Reviews with TLC

Collected Works of Kahlil Gibran is a compilation of a variety of types of works written by Kahlil Gibran.  As soon as I let go of my expectation that there would be more poetry in Collected Works of Kahlil Gibran and subsequently my disappointment that my expectation wasn't met, I really enjoyed Gibran's work. There are a lot of interesting short stories that would classify as flash fiction. There are some excellent poems. There are a couple of engaging novellas. Gibran's writing felt relevant enough to today's world that I had to remind myself a few times that all his works were written before 1931. Collected Works of Kahlil Gibran explores living, loving, society, religion, and tradition both directly and indirectly with intentional, impactful, and often beautiful writing about interesting characters and events. Currently Reading: How Not to Age: The Scientific Approach to Getting Healthier as You Get Older  by Michael Gregor, Md. Our History is the Future: Standi...

The Collected Poems of Elizabeth Barrett Browning by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is a 669 page book of poetry including Aurora Leigh A Poem in Nine Books and Sonnets from the Portuguese. I took my time with this collection of poetry giving myself time to think about the poems and follow the journey. I enjoyed much of Browning's poetry included in this collection. Some of the poems felt timeless while some were clearly rooted in their time. Some felt intimate while others felt like they were exploring the state of the world. I got a little impatient with Aurora Leigh A Poem in Nine Books  at times but overall found it compelling in that I did care about the characters and what was happening to them. Browning explored much of the world around her through her poetic lens.  The Collected Poems of Elizabeth Barrett Browning offers a wide range of Browning's work and a glimpse into her poetic mind.  Check back soon for my thoughts on other books I'm reading including: Do ...

  Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay (also in poetry) is a novel written as a series of poems. Tregay does an excellent job pulling the reader into the life of Marcie. Marcie's mother moves the two of them across the country when Marcie's father leaves for another man. Marcie is devastated to learn they're not returning to Idaho at the end of the summer. As she seeks to feel connected to someone, anyone, she makes some questionable decisions as many teens do when faced when suddenly having to be the adults when a parent is unable to be a parent. The reader is taken along as Marcie faces her life, her parents, her decisions, and the consequences of expectations and conformity. This story contains elements of a love story but on a far deeper level is about how to embrace being one's self in a world that often tells us who we are is unacceptable.  Works of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe (also poetry) is a compilation of Edgar Allan Poe's fiction and poetry. Here...

  Naked for Tea: Poems  by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer is a book of poetry that gently but fiercely challenges conventional thought and expectations for living an acceptable life. Trommer paints pictures that ache in one moment and celebrate in the next. She explore life without apology. Please by Jericho Brown challenges the perception of life that says if we do all the right things, life will work out right. Brown unapologetically explores the way love and violence can get too mixed up in our minds leading us to equate love with violence until we stop fighting back. Brown explores expectations, conformity, and power in this examination of society, family, relationships, and culture. With poems that often feel voyeuristic, Please is more of a demand than an apology that requires the readers to examine their perceptions of the world around them. When Love Rises by Michelle G. Stradford combines poetry and sketches to paint a story of love, loss, and rediscovering love. Filled ...