teacups and bookmarks

  You Better Be Lightning by Andrea Gibson Published 2021  I stumbled across Button Poetry after judging a high school speech tournament with my husband many years ago. A student performed the poetry of Ollie Schminkey, which ultimately led to us Googling lines of poetry, and discovering Button Poetry. This discovery resulted in too many hours spent watching YouTube videos of various poets, leading to my discovery of Andrea Gibson. I couldn’t tell which of their poems I saw first, but I can tell you it did not take long for me to become a fan. It was instantaneous. When Gibson announced the presale of You Better Be Lightning , in which purchasers would receive a signed copy, I immediately bought a copy. Imagine reading words that feel as though they were ripped straight from your soul. Thoughts and emotions you didn't even know you had lying dormant until Andrea Gibson came along, ripped them from the seams of your being, and put all of them into writing. That is You Bett...

  A Little Devil In Americ a by Hanif Abdurraqib  When I say I love Hanif's writing, what I mean is, I missed my turn to work and had to double back blocks later when I realized my mistake. Hanif's words illustrate his life experiences so well that I can envision these moments as though I am alongside him. I can hear all the songs he references in my ears and see television and movie scenes as though the reel is playing in my head behind my eyes. I am in the room as he and his friends play cards and accidentally knock over a television. I am watching him grow up. A Black Muslim man gowing up in Ohio. Somehow the story of Hanif's life in the Midwest seems like so much more. And maybe it is...because stories don't get written about the lives of boring people. Hanif has a way of making The ordinary seem extraordinary. The man is a literary and literal genius. At the end of 2021 he won the MacArthur Genius Grant. (https://www.macfound.org/programs/fellows/) As a fan of Hani...

  The Giver by Lois Lowry Published 1993 “There's a time that I remember, when I did not know no pain When I believed in forever, and everything would stay the same” Memories by Maroon 5   As a kid, I missed out on reading The Giver by Lois Lowry. I think my friends were probably reading it in middle school when I was reading the Fear Street series by R.L. Stine and graduating on to things like Carrie by Stephen King.  Not the point though… I missed out on reading The Giver as a child, so as a 35 year old mother of two, I thought now would be a good time to read this book. What was I possibly thinking? The society as a whole is deeply flawed. They are striving for sameness or some sense of equality, but ultimately end up stripping away all real identity from the people within the community. And Jonas, dear sweet Jonas, figured this out. He questions his place within the community and in doing so we realize he understands that people cannot thrive in a society...

  Five Total Strangers by Natalie D. Richards Published 2020 I'll be home for Christmas; You can plan on me. Please have snow and mistletoe And presents on the tree. “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” by Bing Crosby All Mira wants is to be home for Christmas, but when her final flight home is grounded due to an incoming blizzard, she wonders how or if she will make it home in time. Harper, who sat next to Mira on the flight, has the perfect solution - she's renting a car with her friends and isn't going to let a little snow keep her from making it home for the holidays. Harper asks Mira if she wants to ride with her and her friends. She seems nice enough and Mira wonders what could possibly go wrong. In a last-ditch effort to get home for Christmas, Mira agrees to ride with Harper and her friends. Only, it becomes very clear that these friends aren’t exactly friends. Harper is the kind of girl who immediately befriends anyone she speaks to. Before she has time to second-gu...

  No song lyrics in this review, folks. But don’t worry. I tie in another medium of pop-culture to make up for the lack of musical tie-ins. A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder was my introduction to Holly Jackson’s writing, and that was all it took. I was hooked.  A few years back, my husband and I listened to the Serial (season one) podcast. I was captivated. If you are unfamiliar, Serial (season one) follows the story of Adnan Syed and his whereabouts at the time his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, went missing and was later found murdered and buried in a shallow grave. Sarah Koenig combined interviews with witnesses, as well as Adnan, to try to piece together what happened in January 1999. Her ability to draw listeners in and keep their attention focused is a force to be reckoned with. I imagine Holly Jackson would agree, if asked. A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder , the first in a series of three, follows the story of Pip Fitz-Amobi as she attempts to solve the mystery of Andie Bell ...

  How The Word Is Passed by Clint Smith Published 2021 This is a hard book to stomach. But isn't that the point? Slavery is not pretty. It cannot be wrapped and presented neatly with a bow. It is violent and dehumanizing. It is degrading and horrific. And, if you have taken a history class in the United States of America, you have likely not even heard the stories Clint Smith covers.  Smith delved into stories I did not know about Monticello Plantation, Whitney Plantation, Angola Prison, Blandford Cemetery, Galveston Island, New York City, and Goree Island. This is not to say I have never heard of these places. I knew Jefferson lived at Monticello. I have been to Galveston and knew a very simplistic history of Juneteenth. Everyone knows stories about New York City. This is more to say that I did not know how deeply entrenched these places were in the history of slavery in our country. I did not know of the children Jefferson fathered with Sally Hemmings. I did not know th...

The Lies That Bind by Emily Giffin          Published 2020 "You lie you don't want to hurt me So you lie, buy a little time, and I go along What else can I do, maybe it's wrong But you know how much I love you So you lie, 'til you can find a way to say goodbye You lie" "You Lie" by Reba McIntire Is it ever okay to lie?  If yes, when? At what point does a little white lie turn in to a lie too overwhelming to look over? These are all questions I asked myself as I read The Lies That Bind by Emily Giffin. How long does it take to fall in love? This is certainly what Cecily must be thinking after meeting Grant in a dimly lit bar nursing a broken heart after ending her year's long relationship with Matthew. But timing is everything, and Grant is leaving for London soon. Then comes the day when Cecily's ex-boyfriend, Matthew, emails her asking to see her again. A meeting that takes place the same day Grant leaves for London. Cecily meets with Matthew,...