Cornucopia: National Poetry Month (3)
The Guide Dog’s Dilemma
By Kate Chamberlin
Eeny, meeny, mynee, moe.
Which way should I go?
If I guide my lady to the right,
The bakery will be in sight.
If I guide her to the left,
The catastrophe will be set.
We’ll collide with another cart,
Surely, that wouldn’t be smart.
Eeny, meeny, mynee, moe,
I chose to guide My Lady forward, with all the confidence and decorum I know.
Cornucopia: National Poetry Month (2)
Rainy Day Challenge
By Kate Chamberlin
The rain splats across the window,
Thunder rumbles ominous and low.
Pull the covers back up to your chin,
It will be a good day to stay in.
**
The plip plopping of a rain drop
Cascading from flower anther to leaf top,
Is like the lively volley of the tennis game
That will be postponed -what a shame.
**
Fill your mug with tea and cream,
Enter a realm of thought and dream.
Reach for the long-forgotten book,
Curl up in a warm, cozy nook.
Cornucopia: National Poetry Month (1)
Vernal Equinox
By Kate Chamberlin
Vernal equinox, the scents of spring,
two moments in the year when the Sun is exactly above the Equator,
day and night are of equal length.
Listen to the plunkity plunk thunk of the melting snow in the gutter,
Many twitter-patered little birds in the pines, and A cacophony of frogs in the bog.
Smell the pungent odor of the emerging Crown Imperial Frittalaria,
Ozone left by the lightning, and earthiness of the damp loam.
Welcome the balmy, though still cool, breeze on your face,
The ooze of mud between your bare toes and stepping out of the house without a jacket.
Surely, you can see the willows yellowing and the Autumn Blaze buds swelling,
Not to mention, the white Snowdrops and lavender croci poking through the leaf mold.
The smoky taste of finger licking good chicken barbecued on the patio grill, freshly picked early peas, and plump, juicy strawberries are just around the corner.
The astrological Vernal equinox,
two moments in the year when the Sun is exactly above the Equator will continue,
But will climate change enable the scents of Spring to continue?
Kate’s 2¢: “Bone Truth” by Anne Finger
Kimberly Schraf did a good job of narrating this tory, however, I found that the narrative arc was in and out, up and down, and not easy to follow. I didn’t have much sympathy for this immoral, self-centered character.
I understand that her father abused her and her polio further complicated her life and self-image, yet, as an adult this character succumbed to her self-pity.
I think the time to think of becoming a parent is before you have unprotected sex. It would appear that this character will have the baby for all the wrong reasons and may not be the most stable of mother material.
From: Anne Finger – American Academy
WEBAnne Finger is a writer of creative nonfiction and fiction, and an activist for the disabled. She has written about her disability in Elegy for a Disease: A Personal and Cultural History of Polio (2006), and Past Due: Oakland, CA
Her novels include A Woman, in Bed published by Cinco Puntos; and Call Me Ahab, published by Bison Books and winner of the Prairie Schooner Award, which takes iconic disability stories and rewrites them from a disabled perspective. Two memoirs, Elegy for a Disease: A Personal and Cultural History of Polio published by St. Martin’s Press, and Past Due: A Story of Disability, Pregnancy and Birth published in America by Seal Press, consider Finger’s personal experience of disability, and look at how narratives of disease are formed and at the tensions and confluences between feminism and disability rights. Finger has taught both creative writing and disability studies, most recently as the Kate Welling Distinguished Scholar in Disability Studies at Miami University. She is the recipient of a 2021 Creative Capital Award, the Berlin Prize, and has held residencies at MacDowell, Djerassi, Yaddo, Centrum, and Hedgebrook.
annefinger.org
From NLS/BARD/LOC:
Bone truth: a novel DB43388
Finger, Anne. Reading time: 9 hours, 7 minutes.
Read by Kimberly Schraf.
Psychological Fiction
Elizabeth, single and unexpectedly pregnant, considers her own childhood and how her disability and her abusive father have shaped her. She finds peace with herself through her art and her humor, but worries about the effects she and the baby will have on one another. Strong language, violence, and explicit descriptions of sex.
Downloaded: April 3, 2024
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Comments Off on Kate’s 2¢: “ Aracoeli: a novel” by Elsa Morante
Kate’s 2¢: “ Aracoeli: a novel” by Elsa Morante
“ Aracoeli: a novel” by Elsa Morante
I lived in Spain for a while, so I enjoyed the descriptions of the country and listening to Peter Johnson narrate the book. Beyond that, nothing resonated with me in this story. I read the
first part, then, skipped to the end, because I didn’t enjoy this story.
A few take aways:
–At times, especially in spells of extreme loneliness, a pulse causes them to seek their dead in time and space.
–I am not attracted to anyone, as I am unattractive to myself.
–Not even the 12 angels of death, are able to turn a mortal away from the course of his own fulfillment.
To live means to experience separation.
Elsa Morante – Wikipedia
Elsa Morante was an Italian novelist, short-story writer, and poet known for the epic and mythical quality of her works, which usually centre upon the struggles of the young in coming to terms with the world of adulthood.
Elsa Morante was born in Rome in 1912, the daughter of Irma (née Poggibonsi), a schoolteacher, and Augusto Morante. Her mother came from a Jewish family in Modena. When she was a teenager Morante discovered that Francesco Lo Monaco, a family neighbour, was her biological father.
Elsa Morante was a great loner, she knew how to put all her frustration, anger and sadness in words and this still makes her one of the most important writer of our history. Elsa Morante died of a heart attack in Rome in November 1985.
From NLS/BARD/LOC:
Aracoeli: a novel DB22894
Morante, Elsa. Reading time: 13 hours, 21 minutes.
Read by Peter Johnson.
Psychological Fiction
A man’s obsessive memories of his beautiful mother, who died when he was a young boy, plunge him into a search for her shadowy past and a confirmation of his own wretched psyche. His first recollection of his mother is a loving image of care and affection, but as he delves further, he unearths a fixation on maternal passion that turns repugnantly erotic. Explicit descriptions of sex.
Downloaded: March 17, 2024
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Kate’s 2¢: “Blood Orange” by Harriet Tyce
“Blood Orange” by Harriet Tyce
Julie Teal did a superb job of reading this book. I enjoyed listening to it. I even applaud the ending.
A few take aways:
–How She and I have both let our husbands tell us how to feel bad about ourselves.
–He hated his financial dependency on me.
–He wanted his power back.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Harriet Tyce (born November 1972) is a Scottish barrister and novelist, the author of Blood Orange (2019), The Lies you Told (2020) and It ends at midnight (2022).
Tyce was at first educated in Edinburgh, before gaining admission to Oxford University to study English literature, and then completing a law conversion course at City University. For nearly ten years she practised as a criminal barrister before changing her career path to creative writing and crime fiction. Her first novel became a Richard and Judy choice and according to Amazon, it became popular during the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020.
She was the eldest of two children of Lord Nimmo Smith, retired judge, and Jennifer, an academic and classicist.[1][2] In Edinburgh, she at first attended an all girls school where she became friends with Sarah Hughes.[3] Subsequently she joined the Edinburgh Academy for sixth form, which was mixed.[2]
Tyce lives with her husband, who works in finance. They have two children.[2]
• Blood Orange. Wildfire. 2019. ISBN 978-1-4722-5274-6.
• The Lies You Told. Wildfire. 2020. ISBN 978-1-4722-5279-1.
• It Ends At Midnight. Wildfire. 2022. ISBN 978-1-4722-8009-1.
From NLS/BARD/LOC:
Blood orange DB95046
Tyce, Harriet. Reading time: 9 hours, 59 minutes.
Read by Julie Teal.
Suspense Fiction
Psychological Fiction
Legal Fiction
London attorney Alison has just been assigned her first murder case. But she also drinks too much, neglects her husband and daughter, and is having a dangerous affair with a colleague. Saving her client may be the first step to saving herself. Unrated. Commercial audiobook. 2019.
Downloaded: April 3, 2024
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Comments Off on Kate’s 2¢: “Dreamcatcher: A Novel” by Stephen King
Kate’s 2¢: “Dreamcatcher: A Novel” by Stephen King
“Dreamcatcher: A Novel” by Stephen King
You can expect the unexpected when you start to read a Stephen King novel and “Dreamcatcher” will not disappoint you. Gregory Gorton did a great job of narrating this lengthy novel for us.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if mental telepathy really could bridge the gap for those trapped within themselves?
–We are a species caught in the center of the dreamcatcher.
I think I’ll have a more open mind when I wear my dreamcatcher earrings from now on.
www.biography.com/authors-writers/stephen-king
Stephen King (born 1947) is a prolific and immensely popular author of horror fiction. In his works, King blends elements of the traditional gothic tale with those of the modern psychological thriller, detective, and science fiction genres. Stephen King was born on September 21, 1947, in Portland, Maine.
From NLS/BARD/LOC:
Dreamcatcher: a novel DB51542
King, Stephen Reading time: 22 hours, 22 minutes.
Gregory Gorton A production of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress.
Supernatural and Horror Fiction
Bestsellers
Four friends have hunted together for twenty-five years. This trip, however, is interrupted by an intruder’s rambling about lights in the sky. Patterned like a Native American talisman, the dreamcatcher phenomenon must be summoned for the men to fight alien and natural horrors. Strong language and some violence. Bestseller. 2001.
Download Dreamcatcher: a novel DB51542
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Comments Off on Kate’s 2¢: “The House of Eve: a Novel” by Sadeqa Johnson
Kate’s 2¢: “The House of Eve: a Novel” by Sadeqa Johnson
“The House of Eve: a Novel” by Sadeqa Johnson
Nicole Lewis did a good job of narrating this story for us. While this story reflects the caste society within the black community, it also reflects the human foibles of all of us. I liked this story and appreciated the wrap-up ending.
From the WEB:
Sadeqa Johnson is a best-selling author1who is originally from Philadelphia2. She is the author of Yellow Wife, And Then There Was Me, Second House From the Corner and Love in a Carry-on Bag1. Her accolades include being the recipient of the National Book Club Award, the Phillis Wheatley Award and the USA Best Book Award for best fiction1. She is a Kimbilo Fellow1. Johnson is also the co-founder of 12th Street Press, a boutique publishing company specializing in unique voices2.
Sadeqa Johnson is the New York Times best-selling author of five novels. Her accolades include being the 2022 Hurston/Wright Foundation Legacy finalist, a BCALA Literary Honoree, and the Library of Virginia’s Literary People’s Choice Award winner. She is a Kimbilio Fellow and teaches in the M.F.A. program at Drexel University.
A native of Philadelphia, she currently lives with her husband and children in Richmond, Virginia. When Sadeqa Johnson was growing up, she used to visit the library every day on her way to school. She used to be very close with the local librarian who would pick out the best books for her.
From NLS/BARD/LOC:
The house of Eve: a novel DB112651
Johnson, Sadeqa Reading time: 10 hours, 31 minutes.
Nicole Lewis; Ariel Blake
Historical Fiction
Psychological Fiction
Romance
“From the award-winning author of Yellow Wife, a daring and redemptive novel set in 1950s Philadelphia and Washington, DC, that explores what it means to be a woman and a mother, and how much one is willing to sacrifice to achieve her greatest goal. 1950s Philadelphia: fifteen-year-old Ruby Pearsall is on track to becoming the first in her family to attend college, in spite of having a mother more interested in keeping a man than raising a daughter. But a taboo love affair threatens to pull her back down into the poverty and desperation that has been passed on to her like a birthright. Eleanor Quarles arrives in Washington, DC, with ambition and secrets. When she meets the handsome William Pride at Howard University, they fall madly in love. But William hails from one of DC’s elite wealthy Black families, and his parents don’t let just anyone into their fold. Eleanor hopes that a baby will make her finally feel at home in William’s family and grant her the life she’s been searching for. But having a baby—and fitting in—is easier said than done. With their stories colliding in the most unexpected of ways, Ruby and Eleanor will both make decisions that shape the trajectory of their lives.” — Provided by publisher. Unrated. Commercial audiobook.
Download The house of Eve: a novel DB112651
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Comments Off on Kate’s 2¢: “Yellow Wife: A Novel” by Sadeqa Johnson
Kate’s 2¢: “Yellow Wife: A Novel” by Sadeqa Johnson
“Yellow Wife: A Novel” by Sadeqa Johnson
NOTE: There is a plethora of in-depth biographies of authors and reviews of their books, that state the title, author, published date, and genre; as well as, describing what the book is about, setting, and character(s), so, Kate’s 2¢ merely shares her thoughts about what she reads. Inho…
Robin Miles did an excellent job of narrating this novel based on the extensive research done by Sadeqa Johnson.
You cannot deny that the cruelties portrayed in this book happened, because there is so much documentation on the era. It is time to let the wounds heal and go forward to never let it happen again.
Sadeqa Johnson is a best-selling author1who is originally from Philadelphia2. She is the author of Yellow Wife, And Then There Was Me, Second House From the Corner and Love in a Carry-on Bag1. Her accolades include being the recipient of the National Book Club Award, the Phillis Wheatley Award and the USA Best Book Award for best fiction1. She is a Kimbilo Fellow1. Johnson is also the co-founder of 12th Street Press, a boutique publishing company specializing in unique voices2.
Sadeqa Johnson is the New York Times best-selling author of five novels. Her accolades include being the 2022 Hurston/Wright Foundation Legacy finalist, a BCALA Literary Honoree, and the Library of Virginia’s Literary People’s Choice Award winner. She is a Kimbilio Fellow and teaches in the M.F.A. program at Drexel University.
A native of Philadelphia, she currently lives with her husband and children in Richmond, Virginia. When Sadeqa Johnson was growing up, she used to visit the library every day on her way to school. She used to be very close with the local librarian who would pick out the best books for her.
From NLS/BARD/LOC:
Yellow wife: a novel DB102908
Johnson, Sadeqa Reading time: 9 hours, 33 minutes.
Robin Miles
Historical Fiction
Born on a plantation, Pheby Delores Brown has lived a relatively privileged life. She is promised her freedom, but instead she finds herself thrust into the bowels of the most infamous slave jail in Virginia. Some violence, some strong language, and some descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. 2021.
Download Yellow wife: a novel DB102908