TCL’s Top Ten (or more) Favorite Books of 2021.

2021- the Year of 4.75 stars! This past year has seen me read more books than ever. I'm guessing that's because of several reasons. The pandemic meant more time at home, and that, combined with my now being retired for over a year, meant more time for reading overall. There are other reasons I read … Continue reading TCL’s Top Ten (or more) Favorite Books of 2021. →

TCL’s #NovNov 3 – Distorted Reflections.

Book Review for “The Looking Glass” by Carla Sarett. Summary: "Claire Charles, a member of 1930s New York high society, has been trained in painting in preparation for marriage, but shocks everyone by pursuing art as a career and her own inclinations. In Paris, fifteen years later, she collides with Leah, a mysterious artist who … Continue reading TCL’s #NovNov 3 – Distorted Reflections. →

TCL’s #NovNov 2 – The Loudest Silence.

Book Review for “Somebody Loves You” by Mona Arshi. Summary: "Ruby gives up talking at a young age. Her mother isn’t always there to notice; she comes and goes and goes and comes, until, one day, she doesn’t. Silence becomes Ruby’s refuge, sheltering her from the weather of her mother’s mental illness and a pressurized … Continue reading TCL’s #NovNov 2 – The Loudest Silence. →

#ShortStorySunday – Zadie, Zadie, Writer Lady!

Book Review for “Grand Union: Stories” by Zadie Smith. Summary: "Zadie Smith has established herself as one of the most iconic, critically-respected, and popular writers of her generation. In her first short story collection, she combines her power of observation and inimitable voice to mine the fraught and complex experience of life in the modern … Continue reading #ShortStorySunday – Zadie, Zadie, Writer Lady! →

Egos and Alters.

Book Review for “I, Gloria Graham” by Sky Gilbert. Summary: "A professor of English literature writes the autobiography of his fantasy alter-ego, wanton movie star Gloria Grahame, while his own sexual desires go frustrated. Denton Moulton — a shy, effeminate male professor — lives inside his head, and inside his head he is really a … Continue reading Egos and Alters. →

#ShortStorySunday – Look Them in the Eye.

Book Review for “Four Minutes” by Nataliya Deleva (translated by Izidora Angel). Summary: “Giving voice to people living on the periphery in post-communist Bulgaria, Four Minutes centers around Leah, an orphan who suffered daily horrors growing up, and now struggles to integrate into society as a gay woman. She confronts her trauma by trying to … Continue reading #ShortStorySunday – Look Them in the Eye. →

Passing the Books.

Book Review for “The Personal Librarian” by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. Summary: "In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture on the New York society scene and … Continue reading Passing the Books. →

Surfing the Sorrows.

Book Review for “Malibu Rising” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Thanks for the free book, @PRHGlobal/@prhinternational! Summary: "Malibu: August 1983. It's the day of Nina Riva's annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a … Continue reading Surfing the Sorrows. →

Opening and Closing Wounds.

Book Review for “Swimming Back to Trout River” by Linda Rui Feng. Summary: “In the summer of 1986 in a small Chinese village, ten-year-old Junie receives a momentous letter from her parents, who had left for America years ago: her father promises to return home and collect her by her twelfth birthday. But Junie’s growing … Continue reading Opening and Closing Wounds. →

Sunny Days.

Book Review for “Summer on the Bluffs” by Sunny Hostin. Summary: "Welcome to Oak Bluffs, the most exclusive black beach community in the country. Known for its gingerbread Victorian-style houses and modern architectural marvels, this picturesque town hugging the sea is a mecca for the crème de la crème of black society—where Michelle and Barack … Continue reading Sunny Days. →