O is for Oliphant

…as in Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Eleanor is one of my few adult female fictional characters. She might be the only one who is not part of a series. I was hesitant to read the book. Belonging to a number of reading groups online, I had read some mixed reviews. Finally I gave in and read it out of curiosity and mostly because the people who loved the book seemed to really love it.

And I really loved it too.

Why do I love Eleanor? Who better than Eleanor herself to show you-

• “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.”
• “I felt like a newly laid egg, all swishy and gloopy inside, and so fragile that the slightest pressure could break me.”
• “I took one of my hands in the other, tried to imagine what it would feel like if it was another person’s hand holding mine. There have been times where I felt that I might die of loneliness.”
• “I’d tried to cope alone for far too long, and it hadn’t done me any good at all. Sometimes you simply needed someone kind to sit with you while you dealt with things.”
• “…when you took a moment to see what was around you, noticed all the little things, it made you feel….lighter.”

If you haven’t read the book, you should give it a try!

#AtoZChallenge

-Kat

N is for Nancy Drew

“NANCY DREW, an attractive girl of eighteen, was driving home along a country road in her new, dark-blue convertible. She had just delivered some legal papers for her father.”
― Carolyn Keene, The Secret of the Old Clock

When we outgrew playing Laura and Mary, my sister and I progressed into being Nancy Drew. We devoured her books and only dreamed of being as cool as she was! I think we felt more like Bess and George at times but we both wanted to be Nancy. We solved mysteries after searching for clues everywhere we went. Yes, we were that nerdy.

#AtoZChallenge

 

N is also for Not going to complete the A to Z Challenge on time!

-Kat

 

M is for Madeline

How could I not choose Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans? Mischievous, passionate and lovable Madeline. And of course, she joins the list of redheaded girls who make my list of favorite fictional characters.

My favorite is Madeline and the Gypsies. Madeline and Pepito join a circus. Miss Clavel, with all her little girls in tow rushes to save them, while they are hidden in a lion costume. Even as an adult reading these books to my grandson, I still get a kick out of Madeline’s adventures.

#AtoZChallenge

Stay safe-

-Kat

L is for Longstocking…as in Pippi

 

‘No, I don’t suffer from freckles,’ said Pippi.

Then the lady understood, but she took one look at Pippi and burst out, ‘But, my dear child, your whole face is covered with freckles!’

‘I know that,’ said Pippi, ‘but I don’t suffer from them. I love them. Good morning.’

She turned to leave, but when she got to the door she looked back and cried, ‘But if you should happen to get in any salve that gives people more freckles, then you can send me seven or eight jars.’

-Astrid Lingren, Pippi Longstocking

 

Being a freckle face myself, I’ve always felt a kinship with Pippi Longstocking. I loved reading about her antics and what kid didn’t want to live in a house with unlimited funds and no parental supervision! I found some younger kid friendly versions of Pippi’s stories to read to Beej and he gets a kick out everything she does.

#AtoZChallenge

Have a great day!

-Kat

J is for Jones- Bridget Jones

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that when one part of your life starts going okay, another falls spectacularly to pieces.”
― Helen Fielding, Bridget Jones’s Diary

Bridget Jones- I met her first in the movie Bridget Jones’s Diary and then later in the books written by Helen Fielding. I’m not usually a fan of books made into movies but I adore Bridget in any form. I don’t mind the differences between the books and movies.

I find Bridget to be so human. So relatable. She struggles with her weight, smoking and men. She messes up. She embarrasses herself. She has parents who are anyone’s parents and friends like everyone else.

And isn’t that quote the truth? The minute something seems to be going right, something else is not.

I have been thinking a lot about this quote because right now there is so much that doesn’t seem to be right. People are struggling. My own family and friends are struggling, either emotionally, financially or both. And so I have to search for the good because there has to be good.

After giving it some thought and as a reminder to myself, here is my list

THE GOOD

• My family is safe.
• My family is healthy.
• We have food.
• We have a roof over our heads.
• We are learning to coexist at a time when anxiety can run rampant.
• I’m getting to spend unexpected time with my youngest son, Andy, as he finishes up his degree at home.
• I’m getting some much needed decluttering done.
• I’m finally getting the hang of e-learning with the little guys when they are here.

Bridget might get herself into some unusual fixes but she always seems to land on her feet in the end, even if she does have to scramble a bit to get there. I like that.

#AtoZChallenge

Peace,

-Kat