Love Languages: Acts of Service

No reviews this week as binge reading for pure pleasure helps me cope with life's insanity. Also, a few days ago something happened at the grocery store that amused and encouraged me.

[3 books being held on the edge of a person's hand, from top to bottom: A Novel Christmas by Charity Shane', The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning, One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery; all 3 against a "love" & hearts patterned background]

[the back of a man standing with a woman's large handbag on his shoulder while leaning against a countertop in a grocery store; he's standing under a "restrooms" sign hanging from the ceiling]

From the "tell me you've been together a long time without telling me you've been together a long time" files:

On my way out of my local grocery store, the man shown above accepted the handbag hanging over his shoulder from a woman who then walked into the ladies restroom; no words were exchanged although their direct eye contact and smiles spoke volumes.

This month celebrates love, Black History, National Freedom Day, International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the continuation of the Lunar New Year festivities...

Finding joy in the midst of turmoil is one way to resist negative forces that intend to overwhelm us with chaotic despair and impotent rage. Stay connected with the people you love who love you. Call a good friend. Ration media consumption. Take a walk. Visit the library. Sleep. Breathe. Focus on the things you can do more than the things you can't.

Always wishing you good health, peace of mind, joy, pleasure & prosperity

Comments

The Best Man: Unfinished Business by Malcolm D. Lee with Jayne Allen Delivers All the Feels

Black love. Black joy. Black drama. Humanity in its vast melanin array. [front cover of a paperback ARC for The Best Man: Unfinished Business; silhouette of three adults] The Best Man: Unfinished Business by Malcolm D. Lee with Jayne Allen adult contemporary fiction with romantic elements Storehouse Voices, July 2025 First, dedicated fans of The Best Man franchise and its beloved characters need not fear how they’re treated in this first of three novels. In fact. One thread of Harper’s storyline seems to reflect the real-life author/screenwriter/director’s battle to protect and maintain the integrity of The Best Man universe. Mission accomplished. Second, once readers - fans or not - start this novel they won’t want to stop. The compulsion to re/watch The Best Man movies and limited series and maybe even to reread this book while anticipating the release of book two in 2026 will prove difficult to resist. Who are you? Who are your people?...

A Million Lives Book Festival - An Unfortunate Exception, Not the Event Rule

[2 decorative stickers on lined writing paper from left to right: a round smiley face arranged upside down to look like a frown and a round smiley face arranged right sight up] By now most bookish folk and others have heard about the inaugural A Million Lives Book Festival held at the Baltimore Convention Center last Friday and Saturday. To recap: according to participating authors and attendees many promises were made and almost all of them were broken. As outreach director and co-organizer for The Write Women Book Fest scheduled to host its 6th event Saturday, July 19 & Sunday, July 20 of this year at the Bowie Comfort Inn & Conference Center in Bowie, Maryland, U.S.A., my reaction to the feedback being shared about A Million Lives is nightmarish. Even though we aren't connected to it in any way or familiar with the event organizer or her company, our completely unrelated event has felt some minor residual effects because people are worried. And that's an understanda...

Hot Love in the Kitchen & Travelling Through Time

Redemption of the Heart by Moni Boyce contemporary romance Love Snacks Publishing 8 January 2019 Despite addressing heavy themes of domestic violence, incarceration, and grief, Redemption of the Heart is a charming and sweet spicy read in the tradition of a 21st-century interracial homage to Janet Dailey’s monthly romance era. Gemma’s open-hearted ingénue contrasts starkly with Alex’s jaded workaholic. They struggle with a variety of challenges, but ethnicity isn’t one of them—a spin that feels particularly modern. Once readers commit to their suspension of disbelief regarding the cascading impact of lacks in due diligence by several characters, it’s easy to settle in to enjoy this love story. The recent public debate about the pros and cons of Gillette’s “We believe the best man can be” campaign ties in with the contradictory messages in the story threads about toxic masculinity. There’s a scene in which Alex apologizes to someone who was openly bragging among cowork...

Search This Blog