Reviews with TLC

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...

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...

She Had Some Horses by Joy Harjo starts with a cover that invites motion into the conversation and is filled with poems that move the mind and the heart. Harjo delves into the intricacies of life and living with a deft hand that always feels in motion. I read one poem a night because I wanted to savor each poem and give myself to feel it and think about it. Harjo connects humanity to the earth and the earth to all its inhabitants in a way that reminded me of the just how interconnected everything on the earth is with both celebration and a call to action. She Had Some Horses moves through the imagination like horses in motion. Currently Reading: The January 6th Report The Gift of Fire   by Stephanie Stamm Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear: Poems from Gaza  by Mosab Abu Toha Palestine: A Four Thousand Year History  by Nur Masalha Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links meaning if you click on those links and make a purchase, I earn a commission at no additional...

The Collected Poems of Lucille Clifton 1965-2010  by Lucille Clifton (edited by Kevin Young and Michael S. Glaser) brought all the feelings to the table. Clifton's poems have a sophisticated simplicity that lends beautifully to the complex issues she covers in this wide-ranging book of poems. Some of the more personal poems felt almost voyeuristic but left me wanting to know more. Clifton made me think and feel in poems that pulled me into the world from her point of view. As with any collection, some of Clifton's poems resonated with me more deeply than others. I enjoy poems that make me question what I think I know and challenge me to feel things beyond my experience. The Collected Poems of Lucille Clifton 1965-2010 certainly accomplished both. Currently Reading: The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine  by Ilan Pappe The January 6th Report  Rifqa  by Mohammed El-Kurd Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links meaning if you click on those links and make a purchase, ...

The Visit by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie pulled me in with its blatant societal role reversal for men and women. Told from the point of view of Obinna, the househusband of a successful and powerful woman in a matriarchal society, it was easy to empathize with his point of view as he prepares for a visit from and then visits with a childhood friend, Eze, who has remained single. The many direct and obvious parallels with current society are intriguing, interesting, and thought provoking without feeling heavy handed but still driving home the power of inequality. There's a beauty to the simplicity of  The Visit  that allows it to unfold as realistic and plausible by reversing the roles to explore not how women might handle the situation differently but how men would feel if women handled being in power the same way men have. Check back soon for my thoughts on other books I'm reading including: Negotiating with the Dead: A Writer on Writing  by Margaret Atwood Self-Compassion: ...

We Should All Be Feminists: A Guided Journal  by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a beautifully designed and inspiring guided journal/workbook for exploring feminism and the role feminism plays in an individual's life as well as in society as a whole. I often found that the questions I most dreaded answering were the ones that brought me the most insight into not only my own struggles with feminism but in the messaging of feminism and even anti-feminism to some degree. Exploring the platitudes that often popped into my thoughts and how those platitudes became so much a part of the lexicon helped me find a deeper relationship with my feminism. Many of the exercises helped me better integrate feminism's role in the wider struggle for equality. We Should All Be Feminists: A Guided Journal inspired me to examine my own inner struggle with feminism and reminded me of the importance of speaking up for equality whenever I can however I can. I highly recommend We Should All Be Feminists: A...

  Write On, Sisters! Voice, Courage, and Claiming Your Place at the Table by Brooke Warner addresses the issues women have faced in the writing world and publishing industry throughout time without getting bogged down in negativity. Warner also offers insight in the changes women have made and how changes in society are related to women who write. There are moments when Write On, Sisters! seems a bit redundant, but that redundancy also seems to drive home the point that women have to claim their place at the table and then hold on to it while not getting trapped in the room where the table sits. Toward the end of the book, I couldn't help but think instead of claiming our place at the table, maybe we're upending the table and building a brand new one that fits us - all of us -better by being more inclusive and diverse.  Check back soon for my thoughts on other books I'm reading including: My Life  by Bill Clinton We Should All Be Feminists: A Guided Journal  by Chi...

I'd wanted to read  Bad Feminist: Essays by Roxane Gay for quite a while. I decided with my to-be-read piles finally visibly decreasing, it was time to buy it and read it. I have mixed feelings about Bad Feminist . Gay is an engaging writer and her points are often interesting and thought provoking. I appreciate her insight into and honesty about feminism and the arguments around feminism; however, I found some of the references used to make points in the book haven't aged particularly well. At a few different points, I found myself pausing to doublecheck the copyright date of the book. Bad Feminist pushed me to admit, even if only to myself, some of my own doubts, blind spots, and stubbornness regarding feminism. I think if I'd read this book when it was released, I would've enjoyed it far more. Still, I would recommend this book for anyone who is interested in feminism, intersectionality, and/or misogyny. Check back soon for my thoughts on other books I'm readin...

  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 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...

  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...

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert promises to inspire and empower. Maybe it does for some people. It is well written and easy to understand. Written as part self-help, part memoir, Big Magic explores Gilbert's struggles to challenge her fears and embrace her creativity in a way that aims to help the reader do the same. I found some parts of it interesting, but overall I didn't find it changed anything about my relationship with creativity. To be fair, that might be because I'm pretty happy with my creativity and was before I started reading it. Rising Strong by Brené Brown continues exploring Brown's research into vulnerability and, really, into human interaction and behavior as a whole. Brown's research often pushes her to examine her own life, and she shares those experiences in her books. Sometimes it's easy to get lost in the stories and lose track of her research while reading even though she cites the research often. I always g...