Category: Reviews

Andy Behrman Electroboy: A Memoir of Mania

Published on by Tosha Michelle6 Comments

Stigma has long surrounded mental illness and is rooted in a lack of understanding and ignorance. It’s important that we as a society become informed and educated about what mental illness truly is. Here’s a clue- it’s not called an illness for nothing. It’s an ailment and a disease. Andy Behrman’s Electroboy: A Memoir of Mania is one book that helps shed light on mental illness, specifically bi-polar disorder. Andy’s book reads like a Quentin Tarantino film with a dash of Steve Martin thrown in. I defy you to read this book and not come away reeling.

Fueled by his mania, Andy was on a collision course with disaster including: drugs, illicit sex, prostitution, aimless globetrotting, and art forgery along with a stint in jail. Did I mention illicit sex? I did, well I mean some downright kinky and risky stuff. It’s amazing Andy lived to tell the tale. This, my friends is the reality of bi-polar disorder: self destructive behavior, substance abuse, promiscuity, extreme highs and crushing lows. It’s brutal.

Andy has been battling this debilitating disease for the better part of his life. Misdiagnosed for years, he was prescribed a pharmacy’s worth of prescription drugs meant to stabilize his moods and help him function, but to no avail. As a last resort his doctors had him try electroshock therapy. After many rounds, he’s now stable and thriving. But what a journey to get there. In a head spinning and roller coaster ride of prose, Andy chronicles his bouts of mania and depression. His words mirror the disease itself. You’ll get a taste of the bitter pill that is bi-polar disorder. Andy is shockingly honest and real. He holds nothing back. Electroboy: A Memoir of Mania is disturbing, poignant and eye opening read. Andy doesn’t just explain bi-polar disorder, he makes you feel it.

To learn more about Andy Behrman please visit his website at http://www.electroboy.com
And you can find him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/electroboyusa

He’ll also be joining us on our podcast La Literati in March. Details, coming soon.

51AmdKimwyL

The Weight Of Words-(The be all, end all of books)

Published on by Tosha Michelle9 Comments

The Weight of Words, by Georgina Guthrie, is a delight for lovers of the Bard and romantic fiction. Aubrey Price is a University of Toronto student finishing up her last semester of her undergraduate degree, and striving to graduate with distinction. She is very down to earth and spirited, and works part-time for the Dean of College to make ends meet. Aubrey’s world is shaken up when she encounters the dean’s son, Daniel Grant; a handsome and complex man. There is an instant and palpable attraction. There is one slight problem; Daniel is her TA in her Shakespearean studies course. The university has a rigid anti-fraternizing policy. To further complicate matters, Daniel already has a black mark on his record. What does a woman do when the only man she wants is out of reach? What does a man do when the only woman he desires is off limits?

The Weight of Words is a must-read and a wonderful debut for Georgina Guthrie. It may sound trite, but I was hooked from the first sentence. And the book has yet to let go; even after reading the final page. While The Weight of Words has elicited comparisons to Sylvain Reynard’s brilliant trilogy, Gabriel’s Inferno, make no mistake, Guthrie has an idiosyncratic voice that is distinctly her own. I fell in love with Aubrey and Daniel, and you will too. Audrey is, quite literally, a contradiction in terms. One moment she might be throwing out words like dude, deets, or the occasional F-bomb. The next she is reciting Shakespeare with ease. Guthrie has a knack for channeling the way college students talk, as well as an extensive knowledge of the Bard. In Aubrey, she has created a brilliant, witty, feisty to the core, fiercely independent, young woman. How can you not love that? As for Daniel, move over Mr. Darcy. Gabriel, get thee behind. You gentlemen have some new swooning competition. Daniel is handsome, worldly, a bit of a brooder, but equally as sharp and witty as Aubrey. The chemistry between the two leaps off the pages (Holy, hotness, moly).

The book provides all the passion, angst, humor and sexual tension that any lover of romantic fiction could want. The cast of characters is hilarious and lively. A particular favorite of mine is Penny (Daniel’s brother’s English fiancée). She is ballsy, has no filter, and will leave you in stitches. She’ll teach you some colorful colloquialisms too- cheeky git that she is.

Guthrie also presents Shakespeare in a fun and entertaining way. The reader can’t help but feel the author’s love and appreciation for the Bard. If ole Shakey were alive today, Guthrie’s novel would surely make him even more smitten with the “weight of words”. Who knows, perhaps he had a prophetic vision of her book when he was writing Sonnet 18 😉 Could his beloved have been a novel? Okay, maybe not. But let’s go with it, shall we? I leave you with the Bard words and encourage you to purchase The Weight of Words. Georgina Guthrie is a masterful storyteller with an observant eye, a witty writer that will make you laugh out loud, and an author with a finely tuned sense of emotion and romance. I can’t wait for the next installment in the ongoing romantic adventures and hardships of Daniel and Aubrey.

SONNET 18
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimm’d;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st;
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

You can find Georgina Guthrie on the web at:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Georgina-Guthrie/133334970209975
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19139026-the-weight-of-words

19139026

This is not a review…this is atonement

Published on by Tosha Michelle1 Comment

“The path to paradise begins in hell.” ― Dante Alighieri

Disclaimer –I went into the Gabriel’s Inferno trilogy with a few preconceived notions. The main one being “this started out of Twilight fan fiction, it’s sure to be lacking in depth and substance.” I should have known better. My grandmother always taught me: never judge a book by its fan fiction roots.

But I digress. I decided to give the novels a read because I was intrigued to see how the author integrated Dante’s The Divine Comedy into his work. Turns out he did so masterfully. But I just was not ready to admit that the story got to me. I even wrote a somewhat disparaging review of Gabriel’s Inferno on my blog. I never write negative reviews, which is telling.

As an aside, in effort to find my way out of reviewer’s limbo, that blog is now gone with the proverbial wind.

I thought I was fighting the good literary fight. But in truth, I was only waging war with my stubborn bookish self. Now after having read books two and three, I have to be honest. This trilogy charmed its way into my heart, breaking down all my preconceived notions. I’m crazy for this series and having a serious case of reviewer remorse. I must atone to the Literary Gods and set things right as I strive to find my way to The Mount of Joy.

Ok. Here goes. I was wrong! People, this doesn’t happen often; unless you consider often a heck of a lot. I misjudged Sylvain Reynard. The man, whoever he may be, is a master storyteller. His deft use language, his passion for literature and the arts come alive on the pages. His characterization of Gabriel and Julianne, the empathy he feels for them, is achingly beautiful. Not only did they come alive on the page. so did Dante and Beatrice. He masterfully wove one of the greatest literary works of the Western World into a modern day tale. He crafted a story that kept this cynic coming back for more. The story of the professor and Julianne is chock full of tasteful eroticism, purpose and intensity; a story of romantic love- but also love itself, its power, its limitations, and its consequences. The themes of forgiveness and redemption should strike a chord with us all.

I grew to love Gabriel and Julianne and all their quirks and fragility. At first I despised them, especially Julianne. I found her too docile, her wild eye innocence grated. There were times when I wanted to shake her. In truth her character hit very close to home — too close. I remember being the naive waif scared of my own shadow. However, I should have known that just like I blossomed and came into my own, so too would Julianne.

Sylvain Reynard, how could I have ever doubted you? Your style is dazzling. Your literary voice is haunting. You have created an original love story that will not soon be forgotten. Which brings us to the final installment of the series, Gabriel’s Redemption.

Gabriel’s Redemption is by far my favorite of the three novels. I didn’t want it to end. I’m truly going to miss these characters. In the final installment, we find our beloved hero and heroine settling into wedded bliss. However, as Shakespeare will attest: “the course of true love never runs smooth”. This is certainly the case with  Gabriel and Julia. Their course is littered with ghosts from the past, jumping out and shouting “boo” at every corner. Then there are those pesky demons that reside in the mind, tempting and tormenting. On top of that, they have those normal issues that newlyweds must go through: learning to cohabit with another human being, debating if and when to start a family, etc.

Can Gabriel and Julianne put to rest the ghost from Christmas past? Will Satan get thee behind? Will a baby make three? Is museum’s sex all it’s cracked up to be? Does true love really conquer all? You’ll just have to read and find out.

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“She was so Southern that she cried tears that came straight from the Mississippi, and she always smelled faintly of cottonwood and peaches.”
― Sarah Addison Allen, Garden Spells