Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman 

This was a book of pure delight, and deep tragedy, I savored every moment. The main characters possess such charming quirks I felt like they were my friends, and I was sad to see them go at the books end. Eleanor works in the same office she has for years, her lunch, dinner, and weekend routines are the same. She is utterly alone in the world, and she manages just fine. Sort of. One day, poorly dressed, unshaven Raymond from tech support comes to fix her computer. Through random circumstances they save the life of a stranger, and thus begins an unlikely friendship. Eleanor is unimpressed with Raymond, and Raymond is delightfully confused by Eleanor. She has been through unimaginable circumstances, some of her story will crush your soul as a reader, however, this is a story of unrelenting hope.

Eleanor Oliphant is best written character I have read in a long time. Through her eyes, the reader gets to see what it is to step completely unprepared into social society. Her observations of figuring out the social norms of a dance party, to the song YMCA were hilarious. “Free form dancing, letters over your head, free form dancing, letters over your head.” Eleanor’s journey of healing is hard, she is forced to face horrible demons, and she triumphs. This book with break your heart as hard as it makes you laugh. I simply loved it. I like to think of the author as a kindred soul who would talk, laugh, and cry with me over tea in a tiny café.

To Purchase this book on Amazon, click here: Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine: A Novel

Poison’s Kiss by Breeanna Shields

Marinda has been trained to kill. Without a weapon or struggle, with a single kiss, she can take someone’s life away. Marinda has been forced to endure tiny bits of poison injected into her veins. Bit by bit, she became immune to the poison, but a kiss from her will leave a person dead within three hours. Marinda hates the life she has been sold into, she fears for her brother, and desperately wants to escape. When she meets a kind man in a book store, everything changes, and Marinda is motivated to finally plan her own exodus to freedom. Her road is not easy, and the obstacles make for a thrilling story. A creative plot, unusual premise, and fantastical world make this a quick and entertaining summer read. If you like to read books that are a little edgy, but not too far into the darkness, give Poison’s Kiss a read.

To Purchase this book on Amazon, click here: Poison’s Kiss

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

This epic novel of African American history spans over a century of history, tracing the voyage of slaves being captured, and the long road to freedom. The book opens with two half-sisters born in an African Village. They grow up, and their family tree is split down the middle. One sister is married to a slave trader, and taken to the Cape Coast Castle, living upstairs as a prize wife. The other sister ends up in the castle basement, sold as a slave and shipped to America. The book follows the lineage born from these two women’s lives across the miles of land and sea. The sweeping journey rambles through American history under Jim Crow laws, to the great migration of free blacks, to Harlem during the Jazz era. The story tells such hard and gut wrenching history, yet it is necessary to know and not forget, lest we begin to repeat it. The rich writing and vivid characters wrap you in the story, but the history is accurate and fascinating. This is the type of book that leaves you with questions to research and wonder about after it is finished. The lives in Homegoing are sad, but there are glimpses of happiness and joy gleaned from finding true love, and forgiving the past. I would consider this a must read of 2017.

To Purchase this book on Amazon, click here: Homegoing