Reviews with TLC

Reviews with TLC is going on hiatus for the foreseeable future. If you want to see what I'm reading, please feel free to friend me on Goodreads . I will continue to post and rate books there. For those of you who might be wondering why, let me start with a short discussion about why I started reviewing books first on my website many years ago. I wanted to promote reading. I wanted to support authors I liked. I wanted to create conversations around books. Over the years, I've reviewed many books mainly books I liked but some that were just okay and some I outright hated. I reviewed books to speak to readers and to encourage people to read. Over the years, reviewing has been a source of immense joy as well as immense frustration at times. Right now, I need a break from reviewing. It has begun to feel like a chore instead of a joy. In addition, I feel like I need to spend more focused time on my work, both writing and promoting my books . I will leave this blog act...

I first discovered Heather Parker's poetry on Facebook and felt an expected connection to what she wrote. Her poems spoke to me in ways that sometimes felt like she was looking into my heart and mind. When she published a book of poetry, Loving a Lioness: Poetry in Life, Love & Eros , I looked forward to reading it. It took me a while to get to it, but I finally did. Parker doesn't disappoint. The poems are often raw and always real while never losing their lyrical nature. Anyone who has struggled to love one's self, to fully love another, and/or to accept love will relate to Parker's poems. Loving a Lioness delves into love from myriad angles and lays bare the truths we try to hide from ourselves.

The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love by Bell Hooks challenged me time and again. Hooks writing is always engaging and The Will to Change is no exception. The Will to Change looks at the way society molds the ideas of masculinity in connection with femininity. Hooks focuses on the influence of patriarchy on the roles men and women play in society starting with childhood. As I read, I struggled at times to let go of preconceptions I didn't even know I held. The Will to Change explores how men can live more whole lives and how that will benefit both men and women as well as society.

Wallflower by Jennifer B. Fields is an engaging, intense story that turns the traditional ghost story on its head. Fields creates characters who find their way into the heart and mind of the reader. Wallflower  shines a light on the abuses human being inflict on one another without flinching. Fields explores the emotions and the humanity of her characters with deftness and insight. While there are a few areas that are a bit predictable and moments where the characters choices are questionable, Fields never loses the reader's attention or sacrifices her characters' selves. Fields doesn't shy away from making the reader squirm in discomfort as she shows the reality of her characters lives for better or worse. Wallflower offers a look into how resiliency is often masked by victimization and how human connection holds the potential to liberate people from painful circumstances.

The Influential Author: How and Why to Write, Publish, and Sell Nonfiction Books that Matter by Gregory V. Diehl holds the potential to change a writer's career path. Diehl walks the writer through getting started as a writer beginning with a history of the use of writing to influence the world or just one's community. I'll admit there were sections of information I already knew, but for someone with less experience/knowledge those sections could be quite useful. I, however, felt tempted to skip them and did find my attention drifting several times. Diehl's use of the books his company publishes as examples of myriad points, while fitting examples for his content, began to feel a bit like ads and induced the occasion eye roll. Diehl covers the entire process of conceiving of an idea to writing a book to editing to publishing to marketing a book. Even though this book is clearly written for less experienced writers, I found a few resources that I might be able to use ...

Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know by Alexandria Horowitz weaves research with personal observations of her dog. Horowitz writes with both passion and detachment in a way that explains how and why we interact with dogs the way we do. Inside of a Dog weaves together research that can be a bit academic at times with the story of the relationship between humans and dogs to create a compelling and interesting story. There were several times where I'll admit I didn't like needing to rethink my perceptions of why the dogs in my life behaved in certain ways, but Horowitz often showed examples from her relationship with her dog that further illuminated how natural it is for us to assign things to the dogs in our lives using the language we understand. It's important for us to see the world from the animals who share our homes. It's easy to view the animals who share our lives through the lens with which we live our lives. Inside of a Dog offers those who love ...

The New Testament by Jericho Brown surprised me with its vivid starkness and unrelenting honesty. As I read Brown's poems, I felt visceral reactions from my head to my toes. I wanted to reach out and comfort the inhabitants of his poems at times and at others I felt tempted to give them a good shake. Brown's lyrical prose jumped off the page and created images that felt at once irreverent and holy. The New Testament certainly gives its own testimony to the life and culture that Brown knows and understands while offering readers a tiny glimpse into that world.

I received The Ninth Clan by Paul S. Ross as a gift from an acquaintance. I'll admit I took my sweet time starting it but once I did I was thoroughly intrigued. Ross had me wondering what was going to happen next and that's rare for me. The Ninth Clan never hesitated to challenge the characters populating it or to give them difficult decisions to make. There were moments when I was surprised at how deeply I felt the characters' pain. While there were parts that challenged me to suspend my disbelief, the characters kept me engaged. Ross explores belief systems and their effects on the world in an interesting and thought-provoking manner. The Ninth Clan takes a journey that encompasses history, religion, psychology, politics, power, greed, and humanity from multiples angles.

Seven Hands Seven Hearts: Prose and Poetry by Elizabeth Woody surprised me by pulling me in to the poems and the prose time and again. At times I felt like a voyeur gazing into a place I didn't belong but felt drawn to. Woody uses her history, her ancestral heritage, and modernity to paint a picture of a society within a society that pulled at my heart in ways I didn't expect. Seven Hands Seven Hearts pushed me to rethink my place in the world and way the world around me works. Looking into the past to understand the present and even project into a possible future, Seven Hands Seven Hearts unapologetically explores the differences and the similarities of the peoples who inhabit the world in which we all exist.

When a friend asked me to Think Twice: A Learner's Guide to Improved Emotional Intelligence by Michael Cornwall shortly after it was released, I was excited to read a new take on it because I'd read quite a bit about emotional intelligence before. I ordered it right away and then left it on my to-be-read shelf until recently. I finally picked it up and started reading. I wish I hadn't. From the gaslighting linguistic style to the manipulation of the elements of emotional intelligence to the overuse of bold and italic fonts, I struggled to finish it. In fact, I almost quit reading it several times. I kept reading out of a sense of obligation to my friend because I hoped Cornwall would pull it together in a way that made sense.  The overall message of Think Twice seems to be that whatever emotion one has is wrong (think twice) and that one doesn't have the right to set boundaries because how one reacts to other people is the problem no matter what. Think Twice seems ...

Beyond the River: The Untold Story of the Heroes of the Underground Railroad by Ann Hagedorn explores the role of the people of Ripley, Ohio in the Underground Railroad. Hagedorn brings the Ohio River, Ripley and the surrounding area, the people on both sides of the river, and the war between abolitionists and slave owners/slave catchers to life in a way that immersed me in an area I thought I knew well. I grew up on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River but close enough to Ripley to have heard stories growing up that always intrigued me but seemed slightly surreal. Hagedorn's well researched book transported me right back to the 1800s and the people fighting slavery. I kept thinking about how humans always want to romanticize their cruelty, but Beyond the River cuts through the efforts to romanticize history straight to the dirty truth. Hagedorn doesn't try to make the struggle look admirable. She doesn't even paint the heroes as infallible as so often happens in the tel...

The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats is a collection that at times lifted my spirits, at times frustrated me, and at times saddened me. Yeats is sometimes clear and straightforward in his writing and other times oblique. I read a few poems each night and sometimes found myself rereading one or the other either because I loved the wording or because the wording felt awkward to me. The poems sometimes reminded me that writing done in a time and place is tied to that time and place and might not always hold up over time. Many of Yeats poems still hold meaning and are even transcendent of time and place but not all. And that's okay. The Collected Poems of W. B. Yeats tells a story of the connections and detachments we experience in life through language that manages to be both lyrical and grounded.

The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan tantalizes all the senses as it immerses one into a world both one wants to inhabit and one wants to run away from. Tan creates characters that are at once likable and unlikable. The Valley of Amazement explores the intricate complexity that makes up human beings. Tan had me cheering for a character one minute and wishing ill on the character the next and then back to cheering even while sometimes feeling guilty about my own reactions. I read The Valley of Amazement slowly, a little bit at a time, taking in what I could and sometimes avoiding what I knew instinctively was coming even while hoping it wasn't. Tan kept me engrossed in the story even at times when I didn't like where it was going. or when one character or the other made decisions that made no sense, at least to me. Every night when I picked up The Valley of Amazement I felt transported to a time, place, and experience that would never be my own yet I felt a connection in the...

The Little Book of Mindfulness: 10 Minutes a Day to Less Stress, More Peace by Dr. Patrizia Collard took me a long time to finish even though I bought it to be a "quick and easy" book to finish. I knew I wanted to do the activities in the book instead of just reading it. If I'd just read it, I probably would've finished it in a hour. Collard offers detailed but inviting instructions on the myriad mindfulness exercises she recommends throughout The Little Book of Mindfulness . The exercises are quite easy to do and several are a bit eye-opening. When I got to the ones that involved movement, I procrastinated them, one in particular I procrastinated for several weeks. I discovered that for meditation I prefer stillness, but The Little Book of Mindfulness also reminded me of the importance of being mindful in all my activities.  The Little Book of Mindfulness is a mindfully written book filled with inspiration, encouragement, and joy.

Rescue Road: One Man, Thirty Thousand Dog, and a Million Miles on the Last Hope Highway by Peter Zheutlin is a touching, heartbreaking, hopeful book that shines a light on the plight of the many unwanted dogs in the southern United States. Zheutlin details the process of moving these dogs from the South to their forever homes in the North while also demonstrating the plight of the dogs. Rescue Road celebrates not only Greg Mahle, who drives the dogs to their new families, but also those who rescue the dogs, care for them in shelters, in their homes, and even in the streets. Zheutlin also examines how the dog's new furever families bring the dogs into their homes and their lives. Rescue Road illuminates the role dogs play in people's lives and the way each dog has its own personality. Rescue Road melds facts, figures, and emotions with a deftness that lends credibility to his reporting and creates a story that comes alive from beginning to end. \

I was excited to read The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brene Brown because I enjoy her work research quite a bit and because I've long struggled with perfectionism. I thought this book was going to expand on I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn't) , but instead it read more like it was refresher course. There were a few points that I had real contention with. For example, I was so bothered by her assertion regarding spirituality being necessary for wholehearted living that I went to her website and emailed her team. She seemed to assert, or at least imply, that atheists, agnostics, and other nonspiritual/nonreligious people can't live wholehearted lives. I want to know if her research included these groups because if not it demonstrates a flaw in her research. Her team has yet to respond. This part of the book caused me to question other parts of the book because I know from my own experience that ath...

I bought Revolution for Dummies: Laughing Through the Arab Spring by Bassem Youssef at his performance in Eugene, Oregon. His performance was as interesting as the clips I'd seen of his show, so I was interested in seeing if the book would expand on his show or be totally different. His courage to speak the truth infiltrates both his performance and his book. His ability to apply humor to devastation is both uplifting and heart wrenching. There were times when I read about the Arab Spring from his point of view that I was astounded by how badly people can treat one another even though it's in the news all the time. I was taken aback by how easy it is for people in power to create a narrative to hold onto that power and take more power when they can control the media. Youssef shares his story, his struggle, his hopes, and his disappointments in this memoir of how he went from being a surgeon to a comedian as well as from a patriot of his country working for change from the in...

Writing to Change the World: An Inspiring Guide for Transforming the World with Words  by Mary Pipher is an interesting look at using words to make a difference in the world. Pipher uses her own experience drawing attention to issues that matter to her and even discusses some of her failures. Writing to Change the World is more than a how to write effectively book. Pipher pushes writers to examine their attitudes, goals, and motivations while demonstrating how she's examined hers throughout her writing life. I felt moments of resistance as I read which shows the book is effective in provoking thought and creating an emotional connection. Writing to Change the World is not only a book about how to write to change the world but a book about creating change in the world.

Becoming by Michelle Obama lifted my spirits and touched my heart. Obama writes in a way that makes the reader feel like a new friendship is being forged. She writes her story without apologizing for who she is from childhood forward. She shares her insecurities, which somehow only make her seem stronger. She shares her journey from childhood through her time as First Lady of the United States. She talks about her missteps and her accomplishments with the same honesty. She shares her resistance to politics and living in the spotlight with unexpected openness. Becoming truly embraces the ongoing journey through life to becoming one's best self and embracing that self in any given moment. She shares stories that resonated with me and had me nodding along and other stories that my life experience doesn't give me context for. I felt like I understood life in general a little better from reading Becoming . I loved Becoming so much that I often snapped photos on my phone of pass...

The New Rules of Marketing & PR: How to Use Social Media, Online Video, Mobile Applications, Blogs, News Release & Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly 6th Edition by David Meerman Scott is an interesting, informative, and detailed book on marketing and public relations. Scott gives great examples of the techniques he recommends. The New Rules of Marketing & PR is filled with tips that I can't wait to implement as well as ones I've long been doing. Scott offers new approaches to old ideas that marketing and public relations feel more approachable than many marketing and public relations books. I tagged a few places in the book for things to revisit in the next few months as I work on marketing my books. The New Rules of Marketing & PR brings new energy to marketing and public relations that feels less manipulative than many approaches.

The General Store by Wright Forbucks is made up of chapters that feel like reading connected short stories. The stories sometimes feel a bit weird and push the reader toward edges of morality and immorality. Human interactions are strange but sometimes feel all too real. The idiosyncrasies of the characters make them interesting but often not very likable. The General Store weaves the stories of the members of the community together in ways that often don't seem connected yet end up being so in unexpected ways. Forbucks mixes up a variety of beliefs, attitudes, and people in ways that often can seem to decide if he's going to humor or to make a societal, perhaps even political, statement or both. The General Store is filled with the same kind of bluntness, humor, and double meanings that the author's name suggests. Note: I couldn't find this book on Amazon.com to link to it though I downloaded the ebook from there during either a discounted offer or a free offer ...

Verseweavers: The Oregon Poetry Association Anthology of Prize-winning Poems Number 21 2016 pulls together the winning poems from The Oregon Poetry Association's annual Spring and Fall poetry contests. It includes commentary by the judges that is sometimes enlightening and sometimes distracting. The poetry covers a wide range of talent, ideology, form, and points of view. As with other years, I related to some poems more than others, but I could appreciate the decision-making process of the judges involved. Verseweavers is published as a limited edition, but is worth the read if you can find a copy. In fact, the order form on the Oregon Poetry Association's website doesn't seem to currently include this issue.

Change We Can Believe In: Barack Obama's Plan to Renew America's Promise set on my shelves in my reading stacks for approximately a decade before I finally read it. It's interesting to read it now that Barack Obama has served two terms as President of the United States. The successes, failures, and compromises of his presidency are all highlighted by reading this plan filled with hope, unifying ideas, and calls for working together. Reading it also reminded me of my own cynicism and how important it is to have hope. As I read I thought about how often we, as voters and citizens, get caught up what we hear on television or in speeches and don't bother to pay attention to the actual proposals being put forth. Change We Can Believe In holds a hope within it that we can rise above petty differences to achieve the aspirations we claim to have.

Love-Based Copywriting Method: The Philosophy Behind Writing Copy That Attracts, Inspires, & Invites Volume 1 by Michele PW explains why marketing works and why it makes so many of us feel manipulated. Michele examines fear-based, aka traditional, marketing and compares it to a more positive based marketing she refers to as love-based. Michele makes a good argument for why love-based marketing has the power to be more effective than fear-based marketing. She simplifies the concept and offers steps to get started in an approachable manner. Love-Based Copywriting  offers an alternative to the kind of fear-based marketing that often feels so icky for both those creating it and those on the receiving end.

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a written version of Adichie's Tedx Talk about how women's equality uplifts and supports whole communities.  I enjoyed her talk so much I wanted it in written form, so I could read it, ponder it, and keep it on my shelves to references at my convenience.   We Should All Be Feminists drives home the point about how women's rights are as important as men's rights. Adichie explores the myriad variations of inequality and beliefs around feminism. We Should All Be Feminists demystifies the idea of feminism and explains how feminism benefits everyone.

Ancient Illusions by Joanne Pence takes Michael Rempart to his childhood home and then away from home in a thrilling adventure that brings back characters from Ancient Shadows and Ancient Echoes . Pence takes the reader from Cape Cod to the mountains in Idaho to Japan in a search for answers. With dips into mysticism and belief systems that seem at odds with one another, Ancient Illusions blurs the lines between reality and illusion. The characters are interesting and diverse even the ones who aren't exactly likable. Family dynamics, romance, and beliefs clash as supernatural elements wreak havoc on the world around the characters. As in the other books in this series, living in a lifelike illusion creates a dangerous situation for the world at large and it's up to Rempart to find the answer and protect the world by containing the demons seeking to destroy the world using humanity's intense obsession with immortality to manipulate them. Ancient Illusions offers us a gli...

Wild Horse Country: The History, Myth, and Future of the Mustang by David Philipps felt a bit like taking a horseback ride over ever-changing landscapes. One minute I was floating high on the beauty of the horses running wild. The next I was infuriated by the policies that seemingly have been poorly conceived and even more poorly implemented. I enjoyed the in-depth discussion of the history of the horse and the horse's evolution. Philipps goes to such lengths to explore the plight of the horses, the effect of the horses on the environment, the frustration of the ranchers regarding the horses, and the attempts of the Bureau of Land Management to manage the horses that at times it's hard to discern fact from opinion and reality from mythology. As a horse lover, an animal lover, it's hard for me to imagine and feel anything but annoyance with those who have such intense disdain toward wild horses. As Philipps highlights massive corruption and cruelty toward the horse that a...

How I Discovered Poetry by Marilyn Nelson is a delightful book of poetry that offers a glimpse into 1950s America through the life of Nelson and her family. Nelson's poetry tells a story that engaged me, made me think, and touched my heart so much I often found myself looking forward to my nightly poetry reading, thinking about the poems throughout the day, and reading more than my allotted number of poems per day. Nelson pulls words together into poetry that weaves world events, American society, interracial relations, and family together with finesse and honesty. How I Discovered Poetry is as much about discovering life as it is about discovering poetry.

Robert Crais delivers again in The Promise. His writing always brings crime fiction to life and drops the reader right into the middle of the action with characters that the reader wants to know better with each book in the series. The Promise is no different. Crais weaves current events, worldwide issues, and a mother's grief together in a suspenseful tale that keeps the reader engaged even during the parts of the story that demand a suspension of disbelief.  Once again, the chapters from the dog's point of view added an extra depth to the story that enhances all the other chapters. The Promise keeps its promise to explore injustice and exact justice.