What we're reading

I (Lisa Catallo) recently read the book , Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman.

This is a story about Eleanor Oliphant, who is used to living her life on her own.  She lives alone, spends her weekends alone, and keeps to herself at work.  This book shows us how Eleanor slowly starts to open up to a co-worker and the world around her.  It takes you through the struggles that come in relationships, with others and herself, and in changing the way that she is in her world.  I haven’t read a book for pleasure in a long time, and was able to read this in one day.

I found this was a book that got me absorbed in who Eleanor was, made me laugh, and also made me think. It’s a well-rounded book that I would recommend adding to your list!

Here are some quotes that stood out to me:

“These days, loneliness is the new cancer – a shameful, embarrassing thing, brought upon yourself in some obscure way.  A fearful, incurable thing, so horrifying that you dare not mention it; other people don’t want to hear the word spoken aloud for fear that they might too be afflicted, or that it might tempt fate into visiting a similar horror upon them.”

And because I’m a counsellor, this quote stood out to me as well, and made me chuckle a little: 

“A counsellor!” I said.  “Let’s sit around and talk about our feelings and that’ll magically make everything better.’  I don’t think so, Raymond.”  He smiled.  “How will you know until you try, though?  What have you got to lose?  There’s no shame, you know, no shame at all in being…depressed, or having a mental illness or whatever…”

If you like books that have a depth of character, and might be a bit of a “deep” read, check this one out! And if you read it, send me a note at lisa@vitalitycollective.ca and let me know what you thought.