Cher's Memoir of Rarities Makes You Think You Know Her
While navigating the traumatic aftermath of the election, I came across an unexpected memoir that was a breath of fresh air. Some memoirs can be challenging to read, but Cher's collection of rare stories, told in her own words, provided me with the "a-ha!" effect on every page. You might think that the title "Part One" is just one of her signature gimmicks, but it actually covers the eras of her singing career and her iconic television appearances with Sonny Bono. Part Two, which will delve into Cher's experiences in the acting world, won't be released until late 2025.
The reading experience is quite unique, as she shares specific moments from her early childhood and adolescent years that she's never discussed before. I find it intriguing how reflective she is when addressing the challenging points in her life. There were aspects of her relationship with Sonny that truly shocked me. As someone who enjoys reading memoirs, I found this to be both relaxing and entertaining. While I wait for the second part, I’ll continue to indulge in her music and watch "Mermaids" (my favorite!) for the thousandth time.
Cher: The Memoir - Part One
©2024 by Cher
Harper Collins Pubilshing Ltd.
Silvera Knows How To Tweak Your Heartstrings with TBDATE
There has been so much buzz about TBDATE that I finally decided to pick it up (I can almost hear some of you judging me, lol). Sometimes, it takes me a while to catch on to the crazes that trendsetters rave about. This book was definitely the talk of the town, and I was among those who didn't dive in right away. But on those rainy days, you can't help but dust off the stack of books you bought from Barnes & Noble but never got around to reading.
From the very first page of TBDATE, I was hooked. There's something about Silvera's writing that pulls you into the action immediately. It's a thought-provoking story about living in the moment and contemplating what you would do if you only had 24 hours left to live. It sounds scary, I know, but what distracts you from the fear of death is the love story between Mateo and Rufus. I won’t spoil the book, but I will say that no author has made me cry at the end like Silvera did with this one. He has definitely made his mark with TBDATE. And guess what? I have the prequel sitting on my shelf, eagerly waiting to be read.
They Both Die At The End
©2017 by Adam Silvera
Harper Teen, Harper Collins Pubilshing
Audiobooks
Three of my four poetry books will be featured as audiobooks. Coming Soon.
The Commonalities of having Mixed Feelings & being Veracious
Diving into the realms of heartbreak poetry can be a driving world of mixed feelings. The instant I discovered Abraham Rodriguez’s book, I opened it to a random page and thought, wow, he gets it! This whimsical, black and white color theme undeniably brought me back to my roots with my first book (hence, the black and white). There seems to be a commonality here. I wonder if I dove, blindfolded, of course, into the gene pool of first-time poetics debuting heartbreak—isn’t vulnerability the ingredient for every writer?
In my book Veracious, there is anger mixed with heartbreak. Abraham’s book is like the lavender tea you’d sip on a rainy day watching Heartstopper on Netflix. It is a poetry book very well put together with writing that shows someone’s vulnerability to the core. I was shocked by some of the critiques on Goodreads and Amazon. Did they even give the book a chance? I’ve been down that road, but I hope that it didn’t stop Abraham from continuing to write. I’m curious to know what other works he will put out next!
Mixed Feelings is a beautiful book with no table of contents (genius) to get readers automatically immersed in the experience. The prose is definitely someone coming to terms with the loss and finding certitude. I want to thank Abraham for making poets like me feel accepted in that pool of healing hearts.
Mixed Feelings
@2022 by Abraham Rodriguez
Central Avenue Publishing Imprint of Central Avenue Marketing Ltd.
Ruthy Ramirez's Whereabouts Burns To The Core
Profound stories of mother-daughter relationships are ones that hit home. I have found stories about mothers and daughters quite fascinating. My mother had a troubling relationship with my grandmother, and I never understood why. Until I stumbled upon Claire Jiminez’s novel What Happened To Ruthy Ramirez? It is a gripping story about the Ramirez women struggling to understand Ruthy’s disappearance. One day, she doesn’t come home at her usual time, and hell breaks loose.
What I find intriguing about the book is Claire Jimenez’s writing. Her great characterization of telling three different perspectives is quite genius for a writer who looks at the story in transparency and then brings the story back to finishing the goal: to move on in life. But the only way to do that is to confront the past, a Ruthy look-alike, whom Nina discovered while watching a reality TV show trailer. The rest, I will not spoil. You’d have to find out for yourself!
Whatever Happened To Ruthy Ramirez?
©2023 by Claire Jimenez
Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group
Love(ly) Child is Emanuel Xavier's Swan Song of his identity
When I least expected, Emanuel ceases to never disappoint with his sixth heartstring of poetic wonderment, Love(ly) Child. Fresh pieces of work that take the reader down a transitional road of change and liberation. From the first word to the last, Emanuel's cohesive colloquialisms from a spoken word poet in survival mode to someone looking at his life in the mirror, there is a different set of eyes.
Here we have a writer who has lived through the times when LGBTQ+ weren't the talk of political existence. He is a writer and poet who instantly crowns his activism, witnessing firsthand the tumultuous realities of abuse. Yet, he documents each with a celebration, gratitude, and transparency. Like the poem, Americano Redux speaks powerfully about the shocking discovery of his newly found identity, cleverly remixed of the original Americano. There is always something I learn from every poetry he has put out: to find your voice. Yes, we have our downfalls and find outlets to speak on them, but once it is out of our system and printed for the world, the message becomes bigger. Poems like Old Pro, Alienated, and Autonomous could speak on vulnerability, but I understood that this is someone coming to terms with a misconstrued past that I can resonate with.
Love(ly) Child
©2023 by Emanuel Xavier
Queer Mojo, A Rebel Satori Press Imprint
Jessie Reyez's Poetry Layers More Than Singing
If you do not know who Jessie Reyez, you will. Words of A Goat Princess is her first publishing debut and it is book not to miss. As a fan of her music, I already get the dust of poetry in deep confessionals of her songs. When I started reading the book, I was pleasantly surprised that there was another side of this unstoppable burst of energy that blessed my eardrums since 2018 with Apple Juice and her most popular FIGURES. There is amazing artwork spread across every page that add visualizations to the delicate threads of her words. 43 powerful works that cover all grounds of life: wisdom, empowerment, guilt, self-love. I could tell you my favorites, but the whole page would fill up. I'd say check it out.
Words of A Goat Princess
©2023 by Jessie Reyez
Andrews McMeel Publishing
Finding Solace with ALOUD
Where do I begin to talk about this phenomenal anthology of classic 90s poetry? Here! Published in 1994 and coming to its 30th anniversary, ALOUD: Voices From The Nuyorican Poets Cafe remains a landmark for modern Latin American literature.
Considerably, this is my poetic bible. Now and then, when I need a reminder of my Latin Poetic forefathers and mothers, I flip through it and read the works of Miguel Algarin, Pedro Pietri, Nancy Mercado, and many more.
Madison Beer and The Half of It
Madison Beer graced my presence when she was a guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Aside from the radiant beauty, it seemed there was more to her than I had thought. I heard her voice when she released her hit song, “Baby.” I followed her musically, loving almost every song she released because that voice is angelic! Her albums, Life Support, and her latest 2023 masterpiece, Silence Between Songs, hold a profound significance.
When I learned she was releasing a memoir, I was stunned. I thought, what is her story? As soon as I started reading, I was emotional learning about her mental health struggles and wanted to give up. Her music was one layer, but her story added more to her identity, giving fans (like me) a better understanding of who Madison Beer is.
“I want to be honest, even if some receive it incorrectly. I’d rather make that sacrifice if it means my audience views it the wrong way,” she says in one of her chapters discussing the struggle she went through with her public humiliation. Through interactive journal prompts, Madison emphasizes her struggles and shares coping measures with readers. There is transparency packed in this 200-page book, which is not definitive. The book is the half of it, and Silence Between Songs is the other half.
The Half of It
©2023 by Madison Beer
HarperCollins Publishers