Billie Holiday: Wishing On The Moon by Donald Clarke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I appreciated the meticulous research that Clarke presents in this biography. I think the negative reviews come from people who aren't deeply fascinated with Lady Day. Clarke proves compassionate towards her and reveals that she experienced far more joy than most of us imagine when we think of her. It disappointed me that so many of her associates didn't rate her as intelligent. To have such innate skill and not come equipped with intelligence, that's disparaging. I knew she hadn't received much formal schooling but I thought she would have been perceived as smart. One of her friends, however, did admit that she had plenty of mother wit.

I would urge anyone with a curiosity or fascination about Billie Holiday to read this biography.


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Baby Girl by Lenora Adams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Extremely realistic. It pains me that so many girls can identify with Sheree. Sheree's smart but petty. She admits that she competes with other girls for her no-good boyfriend, Damon. I can't relate but I have known girls who were that foolish. She learned the crucial lessons once her son was born.

I don't think this book was too graphic for teen girls. I think the author spared us much explicitness.


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More evidence of why spinsterhood is wonderful

I just read an article about a centenarian in the Bronx of New York City named Louise Signore. She reached 107 in 2019 and credited her longevity to never having been married. She was the oldest of her siblings and they had surpassed 100 as well. Miss Signore proved remarkable: she still possessed lucidity and physical agility plus she still looked attractive. 

On a saucier note, I watched and read briefly of an 83-year-old MILF. A sexy dresser with a jazzy haircut, Hattie Retroage looks her age but doesn't behave within the expectations. I am not offended by anyone choosing to explore their sexuality. Yet, at any age, I'd want to explore sexually within a loving, stable romance. Hattie ventures bravely: she finds men on dating apps and then meets them in a bar. If they attract her, the pair have a wild night in her apartment. That would quickly tire me because getting intimate with a stranger for me is a no-no. Too many criminally insane people. But perhaps she has sharp intuition. 

All power to both of these ladies.