Poetry Book Reviews

Memories Left by the Roadside by Paul Leestma

Memories Left by the Roadside by Paul LeestmaIn his second book of verse, poet Paul Leestma vows to go beyond his own experience, creating a new view of larger concepts of love and destiny. In this emotionally charged collection, the author delves into the mystical quality of memory and explores it in depth.

In Memories Left by the Roadside the themes are at once universal and also intensely personal: “As I have aged, so has my love for you”; “Do you still think of me when you hear our song?” There is palpable melancholy, as when he remembers the girl who lives on Rte. 29 with whom […]

2017-06-20T05:56:35+02:00June 19th, 2017|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Let’s Go Dancing in the Light by Gloria D. Gonsalves

Let’s Go Dancing in the Light by Gloria D. GonsalvesA poetess and storyteller, including children’s fiction, Gloria D. Gonsalves will touch hearts and minds with her evocative short compositions in Let’s Go Dancing in the Light: A Collection of Poetry and Prose for Soul and Spirit.

Admitting a leaning towards Christianity, Gonsalves embraces other faiths in this uplifting and well-rounded work. Some pieces exude the enigmatic quality of a Zen kōan, as in “To the Denizens of Now”:

There’s no year…Would we want a calendar?
There’s no finish line…Would we stop bustling?

Each piece in the collection speaks of gritty human experience, sensual and violent, poignant and unexpected, […]

2018-03-06T11:23:30+02:00June 16th, 2017|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

The Way Gargoyles Play by Andrea Britt Cadelli

The Way Gargoyles Play by Andrea Britt CadelliThe Way Gargoyles Play by Andrea Britt Cadelli is a moving and comprehensive work of self-help about overcoming personal suffering and achieving happiness. After her younger brother died, Cadelli found herself in a spiral of suffering, and here she tells tale of how she lifted herself out of the cycle. The book also includes Cadelli’s evocative poetry covering many of these same themes.

Cadelli talks passionately and eloquently about finding happiness in an oftentimes depressing world. One doesn’t have to be a depressive to find modern life daunting, and when you add real personal trauma to the mix, as Cadelli […]

Nostalgia or Sunset by Aurin Shaila Nusrat Sheikh

Nostalgia or Sunset Nostalgia or Sunset: A journey towards memories… by Aurin Shaila Nusrat Sheikh is an evocative work of prose and poetry that’s both wistful and melancholy. A passionate and expressive writer, Sheikh writes about love, nature, and everyday observations using language that is in turns abstract and direct.

Even when using melancholy or plaintive imagery, the feeling of these poems is one of thoughtfulness and reverence for one’s life and surroundings. Many of these poems are told from the first-person perspective, yet do not seem overly inward-looking or self-obsessed. The “I” could be the reader herself, so the collection gives a […]

2017-05-10T06:26:11+02:00May 10th, 2017|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Review: Ascending Voice by Simi Fromen

Ascending Voice by Simi Fromen

Ascending Voice by Simi Fromen is a moving collection of poetry about putting yourself together after a broken relationship. Told in three sections -“Mud,” “Murky Waters,” and “Lotus” – the collection follows Fromen’s path from pain to renewal. It’s a deeply honest collection about healing that should help readers heal as well, especially those recovering from a divorce or other bad relationship.

Fromen writes from a decidedly New Age, yogic perspective. However, where New Age “think positive” writing can devolve into tropes and cliches, what makes Ascending Voice stand out is Fromen’s honesty. She is very clearly, by her own […]

2019-02-11T09:12:37+02:00March 2nd, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

First Person: Supernatural Interviews by Okisha Jackson

First Person: Supernatural Interviews by Okisha JacksonFirst Person: Supernatural Interviews by Okisha Jackson is a collection of religious poetry focused on a number of different themes, such as “Vanity,” “Love,” “Insecurity,” “Pride,” and others. Poems are told in the first person from the perspective of the theme, or the author, and followed by corresponding scripture. It’s a unique work that touches on religious themes in a modern-day context.

While this is a deeply religious collection, the strength of the poetry is its universality. There is, of course, mention of God and faith within the text, but when she talks of something like vanity, it is applicable […]

2017-02-23T09:10:21+02:00February 23rd, 2017|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

Review: Handful of Memories by Robert A. Cozzi

Handful of Memories by Robert A. Cozzi

In Handful of Memories, Robert A. Cozzi continues his exploration of themes that frequent his work, particularly in regards to romantic, platonic, and familial love, about which he is a sincere and passionate writer. The book gathers together both poetry and prose from the period between the release of his first collection, Tide Pool of Words, and his most recent collection, Blanket of Hearts, making for an ambitious and affecting trilogy.

As with his other collections, Cozzi demonstrates his talent through a simple poetic style with short, sweet lines and sentences with the intention of evoking […]

2019-02-22T11:45:23+02:00February 14th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: God, Grace, Dumb Luck by Phloyd Knucklez

God, Grace, Dumb Luck by Phloyd Knucklez

In God, Grace, Dumb Luck, Phloyd Knucklez writes self-deprecating urban prose that explores the connections between his experiences with women, and snapshots of life in short story form with down-on-their-luck characters.

In a way, this is a difficult book to read because it’s not entirely clear if the writer understands how deeply depressed he is, even if his expectations for life are so low as to wear his distress and apathy as a badge of honor. His characters seem to reflect memories and situations he himself has been in, or search for meaning in their dark and squalid settings.[…]

2019-02-11T09:18:45+02:00January 13th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: , |
Go to Top