Book Review: Man of Clay

Book Blurb:

Connie lives in a modern day harem with her ex, two wives, and their five children. It's a 'sensible arrangement that cracks when a new woman arrives on the scene. Is this one wife too many? Connie struggles with the realization she must finally let her husband go. As she builds her last collection of ceramics, Connie reflects on longing, serial monogamy and his career as a herpetologist. Humans have much in common with frogs. Metamorphosis parallels the reactions of mud and glaze in a kiln, Man of Clay is about family, frogs, and art. The kiln fires hotter than the crematorium.

Book Review:

Man of Clay is a women’s fiction written by Victoria Osborne. Connie Baldwin, a sculptor leads a complex life. She has never stopped loving Jude, her ex-husband whom she divorced out of guilt when she could not give him another child. Connie plays matchmaker, Jude and her friend Zita marries and has children. Jude eventually divorces Zita, marries Simone and starts another family. Connie convinces Jude that he and “the wives and kids” should all live in her apartment building as one happy family. This arrangement seems to work until Jude admits his involvement with another woman, and Zita plans on marrying again. Connie’s well-structured life suddenly unhinges and she finds herself battling to keep her “wives harem” together with Jude as the primary male in their lives.

“You can’t have your cake and eat it too, or can you?” Reading Man of Clay made me realize that this quote does not apply to Connie who narrates so emotionally about the changes in her life. The characters try to maintain stability in their unusual living arrangement but insist on doing things out of the ordinary. I think Connie is overly protective, yet slightly jealous as she strives to create the perfect family while still yearning for Jude. Jude is a womanizer who tends to” go with the flow” and let the wives make most decisions. The story has a mature writing structure that is more suitable for older adults, and it moves at a slower pace that seems appropriate for a setting that reflects the 1960’s onwards.

The characters have strong personas, which are different from each other, so that made the drama absorbing. There are numerous interesting comparisons throughout the book about the similarities of humans and frogs, as Connie refers to some amphibians that are associated with fertility. The cover illustration is lovely. This is Victoria Osborne’s first novel and she has managed to produce a nicely written, very original thought-provoking story.

+++++++++

Here are links to Victoria Osborne's book:

Amazon  : Man of Clay

Goodreads: Man of Clay

Facebook: Victoria Osborne

Please, feel free to comment.

the stork (senryu)

beloved courier

delivers special orders

diapers full of fun

Images courtesy of wikimediacommons.org

Please, feel free to comment

a frog's fairy tale (haiku)

wet and warty skin

lonely female entice mates

no croaking beauty

I wrote this haiku sometime ago for a contest that had a frog based theme.

Thank you MKFlood @ community.art-is-fun.com (the Art Colony) for allowing me to use your lovely artwork once more!

Please, feel free to comment.

Book Review: Clive the Clever Crow

Review:

Clive the Clever Crow is a story for small children written by Sandra Novello. Someone has been eating the children's lunches at school and they want to know whom the culprit is. They do not know that the lunch snatcher is Clive the Clever Crow, often seen on a fence or in a tree in the schoolyard. Clive seems to be proud of what he does and brags about it in a letter he wrote to the kids. He lets them know how easy it is to take their lunches because they often leave their bags open, and he cannot resist the yummy foods in them. Clive is happy that he longer has to dig for worms, or go searching for snails or ants. The thing he dislikes though is the magic web that wraps the food because it tangles his feet. He tells the children they will never catch him because he is Clive the Clever Crow.

I am certain that Clive the Clever Crow will have to start digging for worms again, once the children read his letter. They will remember to keep their bags closed or their lunches will disappear. Sandra Novello has written a pleasant tale with a fun rhyming form. The book is also educational because it teaches kids about the foods birds like to eat, and what plastic wrapping (magic web) can do to their feet. The brightly coloured illustrations complement the story. This very short book by Sandra Novello will be a favourite both in schools and in homes.

Here are the links to the sites where the books are listed.

Amazon:     Clive the Clever Crow

Goodreads:   Clive the Clever Crow

Please feel free to comment.

Mama Cried

Book Blurb: 

Jenny was enjoying herself on the swings when Azula, one of the guardians of the playground came to take her away. Together they journey to a cinder building where Jenny must make an important decision.

Review:

In Mama Cried by Talia Haven, a young girl named Jenny was murdered, but she is still not entirely aware of this fact. While playing on the swings with other children, her guardian Azula returns to take her to a prison where she is to make a big decision. Jenny's puppies, Morgan and Wilson follow them. Theodore, Jenny's murderer, is the only person in the prison who can see her, and the pets who have suddenly grown into large hounds. He is about to be executed and is read his last rites, confident that God has forgiven him for his heinous crime. Jenny sees her grieving mother Vivian holding a picture of her and remembers the reason for her mother's tears. Azula gently reminds Jenny that it is time to decide if she will grant Theodore mercy or punish him, but she is hesitant about doing so until Theodore decides to say a few last words to Vivian.

Reading Mama Cried kept me deep in thought. Talia Haven has produced a short story that leans on the dark side, based on its content. She leaves readers with sufficient intrigue in a plot that sees its main character Jenny narrating, as she probes the past in order to understand her present situation. Talia Haven does not dawdle in her writing, so she manages to create an intensely emotional story. A few angles to the plot are worth debating. I do think, however, that the blurb does not have sufficient information because it gives the impression that this book is for young readers. This unique tale contains about nine pages and is suitable for adults. Nonetheless, the author writes nicely and expressively, and it's a story worth reading.

The book can be found on the following sites:

Amazon: Mama Cried

Goodreads:  Mama Cried

***

Please feel free to leave a comment.

Book Review: Cinderella's Secret Slipper

Thank you Alinka for inviting me to participate in your book launch!

Alinka Rutkowska has written a modern day version of a popular fairy tale called Cinderella’s Secret Slipper. Junior’s fourth birthday was approaching and his parents, Cinderella and the Prince were unsure what to give him for a present. Junior had gotten a gold crown for his first birthday and a pet dragon when he turned three years old, so they decided to have a formal gala instead. Cinderella wanted to wear her glass slippers to the party, but only found one shoe in her closet. While searching, she heard a noise and discovered Junior had shattered the other slipper while swatting a mosquito on the wall.

Junior wanted to use super-glue to repair the shoe, but Cinderella was upset and told him to go play with his dragon. She took the shards of glass to a shoe shop and the shoemaker mended the slipper, but it broke when Cinderella tried it on. She went to the glass shop but the slipper could not be repaired either. Cinderella was so unhappy and took a walk in the enchanted forest, one of her favourite places to go. The beautiful flowers and birds singing cheered her up a bit, but she still wondered how she was going to get her precious glass slipper fixed in time for Junior’s birthday party, when her fairy godmother appeared. Cinderella learns that glass slippers are not easy to fix or readily available.

Cinderella now has a family and by all indications, Junior sometimes get into mischief. I like this new twist on an old story and think Alinka Rutkowska writes creatively. This charming story is very short, but nicely written with witty dialogue. Cinderella is a woman, who does not give up easily when she sets her mind to do something. The Prince is another character whose personality stood out in the story, which also included beautiful illustrations. Cinderella’s Secret Slipper is a fun little book that girls will enjoy reading.

The award winning author has written a wonderful children's series, which includes this recently launched book. Here are links to Cinderella's Secret Slipper and Alinka's blog.

Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/B00S5AB1J6

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24418875-cinderella-s-secret-slipper

 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0cPbXBRFDw

Alinka Rutkowska's Blog: http:/www./alinkarutkowska.com/

Please feel free to leave a comment.

southern winter - (haiku)

cold sunny weather

mists small tropical island

north wind's frosty breath

 I usually experience chilly weather this time of year in my hometown, unlike most parts of the island, but it's still nice going outdoors.

Image courtesy of www.wikimediacommons.org

Please feel free to comment