Reviews with TLC

The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates frames his writing and teaching careers around his observations in an almost conversational manner that feels more intimate than I expected.  The Message centers three experiences that highlight Coates coming to terms with his evolving beliefs while using his writing to shine a light on the world in which we live. While Coates's evolution on Palestine has garnered the most attention in the media, all three sections of the book pull together the message he's conveying. I felt like I was experiencing Senegal with him including his moments of self-questioning. His trip to South Carolina to sit in on a meeting where the local citizens were standing up against a ban of one of his books reminded me both that there are good and bad people everywhere and just how important books are. The Message pulled me in to each of Coates's experiences and also his struggle with the evolution of his beliefs when he finds them challenged by the reality he exper...

Fallen Grace by Sadeqa Johnson packs a lot in a few pages in this engaging short story. I immediately felt immersed in the characters' lives enough to care what happened to them. Fallen Grace follows two young girls who escape from a home where young girls are sent to have babies and try to figure out how to take care of a baby while finding their way in a segregated community. Johnson demonstrates the hypocrisy of judging others when grace could be given by highlighting the mistakes and betrayals that prove people are fallible and also worthy. Fallen Grace explores family, friendship, religion, social standing, and empowerment with honesty, realism, and grace.   Currently Reading: How Not to Age: The Scientific Approach to Getting Healthier as You Get Older  by Michael Gregor, Md. Collected Works of Kahlil Gibran The Message  by Ta-Nehisi Coates Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links meaning if you click on those links and make a purchase, I earn a commission ...

Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Oluo took me on more of a roller-coaster ride than I expected. Oluo argues her points so well I often found myself nodding along and wincing at the same time. I was amazed at how accurately Mediocre caused me to pause several times as it seemed to line up far too well with certain situations I've recently encountered proving how indoctrinated these ideas are in all of our lives. Oluo addresses the dynamics of power that feed racism, misogyny, and other forms of oppression. At times, I felt like Oluo was far kinder than she needed to be but other times I questioned some of her more moderate points, both of which surprised me. I didn't necessarily agree with everything Oluo wrote, but even the things I questioned gave me a perspective to consider to better understand where other people are coming from. Mediocre offers an intense but interesting examination of society to anyone willing to expand their ideology aroun...

The Bookstore Keepers by Alice Hoffman continues the story of Isabel's life after returning to the island she left in her young adulthood. In this story, Isabel must figure out how to support Johnny after life creates a change in him that she doesn't know how to approach. Add in her niece wanting a different life than expected causing a bit of upheaval for the whole family demonstrating how accepting change often means letting go of expectations and finding a way to find common ground. The Bookstore Keepers is a sweet story of family facing life and working through the challenges of failing to meet expectations, changing expectations, and creating a new path forward together. Currently Reading: Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America  by Ijeoma Oluo How Not to Age: The Scientific Approach to Getting Healthier as You Get Older  by Michael Gregor, Md. Collected Works of Kahlil Gibran Fallen Grace  by Sadeqa Johnson The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates Disclosure:...

Dusty's Winter by Maeve Binchy started in a place I didn't expect but soon made sense. Dusty's relationship with her family and her friends is interesting and intriguing. The decisions Dusty makes have an innocence that feels naive yet she somehow often makes decisions that are good for those around her and demonstrate a fortitude and awareness that both surprises and feels obvious. Binchy creates flawed characters who manage to feel relatable and unrelatable at the same time in Dusty's Winter . As the characters make mistakes and then deal with the consequences, the family's worries about their image feel far too realistic. Dusty's Winter challenges the traditions of one generation juxtaposed against another generation and demonstrates how rigidity can drive wedges between people, even family members. Currently Reading: Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America  by Ijeoma Oluo How Not to Age: The Scientific Approach to Getting Healthier as You Get...

The June Paintings by Maggie Shipstead gently pulled me into June Trembley's life leaving me feeling reluctant, curious, and voyeuristic. As June seeks to find herself while telling herself she's trying to find her artistic voice, she shows a willingness to embrace the moment and make decisions that feel at once cunning and reckless. Shipstead creates characters that feel simultaneously loveable and detestable. June's relationship with the painter, Lammergeier, is dysfunctional at best, but also feels inevitable and understandable. The June Paintings made me feel a bit uncomfortable about how easily I found myself accepting some of June's decisions, particularly toward the end of the story. Currently Reading: Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America  by Ijeoma Oluo How Not to Age: The Scientific Approach to Getting Healthier as You Get Older  by Michael Gregor, Md. Collected Works of Kahlil Gibran Dusty's Winter  by Maeve Binchy Disclosure: This blog c...

Tune in Tomorrow by Melanie Benjamin exceeded my expectations. I was unsure when I decided to read Tune in Tomorrow ; however, I quickly started to like the characters and to care about the choices being made. The premise of being set around the creation of the soap opera genre largely contributed to my initial hesitation, but Tune in Tomorrow centers Abby Taylor's success and unconventional for the time lifestyle. Abby's determination, dedication to her family, and strong boundaries make for a story that works even when it feels like it shouldn't. Benjamin brings all the characters off the page through Abby's lens. offers the story of a strong woman who doesn't sacrifice herself for the men around her. Tune in Tomorrow offers an inspiring story of a strong woman who doesn't sacrifice herself for the men around her. Currently Reading: Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America  by Ijeoma Oluo How Not to Age: The Scientific Approach to Getting Healthi...