Reviews with TLC

I read some really good poetry in 2022 as well as some that wasn't quite as good. I spent much of the year reading a large volume of poetry by Bertolt Brecht.   Call Us What We Carry  by Amanda Gorman offers an interesting collection of Gorman's poetry. For the most part I really enjoyed  Call Us What We Carry . I winced when I got to the erasure poem section because I'm generally not a fan of erasure poetry, reading it or writing it, but when I let go of my aversion, it was better than I expected. Overall, Gorman offered a book of thoughtful, emotional, thought-provoking poetry that addresses the world in which we live with realism mixed with hope.   The Drowning House  by John Sibley Williams bleeds pain and confusion onto the page in these poems. While many of the poems are dark and questioning, they somehow left me with a feeling of hope even while making me think. These poems examine the threads of past, present, and future reminding us all that the past in...

  I read quite a few nonfiction books in 2022 over a relatively wide range of topics. I enjoy learning new things, so I tend to read a lot of nonfiction. This was an interesting year of reading for me in that I was working through my to-be-read piles but couldn't resist a few new releases. I found most of the nonfiction I read in 2022 interesting and informative.   The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss  by Mary-Francis O'Connor, PhD offers an interesting perspective on the grieving process. The research O'Connor has done as well as other research she cites offers a glimpse into the functioning of the grieving brain as we move through the process of grief. The idea of the brain needing to relearn habits as part of the grieving process struck me as particularly important and interesting. While much of the research O'Connor discusses is still influx and therefore perhaps not as definitive as some would like, it is still very interest...

I read fewer books directly related to the art and process of writing in 2022 than I had in the past few years as my attention was on working through books I already had in my reading list. I was also busy implementing what I'd learned from previous years' readings.   Writing as a Way of Healing: How Telling Our Stories Transforms Our Lives  by Louise DeSalvo is a very interesting book on multiple levels. DeSalvo delves into going deep into our life experiences, reactions to them, thoughts about them, and the emotions they bring up for us through writing. She demonstrates how this writing can be healing. As someone who has long written to heal or to make sense of the wrongs in the world or to better understand hurts inflicted, much of what she said resonated with me. Her "What You Can Do Now" segments in the chapters offer very good prompts that I would highly recommend for someone wanting to start writing to heal or healing through writing. I've been doing this w...

I moved a bit more toward workbook style guided journals than I have used in previous years. I found the ones I used this year to each provide some helpful insights as well as to have some less than insightful points. Whether this is because of where I am in my life journey or a fault of the journals is yours to decide should you decide to try them.   52 Lists for Calm  by Moorea Seal is  a list journal with prompts that one fills out weekly rather than daily. Some prompts are better than others. Honestly, I didn't enjoy this list journal as much as I've enjoyed others in past years. I never could quite figure out why. All I know is that instead of making me feel calm, somewhere around the middle of the year it began to feel like a chore. I've really enjoyed list journals in the past, so I'm not so sure if the problem was with the journal or with where I'm at in my life.   52 Lists for Bravery  by Moorea Seal -  This is another list journal I started at the...

I read a few memoirs/biographies/autobiographies in 2022. I also read a few books that were nonfiction but had elements of memoir to them. Those can be found in Nonfiction Books I Read in 2022. I enjoy memoirs that show me both what is possible and what isn't as well as how people use their lives for the betterment of society. Chasing America: Notes from a Rock 'n' Soul Integrationist  by Dennis Watlington grabbed my soul and wouldn't let go. Watlington's story reached deeper than my heart. I winced as I read about his childhood, especially his exile to his grandmother's home in the South. I blinked back tears at his mistakes recognizing them being a child but also recognizing that as a Black child he didn't have that luxury. I laughed at his blunt descriptions and self-deprecating humor. I felt my discomfort with some of his blunt language and had to check in with myself as to why. Watlington tells the story in a way that had me wanting to call him D as man...

I read several works of fiction in 2022. Many of the works of fiction I read in 2022 were e-books, so they aren't included in the above photo. I've been working my way through my to-be-read piles, so some of these books are ones from those piles and therefore might seem a bit dated. I still tried to give each book an honest assessment.   My Evil Mother  by Margaret Atwood is an easy to read short story that examines the relationship of mothers and daughters from the daughter's point of view. The daughter feels alienated from the mother because of the mother's dabbling with what appears to be wicca. As the daughter matures and finds out some of the things the mother told her were untrue, she begins to doubt the power she believed her mother held. Anyone with a complicated relationship with their mother might find something to enjoy in this story.  Overall, My Evil Mother is a quick and rather fun read.   Sentimental Journey: The Cabin of Love & Magic: Book 3 ...

  My Evil Mother by Margaret Atwood is an easy to read short story that examines the relationship of mothers and daughters from the daughter's point of view. The daughter feels alienated from the mother because of the mother's dabbling with what appears to be wicca. As the daughter matures and finds out some of the things the mother told her were untrue, she begins to doubt the power she believed her mother held. Anyone with a complicated relationship with their mother might find something to enjoy in this story.  Overall, My Evil Mother is a quick and rather fun read.   Writing as a Way of Healing: How Telling Our Stories Transforms Our Lives by Louise DeSalvo is a very interesting book on multiple levels. DeSalvo delves into going deep into our life experiences, reactions to them, thoughts about them, and the emotions they bring up for us through writing. She demonstrates how this writing can be healing. As someone who has long written to heal or to make sense of the ...

  This Can't be Love: The Cabin Trilogy: Book 2  by Joanne Pence was the lighthearted read I needed toward the end of the month. I needed something that carried me along and didn't require me to think too much. The characters were fun to get to know and I fell hard for the cat that kept appearing at  the cabin. While parts of the book were what I think of as typical romance, Pence's play with the tropes was fun. The deeper issue of the characters' insecurities hit me hard a few times as Pence's insights made them come alive. For anyone who enjoys a love story with a hint of a ghost story, This Can't Be Love is a quick but enjoyable read.    The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times by Michelle Obama lifted my spirit and made me feel more hopeful than I have in a while. Honestly, I didn't realize how much I needed that dose of hope until I let out a deep exhale about halfway through the book. Her chapter on friendship brought me to tears as I though...