Reviews with TLC

Foster by Claire Keegan floated into my mind and heart with a soft intensity that surprised me. As Keegan reveals both the child's story and the Kinsellas' story, there are surprises that somehow make perfect sense even when they feel like they shouldn't.  Foster feels so real yet there is also a surrealness about it, the kind of surrealness that comes with deep grief and dysfunction coming together trying to form something functional, a family.  Currently Reading: Braiding Sweetgrass   by Robin Wall Kimmerer Shattered Dreams the Arranged Marriage  by Jyotsna Ramani Popular Resistance in Palestine: A History of Hope and Empowerment   by Mazin B. Qumsiyeh The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief  by Grancis Weller Forest of Noise: Poems  by Mosab Abu Toha Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links meaning if you click on those links and make a purchase, I earn a commission at no additional cost to you. If you'd like...

When We Were Friends: A Short Story by Jane Green is a story of a friendship that feels too good to be true, but had me rooting for the friendship to not take the turn I suspected was coming. Green demonstrates that sometimes a friendship is there to help people grow to the next phase of their lives and that is okay. It's clear from the beginning the friendship is going to go awry. Just when I started to feel comfortable with the friendship, a hint would show up to remind me that relationships are messy. I really enjoyed When We Were Friends quite a bit and also liked the characters even when I didn't like their behavior. Currently Reading: Braiding Sweetgrass   by Robin Wall Kimmerer Foster  by Claire Keegan Shattered Dreams the Arranged Marriage  by Jyotsna Ramani Popular Resistance in Palestine: A History of Hope and Empowerment   by Mazin B. Qumsiyeh The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief  by Grancis Weller Forest of Noise...

Verseweavers: the Oregon Poetry Association Anthology of Prize-winning Poems Number 28/2023  edited by Dale Champlin is the annual compilation of poetry winners from the Oregon Poetry Association's Spring and Fall contests complete with judge's comments. I have to admit I am sometimes tempted to skip the judge's comments but I never do. The poems are varied and interesting, some more so than others. The book is arranged in an easy to read manner with emphasis on the poems themselves. Overall, I enjoyed Verseweavers just as I do every year. Currently Reading: Braiding Sweetgrass   by Robin Wall Kimmerer When We Were Friends  by Jane Green Foster  by Claire Keegan Shattered Dreams the Arranged Marriage  by Jyotsna Ramani Popular Resistance in Palestine: A History of Hope and Empowerment   by Mazin B. Qumsiyeh The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief by Grancis Weller Forest of Noise: Poems  by Mosab Abu Toha Disclosure: ...

People Like Them by Minka Kent teases with the story of a neighborhood party and a good time, but from the beginning there's an underlying current that feels deceptive but intriguing. Kent highlights how relationships aren't always what they appear to be while also showing how people can also understand circumstances better than we often think. People Like Them shows us how community can be a source of both good and harm in a short story that feels both unexpected and expected by the end.   Currently Reading: Braiding Sweetgrass   by Robin Wall Kimmerer When We Were Friends  by Jane Green Foster  by Claire Keegan Shattered Dreams the Arranged Marriage  by Jyotsna Ramani Popular Resistance in Palestine: A History of Hope and Empowerment   by Mazin B. Qumsiyeh Verseweavers: The Oregon Poetry Association Anthology of Prize-winning Poems Number 28/2023 Forest of Noise: Poems  by Mosab Abu Toha Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links meaning if you...

We Will Not Cancel Us and Other Dreams of Transformative Justice by Adrienne Maree Brown is a short, easy read about cancel culture. I started Brown's book with some hesitation even though it was recommended by a friend because I so often hear criticism about cancel culture from people who just don't want to be held accountable for their actions/words. We Will Not Cancel Us addresses this phenomenon while also gently asking if there is a better way to address conflict and harm in society and particularly in groups working toward transformative justice. Brown writes in an accessible manner that feels like an invitation to examine how we treat one another as we attempt to work together. When Brown asked "Can we be abolitionist with each other?", I stopped and read that one question multiple times. My gut reaction was doubt, but I kept reading anyway and ended up at a hopeful maybe. We Will Not Cancel Us speaks directly to the conflict and harm that we inflict on one ...

Harlem: A Short Story  by Jerome Dickey packs quite a punch. I'm not sure what I expected when I started Harlem , but this short story took me on a bit of a rollercoaster ride yet was woven together beautifully. Harlem's experiences landed in my body in unexpected ways making me feel like I was experiencing what he was while still also being detached from it which he also seemed to be at times. Dickey creates a world based in reality that feels all too real and yet somehow surreal at the same time. Harlem kept me invested until the very end and even left me wanting more. Currently Reading: Braiding Sweetgrass   by Robin Wall Kimmerer When We Were Friends  by Jane Green Foster  by Claire Keegan Shattered Dreams the Arranged Marriage  by Jyotsna Ramani Popular Resistance in Palestine: A History of Hope and Empowerment   by Mazin B. Qumsiyeh Verseweavers: The Oregon Poetry Association Anthology of Prize-winning Poems Number 28/2023 Forest of Noise: Poems...

The Bad Friend by Caroline Kepnes twisted me up while keeping me engaged. Kepnes included more than seems possible in a short story yet every moment included feels necessary. I felt the struggle Ellen's perception of her place in her world created internally and the problems that perception created in her life from her friendships to her romances. Ellen often seemed oblivious to the reality in her life and seemed to be seeking something she could never find. A part of me understood related to her disconnection from her life even when I felt frustrated with her. When the big secret that became between her and her friend, Tanya, is revealed, it made perfect sense even as I resisted it as reality. The Bad Friend seemed like there was more than enough bad friendship to go around proving how important communication is in any relationship. Currently Reading: Braiding Sweetgrass   by Robin Wall Kimmerer Harlem  by Eric Jerome Dickey When We Were Friends  by Jane Green Foster...

The Butterfly's Burden by Mahmoud Darwish (translated by Fady Joudah) is a beautiful book of poetry that covers a wide variety of topics. I loved having the original Arabic poems and the English translations side-by-side. I was so amazed by the different lengths of some of the lines that I asked my husband to spot check a few of the translations. He said they were pretty accurate. Darwish has a way of writing about everyday occurrences in ways that make them feel magical and the magical in ways that make them feel accessible. The Butterfly's Burden expounds on the impact of humans on other humans as well as the world we inhabit with its honest reflections on how human beings move through the world for better or worse. Currently Reading: Braiding Sweetgrass   by Robin Wall Kimmerer The Bad Friend  by Caroline Kepne Harlem  by Eric Jerome Dickey When We Were Friends  by Jane Green Foster  by Claire Keegan Popular Resistance in Palestine: A History of Hope and Em...