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.