Review: The Black Flamingo

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have never read such a book in this format before. After a chapter I got so used to it I loved it. Especially with the pages that had illustrations on it, and variable page colours going from white to black. I can understand why that was done. Fabulous touch.

This is Michaels story. 

The comparisons he makes to his confusion about himself is also about the confusion of those around him.
Likening himself to a “bad egg” an experiment where people are waiting to see what hatched from the shell. I found that quite poignant.

I loved his mother!
As he’s growing up, someone in school pointed out that his sister was his ‘half’ sister as they had different dads. 
When he referred this to his mother she said “ don’t let anyone tell you that you are half Of anything. She simply is your sister.
Don’t let anyone tell you that you are half black, half white, half Cypriot half Jamaican you are a full human being. You are born in Britain you need to make space for that. This is only for you to decide.

There are so many things like this that stood out me. My annotations on this book was in overload! 

I especially loved and enjoyed the letters or poems that were displayed on pages, the text messages to friends and later to his love interest.

Daisy has been his friend since......forever.

His first love.

His mingling with the gay scene. With Daisies witty comments of “protect me from the lesbians” this showed me how things could be said without hate or intension to offend, just witty.
I then thought about todays Black movement.
White shouldn’t need to walk on eggshells and our black friend and people of colour or diverse sexual orientation do not always need to be defensive.

BUT, it was GREAT to see Michael grow to not just be fierce but to stand up for himself, his rights.
To challenge others.

Michael who was in a huge shell partially cracked himself through into the world, peeping out, seeing what was out there. Hatching into a beautiful bright pink human being. 

I loved his drag queen chapters. Funny, witty and also a learning curve of.....
He was now free to be himself. The right everyone should have and own.

Brilliant book

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Review: The Magical Feelings of Moodville: First day at school

The Magical Feelings of Moodville: First day at school by Stevie-Jane Wade
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My husband goes to a club for respite. 
At the moment because of COVID-19 they meet-up online via Zoom.

It came about in a conversation that one of the attendees daughter wrote a children’s book.

I thought I’d love to read it and try to put her on the “map”:for others to buy this if I thought I could recommend it.

Boy oh boy, I loved this book. The rhyming in this story is great, and as for the illustrations.....
They are so colourful.

Looking at this from a child’s viewpoint I’m sure they will be engrossed in the pictures, they say, a picture paints a thousand words, so as a parent or grandparent reading this it’s going to be a book that you will have hours of fun many times over.

The characters that are “fantasy magical” emotions was such a unique creation it will so appeal to a child who are about to start school. Even if they are changing schools or classrooms.

I can’t praise this book enough.

I’d love you to give this author a chance.

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Review: Sinfully Summer

Sinfully Summer by Aimee Duffy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A nice bit of escapism away from thought of the Pandemic, masks and everyday life.

Sat in the garden nice breeze with this hot sexy book full of tension and romance.

What’s not to love

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Review: Secret for a Song

Secret for a Song by S.K. Falls
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What an absolutely amazing read. Why didn’t I pick this book up earlier!

There are lots of awful moments in here. A girl who harms herself to get noticed. Really messed up.

The authors done a fantastic job of making the reader ‘feel’ emotions. A huge rollercoaster of emotions infact.

It’s compulsive reading. I don’t say this often but “I couldn’t put it down’ it had taken root in my soul and I had to see it through until the bitter end, good or bad.

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Review: The Switched Baby Scandal

The Switched Baby Scandal by Theresa Meyers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a sweet, emotional heartfelt heartbreaking thought provoking story.

I can’t imagine what I’d do. Or think I would do.

Get your tissues at the ready.

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Review: The Miner's Lady

The Miner's Lady by Tracie Peterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Family feuds
Betrayal
Lies
Disharmony
Mistrust

It’s all here in this book.

How can love conquer this?
Will it?
Or will it stir up a hornets next.


Yes I did it again.....this is book 3 in this series all based around a Mining community.

Easily be read as a stand-alone though.

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Review: Mo's Heart

Mo's Heart by Edie Ramer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Oh dear I did it again. Going through my list of books on Kindle this was way down on my pages.

I read this in March and forgot to add my review.
This was released in 2013 so I’m definitely late in getting to this.

Anyhoo

I did it again! This is book 5 in this series (who knew) not me.

I’m not knowing the build up of this character Mo, but sure is appealing.

A good pleasant read.

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Review: The Weight of Small Things

The Weight of Small Things by Julie Lancaster
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

This is an unputdownable very touching story told from a young persons point of view, Frankie.

I took away the points about a gate.
A gate once opened leads you to a destination.
A gate also can be attractive.

Getting inside Frankie head and the author taking us backwards was remarkable revealing bit by bit what transpired and also getting to know the insights to the Mother.

It’s emotive and very well written for a debut.

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Review: Ice

Ice by Scarlett Black
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Although the writing wasn’t excellent it was easy on the eye to read.

We definitely find out why this chap is known as a bad boy and where he got his name from.

Made a change to read a short book connected with MC, however, the one thing I didn’t agree with was the choking episode to sustain a climax! Many have died from acts like this.

Yes it’s fiction and yes it happens, but it doesn’t make it right.

This in its entirety wasn’t for me.

Erotica danger.

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Review: Love After Love

Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What an absolutely stunning read.
It’s true to say that at the first two chapters I found the writing style very different as when there was dialogue there was no speech bubbles “. I soon got used to it and you know what......it really didn’t matter because it was formatted so well my old brain adapted to it good good. And yes, I said “good good” twice as in the dialect of Trinidad some words do get added on twice. I’ve learnt a lot from just how it’s written. Trinidadian English as we know it, Spanish, slang expressions, idioms, French/Creole words, some Indian/Asian influence and a lyrical twist of phrase and it’s spoken with ease.

Certain words in here like Liming. Which means ‘hanging out’ with one other or more friends.
Buh whey nah” take a minute to comprehend “but wait now (wait a minute)” clicks with our brains after a few seconds.

I grew to love this so much about how this was written as it definitely puts you in the zone.

The characters were well rounded out with remarkable distinct personalities.

There are some very hard times in this book as regards race and the era this was written in.
When Queers had to hide their sexuality in fear of not only being shamed but killed.
No one had time for anyone like that!

At times I saw the complete flaws in each of the three main characters armour, but I also saw their strengths.

How a Mothers secret comes out from being hidden that is overheard by her son Solo. The actions and journey he goes on was so real in my head. What he did I felt, I hurt when he hurt.

The anguish of the Mum. The loneliness she felt, but the inner strength she brought out.

Then the lovely man they took in. The family grew only with a hidden secret from him which lead him into some very dark corners.

The last few pages before the end and again right at the end I’m not ashamed to say brought tears.

Such a wonderful story, great writing. I’ve written down this authors name and I want to read more from her definitely, absolutely.

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Review: Magpie Lane

Magpie Lane by Lucy Atkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Yep 5 beautiful stars from me. 💓💓💓💓💓

What can I say.
Lucy Atkins is such a prolific author and knows just what her readers need to keep their attention.

The build up in this is slowly awesome with brick by brick laying a foundation that’s firm to climb onto and the higher it goes the less you breath.

It’s atmospheric and yields such a cobweb around you that you just don’t notice you are caught in that web. Nowhere to go until you satisfy your hunger and devour each page.

Can’t you tell I loved it

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Review: The Vanishing Half

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.75* What an amazing journey I’ve been on. Not sightseeing, more like “eye opening” moments. The Vanishing Half will not only enthrall you it will enlighten you. Twins. One skin colour lighter than the the other. Living in a small village named Mallard. Based around 1950’s and spanning down to 1990’s. Just why did these identical twins get split up when running away? What made them run? How did one twins life take a course so far in type to their peer? One sister living a totally black persons life while the other “passing” for white and whites privilegies. There is racism, there is hate. The sisters had their school life halted due to a difference in everyday life, they’re mama needed them to work, to bring in money. Running took the sisters on totally different paths. One having different relationships and experiences. The other marrying a white man who thought he had married a white woman. Both these sisters went on to have a daughter of their own. There are lots and lots of moments in this story I’d like to share, but, I’d prefer you to experience them whilst reading this book yourself. I remember the times when cemeteries were split. Deceased white people on one part of the land and black diseased on the other. The upkeep of the graves were done on the white side, but not the black. It touches on history here. But the reunion of the sisters I would have loved more emotional, and to see what happened if here husband learnt of the truth or not that she was indeed black. I’d love a book 2 on this. Following through the next generation. I’ve not read The Mothers by this author but I’m looking straight at it on my bookshelf so I’m definitely going to be reading that before 2020 has ended.

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Review: Hold Close the Memory

Hold Close the Memory by Heather Graham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Oh geez

I read this way back in the 80’s. It’s been produced in Ebook format with a new cover.

I loved it back then and most probably would have given it a 4* rating. 
Way before I became a book reviewer! 

In this subject matter I’ve read books like this again. Some better than this one as it’s updated but I can see people from my generation liking it, but this generation not so much because the bloke in this is a jerk. It simply wouldn’t go like that now, things have changed. Although emotions haven’t, so that’s my take on it. 

It’s historical because of the times it was written, but not “historical fiction” in the usual form.

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Review: The Drowning Child

The Drowning Child by Alex Barclay
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book 6 of this series entitled Ren Bryce.
REN is the Investigator.

Don’t let it put you off from jumping into this one as the plot theme itself is good although it’s been a theme written over and over and I must say I have read better.

REN is flawed. You won’t get into her reasoning though because you would need to read the back story on what made her that way, but, you can read the book in its own right (if that makes sense)

If you don’t read many books with this same theme/subject matter, then you may want to give this one a go.

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