trial of her mother as she has to testify against her.

Good Me, Bad Me takes you through the journey of Milly as she tries to come to terms with her new identity, her new school, her new life and her new temporary family. The story is told from Milly's perspective but there is an inner monologue which tells the reader there is something more to the story. Part of the blurb reads "Because Milly's mum is a serial killer. And blood is thicker than water..." so we are quite clear in the assumption that some one will die but who? I definitely like the way "nature over nurture" is woven into the novel, the reader knows that Milly has experienced some horrors at the hand of her own mother so you feel sorry for her and the character is developed in a really detailed way. 

However I just feel like the characters aren't really that likeable, you have Mike the Foster dad who you think is a nice guy but he is only really helping Milly for his own gain, Saskia the drunk cheating foster mother who is so oblivious, Phoebe the cruel foster sister who hates Milly so much and then Milly who has killer traits and uses other people's weaknesses against them. Admittedly Milly has a terrible up bringing but I couldn't actually feel that sorry towards the end. The only character I really warmed to was Morgan who you just end up feeling sorry for.

There is a twist in the book and whilst it was developed well I wasn't stunned by it, I just kind of expected it so to me it wasn't much of a twist. I would say that there are a lot of unanswered questions about Milly's past which could easily be moved to another novel or a series but I think it's because you never really knew exactly what happened to her growing up so I found it hard to connect with her.

It was a good book, it was well written but I just really couldn't connect to any of the characters.

Have you read this book?

Girl On The Train | Book

I haven't written about a book for a very long time and I know that Girl On The Train is a book that everyone has read but I have only just got around to it and I kinda wanted to share my thoughts not only on this novel but the hype that surrounds these types of books.

It took me a very long time to pick this up, in fact Girl On The Train I feel was released around the same kind of time as Gone Girl I think and I read Gone Girl, in fact I inhaled the damn thing and loved it! However when I saw Girl On A Train I just felt like it was too similar to the other one for me to be interested even though I know the plots are complete different, like I get that.

The problem is I waited far too long to read the book, everyone told me I should read it and then the film is soon to be released and my god there is just so much hype that I caved and bought it in an airport. I have been told how utterly amazing the book is, my expectations were high but it wasn't only it was that I knew a twist was coming and I knew it was supposed to be great. It was the latter point which ruined the novel for me because with every page I turned I kept thinking oh there's a twist but I know there will be another coming soon so I was literally awaiting for something amazing or shocking to happen.

Let me break it down a bit though, the book is written really bloody well, I simply adored the characters and their darkness. I also really liked that the novel was written from 3 different people's perspectives, I love multiple narratives! The book is good, with other a doubt but I hate it when it gets so over hyped that it takes all the mystery out of it for the reader! I love deep, complex books and in order for them to remain complex you need to keep an air of mystery about it. With Gone Girl I literally had no expectation that it would be that good and when the film came out I had to go an see it just to see the film makers adaptation of it. However I have no urge whatsoever to see Girl On The Train purely because I know what's coming and I believe it'll be filmed in a very similar way to Gone Girl and I just have no need to see it now.

Overall, fantastic book but if you're gonna read it just don't have your expectations too high, stop thinking about the twist and just focus on each page as and when it arrives!

What are your thoughts on cult books? Does the hype ruin or add to your enjoyment?

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton | Lifestyle

I have been on a hunt for a new book, I haven't read a good book for quite sometime and for some reason every time I walk into a book shop nothing stands out to me until I stumbled across The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton. 

The blurb reads:- 

"On an autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman arrives at a grand house in Amsterdam to begin her new life as the wife of wealthy merchant Johannes Brandt. Though curiously distant, he presents her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. It is to be furnished by an elusive miniaturist, whose tiny creations ring eerily true. 

As Nella uncovers the secrets of her new household she realises the escalating dangers they face. The miniaturist seems to hold their fate in her hands - but does she plan to save or destroy them?" 

I like a bit of a mystery, I like to be kept guessing so I was really keen to read this one. So what are my thoughts on this novel? I must admit it's quite a slow start, I mean it's great in the sense it slowly builds up to make sure you have and understanding of the Amsterdam surroundings and the date etc but it was a little too slow for me. You have to read a good half way through the novel before the first secret is revealed. I like the concept of the miniaturist and the dollhouse, it is interesting but I just wanted so much more. 

What this book does really well is the fact it encourages the reader to ask questions, there are lots of little things that don't quite make sense. There are a couple of secrets in the novel that may have not been expected but it's just so slow. I really felt underwhelmed when this book finished, I just wanted it to be a quicker pace and more mystery. The book is set in the 1600s so the secrets that are revealed would have been scandalous back then and it is a sad story but it just wasn't for me. 

Have you read The Miniaturist?