Welcome to Litsy!

Just a few more random thoughts from my StoryGraph 2025 Reading Wrap-Up thingy. Tagged book was the most shelved. I wonder if it would be the same on Goodreads?

Longest book was In the Unlikely Event at 512 pages. The book it took me the longest to finish was Emma. 😂

SG says I read 30 mysteries, my most read genre (by far). My spreadsheet also says I read 30 mysteries, but I don‘t know if they‘re the same ones!

#endofyear

I thought the character of Eleanor felt a bit uneven, but liked the book enough to want to know what happens next, with her, with Raymond. I‘d definitely read a sequel.

#doublespin is a #dnf. @TheAromaofBooks

Although I wanted to know what happened, I didn't like Eleanor's character, and wasn't keen on picking the book back up. I ended up reading the Wikipedia entry!

November #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

#doublespin was the book club pick (tagged), so I've used the one I'm currently reading for it.

And I've decided on one of the shorter Hardy novels for #9 (Under the Greenwood Tree).

#10beforetheend @ChaoticMissAdventures

Started attending a new book club in my local library (tagged is our first book), and it depends on what book the librarian can get in as to what we'll be reading (although we've given her a list) as there's multiple book clubs in the council library system, so that's why #2 doesn't have a title!

Like many of our book club selections, this is something I probably wouldn‘t have chosen for myself to read, but I appreciated it. Eleanor is an interesting character, and her story gave us a lot to discuss.

The narrator for the audiobook had a lovely voice that wasn‘t quite dynamic enough to keep my attention while driving, so I switched over to podcasts for the trip and Libby/Kindle for the book when I got here. It‘s for a book club meeting Tuesday, so I‘ll have more to say in a couple days.

The cats are slowly warming up to me, everyone has had dinner, and I‘m listening to Celtic Woman as I read. #hyggehourreadathon

I read this book several years ago in audio format. I read it again for a book group, this time in print. What I recall most about the previous reading is the palpable anxiety and dread I experienced in watching Eleanor's obsessive crush and the general train wreck of her life. Reading it again I was struck by the sadness in the character and I wonder if that was somehow made more clear in print. A five star book for sure!

I should really start looking at content warnings before just blindly diving into books.

The only thing I knew about Eleanor Oliphant is that everyone seems to like the book.
So I had a few triggers pop-up, nevertheless I still found it absolutely brilliant. It was done so realistically, and true to the issues that I almost believed Eleanor was a real person I've met just the other day.

I get the hype.

Not what I expected - delightfully so. 😄

Finally found an audio book I might not bail on! 🤞🏾🤞🏾 I‘ve been on a bailing spree. 😅 So fa I‘m enjoying Eleanor‘s curiosity and perspective on social norms many of us take for granted.

#wondrouswednesday @Eggs 💕
Thanks for the tag @dabbe 😊😇

🍁 Stressed. Anxious. Chunky. 🤣🤣

🍁🍁 Honest. Kind hearted. Intelligent. Friendly. Warm. Funny.

🍁🍁🍁 I was gonna say Mrs Danvers as a joke, but I'm gonna go with Eleanor Oliphant. Because I spent a lot of time as a teenager and beyond not knowing how to connect with people and not understanding how to be social. I don't think I'm like her now, but I empathised hard.

#AboutABook #YouGifted @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

I listened to the audio and it started off a bit slow for me. I wasn‘t sure if I was going to like it or not, but it got better and better as more and more was revealed about Eleanor‘s past. There was a twist at the end that I hadn‘t seen coming

Beautifully heartbreaking…this book is wonderful!💯

Finally reading this!!!🇺🇸 Happy 4th

Thanks for the tag @peaKnit and @TheSpineView

#two4tueadays

1. I love old fashioned names, so I would chose one of them!
2. Done… I love the name Eleanor!

@BethM @JenReadsAlot

Well, I wish it could be that easy.

Currently reading this book and somehow I can relate to Eleanor's way of thinking. The quote was said by her Mummy, though. She's clearly not on the list of characters I have sympathy for.

Twelve chapters done, and I've been enjoying the flow so far.

Welcome to the world of Eleanor Oliphant where everything is fine! But it‘s not….What a quirky character Eleanor is. She has no friends, has had only one relationship and is laughed at by her coworkers. An unfortunate incident brings her and a coworker Raymond together where we begin to see the layers of Eleanor peeled away and a healing journey begins. Sad, funny, hopeful and quirky read. 😊

A truly memorable protagonist!! You will laugh and cry…elegant characterization that fits #Neurodivergent
#SpringSkies

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Virginia is back this season of Book Interrupted with her own book pick. She is also participating in Manuscript Monday. Check out her first recommendation here: https://www.bookinterrupted.com/post/manuscript-monday-eleanor-oliphant-is-compl...

“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.”
#February2024

First book of 2024 complete.
This book took awhile to get into. A little after 50% I started asking questions about what was actually happening to Eleanor. Because it was a buddy read, I kept with it. I'm glad I did. I was surprised by the twist. And the ending was very heartwarming. I LOVE GLEN!
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

01.15.2024

Final book of the year. . . Oooof. . . . This one was a doozy. But it was SO good. So many feelings and so much thought on this one. It left me with a helluva book hangover. I look forward to seeing what the author writes next.

#two4tuesday

1. Oh so many! I really should just say ditto as several other Littens already shared same quirks. But I guess I‘ll say i have to use my hands when talking.

2. Eleanor, in the tagged, is a quirky character.

#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView (thanks for the tag)

1. The 🧻 has to go over the roll. The volume (car radio, tv, etc.) has to be on an even number. So does the temperature on my side of the car.

2. The tagged book or Nothing to See Here by Wilson.

If you‘d like to play…TAG!

Eleanor Oliphant is one of my favorite all-time books! Gail Honeyman writes with beautiful poignancy and created a truly wonderful character in Eleanor. I would recommend this book to anyone.

ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE…not yelling but its one of my favorite books of all time… #readinglife #booknerd @LitsyEvents

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine is highly re-readable, and will surely give your brain a lot to chew on. Definitely more than you‘d expect from a beach read! Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/eleanor-oliphant-is-completely-fine-gail-ho...

This months pick for my irl book club. I guessed the “twists” but that didn‘t spoil it forme. It‘s both dark and funny and I think we‘ll have a good discussion next week.

I really enjoyed this. There's more Eleanor in me than I'd like to admit, and I'd love to have a Raymond (minus the cigarettes)!

This didn‘t keep my attention and reminded me a bit of Olive Kitteridge. It was quite depressing and the writing was boring, I mean the writing is decent but the subject was drab and boring. Eleanor is the victim of extensive child abuse that has left her as a strange, naive adult. But, here‘s the thing, this book is painted in a different light but it‘s about a woman who had a very f*cked up childhood. Book #33 in 2033 pic of my reading buddy.

I realised during the first chapter that I had read this before, but I decided to persevere because I remember enjoying it. It's a charming story of an ordinary woman who has been pushed to live in an extraordinary way. It's a touching description of the end of loneliness, and she is so endearing and it's easy for me to see similarities between our approaches to life. Starts funny, gets deeper, ends poignantly with space to imagine her future. 😍

Sell off #5

This book was the current Book Club Pick for my workplace — but surprise! It was a bit of a rouse to throw a baby shower for a coworker. (We all read the book, too - though 😂)

I enjoyed Eleanor‘s growth - although by a third in you kind of knew where the novel was headed and the *turn* at the end wasn‘t surprising either. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Happy Readathon to everyone participating! I had too many things on my weekend calendar to sign up, but I‘m still fitting in some reading/listening. This book wasn‘t quite what I was expecting, in fact quite a bit darker. Yet, I ended up really enjoying Eleanor‘s story and her character growth. It had a wonderful cast of characters. I hadn‘t even realized it was set in #Scotland, but I listened to the #audiobook, and the narration was fantastic.

Eleanor has got to be my all time favorite lady from #TemptingTitles #With5+Words @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

I just finished this one. I bounced back and forth between the book and audiobook. This was a good read and the narrator‘s voice made it more enjoyable. Some parts dragged, but the audio helped. I loved the story and the ending made it even better.

I know I must be one of the last to read this, but I‘m glad I finally did! I found it funny, genuine, and a little creepy as I waited for the past to be revealed. Palm trees in the back because we‘re on spring break vacation in Miami!

I received this book from @Pigpen_Reads for the #LLWBS. It‘s been on my TBR for a long time. I don‘t think I enjoyed it as much as a lot of others did, but it was a good read. I waffled in the beginning of the book not knowing if I liked any of the characters but most of them grew on me. Solid 4⭐️
#BookSpinBingo #MarchMadness #MarvellousMarch #BirthdayPixieReadathon #LitsyLoveReads

My daughter comes home tonight to start spring break. I‘m not sure how much reading I‘ll get done but I‘m hoping to finish Eleanor Oliphant & get close to finishing The Grapes of Wrath. I‘m keeping up with the Buddy Reads so I‘m good there.
#Whimsicalreadsbookclub #LittensLoveRomance #SUNDAYBUDDYREAD #AuthorAMonth #Bookopoly #MarvellousMarch #MarchMadness

@Pigpen_Reads everything is amazing. Thank you so much, Donna. The candle smells great, the alpaca yarn is beautiful (put it back in the bag because the dogs wanted to cuddle it ☺️), I‘m already enjoying the sweets & this book is going right onto my March #BookSpinBingo.

Thanks for organizing this, @Deblovestoread and @Bookgoil 💙

#LLWBS

When I first started reading this, I was prepared to rate it three stars believing it to be another mediocre read. However, Eleanor slowly but surely grew on me until I fell in love with her character and story.

Themes such as humour, despair, friendship and loneliness are poignantly well written throughout. A beautifully touching and impressive debut from Honeyman.

This was the first book that came to mind with the tag #WorldIntrovertDay

A wonderful book and I wish there was a follow-up as I need to know how Eleanor is doing,

#JanuaryJazz

@Eggs @AlwaysBeenALoverOfBooks