“The House Plant”–Review

Afternoon, bloggers! I just read this new, short story by Jeremy Ray, and I thought I’d share it with you.

This story is told from the perspective of George, a newly adopted houseplant. One day, during a book club discussion, George overhears Brenda, his new owner, tell her book club about her immediate love for George when she first set eyes on him. George’s story, however, is different from Brenda’s.

The House Plant tells George’s story of loss, love, and family. This is my first time reading Jeremy Ray’s work, and I think it was so touching. I’ve never had a green thumb, so I just never got around to appreciating how beneficial plants can be. So, after reading this story, I realized I never would have looked at it that way. Five stars for this story!

Feel free to post your comments. Happy reading! Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read The House Plant.

About the author: Jeremy Ray graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a MFA in Dramatic Writing. He is the recipient of the Max K. Lerner Playwriting Fellowship for his play Boiling Point and the Shubert Playwriting Fellowship for his play Sisters of Transformation. His work has been performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, and his screenplays have placed in the PAGE International Screenwriting Awards Competition, The Academy Nicholl Fellowship, and the ScreenCraft Drama Contest. For more info, click here.

“Ball Boy”–Review

Good evening, bloggers! Here’s my new review for Paul Shirley’s debut novel, Ball Boy.

This is a coming-of-age story, set in Reseda, California. Gray Taylor has always wanted to be acknowledged, yet everyone at school seems to treat him as if he doesn’t exist. While that’s bad enough, he could never succeed in getting Stephanie Espinosa to look his way. Not long after that, Gray is struck with another surprise: his mother tells him that they’re moving back to her hometown in Kansas.

Gray figures that living in Beaudelaire, Kansas, may just be the fresh start he desperately needs. Yet when he steps foot in his new school, he feels as if he’s never left Reseda. He feels out of place, so there’s only one option: leave. But, then, the coach recruits Gray into the basketball team. Although Gray never knew much about the game, he eventually finds his calling.

But within a short time, Gray is determined not just to make a name for himself in basketball, but to use basketball to win the pretty girl, and to save his new hometown that the majority of residents no longer appreciate.

I do enjoy the occasional coming-of-age novel, and I’m also wondering if there will be a follow-up to this book. Some moments did leave me curious, though, but I won’t spoil a thing. As always, feel free to post your comments. Happy reading!

About the author: A former college and professional basketball player, Paul turned the stories of his travels and travails into a humor memoir called CAN I KEEP MY JERSEY? He followed that with STORIES I TELL ON DATES, which also became a renowned podcast of the same name. Paul also runs a productivity consultancy called The Process.