Tag: Reading

A World of Limitless Dreams

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A Book Review

Flit Flutter Float by Gail Boenning Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

Gail Boenning is a writer/artist I became acquainted with on one of my used-to-be-favorite writing platforms, Medium. She is intentional with her word selection, fluid in her delivery, and a great artist, too.

I reviewed another book of hers in December of last year—POISE: Facing Cancer with Grace and Resilience, but did not share it here. You can read it via Amazon by clicking on the link. But here is a blurb about it just to heighten your curiosity:

Gail’s story in bite-sized vignettes was helpful and fulfilling. I felt as though I was walking right along with her throughout every phase, but not directly–indirectly. I was an outsider looking in, and I enjoyed my time spent there.

It was of no surprise to me that Flit Flutter Float (a playful guide) would be just as enjoyable. I was wOWed, sent to my #happyplace, and remained there the entire time.

The review:

“A Bit of Sunshine During These Gloomy Days

Gail never ceases to amaze me! I am happy to see her take her art to a whole new level. In Flit Flutter Float, she offers 33 fun, philosophical, and witty micropoems that remind us to be limitless.

For each poem, there is an animal with a suitable name, a quirky dilemma, and an airtight solution. The illustrations made me smile, and I connected with a number of the poems shared. I would venture to say the book is definitely for ages 13 and older.

Some of the references may go over the younger ones’ heads, but I am certain anyone can take delight in the art shared.

I could read this over and over again, and I have this feeling, I would never tire of it.”

If you need some light reading with a playful air about it, too, I highly recommend Flit Flutter Float.

Liar, Liar . . . Pants On Fire

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A Book Review

The Little Liar by Mitch Albom. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

The most recent book I’ve read is by the great words-worker himself, Mitch Albom, The Little Liar. This is the seventh book I’ve read by the author, so I am sure there’s no need to say how much I love his work.

But The Little Liar will stay with me for decades, just like Tuesdays with Morrie.

Below is the review I shared for it via Amazon:

“This Is Such A Poignant Work of Art!

I had no doubt that I would relish every word in this book, for I am a hardcore fan of Mitch Albom’s writing. To say that I flitted through so many emotions while reading The Little Liar is an understatement.

I laughed. I cried. I got angry. I sighed.

Every part in this book feels like truth being carried to the forefront; put on display for all to see. For this to be a work of fiction is almost unbelievable. It feels real. It seems real. I thought it was real. I had to remember several times throughout my reading, it is not.

However, it isn’t far from the truth. The Holocaust and the horrible tragedies many families endured in the 1940s can be found in these pages; only embellished or Houdini’d in a way that is digestible on a smaller level.

I became attached to Nico and Fannie. I rooted for Gisella to live a longer life, and I was sad when this did not occur. I prayed for Sebastian to find it in his heart to forgive his brother.

Every event happened in a way to shift the story full circle and allowed it to come back to what was most important, “The Truth.”

If you’re looking for the next fiction book you should read, look no further. It’s right here!”

If you do not have anything of interest on your reading list as of right now, add this book to it. You will not regret it.

If Only I Had a Portable Door

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A Book Review

The Portable Door by Tom Holt. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

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.

“Do Gerbils Love?”

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Flash Fiction

AI-generated image created with WordPress images.

“Do gerbils love?” Paul pondered as he spent what could be his last moments breathing next to the love of his life, Sophie. The two were a pair of hopeless half-wizards and even though their hearts were recently connected, it felt like they had been in love for centuries.

Maybe in a past life?
Maybe in a past spell?

Whatever it was, Paul stood there with an invisible rope binding him in place–the slightest movement was an act of severe futility. Would Humphrey turn him into a gerbil, an elephant, a gecko, or the latest edition of Better Homes & Gardens magazine?

Whatever he was going to be, he wished for the ability to love. And to continue to love Sophie, too. But what would she be? If Humphrey could turn them into anything under the natural sun, what spell would he conjure up for his beloved Sophie?

The dank air of the firm’s office swirled around the hostages as Humphrey laughed maniacally from his throne. A snap of his finger . . . a flush of his lips . . . a slap of his left hand to his right ear and then . . .

*POOF*

They would all waddle like ducks waffling around for a place to find comfort.

As he snapped back to life from his daydream, the bulky image of Humphrey approaching him increased in size. His jowls hung viciously on his face, and his razor-sharp teeth barked out of his mouth.

He gawked at Paul with the intent to do bodily harm and whispered, “Now, where were we, you insolent fool?”

“Gerbils,” said Paul. “Gerbils . . . do they love?”

I am currently reading, The Portable Door by Tom Holt, and a particular phrase in this book (the title of this story) shook something alive in my brain. What you have just read is the product. I am nearly done with the book, and I cannot wait to write the review for it, too!

Brooklyn: Not Just a City In New York

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A Book Review

Brooklyn by Tracy Brown. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

Recently, I read what is and will be Tracy Brown‘s final gift to this world. Brooklyn is not just a tale of a struggling child turned teenager turned adult, it is the tale of what childhood trauma can do to a person who never receives the help they need.

There are things in life we simply cannot “pray away” without using the knowledge God gave us to seek someone professional to help us when our mental health fails us.

This book is a whirlwind of pain, destruction, and the ultimate death of a soul who just could not find peace.

The review posted on Amazon is as follows:

“I Didn’t Think It Would End the Way It Did

And I am honestly unsure how I feel about the cliffhanger. Knowing that the author is dead and a second part to this gruesome tale is nowhere in sight, leaves me feeling a bit angry. I also feel as though there was no other way it could end.

I am somewhat conflicted.

The book is insane! There were so many plot twists, I almost couldn’t keep count. Brooklyn was selfish–as a matter of fact, that is an understatement. She was downright ruthless and was forever crying wolf and “victim.”

She destroyed countless lives even right down to her best friend, Angel, and still thought the world owed her something. I have never known anyone like her, and I pray that I never meet anyone like her.

Her sister, Hope, had hope in her but Brooklyn was a lost cause. There was nobody or nothing that could save her. With each chapter I read, the more I disliked her and wanted her to grow up and recognize that the real world oftentimes takes a few struggles for you to survive it. And in that truth, it’s not the end of the world when those struggles take place.

I think the author did a magnificent job introducing a layered character to her readers who not only moved through various changes in her life but came back to the one place she never wanted to return to–home.

Ironically enough, it is the very place where she would breathe her last breath. I intend to give this book another read maybe a year or two from now.

I am certain I will find many things I missed this time and I look forward to it.

The author, if her spirit can feel these vibes, I hope she knows she nailed it with this book! God rest her soul.”

This book is the last of the three books I received as birthday gifts for my 44th birthday this past April. The author, Tracy Brown, will never get the opportunity to share her words with her readers again; she died in May 2023, at the age of 48.

“Hold You Down” Held Me Captive

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A Book Review

Hold You Down by Tracy Brown. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

A co-worker recommended this book several months back, and I told my best friend (when asked) to please get it for my birthday. She did exactly that, along with two more books the author wrote.

It took me about a week and two days to read this one. That is because I had to sit with some scenes for a while and allow them to run through me, to take their course, so to speak. It is a heavy read.

However, I truly did not want to turn away from it, I simply had to in order to preserve my peace.

Below is the Amazon review:

“An Ending I Did Not Envision for the Book

“Hold You Down” reminds me of my summers spent in The Bronx or on Long Island, and my time growing up on the east side of Savannah, Georgia.

I cried. I got upset. I shook my head in disgust. There were so many chapters that rendered me speechless and appalled in this book. And not in a bad way, but more like a reflection of the teenage boys I knew up north and the slightly older young men I knew from around the way.

Lenox reminds me of one of my aunts. I smiled thinking about how alive and untameable she always has been, but also how she brings so much joy to others around her.

This book is not only breathtaking, it will have you feeling devastated about the trials life throws our way, aggravated about the many labels we toss at Black boys and men, and yearning for family you miss and will never see again.

The author was calculated in her language selection and writes in a way that is relatable and connects with the reader. I found myself not wanting to put the book down many nights.

Although it was such a great read, the ending left me feeling like something is amiss; it seems unfinished–unsettled.

But overall, I look forward to reading it again. I am sure there is much more to be dissected the second time around.”

I have already started reading one of the other books written by Tracy Brown, and I’m toes deep into the plot. I think this is another page-turner. Stay tuned.