A review by booksbythecup
The Matter Is Life by J. California Cooper
5.0
How do you feel about short stories? Are they a regular part of your reading or do you find that after you read them you feel like the story is incomplete?
I remember thinking in the past when I tried short stories they felt unfinished since I had become accustomed to reading a complete book. But there has been one author who had consistently made me feel right at home, like my grandmother or wise older auntie has sat me down and left me with a few lessons on life. Because her age and life experience exceed my own and she can tell a story like no one else, I pull up a chair, grab a pot of tea (well maybe a pitcher of sweet tea for her) and I hunker down for what I know will be another treasured and cherished moment in our relationship.
That, in a nutshell, is how I feel after reading J. California Cooper. Everytime. Although it's been several years since I've read one of her novels or collections of stories, it's like we haven't missed a beat. We are picking up where we left off and for the life of me, I can't figure out how I can review those feelings. It just doesn't seem possible. Overall, I didn't think I had much to say about a collection of short stories, but the feelings and emotions and the words, they just tumbled out. Reading JCC always makes me think of my dear friend who introduced me to this author many years ago. She was my best friend, more like a sister.
Full review here
https://booksbythecup.wordpress.com/2019/01/23/the-matter-is-life-short-stories/
That, in a nutshell, is how I feel after reading J. California Cooper. Everytime. Although it's been several years since I've read one of her novels or collections of stories, it's like we haven't missed a beat. We are picking up where we left off and for the life of me, I can't figure out how I can review those feelings. It just doesn't seem possible. Overall, I didn't think I had much to say about a collection of short stories, but the feelings and emotions and the words, they just tumbled out. Reading JCC always makes me think of my dear friend who introduced me to this author many years ago. She was my best friend, more like a sister.
Full review here
https://booksbythecup.wordpress.com/2019/01/23/the-matter-is-life-short-stories/