Don't Call Us Out of Name: The Untold Lives of Women and Girls in Poor America by Lisa Dodson

A blessing to read!! Such warmth and empathy for the women and girls interviewed. I appreciate the tenderness and compassion Dodson extended to the women. She allowed women and girls to expose their vulnerabilities without depleting personal responsibility. No patronizing, either. I interpret that the subjects sensed ease and trustworthiness from Lisa Dodson.

I look forward to reading the rest of her oeuvre.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Flat Broke With Children: Women In The Age Of Welfare Reform by Sharon Hays

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I would have loved more anecdotes. Hays devoted much of her analysis to scholarly research. It seemed that she focused less on her personal interviews with the women. This greatly disappointed me.



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The No Spend Year: How I spent less and lived more by Michelle Mcgagh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The commonsense advice applies in any country and anyone could relate to her tales of overspending and keeping up appearances. Yet, I would more likely urge people in the UK to read this book because her imparting about taxes and financial tidbits suit the UK standard.

I admire her tenacity. Definitely a quality we could all use more of.



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Giants of Jazz by Studs Terkel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I bought this book under the impression Studs Terkel had interviewed these legends. It's a series of biographical profiles. I saved the best for last: Billie Holiday. She and Bessie Smith were the only women featured in this book. I guess Dinah Washington was considered a blues singer in her time because there's no mention of her. Bessie Smith was labeled a blues singer, too. Hmmm, why no Dinah, we may never know.




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Which translation of the Bible do you prefer? Do you read it?

When I read the Bible, I want to feel that I am having a natural, unforced lesson. When something is expressed in layman's terms, I remember it far better. I read New Living Translation, New International Version, Today's English Version, and the American Standard Version. I won't pretend that I read the Bible everyday. Ecclesiastes 7:16-18 tells us, " Don't be too good or too wise! Why destroy yourself? On the other hand, don't be too wicked either. Why die before your time? People who fear God will avoid both extremes." Reading predominantly secular books is one of the ways I fulfill this verse.

Please be respectful if you choose to express your opinion.

How I Tried to be a Good Person by Ulli Lust

How I Tried to Be a Good Person by Ulli Lust

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I hope Ulli Lust has shred her naïveté. I cringed when she returned to Kimata after he abused her. But sex is addictive and many people can attest to that. Books like this prove necessary for those who may be under a spell or someone who hasn't experienced such turmoil. (I currently belong to the latter.)It's a blessing that Ulli emerged alive.



I look forward to more graphic memoirs by Ulli Lust.



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WOC Read: One Year of Ugly by Carolyn Mackenzie

WOC Read: One Year of Ugly by Carolyn Mackenzie: Welcome Back Booklovers, So this time I'm back with a review of a book far from my usual read. I read very few books by white authors an...





So disappointing, lady. I wish more writers incorporated empathy into their skill.