I will share “Something To Think About” for the next eleven weeks on Sunday afternoons. It may be a quote, a picture, an interesting phrase I heard, artwork, etc. Whatever I share will surely be intriguing or involving enough to spark a casual discussion or in-depth conversation. Stay tuned every Sunday for this feature!
Peace and blessings.
Have you gotten your copy of my new book: a collection of serial tales & flash fiction, Séduire (E-Book and Paperback) yet?
I will be honest . . . I didn’t think I would enjoy this book as much as I did. Matilda by Roald Dahl, was everything I needed at the time I read it (a week ago), and I am forever changed by this tall tale.
I had tried to watch the movie years ago, but I did not find it worth my while. It was a bit of a bore to me in the beginning, and I couldn’t get past a few scenes.
The book, however, is definitely powerful, it held my attention and raised my blood pressure a bit. The review is below:
“A Heart-wrenching Tale With a Happy Ending
I have tried to get through Matilda, the movie (the original), and I was not engaged enough to find it interesting. I have yet to view the most recent adaptation, and I do not think I will.
However, the book is superb! I expected nothing less from Roald Dahl and his eccentric ways of introducing characters and tying a reader to this story instantly. One moment, I thought I knew what would take place and the next moment, I was pleasantly surprised.
Matilda is an empathetic, sweet, overly-intelligent, and compact grown-up who catches on quickly. She doesn’t seem much like a child at all. And the adults in her life are all soulless, foul human beings–save for Ms. Jenny Honey.
I wanted so badly for Ms. Trunchbull, the Headmistress of Matilda’s school, to get her comeuppance, and when she did, I was elated! No child should experience what the children of that school endured by the abusive actions of the vulgar and heartless, Trunchbull.
This is a captivating story of patience, resilience, determination, application of simple powers, and love. And when there’s love, there’s always a way.
The ending is the cherry on top of the cake. And it brings the story together phenomenally. If you haven’t read Matilda, I urge you to do so, and soon.
You won’t regret it.”
Lately, I have been trying to find every happy place I can muster up. Reading this book became one. Have you gotten your copy of my new book: a collection of serial tales & flash fiction, Séduire (E-Book and Paperback) yet?
When I was a child, before I became an adult before my time, it didn’t take much to put a smile on my face. I was active; I played sports, read many books, did a ton of writing, and watched movies/famous television shows.
And of course, I tore up and down the city streets with my friends, but I ensured I was inside before the street lights came on.
So, it’s no wonder, I would find myself nesting inside my happy place while reading Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It is a beautiful place to be, and while I’m in my forties now, I feel a stronger connection to all things pure & serene.
Below is the review I did for this incredible work of fiction by such an amazing writer who was well before his time:
“Reading This Brought Back So Many Memories
And I was in my happy place for the entire reading of this book. Roald Dahl was such a master of words and personification. He truly painted so many vivid and distinctive images in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
This book is a stress-reliever. I laughed and slapped my knee at some of the verses shared by the Oompa-Loompas of the mischievously selfish and rude children. Everything about the book transported me to my grade school years.
I imagined myself in the children’s shoes; taste-testing many of Mr. Wonka’s unique creations and drinking from a chocolate river. My sweet tooth was ignited with every turn of the page.
It brought back so many memories of enjoying Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. I found myself linking some of the scenes in the movie to a lot of the scenes described in the book.
I knew I would enjoy every moment of reading this book, and I am glad I did so.
If you feel like being nostalgic and traveling down old roads of yore, I recommend Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. You’ll definitely be happy you went along for the ride!”
During these current times, while fires blaze and wars continue to rage on, we could all use more happy places.
Recently, I read Michele Lee Sefton’s novella, Honeysuckle Heat, and was left feeling a bit bothered by both characters. Before you ask, this is a good thing.
I had become invested in their love affair, their actions, and the one-sidedness and obsessiveness of their relationship. I felt bad for Matthew and total contempt for Jacqueline. Michele developed layered characters who are believable and easy to relate to.
Here is the review for it:
“Short, Sweet, & Devastatingly Good
Honeysuckle Heat is a novella that starts off passionate and strong but rolls into details of a man obsessed with a woman who appears to be self-centered and narcissistic.
Matthew, I thought, was such a layered character who devoted his love, time, and care to a woman, Jacqueline, who only seemed satisfied when the world revolved around her.
I thought the author did a great job sharing their personalities and crafting their story around the occurrences surrounding their complicated relationship.
I felt sorry for Matthew because he was so blinded by Jacqueline’s beauty and body that he couldn’t tap into how one-sided their brief reunion was.
I was happy with the turn of events at the end. It was unexpected, but definitely comforting to read. It leaves me wondering what will happen for both of them in the near future.
This is another great read by Michele Lee Sefton, allowing the reader to see the sensual side of her creative mind.”
If you’re a fan of sensual, passionate, love/like/lust, this book is one you should read. You will definitely become just as invested as I did.
I had never read anything by Tom Holt before, but after watching the movie for The Portable Door, I felt compelled to read the book. It seemed appropriate to do so.
Knowing how I am and what I would feel if I didn’t read the book, I bit the proverbial bullet, carted it, and then eventually made the purchase.
Below is the review I submitted for Amazon:
“I Should Have Read the Book Before Watching the Movie
However, I only found out about the book by watching the movie, so . . . there’s the rub. As phenomenal writing goes with a splash of wit, a dash of sarcasm, and vividly created scenes, The Portable Door (Book 1 of 8), is a fantastic read.
But I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that I much prefer the movie versus the book. In the book, it took a while to get to the “good stuff,” and I found myself trying to link one story to another and another to another, and it felt like more of me putting a jigsaw puzzle together than reading a book.
This was not a deterrent, though, just a bit of a challenge.
Around Chapter 8 is where I became quite invested in most of the characters and the author’s way of bringing each of them to light. There is magic, mystery, sexual innuendoes, debauchery, and madness flooding the pages. Once I was into the thick of it, I couldn’t look away.
It’s a great read that has persuaded me to check out the rest of the books in the series.”
I think it’s such an intriguing concept to have a compact door you can just flip out, affix it to a hard surface, open it, and say the name of the place you wish to go, then step through the door and you’re there!
People, that’s far more than magic, that is approved sought-after sanity.
I love the fact that I have family members and friends who recommend books or buy them for me when they KNOW I’ll love the content.
In the book, Shonda speaks about how a comment from her sister about her limitations of herself regarding fears prevents her from saying yes to anything, and that jolted something alive in her to change that.
A younger cousin of mine told me about Shonda Rhimes’ Year of Yes because she truly enjoyed it in its audiobook form. She gave me the gist of it and hyped it up enthusiastically, too.
I had to see for myself, and I’m glad I did. Here is the Amazon review for it:
“My Cousin Recommended This Book!
And I’m awfully glad she did! Firstly, I didn’t expect to read what I just read. I’ll be honest, I didn’t know what to expect.
It’s Shonda Rhimes! Of course, I was thinking, in the back of my mind, the woman can downright write, so it ought to be good. But this was/is much better than good. It’s phenomenal!
Secondly, I hadn’t factored in the reality that she’d let us into her personal life just a bit with this book, and lo and behold, she did!
I felt like a member of her family thumbing through the pages, laughing, sighing, and crying. Not only is Year of Yes well-written, it is full of humor and grit and witty retorts.
I sank into so many scenes as they were told from the writer’s point of view and recollection. I connected with various happenings in her life as a writer, and her love life reminded me of mine as well.
There is so much to explore and unpack in this book, and I am happy to have had the opportunity to do so. I assure you, it IS a work of art that is worth your time.”
I absolutely adore it when a recommendation does not steer me wrong. And this book is now a favorite of mine!
A Cornered Gurl 
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