Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

This is a wonderful book. It reminded me of "The Rosie Project". I definitely thought that Eleanor was on the spectrum until over halfway through the book. She might have been too, but when we learn about her childhood, it could be just her way of having some control over her life. Eleanor is odd, but endearing. She is also very funny, in a dry humor kind of way. I actually laughed out loud at times. I loved her attempts at becoming more "normal".

Raymond Gibbons (IT guy at her place of employment) changes her world - and I loved every second of it. Eleanor's history is heartbreaking. She is a closet alcoholic and has no support at the beginning of the story. She has no memory of past traumatic events which have shaped her life. Raymond enters her structured life and opens it up to other possibilities. While she obsesses over a new "love interest" - unknown to the love interest, Raymond becomes involved with the daughter of a man that Raymond & Eleanor help one day when he collapses in the street. This event brings Raymond & Eleanor together and soon they are meeting for lunch once a week; Eleanor is meeting Raymond's mother; Eleanor is adopting a cat that some kids lit on fire; Eleanor starts attending other social events with Raymond, just as friends. Raymond is Eleanor's very first friend. Raymond is Eleanor's only friend.

As Eleanor's world expands, she starts letting other people enter it. She also realizes that she must face her past. Raymond proves what type of man he is when he finds Eleanor in a horrible state in her apartment. Raymond's care of her at that time was incredibly heartwarming. Raymond helped Eleanor save herself from herself. He is a keeper. :) The ending is a bit open-ended, but in my heart, I know what happens. I really loved this book!

Wendy's Rating: *****

Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith

This is the third book in the Cormoran Strike series. It's grisly and violent and disturbing. The story begins when Robin receives a woman's severed leg in the mail. I think it's interesting that as Rowling (Galbraith) gets deeper into her stories (both Harry Potter and this one), the events and characters get darker. I love the John Sanford series, and this book reminded me of that. These books are not for the faint of heart.

I enjoyed delving more into Cormoran's childhood. It gave me a better understanding of what makes him tick. Since the books only come out once a year (and I read them farther apart than that even), it's hard to remember all the details of a character's life, but I don't remember learning about the amputation of Cormoran's leg in the previous two books. I certainly didn't know there are people out there that want a part of their body removed! (I don't mean to be misleading there; Cormoran did not want his leg amputated!) Anyway, in this book we learn a little bit about Cormoran's past  - his mother, her husband, and a couple of other men that hate Cormoran due to past events. These men are central to the story: Jeff Whitaker (Cormoran's young "step-father"), Donald Laing (whom Cormoran had sent to prison) and Noel Brockbank. All three men are equally creepy. I will admit that I had a difficult time remembering the specifics of each of these men though. Whitaker was the easiest one for me to keep straight since he was married to Cormoran's mother. The other two I never could keep straight.

So, while Cormoran & Robin are trying to keep some clients, young women are dying and they are trying to investigate these men - and stay out of the way of the police. When Cormoran realizes that Robin is in danger, he tries to keep her safe as well, while not telling her he believes she is in danger. In each book, the relationship between Cormoran & Robin develops, even as her marriage to Matthew draws nearer. There is a mutual attraction and closeness between the two of them in this book that wasn't there previously. The ending is certainly mysterious. Not sure what to think of that. (It kind of reminded me of Ross & Emily's wedding in London when Ross says Rachel's name at the altar).

I know I have said this before, but I am a HUGE fan of Rowling's writing - no matter what she is writing. I am hooked on this series. I can't wait to see what happens between Cormoran & Robin - and I am wondering how they revive the business after losing all of their clients. Looking forward to picking up the next one: Lethal White.

Wendy's Rating: ****

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

I am on a roll when it comes to reading excellent books. Although this book is a murder mystery, it is so much more than that. We are introduced to Kya as a very young girl. She lives in a rundown shack in the marsh on the coast of North Carolina. Her mother leaves after years of abuse by the hands of her husband, leaving behind Kya and her older siblings. It's not long before Kya's siblings all leave and it's just Kya and her father. By the time Kya turns 10 years old, her father leaves one day and never comes back. 

So, Kya raises herself in the marsh, with the help of a three wonderful people: Jumpin', his wife Mabel and a boy named Tate. My heart warms just thinking of these three! Jumpin' & Mabel find creative ways to support Kya, although Kya works hard to earn that support. Jumpin' buys the mussels that Kya spends hours digging for each morning - and he buys her "smoked fish" on consignment. Jumpin' makes sure she always has gas for her boat, while Mabel keeps her clothed. Kya does attend school for one day, but decides it's not for her, so she never goes back. She is truly a "marsh girl", which is what the town people call her. Then there is Tate, the boy who teaches her how to read - and encourages her love of all things that live in the marsh. He also gives her the tools to record her love of the marsh through drawings and words.

Kya is beautiful, both physically and spiritually. Basically, inside and out. ;) She gets lonely living by herself in her shack. She is attracted to Tate and falls in love with him. Tate has his own path he needs to follow however, and leaves to attend college. Then Kya meets - or finally gets acquainted with - Chase, the town "hunk". Kya, who misses Tate and feels betrayed by his continued absence, falls in love with Chase, despite his womanizing ways.  Kya trusts that Chase loves her and that they will be married. Then she finds out that he is engaged to someone in town. When Chase is found dead in the marsh, Kya, the "marsh girl" is an obvious suspect.

This is a story of resilience, betrayal, acceptance, forgiveness and love. Kya is a survivor, in the truest sense of the word. Everyone she loves, leaves her, and yet she finds a way to keep going. It's an incredibly heartbreaking and heartwarming story. I highly recommend it!

Wendy's Rating: *****

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Oftentimes, the books I read remind me of another. This one does not! This is a unique storyline and I really loved it. Caraval is the name of an annual "performance" that you can only attend if you receive a personal invitation from Legend, the creator of Caraval. There are strict rules that you must follow if you want to be a part of Caraval, including a strict arrival time. The performance/game lasts for five nights. The "game" happens at night and the guests sleep during the day. Upon arrival, the guests can choose to simply be an observer or they can play the game.

Scarlett and Donatella (Tella) Dragna are sisters who are being raised by their cruel father on the Isle of Trisda. The sisters have heard about Caraval and Legend from their Nana. Scarlett is mesmerized by the magic surrounding Caraval and desperately wants to attend "the show". She writes to Legend annually and asks for an invitation. Then the year comes that she finds out her father has arranged a marriage for her. Scarlett sees her pending marriage as her salvation from her father, for both her and her sister. Of course that's the year that Scarlett (and her fiance) and Tella finally receive the long-awaited for invitations. Now Scarlett doesn't want to go because it's too close to her marriage. Tella insists that they go. She wants to leave their father and the Isle of Trisda no matter what the consequences are and never return. Tella sees Caraval as their salvation from their father.

Scarlett is tricked by Tella and Tella's new "friend", a sailor named Julian. Tella & Julian basically kidnap Scarlett and take her to Caraval. Upon arrival though, Tella goes missing. Scarlett won't leave without finding Tella first, so she and Julian enter "the game". It doesn't take long for Scarlett to realize that Tella's disappearance is part of the game - and all the participants are looking for Tella. The first person to find her will win the prize: one wish.

The story revolves around love - in all of its various forms. Love of power; love of self; love of a woman; love of a man; love of a sister. Love is always a powerful theme, but this book unravels the weight of love in a very unique way. AND, Caraval is the first book of a trilogy!

Wendy's Rating: *****

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

Any one who has read the Harry Potter series, and loved it like I did, will love this book too. Shannon Messenger has created her own world and instead of a young boy (Harry) discovering his magical talents after being "hidden away" for the first decade of his life, this time it's a young girl, Sophie. Sophie knows she is different, but she has no idea who she really is or how powerful her magical talents are. I felt sad when she had to leave her "family" though, because in this case she really loved them and they really loved her. (Even presumably her bratty sister!)

In this first book of the series, we enter a world of elves. Sophie enters a special school and works with different professors that help her develop - and discover - special talents. So again, very Harry Potter-like. There are professors that seem to support her and those that oppose her, wanting her kicked out. Tiergan is her Telepath mentor, which is kept secret from others for most of this book. Telepaths were rare and in high demand. There are also ethics involved when you are a Telepath - which Sophie learns the hard way (even after being told!) Fortunately, Sophie has several wonderful people who seem to genuinely care about her (two sets of parent-figures) as she tries to figure out who she really is (who her birth parents are) and how she fits into the big picture of her dangerously changing world.

She develops some friendships, but I'm not really sure who will be her "side-kicks" throughout the series. She has a major crush on Fitz, and he seems to be more her "equal", but she relies on Dex and his loyalty to her just as much as she relies on Fitz to help her out of dangerous situations. (Because of his own talents and the importance of his father).

By the end of the book we find out that Sophie has a severe allergy (which could easily cause her death), suppressed memories that may or may not be her own, a weakness in alchemy, the ability to find an unmapped star and a photogenic memory. After a couple of mis-starts, she finds a new "family" (Grady & Edaline) and she passes her first year of school. All in all, a wonderful start to this journey!

Wendy's Rating: *****

Reached by Ally Condie

I really loved this trilogy. I read this third book in one day, even though it's the longest of the three. It did not end the way I expected. I was expecting the big battle between the Rising and the Society. I thought "the Pilot" would be a big (shocking?) reveal. I was expecting more of a love triangle between Cassia, Ky and Xander. (There was a point in the Mockingjay that I really didn't know if Katniss would choose Peeta or Gale!) I was intrigued that it was very different than I expected.

I certainly didn't see the Plague coming! It was interesting that the Rising used the Plague to signal the beginning of the rebellion. At first I was shocked that Xander seemed excited that the two year old showed signs of the Plague. That seemed against his caring nature for sure! Then when we find out that there is a cure, it made more sense, but it's still an odd signal. The immunizations administered by Society; the modified immunizations administered by the Rising; the red, green & blue pills carried by all; the different effects these pills had on different people; the development of the Plague by Society in the first place to kill the Enemy (who was the enemy, by-the-way?) The development of the cure by Society; the suppression of the rebellion by isolating the Aberrations and Anomalies from Society; the mutation of the original Plague; why some people are immune from the mutation and some are not. I could go on and on. All of this (and so much more) are very different twists on a common theme: the pending destruction of a dystopian society.

I also thought it was interesting that the Society took creativity out of people's lives. No one knew how to print letters of the alphabet, much less write in cursive. No one knew how to dance or sing or write. Cassia's family stood firm in their beliefs, but they were different beliefs. Cassia's Great Grandmother was a Pilot; her Grandfather supported the Rising; her father supported the Society; Cassia was affected by the red pill, so she had to struggle to remember what she knew - and choose her own way. I said in my previous blog on Crossed that I thought the Rising would be just as "evil" as the Society due to an abuse of power and control. Who knew that they were one and the same! Very fascinating twist. And the end: a democratic vote!

Wendy's Rating: *****

The Graduation of Jake Moon by Barbara Park

This is a book written for 9-12 year olds, but I loved it. My 11 year old son and I read it together. Jake Moon and his mother, who live with Jake's grandfather, Skelly, find out that Skelly has Alzheimer's disease when Jake is in third grade. Skelly had taken in his daughter and her baby (Jake) after she was abandoned by Jake's father and she couldn't make it on her own. He was this wonderful, fun-loving, caring, boisterous man who made others feel good about themselves. This all changes as the Alzheimer's progresses. He has memory issues; his personality changes (he even swears, which he never did previously); he needs help with his hygiene; he says odd things; he forgets who people are; he forgets to put pants on - or underwear. Jake is responsible for "watching him" after school every day for the hour between school and when his mom gets home from work.

My son and I have lived through this experience already, when my own father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease when my son was around 5 years old. By the time he was 9, my dad had forgotten who we all were. All of the things that Jake went through in this book, we went through. At one point I cried! It's a wonderfully written true experience of how Alzheimer's changes a person - and the effect those changes have on family members. Jake struggles with the changes in Skelly. He is embarrassed by him. He resents him. But in the end, he loves him. The story ends with Jake's 8th grade graduation - and with Jake figuring out that the most important thing is his love for Skelly.

I highly recommend this book for any child whose life is affected by Alzheimer's disease. Jake is the narrator and he shows all the emotions that a pre-teen would show - and he also has a good sense of humor. I laughed. I cried. I was affected by this book because of my own personal experience of course, but it's an excellent description of this horrible disease as told through a child's eyes.

Wendy's Rating: *****