Tag: Reviews

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.

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.

Exploring New Worlds: Shonda Rhimes, Year of Yes

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I read the book and now, I want more!

Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

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!

Is Books Anonymous a Thing?

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At this point, I’m definitely an addict.

Back in the day, the author and I used to participate on a music & writing platform and occasionally connected via AIM. I always felt she’d do what she was meant to do with her artwork. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

Stop Telling Women To Smile by Tatyana Fazlalizadeh is a gut punch of a book, and I enjoyed reading it!

I had no doubt that I would. It has the author’s voice, her passion, and the intensity for the importance of the topic at hand shines through each page effortlessly.

The Amazon review is below:

“STWTS Should Be Taught In Sex & Gender Courses.

And I say this, having had my stent in one such class while in college, and if I was assigned this book to read, I probably would have felt as if I learned more.

It is a beautiful thing to be able to see words within pages that perfectly describe what I have felt–still feel sometimes about street harassment and the various interactions I’ve had with men while in public.

It is a VERY real thing and should not be brushed aside or swept under the proverbial rug.

The artwork accompanying the stories helps to drive the power of the words home as well as what every woman, non-binary person, and trans-woman has experienced and how street harassment has shaped their lives. You can see the strain and exhaustion on every face.

It also opens a door to dialogue and the changes men must make for this issue to become a non-issue.

The author/artist did a phenomenal job with this book, and I am happy to have it as a part of my collection and favorite reads.”

Being a Woman: Forthcoming. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

The final book to Michele Lee Sefton‘s Being a Woman project is Forthcoming.

It is the perfect way to complete a series. Out of all three, though, the first book is my favorite. It set the tone for the project and had the most impactful words within it.

Below is my Amazon review:

“Emotionally Charged, Binding Poetry.

In this third offering from the “Being a Woman,” project, “Forthcoming” took what I thought was a completely different turn, but this did not dampen or lessen the strength and depth of the poems shared.

Michele shone a light on the dearly departed, the forgotten, the worried, the weakened, and the powerful in this book.

It was easy to connect with quite a few poems and allow my emotions to get the best of me: I felt something. And I assume that’s exactly what the author wants.

Ending the collection, “Forthcoming” finishes on a high note with its last offering, “Return Home”, which solidifies the book in a huge way, and allows the reader to breathe a sigh of relief.

If you haven’t already made this book one of your own, I suggest that you do, and soon.”

Does anyone else need to attend a Books Anonymous meeting or two or three?!