Two for Tuesday: Weird!

Two ducks in Los Angeles (my photo)

I read a couple of strange books recently, and I will share my reviews today. Hopefully, they will be of some interest to my fellow fiction fans.

1. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke. This book was not what I expected, which is a good thing! I love to be thrown off balance by a novel. Is Natalie insane, did she get shoved back in time, or is she the victim of an elaborate hoax? The main characters have shifting layers and motivations, which all add to the surreal atmosphere. I enjoyed reading the extreme political/ social POVs personified rather than straight up mocked by the author. It made the wacko ideas somewhat more relatable. Somewhat! Ultimately, the ideas were all skewered, which I loved (both sides, hey). This wasn’t a five-star book for me (I wouldn’t read it again), but it was definitely enjoyable. Four stars.

PS: I waited forever for Yesteryear to become available at my local library ~ the reason I was so determined to read it is because there’s a movie coming out starring Anne Hathaway, and I love her. (I didn’t want to buy the book because it was expensive.) It was worth the wait. The following review is via a library book also.

2. Too Old for This by Samantha Downing. This is a thriller, but it has a catch: the first-person murderer slash protagonist is 75-year-old woman. That's pretty much it, with the "old lady" gimmick featuring on every page with issues such as arthritis making it more difficult to scrub up the blood after a killing. The older you get, the harder it is to stuff a dead body into a freezer. Sometimes you forget and take your phone with you when you shouldn't, and then all that danged info is in the cloud somewhere. Who even knows what happens there? It's a fun and fast read, but totally preposterous from beginning to end. I gave it 3 stars plus an additional .25 for the original concept. (If it's been done before, I haven't read it.)

OK then. Have a great Tuesday, everyone!

Two for Tuesday: Bite Me

Two ducks in Los Angeles (my photo)

Some peeps think I'm highly fussy and critical re writing, but I begin every book with the expectation of awarding it five full stars, and then I deduct points when I encounter things that bug me. For example, unless there is a clear reason for using present tense, and it's done well, I take off a half-star for it. I subtract for using first person POV and then describing one's own death, unless the story is about a ghost (one of my reviews today is about a book full of ghosts!). I subtract for using spilled food/ drinks as a "meet-cute” because it’s not cute, just clichéd and irritating. I deduct points for unnecessary filler/ backstory and going on about weather. I subtract for physical description via mirrors, clunky dialog, authorial intrusion especially if it's political (hello, Dean Koontz), etc. I subtract for main characters that do stupid things, such as exploring the basement of a dark, creepy house in the middle of the night. Thrillers and mysteries should have clues built-in with no deus ex machina moments. Endings must be justified. Fine, I'm fussy! But most of these are known no-no's and clichés, not obscure things I arbitrarily conjured up. 

I also don't do "grade inflation" when reviewing, unless the book is written by a friend. There are people who think that simply writing a book and publishing it entitles the author to at least three stars, and I totally disagree with that. I know people who believe that three stars is bad, when the definition itself tells us that three stars means "an okay or satisfactory experience that met basic expectations without standing out." Four stars is for a stand-out book, and five stars is a top-tier book. Clearly, most books are not five-star worthy! It drives me bananas that most of my online book club peeps award four and five stars to completely average books by popular authors. 

Here are two reviews of books I recently finished.

1. Just One Bite by Miranda Rijks. I enjoyed most of this thriller, despite the fact that it’s written in first person present tense (see? I can adapt!). Brittany represents the typical stressed mom, trying to balance career, her daughter’s needs, her marriage, self-care, etc. As many of us know, this can be overwhelming and even impossible at times. On top of all that, suddenly Brittany is targeted by a blackmailer who’s threatening to post fake videos of Brittany abusing her daughter. It’s compelling to ride along as Brittany navigates this insanity while hoping that she figures out who the bad guy is before more things go wrong. I just wish the ending hadn’t so totally gone off the rails. Three stars.

2. Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle. What can I even say about this incredible book? This is why I rarely give five stars ~ I want to save a five-star rating for the absolute best books, and this is definitely one. The story has everything a reader could want: layered, interesting characters who experience actual growth and change, fresh metaphors and ideas, an intriguing premise about the connection between taste and memory, the unreserved exploration of love, loss, and grief, and unbelievably lush descriptions of food, food, and more food. The supernatural elements were a bit crazy, but they fit smoothly into the world that the author created. This book made me hungry ~ both for food (especially peanut butter cups) and for more great writing!

Two for Tuesday: Floral Reads

Two ducks in Los Angeles (my photo)

I haven’t been reading much lately. Just not in the mood, I guess, plus I began several books that went quickly to the DNF pile. As I’ve mentioned, I’m really tired of the same-old thrillers and romances. I did finish two so far this month though, which I will review here (actually I will C&P from my Goodreads’ reviews). 

1. Wildflower by Drew Barrymore. Very enjoyable read. I read it in small batches to get the maximum effect. Drew has a very entertaining narrative voice and seems natural and unedited (though I assume the book was, at least a little). Her mood alternates between focused and scattered, but she’s always exuberant, which makes even the more ordinary chapters fun. She’s definitely an interesting person with an amazing work ethic. Four stars for this memoir.

2. Where the Sea Lavender Grows by Kitty Johnson. Interesting mystery with romantic and supernatural elements. The characters are well-developed and relatable, especially Elise and Lilias. Though the setting swings back and forth chronologically, the chapters are separate so there’s no confusion. While the story is full of tragedy, it is ultimately an affirmation of life and love. And doggies. Four stars.

I am still a few books ahead of my goal, pace-wise, but I need to get going if I want to hit 125 by December 31. Today I am at 93 for the year.

Two for Tuesday: Money Honey

Two ducks in Los Angeles (my photo)

Today would have been my parents' 69th wedding anniversary, so it's only appropriate that I post about two love stories I watched over the weekend. Of course, the movies are fictional, and my parents' love was real, though you might not have known that if you witnessed their constant arguing. For decades, up until my mom's death in 2008, I wondered why they stayed together when they were so different, but I finally understood that they simply loved each other despite all the bickering, cold silences, and threats to leave. I vowed that my life wouldn't be that way, and it wasn't... until it was. Unlike my parents, I did get a divorce (two of them, in fact), and I never ended up with a great love like they had.

One of my parents' ongoing conflicts had to do with money, which I've read is a very common conflict, though neither of my marriages ended because of that. Both of the movies I'm reviewing have financial security as a central theme, which wasn't planned at all, but it makes this post more cohesive. 

1. Cocktail (1988) stars Tom Cruise, Elisabeth Shue, and Bryan Brown. It was written by Heywood Gould and directed by Roger Donaldson. Tom plays Brian Flanagan, who is straight out of the military and now thinks he should be able to land a high-paying job on Wall Street and make a million bucks without any experience or education. After being turned down repeatedly and told he needs a degree, Brian enrolls in college and takes a job as a bartender to pay the bills. Bryan plays Doug Coughlin, a philosophical poet of a bartender, who tries to impart his life's wisdom to "Young Flanagan" on the topics of (a) shorting drinks in a theatrical way so customers won't notice; (b) reciting poems on the spot to entertain the patrons; and (c) focusing on getting a "rich chick" to finance his future. Doug does get his rich chick, but he screws that up with bad investments, and Brian gets his eventually too ~ Jordan Mooney played by Elisabeth Shue ~ though her father vows not to help them because he doesn't like Brian (understandable from his POV). In order to get the girl, however, Brian first has to have his epiphany that money doesn't buy love or happiness. 

Critics hated this movie, but it was a smashing success with audiences and generated a huge payday. I liked it a lot (though I agree that some of the dialogue was clunky), and I particularly enjoyed the showmanship and banter between Brian and Doug. Critics complain that much of the story was "unrealistic." Yes, it's fiction, not a documentary of bartending. Critics also moan that the ending was predictable. Yes, it's a romance, and romances end happily, else they wouldn't fit the genre. This is my third or fourth rewatch.

2. Materialists (2025) stars Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal. It was written and directed by Celine Song. Dakota and Chris are exes Lucy and John who clearly still have feelings for each other and are both struggling financially to make it in NYC (the movie doesn't explicitly say that Lucy has money issues, but imo it's implied, and she does admit to making $80K, which isn't much in New York), and Pedro plays Harry, a super rich guy. Lucy works for a matchmaking agency, and she's perfect for the job: warm, nurturing, encouraging, etc., while brutally honest about "the math." In dating, the math means coming up with a formula consisting of age, income, background, politics, physical attraction, etc., before setting up a date. It's fun to listen to the ridiculous things people want and expect from a potential life partner while bringing quite less to the table. Reminds me of my good old days of dating and how traumatic it was to be considered and rejected, though I can laugh about it now. Lucy wants the math to work for herself too, which is why she begins a relationship with Harry, and like Brian above, she has to arrive at her epiphany moment before she ends up with the true love she craves.

Critics were much kinder toward Materialists than to Cocktail, but there really isn't much difference in my view. Both had unrealistic aspects and predictable endings. In Materialists, there's a surgery that the uber wealthy men can get for $200K that increases their height (breaking their legs and making them longer with extensions), but I don't see anyone panning that in my brief foray into reviews as they did the crazy bartending stunts. I enjoyed the film and wouldn't mind seeing it again in a few years. Dakota Johnson is one of my favorite actors, along with fellow nepo baby Kate Hudson. Hey, if they're good, I don't care who their parents are. 

I watched both movies on HBO. 

Two for Tuesday: Movies

Two ducks in Los Angeles 

Last Friday my friend and I saw Coyote vs Acme at the Bella Terra theater in Huntington Beach. (Dinner first at the Cheesecake Factory, which is always delicious, even if you don’t have dessert.) We really liked it! Just good nostalgic fun with no profound messages, except maybe a reinforcement of the thrill of the chase being superior to the catch. (Sometimes.) If you aren’t that familiar with the old cartoons however, you might not find the movie super enjoyable. Apparently, the film was inspired by a 1990 article in the NYT, which you aren’t even allowed to read as a gift article if you don’t have a subscription. Whatever. They suck.

Saturday I went up to Los Angeles in a carpool to see Project Hail Mary with other friends. These peeps have a super big TV screen, so we had the pleasure of that along with the comfort of being in a private home. I’m glad I read Andy Weir’s book first because otherwise I might have been confused at some points, especially during the backstory scenes. I really enjoyed seeing how the alien was depicted onscreen after imagining him via Andy’s words on the page. It was an excellent movie, and we all loved it. I highly recommend the book and the film. 

Unfortunately, my alien-themed cupcakes, while cute, tasted awful. Pillsbury is usually great, but the pistachio cake mix, along with the frosting, was just plain yuck. I don’t understand how they messed up so dramatically, but I had a bad feeling as soon as I opened the box and took a sniff. Since sometimes my sense of smell is off, I made them anyway (baked late Friday night and frosted Saturday morning). I definitely do not recommend this product.

I also saw The Phantom of the Opera musical at the Segerstrom Center in Costa Mesa on Sunday (told you I’ve been busy, not to mention working some OT for month-end). The tickets were a birthday gift from my daughter and son-in-law. We were all unfamiliar with the story, but the singing and costumes were gorgeous, so it was a lot of fun even if we didn’t follow 100% of what was going on. One of my close friends was at the same showing, but her seat was nowhere near us, so we couldn’t chat.

A musical version of The Great Gatsby is scheduled for next May at Segerstrom, and I hope to see that too. I am familiar with this story! I only read the book like five times and watched two versions of the movie. 

Two for Tuesday: Romance

Two ducks in Los Angeles (my photo)

1. First Dates at the Cat Café by Rachel Rowlands. Cute love story with lots of kitties, coffees, and sweets. The book was properly written in past tense, third person, with alternating POV chapters and no jumping timeline. (Why can’t more books be written this way?) Both main characters were very likable and more layered than average, focused on their careers rather than obsessed with romance, which was refreshing. My main issue was that the MC’s, especially Nathan, were reactive rather than taking action, and that became a bit tedious. Grace was too concerned with her parents’ opinions for a 27 year old. Overall, however, this was an enjoyable read. Three stars. (Not spicy.)

2. Matzah Ball Blues by Jennifer Wilck. This was a good story, but I can’t go over three stars because nothing really grabbed me about it. We have two main characters who experience growth and change yada yada and of course we know they will end up together because it’s a romance novel, but there is nothing particularly interesting about the process. The most interesting part of the story is the financial fraud that Caroline discovers at the JCC, which in another book might result in death threats or something exciting, but in this case the whole thing is politely resolved while Caroline learns how to make brisket. Yawn. (Smidge of spice.)

Maybe I am too burnt out to fairly review romance novels these days. In fact, I can’t imagine giving any formulaic book five stars now… maybe four if it’s really different from the usual. I think I need another long break from romances and possibly from all genre writing. Well, except for the “required” book club books, which will have to suffer from my ennui as I rate them.

Again, I don’t understand other people’s ratings. They seem to believe that any book they finish automatically deserves four stars. But why? This just skews the whole rating system. I give four stars when I LOVE a book and five if it was so fabulous that I might reread it. If a book gave me new insight or inspiration, sure, four or five stars are deserved. But a run of the mill romance or thriller? Nah. (Unless it was written by a friend, hah.)

Two for Tuesday: Mysteries

Two ducks in Los Angeles (my photo)

I read these books in August to discuss with my online book club.

1. Every Last Lie by Mary Kubica. This book was disappointing. Kubica used present tense for the “now” and for the past, and then she mixed in further past in the past sections, for which she used past tense. It wasn’t confusing as much as it was simply annoying and distracting. I have a big issue with jumping timelines in general, unless the story is compelling, which this wasn’t. It could have simply been told straight up chronologically without all the jumping. 

I understand that book club questions focus on the big themes, but I am not inclined to delve into those when the writing itself irritates me. I mean, there are a zillion mystery novels where we find out disturbing facts about a dead character, so that’s not interesting in itself. There’s nothing about this particular dead guy that I found intriguing, nor did I find his widow’s reaction or behavior relatable.

The main characters made the stupidest decisions to the point where they simply weren’t believable after a few chapters. A dentist decides to start betting on basketball games when his business isn’t going well. A mom keeps leaving her kids in the hot car to chase after specks of “evidence.” She takes a 4 year old’s bad dream as “proof” of a crime. She keeps lying to the 4 year old and saying daddy will be home soon when he’s dead. A dental patient deliberately lets an infection fester and almost dies just so she can sue the dentist. What?! On and on. I didn’t like any of the characters except for Clara’s dad and the dog. 

I don’t know why I am even giving this book two stars instead of one. The ending was good.

2. Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth. Three stars. Started out sorta slow, but it became more interesting after a few chapters. There were some twists I saw, and some I didn’t, so that was cool. I like to be surprised, but only if the twist is earned. Characters were interesting and layered, except for a couple bad guys. The ending was a bummer.

I try to use a logical scheme for book ratings, but it’s difficult when I mix in my feelings, such as giving an indie/ friend four or five stars for encouragement (and generally they have very few ratings to begin with). Sally H is a popular author, especially in the book club communities, so I don’t feel the same obligation to help her. For example, she has over 200K ratings for Mad Mabel on Goodreads! I’m also inclined to bump up a star if the author tries something different because so many books are the SOS. I liked that the narrator of MM was a cranky old lady, but when we got into the details of the abuse and bullying she suffered as a child, it became ridiculous. The “saving grace” was the first person narrator, which made me say OK we often exaggerate both the bad and good parts of our past in our own minds, particularly when we obsess over them. We know that memories can change the more they are examined, even if retold only to ourselves.

This is an important point regarding POV. I know most readers don’t think about the mechanics of storytelling overmuch, but there’s a huge difference between a first person narrator telling us what she remembers and an omniscient or even a limited omniscient narrator telling us the facts. When I try to discuss these POV points or other writing mechanics, such as the chosen tense, with my book club peeps, I get crickets or blank stares. I’m not sure how someone can read a sh!t ton of books and not be aware of these things, but I guess that’s a failure on my part to understand other humans. It wouldn’t be the first time!

Two for Tuesday: Huntington Beach

Brown sugar cinnamon latte at Grim in HB (my photo)

1. On Sunday, I had a very early coffee meetup with two friends at Grim Garden in Huntington Beach (Warner and Newland). What an adorable little place! The whole café is "grim" (dark) themed, complete with an open vertical coffin in which you can pose for pictures (see my Instagram @lightm0tifs). There are green plants everywhere, giving it a tea party vibe. My friends loved their iced drinks, but I have to have something hot first thing in the morning (even if it's already 80 degrees out), so I ordered their special brown sugar cinnamon latte. It was so yummy! They had pastries too, which looked delicious, but I didn't try one. (I have a bunch of wonderful cookies at home due to my decorating class on Saturday morning ~ also on my IG.) Grim gets a 10/10 from me, and I would definitely return.

2. In the afternoon, I decided to go to a romance novel pop-up event in HB (Warner and Bolsa Chica), despite taking a break from the genre at the moment, especially from contemporary romance. I recently received a set of Regency romances that I will read soon. Anyway, back to the pop-up... there were several books I might have been interested in, but the prices, eeeek! I didn't realize that it's normal to charge $30 for a new book! Yes, they are pristine, and some even have the highly desired sprayed edges, but I'm happy to read a library book that's been paged through a hundred times and return it. I don't have space in my place to hoard books, and I keep only special or meaningful ones, which excludes most romances.

I went inside the pizza place where some local romance authors had their own books for sale. Same thing: I might have bought a few if they weren't so expensive. I felt kinda bad just looking and leaving, but oh well. Back outside, I browsed the "merch," some of which was cute, but I don't need a hat or a book bag. There were cheaper "mystery date" books that I could have gambled on at $12 each (covered in wrapping paper with an enticing blurb taped on), but I didn't end up getting anything at all. To be fair, some of the (uncovered) books were “only” $22.50, but still. I am not saying that authors don't deserve these prices for their books... I just can’t afford it at the pace I read. 

When I read a romance or a thriller novel, I gobble it up like a package of candy. I can read a 300 page book in a day! Contrast that with a deeper, crunchier read, which I savor and take my time with, maybe even make some notes… those type of books I do pay more for and keep on my shelves. I don’t expect them to appear in the KU program either. No offense to any romance or thriller writers ~ these books can be very fun reads ~ but I am not paying $30 for one.

See you at the next T4T!

Two for Tuesday: Nonfiction

Two ducks in Los Angeles (my photo)

As I mentioned earlier, I’m trying to get out of my reading rut of thrillers and romances by choosing other genres and even nonfiction when the mood moves me. Here are two reviews of nonfiction books I read in July.

1. When the Earth Had Two Moons by Erik Asphaug. As a layperson, I enjoyed this book very much. Some of the science (ok, most of it) was over my head, but I still managed to learn a lot from the way the author tried to make it more easily digestible with metaphors and such. Sometimes the language became quite poetic! It definitely heightened my curiosity to read further on the topic and also made me more aware of the crucial need to fund space exploration. Four stars.

2. Marley & Me by John Grogan. I didn’t expect to cry at the end of this book because honestly Marley seemed like such an annoyance to put up with. I could not have handled having this giant destructive dog in my home, even with a man around to do most of the wrassling. The descriptions of the constant drool were enough in themselves for me to nope out. Kudos to Grogan for making most of the misadventures sound funny and ultimately heartwarming. When Marley’s decline began, I did get the feels, especially because it all reminded me of the loss of my own pets, one of which was relatively recent (RIP Gatsby). Overall, this was a very enjoyable read, including the teary parts. Four stars. 

PS: Marley & Me was made into a movie in 2008 starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston. It was good, but the book was better.

Two for Tuesday: Dramas

Two ducks in Los Angeles (my photo)

I enjoyed a couple dramas on HBO recently, so I will share them with you now.

1. Knox Goes Away (2024) stars Michael Keaton, who also directed, Al Pacino (always great), and James Marsden (love him from 27 Dresses, Enchanted, etc.). This film asks the question: what if a hitman got dementia? If Knox hadn't been a hitman, he would have made a tragically romantic hero whose mind is dissolving with disease. But he is, in fact, a murderer, so that complicates things. Knox and his friend Xavier (Pacino) come up with a system to deal with the dementia while at the same time helping Knox's son Miles (Marsden) beat a murder charge himself. Suzy Nakamura plays a police detective who has to deal with coworker sexism while trying to solve the case. The movie held my interest throughout.

2. Juror #2 (2024) stars Nicholas Hoult and is directed by Clint Eastwood. Juror Justin (Hoult) realizes he may have accidentally committed the crime that’s being tried, and he has to decide what to do. We watch him wrestle with his conscience throughout the film. Toni Collette plays the prosecutor, and I have to revise my opinion of her. I’ve avoided her for years because of that absolutely awful movie Hereditary, but I didn’t notice that she was in this movie at first. She was great! All the acting was top-notch, and the story was twisty and unpredictable, in the best of ways. If Juror #2 were a book, I would be tempted to give it 5 stars.

Two for Tuesday: Movies Again

 

Two ducks in Los Angeles (my photo)

1. Two if By Sea (1996). This romcom stars Sandra Bullock (Roz), one of my favorite actors, and Denis Leary (Frank). Yaphet Kotto (RIP) plays a detective (O'Malley), and you might remember him in the dual roles of Dr. Kanaga and Mr. Big from Live and Let Die, as well as many other roles over the years, Bill Bennett directs. Frank is a small-time Boston thief who steals a $4M painting he plans to hand over to "Phill the Shill," a big-time criminal who is presumed dead by most in law enforcement, except for O'Malley (who has a personal vendetta against Phill). Roz is a bookstore clerk and Frank's long-suffering girlfriend, who wants Frank to give up his criminal ways and become a legit citizen/ husband/ father, but in the meantime she helps him because she's a lot smarter than he is.

Frank decides to make a long weekend out of the art thievery escapade, so he and Roz end up crashing at an unoccupied house in a ritzy area, where Roz meets a wealthy, handsome neighbor who falls in love with her, and she considers dumping Frank. There are some funny side characters, including Michael Badalucco, who has been in a zillion movies. I wouldn't say this is great romcom, but there are some laughs, and Sandra is always enjoyable. I watched this on Netflix over the July 4th weekend.

2. Ladies First (2026). This movie would have been hilarious on July 4, 1986, but it felt dated as a new movie. It stars Sasha Baron Cohen and Rosamund Pike, and it's directed by Thea Sharrock. Charles Dance costars, and you may remember him as Tywin Lannister in Game of Thrones. I certainly do! The acting is top notch, but the premise that a misogynistic bully male boss hits his head and is magically transported to a parallel world where women are in charge feels a bit "been there done that" to me. There are many funny moments at first, but they soon grow repetitive and stale. We get it, OK: everyone wants to be respected, yada yada. The idea that a man would feel bad about being treated like a sex object by women doesn't really work because I don't think most men would feel bad! The movie should have focused more on gender-based pay disparities, which isn't dated because it's still happening, but I guess that's not as funny as penile implants. 

Usually, I don't bother reviewing movies I don't like, but I did watch Ladies First to the end and figured it deserved a bit of a write-up since it's new and being hyped on Netflix.

Two for Tuesday: Movies

 

Two ducks in Los Angeles (my photo)

I watched a few movies over the holiday weekend and will present two reviews here. I don’t generally review movies I dislike or don’t watch until the end, so these are ones I enjoyed, at least somewhat. 

1. Fatale (2020), a psychological thriller directed by Deon Taylor, starring Michael Ealy and Hilary Swank. This movie received mixed reviews with many on the negative side, and maybe if I had seen it in a theater I would have been disappointed, but I didn’t, so I wasn’t. The basic premise is similar to Fatal Attraction, where a married man tries to have a no strings attached one-night stand, but… complications ensue. In Derrick’s case, his hookup in Vegas didn’t stay in Vegas, but instead turned out to be the detective who is assigned to his home invasion. Whoops. Oh, and it turns out she’s an unhinged lunatic who tries to frame him for murder. Some of the twists are predictable, but others are fun, and overall it kept my attention. (Netflix.)

2. Speaking of Michael Douglas (Fatal Attraction), by amazing coincidence he starred in the second movie I watched on Netflix: And So It Goes. This 2014 romcom was directed by the late, great Rob Reiner and also starred Diane Keaton. It’s not your typical romantic comedy since the protagonists are in their 60s, but it contains the usual elements of a grumpy real estate guy, a sad but sweet heroine, a precocious child who charms everyone, and a bunch of semi-wacky side characters, including RR himself. The excellent acting made up for the cliched storyline, and I enjoyed it.

Happy Tuesday!

Tanka Tuesday: Make Mine a Double

Pocket watch on the beach (AI image)

Forgotten moments 

Wash up on the shore of dreams

Blurry memories 

Battered by the changing tides

Unstable as sand castles 

No one knows the truth 

Even photographs can lie

Mona Lisa smiles 

Stories shift with retelling 

The foundation slides away 

~*~

Double tanka written for Tanka Tuesday Challenge #71 hosted by Willow and inspired by a recent death in my family.

Two for Tuesday: Triolets

1

If it’s awkward, then it’s cute meet

Spill your coffee all down his shirt 

Trip and fall over your own feet 

If it’s awkward, then it’s cute meet

Your face will blush red as a beet

Clumsiness is the way to flirt

If it’s awkward, then it’s cute meet

Spill your coffee all down his shirt

2

I’m not fond of second chances

Once the lovers have bid adieu

When I’m browsing through romances

I’m not fond of second chances 

Even in changed circumstances

Please set them up with someone new 

I’m not fond of second chances 

Once the lovers have bid adieu