I recently read, Eleanor Rigby by Douglas Coupland.  The book is set in Vancouver B.C.–where I live–which was fun because the entire experience felt very local.  It is a quirky book, ripe with Coupland’s somewhat sardonic tone.  Loneliness is the main theme in the story.  Coupland captures the feeling of emptiness and apathy we experience when drowning in our own self-pity.

At times the book annoyed me because of how lonely the whole story felt; but then, in the end I found I had gained a lot from sticking with Liz (the novel’s heroine.)  The ending is sad and heartwarming at the same time.  The random philosophy throughout the story is bizarre and enlightening.  The final words Liz leaves you with are beautiful and inspiring.